Shining a Size 9-11 Shoe for Mother England's Boy, John McCain

How could a widely read journalist like Floyd Norris from the NY Times get away with saying, "It's a Crisis, and Ideas are Scarce?" Indeed, given the extraordinary nature of the moment in which we are living, what does one make of a so-called "journalist" who "did not anticipate the severity of the credit collapse?"

Who does Mr. Norris think he is kidding? Anyone who over the past twenty years has watched private credit markets inflate assets like so many circus balloons knew the game of leveraging finite collateral could not go on forever. Is he blind to history and, furthermore, completely oblivious to what it means to be an American?

Yes, this must be it. Let me guide you onward through the fog...

Who is ex-Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker speaking for when he says, “Any return to heavily regulated, bank-dominated, nationally insulated markets is pure nostalgia, not possible in this world of sophisticated financial techniques made possible by the wonders of electronic technology?”

Which world financial capital has long established no government should "require the derivative markets to be made more transparent," thus making Volcker's advice (quoted here) a simple demonstration of how one proposes closing the barn door after letting the horses out? What makes his call for greater regulatory oversight anything more than skillful CYA obscuring the critical role derivatives have played in perpetrating a financial fraud of John Law proportions?

What does Volcker accomplish when he says, “For financial regulation in general, competition in regulatory laxity cannot be a tolerable approach?” Indeed, are there not issues much larger than "regulatory laxity" responsible for the predicament we find ourselves in? What of regulatory measures that have effectively enslaved consumption to an ever increasing mountain of debt, achieving this largely by allowing production to seek out its cheapest, least capital intensive supplier (which, in fact, are the "fruits" of globalization)? Was it not this same Paul Volcker whose legacy as Fed Chairman was to take a wrecking ball to the American dream, elevating monetarist financial dogma above the means by which a prosperous nation ensures its posterity?

What is worse: an "old-fashioned socialist" or a dyed in the wool fascist? If the latter, then was Franklin Delano Roosevelt the former?

And finally, when you call people like George Shultz "friend," what does this make you? (Hint: it's not an "old-fashioned socialist.")

Who is in control here?

Floyd Norris is half correct; we are facing a crisis. There are a lot of people who realize this, too. In fact, I am astonished by the degree to which knowledge about the danger we face is out in the open. I guess it is because many saw it coming. We should all be grateful for the internet.

Trouble is most generally fail to understand the historical context of this crisis. Indeed, all too many are conditioned to thinking only inside the box. This, I suppose, is precisely why the likes of Floyd Norris believe "ideas are scarce."

Regrettably, most people understand woefully little about the nature of tyranny — particularly its greed-laced financial manifestation — that led the United States to rebel against Great Britain and establish its Constitutional Republic.

It seems all too few Americans appreciate how far we have sunk as a nation — how much potential we have squandered — and how this financial crisis we are facing is the rightful result of our mass acquiescence to contemptible lies, the likes of which, indeed, formerly led honorable men to issue a Declaration of Independence.

So, what is the nature of this inside the box thinking captivating far too many Americans? Well, let me enlighten you with a question:

Why are most so-called respectable authorities fond of citing Adam Smith and oblivious to Alexander Hamilton?

You see, everything inside the box of the present historical moment — particularly the reasoning most every institutional element of our national fabric forces down our throats (like, for example, a free press claiming "ideas are scarce") — is largely (if not entirely) confined within the tradition of Anglo-Dutch Liberalism. There is no escaping this truth. Nor is it inconsequential. This foreign, purely oligarchical ideology so infects us politically that a virtual vacuum exists between the practical reality defining the crisis bearing down on us and the principles upon which our nation was founded.

All that we have become — consumed now in crisis — is everything we were once formed to oppose. The roots are so deep the likes of Floyd Norris, Paul Volcker, "Henry Potter" Paulson, Alan Greenspan, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, John McCain (and most everyone who is anything in Washington and New York) have become disconnected with our nation's historical place, and so, are perfectly conditioned to react accordingly because their courage only goes so far as to operate within the confines of an arrangement that is corrupt to its core.

And therein lies grave danger. So, I'd like to present one frightening scenario suggesting how events might unfold.

Brace yourself. This might strike you as highly improbable. And it is! Indeed, you might just think I am crazy for even suggesting it could happen. However, this scenario is entirely within the realm of realistic possibilities at this extraordinary moment in time for two simple reasons.

First, the cake that has been baked into contemporary social arrangements arguably is a poisonous concoction whipped up by some of the most crooked cowards as have ever walked the face of the earth. The crisis we presently face conclusively proves this! It never should have been allowed to get this far. If you do not "get it" yet, soon enough you will. Chances are you will cry for being so blind, too.

The second reason I have for presenting this frightening scenario is because recent history provides unmistakable proof it could, indeed, happen again.

Is the Second, Size 9-11 Shoe About to Fall?

It could happen in Baghdad, Jerusalem, Islamabad or Tehran: anywhere our generation's neo-colonialists have made it their business to impose a direction contrary to the spirit of the American Revolution.

Heck, it could be Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Beijing or Tokyo, among other places. Truth is New York and Washington D.C. have been shown vulnerable — in a nation possessing the most powerful military on earth. Anything is possible now.

Expect whatever might be ... to occur wherever the purpose of accelerating the drive toward all-out war might best be served ... and, of course, for events to be rather distressing.

You do see how the world's contingent of cowards calling themselves "leaders" are purposely being moved in the direction of all-out war, don't you? Think about it. Where is talk of peace and progress? Of lasting victory and its means, against benchmarks older than Korea? Where is principled discussion and debate in this so-called open society? This Congress is made corrupt by its ineptness! Ladies should lead? We'd better hope Pelosi is a TV! (She's from San Fran ... so, I like our odds.)

The one thing I do suppose is all the ducks are in a row for some dramatic act of modern warfare to shock the world. Volcker might be a tolling bell announcing why "sacrifice" is the order of the day. What other alternative is there given such cowardice (born of ignorance, let's hope) as proceeds from a so-called free press preaching conformance to a political environment that is in many minds obscene? What greater vulnerability does Nature need to thoroughly assist corrupted institutions, both public and private, in furthering acts of war and aggression?

Now that a crisis is broadly recognized, imagine hard sacrifice that might be necessary for continuing the perpetuation of an intention, wildly beneficial to a few, which further reduces the U.S. middle class by dragging it into an environment where their suffering could be made to expand further with blood and still little resistance.

