economics, politics, and life 2012-05-20T03:20:27Z http://www.likelicorice.com/feed/atom/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3808 2012-05-20T03:20:27Z 2012-05-20T03:20:27Z

<p>Two major industrial metals, copper and iron, are rising to unusual levels in Chinese inventories. That is the <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/18/us-china-commodities-idUSBRE84H09E20120518">story</a> carried on Reuters. The problem is declining exports and continued buying based on historical demand. Something has to give. When it does suppliers will be hit hard, and the prices of iron and copper will likely drop.</p> <p>Demand from Europe has to be tapering off as multiple nations go into a recession, and U.S. imports from China have continued to fall. </p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Then there&#8217;s China itself, where the economy is still growing, but at a significantly slower pace. Economists keep predicting the slowdown will end soon, but it&#8217;s hard to see how when the rest of the world appears headed for the doldrums.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;For copper, Chinese traders appeared to have misjudged the fundamentals and embarked on a massive shopping spree in November, expecting demand to rebound after the Lunar New Year.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fchina-is-awash-in-metal-inventory%2F&amp;title=China%20Is%20Awash%20In%20Metal%20Inventory" id="wpa2a_2">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/JQLImkoPtqA" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/china-is-awash-in-metal-inventory/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3806 2012-05-19T23:35:48Z 2012-05-19T23:35:48Z

<p>Nigel Farage, a member of the European Parliament from the U.K., is always delightful to listen to. One of the comments on this video called him the Ron Paul of the U.K. He obviously understands what is going on in the EU and is trying to protect the U.K. from a political alliance that is destroying his country&#8217;s sovereignty. And unlike most politicians he speaks his mind bluntly. </p> <p>This <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&#038;NR=1&#038;v=h9wJRa7s_-U">video</a> is from an interview on the television show Capital Account. Please pardon Lauren Lyster, the host, for her verbose commentary. What Farage has to say is worth the time. Listen to his concerns about the U.K. in the second half of the interview. He could have been speaking about the U.S. for most of it. Also, his story of the Argentinian grapes for the U.K. winery is a beautiful picture of government bureaucracy in the EU, or the U.S.</p> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fnigel-farage-on-the-greek-crisis%2F&amp;title=Nigel%20Farage%20On%20The%20Greek%20Crisis" id="wpa2a_4">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/uUCnG_I7-wY" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/nigel-farage-on-the-greek-crisis/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3804 2012-05-19T03:02:51Z 2012-05-19T03:02:51Z

<p>I came across this interview by Bruce Krasting with a friend in Athens. What the Athenian had to say, which has proven reliable in the past, runs contrary to what we read in the press over here. The <a href="http://www.financialsense.com/contributors/bruce-krasting/a-surprising-conversation-with-athens">post</a> is on Financial Sense.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;BK &#8211; Do you really believe that Greece can achieve a long-term recovery with this?<br /> Athens &#8211; Not a chance. Everything will blow up again in less than one year.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fan-athenian-speaks-out%2F&amp;title=An%20Athenian%20Speaks%20Out" id="wpa2a_6">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/XqPY9XemOJ4" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/an-athenian-speaks-out/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3801 2012-05-19T02:32:23Z 2012-05-19T02:30:50Z

<p>Reading this piece about Hillary Clinton would almost convince one that she is a libertarian. However, she has been a committed Marxist and a staunch promoter of world government and the United Nations agenda at least since her husband moved into the White House. Pete Winn wrote this news <a href="http://cnsnews.com/news/article/hillary-government-cannot-and-should-not-control-any-individuals-life">item</a> for CNS News. </p> <p>So what is &#8220;civil society&#8221; about? It is a U.N. buzz word for using non-governmental organizations to generate support for U.N. programs. As the U.N. Global Compact website says: &#8220;Civil society organizations have been an integral part of the Global Compact since its creation.&#8221; </p> <p>From that same website: &#8220;The UN Global Compact&#8217;s ten principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption enjoy universal consensus and are derived from:<br /> The Universal Declaration of Human Rights<br /> The International Labour Organization&#8217;s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work<br /> The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development<br /> The United Nations Convention Against Corruption&#8221;</p> <p>&#8220;The UN Global Compact asks companies to embrace, support and enact, within their sphere of influence, a set of core values in the areas of human rights, labour standards, the environment and anti-corruption.&#8221;</p> <p>Incidentally, regarding the last paragraph of the article, when did it become a U.S. State Department responsibility to promote &#8220;social change&#8221; around the globe? </p> <p>Everything that the United Nations does is geared to creating a world government with the U.N. bureaucracy being that government. That has been its goal since 1945 when it was created. Our Secretary of State is championing world government in terms that are designed to put the best face on something that is a total contradiction to our Judeo-Christian values and Constitutional republic.</p> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Fsynthesis%2Fhillary-clinton-and-civil-society%2F&amp;title=Hillary%20Clinton%20And%20Civil%20Society" id="wpa2a_8">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/efIjvRW2DwU" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/synthesis/hillary-clinton-and-civil-society/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3799 2012-05-18T05:19:23Z 2012-05-18T05:19:23Z

<p>A man will fight harder for his interests than for his rights. </p> <p>A throne is only a bench covered with velvet.</p> <p>England is a nation of shopkeepers.</p> <p>Courage is like love; it must have hope for nourishment.</p> <p>All religions have been made by men. </p> <p>Courage isn&#8217;t having the strength to go on &#8211; it is going on when you don&#8217;t have strength.</p> <p>If I had to choose a religion, the sun as the universal giver of life would be my god.</p> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fnapoleon-bonaparte-in-quotes%2F&amp;title=Napoleon%20Bonaparte%20In%20Quotes" id="wpa2a_10">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/Hebq4BR5PUw" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/napoleon-bonaparte-in-quotes/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3797 2012-05-17T04:27:15Z 2012-05-17T04:27:15Z

<p>For the uninitiated, the GOP establishment is not conservative. Except in rhetoric, they are the same as the Democrats. So it is refreshing to see a conservative win a primary where there appeared to be no chance of victory. Thomas Lifson opened his piece as follows: &#8220;Someone named Deb Fischer &#8212; nobody at the National Press Club or Cosmos Club ever heard of her &#8212; won the Republican primary.&#8221;</p> <p>Deb Fisher is a Nebraska state senator who has won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate. The American Thinker carries this <a href="http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2012/05/nebraska_stuns_gop_establishment.html">article</a>.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;As recently as a week ago, Deb Fischer was dismissed by the establishment. Why? Because she is not part of the good old boys&#8217; permanent political class.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fan-upset-in-nebraska-primary%2F&amp;title=An%20Upset%20In%20Nebraska%20Primary" id="wpa2a_12">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/qRT-IeTBCvo" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/an-upset-in-nebraska-primary/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3795 2012-05-17T04:04:37Z 2012-05-17T04:04:37Z

<p>Hong Kong, now a Special Administrative Region of China, may be the world&#8217;s most business friendly city. Incidentally, Shanghai on the China mainland is near the bottom of the rankings.</p> <p>The Atlantic published this <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/05/hong-kong-the-most-business-friendly-city-in-the-world/257304/">piece</a>.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Conservatives envy the city as a haven for low taxes. The Heritage Foundation has repeatedly named it the freest economy in the world.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;The standard income tax rate is 15 percent, and the top corporate tax rate is 16.5 percent.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fhong-kong-most-business-friendly-city%2F&amp;title=Hong%20Kong%3A%20%20Most%20Business%20Friendly%20City" id="wpa2a_14">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/AHEVfPQmIzw" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/hong-kong-most-business-friendly-city/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3793 2012-05-16T04:16:59Z 2012-05-16T04:16:59Z

