Sequestration
- Thread starter ssd
- Start date
Hep me! Hep me! The sky is falling.
I've been hearing "The dollar will collapse" since Harry Browne made millions selling that fiction 35 years ago. Guess what - it didn't happen.
As of today the US dollar is still the one and only premier currency on earth. Chinese Yuan? Try changing them at your local bank, or anywhere else on earth.
But, if you believe differently, then by all means, convert your investments to some other, better currency. Euros? Pesos? Baht? NT dollars?
No, the US is not broke. We have the largest economy on earth, and that is our collateral.
Fact, Jack.
An Iraqi boy stands near a destroyed car at the scene of a car bomb attack in Baghdad's northern Kazimyah neighborhood, Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. (AP Photo/ Karim Kadim)
WASHINGTON -- Ten years and $60 billion in American taxpayer funds later, Iraq is still so unstable and broken that even its leaders question whether U.S. efforts to rebuild the war-torn nation were worth the cost.
In his final report to Congress, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen's conclusion was all too clear: Since the invasion a decade ago this month, the U.S. has spent too much money in Iraq for too few results.
The reconstruction effort "grew to a size much larger than was ever anticipated," Bowen told The Associated Press in a preview of his last audit of U.S. funds spent in Iraq, to be released Wednesday. "Not enough was accomplished for the size of the funds expended."
In interviews with Bowen, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said the U.S. funding "could have brought great change in Iraq" but fell short too often. "There was misspending of money," said al-Maliki, a Shiite Muslim whose sect makes up about 60 percent of Iraq's population.
Iraqi Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi, the country's top Sunni Muslim official, told auditors that the rebuilding efforts "had unfavorable outcomes in general."
"You think if you throw money at a problem, you can fix it," Kurdish government official Qubad Talabani, son of Iraqi president Jalal Talabani, told auditors. "It was just not strategic thinking."
The abysmal Iraq results forecast what could happen in Afghanistan, where U.S. taxpayers have so far spent $90 billion in reconstruction projects during a 12-year military campaign that, for the most part, ends in 2014.
Shortly after the March 2003 invasion, Congress set up a $2.4 billion fund to help ease the sting of war for Iraqis. It aimed to rebuild Iraq's water and electricity systems; provide food, health care and governance for its people; and take care of those who were forced from their homes in the fighting. Fewer than six months later, President George W. Bush asked for $20 billion more to further stabilize Iraq and help turn it into an ally that could gain economic independence and reap global investments.
.............................................................................
thanks George W
another 90 billiion wasted
and I guarantee you that half is in the pockets of the Iraq politicians
pity really
you bomb the shit out of a country and you leave
you dont throw a billion dollars at it trying to help
let them dig out with all their gas money
fuckers
WASHINGTON -- Ten years and $60 billion in American taxpayer funds later, Iraq is still so unstable and broken that even its leaders question whether U.S. efforts to rebuild the war-torn nation were worth the cost.
In his final report to Congress, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen's conclusion was all too clear: Since the invasion a decade ago this month, the U.S. has spent too much money in Iraq for too few results.
The reconstruction effort "grew to a size much larger than was ever anticipated," Bowen told The Associated Press in a preview of his last audit of U.S. funds spent in Iraq, to be released Wednesday. "Not enough was accomplished for the size of the funds expended."
In interviews with Bowen, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said the U.S. funding "could have brought great change in Iraq" but fell short too often. "There was misspending of money," said al-Maliki, a Shiite Muslim whose sect makes up about 60 percent of Iraq's population.
Iraqi Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi, the country's top Sunni Muslim official, told auditors that the rebuilding efforts "had unfavorable outcomes in general."
"You think if you throw money at a problem, you can fix it," Kurdish government official Qubad Talabani, son of Iraqi president Jalal Talabani, told auditors. "It was just not strategic thinking."
The abysmal Iraq results forecast what could happen in Afghanistan, where U.S. taxpayers have so far spent $90 billion in reconstruction projects during a 12-year military campaign that, for the most part, ends in 2014.
