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It had nothing to do with altruism - far from it. The US needs cheap oil period, because we import so much which contributes to our account deficit. And being the world's largest economy with the most consumption by far, we have the most skin in the game. Cheap oil is a tax cut - it...

I will play devil's advocate here and say that the Invasion of Iraq, when viewed in the greater scheme of things, may have been worthwile, the jury is still out. Iraq holds the second largest proven oil reserves in the world - over 100 billion barrels. It also has over 100 trillion cubic...

Umm, they did. I'll tell you how that turned out. Toyota, Nissan, and Honda took marketshare away from our big three. GM and Chrysler went BANKRUPT. FRIGGIN BANKRUPT. Cash for Clunkers showed our desperation to keep them somewhat afloat. The issue with Japan however, is that it is an...

Why don't we all just admit that the global sovereign bond market, to a large degree, will just ultimately collapse? What will the consequences of such an event be? Who knows. It's not just about economics - but geopolitics as well. Too many moving parts in the global marketplace to make...

You're making value judgements, which I would agree with. But they are irrelevant. Chiqou is merely stating facts. What he said about Russia and China are FACTS.

You're wrong. We have not been in one Giant Constant Recession since 1987. It has not ended since 1982! Unplug yourself from the Matrix dude - it's was all a fiction! Since 1982 it has been an economy run on debt steroids. Now I'll admit that debt is not inherently bad. But when you...

You, krazykarl, and makloda are being naive, with all due respect. Hey, you guys think I'm some tinfoil chicken little, so, fair enough. I'm not blaming any "woes" of mine personally on the federal gov't, I'm doing just fine, thank you. Spin is arriving at a number and THEN reporting...

Are you saying that for argument's sake or do you really believe this? C'mon makloda... you know better than that. Our's is an Orwellian world. If you haven't figure it out by now, you never will.

Obviously gov't spending and stimulus has impacted it. If anyone hasn't noticed govt spending they live under a rock. But I think many people suffer from short memories. Which is something the govt loves. Perception becomes reality. How often do you see revisions for the better? Wasn't...

They say the consumer is about 70% of the economy. One good way to measure consumer activity is through state sales tax revenues. This chart includes sales and income tax collected by states: I think we're "manufacturing" economic activity elsewhere to make those GDP #s look better than...

So what's the political agenda? I see a lot of bitching and moaning, but no credible explanation. There something else going on here, IMHO.

And what politician can cut defense costs without being labeled "unamerican." There are no solutions.... all you can do is watch this train wreck continue.

So how much money do we owe China? And I mean US gov't and US private sector debt. Think that may have something to do with this contract?

The 1971 post Bretton Woods regime is crumbling. For me, buying gold is not a trade, as much as it is a vote AGAINST that monetary system, and a vote FOR an alternative currency/store of value, whose scarcity is only increasing. When Nixon shut the gold window, the world's population was...

I'm sure gold will bounce around for quite some time, and even "correct" eventually short term. But long term - I'm still bullish. And I'll say it again: It's a fucking meltdown. The rules of the past 30 years do not apply. It's a REAL CRISIS now. Explain to me in a rational way how...

I believe that speculation definitely influenced oil prices, whatever the source. There was a herd stampede out of the securitization market into commodities. But old fashioned supply and demand really was the #1 factor. Charts always help: Production has obviously plateaued since...

Peak Oil Global Warming and the "green movement" and Weapons of Mass Destruction/War on terror both share something in common: Peak Oil Whereas the greenies focus on decreasing consumption, the warhawks focus on increasing production (supply). But most here won't believe it because...

In my view, William Greider's "Secrets of the Temple" is probably one of the best written books on the Federal Reserve. It doesn't have that unnecessary unsubstantiated sensationalism you see elsewhere. The Fed is evil enough without the need to add the crap that website does. :D

I enjoy your nuanced views of the fed, the congress, and the treasury. But you still don't get it. It's all one giant beast now. From bank lobbyists that buy congressmen, Bankers that rotate in and out of the fed, Fed officials and lobbyists that rotate in and out of the Treasury.... over...

I remember reading that in his book Fooled by Randomness. He describes a top Wall Street lawyer that lives in a prestigious complex in Manhattan. Whereas he made upper hundreds of thousands or low millions a year, his wall street neighbors made that in a month. Needless to say, from what I...