As a result of the recent tragedy in Norway, I've picked up upon a common trend. What is this particular trend? Well, it appears that many people are blaming religion for what happened. For those of you who don't know, the suspect for the shootings, Anders Behring Breivik, has been painted by the media as a radical Christian and a right-wing extremist.
Despite this depiction, I truly believe that the religion of an extremist is, for the most part, irrelevant. For everyone who is lambasting religion, let us not forget what resulted in more deaths in the 20th century than anything else; atheistic communism and fascism.
It's simply asinine to blame religion for what ails us. People will always find an excuse to justify their extremism, regardless of whether religion exist or not. A lunatic is a lunatic! It doesn't matter if they claim to be Christian, Islamic, or atheistic; they will always find some obscure basis for their absurdity and inhumanity.
In sum, everyone who is painted as a religious nut never really has any real basis in their religion for the atrocities which they commit in the name of Islam, Christianity, etc. There is, however, one common theme that can be found in the teachings of virtually every major religion; that of peace and love. Let's start adhering to these principles, and not let the lunatics tarnish these teachings.
All the best,
Kip
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Why Can't We Learn?
The debt crisis in Greece is a terrible one; but it's one in which they ultimately brought upon themselves. What has happened and what is happening now in Greece is a result of their governments brazen inability to live within its means. As of now, the debt-to-GDP ratio is estimated to be around a 160%. For comparison, the debt-to-GDP ratio for the United States currently stands at around 62%.
Only a couple of weeks ago, Standard & Poor's lowered the Greek sovereign debt to a CCC rating, making it the lowest in the world. It was only a couple of days ago when large-scale riots broke out in Athens in response to a series of austerity measures that were accepted by the government in order to secure more loans from various EU members and the IMF. Ultimately, the only way that Greece will be able to save itself is if it defaults on its loans, and then proceeds to restructure its entitlement systems.
Does the Greek debt crisis bode ill for the Euro, and for the EU as a whole? I certainly believe that it does. Greece is just but one of many countries in the EU that are experiencing severe economic problems (Portugal, Italy, Ireland and Spain are also on the brink). Spain, by most reports, will be the next country to fall. And if that does happen, then there simply will not be enough money to bail them out. In my opinion, it's only a matter of time before the Euro collapses.
The lesson that we can gain from Greece is a rather simple one: STOP SPENDING MONEY THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE! I fear that the United States could have its own debt crisis soon, and if that happens, you better believe that it'll be infinitely worse than the crisis that the Greek's are now contending with.
Best,
Kip
Sources: http://www.infowars.com/the-greek-tragedy-could-engulf-many-more-european-states/, http://online.barrons.com/article/SB126584181497144099.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Greece#2010-2011_debt_crisis
Only a couple of weeks ago, Standard & Poor's lowered the Greek sovereign debt to a CCC rating, making it the lowest in the world. It was only a couple of days ago when large-scale riots broke out in Athens in response to a series of austerity measures that were accepted by the government in order to secure more loans from various EU members and the IMF. Ultimately, the only way that Greece will be able to save itself is if it defaults on its loans, and then proceeds to restructure its entitlement systems.
Does the Greek debt crisis bode ill for the Euro, and for the EU as a whole? I certainly believe that it does. Greece is just but one of many countries in the EU that are experiencing severe economic problems (Portugal, Italy, Ireland and Spain are also on the brink). Spain, by most reports, will be the next country to fall. And if that does happen, then there simply will not be enough money to bail them out. In my opinion, it's only a matter of time before the Euro collapses.
The lesson that we can gain from Greece is a rather simple one: STOP SPENDING MONEY THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE! I fear that the United States could have its own debt crisis soon, and if that happens, you better believe that it'll be infinitely worse than the crisis that the Greek's are now contending with.
Best,
Kip
Sources: http://www.infowars.com/the-greek-tragedy-could-engulf-many-more-european-states/, http://online.barrons.com/article/SB126584181497144099.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Greece#2010-2011_debt_crisis
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Radical Environmentalism is our Gravest Threat
I came across something the other day with which I was unaware of; Agenda 21. Agenda 21 is perhaps one of the most chilling things that I have had the misfortune of encountering on the internet. Agenda 21 was drafted by the United Nations in the early 1990's, with its aim being to create a world of proper sustainable development.
According to the U.N., "Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the United Nations System, Governments, and Major Groups in every area in which human impacts on the environment." Now it's evident to everyone that wherever there are human beings, there's going to be an environmental impact. Sounds like an excellent way for the U.N. to expand its scope of power, eh?
