In the early 2000s – when markets were “reasonably” freely-traded – I constantly surfed Yahoo! Finance chat-rooms, where discourse about various stocks was ongoing 24/7. Not that all posts were constructive – far from it – but there was enough intelligent discussion to make them an integral part of my due diligence process. However, as the “decade of misery” progressed, financial chat rooms essentially disappeared, the victim of an ongoing, mass EXODUS from the stock markets…
Strangely, they were largely replaced by political chat – or should I say, ATTACKS. I’m not talking about dedicated political websites, but stock chatrooms, such as Cisco, Newmont Mining, and others. A few dozen posts about Newmont’s mining prospects were replaced by hundreds of vicious, often unsubstantiated ATTACKS – featuring innuendo, propaganda, and lies. Worse yet, such attacks were focused less on specific politicians, than DEMOCRATS VS. REPUBLICANS.
I believe politics are the most divisive institution in HISTORY, blindly beckoning people to believe, against all visible truths. Religion requires faith in things that cannot be proven – and thus, serves a useful role in society. However, politics generate faith in proven liars, thieves, and ne’er do wells, creating mosaics with ZERO relationship to reality.
I rarely comment on politics, other than to say I hate ALL politicians – except Ron Paul and a handful of others. In my view, “Democrats” and “Republicans” are ONE AND THE SAME, as ubiquitous as “JP Morgan” and the “U.S. government.” Aside from sideshow social issues like gay marriage and abortion, both parties have served the same interests – finance, military, pharma, etc. – for decades, and BOTH have destroyed the economy with DEBT, DEFICITS, and MONEY PRINTING.
Nixon may have taken us off the gold standard), but spending programs dating back to FDR – and particularly, Lyndon Johnson – created Nixon’s “Hobson’s Choice”…
The “great Ronald Reagan” fathered the deficit-spending disease America is dying from – and in numerous RANTS, I have demonstrated that Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II were as profligate spenders as Clinton and Obama. Reagan and Clinton tend to be “lionized” because they were LUCKY enough to be President during economic upcycles, but the FACTS show that they, too, spent well beyond their means. Perhaps the most vile PROPAGANDA of all emanates from Republicans that lambast Obama’s spending policies, when Bush II was easily the most reckless spender of the past 30 years. Like the aforementioned example of Johnson preceding Nixon, Bush set the stage for Obama’s own “Hobson’s Choice.”
I voted for Ross Perot in 1992 – a true hero in many ways – read On Wings of Eagles – whose “giant sucking sound” pleas were ignored by all, but 100% CORRECT. In 1996, I voted for Clinton – mostly because I HATED Bob Dole – and in 2000 I voted for Bush; mostly because I disliked Gore, but selfishly because my oilfield service business was decidedly better off with the pro-drilling Bush. I had no clue Bush would turn out to be a monster – but then again, who’s to say Gore would’ve done any better?
In 2004, I voted for Kerry to get Bush OUT, and when that failed, I voted for Obama to get the “Neo-Cons” out. In both cases, I couldn’t care less who won, only that the “known quantity” of bad people were voted out. I remember Obama’s inauguration in 2009, when my wife was caught up in the “hope and change” charade – along with tens of millions of Americans desperate for life to improve. I told her things would only get worse, and couldn’t have been more right.
I don’t hate Obama any more than Bush, Gore, John McCain, or any of the slime that have vied to “run” America. They ALL have track records of financial and social ruin – as Congressman, Governors, Senators, and sometimes businessman – like Mitt Romney. Which is why it amazes me that people take such strong stands in the DEMOCRAT VS. REPUBLICAN debate, as if either party cares one lick about YOU. To the contrary, “THEY WANT YOU DEAD.”
Why am I writing this? Frankly, because readers are inundating me with anti-Obama emails. Some with FACTS, some with PROPAGANDA, and many about his birth certificate. Heck, I even got one scrutinizing his tax returns – from a supporter of Mitt Romney, who won’t even disclose his tax returns.