<p>Germany owns 3401 tons of gold which is reportedly stored in several major cities including the New York Fed. But the Bundesbank, Germany&#8217;s central bank, refuses to provide the periodic audit that is now two years overdue. </p> <p>Rumor has it that the gold does not exist, it has been leased or re-hypothicated (collateralized), and the U.S. Fed may be in the middle of that. The <a href="http://etfdailynews.com/2012/03/07/german-bundesbanks-incredible-gold-scandal-ewg-gld-iau-sgol-phys/">article</a> is on ETF Daily News and is by Dominique de Kevelioc de Bailluel. </p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Therefore, German gold moving back to Germany won’t happen. London’s scramble to find 99 tons for Chavez is one thing; finding as much as 2,000 tons to ship to Frankfurt is quite another.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Rickards continued, “So it’s a political question for Germany as to whether they want their gold back, but sometimes you don’t ask questions if you don’t think you are going to like the answer.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fwhere-is-germanys-gold%2F&amp;title=Where%20Is%20Germany%26%238217%3Bs%20Gold%3F" id="wpa2a_16">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/BKxZNLAwq70" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/where-is-germanys-gold/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3791 2012-05-15T18:07:04Z 2012-05-15T18:07:04Z

<p>Selling the Nissan Leaf all-electric vehicle has proved to be a challenge. Its $33,000 price tag and driving range of 73 miles on one charge is limiting its appeal to all but environmentalists. Even the $1.45 billion loan guarantee from the Department of Energy does not appear to be improving its chances of success. But Nissan is tenacious and is modifying their ad campaigns to market the Leaf to &#8220;pragmatists&#8221;.</p> <p>The National Legal and Policy Center carries this <a href="http://nlpc.org/stories/2012/05/11/nissan-seeks-leaf-buyers-among-‘pragmatists">piece</a> by Paul Chesser. </p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Finding enough Americans who see it that way will be difficult, as the $33,800 Leaf has proven extremely impractical. Average users rarely attain the 73 miles on a single charge,&#8230;.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fthe-leaf-in-search-of-customers%2F&amp;title=The%20Leaf%20In%20Search%20Of%20Customers" id="wpa2a_18">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/mX8G7bNX1Mo" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/the-leaf-in-search-of-customers/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3788 2012-05-15T03:38:42Z 2012-05-15T03:37:19Z

<p>The Green River Formation under the states of Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming contains massive amounts of recoverable oil according to the General Accounting Office. Erika Johnsen posted this news <a href="http://townhall.com/tipsheet/erikajohnsen/2012/05/12/gao_recoverable_oil_in_western_states_about_equal_to_entire_worlds_proven_reserves">item</a> on Townhall.</p> <blockquote><p>“The federal government is in a unique position to influence the development of oil shale because nearly three-quarters of the oil shale within the Green River Formation lies beneath federal lands&#8230;.&#8221; [GAO report]</p></blockquote> <p>Will the federal government opt to create jobs, generate tax revenue, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil? Here is the way the GAO sees it (from the CNS News link):</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;It also noted that developing the oil would have an environmental impact and pose “socioeconomic challenges,” that included bringing “a sizable influx of workers who along with their families put additional stress on local infrastructure” and “making planning for growth difficult for local governments.”&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fu-s-oil-reserves%2F&amp;title=U.S.%20Oil%20Reserves" id="wpa2a_20">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/lLHXnrhiw9Y" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/u-s-oil-reserves/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3786 2012-05-14T16:00:22Z 2012-05-14T16:00:22Z

<p>The German news site Spiegel Online has published an <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/why-greece-needs-to-leave-the-euro-zone-a-832968.html">article</a> proposing that Greece has no alternative but to exit the Euro. With the Greek economy in a shambles and little chance of meeting the demands of the European Central Bank Greece has virtually no options. Toward that end EU officials have already been formulating plans which can be set into motion quickly. </p> <p>Their socialist economy has an entrenched political elite with little incentive to make changes. Economic changes are simply not happening. Exiting the Euro and reintroducing the drachma is the only workable alternative, but that will entail a progression of problems that the Greeks will have to endure to restore their economy.</p> <p>This piece gives an excellent overview of the Greek/Euro problem and the nation&#8217;s inherent cultural/political issues that have led up to this. </p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;But even though the country is virtually being governed by the European Commission and the IMF, Greece&#8217;s debts are higher than ever and the recession is worsening.&#8221; </p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;No one can force the Greeks to give up the euro. And yet it is now clear that withdrawal would also be in the country&#8217;s best interest.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Greece is caught in a uniquely Greek vicious circle. Hardly anyone wants to invest in a country that is not only bankrupt, but is also seen as highly corrupt.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fgreece-should-exit-the-euro%2F&amp;title=Greece%20Should%20Exit%20The%20Euro" id="wpa2a_22">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/RnsXZbLU944" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/greece-should-exit-the-euro/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3783 2012-05-13T23:41:27Z 2012-05-13T23:39:57Z

<p>Nothing seems to be pulling California out of its fiscal pit. The state is now having to deal with a $16 billion dollar deficit, but they are not willing to make the necessary changes to cut spending and rebuild their tax base. Judy Lin wrote this news <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/12/california-facing-higher-16-billion-shortfall/?page=all#pagebreak">item</a> that is posted on The Washington Times.</p> <p>For a little background on California&#8217;s tax base problems, this <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com/2011/link/business-regulation-in-calif/">post</a> from Sept. 2011 documents some of the regulatory insanity that the state creates. Business are fleeing the state because of this mentality.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;The Democratic governor said the shortfall grew from $9.2 billion in January in part because tax collections have not come in as high as expected and the economy isn’t growing as fast as hoped for.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;&#8221;Today’s news underscores how we must rein in spending and let our economy grow by leaving overburdened taxpayers alone,” said Assembly Republican leader Connie Conway&#8230;.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fcalifornias-16-billion-shortfall%2F&amp;title=California%26%238217%3Bs%20%2416%20Billion%20Shortfall" id="wpa2a_24">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/ZdfJL8xBoOo" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/californias-16-billion-shortfall/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3780 2012-05-13T21:09:25Z 2012-05-13T21:08:47Z

<blockquote><p>&#8220;China’s import gains stalled in April while industrial output rose at the slowest pace since 2009 and new yuan loans were the lowest this year,&#8230;.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>China is experiencing stagnating growth which is troubling its leadership. A logical step is to put more money into the economy which they are doing by way of reducing bank reserves. (Yes, the politicians in charge of the Chinese economy are probably all Harvard educated Keynesians.)</p> <p>Bloomberg News carries this <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-12/china-cuts-banks-reserve-requirements-to-sustain-growth-1-.html">piece</a>.</p> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2F3780%2F&amp;title=China%20Banks%20Stimulate" id="wpa2a_26">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/1bhaYgtbNsY" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/3780/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3778 2012-05-13T20:52:48Z 2012-05-13T20:52:48Z

