Category: North Africa

What Goes Around Must Come Around Chapter16

WHAT GOES AROUND MUST COME AROUND

IT CAN NOT HAPPEN TO ME. GUESS WHAT? It will !!!

Chapter 16

On February 10, 1941 then Senator Harry S Truman made a speech telling the [1]Senate what he had found on his investigations of government waste in the war effort. The Senate passed his resolution and authorized $15,000 and made him Chairman.

That was the beginning of the “Truman Commission.” It saved the taxpayers over $15 BILLION dollars and saved thousands of soldiers lives. FDR even encouraged Truman to look into certain areas. Every report made by the committee was unanimous. During the course of the war the committee’s budget was increased from the initial $15,000 to $300,000. That is amazing considering how today this congress is so divided.

Because of his positive efforts as a fine senator FDR chose him to become his vice President when he ran for a fourth term.

Truman felt that people dealing with government funds , whether they are local, state or national have very little respect for those funds.

It is my belief that when you have a boom period, people become very sloppy because IT IS NOT THEIR MONEY. Then when times are tough which is usually the case after a boom period- good times can not last forever-they get too dependant upon those loose funds and create clever schemes to cover up their begotten gains.

A perfect example of this is what went on with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac the two giant government mortgage agencies that are now controlled by the Federal Housing Finance Agency at the cost of over $150billion. They (bureaucrats) are trying to figure out what to do with them. These entities should be closed down immediately. The mortgages, if found, should be returned to the originating bank and serviced there interest free. I believe this is one of the reasons Collateralized mortgages (CMO”s) and derivatives were created as another way to fleece the public. The firms that created these monster fraud vehicles should be the ones to pay and forced to leave the business. This is a process of power and corruption. What goes around comes around. Too big to Fail should mean too big to save. The public worked hard to save and invest for a home, it is the politicians and the bureaucrats that squandered their savings and ruined their dreams. They are trying to muddy the thought process by bringing up the fact that there are some folks who have been paying. If they can pay the principal then forgive the interest payments. Give them a second chance – not the politicians.

Some of these instruments have been traded into oblivion and should be trashed with the creator of these funny money obligations taking the loss. That is if they can be found. This will ultimately be a good savory bone for the beleaguered savings industry.

When a mortgage was submitted to the Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac those funds left the local community and fleeced the pockets of bureaucrats inWashingtonD.C…Simply put – more fingers tasting the pie.

IT BEHOOVES EVERY NEWLY ELECTED POLITICIAN IN EVERY DECOCRATIC FORM OF GOVERNMENT WORLDWIDE TO INVESTIGATE FOR WASTE AND CORRUPTION IN THEIR COUNTIRES. Some agencies should be dropped and other downsized and maybe some increased. The main purpose is to recover ill-gotten gains even if they were transferred to other entities. This will help bring down government deficits and reduce government debt. If Harry Truman’s committee saved billions of dollars in the early 1940’s; think of all the moneys that can be saved today. One of the wealthiest cities in the world today is WASHINGTON.DC.

Governments should not get into the people’s business, but they must set fair and honest rules so the participants are guaranteed an equal chance. Participants that break the rules should be severely punished.

[1] Plain Speaking An Oral biography of Harry S Truman, Chapter 13

Merle Miller

July 12, 2012
WE THE PEOPLE……..

WE THE PEOPLE…

CHAPTER 15

IT CAN NOT HAPPEN TO ME. GUESS WHAT? IT WILL!!!

The following message is for every citizen of every country that has the right to choose their own elected officials.

Come July 1, 2012 the world is in financial agony. A tsunami of easy credit has flooded our shores. The blame game has erupted with all its fury as nations pockmark each other with vicious language to placate their voters.

The real culprit is us – the voter. We voted them into office. We are to blame. There have been and will be many important elections this year and WE THE PEOPLE must take control of our destinies. Elected officials fear us and have been buying us off with various entitlements for decades. If it did not work, then they just, made it larger. So today, as our bankers joyfully watch and estimate their future net worth, we are slowly falling into an abyss with a stench of sulfur.

Considering these elections, one’s party affiliations do not matter, because it is the candidate’s beliefs that are of the utmost importance now.

Which candidate favors reinstating the USURY LAW where the maximum interest rate should be limited to 8%. The Rule of 72 is what bankers live by. All one has to do is to take 72 and divide it by 8 the answer is how many years it will take the bank to double its investment in you. The Usury law was dropped in the mid 1970’s because interest rates were 14% and everyone was maxing out their credit cards (that is borrowing the most they could) and buying a US Government bond at 14%. Then they would pay of the credit card and net 6%. This is called disintermediation and not very healthy long term. So congress was forced to drop the law. But they also failed to reinstate it when the danger expired. It is my suspicion that some members on key committees received special favors.