What terrifies me is that the most rabid and influential environmentalist on our planet are calling for truly extraordinary measures in order for us to reduce our footprint on the environment. As most of you know, population growth is rampant in many third world countries, while it is stagnating, or actually declining in many developed countries. The primary objective of these people is to stagnate and then reduce the population in these lesser developed countries. Now what are these measures that many environmentalist are calling for? Well, the worst is population control.
In order to substantiate the claim that these people are really calling for population control, I'll include a few quotes from people who are the environmentalist, or who are funding the environmentalist movement. Ted Turner, the founder of CNN, states that "a total population of 250-300 million people, a 95% decline from present levels, would be ideal." David Foreman, Earth First Co-Founder has declared the his "first three goals would be to reduce human population to about a 100 million worldwide, destroy the industrial infrastructure and see wilderness, with its full complement of species, returning throughout the world." Finally, Prince Philip has asserted that if he could be reincarnated as anything, that he would come back to earth in the form of a virus, for the purpose of destroying humanity.
This is real, people, and it scares the living hell out of me. These people, this caste of the global elite, have a terrible disdain for humanity. What these people are calling for is akin to the eugenics of old, wherein they seemingly only want to keep the best of the best for their new world utopia. There is a monument in Elbert County, GA called the Georgia Guidestones. The Guidestones are inscribed with with a set of ten "principles" for a new age. Nothing serves to better epitomize the end goals of humanity for these people. The first "principle" is this: "Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature." I'll post a link in my sources from which you can read the remaining nine commandments of the NWO.
Just to further evidence what these people are up to, I'm going to post a couple of video's that go on to further explain what Agenda 21 is. Also, please check out my sources that you can do more research on the topic.
Cheers,
Kip
Sources: http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/10/un_agenda_21_coming_to_a_neigh.html, http://lewrockwell.com/rep2/al-gore-agenda-21-population-control.html, http://www.oldthinkernews.com/?p=201, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Guidestones, youtube.com
According to the U.N., "Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the United Nations System, Governments, and Major Groups in every area in which human impacts on the environment." Now it's evident to everyone that wherever there are human beings, there's going to be an environmental impact. Sounds like an excellent way for the U.N. to expand its scope of power, eh?
What terrifies me is that the most rabid and influential environmentalist on our planet are calling for truly extraordinary measures in order for us to reduce our footprint on the environment. As most of you know, population growth is rampant in many third world countries, while it is stagnating, or actually declining in many developed countries. The primary objective of these people is to stagnate and then reduce the population in these lesser developed countries. Now what are these measures that many environmentalist are calling for? Well, the worst is population control.
In order to substantiate the claim that these people are really calling for population control, I'll include a few quotes from people who are the environmentalist, or who are funding the environmentalist movement. Ted Turner, the founder of CNN, states that "a total population of 250-300 million people, a 95% decline from present levels, would be ideal." David Foreman, Earth First Co-Founder has declared the his "first three goals would be to reduce human population to about a 100 million worldwide, destroy the industrial infrastructure and see wilderness, with its full complement of species, returning throughout the world." Finally, Prince Philip has asserted that if he could be reincarnated as anything, that he would come back to earth in the form of a virus, for the purpose of destroying humanity.
This is real, people, and it scares the living hell out of me. These people, this caste of the global elite, have a terrible disdain for humanity. What these people are calling for is akin to the eugenics of old, wherein they seemingly only want to keep the best of the best for their new world utopia. There is a monument in Elbert County, GA called the Georgia Guidestones. The Guidestones are inscribed with with a set of ten "principles" for a new age. Nothing serves to better epitomize the end goals of humanity for these people. The first "principle" is this: "Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature." I'll post a link in my sources from which you can read the remaining nine commandments of the NWO.
Just to further evidence what these people are up to, I'm going to post a couple of video's that go on to further explain what Agenda 21 is. Also, please check out my sources that you can do more research on the topic.
Cheers,
Kip
Sources: http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/10/un_agenda_21_coming_to_a_neigh.html, http://lewrockwell.com/rep2/al-gore-agenda-21-population-control.html, http://www.oldthinkernews.com/?p=201, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Guidestones, youtube.com
Friday, June 24, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
The Nonsense of Ben Bernanke
Yesterday, the Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke, gave his second press conference since serving in this position. He made it clear to the American people that he is "frustrated" by our slow rate of economic growth. Rather than blaming poor economic policies, Bernanke is attributing our stagnant growth rate to higher oil prices, as well as to the earthquake that occurred earlier this year in Japan.