<p>A couple in Toronto have a child whose sex they have refused to reveal. It seems that Storm, that is its name, is being allowed to decide for itself what it is. I find it mystifying that in spite of the child&#8217;s chromosomes, hormone system, and anatomical differences the parents think that by playing dolls or dressing in pink that a boy might turn into a girl, or by playing soldier and sports a girl might become a boy. Is there not some mental disease where a person pretends to be something he/she is not? What can be more defining that the physical characteristics that determine sex?</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Storm’s parents lament the “tyranny of pronouns” that serves to limit Storm’s choices even before Storm realizes the possibilities afforded by such an upbringing.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>Mark T. Mitchell has written an <a href="http://www.frontporchrepublic.com/2012/04/gender-matters/">essay</a> on the new wave of gender neutral thinking that is encouraging parents in that direction. But it gets worse. Sweden is seeking to initiate legal strictures to enforce gender equality/neutrality starting in the schools. The article is posted on Front Porch Republic.</p> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fgender-matters%2F&amp;title=%26%238220%3BGender%20Matters%26%238221%3B" id="wpa2a_28">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/wPkVMtnFRMs" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/gender-matters/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3774 2012-05-13T02:02:42Z 2012-05-13T02:02:42Z

<p>How much government debt does it take to generate a dollar&#8217;s worth of GDP growth? Madeline Schnapp has answered that in her <a href="http://trimtabs.com/blog/2012/05/11/stimulus-tactic-of-increasing-government-debt-to-increase-gdp-broken-and-unsustainable-how-long-before-massive-government-debt-buildup-triggers-another-financial-shock/">post</a> on TrimTabs Money Blog. What the politicians are ignoring is that it takes progressively more government spending (which is largely debt) to boost GDP. A some point spending will generate an insignificant level of GDP growth, but the debt will remain and have to be paid. </p> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fgovernment-debt-to-gdp-ratio%2F&amp;title=Government%20Debt%20To%20GDP%20Ratio" id="wpa2a_30">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/qvsPL9JrCRE" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/government-debt-to-gdp-ratio/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3772 2012-05-12T21:13:15Z 2012-05-12T21:13:15Z

<p>As you know JP Morgan has announced that it has lost $2 billion on proprietary investments. Jonathan Weil has written an insightful <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-11/what-jamie-dimon-doesn-t-know-is-plain-scary.html">commentary</a> that is posted on Bloomberg.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;“It could get worse, and it’s going to go on for a little bit unfortunately,” Dimon replied. The meaning was clear. Worse could mean disastrous.&#8221; [Dimon describing an earlier loss announcement]</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fwhat-dimon-doesnt-know%2F&amp;title=What%20Dimon%20Doesn%26%238217%3Bt%20Know" id="wpa2a_32">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/lvqy4MkshvU" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/what-dimon-doesnt-know/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3770 2012-05-12T20:41:02Z 2012-05-12T20:41:02Z

<p>The temperature is rising in the Eurozone with Spain being the latest in the spotlight. Major banking conglomerate Bankia has be nationalized as a result of a falling real estate market which has put the bank at risk. Ambrose Evans-Pritchard gives us his take in this <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/9255621/Spain-nationalises-Bankia-as-euro-crisis-escalates.html">post</a> in the U.K. Telegraph.</p> <p>It appears that Spain is doing what the U.S. has perfected, letting the taxpayers pick up the tab for bank losses. Beyond that, the ECB cannot possibly bail out the Spanish government which can only mean that Spain will be another candidate to leave the EU. </p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;The country is tightening fiscal policy drastically in the midst of recession, with unemployment already at 24.4pc.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;The risk is a repeat of the self-defeating spiral already seen in Greece, where cuts began earlier. &#8220;When the private sector is deleveraging, austerity only serves to worsen public finances, with tax revenues falling even faster than public spending.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fmore-trouble-in-spain%2F&amp;title=More%20Trouble%20In%20Spain" id="wpa2a_34">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/UIA-uOlHBK8" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/more-trouble-in-spain/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3766 2012-05-12T05:20:37Z 2012-05-12T04:45:21Z

<p>Jeffrey Snider is President and Chief Investment Officer of Atlantic Capital Management and has written an adroit account of the illusion that permeates the international banking community. As he says, &#8220;&#8230;there is an apparently unshakable notion that in times of turmoil investors run to the safety of America and the US dollar. It is a myth that serves to undermine the true cause of all this unending financial turmoil.&#8221; </p> <p>His analysis is intriguing and I think right on target. Though his piece is long and rather technical in places, I encourage those that want a more detailed understanding of our monetary crisis to wade through it. Read it slowly and thoughtfully. He has a lot to say. RealClearMarkets carries Snider&#8217;s <a href="http://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2012/05/11/the_monetary_monster_that_is_flight_to_safety_99666.html">essay</a>.</p> <p>I have attached some of the nuggets from his work, but only reading the whole piece will give you an appreciation for his message.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Liquidity measures certainly have bought time for the struggling financial system, as the propping and pegging of prices and interest rates has grotesquely interfered with markets&#8217; collective abilities to discover inefficiencies and clear them.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Imbalances were no longer problems in need of solutions, they were solutions to or for the utopian ideal of the never-ending engineered economic boom.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;The mechanism for controlling or growing the banking system shifted from deposits of actual cash to accounting notions of ledgered money and equity capital, all greased by financial collateral.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;The supposed stewards of the currency of the United States (including the Treasury Department), purportedly still adhering to a strong dollar policy, allowed the global banking system to create, on its own, a system where as much as $6.5 trillion in US dollar assets were supported by nothing more than the stroke of private, global bank bookkeepers&#8217; pens.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Medieval alchemists were looking in the wrong place, they needed only to invent bank accounting.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;As long as some of this phantom money led to some marginal short-term economic activity that made the global economy appear to be robustly expanding, intentional imbalances were celebrated as genius.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;But it is this massive imbalance of US dollars that assures contagion, not the supposed weakness of free markets &#8211; truly free markets would never have seen nor allowed such disproportion. It is the illusion of control that combines the worst aspects of a bank panic with a currency disease unique to the modern, fiat age.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;In this very important sense, the entire age of fiat has been an academic experiment in the incomplete science of monetary economics. The theory that central bank flexibility would rid the global system of gold&#8217;s rigidity was unquestioned in the &#8220;evolution&#8221; of modern banking &#8211; evolution is unconsciously associated with forward progress, never believed to be anything other than positive.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;As events now unfold along much these same lines in 2012, the myth of the flight to safety of US assets will again be reported as an uncontroversial fact. The rise in the relative price of the US dollar against &#8220;competing&#8221; currencies is not a flight to safety, however, it is confirmation of the financial Frankenstein rampaging without any restraint.&#8221; </p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fflight-to-dollar-safety%2F&amp;title=Flight%20To%20Dollar%20Safety%3F" id="wpa2a_36">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/W5nUQqAOQ9Y" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/flight-to-dollar-safety/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3762 2012-05-11T05:12:25Z 2012-05-11T05:10:35Z

