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The rush to blame

It’s popular to blame “speculators” for the rise in crude oil prices. Before you do that, consider this. Anybody who has signed and paid for heating oil that won’t be delivered until some future date is a speculator. I realize my statement is not very profound. It just appears to me that the word “speculation” has been given a negative connotation lately by the media and some in Congress. I wonder if the regular people around town understand that speculation is beneficial, and something that most of us do on a regular basis.

Oh, and I wonder how many people yet understand that Fed monetary policy is chiefly to blame for rising prices across the board (except in your paycheck).

Tags: Energy by Editor
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Jim Cramer: wrong as usual

Cramer (5:47): “I’ve always favored higher taxes for the rich, including myself”.

Mathews: Where will the money come from to bail out Fannie and Freddie?

Cramer (6:36) “It’s called the printing press. … We have no choice, we gotta start printing left and right.”

Mathews: “am I talking to Robert Mugave here?”

So, Jim, how will high taxes and runaway inflation “save the economy”?

Tags: Economics by Editor
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Cape Elizabeth Considering Wind Turbines

WCSH:

The town council is looking at two proposals that would allow wind turbines. The first proposal would allow smaller turbines for residential use; the second would restrict the turbines to only town owned properties.

Why does the “town council” have the authority to dictate how private property owners may use their land and provide for their own energy needs?

Tags: Energy by Editor
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Inflation tax

As the dollar continues to depreciate, thanks to reckless policy by the Fed and government at all levels, you’ll likely be paying more for natural gas very soon.

Tags: Economics, Energy by Editor
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Surveillance cameras

Do cameras in public places actually make anybody safer? No, says Bruce Schneier, internationally renowned security expert in his latest Crypto-Gram newsletter.

BBC:

CCTV is not as useful in the fight against crime as was previously thought, according to government research.

SF Gate:

The 178 video cameras that keep watch on San Francisco public housing developments have never helped police officers arrest a homicide suspect even though about a quarter of the city’s homicides occur on or near public housing property, city officials say.

UK Guardian:

Massive investment in CCTV cameras to prevent crime in the UK has failed to have a significant impact, despite billions of pounds spent on the new technology, a senior police officer piloting a new database has warned. Only 3% of street robberies in London were solved using CCTV images, despite the fact that Britain has more security cameras than any other country in Europe.

Tags: Police state by Editor
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No Plan For 4-Day Workweek For Maine State Government

WMTW:

Some state governments are making the move to a four-day workweek to save on energy costs, but Maine is not among them. Not yet, anyway.

Joy Leach, a spokeswoman for Maine Gov. John Baldacci, said the governor is reviewing options for a four-day workweek, but has not yet made a decision. She said Baldacci is awaiting the final recommendations of an emergency task force before making a conclusion.

This summer, Baldacci signed an executive order urging state employees to teleconference when possible and instructing managers to scrutinize travel requests.

Out of curiousity, before now, managers were not supposed to scrutinize travel requests?

Tags: Energy by Editor
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Internet police

AP (via WLBZ):

House and Senate members are discussing a bill that would allow consumers to prevent Internet search providers and search engines from tracking their online habits.

Tags: Technology by Editor
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Prison Guard Charged With Raping Inmate

Generally, agents of the state are allowed to abuse citizens at will. Occasionally, they carry out some show trials to perpetuate the illusion that the bad apples are weeded out by concerned “officials” who would never tolerate such behaviors.

Tags: News-state by Editor
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The state’s answer to energy prices

PPH:

You won’t have to pay for your bus ticket in most towns today.

Riders won’t pay for their rides. Non-riders will pay instead.

Tags: News-state by Editor
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Forced drugging

If you are dragged away to a “hospital” against your will, and given medication against your will, are you a patient or a prisoner?

Tags: News-state by Editor
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Victimless “crime”

PPH:

Police arrested a man Friday as part of a new effort focused on the drug trade.

Frederick Saucier, 45, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor.

I feel much safer now.

Tags: War on Drugs by Editor
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Dollar death spiral

Monetarists warn of crunch across Atlantic economies

As any Austrian student understands, this is the inevitable conclusion of a fiat paper currency.  Do students of any other economic theory have an explanation for simultaneous recession and inflation?

Tags: Economics by Editor
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Corporatism 101

US Weighs Takeover of Two Mortgage Giants

As usual for the state-corporate mafia, privatize the profits, publicize the losses.

Tags: Economics by Editor
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Unholy alliance

Israeli warplanes practice in Iraq

In light of this, how could Bush and Congress possibly avoid culpability for aggression taken against Iran by Israel and any potential fallout in the energy markets?

Tags: Energy by Editor
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Speaking of real money

It appears that businessmen in Vietnam have a much better understanding of money and inflation than does the average American who refuses to understand the theft being carried out every day by the Fed.

Tags: Uncategorized by Editor
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