Additionally, Quantitative Easing (QE) round two is going to be coming to an end this month. Throughout the course of QEII, the Fed purchased around $600 billion in Treasury bonds and notes, under the precept that it would help to further spur the economy. However, as evidenced by our ever stagnant economy, QE has done nothing to bring us true economic growth.
In the process of QE, the Fed has served to inject trillions of dollars into the economy, leading to the fear that this will further debase the value of the USD, and ultimately lead to inflation. Bernanke stated that the Fed will maintain interest rates at around 0-.25%. He also declared that the Fed is no hurry to raise them.
These artificially low interest rates could also prove to be more hurtful than helpful in the long run, as artificially low interest rates, in essence, subsidize short-term, low-return investment opportunities. This is harmful as this negates capital that would naturally go towards long-term, high-return investments.
Bernanke's press conference begs the question for as to whether or not there will be another round of QE. While Bernanke didn't necessarily allude to it, he still hasn't taken it off of the table. Furthermore, Bernanke claims that immediate budget cuts would have the capacity to hinder economic recovery.
Despite what Bernanke says, I believe that the market needs a natural correction. What the Fed is doing is akin to the habits of a drug addict; wherein they get their high, and then crash, thus creating the need to continue their addiction. Due to the intervention of the government and the Fed in the economy, this is exactly what appears to be happening. In reality, any economic gains that we have made can be attributed to this artificial nonsense.
Ultimately, I'm afraid that the continued use of this interventionist approach in regards to our economy is only going to result in an even bigger crash. The only role that the government should be playing is one in which they strive to create the most business friendly environment as possible. However, none of this seemingly matters, for as John Maynard Keynes once said, "in the long run, we're all dead."
All the best,
Kip
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/interestrates/8591772/Fed-chief-Bernankes-press-conference-as-it-happened.html
Additionally, Quantitative Easing (QE) round two is going to be coming to an end this month. Throughout the course of QEII, the Fed purchased around $600 billion in Treasury bonds and notes, under the precept that it would help to further spur the economy. However, as evidenced by our ever stagnant economy, QE has done nothing to bring us true economic growth.
In the process of QE, the Fed has served to inject trillions of dollars into the economy, leading to the fear that this will further debase the value of the USD, and ultimately lead to inflation. Bernanke stated that the Fed will maintain interest rates at around 0-.25%. He also declared that the Fed is no hurry to raise them.
These artificially low interest rates could also prove to be more hurtful than helpful in the long run, as artificially low interest rates, in essence, subsidize short-term, low-return investment opportunities. This is harmful as this negates capital that would naturally go towards long-term, high-return investments.
Bernanke's press conference begs the question for as to whether or not there will be another round of QE. While Bernanke didn't necessarily allude to it, he still hasn't taken it off of the table. Furthermore, Bernanke claims that immediate budget cuts would have the capacity to hinder economic recovery.
Despite what Bernanke says, I believe that the market needs a natural correction. What the Fed is doing is akin to the habits of a drug addict; wherein they get their high, and then crash, thus creating the need to continue their addiction. Due to the intervention of the government and the Fed in the economy, this is exactly what appears to be happening. In reality, any economic gains that we have made can be attributed to this artificial nonsense.
Ultimately, I'm afraid that the continued use of this interventionist approach in regards to our economy is only going to result in an even bigger crash. The only role that the government should be playing is one in which they strive to create the most business friendly environment as possible. However, none of this seemingly matters, for as John Maynard Keynes once said, "in the long run, we're all dead."
All the best,
Kip
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/interestrates/8591772/Fed-chief-Bernankes-press-conference-as-it-happened.html
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
All Hail Obama; Lawgiver, Judge and King!
Apparently President Obama now thinks that he has the capacity to push through any piece of legislation that he wants, via executive order, of course. This most recent abuse of the president's ability to issue an executive order comes in the form of Obama essentially legalizing the Dream Act.
The Dream Act was a bill which was being considered in the U.S. Senate earlier this year. The purpose of the Dream Act was to grant children of illegal alien's citizenship, so long as they enrolled in college, or volunteered for military service.
However, the Dream Act failed to pass in the Senate. Despite the actual legislature failing to make the Dream Act law, Obama decided to take measures into his own hands. Last Friday, he issued a memo telling federal immigration officials to be more lenient in regards to the deportation of illegal's who are enrolled in school, pregnant or nursing, or whose family members are performing military service.
The only logical conclusion that one can draw from this order is that Obama is becoming increasingly desperate to secure the Hispanic population's vote. According to Gallup, Obama's job approval rating is at 45% of American's approving, while 48% currently disapprove. These are not good numbers for a president who is seeking re-election in 2012.
