This is a sham.

(Originally posted 9/23/08.)

This bail out is a sham folks.  The boy who cried wolf is telling us the sky is falling.  Maybe the sky is falling but 700 billion to re-build the sky over Wall street in the hopes that people who should not have taken or given the loans that got us in this mess will have confidence to take more loans is a joke.   This is empowering fools to gamble on our dollar in hopes of covering their bad gambling debt.  They want to tell us that it is about saving homes from foreclosure.  700 billion would pay for a lot of homes.  Paid in full.  

I'm no expert but I've been right about every hunch I've had about these goons since 2000.  If you think the whole thing is confusing you are not alone.  I've watched enough of the hearings to realize no one understands this thing.  The legislators are asking the same questions I have.  If Bush's bogeyman speech has you scared then call your lenders.  Ask them.  Is my mortgage safe?  Are my loans safe?  The FDIC is still in business folks.  If you have not been gambling on Wall street or investment banking then you may just be A-Okay.  If you have been gambling on Wall street or Investment banking then yeah, you might have some risk but hey, you knew it was gambling right?  

This bail out will not prevent a crash.  This bail out only helps the rich goons pad their pockets before the money is gone and we the taxpayers get left holding the bill.  We the taxpayers owe Wall street nothing.  We owe the stockholders nothing.  It is gambling.  It has always been a gamble.  We do not owe it insurance or protection or a bail out.  Our government backs up home loans and commercial loans.  If we need a new bill to help out legitimate mortgage lenders and homeowners then they should get to work on that bill.  Not one penny for investment banking.  Not one penny for Wall street.  Not one penny for gamblers.  The bluff has been called.  

We are not on the brink of a crisis.  We are on the brink of a golden opportunity to free ourselves from the whims of the greedy rich who have asked us to mortgage our future so that they may live like gods.  Shore up legitimate mortgage banking and help pay off the home loans.   Not one penny for investment banking.  Not one penny for Wall street.  Not one penny for gamblers.

Let it crash.  Let it burn. 

I've emailed my senators and representatives.  You might consider taking a moment to share your own thought with yours.  It's pretty easy.  These links should help you find them.  Senate.  House.    

Your best pal ever,

Shannon Smith

UPDATE 10/3/08

A pox on both their houses.

Shame.

King Mob Economics.

(As they say on the introwebnet, click the images to enlarge.)

Food for thought on our addiction to extravagant wealth from our pal King Mob.

Images stolen from The Invisibles Vol. 2 issue 22 by Grant Morrison, Chris Weston and crew.  One of my favorite issues of my all time favorite comics series.

Your best pal ever,

Shannon Smith

Obama Clause is coming to town.

This afternoon, Barack Obama will be speaking at the high school here in the town where I work and where I was born. I would have liked to have gone and seen the nuts and bolts of the political machine up close but the tickets were all gone by the time I heard about it. If I could meet Obama I have a brilliant new economic plan I would like to share with him. Since Obama isn't here (or isn't he...) I'll share it with you, my beloved pals. You might want to sit down, its a a doozy. (I know you are already sitting down. What kind of weirdo reads blogs standing up?)
Okay, my radical new economic plan. Here it goes:

We give take 100% of the wealth from the rich and give it to the poor.

In a very short time we end poverty and hunger. We treat the sick. We shelter the homeless. Crime is dramatically reduced because no one wants for anything. Now if you are one of those fortunate top one to five  percent of Americans that hold all the wealth in this country then this may sound like a bum deal but hear me out. You, my rich friends, will still have everything you ever had. You just get the benefit of sharing it with the rest of your countrymen. Just think of all the new friends you will have! Your new friends will be glad to share it right back with you.  And, you will be freed of your slavery to greed and might stand a better chance at avoiding eternal damnation. Doesn't that sound awesome?! Am I not a genius?!

Well, I have to admit, it's not my plan. I read about it in a book called the New Testament. Ya see about 2000 years ago, this guy named Jesus came up with this plan. It really caught on and he gained a lot of followers. Unfortunately the establishment of the time was not as excited about it and Jesus was killed. However, his followers believed in his economic plan so much that even after his death they made it a reality. Don't take my word for it though, here is a bit from that book I was talking about: "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. There were no greedy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought money from the sales and put it at the Apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need." (Acts 4:32-36.) Now unfortunately the establishment was not happy about this and they threw those Apostle guys in jail but I believe this proves that this plan has worked before and can work again. Actually, I believe it will work again. This book I'm talking about describes a time when our world will no longer be ruled by greed but by love. I don't think we have to wait for that time to come. I think we can start making that world exist now by embracing this awesome economic plan. I know it won't be easy. This plan is an exact opposite of the trickle down economics or the ownership society that our country's Republican party has been selling for decades. I guess you could call Jesus' plan an owner less society. It would be a big change but aren't both parties selling themselves as agents of change? Man, if you want change, I got ya some change with this plan. And if you think my economic plan is crazy, wait until you hear my ideas on foreign policy and border security!  Yowza!

Your best pal ever,
Shannon Smith