<p>Adding ethanol to gasoline is a bad idea getting worse. It is supposed to improve combustion and reduce our dependence on oil, but the results are questionable on both counts. Now with the federal ethanol mandate still in place and gasoline consumption going down, the refiners are being pushed to up the blend from 10% ethanol to 15%. That much ethanol has the potential to damage engines. </p> <p>Some secondary issues also come into play. The cost of ethanol has gone up, which pushes the price of motor fuel up. Also, ethanol has about 2/3 the energy density of gasoline, so the result is reduced miles per gallon, which also increases the cost of driving. </p> <p>Using corn to produce ethanol carries with it another cost. So much corn is being diverted to ethanol production that the price of corn has risen, thus food prices have been pushed up.</p> <p>The Washington Times posted this <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/7/ethanols-hidden-gasoline-tax/?page=all#pagebreak">piece</a> by Lucian Pugliaresi. </p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;It’s not as if the EPA didn’t have any warnings. When the agency initially authorized the use of E15, the automobile industry &#8211; including BMW, Ford, Honda and Toyota &#8211; argued against it.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fthe-ethanolgasoline-problem%2F&amp;title=The%20Ethanol%2FGasoline%20Problem" id="wpa2a_38">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/-jpw4oal3oM" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/the-ethanolgasoline-problem/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3760 2012-05-10T21:57:01Z 2012-05-10T21:57:01Z

<p>Both Warren Buffett and his vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, Charlie Munger, think gold is a stupid investment. They are on the opposite end of the issue from Ron Paul who has contended that gold serves an essential purpose in a monetary system. What Paul has pushed for is competing currencies, where the individual is free to use either the dollar or gold and silver (as authorized in the Constitution) for money. </p> <p>In his piece author John DeFeo reveals that Ron Paul would have a staunch ally in Warren Buffett&#8217;s father. Howard Buffett served four terms in office as a U.S. congressman from Nebraska and advocated a return to the gold standard. His position was different from that of Ron Paul in that Paul advocates the use of competing currencies where there would be no taxation by switching between dollars and gold and silver. Were our economy to have all three circulate as money, the dollar would have to be denominated in ounces of gold or silver or it would likely be abandoned in preference for the precious metals.</p> <p>As for Warren&#8217;s father, Howard Buffett, biographer Roger Lowenstein notes: &#8220;Unshakably ethical, Howard refused offers of junkets and even turned down a part of his pay. During his first term, when congressional salary was raised from $10,000 to $12,500, Howard left the extra money in the Capitol disbursement office, insisting that he had been elected at the lower salary.&#8217; His wife said he considered only one issue when deciding whether or not to vote for a bill: &#8216;Will this add to, or subtract from, human liberty?&#8221;</p> <p>John DeFeo&#8217;s <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/story/11526015/1/ron-paul-has-a-gold-ally-in-the-buffett-family.html?cm_ven=GOOGLEN">piece</a> is posted on TheStreet.com.</p> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Fsynthesis%2Fcompeting-currencies%2F&amp;title=Competing%20Currencies" id="wpa2a_40">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/dJ_fwrsX3CE" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/synthesis/competing-currencies/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3758 2012-05-10T21:06:26Z 2012-05-10T21:06:26Z

<p>Japan is the world&#8217;s second largest importer of oil and buys about 10% of its oil from Iran. In this <a href="http://tehrantimes.com/economy-and-business/97640-japan-to-insure-ships-carrying-iran-oil">piece</a> from the Teheran Times Japan is having to work around the restrictions that have limited the insurance carried on their oil tankers. </p> <p>The U.S. has imposed an oil embargo on Iran and is strong arming other nations into complying. Included in this is a restriction on currency transactions through international banks that handle Iranian funds. Since Japan has now shut down their nuclear power plants, their consumption of oil may increase which might boost the demand for Iranian oil. At this point Iran claims that their oil exports have suffered a 9% decline. A number of nations are dependent on Iranian oil, and the largest importers are China, Japan, and India. What we have done is tantamount to a declaration of war.</p> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fjapan-to-insure-ships%2F&amp;title=Japan%20To%20Insure%20Ships" id="wpa2a_42">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/14YnKN_fhtQ" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/japan-to-insure-ships/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3756 2012-05-10T04:00:27Z 2012-05-10T04:00:27Z

<p>France may offer the world a case study in labor regulations. Their 3200 page code that governs labor rules for companies has a stifling effect on companies with more than 50 employees, therefore a huge percentage of companies limit themselves to 49 employees. </p> <p>Could it be that the 2.9 million unemployed persons in France owe their condition, to some extent, to the labor laws? This is one aspect of socialism that probably few of us recognize. Bloomberg Businessweek carries this <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-05-03/why-france-has-so-many-49-employee-companies">piece</a> by Gregory Viscusi and Mark Deen.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Here’s a curious fact about the French economy: The country has 2.4 times as many companies with 49 employees as with 50.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fhow-to-cripple-employment-growth%2F&amp;title=How%20To%20Cripple%20Employment%20Growth" id="wpa2a_44">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/NDmjlzYizFk" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/how-to-cripple-employment-growth/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3754 2012-05-09T22:00:10Z 2012-05-09T22:00:10Z

<p>With Fed intervention in the markets, pricing and interest rate signals are now meaningless. The result is distortion in our economy, mis-investment, and ultimately a breakdown in the system. David Stockman, who is intimately familiar with workings of the Fed and the banks, presents us with his predictions on what might happen when the U.S. bond market starts to unravel.</p> <p>Karen Roche and J.T. Long of The Gold Report <a href="http://www.theaureport.com/pub/na/13278">interviewed</a> David Stockman and the dialogue is posted on their site.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Because of Fed management and interest-rate pegging, the market is artificially medicated. All of the rates and spreads are unreal. The yield curve is not market driven. Supply and demand for savings and investment, future inflation risk discounts by investors—none of these free market forces matter.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;No, I do not think we will have hyperinflation. I think the financial system will break down before it can even get started.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;My investing model is ABCD: Anything Bernanke Cannot Destroy&#8230;.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fthe-emperor-is-naked%2F&amp;title=The%20Emperor%20Is%20Naked" id="wpa2a_46">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/lIAHYEomwbU" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/the-emperor-is-naked/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3752 2012-05-09T17:12:31Z 2012-05-09T17:12:31Z

<p>This treatise is one of the most beautiful expositions of capitalism (free enterprise) that I have ever read. Our gratitude is extended to the author, James R. Otteson, professor of philosophy at Yeshiva University. </p> <p>That &#8220;larger set of social institutions&#8221; to which Professor Otteson alludes can only be our Judeo-Christian heritage. No other belief system on the earth so perfectly affirms the dignity of the individual under the authority of a loving God.</p> <p>His <a href="http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ir_12.htm">piece</a> is posted on the Manhattan Institute website. </p> <blockquote><p>“Little else is requisite to carry a state to the highest degree of opulence from the lowest barbarism but peace, easy taxes, and a tolerable administration of justice: all the rest being brought about by the natural course of things. All governments which thwart this natural course, which force things into another channel, or which endeavour to arrest the progress of society at a particular point, are unnatural, and to support themselves are obliged to be oppressive and tyrannical.” [Adam Smith]</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;But capitalism is part of a larger set of social institutions that has another justification for itself than increasing material prosperity, as important as that is. And that is its presumption of the dignity and preciousness of each individual and the respect that that demands. Capitalism assumes that each of us is a free moral agent, capable of leading his own life, of holding his head up, not begging leave or permission before he acts, not subject to correction from his superiors: a citizen, not a subject.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fan-audacious-promise%2F&amp;title=An%20Audacious%20Promise" id="wpa2a_48">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/4juMfnpBCFo" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/an-audacious-promise/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3750 2012-05-09T04:54:11Z 2012-05-09T04:54:11Z

