Nov 3, 2011

The New Road To Serfdom

Daniel Hannan's new book, The New Road to Serftdom: A Letter of Warning to America, urges Americans not to take such things as federalism, the rule of law and limited government for granted. He believes the United States could find itself lurching toward European-style socialism even more quickly. He spoke at the Cato Institute September 29, 2010.

Nov 2, 2011

The Top 100 Statistics of Why the U.S. Economy is Collapsing



#100 A staggering 48.5% of all Americans live in a household that receives some form of government benefits. Back in 1983, that number was below 30 percent.
#99 During the Obama administration, the U.S. government has accumulated more debt than it did from the time that George Washington took office to the time that Bill Clinton took office.
#98 Since Barack Obama was sworn in, the share of the national debt per household has increased by $35,835.
#97 The U.S. national debt has been increasing by an average of more than 4 billion dollars per day since the beginning of the Obama administration.
#96 It is being projected that the U.S. national debt will hit 344% of GDP by the year 2050 if we continue on our current course.
#95 The Congressional Budget Office is projecting that U.S. government debt held by the public will reach a staggering 716 percent of GDP by the year 2080.
#94 In 2010, the U.S. government paid $413 billion in interest on the national debt. That is projected to at least double over the next decade.
#93 According to one new survey, one out of every three Americans would not be able to make a mortgage or rent payment next month if they suddenly lost their current job.
#92 State and local government debt has reached an all-time high of 22 percent of U.S. GDP.
#91 In 1980, government transfer payments accounted for just 11.7% of all income. Today, government transfer payments account for 18.4% of all income.
#90 U.S. households are now receiving more income from the U.S. government than they are paying to the government in taxes.
#89 According to a new study conducted by the BlackRock Investment Institute, the ratio of household debt to personal income in the United States is now 154 percent.
#88 If you can believe it, one out of every seven Americans has at least 10 credit cards.
#87 According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, health care costs accounted for just 9.5% of all personal consumption back in 1980. Today they account for approximately 16.3%.
#86 The cost of a health insurance policy for the average American family rose by a whopping 9 percent last year, and according to a report put out by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust, the average family health insurance policy now costs over $15,000 a year.
#85 One study found that approximately 41 percent of working age Americans either have medical bill problems or are currently paying off medical debt.
#84 An all-time record 49.9 million Americans do not have any health insurance at all at this point, and the percentage of Americans covered by employer-based health plans has fallen for 11 years in a row.
#83 According to a report published in The American Journal of Medicine, medical bills are a major factor in more than 60 percent of the personal bankruptcies in the United States. Of those bankruptcies that were caused by medical bills, approximately 75 percent of them involved individuals that actually did have health insurance.
#82 Average yearly tuition at U.S. private universities is now up to $27,293.
#81 The cost of college tuition in the United States has gone up by over 900 percent since 1978.
#80 In America today, approximately two-thirds of all college students graduate with student loans.
#79 In 2010, the average college graduate had accumulated approximately $25,000 in student loan debt by graduation day.
#78 The total amount of student loan debt in the United States now exceeds the total amount of credit card debt in the United States.
#77 One-third of all college graduates end up taking jobs that don’t even require college degrees.
#76 In the United States today, there are more than 100,000 janitors that have college degrees.
#75 In the United States today, 317,000 waiters and waitresses have college degrees.
#74 In the United States today, approximately 365,000 cashiers have college degrees.
#73 It is being projected that for the first time ever, the OPEC nations are going to bring in over a trillion dollars from exporting oil this year. Their biggest customer is the United States.
#72 U.S. oil companies will bring in about $200 billion in pre-tax profits this year. They will also receive about $4.4 billion in specialized tax breaks from the U.S. government.
#71 The United States has had a negative trade balance every single year since 1976, and since that time the United States has run a total trade deficit of more than 7.5 trillion dollars with the rest of the world.
#70 The United States has lost an average of 50,000 manufacturing jobs per month since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.