Shortly after the March 2003 invasion, Congress set up a $2.4 billion fund to help ease the sting of war for Iraqis. It aimed to rebuild Iraq's water and electricity systems; provide food, health care and governance for its people; and take care of those who were forced from their homes in the fighting. Fewer than six months later, President George W. Bush asked for $20 billion more to further stabilize Iraq and help turn it into an ally that could gain economic independence and reap global investments.
.............................................................................
thanks George W
another 90 billiion wasted
and I guarantee you that half is in the pockets of the Iraq politicians
pity really
you bomb the shit out of a country and you leave
you dont throw a billion dollars at it trying to help
let them dig out with all their gas money
fuckers
"you bomb the shit out of a country and you leave
you dont throw a billion dollars at it trying to help"
I'm not so sure that this is rational thinking, KOD. I mean, not if you're in the business of helping a country rebuild. There's a tonne of money to be made in that!
Peace!
you dont throw a billion dollars at it trying to help"
I'm not so sure that this is rational thinking, KOD. I mean, not if you're in the business of helping a country rebuild. There's a tonne of money to be made in that!
Peace!
We have the largest economy in the world...
http://articles.marketwatch.com/2011-04-25/commentary/30714377_1_imf-chinese-economy-international-monetary-fund
It's ok, Duff. You choose to believe in the everlasting dollar. So far, so good.
I choose to diversify. I have precious metals, Pounds, Euros, Yen, Francs, Canadian dollars, even a few Yuan, land with timber and water as well as a stockpile of consumables.
1% interest rates will not last forever....what happens to US debt payments when those interest rates do rise?
And, you do realize who is buying most of the last 2 years debt issuance? I seriously hope you do realize that it is not China or the UK or Japan but the US FED. Monetizing the debt to allow the US to continue operating and that the only reason the interest rate is low is because it is being suppressed by the FED's bond purchases?
I do hope that you realize what the real effects of these bond purchases are and that effectively now, the FED will have a very difficult time EVER stopping.....unless they want to crash the market. If the FED was not acting as the buyer of last resort, there would have been several failed US bond auctions and interest rates would be much higher to get other sovereigns to buy the US Debt.
Cherry and KOD - US would have been in a better position had they gone into Iraq, removed Saddam and made Iraq into a US province.
Instead, trillions in wasted tax dollars have gone to secure oil rights and construction contracts for private businesses. In the past, to the victor went the spoils and that is how empires sustained themselves.
http://articles.marketwatch.com/2011-04-25/commentary/30714377_1_imf-chinese-economy-international-monetary-fund
It's ok, Duff. You choose to believe in the everlasting dollar. So far, so good.
I choose to diversify. I have precious metals, Pounds, Euros, Yen, Francs, Canadian dollars, even a few Yuan, land with timber and water as well as a stockpile of consumables.
1% interest rates will not last forever....what happens to US debt payments when those interest rates do rise?
And, you do realize who is buying most of the last 2 years debt issuance? I seriously hope you do realize that it is not China or the UK or Japan but the US FED. Monetizing the debt to allow the US to continue operating and that the only reason the interest rate is low is because it is being suppressed by the FED's bond purchases?
I do hope that you realize what the real effects of these bond purchases are and that effectively now, the FED will have a very difficult time EVER stopping.....unless they want to crash the market. If the FED was not acting as the buyer of last resort, there would have been several failed US bond auctions and interest rates would be much higher to get other sovereigns to buy the US Debt.
Cherry and KOD - US would have been in a better position had they gone into Iraq, removed Saddam and made Iraq into a US province.
Instead, trillions in wasted tax dollars have gone to secure oil rights and construction contracts for private businesses. In the past, to the victor went the spoils and that is how empires sustained themselves.
Leaked Emails
Leaked Emails
This wanna be Dictator is up to his old tricks, what a pity...
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...hite-house-playing-politics-over-impact-cuts/
Leaked Emails
This wanna be Dictator is up to his old tricks, what a pity...
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...hite-house-playing-politics-over-impact-cuts/
I know you're a pretty bright guy, and of course it's smart for you to diversify. I also think you're probably astute enough to move in and out of your investments as conditions dictate.
