The majority of Americans believe that recent government intervention into financial markets, the economy and corporate insolvency has reversed the economic downturn which was described by former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson as being “on the brink” in 2008. The stimulus, bailouts and unrelenting quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve have thus far been perceived as having averted the further erosion of the U.S. real estate and equities markets. And though the Federal Reserve and economic analysts have recently readjusted their economic growth forecasts downward for the next six months, Americans no longer have to worry about, as Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) said on the house floor in October of 2008, the sky falling, multi-thousand point drops in stock markets and martial law in America.

The recovery - if our government, the Federal Reserve and mainstream media are to be believed - is on the road to recovery - albeit slowly and with some more pain ahead.

If we’ve “prevented economic collapse” and “avoided the depression many feared,” according to President Obama, inquiring minds are asking why the Pentagon and US Military are actively and aggressively engaged in planning responsive action to large scale economic breakdown and civil unrest scenarios:

Ever since the crash of 2008 the defense intelligence establishment has really been paying a lot of attention to global markets and how they can serve as a threat to U.S. national security interests. At one upcoming seminar next month they’re taking a look at a lot of the issues.
source: see CNBC video report below

According to the report, the Army has spent time on financial market trading floors with JP Morgan and others, in the hopes that they can learn more about how a financial and economic attack may occur, and what the ramifications of such attacks on US stocks and bonds may be.

The Army, in a year-long war games series called Unified Quest 2011, is looking at a variety of possibilities and how to deal with them, including:

•the implications of “large scale economic breakdown” inside of the United States
•how to maintain “domestic order amid civil unrest”
•and ways to deal with fragmented global power and drastically lower budgets

Basically it sounds like the military, too, is in fear of the Tea Party Congress.

It's like I told my vocational counselor who told me she "didn't have a magic wand."

All I want is a job with a living wage.  Nothing more.  If that's too much for a man with my capabilities to ask, it's too much for millions of men and women across America to ask. 

Millions of unemployed and angry men surrounding the state capitals might send a message. 

Americans laugh at the French for rioting against the oppressive efforts of their political and social elites.  The French have it right.  America's motto has been, "Thank you sir may I have another!" 

The more the middle class shrinks, the more democracy shrinks.

What you're seeing is end stage capitalism.  Capitalism is dying.  It has been dying since Reagan and his goons kicked the legs out from under it -- government regulation of capitalism.  The hurting started with the marginal folks who went homeless and hungry in the eighties.  Now it's moved up to people like me who have been completely deracinated from the social class into which we were born.  We're disoriented now, but when we get out bearings...well, I don't know what!

I think there's gonna be alot of protest in the US starting in 2011 or 2012.

My dream is no more salaries for legislators.  Just a stipend and a room at the YMCA.  At the end of the term, they'd get bonuses for meeting their goals.  If they say the want to bring jobs to the district, they'd get X amount for every job they can demonstrate they created.  If they say the want to clean up the water, they'd get X amount for every ppm fewer pollutants are in the water.  And so forth. 

Nah, they'd find ways to corrupt that system too.

How about this:  "Fix these problems by the end of the year: X, Y, and Z.  If they are not fixed.  We hang ten of you at random for a gibbet outside the Capitol.  Next year, 10 more.  Fix X, and Y, but not Z, and the number goes down to six at random."
:D

My dream is no more salaries for legislators.  Just a stipend and a room at the YMCA.  At the end of the term, they'd get bonuses for meeting their goals.  If they say the want to bring jobs to the district, they'd get X amount for every job they can demonstrate they created.  If they say the want to clean up the water, they'd get X amount for every ppm fewer pollutants are in the water.  And so forth. 

Nah, they'd find ways to corrupt that system too.

How about this:  "Fix these problems by the end of the year: X, Y, and Z.  If they are not fixed.  We hang ten of you at random for a gibbet outside the Capitol.  Next year, 10 more.  Fix X, and Y, but not Z, and the number goes down to six at random."
:D


My thought is that the outgoing congressmen should be made to live at the median income of their constituency without factoring the income level of the top 25%.  Same for the Prez.

My thought is that the outgoing congressmen should be made to live at the median income of their constituency without factoring the income level of the top 25%.  Same for the Prez.


Sounds good to me.

My thought is that the outgoing congressmen should be made to live at the median income of their constituency without factoring the income level of the top 25%.   Same for the Prez.


I see a wave of politicians descending on Beverly Hills while mendicant friars enjoy a surge of popularity from sea to oily sea!  Fine by me!
;)