#69 The U.S. trade deficit with China is now 27 times larger than it was back in 1990.
#68 Today, the United States spends more than 4 dollars on goods and services from China for every one dollar that China spends on goods and services from the United States.
#67 China has surpassed the United States and is now the largest PC market in the entire world.
#66 In 2002, the United States had a trade deficit in “advanced technology products” of $16 billion with the rest of the world. In 2010, that number skyrocketed to $82 billion.
#65 In 2010, the number one U.S. export to China was “scrap and trash”.
#64 Do you remember when the United States was the dominant manufacturer of automobiles and trucks on the globe? Well, in 2010 the U.S. ran a trade deficit in automobiles, trucks and parts of $110 billion.
#63 The United States has lost a staggering 32 percent of its manufacturing jobs since the year 2000.
#62 If you can believe it, more than 42,000 manufacturing facilities in the United States have been closed down since 2001.
#61 Between December 2000 and December 2010, 38 percent of the manufacturing jobs in Ohio were lost, 42 percent of the manufacturing jobs in North Carolina were lost and 48 percent of the manufacturing jobs in Michigan were lost.
#60 Back in 1970, 25 percent of all jobs in the United States were manufacturing jobs. Today, only 9 percent of the jobs in the United States are manufacturing jobs.
#59 According to Professor Alan Blinder of Princeton University, 40 million more U.S. jobs could be sent offshore over the next two decades.
#58 If you gathered together all of the workers that are “officially” unemployed in the United States today, they would constitute the 68th largest country in the world.
#57 There are fewer payroll jobs in the United States right now than there were back in 2000 even though we have added 30 million extra people to the population since then.
#56 Back in 1969, 95 percent of all men between the ages of 25 and 54 had a job. In July, only 81.2 percent of men in that age group had a job.
#55 Only 55.3% of all Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 were employed last year. That was the lowest level that we have seen since World War II.
#54 Today, there are 5.9 million Americans between the ages of 25 and 34 that are living with their parents.
#53 The economic downturn has been particularly tough on men. According to Census data, men are twice as likely to live with their parents as women are.
#52 According to one recent survey, only 14 percent of all Americans that are 28 or 29 years old are optimistic about their financial futures.
#51 Incredibly, less than 30 percent of all U.S. teens had a job this summer.
#50 According to one study, between 1969 and 2009 the median wages earned by American men between the ages of 30 and 50 dropped by 27 percent after you account for inflation.
#49 Since the year 2000, we have lost approximately 10% of our middle class jobs. In the year 2000 there were about 72 million middle class jobs in the United States but today there are only about 65 million middle class jobs.
#48 In 1980, 52 percent of all jobs in the United States were middle income jobs. Today, only 42 percent of all jobs are middle income jobs.
#47 Back in 1980, less than 30% of all jobs in the United States were low income jobs. Today, more than 40% of all jobs in the United States are low income jobs.
#46 According to Paul Osterman, a professor of economics at MIT, approximately 20 percent of all employed Americans are making $10.65 an hour or less.
#45 Half of all American workers now earn $505 or less per week.
#44 Since December 2007, median household income in the United States has declined by a total of 6.8% once you account for inflation.
#43 New home sales in the United States are now down 80% from the peak in July 2005.
#42 The all-time record for fewest number of new homes sold in the United States was broken in 2009. Then it was broken again in 2010. It is on pace to be broken once again in 2011.
#41 At one point this year, U.S. home prices had fallen a whopping 33% from where they were at during the peak of the housing bubble.
#40 U.S. home values have fallen approximately 6 trillion dollars since the housing crisis first began.
#39 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 18 percent of all homes in the state of Florida are sitting vacant. That figure is 63 percent larger than it was just ten years ago.
#38 Historically, the percentage of residential mortgages in foreclosure in the United States has tended to hover between 1 and 1.5 percent. Today, it is up around 4.5 percent.
#37 According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, at least 8 million Americans are currently at least one month behind on their mortgage payments.
#36 According to a Harris Interactive survey taken near the end of last year, 77 percent of all Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck. In 2007, the same survey found that only 43 percent of Americans were living paycheck to paycheck.
