| Author | Message | ||
     Ferris_von_bueller |
By STUART VARNEY I must be naive. I really thought the administration would welcome the return of bank bailout money. Some $340 million in TARP cash flowed back this week from four small banks in Louisiana, New York, Indiana and California. This isn't much when we routinely talk in trillions, but clearly that money has not been wasted or otherwise sunk down Wall Street's black hole. So why no cheering as the cash comes back? My answer: The government wants to control the banks, just as it now controls GM and Chrysler, and will surely control the health industry in the not-too-distant future. Keeping them TARP-stuffed is the key to control. And for this intensely political president, mere influence is not enough. The White House wants to tell 'em what to do. Control. Direct. Command. It is not for nothing that rage has been turned on those wicked financiers. The banks are at the core of the administration's thrust: By managing the money, government can steer the whole economy even more firmly down the left fork in the road. If the banks are forced to keep TARP cash -- which was often forced on them in the first place -- the Obama team can work its will on the financial system to unprecedented degree. That's what's happening right now. Here's a true story first reported by my Fox News colleague Andrew Napolitano (with the names and some details obscured to prevent retaliation). Under the Bush team a prominent and profitable bank, under threat of a damaging public audit, was forced to accept less than $1 billion of TARP money. The government insisted on buying a new class of preferred stock which gave it a tiny, minority position. The money flowed to the bank. Arguably, back then, the Bush administration was acting for purely economic reasons. It wanted to recapitalize the banks to halt a financial panic. Fast forward to today, and that same bank is begging to give the money back. The chairman offers to write a check, now, with interest. He's been sitting on the cash for months and has felt the dead hand of government threatening to run his business and dictate pay scales. He sees the writing on the wall and he wants out. But the Obama team says no, since unlike the smaller banks that gave their TARP money back, this bank is far more prominent. The bank has also been threatened with "adverse" consequences if its chairman persists. That's politics talking, not economics. Think about it: If Rick Wagoner can be fired and compact cars can be mandated, why can't a bank with a vault full of TARP money be told where to lend? And since politics drives this administration, why can't special loans and terms be offered to favored constituents, favored industries, or even favored regions? Our prosperity has never been based on the political allocation of credit -- until now. Which brings me to the Pay for Performance Act, just passed by the House. This is an outstanding example of class warfare. I'm an Englishman. We invented class warfare, and I know it when I see it. This legislation allows the administration to dictate pay for anyone working in any company that takes a dime of TARP money. This is a whip with which to thrash the unpopular bankers, a tool to advance the Obama administration's goal of controlling the financial system. After 35 years in America, I never thought I would see this. I still can't quite believe we will sit by as this crisis is used to hand control of our economy over to government. But here we are, on the brink. Clearly, I have been naive. | ||
| Crusty |
Do people still throw a capful of Marvel Mystery Oil in their gas tanks to help with top end lubrication? | ||
| Cyclonedon |
Do people still throw a capful of Marvel Mystery Oil in their gas tanks to help with top end lubrication? Crusty, my brother use to put it in his Allstate 125CC motorcycle, and it seemed to help with the compression too! | ||
| Panhead_dan |
I know that on some models, flatheads for example, chopping off the throttle for a few seconds every few miles helps circulate the oil where it doesn't want to go. | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
You ain't seen nothing yet, dear boy. This is the final flower of the left which now controls most of the institutions of the government and academia, but not the hearts and minds of a majority of the productive citizens of the country. This power grab is wildly excessive, and will rather quickly prove to be the very same failure that it already has in Great Britain, perhaps on a bit larger scale here because they are impatient to overthrow everything at once. Fortunately we have elections every two years for congress and every four years for the executive. Hold on, help is on the way. | ||
| Court |
>>>You ain't seen nothing yet, dear boy. I agree. I am seeing the start of the most amazing underground economy and flight, both physical and intellectual. This is going to be a fun few years with the spoils going to the smart, the quick and the innovative. Money finds a way. | ||
| Swordsman |
Wells Fargo is one of those banks that didn't want the money in the first place. My uncle works for them out in San Fran, and he said that WF had the money in hand to purchase Wachovia and its assets. The government would not ALLOW them to buy Wachovia unless they accepted bailout money to go with it. Right now it's all stashed in an account and has not been touched. ~SM | ||
| Rfischer |
And just wait 'til the Obama-Rama crowd starts wondering where all the tax revenues went. Why, as new tax on tax is imposed and existing taxes increased, revenues fall faster than a streamlined brick. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
The greatest tool of those on the left (not democrats, leftists) is the slow, methodical, imperceptible moves toward the accomplishment of their agenda. In survey after survey, Americans reject outright socialist ideals. What has been the aim of leftists is to accomplish these ideals under the cloak of night under the noses of the public. A little program here, a little program there. Inching along. The problem with the current plan is that it is out in the light for all to see. Those who thought they were voting for a democrat have discovered that they have voted for a leftist radical with socialist agendas beyond their wildest nightmares. Usually the "bait and switch" is performed on the leftists. They get someone during the election who sounds radical but governs from the center (Bill Clinton). This time, it was the leftists who received what they wanted and the rope-a-dope was performed on the center left moderates and center right conservatives (who voted to "teach the Republicans a lesson" or to "help make history"). The slim majority was taken as a mandate on Socialist Ideals when it wasn't. This will come to bite the DNC in 2010 and again in 2012. The same center left voters who voted for Carter in 1976 are poised to vote for a Republican candidate in 2012. We can only hope that there are enough seats that change hands in 2010 to stop the bleeding and reverse some of these moves before they become permanent an irreversible. I watch the Patriot yesterday and wept as I watched the church scene. Where did we lose our zeal for freedom and independence? Government makes a calamitous master. Were we plantation slaves, at least our owner would have an economic interest in our well being. The Government doesn't even have that. Please God do not allow our once great nation to vanish from the Earth. | ||
