Pentagon report on economic warfare.

[Charles]

Here it is, if anyone has the will to digest it. I don't have the time at the moment.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/49755779/E...evin-D-Freeman

Chas

[finnbow]

The upshot of it all is that that terrorists may ultimately be as harmful to the country as Wall St. was.

[BlueStreak]

Admittedly, I haven't read the entire thing----yet. Basically, what I get from it is that "lax, unenforced and ineffective regulation" leaves our economic system open to severe abuses and attacks from both foreign enemies such as terrorist organizations and domestic enemies such as "greed ridden capitalists".

Kind of a no-brainer if you think about it.

Probably why people who have no brains oppose regulation?

Dave

[Charles]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

Admittedly, I haven't read the entire thing----yet. Basically, what I get from it is that "lax, unenforced and ineffective regulation" leaves our economic system open to severe abuses and attacks from both foreign enemies such as terrorist organizations and domestic enemies such as "greed ridden capitalists".

Kind of a no-brainer if you think about it.

Probably why people who have no brains oppose regulation?

Dave

I finally read the whole thing, and you do have a point to a certain extent.

His point was, if I deciphered it correctly, is the "greed ridden capitalists", along with you and I, are in danger of being busted out and left crying in the bathroom floor of the casino.

Considering this was written app two years ago, it's almost prophetic as to what appears to be happening now.

The author makes a strong case. I only hope that I'm not the ONLY person who has read this, and we have some really smart people who are hiding in the bowels of the government and fixin' to screw the shoe on the other foot...and make it hurt like hell.

From what I'm seeing from the fools on the hill, one bunch is still trying to spend ourselves rich while the other bunch is trying to figger out the best way to go broke. Probably more like just win the next election.

As Noon pointed out during a lucid moment (couldn't help myself Noon), all wars are based on economics. And if we manage to get out of this without WWIII, we should count our blessings.

I've even noticed that some agency has come out and said that a limited nuclear exchange would help offset the effects of global warming. They don't run this kind of shit up the flagpole to see if anybody salutes it without a reason.

Personally, I think we're screwed.

Chas

[BlueStreak]

"..a limited nuclear exchange would help offset the effects of global warming...." Now, THAT'S crazy.

Speaking of crazy. Guess who has been having apocalyptic dreams?

Looting, rioting, Marshall Law, tanks in the streets, soldiers (And not all of them American. Some of them European and Canadian sent here to help "restore order".), crazy radio reports of death counts, arrests and people fleeing the country. That's about all I recall, no real specifics, except the president is on the radio talking, so I take it he isn't among the dead. Just trying to make my way across town to rescue my sister and listening to the radio in the Dakota. Being hassled every few minutes by people in uniform demanding to know who I am and where I'm going. Dead bodies, soldiers, cops, burning destroyed vehicles and buildings everywhere.

Wild, scary stuff.

Dave

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by Charles

I finally read the whole thing, and you do have a point to a certain extent.

His point was, if I deciphered it correctly, is the "greed ridden capitalists", along with you and I, are in danger of being busted out and left crying in the bathroom floor of the casino.

Considering this was written app two years ago, it's almost prophetic as to what appears to be happening now.

The author makes a strong case. I only hope that I'm not the ONLY person who has read this, and we have some really smart people who are hiding in the bowels of the government and fixin' to screw the shoe on the other foot...and make it hurt like hell.

From what I'm seeing from the fools on the hill, one bunch is still trying to spend ourselves rich while the other bunch is trying to figger out the best way to go broke. Probably more like just win the next election.

As Noon pointed out during a lucid moment (couldn't help myself Noon), all wars are based on economics. And if we manage to get out of this without WWIII, we should count our blessings.

I've even noticed that some agency has come out and said that a limited nuclear exchange would help offset the effects of global warming. They don't run this kind of shit up the flagpole to see if anybody salutes it without a reason.

Personally, I think we're screwed.

Chas

"From what I'm seeing from the fools on the hill, one bunch is still trying to spend ourselves rich while the other bunch is trying to figger out the best way to go broke. Probably more like just win the next election."


Isn't this what we've always had?

Dave

[bhunter]

Originally Posted by Charles

I finally read the whole thing, and you do have a point to a certain extent.

His point was, if I deciphered it correctly, is the "greed ridden capitalists", along with you and I, are in danger of being busted out and left crying in the bathroom floor of the casino.

The writing was on the wall for quite a while before the 2008 debacle. I do not see a need for economic bogeymen to explain the economic downturn. The thought of having someone or a group to blame is comforting, but a system as complex as international finance can become quite unpredictable in its behavior without any nefarious action by rational actors.

[bhunter]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

Admittedly, I haven't read the entire thing----yet. Basically, what I get from it is that "lax, unenforced and ineffective regulation" leaves our economic system open to severe abuses and attacks from both foreign enemies such as terrorist organizations and domestic enemies such as "greed ridden capitalists".

Kind of a no-brainer if you think about it.

Probably why people who have no brains oppose regulation?

Dave

Do you think that a complex system like international finance is capable of being understood enough by rational "regulators" to be deterministic, such that, they can regulate inputs to bring predictable outputs? Do they know and understand the system?

[bhunter]

Originally Posted by finnbow

The upshot of it all is that that terrorists may ultimately be as harmful to the country as Wall St. was.

Was it Wall Street or Barney, Clinton, Fannie, & Freddie that set 2008 in motion? I seem to recall subprime loans and CDSs underlying the mess. One can blame lack of regulation or the regulation that was there as the problem.

Of course, not that your friendly bank didn't take some liberties.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by bhunter

Was it Wall Street or Barney, Clinton, Fannie, & Freddie that set 2008 in motion? I seem to recall subprime loans and CDSs underlying the mess. One can blame lack of regulation or the regulation that was there as the problem.

Of course, not that your friendly bank didn't take some liberties.

Look at it this way; a mortgage broker gets John Doe a lender, takes 1 point ($2000 on a $200,000 loand). Lender charges 2 points, maybe 3 ($4000 or $6000) and borrower pays all closing costs (Quick question what other country has Title Companies?).

Lender securitises the loan and sells it to Fannie or Freddie. Who is now on the hook if the load defaults? Look in the nearest mirror oh taxpayer.

Wall Street gens up something called Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs) which in truth should have been called RCLs (Repackaged Crappy Loans). Regulation? Hell yes, by rights the bastards should be in jail.

Of course you surely realize all this started years ago when the Supremes legalized bribery. Our mortgage laws were designed by thieves for thieves.

If you really want to know where the fault lies I would refer you to Dana Millbank's OpEd in today's WaPo "Foreclosures; The big banks reign of errors".

If you would like to sleep soundly only do business with a local bank.