#35 Starting on January 1st, 2011 the Baby Boomers began to hit retirement age. From now on, every single day more than 10,000 Baby Boomers will reach the age of 65. That is going to keep happening every single day for the next 19 years.
#34 According to a new poll by Americans for Secure Retirement, 88 percent of all Americans are worried about “maintaining a comfortable standard of living in retirement”. Last year, that figure was at 73 percent.
#33 One out of every six elderly Americans now lives below the federal poverty line.
#32 In 1950, each retiree’s Social Security benefit was paid for by 16 U.S. workers. According to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are now only 1.75 full-time private sector workers for each person that is receiving Social Security benefits in the United States.
#31 According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Social Security system paid out more in benefits than it received in payroll taxes in 2010. That was not supposed to happen until at least 2016.
#30 The U.S. government now says that the Medicare trust fund will run out five years faster than they were projecting just last year.
#29 According to one study, the 50 U.S. state governments are collectively 3.2 trillion dollars short of what they need to meet their pension obligations.
#28 A different study has shown that individual Americans are $6.6 trillion short of what they need to retire comfortably.
#27 Between 1991 and 2007 the number of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 that filed for bankruptcy rose by a staggering 178 percent.
#26 According to a shocking AARP survey of Baby Boomers that are still in the workforce, 40 percent of them plan to work “until they drop”.
#25 Last year, 2.6 million more Americans dropped into poverty. That was the largest increase that we have seen since the U.S. government began keeping statistics on this back in 1959.
#24 Back in the year 2000, 11.3% of all Americans were living in poverty. Today, 15.1% of all Americans are living in poverty.
#23 More than 50 million Americans are now on Medicaid. Back in 1965, only one out of every 50 Americans was on Medicaid. Today, approximately one out of every 6 Americans is on Medicaid.
#22 More than 45 million Americans are now on food stamps.
#21 The number of Americans on food stamps has increased 74% since 2007.
#20 Approximately one-third of the entire population of the state of Alabama is now on food stamps.
#19 Right now, one out of every four American children is on food stamps.
#18 It is being projected that approximately 50 percent of all U.S. children will be on food stamps at some point in their lives before they reach the age of 18.
#17 The poverty rate for children living in the United States increased to 22% in 2010.
#16 There are 314 counties in the United States where at least 30% of the children are facing food insecurity.
#15 In Washington D.C., the “child food insecurity rate” is 32.3%.
#14 More than 20 million U.S. children rely on school meal programs to keep from going hungry.
#13 It is estimated that up to half a million children may currently be homeless in the United States.
#12 The number of Americans that are going to food pantries and soup kitchens has increased by 46% since 2006.
#11 According to a recent report from the AFL-CIO, the average CEO made 343 times more money than the average American did last year.
#10 The wealthiest 1% of all Americans now own more than a third of all the wealth in the United States.
#9 The poorest 50% of all Americans collectively own just 2.5% of all the wealth in the United States.
#8 The percentage of millionaires in Congress is more than 50 times higher than the percentage of millionaires in the general population.
#7 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 16.6 million Americans were self-employed back in December 2006. Today, that number has shrunk to 14.5 million.
#6 According to one recent poll, 90 percent of the American people believe that economic conditions in the United States are “poor”. To put this in perspective, only 11 percent of Americans rated economic conditions in the U.S. as “poor” back in January of 1999.
#5 According to another recent poll, 80 percent of the American people believe that we are actually in a recession right now.
#4 Our dollar is being systematically destroyed by the Federal Reserve. An item that cost $20.00 in 1970 will cost you $116.78 today. An item that cost $20.00 in 1913 will cost you $457.67 today.
#3 The Federal Reserve made $16.1 trillion in secret loans to their friends during the last financial crisis.
#2 The Federal Reserve is a perpetual debt machine. Today, the U.S. national debt is more than 4700 times larger than it was when the Federal Reserve was created back in 1913.
#1 According to a new CNN/ORC International Poll, 27 percent of all Americans have never even heard of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