However I also know you're smart enough to understand that big players, those with billions, even trillions which need to be put somewhere, can't invest as you do. Other than sovereign debt, there just isn't anywhere else to put that kind of money. The commodity markets would be instantly overwhelmed, as would the currency markets.
So, if you're the CFO of China, Taiwan, Japan, Saudi Arabia, etc, where do you put your money? You put it where the market is large enough to absorb it, and where you believe it is safe from default, rampant inflation and other catastrophies.
And where is that? There's only one place, USA g'mint obligations. And the demand for US debt is so great that interest rates are near zero. Zero interest sucks, of course, but it's the only game in town for the big players. The truth is that we are using our financial might to give them a first-class screwing. 0% won't come close to inflation, and we'll eventually repay them with devalued dollars, just as we always have.
The Fed is purchasing $85 billon/month. Given the size of the market, that's peanuts.
Lookee hear, ssd: Ben Bernanke is most definitely not a financial idiot. He's putting it to the Chinese and other big money sources like Mike Tyson puts it to a crack ho'.
Treasury Scarcity to Grow as Fed Buys 90% of New Bonds
By Liz Capo McCormick & Daniel Kruger - Dec 3, 2012 12:39 PM ET
Even as U.S. government debt swells to more than $16 trillion, Treasuries and other dollar fixed- income securities will be in short supply next year as the Federal Reserve soaks up almost all the net new bonds.
The government will reduce net sales by $250 billion from the $1.2 trillion of bills, notes and bonds issued in fiscal 2012 ended Sept. 30, a survey of 18 primary dealers found. At the same time, the Fed, in its efforts to boost growth, will add about $45 billion of Treasuries a month to the $40 billion in mortgage debt it?s purchasing, effectively absorbing about 90 percent of net new dollar-denominated fixed-income assets, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Over the past 2 years, China has REDUCED it's holdings of US debt by $122 Billion.
By Liz Capo McCormick & Daniel Kruger - Dec 3, 2012 12:39 PM ET
Even as U.S. government debt swells to more than $16 trillion, Treasuries and other dollar fixed- income securities will be in short supply next year as the Federal Reserve soaks up almost all the net new bonds.
The government will reduce net sales by $250 billion from the $1.2 trillion of bills, notes and bonds issued in fiscal 2012 ended Sept. 30, a survey of 18 primary dealers found. At the same time, the Fed, in its efforts to boost growth, will add about $45 billion of Treasuries a month to the $40 billion in mortgage debt it?s purchasing, effectively absorbing about 90 percent of net new dollar-denominated fixed-income assets, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Over the past 2 years, China has REDUCED it's holdings of US debt by $122 Billion.
Obama is showing his true colors...
what a fucking prick he is, I guarantee you he is who we always thought he was, an illegal alien bought and sold to tear down the US by the socialists that pull the strings behind the scenes, George Soros and company.
what a fucking prick he is, I guarantee you he is who we always thought he was, an illegal alien bought and sold to tear down the US by the socialists that pull the strings behind the scenes, George Soros and company.
Hedgie:
How is Obama "showing his true colors" and what does that have to do with the stock market?
How is Obama "showing his true colors" and what does that have to do with the stock market?
The markets are overdue for a correction.
Whether they 'crumble' or not remains to be seen.
IMHO, the markets are where they are at because of the actions of the FED, initiating QE1 in 2009 and continuing to this day with QE4EVA.....a fresh $85B being plunged into the markets monthly, looking for yield.
Kinda makes you think of the Zimbabwe markets.
As much as I do not credit Pres Obama for the fresh highs in the equity markets, nor will I blame him for a correction or a crash.
Whether they 'crumble' or not remains to be seen.
IMHO, the markets are where they are at because of the actions of the FED, initiating QE1 in 2009 and continuing to this day with QE4EVA.....a fresh $85B being plunged into the markets monthly, looking for yield.
Kinda makes you think of the Zimbabwe markets.
As much as I do not credit Pres Obama for the fresh highs in the equity markets, nor will I blame him for a correction or a crash.
