M of A - August 2004

August 05, 2004

Billmon: Freudian Slip

Billmon on a politician accidentally telling the truth.

Posted by b on August 5, 2004 at 03:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (23)

"I want to Guard Your Dreams and Visions"

The Boss has an OpEd in the NYT: Chords for Change

...
Like many others, in the aftermath of 9/11, I felt the country's unity. I don't remember anything quite like it. I supported the decision to enter Afghanistan and I hoped that the seriousness of the times would bring forth strength, humility and wisdom in our leaders. Instead, we dived headlong into an unnecessary war in Iraq, offering up the lives of our young men and women under circumstances that are now discredited. We ran record deficits, while simultaneously cutting and squeezing services like afterschool programs. We granted tax cuts to the richest 1 percent (corporate bigwigs, well-to-do guitar players), increasing the division of wealth that threatens to destroy our social contract with one another and render mute the promise of "one nation indivisible."

It is through the truthful exercising of the best of human qualities - respect for others, honesty about ourselves, faith in our ideals - that we come to life in God's eyes. It is how our soul, as a nation and as individuals, is revealed. Our American government has strayed too far from American values. It is time to move forward. The country we carry in our hearts is waiting.

Posted by b on August 5, 2004 at 01:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

August 04, 2004

Billmon: Where Was Dick?

The bartender in search of the VP.

Posted by b on August 4, 2004 at 02:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)

It´s the Oil Price, Stupit

Oil expected to hit $50 US
Calgary Sun

Consumer Spending Drop Largest in 3 Years
Forbes

Year over year US inflation rate (CPI-U) 2004: Jan 1.9%, Feb 1.7%, Mar 1.7%, Apr 2.3%, May 3.1%, Jun 3.3%

"Going into the 1992 campaign, then-President George H. W. Bush had poll ratings of 90 percent in the wake of the 1991 Persian Gulf War. But he lost the election to a former Arkansas governor, Bill Clinton, who built his campaign around this mantra: "It's the economy, stupid." In a Gallup Poll conducted only a month before the election, Americans by 3 to 1 said they trusted Bush more than Clinton on international affairs. But on which candidate they preferred to manage the economy, they gave Clinton a huge advantage.

St.Petersburg Times, April 2003

Shouldn´t Kerwards hammer these points?

Posted by b on August 4, 2004 at 06:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)

August 03, 2004

Open To All Topics

A fresh one ...

Posted by b on August 3, 2004 at 03:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (120)

Billmon: An Amazing Series of Coincidences

The bartender on coincidental terror alarms. Here is virtual space to comment.

Posted by b on August 3, 2004 at 02:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (28)

August 02, 2004

Rabbit Stew

In Little Town people love to eat rabbit stew. Unfortunately rabbits are rare. In bad weather the hunters can not go hunting. In some years there are even hardly any rabbits to hunt. To eat rabbits is expensive. Only a few people can afford rabbit stew.

On Mellow Island people are poor, but some have great ideas. They fence off some land and start to foster rabbits on the new pasture. They butcher the grown up rabbits, freeze them and then scull them over the waters to Little Town.

People in Little Town are happy now. Some haul the rabbits off the boats, some cart them to town. New taverns open up and cater rabbits in tasty meals. Rabbits are cheaper now and can be bought all the year round.

Everybody is happy - the poor of Mellow Island, the people from Little Town - maybe even the rabbits. Only the hunters are grumbling. They walk in to the mayor and complain. "Those rabbits from Mellow Island are too cheap. We don´t want to go hunting for such low prices. They are cheating on us." And they put a little oil on the mayor’s palm.

The mayor likes the hunters and understands. He issues a new decree:

"Rabbits from Mellow Island are too cheap! From now on, everyone who pays one shilling for a Mellow Island frozen rabbit also has to administer one shilling to our poor hunters. These are honest men like me and we have to promote their valuable trade."

The price for rabbits doubles. Only a few people can afford rabbit stew now. The taverns stop serving rabbit meals, some close shop. No frozen rabbits are offloaded at the shore anymore. The cart pushers start looking for new occupations. People on Mellow Island are poor again. Only the hunters are happy. And the mayor washes his hands.

A young rabbit - Part of the storyline - The hunters - The tavern owners and cart pushers - The mayors findings one and two - The unhappy people from Mellow Island one, two and three - Who gets the extra money - Some (libertarian) economic background