Monday, March 15, 2010

A Glimpse Inside the Health Care Bill



13 comments:

EconomicDisconnect said...

I have always had a theorem that states:
-Doing wrong or terrible things is hard at first, but gets easier the more you do it. It's a practice sport in a way.

It seems that the looting of America by banks/politicians used to move in slow motion but now it is full speed ahead. Not much left to grab I imagine.

Stagflationary Mark said...

GYSC,

The Moral Ambiguity of Looting

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/weekinreview/07mcneil.html

Which raises the questions: When are desperate people entitled to help themselves? And to what? At what chaotic point between the diapers and the dishwasher may the police shout, “Drop that (insert morally ambiguous item here) or I’ll shoot?”

Drop that multi-billion dollar bailout money or I'll shoot!

What? What's that you say? Cash for clunkers? How much cash are we talkin' here? Can you toss in a free cash for appliances program too? Or am I too late?

mab said...

Stag,

Redrum of the American middle class.

EconomicDisconnect said...

The US to the middle class:
"I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm just gonna bash your brains in!!"

Stagflationary Mark said...

mab,

It was our shining moment.

December 28, 1999
Economy shining bright in state

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=feIjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ANYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2714,4803962&dq=economy+shining&hl=en

But California's economy is leading the national economic boom. More importantly, it is fundamentally different than the economy just a few years ago and is better equipped to weather future downturns, economists say.

Meanwhile, on that same page...

Financial services are prepared, hoping consumers stay calm

Last year, the central bank ordered an additional $50 billion of new currency to be put into circulation in the event people make a run on banks and ATMs.

Some things never change.

mab said...

The US to the middle class:
"I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm just gonna bash your brains in!!
"

GYSC,

That reminds me of an old Army style cadence:

Little red birdie with a yellow bill.

Landed on my window sill.

I coaxed him in with a piece of bread.

And then I smashed his f..ckin head
.

Stagflationary Mark said...

GYSC,

We're livin' the dream!!

Nightmare on Wall Street No-Limits

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqocknpyLHk

Pain city... in that sort of staged, sort of expected sort of way. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

Stagflationary Mark said...

mab,

There once was a dip in Nantucket
The rich all decided to junk it
So the old whaling town
Has developed a frown
Could someone invest here? Like Buffett!

Nantucket's real estate dip hits land bank

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2010/03/08/daily45.html

The old whaling town turned vacation playground for the rich and famous experienced a sharp decline in real estate activity amid the recession, dropping sharply from peak years in 2005 and 2006.

EconomicDisconnect said...

Mab,
seriously, that creeped me out!!!

Mark, never pegged you for a wrestling fan! Remember Bob Backlund?!

For a real war try out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s--I8BsgDU
I saw this live with my dad on PPV and it was unreal.

Stagflationary Mark said...

GYSC,

You were right not to peg me as a wrestling fan. Go with your gut!

I'll draw from any source to feed my sarcasm/heckling gene. I have no shame. ;)

Stagflationary Mark said...

Hmmm.

I take that back. I have shame. I just know no shame. No wait. I know I have shame, so how can I not know shame?

This is embarrassing. I do have shame or I would not be embarrassed though.

Quick. Someone throw me a relevant mixed metaphor. I'm trapped!

EconomicDisconnect said...

I can say I have zero shame, but I have embarrassed myself a few times!

Wind is gonna blow, trees are gonna sway.
It aint the first time, hope it aint the last time.

Stagflationary Mark said...

GYSC,

Perhaps all the economy really needs is mixed clichés.

If we think outside the box and bite the bullet then getting back to the good old days will be as easy as pie. As long as we're all team players and stay on the same page that is.

The Chinese might talk a good game, but if they really want to play hardball, then we'll put the ball in their court and see how they like it, just like we did with most of our manufacturing base.

It's gut-check time. We need to step up to the plate and show them that we're in a league of our own choosing. The best defense failed us so let's opt for a good offense instead. We're here to win championships. Are you with me on this?

No, that's not it. Let's try again. We need something with a fantasy setting, so that an Illusion of Prosperity will blend in.

List of fantasy Clichés

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fantasy_Clich%C3%A9s

Quest to restore the world from doom that has already occurred.

Yeah, that's what we need. THAT!!

We'll need a hero too of course.

Boy Hero, (Naive, innocent and coming of age; usually with a sheltered childhood until!... "Guess what!, You are the chosen one, fated child of destiny!").

Hey! That's Ben Bernanke!!

Secret hordes of treasure and wondrous items.

Oh oh. Um, I do have an extended pantry filled with toilet paper.

Pirates parrot companion, (usually talkative and "polly doesn't want a cracker").

Oh crap. I knew it. I must be the pirate. I do have a parrot.

Evil lords' stronghold collapses at cusp of his/her defeat (usually by violent implosion/explosion).

Note to self: Reinforce front door at some point, not that it will help much.

Protagonist/s must destroy a magical talisman of great power.

Ben Bernanke is going to destroy my illusion blog? Good grief! How?

Protagonist/s is equipped with a magical talisman of great power.

Great printing power!

Protagonist must put together a rag-tag band of misfits each with a special ability/skillset.

He's got bankers who can turn bad loans on paper into good loans on paper, merely by combining them into a structured investment vehicles.

He's also got Dodd.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/dc_wall_street_await_dodd_fed_plan_pQK3suhOOKNPDhlSlYf7eK

After loudly criticizing the Federal Reserve last year, Sen. Chris Dodd is poised to boost its powers.

Power boosting son of a...