We need to educate America.

Please share this with as many people as you can. Time is running out for America, and 2012 is going to be an absolutely pivotal year in the history of this nation.
We are in the midst of a long-term economic decline that is rapidly accelerating. If dramatic changes are not made very quickly, we will soon witness a full-blown collapse of the economy.

Wake up as many people as you can.

We are running out of time.

Sep 28, 2011

A Great Daily Show Interview Once Again From Ron Paul

"Ron Paul puts his faith in the people. The rest put their faith only in themselves & the government." - Me

This interview just shows the real disconnect from society, and just some sign of simple intellect with people and our current happenings. Even liberal Jon Stewart understands that, who I must say... isn't dumb by any means.

May 14, 2011

Ron Paul: I Would Not Have Voted For The 1964 Civil Rights Act

Ron Paul makes a valid point about the law, and how lawmakers always hide other things in the name of something good and right. Reminds me of the cries about the elderly, and children. "Oh, but the children!?" Why I like Ron Paul, is his ability to see the truth and meaning behind so much rubbish in Washington. He's downright honest. He is like the Dr. Phil of the White House.



I pretty much boils down to every individuals rights and that the rights of others shouldn't be taken in the name of 'equal rights'. A home owner has the right to let who they want into their home. The same should apply to a business owner. Liberals of course would love to turn such a thing into some sort of twisted pro-racism libtardation, but it just isn't the case. This includes your rights too Libtards!

The Tea Party: Misconceptions & Myths - Part II

There are many false rumors and slanted views about the Tea Party, and I plan to continue exposing them, and telling it like it is in a simple manner.

7. Tea Party Folks Are All Pro-Corporation, & Pro-Corporate Greed.

This one is kind of humorous in a few ways. Just because we are against a large and massive overpowering Government, doesn't mean we are not against a large and massive overpowering corporation. We focus more of our attention on the ever expanding government. The government is expanding and growing at an exponential rate. Large government affects out individual liberties and freedoms more so than a large corporation. At least with corporation, we usually have the power of choice. With government, consumerism isn't such a powerful anti-force. Though there are corporations that are allowed to grow rather large, and monopolize the industries... which is not a good thing. The Tea Party, and common sense people in general, should and are against big monopolized, corrupt, in-bed-with-government corporations. There is not supposed to be a monopoly in any business. Government aids and subsidizes corporations, thus allowing them to be large monopolizing powers. Government involvement also artificially raises, and lowers prices as they see fit. The Tea Party is against all funny stuff with government, and corporation. Look at GE for instance. Do Liberals really think the Tea Part is Pro No-Tax-Corporation? I don't think so.

8. The Tea Party Are All Racists.

If you believe this, you are truly a stupid stupid individual. If you believe this, you are the type of individual who automatically believes the most radical representation of a group other than your own pitiful groups views from mainly mainstream media sources. The kind of media where radical journalists and writers go because they can't get a job with a reputable organization. The Liberal cries of racism is the perfect example of the sheep mentality. Not just that, the perfect example of throwing around insults and personal attacks because they are not educated enough about the policies therefor not being able to have a rational discussion. A simple way to stump a Liberal in such an argument, is to simple ask "Why not"? Or "Why don't you agree with the subject at hand?". They simple argue what their counterparts argue automatically. Just to be seen, heard, and feel like they are important. To feel like they are fighting against an evil empire. Well Liberals, the empire you are fighting against are ourselves... The People. Guess what? In the U.S., the people are the empire, and we plan on keeping it that way.

There are no more racists in the Tea Party as a percentage, as there are in society as a whole. Liberals just love to attack with strong social injustices and important issues of days past. Racism is not nearly as rampant as it once was in our country. Now the cards have really turned the other way. Reverse racism is a real thing, and being a pansy ass Liberal who agrees with affirmative action, and allowing racism from minorities to some how justify the treatment of minorities in the past is just plain dumb and stupid. Read THIS Whoopie Goldberg! We are not racist! We are concerned about much greater issues now okay thank you bye! Get over it!