<p>Global warming (or global cooling or climate change, whatever) is still a major national crisis and the Secretary of Defense is going to help fix it. I kid you not. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has declared that climate change is a national defense issue. The Washington Times elaborates in this <a href="http://washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/7/panettas-next-war/">editorial</a>.</p> <p>We have more than two hundred thousand troops scattered around the globe and are currently engaged in two wars, or maybe three or four depending on how you count them, and the Pentagon has found another mission, climate change.</p> <blockquote><p>“The area of climate change has a dramatic impact on national security.” [Leon Panetta speaking to the Environmental Defense Fund]</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fpanettas-next-war%2F&amp;title=%26%238220%3BPanetta%26%238217%3Bs%20Next%20War%26%238221%3B" id="wpa2a_50">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/sTzZYokje9E" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/panettas-next-war/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3748 2012-05-09T02:33:27Z 2012-05-09T02:33:27Z

<p>Do you recognize these names: Timothy F. Geithner, Kenneth L. Salazar, Steven Chu, Eric H. Holder Jr., and Hilda Solis? If you said they are cabinet officers in the Obama administration, you are right. The Washington Times carries this opinion <a href="http://washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/4/cabinet-gone-wild/">piece</a> by Victor Davis Hanson which examines this rogues gallery of cabinet secretaries. These are the socialist zealots leading Barack Obama&#8217;s attack on our American republic. </p> <p>Quite a few more names could be added to the list, but then Victor Hanson&#8217;s piece would go on for pages and pages. All of the &#8220;czars&#8221; that do not have official status could also be considered. Have you ever wondered why a government official would be called a czar when that was the title of the much hated Russian ruler.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Secretary of the Interior Kenneth L. Salazar has pulled off the near impossible: At a time when the known gas and oil reserves of the United States on public lands have soared, he has cut back on federal leasing of them to just about 2 percent of available offshore lands and 6 percent of onshore.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fcabinet-gone-wild%2F&amp;title=%26%238220%3BCabinet%20Gone%20Wild%26%238221%3B" id="wpa2a_52">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/lgY_Ceba4-E" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/cabinet-gone-wild/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3746 2012-05-08T18:59:18Z 2012-05-08T18:59:18Z

<p>The big issue with the EU is that there is no currency exchange rate mechanism to correct for the economies of the northern countries vs. the southern countries. In his analysis of the EU, China, and the U.S. Peter Schiff predicts that the U.S. will find itself in a similar position to the PIIGS nations. The <a href="http://www.safehaven.com/article/25347/the-golden-rule-reinterpreted">piece</a> is posted on SafeHaven.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Like the nations of southern Europe, the United States consumes far more than it produces. But rather than closing the gap by producing more and consuming less, both have followed a far less painful path.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fthe-golden-rule-reinterpreted%2F&amp;title=%26%238220%3BThe%20Golden%20Rule%20Reinterpreted%26%238221%3B" id="wpa2a_54">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/OXIPMeK0xTc" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/the-golden-rule-reinterpreted/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3744 2012-05-08T02:16:23Z 2012-05-08T02:16:23Z

<p>Even the most insidious bills in Congress have appealing names, like the USA Patriot Act, and the most recent bill passed by the House, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA). CISPA is the latest attempt by the Obama administration to put the internet under federal control. </p> <p>Doug Book describes the ongoing assault on our liberties by this administration. His <a href="http://www.westernjournalism.com/obama-might-finally-acquire-elusive-internet-kill-switch/">piece</a> is posted on The Western Center For Journalism. You may want to phone your senators if you have an opinion on this issue.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;But one vitally important power has eluded the usurper in the White House, that being the legal means to control the world-wide web.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fthe-ultimate-in-internet-snooping%2F&amp;title=The%20Ultimate%20In%20Internet%20Snooping" id="wpa2a_56">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/7-FS5hcZuSo" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/the-ultimate-in-internet-snooping/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3742 2012-05-07T04:41:57Z 2012-05-07T04:41:57Z

<p>Ron Hansen analyzes the mentality that has become all to common: getting free benefits from the government is easy, everyone does it, so why shouldn&#8217;t I do it. However, getting the free goodies causes a series of bad events, such as government debt, money creation, and ultimately unhappy economic consequences.</p> <p>His <a href="http://www.financialsense.com/contributors/ross-hansen/there-is-always-free-cheese-in-a-mousetrap">piece</a>, under the title &#8220;There Is Always Free Cheese In A Mousetrap&#8221;, appears on Financial Sense. </p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;The second major problem is that no politician is going to come clean about this because it simply doesn’t pay to be honest with the American public.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Ffree-cheese%2F&amp;title=Free%20Cheese" id="wpa2a_58">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/jJdio8h75fo" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/free-cheese/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3740 2012-05-06T20:40:18Z 2012-05-06T20:40:18Z

<p>This <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/02/us-hunger-innovations-idUSBRE8410GO20120502">article</a> out of London and posted on Reuters is directed at the need to feed a world with a growing population. According to the piece, maybe a &#8220;green bullet&#8221; or a range of improvements will be necessary to feed the earth&#8217;s 9 billion people in 2050. </p> <p>The author, Laurie Goering, cites Robert Watson, formerly head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). While leading the IPCC, Watson and the IPCC were major promoters of man-made global warming. His credentials also include appointments to numerous government and academic panels and commissions which definitely give him stature as an establishment type. The point is that Laurie Goering obviously used Watson as a primary source, and his answer to problems is invariably more government control. </p> <p>So the article offers a variety of solutions to the world food &#8220;crisis&#8221; which includes controlling what people eat to dictating the kind of crops that should be grown. What Goering failed to point out is that the world&#8217;s food shortages are almost always caused by governments. I generally expect Reuters to provide better reporting that this. </p> <p>Our political elite have a knack for creating new crises whether it be global warming, the war on terror, food production, air pollution, or water scarcity. And the answer is always more government. </p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;In a world where an estimated 900 million people are already hungry today, curbing surging consumption in rich nations and those fast getting rich, especially India and China, will be particularly important, experts say.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fgreen-bullet-to-feed-the-world%2F&amp;title=%26%238220%3BGreen%20Bullet%26%238221%3B%20To%20Feed%20The%20World" id="wpa2a_60">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/yC_5Cwy0GOw" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/green-bullet-to-feed-the-world/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3738 2012-05-06T00:26:30Z 2012-05-06T00:26:30Z

