I decided to split off my postings of economic links from Jim's Thoughts, so that I can get that topic back to what it was intended to be, a place for me to post trading ideas and thoughts I had that I felt could be of interest to the readers.

This topic is where I will post links to various economic articles, for those that find them interesting. If you want to read (or post) articles about the unfolding debaucle, this is the place to look. If you are a short-term daytrader or swing trader and have zero interest in the economy, you can now just read Jim's Thoughts and not have to wade through this type of dicussion.

At best I think this material only has a direct effect on longer-term plays, the bigger swings that make up the major legs of the bull and bear markets. I follow this stuff for that reason, and because I want to have a handle on things, if that is even possible in this era of lies and deception, so that I can make decisions on life issues.

For example, as I posted in the commentary on the website and discussed with many people well in advance, this was something that wasn't hard to see coming. I saw many people who told me as late as Oct 2007 that 'this thing is about to 'break out' to the upside, and that Dow 20,000, and then much higher, was 'just around the corner' '. The type of articles I am posting discuss the type of information that helped me form the viewpoints I had back then.

If this is far from over, as I suspect, we are in a similar postion now as back then. With the rally that is unfolding right now the talk is the bull is back, the bottom is in, and we are set. I'm not so sure. So, I try to weigh up all the factors and not get too sucked in by the hype. To that end, I will post things here I find interesting.

And this is Paul Farrell, not some out there nutcase. He 'used' to be just a regular, mainstream media guy.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/tax-the-super-rich-now-or-face-a-revolution-2011-03-29?link=home_carousel

This is just so disemboweling the middle class...

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/us-consumers-have-big-banks-blame-high-gasoline-prices

What will become of us...? Our country? Make sure you read #27 thrice.

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/feeling-depressed-27-depressing-statistics-about-us-economy-will-make-you-feel-even-worse

Well, I'm going to get a little far away from the 'economic' theme here with this one. But, if you follow along with what I have posted to date, you know how I view what is going on. And this, well, it explains why we are where we are, and why nothing is being done about it. You will have to open your mind way up, at least some of you, to accept this viewpoint. I had come to this exact conclusion a long time ago myself. This video only lays out what I have completely come to accept already. As a preface, I will give you two 'factoids'. If you believe they are correct, then what you see will not be as hard to fathom.

1) I did some intensive calculations long ago, and discovered what the 'effective tax rate' was, in other words, how much of what we earn, we create, is taken away from us in one way or another. Gas taxes, eight different phone taxes, property taxes, cable taxes, income taxes, highway taxes, sales tax, inflation, and on and on and on. The answer is 91%. For the average 'middle class' person, the effective tax rate is 91%. I also calculated that the services we get for this could be done in the private sector for approximately 10%. So over 80% of what we earn is stolen from us. If you put a person in a system where 80% of what they earn is taken from them for nothing in return, and there is no option out of that system, what is that person? Think about that long and hard.

2) I was watching a nature show and they asked, as a question, what percentage of all the biomass on the earth is parasitic. In other words, how much of the life on earth takes without giving back, and what percentage is forced to support them. I almost fell off my chair when they gave the answer. 91%. They said below that the system evolves to the 91%. Above and the hosts start to die off. 91% is a 'magic' number. Fancy how I 'coincidentally' had come up with 91% as the effective tax rate above.

You fill in the blank from the movie 'The Matrix':

"The truth is, Neo, you are a _ _ _ _ _."

And as a last note, let me mention something. You think you own your property in this country? You are all set, your home and land is free and clear. No, you 'lease' your property. Just stop paying your taxes and see what happens. The 'government' tells you how much you must give them, and in what currency, or you no longer can keep your property. And if you can't make that currency in the system (say, if there was a big depression and/or currency collapse), then your property is taken.

And if they set the taxes really high, you can say it's unfair and not pay them, right? They can set them any way they want, and you pay them or lose your property. And you have zero guarantee when you buy the property what they may be in the future, or even in what currency. You still think you 'own' that property??? You are a _ _ _ _ _.


http://www.youtube.com/user/stefbot#p/search/2/P772Eb63qIY

Take the red pill.....

Thought provoking, thanks Jim!!

Wow, four up votes and a positive comment. I thought people would think I'd gone 'round the bend...

This isn't really the best place for this link, as it is trading related, but if I put it under the trading section, it gets lost over time. Very interesting article.

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/112476/flash-crash-automated-trading-barrons

Posted here, too, for reference:

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/exclusive-bill-gross-now-short-us-debt-hikes-cash-73-billion-all-time-record

I forgot, I do have another hero to go with Ron Paul and David Stockman, and that's Nigel Farage. Here's his latest:

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-04-17/farage-unleashed-you-are-common-criminals