Apparently an unpublished report is telling us that 25% of Sweden’s local politicians are willing to support a local business even if it means breaking the law. According to the same “survey” about 33% of the same politicians believe they would say yes if a company treated them to a whole day of drinking and feasting.
I believe this little report is wrong and I would argue that the numbers are much higher than this.
Firstly, these kinds of “revelations” shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Just listen to a local debate about whether or not a new mall or supermarket should be allowed to establish and you realize that those 25% is a very low number. And of course they will give privileges to local companies wherein they might know the owner and/or several workers.
Secondly, these numbers are totally dependent on “what company” we are talking about. If the question is asked regarding Philip Morris for instance, hardly a single politician would comply (rather not dare to – think of the uproar in media). If it, however, is some “save the nature” company or an organisation that is out to save females from rapists, every one of our elected frauds would eat, drink and even take bribes without even blinking. It will also depend on size of the company – the more jobs, the better. There are so many factors to be counted into a study like this that it’s almost impossible to come to any conclusions. So even if I applaud media for revealing politicians for the deceitful bastards they are, I hardly regard this as news. The system is totally messed up and this is just one of many strange things that comes with it.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Another clueless idiot
Read an article in one of Sweden’s biggest newspapers this morning and again we are being told that ”this is isn’t so bad” referring to the current economic crisis. Anders Bolling is the journalist trying to convince us. Bolling is one of those optimists, a group I myself belong to most of the time. Seen over time things have been getting better for the overwhelming majority of people on this planet and in several articles and in a published book Bolling have, for the most part, accurately described this reality. However, there are several aspects to this crisis he fails to take into account and those are the reason why I, in this case, do not believe in a happy outcome.
Even if Bolling do address our debt accumulation and he do mention that this is a problem; he does not mention - probably because he does not understand it - that this debt has soured to such levels that they have become a problem in themselves. Being in debt is not really the problem, but being in debt in relation to other things, however, is. Firstly it’s not only the state budget and deficits that needs to be counted, but also all the mortgages and credit card debts among the populace. And this is only one part of the problem. This debt also needs to be related to our ability to produce and, as consequens, the real wealth creation in society. I am not talking about GDP (BNP) as Bolling mentions in this article, no, what I mean is real production capacity and what we actually produce. In GDP we add services, governmental as well as private services, and services is not really the same as wealth. It can make our lives easier and as such create “value” in the form of additional time or better haircuts, but it is not really the same as wealth. In GDP we also add such things as snow shovelling or cleaning up after a Typhoon which is why the current weather hitting the shores of China will in fact increase GDP because the cost is actually a plus when it comes to GDP-bookkeeping. And do you know what’s not calculated into GDP? Debt. As long as we borrow and spend more than we pay back on loans it will only increase what Bolling and cornflake economist’s regards as “wealth creation”.
What also need to be addressed is where some of the “recuperation” comes from. Partly in relation to what has been mentioned and partly in regards to the massive amounts of newly printed money being thrown into the system we can see some “green shoots” in several economies, also the Swedish one. Not that it has stopped the down going spiral; it has only halted it somewhat. Unemployment is till rising, several important businesses is still in red ink and things are only going “thanks to” artificially low interest rates, but it’s not as bad as it was - hurray…
Another thing that needs to be taking into account that’s not mentioned in Bollings article is Sweden’s almost total dependents of trade. And two of Sweden’s main trading partners are UK and the US – two countries in the deepest of all shit piles. One can argue, and rightfully so, that if trade does not go up and if the recession (in reality already a depression) keeps going there will not be a recovery for Sweden. To this we also need to add the coming collapse of the USD and the consequences this will have on commodity prices and the world markets and how this will have serious impacts on the Swedish economy.
The main concern we should have is - together with all mentioned - the bubbles that have been inflated in the economy. Housing prices are still very high and have several months during this year even been going up, when they in reality should be going down. Also, all those borrowed and newly printed money that has been given to banks have mainly been put to use on the stock market which means that many stock prices are at a higher level than they ought to be.
All in all, Sweden is in deep trouble. Not as bad as many other countries because the center-right government haven’t been going on the same spending spree as most counterparts and my fellow countrymen still produce things, but it is bad enough. Only looking at my birth nation it would be okay. The bubbles are bad, the debt accumulation is bad, the real wealth creating is to low, but with only eyes on Sweden, it might not be so horrid and it is possible that this slump wouldn’t last much longer. But factor in the trade dependency, the coming crashes that will occur in other countries, the collapse of the USD and the paved road towards socialism and we have a catastrophe on our hands. I do believe that Sweden, in the long run, might be better off then many other countries, but that notion is dependent on my countrymen not moving the country further towards socialism.