9. Tea Party Folks Are All War Mongers.

Not true by any means. The Pro, and Anti-War statistics in the Tea Party are much the same as society in the U.S. as a whole. Me for instance: I do not like the Military Industrial Complex. It is a machine designed to stay in business, to grow, to expand... much like a business. Any time government tries to get into a business venture, it usually fails and costs too much. I am a non-interventionist like many Libertarians. Many Conservatives as a whole are non-interventionists. Our Constitution states that we shouldn't get involved in growing a world empire. It more than less protects the people from an ever growing and expanding federal government. One in which would break the country, and ruin it to shambles. It's simple, and usually this simple with the Tea Party: If we are attacked, and our lives are in danger, we will fight back with the go-ahead from congress - thus the people (in a perfect not-so-perfect form of government). Liberals seem to always want to be diplomatic when a gun is being held to their heads. No inviting terrorists to yoga class here Libs. We are not all war mongers. In fact, many in the Tea Party share the same attitude about war, and out purpose with military, as most Democrats, and some Liberals. Amazing huh?

10. The Tea Party Love Dubya.

Not at all true. Remember, the Tea Party are not all Republicans and GOP whores. The Tea Party too love to bring up many of Bush's faults, especially his unconstitutional actions. Patriot Act anybody? Iraq venture?

I personally feel he was a very mundane President who really didn't accomplish all that much. He, like Clinton, fell victim like so many others, who haven't a clue about economics. They nodded their heads like a dashboard bobblehead whenever the FED and big banks opened their mouths. They had no clue. A smart President would be taking serious action against the big central bank and federal reserve machine, which quite frankly, robs the American people blind.

I will say however, Bush was better than the other options, and I think most people on all sides (except liberals) would agree. Liberals are on cloud 9 as far as our real economic, social, and political issues at hand.

May 11, 2011

The Tea Party: Misconceptions & Myths

Nothing bothers me more than hearing a Liberal open their mouth in disgust over the Tea Party movement. The flailing personal attacks, crude remarks, and contradictory behavior of a liberal only further intensifies the need to educate the uneducated.

As with most problems in human behavior and assumption, it is a lack of education which lies at the root of the problem. I am not stating that I have a rather blessed and scholarly education, nor do I have the journalistic touch that many bloggers have, but I am smart enough to see a massive lack of education, common sense, and values in our society as it stands.

Most Liberals have never heard of the Tea Party movement until it started being discussed on the media mainstream. They lack the true reason behind the Tea Party movement. Liberals don't ideologically understand what a grass roots movement is, or even feels like. The Tea Party is a group of leaders, individuals, and caring people who have dire concerns over the direction of the greatest nation in the world. I find Liberals to be followers. They feel they are the 'little guy' in a world suffering at the hands of 'the man". Simply put, it's sour grapes. It's the feeling of a lack of control, self-control, which is prevalent in their stabs of personal attacks, and lack of true understanding.

I want to clear up a few myths about the Tea Party that Liberals seem to have created out of their visions of it, from such sources as MSNBC, CNN, and yes, even Fox News. Some of these myths even apply to Fox News directly.

1. The Tea Party movement isn't grass roots.

This myth is so far off the mark, it astounds me that anybody could possibly adhere to this philosophy. Liberals believe that the GOP and/or Republican Party created this movement as a tool to destroy the Progressive Movement. This is false. The Tea Party started back in the early campaign days of Ron Paul in about 2007. The group of individuals are simply people (leaders, individuals, people who can think for themselves)who are disgusted with the power grab of big government, corruption in our businesses, and an economy that is collapsing. Individual groups across the nation gather to discuss how we can possibly get back on track to our founding principles which is solely responsibly for the creation of the best nation on Earth. Liberals seem to have a hard time grasping the individual opinion and drive. Liberals always seem to feel that everything is a collective group of clones. Minds who think exactly the same, and follow the exact same principles. A major flaw in the Liberal mind is the group mentality. Hence the reason Liberals are called "sheep", or "Sheople". The Tea Party is a true grass roots movement, and will remain to be no matter what all sides try to do with it.

