If Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke admitted we nearly avoided a domino-like crash of the nation's secondary financial institutions (i.e., Bear Stearns) it admitted that it allowed the housing bubble backed by inflated ABS/MBS securities and the even more inflated securities derivative debacle to go on for way too long. I think we're past the point of no return. And I think so do many of you.
I'm not writing here trying to impress anyone. Many people have a better idea of how bad things are than I do. And I'm certainly no economist -- I'm just appealing for public support to voice opposition to the contempt for working-class people that we've endured for 8 years.
Why?
- Trillions in unfunded Bush tax cuts for the "have and have mores." It might have been harder for George to sign off for his rich friends if he ever met real Americans face to face.
- The $2 trillion Iraq/Afghanistan quagmire. That's before you add in the human cost and the lifetime of care so many US veterans will need to lead anything resembling a normal life.
- The Fed's continuous low-interest "bubble-making" prime rates. Billions in worthless high-risk high-interest securities and the unfathomable derivatives of same have now been guaranteed by the Fed at bargain basement Fed prime rates. Add to that the Fed's pitiful stewardship of an oblique and out of control banking system otherwise known as "deregulation"...
- ...Leaving the country with toxic high-risk, high default ABS/MBS securities and derivatives now totaling high residual balances on brokerage houses and secondary credit banks (i.e., 50-60%) of assets claimed on balance sheets). All thanks to deregulation of the banking system. Trillions of dollars of loans made with little effort, less market research, bad computer models, and just plain greed.
- $4 trillion more of national debt than 2001. This increases at a rate of $43 million an hour.
- The overall destruction of America's industrial base. Again at bargain basement prices. Even the unions are glad to lend a hand to become major players in the health insurance industry and pension funding.
- "No bid" black budget, Homeland Security, and FEMA contracts which aren't submitted to so much as double-entry bookkeeping. Their real value only adds to the nearly $10 trillion national debt. Meaning...
- ... it's even more likely we'll see the systematic destruction of the world's reserve currency with the same intensity as the destruction of Iraqi cities. Only we'll see it a little sooner.
- The Fed bailing out criminals by putting up benchmark securities (i.e., Fannie Maes, Freddie Macs) as collateral for nearly worthless sub prime mortgages, markedly devalued hedge funds -- thereby allowing the Fed to create 21st Century versions of junk bonds. Because these outstanding debts are now financed at low Fed prime rate prices.
- FINALLY convincing the world we really are nuts as the world starts to boycott the $2-3 billion a day in US Treasury securities the government needs to stay in operation. If this lasts the government will default sometime this summer and a run on the dollar will be more like a rout.
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