Indications Of Interest

Wall Street Still Doesn't Get It
http://neweconomicperspectives.blogspot.com/2010/02/wall-street-still-doesnt-get-it.html
I believe a "real" revolution must be undertaken at the grassroots level to stop the looting of the world by the bankers. Every single American who has lost his job, his chrome://foxytunes-public/content/signatures/signature-button.pnghouse, his car, etc should come to NYC(somehow & someway)and picket outside JP, GS, MS, CITI, BOFA till the cows come home. Maybe these Tea Party people have something? These citizens should force Obama and Congress's hand. People with jobs should stage a boycott from work. Just stop consuming for 1 day. Stay at home. The apathy that Americans have shown over the last 40 years or so has only emboldened DC to legislate theft. Greed is good, but unregulated and unadulterated greed is not.

Party Gridlock in Washington Feeds New Fear of a Debt Crisis
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/17/business/economy/17gridlock.html?hp
I have always admired Mr. Bayh. He is a man of character. If losing Massachusetts was bad, this is worse. Obama better cowboy up and get real reform/regulations on Wall Street. Americans understand that the economy is bad, jobs are difficult to come by, but the way the Administration has handed trillions to the bankers is unacceptable. First thing: Fire Geithner!

Bulk Of Stimulus Spending Yet To Come
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704804204575069772167897834.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLTopStories
Obama is just waiting around for the next crisis to write checks from the Stimulus bill to Wall Street. The real bulk has already been earmarked to help the bankers when they create the next crisis. It is totally mind blowing that we are some 12 months into Obama's Presidency and we still don't have a "real" program for struggling homeowners. HAMP is a joke! Its a handout to the mortgage servicers and banks. Without a proper mortgage principal reduction plan we are going nowhere to keep Americans in their homes.

Stimulus Jobs on State’s Bill in Mississippi
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/17/business/economy/17mississippi.html?hp
I am on the fence on this one. There definitely will be some fraud here, but jobs need to be desperately created.

Poll: Large majority opposes Supreme Court's decision on campaign financing
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/17/AR2010021701151.html?hpid=topnews
I am not surprised. The Supreme Court has lost its marbles.

Goldman Sachs, Greece Didn’t Disclose Swap Contract
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=asBNXSLtlN9E&pos=1
I find it disingenuous of Greece to blame GS here. The swaps that GS set up were not illegal. Disclosure is a tricky subject. What's truly perplexing is GS executing the swaps then also setting up CDS insurance on Greek debt to other counter parties. Where have we seen this before? Why will Greece get bailed out? You guessed it! Goldman Sachs exposure.

Obama's Nuclear Boondoggle
http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/02/obama-goes-nuclear
$12B for a single nuclear reactor? Sounds efficient to me. Why are we building nuclear reactors when we already have then embedded in the banks? Is that not what a CDO/CDS/IRS are? Wait a second? At least nuclear power will be regulated. I find it only prophetic that by the time these reactors are finished, there will be no economy or credit system.

It's Greek To Goldman Sachs
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/its_greek_to_goldman_sachs_20100217/
Its reasonable to assume that GS and French banks are involved in every economic crisis so far. If only AIGFP was around to sell CDS against Greek debt. Lets get something straight. GS didn't cause the Greek debt crisis, the Greeks did that themselves. They just nudged and fudged like they have always done. Just Like CDO's that were packaged together with thousands of garbage loans were sold as AAA investments, these swaps were clearly designed to hide Greek debt. Is it illegal? How can it be illegal when it was never regulated anyway. There in itself is the trillion dollar answer.

Struggling Over a Rule for Brokers
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/business/16adviser.html?ref=business
I don't know why there is a debate over fiduciary responsibility? The lobbyists and Congressional whores are completely out of control.

Greece loses EU voting power in blow to sovereignty
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/7252288/Greece-loses-EU-voting-power-in-blow-to-sovereignty.html
Default and bankruptcy are not humiliating to anyone anymore. Its strategic and smart. Greece will pull a fast one on the EU and default on their debts. Its the only way out for the Gyro Makers. They will not sit and watch Germany/France and others ripe apart their country. They will unleash pain in Europe and sit there and just smile.

Bank of England rate setters voted 9-0 to halt quantitative easing
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/7255411/Bank-of-England-rate-setters-voted-9-0-to-halt-quantitative-easing.html
The hope was that drunken money printing would go on forever. Its no longer a pure monetary issue regarding inflation. Inflation is what they wanted and what they have at the moment. Its an ethical issue that forces the banks to come clean on their balance sheets.

Dubai World Said to Offer Debt Restructuring in March
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aaTMHCg2vKVc&pos=10
Silliness. The banks are in trouble in the desert. Dubai holds the cards. They can come up with any plan to restructure the debt. If they catch flack for it from the banks, they will just play the default card. I would start off offering a price of 50 cents on the dollar.

Walgreen's to buy Duane Reade
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61G2IL20100217
DR in NYC is very well run financially from what I hear. Otherwise the stores are dirty and the employees are not helpful. Oak Hill partners were bailed out by WAG, as who wants to own retail in this economy?

UK Unemployment Claims Jump to Highest Level since 1987
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aBnXUou9D74c&pos=5
On this bit of good news the FTSE has rallied solidly for 2 days.

Credit markets flash hottest warning signal since crisis
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/7251901/Credit-markets-flash-hottest-warning-signal-since-crisis.html
Again, more good news that have rallied global equities this week.

Morgan Stanley may hand creditors $2.4 billion hotels
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61G0UX20100217
Walk away is the new buy and hold.

Our Rising National Debt Matters
http://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2010/02/17/our_rising_national_debt_matters_98349.html
Debt has always mattered. What the problem is now is that China and Japan are balking at adding anymore. We sell billions on Military technology to Taiwan and somehow think China is going to shrug it off? The Dual Hydra of Defense/Big Business think they can get away with anything like selling to Taiwan. Maybe China will have the balls to stand up to the U.S. Government? Because obviously no one else does in our country. Ponzy Schemes only end when the perpetrators of the fraud are called out and his held accountable.

Bowles, Simpson to Head Debt Commission
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704804204575069871801865444.html
Stop the looting of America! We need a commission on that. Obama is readying higher taxes across the board starting with the middle class. In this way Obama can campaign in 2012 stating that I didn't raise your taxes, it was a bipartisan commission that did so. Why is this not surprising? First we had backdoor bailouts for outfits like GS, now we will have a backdoor tax increase directed at the nitwits that reliquefied Wall Street. I don't like it but the way the country has been run into the ground, its 100% necessary. Americans have been living in OZ for far to long. Higher taxes will make Americans take hold of the political process.

Shifting Blame
http://alhambrainvestments.com/shifting-blame/
Excellent piece. Greece has been living a lie for decades like Rock Hudson. Like in India, no one pays taxes in Greece. Blaming the speculators is not going to cut it. Isn't that what Lehman and Bear did? Its a game amongst thieves. They are all in it just for a bailout. Whenever you have a boom there is always a bust.