The trend is your friend.

Danger, Will Robinson.

Gone are the days when the launching of some violent event means we should be looking for tanks, artillery and men amassing at some border about to be breached. Recall the shock of September 11, 2001. Whether imminent or not, another stunning attack simply should not be considered a long shot, particularly given the gravity of the financial/economic crisis we face.

I could not possibly elaborate much beyond the broad-brush perspective I have chosen to present here. What I understand — what I see well enough with my own eyes — is certain influential interests are not about to allow another intelligent, determined fighter of international fascism, like FDR, to reverse the present course toward self-destruction the United States seems firmly set upon.

So to conclude here, I believe the financial crisis is quite real. I also believe there is intention behind it. Yet, its vulnerability is deep. Thus, this crisis is easily solved anchoring our souls in our nation's rich history.

Or ... for those who like more contemporary visions, I give you Frank Pantangele: "Let's hit 'em all now, Mike, while we still got the muscle."

If I am crazy, blame the Elliott Wave...

Even Kings Live and Die by the Golden Rule

The LaRouche Chronicles: Shallow-Minded Politics

"In his masterful Timaeus, Plato recounts the gist of an historic visit to the leading body of Egypt's intelligentsia. Those Egyptians praised the Greeks of Solon's stripe as good people, but with a certain, crucial strategic flaw: "You have no old men among you." Most among those of us of contemporary, globally extended European civilization today, including most of the political leaderships of nominally powerful nations, represent shallow-minded types of the sort who might appear to have been just recently born from what had been an hermetically sealed egg, hatched at a time close to just yesterday, with concentration-spans which would embarrass a brain-damaged cricket."

—London's Brutish Fairy-Tale, by Lyndon H. LaRouche Jr.

Here's How Financial Regulation Kills

Pressure builds over CDS settlements (Robert Cookson and Gillian Tett) February 21 – Financial Times: “International regulators are stepping up pressure on the financial industry to introduce a clearer system for settling contracts after a corporate default in the $45,000bn credit derivatives market. In particular the New York Federal Reserve and UK’s Financial Services Authority are urging industry associations such as the International Swaps and Derivatives Association…to introduce binding rules about how credit default swaps (CDS) contracts are settled in default. The moves come amid growing expectations that corporate bond default rates will rise sharply in the next couple of years. It also comes amid signs that some mainstream investors are becoming uneasy about the ability of the CDS infrastructure to withstand a wave of defaults – particularly as settlement procedures are still relatively untested. Settlement has become a particular concern because the CDS market has expanded so dramatically this decade that the volume of derivatives contracts can sometimes be ten times bigger than the underlying cash bonds on which the CDS are based.”

Reading between the lines (as one should) ... apparently the New York Federal Reserve and the UK's Financial Services Authority wish to turn the screws on the $45 trillion CDS market.

Where were these fine folks when this thing was being inflated like so many red, white and blue balloons at a political convention? Preaching the gospel of unfettered free markets?

Now, about this sudden wave of anticipated defaults: how was it unforeseen when the CDS market was $4.5 trillion? How about $450 billion?

Thus, one might rightly suppose this particular group of "distinguished" financial regulators probably are up to something less noble than appearances suggest. Are they not, in fact, demonstrating themselves equally as bankrupt as the game whose greater oversight they now call for? After all, is not their present concern way beyond fashionably late?

An existing set of "binding rules" already judges the actions of these so-called regulatory agencies. So, now they should be held to account. Indeed, the U.S. Constitution provides the very benchmark by which the utterly reckless lack of financial oversight up to this point deserves the severest scrutiny.

Considering the likelihood "that corporate bond default rates will rise sharply over the next couple of years" one must ask: how does increasing the risk of asset liquidation leading to business downsizing "promote the general Welfare?"

How does the added vulnerability of job loss brought about by financial de-leveraging "insure domestic Tranquility?"

The significant segment of the home foreclosure crisis brought about by predatory lending also comes to mind here. Allowing conditions that would lead to millions of people losing their homes hardly promotes "the general Welfare." Nor does this unfolding tragedy "insure domestic Tranquility."

Then, too, would any bailout of private institutions that have brought us to the point of economic perdition serve to "establish Justice?" One would hardly think so!

Worried Bankers Seek to Shift Risk to Uncle Sam (Damian Paletta) February 13 – The Wall Street Journal: “The banking industry, struggling to contain the fallout from the mortgage debacle, is urgently shopping proposals to Congress and the Bush administration that could shift some of the risk for troubled loans to the federal government. One proposal, advanced by officials at Credit Suisse Group, would expand the scope of loans guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration. The proposal would let the FHA guarantee mortgage refinancings by some delinquent borrowers. Credit Suisse officials have met with senior officials from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which runs the FHA, and other policy makers to discuss the proposal. The risk: If delinquent borrowers default on their refinanced loans, the federal government would have to absorb the loss.”

Why would anyone listen to proposals put forward by "authorities" who have amply demonstrated their lack of foresight, given the wealth of historical precedent exposing the doctrinal frauds to which they adhere?

There is nothing hidden that shall not be revealed. The illusion of "credibility" our modern-day financial regulators possess is, indeed, a fraud because we see how willful action, or lack thereof (and timing is everything), all too well demonstrates the truth of how regulation kills...

Firewall: In Defense of the Nation State

There are Laws Against Stimulating Corpses!

It really is a bit disheartening to see how people can, out of one side of their mouth, bemoan the political process surrounding the debate over the economic stimulus package, and then out of the other side, actually believe the U.S. Congress is exercising sound judgment on behalf of the nation.

No one asks the question, "What good is a stimulus package coming from politicians (on both sides of the aisle) who have done everything to remove real economic opportunity and replace it with the most grotesque casino the world has ever seen, and by so doing, have led our nation to the brink of insolvency?"

Truth is the Congress is attempting to stimulate a corpse, and therefore should be charged with necrophilia.

Now, being we are in an election year and a Republican rout looks like a cinch, my next question is this:

Do you really think things are going to get better once the Democratic Party regains an absolute majority in both Houses of the Congress?

You're dreaming! As long as Fascists like Felix Rohatyn are allowed to dispense their financial "wisdom" upon those in the Democratic Party who hold positions of leadership, like Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Hoyer and Mr. Frank, the party will be useless to the People. That is a fact.

