BREAKING ALL THE RULES

Money Center Banks and Stricter Financial Oversight

SARTRE — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:58:52 +0000

Once again, the practices of the “Too Big to Fail” banksters bring the financial money machine to the brink. The J.P. Morgan derivative losses and trading gambles by their “London Whale” demonstrates business as usual in the murky world of risk distortion. Even the vexing progressive Robert Reich makes an accurate assessment for breaking up the big banks and the resurrecting of Glass-Steagall.

“Word on the Street is that J.P. Morgan’s exposure is so large that it can’t dump these bad bets without affecting the market and losing even more money. And given its mammoth size and interlinked connections with every other financial institution, anything that shakes J.P. Morgan is likely to rock the rest of the Street.”

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Gay Marriage, Obama and the Me Value Culture

SARTRE — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:32:54 +0000

Debating the virtues and morality of accepting gay marriage unions is like discussing the merits of pedophiles catering head start parties for children. How one comes down on the comparison, usually depends upon your own personal value system and culture of acceptable conduct. The red herring of committing a “Hate Crime” for even having the cojones to raise the issue, exemplifies just how far society has sunk to abandon valid intellectual scrutiny. Audacity in the defense of Western Civilization traditions, ethics and, much less religious principles, is rapidly becoming a ubiquitous bias-motivated offense. Celebrating diversity has become accepting depravity.

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Bankruptcy Trends in the Post Meltdown Era

SARTRE — Tue, 08 May 2012 16:29:44 +0000

Economic dislocation is an inherent element in any financial system. One way to deal with balance sheet imbalances is to declare bankruptcy. The most common examples of liquidating default without payment are to petition the court to absolve debt obligations. Personal bankruptcy is tragic, but is common in a culture where immediate consumer gratification is the end all of a private excess society. Business bankruptcy is different because the underlying enterprise assumes all the risks of engaging in commerce. Even prudent expenditures and sound business activities can go sour that ultimately results in insolvency.

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Number ONE Enemy of the State

SARTRE — Sun, 06 May 2012 11:02:47 +0000

There is immense confusion about the nature of the State. There is even more bewilderment about what constitutes a patriot. Any discussion in the civic realm begins with a cultural viewpoint. An attitude toward the proper role of the individual’s relationship with government based upon one’s value system and interpretation of civil order is natural. One man’s patriot is another man’s traitor. Where do you stand on the sentiments behind the penning of the below ideas? Quiz yourself and see if you can figure out the name of the author.

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Big vs Small Bank Loans

SARTRE — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:21:36 +0000

If your Main Street business needs capital and seeks a loan, your prospects are slim to none. It is evident that the real economy has never recovered from the collapse of the financial system. TARP was a temporary rescue of the large money center banks. For the local community banks, the massive give away has strings attached and penalties to be paid. Not much consolation for a small business endeavor that is desperate for cash and an improved business environment.

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A Different Philosophy of Civil Disobedience

SARTRE — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 16:43:09 +0000

Conventional civil disobedience usually engages localized agencies and domestic government. Redress of grievances, constitutionally protected under law is a myth in practice. The courts operate as protectors of state authority, while crushing the safeguards of individual natural rights. Petition to elected officials for recourse resembles begging for sustenance. Allegiance to country is confused with deference to decadent dictates. Conscience and moral imperatives draw sincere and aware citizens to resort to necessary measures of dissent. The question is what kind of civil disobedience is appropriate and effective?

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A Matter of Time for a VAT Tax

SARTRE — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:55:07 +0000

The insatiable thrust for federal spending continues. The will to correct our fiscal black hole is absent. Even the Tea Party Republicans lack the strength of determination and votes to reverse the ship of state. No matter which party wins the next elections, the deficits facing the budget are huge. Until a total reformation of the way the central government functions, no solution is possible to balance the books. There is no way to escape this stark reality. Expect more gimmicks, additional devaluation of the currency and the inevitable imposition of new forms of taxes.

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The Duty of the Military in a Militarized Empire

SARTRE — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 16:05:14 +0000

Those who serve in the military are in a difficult position. The oath taken by enlistees states, “I, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.” The internal conflict between supporting and defending the Constitution and obeying orders is at the heart of the dilemma of honor and duty. Those who accept that the Presidential chain of command is by nature constitutional; lack a proper understanding of history and professes an even greater ignorance of current affairs.

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The Foolish Exporting Natural Gas Policy

SARTRE — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:15:44 +0000

The lack of a government policy that promotes domestic energy independence in the United States is a tragic consequence of playing politics for decades. The current rage is the natural gas boom that offers the alternative of producing a plentiful and inexpensive source of fuel. Economic prosperity rests upon cheap and reliable power and natural gas offers the best option. The pricing of natural gas is regional and quite different from trading crude oil. Loren Steffy reports in the Houston Chronicle, “A surge in drilling for gas from shale formations around the U.S. has generated a glut of natural gas, pushing prices below $2 per million British thermal units.”Forbes set out the basic dilemma that conflict with the true long-term internal energy benefit, from the use of our own resources, for the national interest.

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Race is Still the Issue for the PC Culture

SARTRE — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 12:02:31 +0000

The media three-ring circus focus on the forthcoming trial of George Zimmerman for the killing of Trayvon Martin has all the hallmarks of another rush to judgment. Conviction in the press is nothing new, when the dominant liberal bleeding hearts feel offended. Others can relish on every detail, motivation and circumstance, but this viewpoint obscures the fundamental conflict that exists in society. It is a social taboo to engage in a sincere and substantive dialogue on race in this country. The long history that consumes racial animosity will always continue as long as “Political Correctness” prohibits genuine honesty.

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