<p>The above is the title of a book by Thomas E. Levy, M.D. What the author has done is to compile and annotate the volumes of research and case histories of vitamin C therapy. The book is dedicated to Frederick R. Klenner, M.D., one of the pioneers in the use of vitamin C to treat infectious diseases and toxins. </p> <p>It was Klenner who first used massive doses of vitamin C to cure polio. His work was presented to an AMA gathering in 1949, and virtually ignored. Despite curing 60 out of 60 cases of polio in a matter of a few days of treatment, the medical community was not interested. And that has proved to be typical of the medical establishment&#8217;s response to vitamin C therapy to the present.</p> <p>One of Dr. Klenner&#8217;s observations was that vitamin C was the ideal antiviral treatment. Levy summed up the effectiveness of vitamin C in viral diseases: &#8220;To date, NO viral infection has been demonstrated to be resistant to the proper dosing of vitamin C as classically demonstrated by Klenner.&#8221; Some of the diseases that have been effectively treated (cured) with vitamin C are polio, measles, mumps, viral encephalitis, chickenpox and herpes, viral pneumonia, and influenza. </p> <p>For non-viral infectious diseases, it has proved to be almost equally effective. Its stellar record in this area is limited by the lack of case histories where vitamin C has been properly tested. The claim of curing the disease can be made for diphtheria, strep infections, and tetanus. </p> <p>Klenner&#8217;s work, as well as that of other researchers, have shown that to quote Levy, &#8220;the greatest practical concern in vitamin C therapy is not an overdose of vitamin C, but an underdose.&#8221; Where researchers have failed to see benefit in their evaluations, the cause is often the result of too small of a dose. Dr. Klenner administered doses that were 100 times the levels of other researchers and the only feasible method was by IV. Numerous case studies have demonstrated an almost total lack of toxicity of vitamin C.</p> <p>Another remarkable attribute of vitamin C is its ability to neutralize an array of toxins. These include heavy metals, barbiturates, pesticides, carbon monoxide, and venoms.</p> <p>I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants authoritative information on the treatment of diseases that the mainstream medical profession considers &#8220;incurable&#8221;. It might someday save your life.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Vitamin C is undoubtedly the ideal agent for treating virtually any viral infection. There are many documented cases showing that the prompt administration of very large doses of vitamin C can bring back heavily infected individuals from even comatose states, ultimately resulting in complete cures.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Even today, modern medicine does not have a single effective and non-toxic virus-killing drug.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;It can certainly be concluded that vitamin C is an exceptionally safe supplement, which has already been given in very large doses for extended periods of time with no significant problems occurring. There are few, if any, prescription or non-prescription medicines or supplements that are as free of side effects as vitamin C.&#8221; </p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Fcommentary%2Fcuring-the-incurable%2F&amp;title=%26%238220%3BCuring%20The%20Incurable%26%238221%3B" id="wpa2a_62">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/Irzzouls1DI" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/commentary/curing-the-incurable/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3736 2012-05-06T00:01:44Z 2012-05-06T00:01:44Z

<p>In his bid to be reelected Barack Obama has shown us what cradle-to-grave socialism looks like, at least in the eyes of its proponents. Writer Michelle Malkin alerts us to this clever invention of the Obama campaign. Her <a href="http://cnsnews.com/blog/michelle-malkin/mamas-dont-let-your-babies-grow-be-julia">piece</a> is posted on CNS News.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Using snazzy graphics and interactive slideshow features, BarackObama.com spins a glowing narrative of imaginary Julia&#8217;s life from age 3 to 67. But &#8220;Julia&#8221; is a pathetic figment of the progressive imagination. She simply cannot function without the lifelong intervention of federal patriarchs.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fthe-life-of-julia%2F&amp;title=%26%238220%3BThe%20Life%20of%20Julia%26%238221%3B" id="wpa2a_64">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/AbcIi_wZ5x8" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/the-life-of-julia/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3732 2012-05-05T21:05:58Z 2012-05-05T21:04:33Z

<p>The Labor Department issued new unemployment numbers and voila, the stats are better for this past month. A Washington Times news article lead with: &#8220;The nation’s unemployment rate continued its rapid decline last month, falling to 8.1 percent as another 115,000 jobs were added throughout the economy, the Labor Department reported Friday morning.&#8221; Unfortunately the piece promoted the theme that the economy was improving as unemployment dropped.</p> <p>On the same day a Washington Times <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/4/more-phony-job-numbers/">editorial</a> took the opposite view claiming that the numbers are cooked to give the appearance of lower unemployment. As has been pointed out before, when the number of participants in the job market (job seekers) drops, the unemployment stats automatically look better, even when these job seekers have effectively given up. What is puzzling is that Wall Street largely misses this subterfuge.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;If the official jobless figure were calculated based on the June 2009 employment participation rate, when the recovery officially began, unemployment would be more accurately pegged at 11 percent today.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fphony-job-numbers%2F&amp;title=Phony%20Job%20Numbers" id="wpa2a_66">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/5qyqtQ4hrJI" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/phony-job-numbers/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3730 2012-05-04T03:28:24Z 2012-05-04T03:28:24Z

<p>Don&#8217;t ask me what the title means; it is the name of the videos. David McWilliams, an Irish economist, has produced economics lessons by sketching his lecture as he delivers it. It&#8217;s very clever and an excellent economics presentation. </p> <p>Without analyzing his lessons in depth, I do disagree with his favorable opinion of the U.S. government saving Boston by means of federal aid. He obviously does not understand our Constitutional government, but that is a minor point. His economics lessons cover basic economic truths and present some of the issues that are troubling the EU. To date he has produced three. This <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDFgtb0by4E&#038;feature=relmfu">link</a> goes to Lesson 3 and the others are there on Youtube also.</p> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fpunk-economics%2F&amp;title=Punk%20Economics" id="wpa2a_68">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/ItGpsVGhoKY" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/punk-economics/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3727 2012-05-03T19:48:24Z 2012-05-03T19:47:17Z

<p>Two Norwegian day traders figured out how to beat the algorithm trading of a major U.S. brokerage and were tried for market manipulation. Yet, justice prevailed and they were acquitted. The <a href="http://www.gata.org/node/11316">article</a> by Michael Stothard appears on the GATA website.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;The verdict will please the trading community in Norway, which had come to view the duo as Robin Hood figures, beating the big financial houses at their own game.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fnorwegian-traders-beat-goliath%2F&amp;title=Norwegian%20Traders%20Beat%20Goliath" id="wpa2a_70">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/KwxU_nHLMNw" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/norwegian-traders-beat-goliath/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3725 2012-05-03T04:40:22Z 2012-05-03T04:40:22Z

<p>John Browne has written a thoughtful commentary on the plight of the EU. Instead of restoring the countries that are suffering economically, austerity is proving to be political dynamite. Neither the PIIGS nor the rest of the EU think it is such a good idea in hindsight. His <a href="http://financialsense.com/contributors/john-browne/austerity-fires-voter-vengeance-against-euro">piece</a> is posted on Financial Sense.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Not surprisingly, austerity breeds political revulsion. This is particularly true when the austerity has been imposed by outside powers.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Until a few weeks ago, it was felt that any breakup of the Eurozone would involve the expulsion of one or more of the weaker PIIGS members. Now, however, the dramatic possibility of Germany leaving the Eurozone has been brought into focus.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fthe-eu-and-austerity%2F&amp;title=The%20EU%20And%20Austerity" id="wpa2a_72">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/stp04MOqsmk" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/the-eu-and-austerity/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3723 2012-05-03T03:08:19Z 2012-05-03T03:08:19Z

<p>We live in a global economy, which is widely acknowledged, yet investors are told that a flagging U.S. economy or European economy will not impact the others. Michael Pento explains why decoupling between economies is a myth. His <a href="http://www.321gold.com/editorials/pento/pento042712.html">piece</a> is posted on 321gold.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Now investors are being told that the worsening sovereign debt crisis in Europe will leave the U.S. economy unscathed.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fdecoupling-isnt%2F&amp;title=Decoupling%20Isn%26%238217%3Bt" id="wpa2a_74">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/3yDOhINrUAw" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/decoupling-isnt/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3721 2012-05-02T03:48:01Z 2012-05-02T03:48:01Z