This Democratic Party is so far removed from the principles and policies of FDR, it practically makes me ashamed to call myself a Democrat! Nevertheless, I am not enraged, which is more than I can say for other people. They call for revolution!

A revolution? Good God! Calm down.

Why not just start in your neighborhood, dear patriot. Organize your street to understand how FDR's Reconstruction Finance Corporation rescued the nation from the depths of the Great Depression. Get to know REAL economic stimulus, as compared to the pathetic bribe our Congress is presently putting forward.

There IS a difference between promoting "the general Welfare" and buying votes.

Then, after getting FDR's RFC nailed down, take a look at H.R. 3400 - the Rebuilding America's Infrastructure Act. Do note the bill's sponsor! Any mistaken notion the majority within the Democratic Party is on the side of the forgotten 80% of Americans will be dispelled. Ask yourself, why would this bill's sponsor — a man who was forced to drop out of the presidential race — be so arbitrarily excluded from nationally televised debates while he was running, and then be made to defend his Congressional seat in the March 3rd primary election against an opponent who is outspending his campaign 5-1? What kind of Democratic Party would allow this kind of thing to even happen, given how friendly to the People his legislation is?

Understanding there's a difference between being an informed citizen versus being Uncle Sam's whore (which is what this stimulus package is venturing to make us), we might help our communities understand the nature of TRUE economic stimulus.

Thus, too, we might enlist people who would courageously take that stimulus check, write "VOID" in big red letters on the front of it, sign the back "Alexander Hamilton" and return it to their Congressional Representative uncashed.

If enough people were to do this, Wall Street would get the message.

Then, dear patriot, you'd have your revolution without even firing a single shot...

Iraq War: End in Sight?

It's possible the war in Iraq will end soon, and for financial reasons most of you do not understand.

No, we are not broke. Technically insolvent? Yes. Bankrupt? No.

Yet, even our nation's financial insolvency is not the reason why we might soon end our occupation of Iraq.

Truth is the credit creating machine called Structured Finance is significantly frozen, so the profit to be made financing the war is rapidly diminishing. Thus, the takeover of the sovereign credit of the United States by global private finance probably is set to enter a new phase whose character could be extremely debilitating and oppressive.

Shortly, I will argue our nation is being prepared to destroy itself from within, and this quite literally. Of course, there is hope we could avoid this outcome. However, only if we heed the lessons of history and rightly answer our nation's calling to purpose as citizens in a temple of liberty and a beacon of hope.

Make no mistake about it. The vice grip global private finance has over the U.S. Treasury is a concern of the first order because there clearly exists an agenda contrary to the spirit expressed in the U.S. Constitution's Preamble. Tyranny is its name. Some things truly never change.

So, let me begin to explain why I believe the war in Iraq might soon be coming to an end.

You must realize there was a devious reason Wall Street and the City of London welcomed the war in Iraq. The masters of global private finance knew the U.S. Treasury would be spewing debt like there was no tomorrow in order to finance the war. This was something they took advantage of on two counts.

First was simply creating conditions that, ultimately could be manipulated to the detriment of our nation's standing throughout the world, both presently and for all time to come.

The Iraq war has well-served the present purpose. Has the United States ever been more greatly reviled?

Likewise, the geometric increase of our national debt in the war's prosecution has become the means by which our nation's standing might forever be destroyed. I believe this is the very threshold we are, indeed, but at the point of crossing.

The second, more immediate reason the war in Iraq was favored by global private finance was because the explosion of U.S. Treasury debt would prove indispensable to the proliferation of myriad "private label" securities that are products of the greatest credit creating machine the world has ever seen: Structured Finance. Treasuries are used in complex, dynamic hedging schemes meant to protect issuers of the various Structured Finance products.

We might be wise, indeed, to view this proliferation of credit, both public and private, as bait to the trap we are proceeding to enter.

U.S. Treasury securities are AAA rated. Among other things, they typically are a safe refuge for investment capital in times of political and financial crisis, both of which are now upon us. (All well and good, in some respects. However, these are anything but typical times. Strategies that would have worked fine yesterday may fail miserably tomorrow. This is not your father's financial system.)

Treasuries also provide a reliable source of liquidity to back the hundreds of trillions of dollars at risk in unregulated over-the-counter derivatives markets operating through offshore, Anglo-Dutch financial centers located on the Cayman Islands, the Antilles, the Isle of Man, etc. Derivatives have been instrumental in perpetuating the myth that, securities created via Structured Finance are as "safe" as U.S. Treasuries.

However, since July '07, the greater bulk of the Structured Finance marketplace more or less has frozen. It does not appear this will substantively change anytime soon, either.

The problem began when a couple of Bear Stearns funds investing in sub-prime mortgages went belly-up last July. (Just who was behind the run on these funds might be worth knowing, if only to get some better perspective on negative fall-out yet to come.)

The impact on the Asset-Backed Commercial Paper (ABCP) market was immediate. It froze up. New issues could not be floated. Existing issues could not be traded. Buying interest simply evaporated. Thus, financing for creating "private label" Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS) disappeared.

(ABCP is short-term financing; capital raised in the ABCP market was being used to create longer-dated, "private label" MBS.)

Now, the problem that began with the seizure of the Asset-Backed Commercial Paper market is spreading, because maturing securities simply cannot be rolled over. This effects marketplace liquidity. With capital less available, vulnerabilities are cropping up in other [massive] Structured Finance markets. For example, Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDO), Credit Default Swaps (CDS) and now, the "monoline" insurers (the two biggest being MBIA and Ambac) are under a great deal of pressure.

Thus, a U.S. Treasury still spewing off debt to pay for the war is becoming problematic. There no longer is an easy way financiers can leverage this debt. It is becoming more a burden to the game they control, rather than a self-serving benefit.

So, that's why we might be seeing an end to this war very soon ... and the start of a great deal of economic pain.

Securities created via Structured Finance have permeated global finance. A number of banks, insurance companies, and private and public funds have invested in these, expecting to pad their returns. However, many of these securities can no longer be traded, so a wide swath of financial institutions presently are threatened with insolvency.

