Sunday, August 02, 2009

Why the US 'Investor Class' are Blood Sucking Parasites!

by Len Hart, The Existentialist Cowboy

The bailout of big banks and 'financial houses' is a deliberate fraud! So too, 'trickle down/supply side' economics. Even if 'tax windfalls', like those found in 'supply-side' economics, persuade manufacturers to produce more, where is the market for the overproduction? Lately, however, Fat Cats have figured out how to game the system: transfer the booty offshore! As a result, declines in GDP have become a defining characteristic of every GOP regime since those of Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Ronald Reagan and the two Bushes.

The current economic crisis has much in common with the US economy in the 1920s. The economy had been booming but by 1927 the nation had overproduced goods for which there was no market. No one should have been surprised that the overproduction led to a slowdown in both manufacturing and agriculture.

Overproduction results when there is no market for increased production. Among several reasons for 'declining markets' the most obvious is this: more and more have less and less to spend on new products or increased production. Failed economic ideology inevitably favors what is called 'economic stimuli', a more 'intellectualized' version of 'voodoo economics', otherwise called 'supply side economics' or, just as precisely 'trickle down' theory! It's all more accurately called 'bunkum', 'claptrap' or 'bullshit'! GOP/right wing economics fails to recognize the basic fact: increased production means absolutely nothing to those who have grown poorer. The fancy car in the showroom means nothing if I don't have a job or if my dollar has declined vis a vis the 'yuan' or the 'yen'.

Some recent history may illustrate the point: the Wall Street crash of 1929 was followed by a severe world wide depression acutely felt in the US, Germany, France, and to a lesser degree --Great Britain and Sweden. Nevertheless, unemployment was high in Sweden when that nation returned a Labor government committed to a program of public investment to address the high unemployment problem. It worked. By 1935 real output in Sweden was 7 percent above its 1929 level. Unemployment was reduced and the finance minister was said to have been happy to suffer another budget deficit to stimulate the economy.

Ronald Reagan's budget deficit did not have as happy a result. So --why did Keynesian economics work for Sweden in 1929-30 but not for Ronald Reagan more recently? The answer is simple: Sweden was then --as it is now --among the world's most egalitarian economies and because of that, a prosperous 'consumer' class proved to be the growing market that supports increased investment, increased production. By contrast, the US --among the very least egalitarian nations --inevitably slides into recession/depression whenever a GOP regime favors the increasingly few but richer elites!

Reagan's tax cut of 1982 benefited only the investor class! As a result markets and spending declined. It was a 'depression' of some two years. the worst since the 'Great Depression. It was characterized by decreases in consumer purchasing, declines in jobs, and the shrinking of the US GDP. Sound familiar?

The wrong people, an utterly worthless investor class, got the money!

While a true 'Keynesian' deficit might have stimulated growth, the GOP/Reagan deficit had the opposite effect.

The proof of my assertion is the public record. Reagan's tax cut of 1982 was quickly followed by the nation's worst recession since the Great Depression. The economy contracted, people had less money to spend, many lost their jobs and homes and slept under bridges. Where had all that money gone? It would eventually find its way to China! It was Bush Sr, in cahoots with Nixon who set it all up. It was Bush Sr who cut the deals while feasting on 'dog lip' in the Forbidden City. Since then, most (if not all) US wealth has found its way to China.

Reagan's best critics were found inside his regime, primarily, budget director David Stockman who blamed a "noisy faction of Republicans" for Reagan's infamous tax cut and the debacle that followed. Reagan might have achieved the prosperity that Keynes had predicted. That might have happened had his policies rewarded the working and middle classes instead of the rich and idle elites. Fact is --Ronnie was owned! The government is owned! The MIC is owned! We are owned! We are slaves to a system that may be beyond our ability to reform short of revolution.

The Reagan-heads forgot that the wealth of a nation is the result of the 'work' that is done by its people --not the 'offshore investments' of an utterly worthless, idle leisure class.