If you have a 30 year mortgage on your home and you are paying 8% to the bank; the bank will make 3.33 times on helping you on your mortgage by providing the necessary funds. This is where they provide an important function in your community. The higher rate you pay the quicker they double their money. This is why past legislators legalized as max rate – to protect you from unscrupulous bankers. Remember bankers have the moral obligation to protect our deposits for our advantage not theirs. Dividends should come from earnings before bonuses are distributed. Public trust comes before employees looting.

Credit cards are a bastard. They are figured in months not years. This is legalized extortion. Pure and simple.

Enacting or reinstating the USURY LAW will benefit the individual and corporations while reducing the bankers’ bonuses.

A candidate must be willing to petition the Federal Reserve to raise margin rates across the board to 100% for 3 to 6 months worldwide. This will stop all the abuses going on in the market place and make it safe for honest investors. This will halt high frequency trades that are computer driven and benefit a few while harming millions. Hedge funds that use easy credit to skirt regulations will be halted. Best of all derivatives and collateralized debt instruments will go the way of the dinosaur.

Stop Quantitative Easing (QE) dead in its tracks. Go for Quantitative Giving (QG). QE goes to the largest corporation and unions where the money trickles down through the officers and union leaders before long term good is completed.

With QG the Fed must raise fed funds to the 1-2% range so banks restart increasing their savings account rates. This will encourage investors to increase their debt from short term to longer term because they have more confidence in the future.

QG is giving a large stipend to everyUScitizen over the age of 21($50,000 -$100,000) to use as he or she sees fit. Pay down debts etc. with the proviso that at least 10% should be used to purchase a new product. This will getAmericagoing again create jobs and new businesses. The public knows best- not bureaucrats inWashingtonD.C.

July 3, 2012
Libya and Turkey in military deal

Libya and Turkey have signed an agreement under which the Turkish army is to provide technical assistance to the Libyan military to help secure the land, sea and air borders as well as the oil installations in the eastern part of the country.

The Benghazi-based newpaper, Corina, said its website on Saturday that the agreement followed a visit a Turkish delegation to the eastern town Derna and that the deal included the installation of integrated cameras and electronic surveillance equipment, maintenance and repair of airports as well as the construction of some new one in the Libyan interior.

The newspaper stated also that the agreement between the Libyan and Turkish Defence Ministries included the establishment of border observation posts, the renovation of some ports and to supply the units of revolutionaries who have joined the state security services with equipment including coastguard boats. The agreement is also said to make provision for the short training courses for those former revolutionaries in the east of the country who have recently joined the Libyan army and police. It is joped in order to qualify them and thus hopes to have the eastern region a model that can be applied to all other Libyan cities.

The newspaper quoted the Libyan Defense Ministry Undersecretary, Colonel Hussein Shokri, saying that under the agreement the Turkish army would assist the Libyan army in securing borders and strategic locations as well as provide the latest technology to help prevent smuggling and border infiltration.

Shokri confirmed that a joint committee had been formed to implement the agreement. As part of it, a number of former revolutionaries as well as regular soldiers would be sent within days for training at military colleges in Turkey.

The newspaper also quoted Libyan Director of Relations and International Cooperation Brigadier General Hamad Muftah Shelwi saying that an agreement had also been made with Turkey for the supply of unmanned aircraft to control the Libyan borders and as well as patrol boats to deal with illegal immigration issue, smuggling and other clandestine activities.

via Libya and Turkey in military deal: report | Libya Herald.

May 21, 2012
It Will Not Happen to Me! Guess What? It Wll! Chapter 9

Chapter 9

WHY SOCIALISM WILL FAIL OVER THE LONG TERM

“Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance and the gospel of envy. Its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.” Winston Churchill

Socialism is a noble cause for those pure in heart. Franklin D Roosevelt (FDR) President of the United States from 1932- 1945 used it to try to pull the United States out of a depression.

His programs had universal appeal and once the economy started to recover he raised taxes to pay for the programs. The recovery would have been working at a slower speed until WWII changed the course of history.

Once a government starts giving entitlements to the public it becomes accustomed to them. The problem is how does one pay for these services?

One can raise taxes on the wealthiest, but they soon start looking to “tax shelters”. Raising taxes of any kind creates other avenues of avoidance.

The underground economy is where one provides a service or product for a credit. Then one uses those credits with another member. This will ultimately create more government debt as tax receipts fail. These deficits weaken an economy and encourage politicians to accumulate vast sums of “compensation” for running the country.