You can be sure, though, certain well-connected sharks are circling, lobbying to create conditions favorable to their protected positions, so they might gobble up the weak and unprotected for pennies on the dollar, and likewise consolidate a great deal of power. FBI and SEC investigations (only recently initiated) provide a glance at who might become the intended victims. Just who will benefit remains to be seen.

You would rightly suppose, I think, that, as this thing unwinds, the ultimate resolution will not bode well for the average, over-extended John and Jane Doe.

The credit-creating machine called Structured Finance, indeed, was responsible for the massive inflation of real estate over recent years. Home price inflation helped turn dwellings into virtual ATMs. Re-financing homes whose value was rising injected hundreds of billions of dollars in capital one suspects was partly (largely?) supplementing inadequate incomes.

But now, with the seizure of markets associated with Structured Finance, home values are falling. Thus, the virtual ATM a home once was is now out-of-order.

Sure, the traditional banking industry, outside Wall Street, might pick up some of the slack, but this will be nowhere near the deluge provided through Structure Finance over recent years, which, clearly, served the greater benefit of global private finance, much to our nation's ultimate detriment.

No doubt, there is a considerable effort being made to sustain appearances suggesting all is under control. Witness the scramble in Washington to pass a "stimulus package" which, really, is nothing more than a pathetic bribe.

Shut up! Help is on the way! Surely, though, this will fail to have any meaningful effect beyond getting us through this year's presidential election (or as close to this as is humanly possible). Face it, this is precisely all that is intended. Any thinking person realizes this.

The way is paved for a national economic disaster because a massive hyper-inflation in energy and food prices looms beyond the threshold we are crossing. This will be like nothing we have ever seen before in our nation's history. Here's why.

If nothing else, the price for ending the war in Iraq surely will be to remove the last leg of support for the dollar. Even if I am wrong about the war's end, though, the dollar's demise, truly, is already baked into the cake. There simply is no way the rest of the world will indefinitely continue on the wicked ride the United States is set to take, now that the grand illusion of prosperity -- removed the day the Asset-Backed Commercial Paper market froze -- is shaking the global financial system to its core.

The real tragedy is too few Americans understand our present vulnerability within the context of our nation's history. This is particularly sad given we are in an election year. Our power to peacefully revolt is being squandered.

Regrettably, then, it is by our nation's widespread ambivalence and relative ignorance that wiser minds would brace for the worst in the coming period. But what does this mean?

Quite simply, we could be on the verge of destroying ourselves from within.

Look, the trap is set! Observe the world around you. How many people sense with fear some onerous problem, yet are resigned to feeling helpless and confined to expressing nothing more than an irrational rage? It's epidemic! And it is the gravest danger we face.

Witness, as such, the seeds that could grow into a nation of unapologetic Fascists, precisely what global private financiers and their political play things have wittingly sown.

Would you like stark proof I am not just blowing a bunch of hot air?

Check out this article reporting irregularities following the New Hampshire primary a few weeks ago. Watch the video. Then, see my comments below the article. They're titled, "The Burden of Proof." You might begin to perceive the real danger suggesting how we might destroy ourselves from within sometime over the years ahead.

Now, I did state at the top of this long post there is hope. Truth is we simply need courageous leaders who will usher a return to the American System of Political Economy. This will require citizens who know, like the back of their hand, just what this means.

First, become better versed on how FDR rescued our nation when it faced the ravages of financial tyranny. For, indeed, yesterday's financial tyranny is much the same as today, once again threatening a worldwide economic calamity giving rise to the spirit of Fascism even in our own country.

Then, develop a richer understanding of Alexander Hamilton and ideas surrounding the creation of a National Bank.

This seems particularly useful, given a growing chorus these days who cite Thomas Jefferson's rejection of Hamilton's formulations. Most notable are Ron Paul supporters. Though they similarly recognize our nation's present vulnerability, history thoroughly discredits their fanciful notions of what makes for sound banking. Oddly, they rightly speak of principles enunciated in the Declaration of Independence and of rights our Constitution codifies. Yet, they seem to overlook our government's utter mandate -- the very purpose the U.S. Constitution ventures to facilitate -- as stated in the Preamble.

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Hamilton's ideas surrounding a National Bank have had only brief intervals when they were made policy. Each time the practical result was a flourishing of the American ideal (the likes of which the Constitution's Preamble spells out).

Contrarily, it was ideology harmonious with Jefferson's opposition that fueled movements eventually leading our nation into Civil War, much as similarly threatens us today.

Be aware FDR foresaw the danger we presently face when, in his 1944 State of the Union Address, he stated:

"One of the great American industrialists of our day—a man who has rendered yeoman service to his country in this crisis—recently emphasized the grave dangers of "rightist reaction" in this Nation. All clear-thinking businessmen share his concern. Indeed, if such reaction should develop—if history were to repeat itself and we were to return to the so-called "normalcy" of the 1920’s—then it is certain that even though we shall have conquered our enemies on the battlefields abroad, we shall have yielded to the spirit of Fascism here at home."

I leave it to you, dear reader, to put into proper context the presently growing divide between the "haves" and the "have nots" (set only to grow wider, lacking effective action) and judge our nation's contemporary political process as it suppresses candidates who would upset the applecart pushed by those who bear the greatest responsibility for creating our presently degraded, vulnerable condition.

Yes, we may soon exit Iraq. Yet, would this represent much of a victory, when in our weakened state we would yield still further to the spirit of Fascism?

Kucinich v. NBC: Nevada Supreme Court Upholds the Spirit of Fascism in the U.S.

Two can play the game of making arguments based on technical matters underlying precedent. So, let's see how the Nevada Supreme Court's decision in the January 15, 2008 case brought by NBC against [former presidential candidate] Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH) upholds the spirit of Fascism.

First, from the Merriam-Webster dictionary...

fascism: 1 often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition 2: a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control

This post presents for the reader's consideration, analysis of the element of fascism characterized by "forcible suppression of opposition" demonstrated by the January 15, 2008 decision by the Supreme Court of the State of Nevada in the case NBC UNIVERSAL, INC., Petitioner, vs. THE EIGHTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF CLARK, AND THE HONORABLE J. CHARLES THOMPSON, SENIOR JUDGE, Respondents, and DENNIS J. KUCINICH, Real Party in Interest. (Case No. 50889)

The case was brought before the Nevada Supreme Court by NBC in their effort to overturn the Nevada Eighth District Court's decision in favor of Congressman Kucinich, mandating Kucinich be included in the January 15, 2008 Democratic Presidential Primary debate held at the Cashman Center in Las Vegas.

Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) has since dropped out of the race for the office of President of the United States, citing how his being locked out of several nationally televised debates prevented his campaign's message from widely reaching the American people.

Even prior to his most recent legal dispute with NBC, Kucinich himself spoke about the rising tide of fascism in the United States in an interview conducted by the REAL News prior to the January 8, 2008 New Hampshire primary. The Nevada Supreme Court decision reversing the Nevada 8th District Court's ruling might stand to validate his view when it is considered in the context of the intended spirit underlying American justice.

THE DECISION

The Nevada Supreme Court's ruling essentially was on the issue of the validity of the Nevada 8th District Court's jurisdiction in deciding Kucinich's claim that NBC was violating the Federal Communications Act of 1934 by excluding him from the nationally televised Democratic Presidential Primary debate held in Las Vegas on January 15, 2008.

The Nevada Supreme Court ruled in favor of NBC, holding that the Nevada 8th District Court had no jurisdiction in deciding a claim based on the FCA:

"Under the FCA, primary and exclusive jurisdiction to vindicate [the public interest] with respect to alleged violations of Section 315(a), which pertains to equal opportunities and fairness, is vested in the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the courts' sole function with respect to FCA enforcement is to review final FCC orders under the federal statutory scheme."

Essentially, the Nevada Supreme Court ruling was based on precedent of how such cases as Kucinich's are legally decided. The court claims:

"Here, because the district court granted the real party in interest relief for alleged Section 315(a) violations even though he failed to allege that he first requested and was denied relief from the FCC, the district court exceeded its jurisdiction."

So, because Kucinich apparently "failed to allege that he first requested and was denied relief from the FCC," this became the basis for the Nevada Supreme Court ruling in favor of NBC.

Assuming the Nevada Supreme Court's assertion here is true, what does one make of the court's ultimate decision against Kucinich in light of a preliminary statement the court made prior to citing Kucinich's above failure to seek proper redress from the FCC? Namely:

"In this case, the court's order is styled a temporary restraining order, from which no appeal lies. Further, even if the order could be properly appealed under NRAP 3A(b)(2) as an order granting an injunction, the severe time constraints in operation would render an appeal an inadequate remedy."

One might conclude, then, "severe time constraints in operation" are not a matter weighty enough for the Nevada Supreme Court to rule contrarily about the strictly technical issues they cite as the basis for their ultimate ruling in favor of NBC, even unto setting a legal precedent out of consideration for how these same "severe time constraints" might, practically, have prevented Mr. Kucinich from abiding the established legal course (i.e. first petitioning the FCC) for claiming a violation of the FCA.

MAKING A CONTRACT WITH AN UGLY PAST

Subsequently -- possibly to help rationalize its FCA-related decision based strictly on technical matters underlying precedent -- the court also was compelled to rule on the issue of NBC initially inviting Kucinich to the debate, then uninviting him, doing this on the basis of precedent pertaining to contract law.

The Eighth District Court ruled against NBC on this matter, whereas the Nevada Supreme Court concluded "that the district court manifestly abused its discretion in determining that a contract existed between the parties."

And the reason for this?

Kucinichs' claim before the Nevada Supreme Court asserted that, "promissory estoppel replaces traditional consideration," whereas "he failed to raise [this argument] in the district court as a basis for relief."

So this discrepancy is the sole basis for deciding "the district court manifestly abused its discretion!"

Conclusion

One of the primary reasons our republic provides its citizens with courts of appeal is so the spirit of our nation's laws might rightly be asserted. Of course, this presupposes courts of appeal consist of well-intentioned citizens who possess the wisdom to deliberate on the spirit underlying the Bill of Rights, who will consider all judicial matters -- all laws establishing precedent -- within the confines of the spirit of Justice our nation was founded upon, then demonstrate a certain courage of conviction to issue its rulings in accordance with its wisdom to discern this spirit, doing so even unto exercising its power to establish new legal precedent.

Indeed, one need only turn to the Nazi judicial system imposed on Germany during Hitler's reign of terror to discover how the legal community can be made to act in a most unseemly, inhumane manner, using strict technical adherence to precedent for the sole sake of political expediency.

Thus, the reader may now be comforted to know that when Dennis Kucinich suggests fascism is a growing threat in these United States, he is speaking from first-hand experience, courtesy of the Nevada Supreme Court's decision in his case against NBC.

End Note

This article is presented as neither an indictment of the Supreme Court of the State of Nevada, nor a condemnation of the Justices serving on the court. The commentary here simply intends to present a layman's view of the court's decision in the context of larger social issues relevant to the matter at hand, as well as the author's understanding of the spirit of justice the United States of America was formed to defend.

Any comments fomenting rage against the Nevada Supreme Court or its justices will not be accepted.

Middle East War IS the U.S. Strong Dollar Policy

Many Americans believe the war on terror in Iraq is really about the U.S. grabbing Middle East oil. This is not true ... at least not yet.

Instead, it is about creating instability in that oil-rich part of the globe for the sake of pushing up world oil prices. Sanctions against Iran only further this desired effect. The reaction in world oil markets prove this case because it is otherwise a well known fact global crude oil supplies are, indeed, plentiful enough to meet current demand.

The pursuit of political instability in the oil-rich regions of the world is in support of the U.S. strong dollar policy. That's because most oil procured on the global market MUST be purchased in U.S. dollars. This circumstance, therefore, is dollar supportive.

Yet, the dollar continues its gradual, yet relentless, five year slide. Why?

The credit creating machine on Wall Street called "Structured Finance" has so flooded the globe with dollar denominated securities that, not even a quadrupling of oil prices over the past five years could stem the debasement of our nation's currency that this massive expansion of privately created credit has caused.

It seems no one has asked this most relevant question:

Where is the money bidding up crude oil prices coming from?

Look no further than Wall Street's "Structured Finance."

So, now you know why Wall Street hates any politician opposed to our waging war in the Middle East ... because if we withdrew, the U.S. dollar might collapse overnight ... along with oil prices ... and Wall Street's vice grip over credit creation would instantly evaporate.

Should this occur the value of dollar-denominated securities held both in domestic and foreign accounts would, likewise, rapidly collapse ... and a replay of Wiemar Germany in November, 1923 would then be at hand.