2. The Tea Party are all right-wing Republicans.

This statement is false. Yes, the Tea Party has a greater percentage of Conservative individuals. This doesn't mean they are all GOP nut jobs and Republican knee-bowing sheople whores. I have read and seen with my own eyes (At least in a primarily Liberal part of the country) that roughly 20% are self-proclaimed Democrats. I still feel there are more, but they for some reason feel discouraged to disclose it. Maybe because so many righties poke a finger at Democrats, which is the wrong approach. That is for a different post though. Another 40% are self-proclaimed Independents (which may also include Centrists). That leaves another 40% which are not all Republican. Most of that last 40% are in fact registered Republicans. Many though however are simply Conservatives, Classical Liberals, and Libertarians. Don't mistake a Conservative for a Republican.

3. Tea Party folks are all bible thumping religo-nuts.

This one is way far off the mark. The majority of the Tea Party are not religious at all, as with most Americans. True, a greater percentage might be Christian... but isn't that the same with the country as a whole? So what? I feel the mainstream Liberal media is greatly responsible for this myth, as they seem to only represent southern states, and find the crowds that seem most "Redneck-ish", "Bible Belt-ish", and primarily white. But the whole white thing boils down to one solid fact: Most of the country is white! Many whites are Christian. But as with non-social issues, religion has no place in politics, and most of the Tea Party understand that. Many in the Tea Party actually are very Liberal with their views on social issues. About the same percentage of Liberals are Christian as with Libertarians. It's about the policies! Liberals seem to avoid that in their slander, and finger pointing. It must all be about the social stuff.. which is actually on the bottom of the priority list with Tea Party persons.

4. The Tea Party are all gun-toting rednecks.

False. Most members, or participating people of the Tea Party, don't own any guns. This is the same with Americans in general. So there is no argument there whatsoever. Liberals continue to highlight simple statistics that apply to all Americans, in an effort to slam a movement that displays power, purpose, and a goal... much the same as what a gun represents. That is why they fear them so much. Them being guns, or people in the Tea Party. Again, I blame the Liberal media coverage for displaying those in the south, who admittedly are more into guns (culturally)than the rest of the country... except maybe for the primarily Liberal criminals in Detroit, L.A., and other high-crime areas. One argument for Tea Party people owning guns, is that most in the Tea Party feel the country has taken a turn away from our Constitution. A good understanding of the 2nd Amendment would make any intelligent person understand the want, and necessity to have firearms available. Liberals like to make gun owners feel guilty. But the simple fact remains: There is nothing wrong with owning a gun or many!

5. The Tea Party will fade.

Nope. Sorry your hopes are up Liberals. But as long as real history remains taught in our liberally biased schools, our Constitution isn't erased permanently, and there are those who remain wise, and study many theories and philosophies of conservatism, sound money, and liberty.... and those willing to actually do something about it instead of following the heard over the edge of a cliff like a dumb buffalo... the Tea Party (Or just concerned people (for the laymen)) will remain.

6. Liberals are better educated than members of the Tea Party.

That statement alone is just plain stupid. That statement is a prime example of the lack of education in our country as a whole. Yes there are certain areas and demographics in the country where education is held to a higher standard. I again blame Liberal mainstream media for intentionally airing the captured recordings of some of the dumbest people in America. The Tea Party represents most Americans as a whole. Again, Liberals use a simple statistic that describes Americans as a whole, and tries to turn it in on the Tea Party. I will gladly state that as a percentage, there are as many idiots in the Tea Party, as in the entire country. I will actually say that about Liberals as a whole too. Liberals however still hold a collective group mentality. The individual just can't do anything on their own, or think for themselves. Most American Universities indoctrinate students to a liberal way of thinking. The fact is, college campuses are highly biased. Thankfully there are still some very good colleges and universities that avoid such indoctrination. Thankfully there are as many, if not more educated individuals that are NOT Liberal, to combat the socialist, anti-liberty, anti-individual, anti-capitalist mindset of the Liberal. A good saying is just this: "Most kids are Liberal until they grow up and realize the array of faults in the Liberal and Progressive mindset."

There is a slight rant, and I am sure I can come up with a lot more myths and just plain un-truths about the Tea Party. Don't forget that to educate yourself, you must educate yourself!