It also demoralizes the public in their desire to improve ones lot through hard work and effort. It is the individual that provides growth to an economy by wanting to earn more through an extra effort to succeed.

Countries with limited surplus or assets use a peaceful solution by hiring foreigners as cheap labor. Eventually these labor pools increase in size and start demanding more equal pay and benefits. They can appease them for a time, but the cinders will start burning the fires of resentment and hatred.

As time starts to diminish funds, the wealthy are the first to feel the pinch as their taxes are raised. “It is their civic duty and pride” to partake in this noble effort.

After that the sales taxes are imitated or increased. Now everyone feels poorer. The sales tax hurts the poor most. A 6% sales tax on dollar leaves only $.94. If a dollar is all one has – ouch. 6% of a hundred dollars amounts to $6.00, but one still has $94.00 left.

During this time the country has been borrowing, and at first their costs were low, but as the debt builds up the costs rise and suddenly the borrowing is to mainly pay the interest charges.

The next to get hit is foreign companies who have local plants that will have a tax on them. They will find all kinds of ways. If it is hard assets, then they will find a way to nationalize them.

Then as the situation becomes dire, the governments become bolder and greedy in ways to find moneys. Mind you, in the 13^th century the French monarchs had the habit of inviting domestic creditors to dinner and for desert they were beheaded. This was called “bloodletting”.

A better example of heavy debt load is when the credit-card companies start adding interest penalties to ones debit balance and there comes a point of no return. Socialism will self-destruct if you have assets because the government will want them to pay for various entitlement programs. The “poor” will now be in force to protect their entitlements so they can remain on the gravy train. The wealthy will soon become poor and the nouveau rich will be “our representatives” in Washington and various state capitols across our nation.

When the flow of funds ceases is when the riots would expand from the inner cities out to the suburbs.

If it is not too late, governments can slowly wean thy public off the welfare rolls by delisting people who are not legal citizens of the community and cannot speak the common language of the area. This makes the employers honest and also assures they are not using public funds for their corrupted earnings.

May 15, 2012
Libya to send 2,500 ex-rebels for police training in Jordan, Turkey in 1st stage

By Associated Press,

BENGHAZI, Libya — The Libyan government says it will send former rebels abroad to receive police training in an effort to rebuild the country’s battered security forces.

The transitional government says more than 2,500 former rebels will be sent to Jordan and Turkey for the first round of training. No timetable was given.

Some 10,000 Libyans will eventually train in Jordan in several stages, the government said. More than 1,300 will be sent to Turkey, in accordance with signed agreements.

Both Turkey and Jordan threw their support behind the rebels who toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi’s regime last year after months of civil war.

The Libyan government on Monday also approved changing the color of Libyan passports from green, symbolic of Gadhafi’s rule, to dark blue.

via Libya to send 2,500 ex-rebels for police training in Jordan, Turkey in 1st stage – The Washington Post.

March 20, 2012
Gaddafi ‘contributed €50m to Sarkozy’s 2007 presidential election fund’

Colonel Gaddafi in Paris after a meeting with France's President Nicolas Sarkozy in December 2007. Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

French president hit by new claims as confidential note suggests ex-Libyan leader helped finance his election campaign

Damaging new claims have emerged about the funding of Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2007 election campaign and his links with former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi emerged.

The French investigative website Mediapart claims to have seen a confidential note suggesting Gaddafi contributed up to €50m (£42m) to Sarkozy’s election fund five years ago.

Similar allegations emerged a year ago when Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam claimed Libya helped finance the 2007 campaign and demanded the French president, who led the war on the Libyan leader, return the money.

In an interview with the Euronews TV channel, Saif al-Islam, who is currently being held in Libya after his father’s defeat and death, threatened to make details of the bank transfers public after the French leader threw his weight behind opposition forces.

The latest allegations come at a crucial time for Sarkozy who is seeking a second term in office in a two-round election in under six weeks.

Mediapart journalist Fabrice Arfi told the Guardian he had seen leaked documents contained in the legal dossier of the affair, currently under investigation by a judge.

“We knew these documents existed but it is the first time we have had the details of what was in them,” he said.

“And there are lots of details, including dates, places and amounts.”

One document, a government briefing note, allegedly points to visits to Libya by Sarkozy and his close colleagues and advisers, which it says were aimed at securing campaign funding.

Shortly after Sarkozy’s election, Colonel Gaddafi was invited to Paris and allowed to pitch his bedouin tent in the grounds of an official French residence close to the Elysée Palace. He was described as the “Brother Leader” by the French.

When previously asked about Saif al-Islam’s claims, a spokesman for the Elysée Palace told Le Monde: “We deny it, quite evidently.”

guardin.co.uk

March 16, 2012