Now, you can believe powerful people are intelligent, too. This includes those die-hard fascists who have seized control of a government "of, by and for the people." They are well aware of history's lessons. They understand the error of their ways in the 1930s when, with the evil of global war problematically delayed, a truly patriotic American like FDR could seize the day and further the cause of human freedom from tyranny.

That's why, today, modern-day fascists are so vehemently provoking the Islamic world. With their stranglehold over our Republic now threatened because their greed knows no bounds, thus, they have come to a point where they will either stand condemned, or use every lever at their disposal to finish our Constitutional Republic once and for all.

Friend! FDR foresaw this dangerous day, when, in his 1944 State of the Union Address he said...

“One of the great American industrialists of our day—a man who has rendered yeoman service to his country in this crisis-recently emphasized the grave dangers of "rightist reaction" in this Nation. All clear-thinking businessmen share his concern. Indeed, if such reaction should develop—if history were to repeat itself and we were to return to the so-called "normalcy" of the 1920's—then it is certain that even though we shall have conquered our enemies on the battlefields abroad, we shall have yielded to the spirit of Fascism here at home.”

Indeed, the second shoe following 9/11 may be about to fall...

Wall Street Frets Over Losing Rubber ... Stamp

The lead editorial in the June 11, 2007 edition of the Wall Street Journal more or less confirms the little ditty of common sense I wrote a while back... If You're a Whore, Then You NEED War.

The Journal — well beyond fashionably late — voiced a growing fear that the Bush White House is coming unglued. Citing the recent decision to replace both the Chairman and the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, ostensibly in response to Senate Democrats' threats of a contentious reconfirmation hearing over the Iraq debacle, the Journal's editors accused the President of losing his nerve and betraying his friends:

"General Pace's fate is one more example of Mr. Bush's recent habit of abandoning those most closely identified with his Iraq policy. Paul Wolfowitz received only tepid support from Treasury while he was besieged at the World Bank, while I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby may soon go to jail because the President has refused to pardon him."

(Pardon Scooter? I thought this was a serious newspaper! Since when did they add a comics section?)

"There's a rumor going around," the Journal editors wrote, "that Robert Gates is the Secretary of Defense. We'd like to request official confirmation, because based on recent evidence the man running the Pentagon is Democratic Senator Carl Levin of Michigan. For that matter, is George W. Bush still President?"

Friends, let me be frank. Such is the language used when death threats are made.

But beyond this we ought remind the Journal, elections are not just some fashionably democratic, social event, to be reported and then forgotten. Indeed, the American political process might be characterized, historically, as answering the question, "How do we bring fresh water into the stale, stagnant pond that's choking with scum?"

Yet the Journal's editors maintain their grip on a slippery rock...

Congressman Reed Icculus on Global Warming

Over this past weekend I listened to Congressman Edward Markey's (D-MA) response to President Bush's weekly radio address. Mr. Markey's subject was global warming.

If I told you Congressman Markey goose-stepped in line with the mainstream, would you get some sense of my opinion on this issue? Let me share with you, then, a letter I wrote him...

Congressman:

Have you seen the documentary "The Great Global Warming Swindle?"

Search Google. You will find it there.

Sir, don't you realize the days of the Democratic Party's alliance with fascists such as Al Gore are numbered? After all, the likes of Mr. Gore seem only to be doing the bidding of Wall Street in support of its nation-wrecking policy of globalization. Heck, he is running a hedge fund in London!

Some Democrat.

Frankly, that this man (much like yourself) would claim virtually 100% scientific consensus to mankind being the cause of global warming is uber arrogance in its own right. Why, even the head of NASA seems to agree with me!

I suggest you watch "The Great Global Warming Swindle." You see, the great thing about today's state-of-the-art communications technology is that thoughtful, dissenting voices can now be easily heard.

But political suppression of any thoughtful dialog about the cause of global warming is but a small part of my gripe...

When Mr. Gore says nuclear power should have "only a small part" in the solution to global warming (those are Fat Albert's words!)... when, contrarily, physical SCIENCE shows nuclear power produces zero CO2, and economic SCIENCE proves it to be two orders of magnitude cheaper than any fossil fuel in producing electricity, this simply reveals Mr. Gore for what he is: a FASCIST.

I do not use this word lightly. Consider the element of fascism which promotes extreme economic segmentation...

Will not the denial of technology to the under-developed world -- all because of some fantasy about mankind's role in global warming -- only perpetuate the disparity between the "haves" and the "have nots?"

Does not the stalling of state-of-the-art technologies -- like 4th generation, modular, high temperature, gas cooled nuclear reactors -- threaten to bury America's middle class even further into the Wall Street created, globalization hell-hole, particularly were policies toward restricting carbon output aggressively pursued, as the Congress seems hell-bent on doing?

Yeah, I hear your lip service to new technologies, but the things you speak of are a joke. Bio-fuels? While half a billion children in the world go to bed hungry each night? What kind of Democrat are you?

Clean coal? Solar? Sir, check your calendar... it's the 21st century!

That even a Democrat would propose these so-called "solutions" should come as no surprise, I guess. Any thinking American can see how this Congress seems to have perfected the art of pissing the taxpayer's money away.

I believe the days of the Wall Street subservient Democratic Party are numbered... so maybe you all should just carry on in fantasy during these final moments pretending you are providing FDR's party meaningful leadership because, given the VERY HIGHLY LEVERAGED, precarious state of the U.S. economy, chances are REAL GOOD that whatever this Democratic-controlled Congress "accomplishes" will, in all probability, be swept away. Such is life in pursuit of FANTASY.

And by the way, STOP using JFK's name. If you are a Kennedy Democrat, then I am Marilyn Monroe.

At least he challenged the nation to a goal of progressive accomplishment (as opposed to sucking up to the demands of the financial elite, which the alternative fuels agenda does), and did so not because its achievement would be easy, but because it would be hard. He knew the risks and dangers of sending men into space, but went there anyway, because he recognized his RESPONSIBILITY toward defending the general welfare of the nation and its posterity through the pursuit of ADVANCED technologies, as opposed to 17th century technologies. (You want windmills? Move to Holland!)

Again, I dare say PROGRESS is something the majority of so-called Democrats in Congress are only willing to give lip service to. How to carry the torch of TRUE SCIENCE (as opposed to Al Gore's Science Fiction) and lead the nation forward, is something Wall Street's Democrats seem to have little will to do (or is it, rather, courage that is lacking?).