What President Obama does not seem to realize is that we have check's and balance's in this country for a reason; to prevent a tyrant from coming to power. What is the point of having a legislature in this country when our executive disregards what they have already voted on, and takes measures into his own hands?
Kind regards,
Kip
Sources: http://www.examiner.com/immigration-reform-in-national/obama-issues-dream-act-by-executive-order-press-ignores#ixzz1Py9Q0tBP, http://www.gallup.com/home.aspx
The Dream Act was a bill which was being considered in the U.S. Senate earlier this year. The purpose of the Dream Act was to grant children of illegal alien's citizenship, so long as they enrolled in college, or volunteered for military service.
However, the Dream Act failed to pass in the Senate. Despite the actual legislature failing to make the Dream Act law, Obama decided to take measures into his own hands. Last Friday, he issued a memo telling federal immigration officials to be more lenient in regards to the deportation of illegal's who are enrolled in school, pregnant or nursing, or whose family members are performing military service.
The only logical conclusion that one can draw from this order is that Obama is becoming increasingly desperate to secure the Hispanic population's vote. According to Gallup, Obama's job approval rating is at 45% of American's approving, while 48% currently disapprove. These are not good numbers for a president who is seeking re-election in 2012.
What President Obama does not seem to realize is that we have check's and balance's in this country for a reason; to prevent a tyrant from coming to power. What is the point of having a legislature in this country when our executive disregards what they have already voted on, and takes measures into his own hands?
Kind regards,
Kip
Sources: http://www.examiner.com/immigration-reform-in-national/obama-issues-dream-act-by-executive-order-press-ignores#ixzz1Py9Q0tBP, http://www.gallup.com/home.aspx
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Another Folly in the Madness that is Obamacare
Unsurprisingly, a 'glitch' was found in the thousands of pages that make up the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. What is this specific glitch you ask? Well, it's a glitch that will allow approximately three million middle-class American's to get on the dole in the form of Medicaid.
Essentially, the glitch effects people who will retire early (62 years of age is when you can start collecting Social Security), provided that a married couple does not make more than sixty-four thousand dollars a year. This will allow anyone in said category to be eligible for Medicaid by the year 2014, assuming that the government does nothing to fix this error.
What surprises me, though, is that it was actually a bureaucrat who discovered this glitch. The man's name is Richard Foster, and he is the Medicare chief actuary. Foster is so troubled by this, that he actually says the matter keeps him up at night.
Unfortunately for Foster, policymakers are turning a deaf ear to him. Foster claims that no one is making this an urgent matter. However, one lawmaker, Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, says that the error is "unacceptable."
What makes this glitch even more troubling is the fact that the early retirees income from Social Security will not be considered in the application process. There are already an upwards of fifty million American's on Medicaid, and as it is a federal-state cost sharing partnership, this will only serve to add even more of a burden to state's that are struggling to balance their budgets.
This actually terrifies me, as Foster is probably one of only a handful of people who are going over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act with a fine-tooth comb. I'm almost certain that we are going to hear of more of these 'glitches' to come, but as Nancy Pelosi famously declared, "we must pass the bill in order to know what's in it." Well, Rep. Pelosi, we're sure as hell finding out now.
Sincerely,
Kip
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110621/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_health_overhaul_glitch
Essentially, the glitch effects people who will retire early (62 years of age is when you can start collecting Social Security), provided that a married couple does not make more than sixty-four thousand dollars a year. This will allow anyone in said category to be eligible for Medicaid by the year 2014, assuming that the government does nothing to fix this error.
What surprises me, though, is that it was actually a bureaucrat who discovered this glitch. The man's name is Richard Foster, and he is the Medicare chief actuary. Foster is so troubled by this, that he actually says the matter keeps him up at night.
Unfortunately for Foster, policymakers are turning a deaf ear to him. Foster claims that no one is making this an urgent matter. However, one lawmaker, Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, says that the error is "unacceptable."
What makes this glitch even more troubling is the fact that the early retirees income from Social Security will not be considered in the application process. There are already an upwards of fifty million American's on Medicaid, and as it is a federal-state cost sharing partnership, this will only serve to add even more of a burden to state's that are struggling to balance their budgets.
This actually terrifies me, as Foster is probably one of only a handful of people who are going over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act with a fine-tooth comb. I'm almost certain that we are going to hear of more of these 'glitches' to come, but as Nancy Pelosi famously declared, "we must pass the bill in order to know what's in it." Well, Rep. Pelosi, we're sure as hell finding out now.
Sincerely,
Kip
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110621/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_health_overhaul_glitch
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