Even if Bolling do address our debt accumulation and he do mention that this is a problem; he does not mention - probably because he does not understand it - that this debt has soured to such levels that they have become a problem in themselves. Being in debt is not really the problem, but being in debt in relation to other things, however, is. Firstly it’s not only the state budget and deficits that needs to be counted, but also all the mortgages and credit card debts among the populace. And this is only one part of the problem. This debt also needs to be related to our ability to produce and, as consequens, the real wealth creation in society. I am not talking about GDP (BNP) as Bolling mentions in this article, no, what I mean is real production capacity and what we actually produce. In GDP we add services, governmental as well as private services, and services is not really the same as wealth. It can make our lives easier and as such create “value” in the form of additional time or better haircuts, but it is not really the same as wealth. In GDP we also add such things as snow shovelling or cleaning up after a Typhoon which is why the current weather hitting the shores of China will in fact increase GDP because the cost is actually a plus when it comes to GDP-bookkeeping. And do you know what’s not calculated into GDP? Debt. As long as we borrow and spend more than we pay back on loans it will only increase what Bolling and cornflake economist’s regards as “wealth creation”.
What also need to be addressed is where some of the “recuperation” comes from. Partly in relation to what has been mentioned and partly in regards to the massive amounts of newly printed money being thrown into the system we can see some “green shoots” in several economies, also the Swedish one. Not that it has stopped the down going spiral; it has only halted it somewhat. Unemployment is till rising, several important businesses is still in red ink and things are only going “thanks to” artificially low interest rates, but it’s not as bad as it was - hurray…
Another thing that needs to be taking into account that’s not mentioned in Bollings article is Sweden’s almost total dependents of trade. And two of Sweden’s main trading partners are UK and the US – two countries in the deepest of all shit piles. One can argue, and rightfully so, that if trade does not go up and if the recession (in reality already a depression) keeps going there will not be a recovery for Sweden. To this we also need to add the coming collapse of the USD and the consequences this will have on commodity prices and the world markets and how this will have serious impacts on the Swedish economy.
The main concern we should have is - together with all mentioned - the bubbles that have been inflated in the economy. Housing prices are still very high and have several months during this year even been going up, when they in reality should be going down. Also, all those borrowed and newly printed money that has been given to banks have mainly been put to use on the stock market which means that many stock prices are at a higher level than they ought to be.
All in all, Sweden is in deep trouble. Not as bad as many other countries because the center-right government haven’t been going on the same spending spree as most counterparts and my fellow countrymen still produce things, but it is bad enough. Only looking at my birth nation it would be okay. The bubbles are bad, the debt accumulation is bad, the real wealth creating is to low, but with only eyes on Sweden, it might not be so horrid and it is possible that this slump wouldn’t last much longer. But factor in the trade dependency, the coming crashes that will occur in other countries, the collapse of the USD and the paved road towards socialism and we have a catastrophe on our hands. I do believe that Sweden, in the long run, might be better off then many other countries, but that notion is dependent on my countrymen not moving the country further towards socialism.
banker-controlled mafia
If there is one little flick you should see it is probably this one. In these minutes it explains pretty much everything you need you know about banking and money. Although about the US it can be applicable to all nations. You think you mistrust the financial system and despise your bank? Take a look at this and you will feel utter hatred.
Fantastic for china
Typhoon Morakot has made the Chinese government to move some 473,000 residents of Zhejiang province, as well as 480,000 from Fujian getting evacuated. In Fuzhou, people have been rushing to supermarkets to stock up on provisions ahead of the typhoon's arrival.
Morakot dumped 250cm of rain on Taiwan as it crossed the island before heading for China, leaving some of the worst flooding to hit some of the southern counties in half a century. The Typhoon has also contributed to heavy rains in the Philippines, where at least 10 people were killed in flooding and landslides.
All of this is, of course, fantastic news for the entire region. Everyone should rejoice because every injured person, every destroyed crop and every smashed boat will help the poor get richer, at least according to every cornflake economist in this world. Not only are people stockpiling goods and in need of relocation, all of which costs money and resources, also building will get destroyed, cars will tip over, and windows will brake and so on. And the consequence of this is higher GDP! China has got a free stimulus package from nature! Although Typhoons or nature in general cannot bail out failing companies or print phantom money, what we are seeing is still an enormous plus in the Chinese bookkeeping since we all know that GDP is the best thing there is to measure wealth with…
The only thing I’m waiting for now is some pseudo scientist mumbling something about man-made global warming and a couple of brain-dead journalists saying we need to drive fewer cars.