Slay the beast -- Wall Street -- NOT ME. Tax financial derivatives, not gasoline.

Then, once that's done, you can actually do your job... which, by the way, involves something more than sucking up to whatever agenda this financial elite feeds the media (which they FIRMLY control, top down).

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA)... you, too, might be Reed Icculus.

Lastly...

To the fat boy spokesperson for BP (British Petroleum) holding up a sugar beet, "educating" us about bio-fuels, claiming the source for this can be grown year after year... take a walk to the ocean. You'll lose some weight (so ask Al Gore to come along!) and you will discover an energy source that's there for the taking 365 days a year: HYDROGEN.

"The Fuehrer" of Global Warming Goes To Washington: Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) v. Al Gore (a.k.a. "Al Goebbels")

Before I share a letter I wrote today to U.S. Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), ranking minority member on the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, I have a story...

For whatever reason, I dreamed up this fine alias for Al Gore ("Al Goebbels") after seeing his performance before the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee on March 21, 2007.

Not being intimately familiar with the spelling of this Nazi's name, I went to Google. First entry returned in my search was from Wikipedia. Oddly, the abstract for Joseph Goebbels demonstrated how God works in mysterious ways (I couldn't have picked a better pseudonym!)...

"Goebbels was known for his zealous and energetic oratory, virulent anti-Semitism, and perfection of the so-called Big Lie technique of mass propaganda."

By no means do I claim Mr. Gore is anti-Semitic. However, I have read he has a history of racism.

Per the other two things, though, Mr. Gore and Mr. Goebbels appear one and the same.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Here's my letter to Senator Inhofe...

Dear Sir:

Pardon me for beginning this letter rudely, but as a democrat, you have my permission to tell Sen. Barbara Boxer to shut her arrogant pie hole anytime you wish! Having once again watched her belittle you during Senate Environment & Public Works Committee hearings (this time while former Senator Al Goebbels testified about man-made global warming) I am simply left shaking my head in disgust. I thought Senators were supposed to be utterly dignified. She, contrarily, insists upon coming off as a childish, tit-for-tat, jerk.

Now about anti-human Al's testimony... Did you notice how badly he fumbled when one of your republican colleagues suggested sun spot activity might have a direct correlation to the earth's climate? For a guy who humbled himself to professional disciplines "beyond his pay scale" on a number of occasions, I was a bit alarmed to see how decisively he claimed no scientific consensus to the possibility that the sun could be impacting earth's climate.

I recently saw a documentary that delved into this very subject. It was called, "The Great Global Warming Swindle." It aired on London's WAG TV... I'm not sure when, but I am gathering it was recently. Up until a couple days ago, you could have watched the entire broadcast on YouTube. It has since been pulled due to copyright infringement. Apparently, though, this documentary will soon be available on DVD. Check out the following website:

http://www.greatglobalwarmingswindle.com/

The demand for more information on this subject has been so great that, apparently, the above website was created as a consequence. When you go there you will learn that the site is a work in progress. I hope you, your staff and your colleagues will keep an eye on it. I suspect you will gain some of the ammunition you will need to bring truth to this debate about the causes of global warming.

That's probably wishful thinking on my part. This is, after all, the "Rubber Stamp" Congress. Democrat or Republican, it does not matter...

Tap, tap, tap, SLAM... What's that say?

"Made on Wall Street"

...the capitol of China. Choke on that CO2!

"The Fuehrer" of Global Warming Goes To Washington: Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) v. Al Gore (a.k.a. "Caligula")

Here's a letter I sent via e-mail to U.S. Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) responding to comments he made during Climate Change Hearings on March 21, 2007 before the U.S. Senate Environment & Public Works Committee. Senator Craig's remarks were directed toward the reincarnation of Roman Emperor Caligula, Al Gore, following his testimony revealing (to those with eyes that see) how a certain powerful faction of the Democratic Party is not the least bit interested in alleviating the marginalization of the middle class in the U.S...

(p.s. I saw you nodding your head in agreement Ms. Clinton! Are you a fascist too?)

Dear Sir:

Remarks you made about your state's deployment of nuclear power during Environment & Public Works Committee Climate Change Hearings with Al Gore testifying were well-received and appreciated here in upstate NY. You appear very well informed on this subject. I would contrast this to Mr. Gore... Seems everything (including basic trigonometric functions like sine and cosine) was "beyond his pay scale." How he is qualified to speak upon such a complex subject as global climate change escapes me, considering the number of times he admitted simpler subjects were "beyond his pay scale."

Sir, I am a democrat and I am mildly distressed over how my party is being hijacked by mean, spiteful, anti-human people like Al Gore and Barbara Boxer.

Mr. Gore reveals his true colors when he claims nuclear power ought have "a small part" in solving the global warming problem he trumpets. Someone claiming scientific consensus on the human cause of global warming (and we both know this is a bald-faced lie) ought likewise know that the energy efficiencies afforded by nuclear power are scientifically proven to be an order of magnitude greater than those afforded by fossil fuels. As such, nuclear power offers a solution to so many problems — both real and imaginary — that make pursuit of its aggressive build-out practically a political no-brainer.

Unfortunately, a no-brainer is a different beast than NO BALLS.

"And the home of the ..." what?

It ain't eunuchs, dear Congress!

Wall Street Alert: Calling The Good American

Mother Lyndon... oh my, you've set your Chinese pantry all ablaze!

Now, might a third of our stock soon evaporate?

What will your servants consolidate among the crumbs you'll leave behind?

Where next on your bosom's wild, whipsaw ride? (Yee Haw!)

So many questions...

Only the good American imagines answers scarcely dreamed. These alone see blood's writing on your kitchen wall.

Still, Nature's Law lights a way out: No killing plague shall terrorize a soul determined to alleviate the awful vulnerability you've created.

Not now and not when this began ... because even surrounded by your greed's smoke, the united few freely alert the masses your poisonous gases, soon enough, will choke.

Good hope's courage, then, is risen to Luke 12:4 and the One Spirit that could ever utter such a thing.

For only the good perceive how immortality born of Great Calamity might very well be at hand.

So, then, good American, courage must ask:

Who else wants to see how Jesus multiplied the loaves?