In the big picture, it MATTERS NOT who becomes President – and that includes Ron Paul, Superman, or Jesus Christ. The U.S. is past the “point of no return” – on multiple economic, political, and social fronts – and I can GUARANTEE the nation’s ills will grow dramatically worse in the coming four years. Frankly, the only REAL positive progress Ron Paul could make would be in the fields of diplomacy – something WARMONGERS like Bush, McCain, and Romney sorely lack; and transparency, an area Bush garroted and Obama disemboweled. Diplomacy and transparency won’t save the U.S. economy – and dollar – from crashing, but will certainly lessen the potential for SOCIAL UNREST and WAR.
And so you have it – Ranting Andy’s Politics 101. In essence, I am a realist, and couldn’t care less about “platforms” of the same LIES told for centuries. I ASSURE you the debts, deficits, warmongering, and theft of civil rights will accelerate as the END GAME unfolds, and it MATTERS NOT if Romney or Obama are “leading” the charge. Conversely, what people should be worrying about is the appearance of militant demagogues looking to sequester the masses while they pillage and destroy. Certainly, Obamacare fits the description of a policy created for such a purpose, but now that the Supreme Court has been bought off – read “S.C.O.T.U.S. TURNS U.S.A. TO R.U.S.S.I.A.” – don’t count on Mitt “Romneycare” to reverse it. And if you think Obama was a bad communicator, all I can say to Romney supporters is caveat emptor.
I don’t know who I’ll vote for November 6th, but I ASSURE you it will be based solely on my search for the “lesser of two evils.” Irrespective, I will NOT allow the Ranting Andy blog to be overrun – like the aforementioned chat rooms – with worthless, vindictive political fodder. We are here to intelligently discourse on the necessity of REAL MONEY to rule the land, and that’s EXACTLY how my commentaries – and MAILBOX – will be formatted. The “ULTIMATE DIVIDER” is politics, but the “ULTIMATE UNITER” is gold!
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One of your best rants,
Like Celente points out, NOTHING will change until the people change. Even if we could somehow get Ron Paul elected, he would not be able to do anything without a somewhat educated public.
How about the new RNC rules to keep ron out?
If we don’t beat these criminals soon, I don’t think we ever will. Once these guys get control of the internet its all over.
We like to talk about the coming collapse but if the powers that be can just maintain this slow meltdown, maybe the sheeple won’t even notice. I mean, they’ve lost 50% of their wealth in just the last 3 or 4 years and they STILL haven’t noticed. What will it take?
Here’s a question for you, if TPTB know the system is going to collapse, why bother passing laws to take control of the medical industry years from now?
Maybe they are just going to keep the slow boil strategy in place for another generation then there won’t be anyone left that doesn’t believe everything their smart phone tells them.
All we can do is keep trying to wake people up. Keep up the good rants and I’ll keep forwarding them to anyone that will listen.
Bri,
Their weakness is they WILL NOT be able to maintain the slow boil. Right now, they are promising health care to get votes, but when CHAOS inevitably ensues (catalyzed by potentially a dozen differnt events), they will get more draconian.
Hopefully, they will not be able to shut the internet and turn into Stalin’s Russia or Hitler’s Germany. We can only hope that is not America’s (and Europe’s, China’s, etc.) fate.
Andy
I say “vote for none of the above!” This is the most insignificant election ever since we have already passed the point of no return. Neither side of the same coin can/will make any changes to affect the outcome.
Danny,
I agree 1,000%!
Andy
Andy
Great rant.
I know it makes me sound like a completely clueless redneck, BUT my deductive reasoning has led me to vote guided by this question: “which candidate will allow me, as an individual, to navigate the collapse best?”
It is a tough one. After all, it was the neocons who attacked the constitution first. But then, Obama “saw you one, and all raise, ya.” Which leads me to believe that both parties are ok with no constitution. With no constitution, what are you left with? Just you and your personal defense system. Nothing else matters. Healthcare? right. Wars? Come on. Economy? (No one will touch entitlements and until that happens we are all screwed (excepting the entitled, of course)). Your choice is simple. Which candidate has the best record of supporting the 2nd amendment? Period. Cuz that is where we are headed……and Germany proved long ago what a disaster disarming citizens becomes for citizens….
It sounds quite simple minded, but a lot of thinking will take you there.
Joey,
You are dead on.
I, too, would like to think there is a “lesser of evils” – but frankly, it’s hard to see it.
Andy