Morakot dumped 250cm of rain on Taiwan as it crossed the island before heading for China, leaving some of the worst flooding to hit some of the southern counties in half a century. The Typhoon has also contributed to heavy rains in the Philippines, where at least 10 people were killed in flooding and landslides.
All of this is, of course, fantastic news for the entire region. Everyone should rejoice because every injured person, every destroyed crop and every smashed boat will help the poor get richer, at least according to every cornflake economist in this world. Not only are people stockpiling goods and in need of relocation, all of which costs money and resources, also building will get destroyed, cars will tip over, and windows will brake and so on. And the consequence of this is higher GDP! China has got a free stimulus package from nature! Although Typhoons or nature in general cannot bail out failing companies or print phantom money, what we are seeing is still an enormous plus in the Chinese bookkeeping since we all know that GDP is the best thing there is to measure wealth with…
The only thing I’m waiting for now is some pseudo scientist mumbling something about man-made global warming and a couple of brain-dead journalists saying we need to drive fewer cars.
Any heroes left in the world?
The American congress has grown a tad fearful of the citizens. Rather than facing their constituents back home during the summer recess, many Congressmen and Senators have canceled town hall meetings and decided instead to remain hidden. And many of those that have dared faced the voters have been booed of the staged or been ridiculed as they tried to stay. And this is not only for democrats, no, also republicans have been facing a lot of anger and outrage. Together with the recent tea parties, forming of bigger and new militia groups and other similar things this brings a tiny cloud of hope glimmering on the other side of the Atlantic. So far the outrage is a non-violent one. But how long with that last? I hope it will be just a matter of days before the first congressman or the first governor gets literary thrown out on his/her ass. I hope that the next mass shooting from some disgruntle postal worker or angry man that lost his job will be inside the capital building or at an Obamination rally. I'm amazed we haven't seen US citizens out in the streets with pitchforks and torches long ago because in contrast to us Europeans, the Americans have something they can point at, something to support their rebellion in; the constitution. And remember, the American Revolution 1775 to 1783 started as taxation and freedom from the state kind of a thing and that memory is still kept alive in the hearts of most US citizens.
I still have a slim hope that the US of A can withhold the legacy of their founding fathers and throw out all the fascists and socialists that rule Washington. All of them, not just democrats or the Obamination - they are just the latest in a long line of traitors. The entire system must be overturned and the constitution needs to come back as the guiding star. That is the only hope I can see in the world today because no other country have that ground, that foundation and that history.
The worst thing the resent decades have done to us is made us complacent. We have lived to good lives - living on what former generations produced - so we do not react when civil and political freedoms are diminished. We can still sit comfortable in our chairs without fearing famine while watching journalists trying to indoctrinate us. And this is the problem. Please believe me, sooner or later you will not be able to walk over to that fridge and pick out a cold beer anymore, because either you won’t own a home or you will not have the income to get food and beverages on the table.
It is time to rebel. It does not need to be a violent one, at least not yet. What we need to do is to refuse to pay taxes, refuse to obey stupid internet laws and refuse to submit to all that crap the enemy class throws at us. We need more people willing to go to jail, get beaten up by police and ridiculed by the left wing media. We need heroes. So the real question is; are there any heroes left in the world?
I still have a slim hope that the US of A can withhold the legacy of their founding fathers and throw out all the fascists and socialists that rule Washington. All of them, not just democrats or the Obamination - they are just the latest in a long line of traitors. The entire system must be overturned and the constitution needs to come back as the guiding star. That is the only hope I can see in the world today because no other country have that ground, that foundation and that history.
The worst thing the resent decades have done to us is made us complacent. We have lived to good lives - living on what former generations produced - so we do not react when civil and political freedoms are diminished. We can still sit comfortable in our chairs without fearing famine while watching journalists trying to indoctrinate us. And this is the problem. Please believe me, sooner or later you will not be able to walk over to that fridge and pick out a cold beer anymore, because either you won’t own a home or you will not have the income to get food and beverages on the table.
It is time to rebel. It does not need to be a violent one, at least not yet. What we need to do is to refuse to pay taxes, refuse to obey stupid internet laws and refuse to submit to all that crap the enemy class throws at us. We need more people willing to go to jail, get beaten up by police and ridiculed by the left wing media. We need heroes. So the real question is; are there any heroes left in the world?
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