<p>Ron Paul describes another cost of our multiple wars. Besides the lives lost in battle and the dollar cost, we are now witnessing a rising level of emotional stress and suicides among soldiers, both active and discharged.</p> <p>His <a href="http://www.safehaven.com/article/25255/the-costs-of-war">piece</a> appears on SafeHaven. </p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;In fact, military deaths from suicide far outnumber combat deaths. According to an article in the Air Force Times this month, suicides among airmen are up 40 percent over last year.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fthe-costs-of-war%2F&amp;title=%26%238220%3BThe%20Costs%20Of%20War%26%238221%3B" id="wpa2a_76">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/zRopA7G20do" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/the-costs-of-war/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3719 2012-05-02T03:32:08Z 2012-05-02T03:32:08Z

<p>As one of the most powerful men in the world&#8217;s economies, Ben Bernanke, is having an unprecedented influence over our economic maelstrom. A case could be made that the man is delusional in his attempt to control the U.S. economy. He fully believes that by printing money and manipulating the interest rates he can steer the U.S. to prosperity. </p> <p>Hedge fund manager and author, James Rickards, has given us a <a href="http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/economic-intelligence/2012/04/30/the-real-reason-ben-bernanke-resists-the-gold-standard">commentary</a> on the gold standard and Bernanke&#8217;s recent protests against that system. The Federal Reserve chairman may be feeling an urgent need to fend off any consideration of a gold standard, and in his lectures at George Washington University he made a special effort to disparage it. Mr. Rickards&#8217; piece is posted on U.S. News.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Bernanke&#8217;s public attack on gold comes down to two propositions, both demonstrably false:&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fwhy-bernanke-resists-the-gold-standard%2F&amp;title=Why%20Bernanke%20Resists%20The%20Gold%20Standard" id="wpa2a_78">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/YKTmfsygf2k" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/why-bernanke-resists-the-gold-standard/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3714 2012-05-01T02:52:27Z 2012-05-01T02:49:50Z

<p>There is no recovery, in the U.S. or Europe. That is the conclusion that Eric Sprott and David Baker make in their <a href="http://www.sprott.com/markets-at-a-glance/when-fundamentals-no-longer-apply,-review-the-fundamentals/">newsletter</a>. Our pop media is using smoke and mirrors to obscure the fundamentals as they attempt to convince the public that there is a recovery. As Ben Bernanke once claimed, we are seeing some &#8220;green shoots&#8221;. And since this is an election year, the media will be promoting the &#8220;recovery&#8221; right up to November.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;US New Home Sales fell for the fourth time in a row month-over-month in March,&#8230;.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Meanwhile, the situation in Europe continues to worsen. There&#8217;s no point in mincing words: Spain is a complete disaster.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Earlier this month it was revealed that Hong Kong gold imports into China totaled nearly 40 tonnes in the month of February, representing a 13-fold increase over the same month last year.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fwhen-fundamentals-no-longer-apply%2F&amp;title=When%20Fundamentals%20No%20Longer%20Apply" id="wpa2a_80">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/CKK5Jnz0qxE" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/when-fundamentals-no-longer-apply/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3711 2012-04-30T15:15:30Z 2012-04-30T15:15:30Z

<p>After years of manufacturing moving to China, that trend may be reversing. Some companies in the U.S. are effectively competing with Chinese manufacturers as Chinese labor costs rise and U.S. companies become more efficient.</p> <p>The Daily Reckoning carries this <a href="http://dailyreckoning.com/a-new-trend-sneaking-up-on-people/">piece</a> by Chris Mayer.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;The handfuls of survivors in the molding industry in the U.S. are busy as hell right now. It’s not just the plastics industry. Anybody that was left here with manufacturing intact is getting extremely busy.”</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fa-new-trend%2F&amp;title=A%20New%20Trend%3F" id="wpa2a_82">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/GEi415sWB74" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/a-new-trend/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3708 2012-04-30T15:16:31Z 2012-04-30T04:09:45Z

<p>Robert Wenzel who writes the Economic Policy Journal delivered a bold and biting <a href="http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2012/04/my-speech-delivered-at-new-york-federal.html">speech</a> at the New York Federal Reserve Bank recently. As an Austrian economist his remarks did not conceal his dismay at what the Fed has done, and I applaud him for his candor. In no uncertain terms, he declared that the emperor has no clothes. </p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;I ask, is the Chairman using the United States economy as a lab with Americans as the lab rats to test his intellectual curiosity about such things as Operation Twist?&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Further, I am very confused by the response of Chairman Bernanke to questioning by Congressman Ron Paul. To a seemingly near off the cuff question by Congressman Paul on Federal Reserve money provided to the Watergate burglars, Chairman Bernanke contacted the Inspector General’s Office of the Federal Reserve and requested an investigation [12]. Yet, the congressman has regularly asked about the gold certificates held by the Federal Reserve [13] and whether the gold at Fort Knox backing up the certificates will be audited. Yet there have been no requests by the Chairman to the Treasury for an audit of the gold. This I find very odd. The Chairman calls for a major investigation of what can only be an historical point of interest but fails to seek out any confirmation on a point that would be of vital interest to many present day Americans.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;In this very building, deep in the underground vaults, sits billions of dollars of gold, held by the Federal Reserve for foreign governments. The Federal Reserve gives regular tours of these vaults, even to school children. [14] Yet, America’s gold is off limits to seemingly everyone and has never been properly audited.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Frobert-wenzels-speech%2F&amp;title=Robert%20Wenzel%26%238217%3Bs%20Speech" id="wpa2a_84">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/KLBYprvcmvY" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/robert-wenzels-speech/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3706 2012-04-29T00:51:47Z 2012-04-29T00:51:47Z

<p>Reuters gives us this news <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/27/us-usa-foodlobby-idUSBRE83Q0ED20120427">piece</a> on childhood obesity, but the reality is that it is more editorial than news reporting. Even the title is slanted. </p> <p>The first lady has made it her personal cause to fight childhood obesity, and that is all well and good, however everything changes when Congress gets involved. That means a law is being considered to force individuals or an industry to do what the federal government wants them to do. </p> <p>There are two culprits here, so the story goes, the food industry that puts too much sugar in their products and the advertising business that convinces parents and children to buy the unhealthy products. The advertisers probably should bear the brunt of the blame, because they hypnotically induce people to buy their products, according to the food advocates. Mom and dad, it seems, have no control over what their children eat. </p> <p>Much of the article deals with how the food industry spends big bucks lobbying to keep Congress from passing laws governing food content. That in itself is supposed to be evil and should warrant government action. But the basic issue is what everyone overlooks: What Constitutional authority does the federal government have to regulate food for children? We have adopted the mindset that if something is deemed to be undesirable, then we should have a law against it, a federal law no less. I wonder how many lawmakers would stand up and say Congress has no authority to meddle in what our children eat.</p> <p>If the food advocates want a legitimate cause, then they should be educating parents and children to make good choices on what they eat. Passing laws may be more satisfying, but it grows a federal government that already too big for our good.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;At every level of government, the food and beverage industries won fight after fight during the last decade. They have never lost a significant political battle in the United States despite mounting scientific evidence of the role of unhealthy food and children&#8217;s marketing in obesity.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Davidson also says there is no proof that food marketing causes obesity, and without it, there is no legal basis for restricting the ads.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fwashington-goes-soft-on-childhood-obesity%2F&amp;title=Washington%20Goes%20Soft%20On%20Childhood%20Obesity" id="wpa2a_86">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/rI9A5mcGa1Q" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/washington-goes-soft-on-childhood-obesity/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3704 2012-04-28T20:42:32Z 2012-04-28T20:42:32Z