| Court |
>>>>revenues fall faster than a streamlined LEAD brick. You were on the right track . . . We've had 4 friends dump their Manhattan digs in the last 3 weeks and I've seen one "Bentley for wages" barter . . . this is going to get fun. I predict and entirely new socio-economic class known as the $249,999-ians. How about about the company pays your 3 kid's private school at St. Sylvester as part of your compensation. Americans, and their heritage is deeply rooted in this, are among the most innovative folks in the world. No "neighborhood organizer", the product of a fancy fed-paid education, who has never worked a paying job, is going to dictate how these folks live . . . only how they accomplish it. I could be wrong. I doubt it. | ||
| Rfischer |
I doubt it too... I'll go further; I know it. | ||
| Xl1200r |
I just threw up a little in my mouth. This will come to bite the DNC in 2010 and again in 2012. The same center left voters who voted for Carter in 1976 are poised to vote for a Republican candidate in 2012. This has been my prediction as well - If history repeats itself (and it does), Carter 2.0 should lead to Reagan 2.0. Fingers crossed. I'm not usually a 'sky-is-falling' type, but this getting bad. | ||
| Swordsman |
Well, it's not bad yet. The proverbial poo hasn't quite made it into the fan blades, but it's most certainly in flight. ~SM | ||
| Court |
My idea of "leadership" is not being the first country in the world to dispose of it's nukes. | ||
| Ourdee |
I was in the military under Carter and President Reagan. There was a mural of this patch in one of the bunkers we manned.  | ||
| Xl1200r |
...I don't get it... | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Carter 2.0 I have started seeing "Obama--Carter's Second Term" bumper stickers. | ||
| Rfischer |
After our Fearless Leader disposes of our nuclear deterrent capability, perhaps we can surrender to the Canadians.....eh? | ||
| Oldog |
I watch the Patriot yesterday and wept as I watched the church scene. Where did we lose our zeal for freedom and independence? We have not, I propose a wager, I believe that the current sitting president may not sit his full term, either by impeachment or by assisination. which will it be? If he does (survive his term) I would think that he will be ousted by popular vote. What is beyond my abillity to understand is how the Acidemics fail to see the parallels between the system that they propose and the failed systems of fashisim / comunisim are they that blind? I beleive that they have applied labels to the rest of us, and they operate under the erronious assumption that we do not care and are not capable of making informed choices, that we are as "sheep" It is a sad state of affairs perhaps the folks who hopefuly "bought into" Barry-0's grand promises will see through the hype and think better of the responcibility of voting, taking time to ponder the issues. The last election seemed more like a popularity contest than a vote on issues The patriots are finding ways to "fight back" I wish that the voting record of these politicos with the issues were posted for review on the internet. then the talking heads and double speak would be irrelevant. } | ||
| Bikertrash05 |
"As long as the threat from Iran persists, we will go forward with a missile defense system that is cost-effective and proven," Obama said, earning cheers from the crowd. (Directly conflicts with this... "I will cut investments in unproven missile defense systems." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtwRcZXrz0k ) (Message edited by BikerTrash05 on April 06, 2009) | ||
| Oldog |
On the topic of disposing of the nuclear arsenal, my thinking .... YOU FIRST Like my Gun you can have it "when you pry it from my cold dead hand". this is just like his proposal to have the vets pay for their health care, when we dispose of our nukes, pakistann will protect us...... yeah right.......... | ||
| Teeps |
Ft_bstrd Posted on Monday, April 06, 2009 The greatest tool of those on the left (not democrats, leftists) is the slow, methodical, imperceptible moves toward the accomplishment of their agenda. Bastage you are 100% right on the money with that statement. Like him or not Rush Limbaugh has been preaching the "Incrementalizm" aspect of the "left" for 20 years. You can't boil a frog the same way you would a crawdad. The water temp has to come up slowly or the frog will jump out. | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
Nukes have kept the peace for over 60 years. The only countries that are invaded, these days, are those without nuclear weapons. Get rid of nukes and countries with large populations and the ability to manufacture will run roughshod over the smaller countries. Imagine an industrialized communist China with 1.3 billion people free to do as it chooses without fear of mutual assured destruction. Yea, eliminating all nukes from the planet is a nice Utopian ideal but it's not doable in the real world. Besides, as the stockpile decreases there reaches a point where the remaining nukes become tactical weapons and therefore, more apt to be used. | ||
| Fast1075 |
Ourdee....Me thinks Xl1200r needs to learn about the Aardvark....or maybe he could ask Moamar Qaddafi  (Message edited by fast1075 on April 06, 2009) | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
Do people still throw a capful of Marvel Mystery Oil in their gas tanks to help with top end lubrication? You're showing your age, Crusty | ||
| Crackhead |
i just assume build 1 big a$$ nuke. and if anyone ••••• with us. Screw everyone into a nuclear winter | ||
| Ourdee |
Little known fact: There have been right at 1000 nukes set off already. Build one that size and how will you keep it from setting itself off? In my opinion nuclear winter is over rated. Oh, your idea has already been put in to effect by Israel, not one big one but a couple hundred in what they call "The Samson Option". I'll PM "don't get it". | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
One "big ass" nuke wouldn't do it. The old Soviet Union built and tested the largest nuclear device, "the Tsar Bomba" which came in at a whopping 50 megatons. | ||
| Fast1075 |
And all this time I thought that bomb was a stationary test device, too large to put in an aircraft....ok, well the Bear is a bigazz aircraft...but still...yer never too old to learn something. | ||
| Ourdee |
Moamar Qaddafi Another country without nukes   |
