- The Swiss vote to keep their guns. Sounds as if their nannifying hoplophobes are just as bad as ours, though.
- NAFTA North. For “security” this time. Complete with more plans for biometric ID and tracking. Sigh.
- But don’t worry. The fedgov’s rushing to the rescue to protect our online privacy. I especially like the part about all those levels of government that are above the proposed law.
- Kevin Wilmeth, Rifleman Savant, gets it exactly right on Egypt. The future’s still dangerous (isn’t it always?). But the NOW has been magnificent. And zownds! — the Empire was irrelevant to it all.
- Madoff was a piker. But then, you already knew that. (NY Times free subscription link.)
- How Aaron Barr (the “security expert” who bosted he’d pwned Anonymous) got his comeuppance. And this is a pretty fair opionion (you might need to click to enlarge) of him and the fed-entwined “security company” he works for. Pretty hysterical.
- Charles Hugh Smith: If you’re so sure we’re going to have hyperinflation why don’t you max out your credit cards?
- And Smith again on why a jobless recovery makes perfect sense to TPTB. They don’t need the U.S. middle class any more. So they think.
- But at least we can still laugh. Here’s the real reason Mubarak resigned. And some Chris Lee and Hosni Mubarak jokes to go along with that.
Maybe the Swiss keep their guns because they still teach Swiss history in Swiss schools? I am sure some of their neighbors remember way past history where outnumbered Swiss fought them to a standstill on more than one occaision.
Gun club age might be going “up” as it is here in the U.S. but I would guess the median age of their average voter is going up too.
Mr. Smith’s article on hyper-inflation is right on. As one of my favorite podcasters has pointed out, all those people screaming that hyper-inflation is just around the corner so buy their gold now(!), all want your FRN’s that they say will become worthless.
If inflation starts getting unhide-able i’m sure debt holders will pull out some clause with 50 cent words with $2 meanings to demand immediate payment or higher interest. It is better to not have that debt to start with. Of course if you have debt, it is very hard to get it to go away. I think it is easier to give up heroin than debt.
DrillSgtK — Yep. I expect that, if hyperinflation ever does begin to take off, one of the first things Congress will do is excrete a new law requiring that debt owed to large financial institutions be changed from a fixed sum to a sum indexed to inflation. Or the sum will remain fixed, but Congress will mandate infinite interest-rate/finance-fee increases indexed to inflation. Something along those lines. Debt owed to individuals will remain payable in worthless dollars. But as usual, big coercive institutions will cover each others’ exposed backsides.
And you’re so right about debt being addictive .. or rather, bad spending habits of all sorts being addictive.
Thanks for the note, Claire. And wow, but that cartoon speaks volumes, does it not? 🙂
I don’t buy gold… but I just spent a little over $100. on surgical supplies. Just putting my money where my mouth is. [grin]
we could learn some from the swiss…do well to check em out
the ars technica article is the better of the ones i’ve read about this episode. as well as some of the better commentators and comments. and the ‘opinion’ “anonymous” posted is relevant, succinct and rather pithy. a mature, direct explanation done in the ‘superior to inferior’ mode. and i agree with many that the activities of “anon” are in the best tradition of resistance to arbitrary and despotic rule by minority. such resistance is not necessary where justice is real rather than the goad and heavy hand of tyrants.
clarence