Here is virtual room to discuss Billmons piece about the economic bifurcation of the society and its political history and consequences.

Billmon is back, writing on Ralph Nader and the Michigan GOP. Read it at the Whiskey Bar. Room for discussion is here, under the Moon.

Discussed in the last Open Thread there are rumours of an Israeli/US american air attack on Iranian infrastructure. The last days there have been several leaks to the press by “sources” who claim that the 9/11 commission finds links between Iran and Al Qaeda.

Cont. reading: Suburb of Tel Aviv?

Let´s have a fresh one – did anybody bring drinks?

Billmon did some premier economical pieces some time ago. It’s the Wages, Stupid and Wild Blue Yonder. These charts add to the picture.

Development from 1915 to 2005. End of 2002 Gross Domestic Product of the United States was about 10,600 billion US$. Total credit market debt was at 31,700 billion US$. This ratio of about 3 to 1 has increased since. Expressed differently, 3 $s have to be borrowed additionally to existing debt to have an additional production worth 1 $. This is unprecedented.
(There are discussions that GDP is “pumped up” statistically which, if true, would make the chart even worse.)

Cont. reading: Decline of the Empire?

via NY Sun , Jul 8, 2004, a report on Hersh speaking at an ACLU dinner on July 7.

Journalist Seymour Hersh yesterday accused President Bush and Vice President Cheney of committing war crimes in their prosecution of the war on terror before he backed off the charge somewhat, saying he was not certain the two leaders were culpable as individuals.

“What we had was a series of massive crimes,

Cont. reading: “Administration Committed War Crimes”

The Barkeeper on Donald Duck for Senator (nearly): “Send in the Clowns” – some virtual space here for your candidate.

Many things out there need to be discussed, but don´t fit the other topics. Here is some virtual space for them.

The Whiskey Bar Bartender on Florida voting procedures. Your comments?

As a US foreigner, I do ask myself who should win the next US election.

The US is the No. 1 nation. It spends more money on military power than the rest of the world together. There are over 700 military US outlets in over 100 countries. The US dollar, as the reserve currency and commodity currency of world trade, has effects on the economical situation of many foreigners. If the US decides to deliberately inflate the dollar (as it already does to some extend today) this inflation will be exported to other countries. The US has the diplomatic power to bring all others to the table on any issues. As Kyoto, WTO and several other issues show, it decides the ecential outcome of such meetings.

The current Bush foreign policy would not change after a re-election. This should put me decidedly into the Anything-But-Bush-Camp. But if Kerrys foreign policy does not differ from Bushs way, would it not be better to keep Bush? He would definitely be more effective in ruining the US and its world relations. Then, maybe, a point will be reached,

Cont. reading: “…he´ll ruin you faster”

Just the link to Billmons piece and room to discuss it.

Moon thread for Fear Strikes Out.

Space for comments on this Billmon piece about libertarians and the GOP.

At the Whiskey Bar the barkeeper cites: and the rich are winning. Here is room to respond.

For all the Off Topic stuff that may undermine the flow of thoughts in other threads

At the Whiskey Bar Billmon has thoughts about a name change and more. You may want to take a look at the comments of the Preparing the Coup? thread here too.

You may comment here on Billmons new piece.

From Newsweek: Exclusive: Election Day Worries

American counterterrorism officials, citing what they call “alarming” intelligence about a possible Qaeda strike inside the United States this fall, are reviewing a proposal that could allow for the postponement of the November presidential election in the event of such an attack, NEWSWEEK has learned.

…Ridge’s department last week asked the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel to analyze what legal steps would be needed to permit the postponement of the election were an attack to take place.

Cont. reading: Preparing the Coup?

New Post at the Whiskey Bar. Comments may go here.