Surely, you alone know this with perfect conviction: The cooks who served up 9-11 most certainly don't.

Hillary Clinton Says: Change Your Habits; Let's Drink & Drive Instead!

You would think U.S. politicians would know better than preach the gospel of sacrifice to those whose votes they seek.

Case in point: Hillary Clinton speaking about Energy Policy during a campaign appearance in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday, January 27, 2007.

Of course, the further development of politically correct "alternative" energy sources was a stated priority. You know, the kind requiring more [expensive] energy input than is produced. All the "bio" whatever that's likely to create more bottlenecks (particularly at the dinner table) than if Iran sunk their entire Navy in the Strait of Hormuz.

Last mentioned was hydrogen. Now, this alternative probably should be our nation's first pursuit, and we should go after it like we did the Moon, back in the 1960s.

Not to be outdone by Jimmy Carter, Senator Clinton followed by also saying Americans will have to "change their [energy consumption] habits."

Let me reply with this: Now that "grass" has become an "attractive" alternative fuel, those who push sacrifice on the American public would do better to smoke it than propose turning it into fuel.

Because sacrifice is the LAST thing Americans are willing to do. And who can blame them?

So, my advice is stop being a political fool, Senator Clinton, and start getting creative.

John F. Kennedy challenged this nation with boldness, creativity and vision when he set us on a mission to land a man on the Moon. The only "sacrifice" necessary was time in pursuit of that hard mission's accomplishment. And the benefits we accrued as a consequence made such "sacrifice," really, a no-brainer.

We desperately need the same boldness, creativity and vision today when it comes to our nation's energy policy.

Let's start by looking at our cities. Take New York City, for example.

Buildings extend to the sky. But the city's roadways reach only to the first floor. Why not to the 20th or the 50th or more? Might I suggest massive pursuit of a clean hydrogen energy policy? That way we can drive indoors. So, what are now streets and avenues might then become undeveloped property (easy Mr. Trump).

Then, add greater command and control using technology. For God's sake, with GPS and modern computer networking capability, I should be able to get into my car, tell it where I want to go, pop open a beer and enjoy a hands-free ride.

Because conquering such a feat is not a question of insurmountable technological barriers. Rather, it's all about statesmanship and political will, and nothing more.

There's nothing to sacrifice, then, other than those who lack the vision and will to make America's roadways safe enough to do what is, today, ill-advised:

Drink and drive.

After all, it is the American way...

If You're A Whore, Then You NEED War

I love the smell of financial rot in the morning. Because it reminds me of WHY we must wage war.

Please, I beg you, tell me.

What must the nation borrowing nearly $1 trillion per year from the world at large do to ensure the continued flow of finance into the game called "A Sound, Vibrant, Healthy Economy?"

It must flex its muscle and demonstrate its intention that the game continue without dissent.

Consider what happened December '06 when Thailand unilaterally implemented currency controls to stem the rise of its currency against the dollar.

Do you doubt the financial tyrant is dangerously leveraged?

Then you didn't see the freak show on CNBC the morning after.

The talk was about the possibility of "systemic crisis" swamping the whore masters: hedge funds and private equity.

And cooler minds know that, when a tiny nation like Thailand can create such big financial waves, the substance of global arrangements is largely a confidence game.

There's little left but guns, outwardly pointing, ensuring copious loads of butter to grease what is euphemistically called our "Sound, Vibrant, Healthy Economy."

Is it any wonder, then, that President Bush is being so reticent about Iraq?

Whose back pocket is he in? (He, and the rest of Nixon's nasty leftovers.)

Who invited him and the Republican Party back to the self-proclaimed "Financial Capital of the World" for the '04 convention?

Was this their doggie treat for dutifully sleeping while the city was violently attacked?

Two steps forward, one step back. As tax paying Americans, why wouldn't we ask:

How could a nation that, generation after generation, spends so many billions on defense and intelligence find itself so vulnerable to a bunch of cave dwelling, dog gassing, monkey bar climbing Oswalds?

Of course, such musing might, indeed, seem insane if there were not so many similarities to a different story that began on Novemer 22, 1963...

Hillary Clinton: Transgendered For President

Fortunately, intelligent speech is no more prerequisite for becoming a political commentator than it is for becoming President of the United States. So, U.S. Senator, Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and I are equals, here in the land of the free to be "nasty" to whatever tyranny freaks us out.

Here, then, is how you might believe she really is qualified to be our next President...

Consider but her mighty balls, because they are well worth weighing. Particularly given their place in the land without a chin.

Rehashing old history, just for the fun of it and that little thing called "principle," she actually forgave her husband's infidelity. And I believe there's a lot to be said for that. That's integrity. And that's something in short supply these days, particularly with all of Wall Street's and London's Credit flooding the globe and making it oh so easy for better people to be, well, whores.

But, someday, friend, our nation's current account, she probably gonna blow up somehow. In fact, I think you can bank on this. And then what?

Two possibilities stand out, given the extraordinarily leveraged circumstances of our time: revolution or all-out war.

Because a financial tyranny is, right now, leveraged to the hilt and vulnerable.

If you doubt this, simply open your eyes, because this is no secret in either Washington or New York.

Case in point was revealed during the debate over Social Security privatization in '05.

There was my Senator Clinton laying out the facts before a Senate Subcommittee on Aging. Every American with ears could have easily heard her say it: The U.S. Treasury would be bankrupt long before the Social Security Trust Fund.

FRIEND: THE U.S. TREASURY.

She is absolutely correct, too. We are purposely being bankrupted. And every hack CNBC throws in our face claiming otherwise is a neck for the gallows.

It took a lot of balls for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to point that fact out to the chinless wonders formerly in the majority. In fact, the only similar Republican voice I recall was Ron Paul from the, uh, Libertarian Hell Party.

So, it seems Mrs. Clinton understands the power of leverage, given the high probability that some jaggov somewhere will decide, for greed or other sinister designs, to throw the financial freight train called "Structured Finance" in reverse.

FRIEND: IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. And it might happen much sooner than you think.

That's why a presidential candidate demonstrating some inkling of knowledge about the truth surrounding our dangerously precarious financial position might make a good first choice for at least your serious consideration.

Just listen to the mainstream media. The more bashing of Ms. Clinton you hear, the more you know their Wall Street masters quake with fear, as they well should.

Ding dong. Time to wake up and smell the financial rot.