<p>Our thanks to Joel F. Wade who wrote this <a href="http://thedailybell.com/3836/Joel-F-Wade-The-Banality-of-Tyranny">piece</a> that is posted on The Daily Bell. Maybe a more descriptive title would be: &#8220;The Tyranny of the Status Quo&#8221;.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;These are the same people who have grown up to support and become the bureaucrats and representatives, professors and newscasters of today, who have created our modern culture of government dependence and power. They take the status quo as a given, and try to maintain everything that they are used to.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fthe-banality-of-tyranny%2F&amp;title=%26%238220%3BThe%20Banality%20Of%20Tyranny%26%238221%3B" id="wpa2a_88">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/qMgVCEvqO4w" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/the-banality-of-tyranny/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3701 2012-04-28T04:47:10Z 2012-04-28T04:46:22Z

<p>The transgender world celebrated Chaz Bono when she assumed the part of a man and performed on &#8220;Dancing With The Stars&#8221;. Glee has now stepped up and made a statement in favor of the transgender movement. Brent Bozell sees the movement as a rejection of who people really are, and promotion of sexual aberration in our society. As usual, the pop media has nothing but approval for it.</p> <p>His <a href="http://townhall.com/columnists/brentbozell/2012/04/27/glee_celebrates_the_t/page/full/">piece</a> is posted on Townhall.com. </p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s so Orwellian that libertines promote you should find &#8220;who you really are&#8221; by rejecting exactly &#8220;who you really are.&#8221;"</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fglee-celebrates-the-t%2F&amp;title=%26%238220%3BGlee%20Celebrates%20The%20%26%238216%3BT%26%238217%3B%26%238221%3B" id="wpa2a_90">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/risO-f3Fbys" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/glee-celebrates-the-t/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3698 2012-04-27T21:13:20Z 2012-04-27T17:52:43Z

<p>Try as they may, the Postal Service just will not be allowed to make the necessary changes to get out of their financial hole. The Senate and the House have different plans for reorganizing the Postal Service, and as you might guess the Senate plan is too little too late. </p> <p>Reality dictates that if they do not close facilities, do not reduce their workforce, and do not deal with their medical/pension costs, there is nothing left to fix. CNN Money posted this <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/27/news/economy/postal-service-bill/index.htm">article</a> by Jennifer Liberto. </p> <p>I would vote for a privatized postal service. Let Fed Ex and UPS bid to buy the mail service with no strings attached other than the continuation of five days per week mail service. Naturally, they would be allowed to do whatever is necessary to run a viable business. In addition, any other private mail service could compete; there would be no monopoly for mail delivery.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;Without congressional help, the Postal Service will pursue its own plans to cut Saturday service, delay mail delivery and close hundreds of postal processing plants and post offices, triggering thousands of job cuts nationwide.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fpostal-service-revamp%2F&amp;title=Postal%20Service%20Revamp" id="wpa2a_92">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/H7AX3DG9Rno" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/postal-service-revamp/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3694 2012-04-27T03:45:10Z 2012-04-27T03:43:22Z

<p>According to a U.S. Dept. of Education report our public schools are exceptionally dangerous places. In one year 1,183,700 violent crimes were committed at schools, and only 303,900 were reported to police. Keep in mind that a school is supposed to be focused on educating our youth with teachers and administrators overseeing a very controlled environment. How does that degree of violent crime occur under those circumstances? </p> <p>That statistic may be the most compelling advertising for private schools and homeschooling. If it is within a parent&#8217;s capability, they have every reason to opt for an alternative. Here is a <a hrefhttp://www.likelicorice.com/2010/synthesis/homeschooling-a-report-card/">post</a> that provides some impressive data on homeschooling.</p> <p>CNS News carries this <a href="http://cnsnews.com/news/article/1183700-violent-crimes-committed-public-schools-only-303900-reported-police">piece</a> by Terrence P. Jeffrey.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;The survey specifically asked school administrators about both the number of crimes occurring at their schools during the year and the number actually reported to police.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Fsynthesis%2Fviolent-crime-in-schools%2F&amp;title=Violent%20Crime%20In%20Schools" id="wpa2a_94">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/hNBH1LSKknE" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/synthesis/violent-crime-in-schools/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3691 2012-04-27T01:21:33Z 2012-04-27T01:21:33Z

<p>They don&#8217;t believe a word he is saying, but let&#8217;s be grateful to CNN Money for interviewing Jim Rogers. If they were talking to Paul Krugman, the interviewers would be happily nodding their heads in agreement. Rogers looks at the <a href="http://money.cnn.com/video/markets/2012/03/26/mkts_jim_rogers_bear_2013.cnnmoney/">world economy</a> beyond 2012, after a multitude of national elections. </p> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fjim-rogers-on-2013%2F&amp;title=Jim%20Rogers%20On%202013" id="wpa2a_96">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/poWj9ksP8lM" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/jim-rogers-on-2013/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3689 2012-04-25T22:56:27Z 2012-04-25T22:56:27Z

<p>The Atlantic carries this photo <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2012/04/portraits-of-greece-in-crisis/100285/">series</a> on Greece in its In Focus section. Greeks are struggling under 21 percent unemployment and an economy in recession.</p> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fportraits-of-greece%2F&amp;title=Portraits%20Of%20Greece" id="wpa2a_98">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/SjPEy9dyQdU" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/portraits-of-greece/ RS http://www.likelicorice.com http://www.likelicorice.com/?p=3687 2012-04-25T20:11:52Z 2012-04-25T20:11:52Z

<p>Among all of the troubles that the EU is encountering, this is one that has just been discovered, or shall I say not officially admitted yet. It is a back door issue, but nonetheless very real. The culprit is the flow of funds from the PIIGS banks to German banks which has been sizable.</p> <p>A law professor at a German university, Bernd Schunemann, is suing the German Bundesbank over a little known liability created by the EU banking system. Martin Hutchinson wrote this <a href="http://moneymorning.com/2012/04/25/secret-system-that-blew-another-hole-in-euro/">piece</a> that appears on Money Morning. Just when things were starting to fall apart in a predictable fashion, here comes another problem.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;I realized that Schunemann was claiming that the settlements system had saddled German taxpayers with a potential liability of 615 billion euros, over $800 billion, in exposure to Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal.&#8221;</p></blockquote> <p>&copy;2012 <a href="http://www.likelicorice.com">LIKE LICORICE</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>.<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.likelicorice.com%2F2012%2Flink%2Fanother-flaw-in-the-euro-system%2F&amp;title=Another%20Flaw%20In%20The%20Euro%20System" id="wpa2a_100">Share/Bookmark</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LikeLicorice/~4/1dIwaITfGC8" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://www.likelicorice.com/2012/link/another-flaw-in-the-euro-system/