Trickle-down (supply-side) transfers of monies to manufacturers that are over-produced is economic disaster. Similarly, transferring wealth to elites for whom additional consumer purchases are characterized by decreasing utility is foolhardy! Put another way --of what use is more 'spending money' to one who has 'everything'? And for that reason, why should a capitalist get a tax cut for producing product that cannot and will never be sold? The US investor class has solved that much of the problem by exporting manufacturing --our jobs --to China. If you don't believe me, just check out the CIA's own "World Fact Book" which lists the US at the very bottom with the world's largest negative Current Account Balance still often called the 'balance of trade' deficit. China sits atop the list with the world's largest POSITIVE Current Account Balance.

Because the very, very wealthy i.e, those benefiting from GOP tax cuts, most certainly do not increase purchases with tax cut windfalls, wealth does not 'trickle down'! It does not support increased domestic sales nor does it stimulate increased production and, thus, GDP. In fact, the record shows that instead of stimulating the economy by stimulating production, growth and sales, the very opposite invariably occurs.

This consistently results in a reduction of the money supply, most prominently:
  1. lower wages ala Wal-Mart et al for those still fortunate enough to be employed;
  2. declining purchases followed by declining GDP.

Why the US 'investor class' is an economic blood-sucking parasite!

The so-called 'Great Depression' was, in fact, a great contraction in which those who would have spent monies were deprived of the money to spend. A 'depression' is a self-reinforcing race to the bottom, a black-hole which feeds on itself.

During the Great Depression and, later, Ronald Reagan's 1980s depression of about two years, millions lost their jobs. In 1929, bankers and financiers continued to speculate on stocks, borrowing the money and buying stocks 'on margin'. More recently, 'short sellers' made fortunes on 911! What guilty 'insider knowledge' had they possessed? You can rest assured billions have already been transferred into offshore tax havens --wealth that is perhaps forever lost to the US economy.

Transfers of wealth to everywhere but America not only fail to stimulate the domestic economy, they bleed it! The wealth of a nation is not the money it prints, borrows or coins. The wealth of a nation is the productivity of its people and their industries. Both declined under Reagan and declined again under Bush and declined yet again under the other Bush! When another GOP 'Prez' assumes or steals the office, there will be yet another decline. That assumes, of course, that we survive the current crisis.

One wonders why Reagan didn't just cut out the middle man. A more equitable tax cut or better a more progressive tax might have put more spendable income directly into the hands of consumers. Spent money circulates and drives an economy. That consumers spend money seems to be a fact lost on the likes of Reagan, Bush, and the nation's rich and callous elites.

Surely, there were knowledgeable advisers in Reagan's regime who knew better. The tax cut, therefore, was entirely political, a pay off to the rich for their support, or more precisely, their investment! Nothing has changed in the GOP. The Bush administration made several such "payoffs" during his catastrophic and criminal regime.

The current collapse of the US is the end result of a trend begun with the passage of Ronald Reagan's infamous tax cut for his rich, elite base. The year was 1982. Historians will write of that date that it was the beginning of the end of the American empire.

The Dangers of American Fascism

Following is a description of the American fascists who have looted the US and exploited the labors of those whose efforts alone create wealth.
A fascist is one whose lust for money or power is combined with such an intensity of intolerance toward those of other races, parties, classes, religions, cultures, regions or nations as to make him ruthless in his use of deceit or violence to attain his ends. The supreme god of a fascist, to which his ends are directed, may be money or power; may be a race or a class; may be a military, clique or an economic group; or may be a culture, religion, or a political party.

...

--Henry A. Wallace, The Danger of American Fascism, The New York Times, From Henry A. Wallace, Democracy Reborn (New York, 1944), edited by Russell Lord, p. 259.
In this case, the "gods" of American fascism are greed and lies. While Democrats are flawed and often impotent, the GOP has ceased to be a political party! It is, rather, a crime syndicate, a dangerous, kooky cult of psychopaths and liars!

We're in the Money?

It was Ginger Rogers (July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) who 'stole the show' when she sang "We're in the Money" in Gold Diggers of 1933. Goldiggers was a Warner Bros. musical choreographed by Busby Berkeley, starring Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Joan Blondell and, famously, Ginger Rogers.

An original stage production ran for 282 performances on Broadway in 1919 and 1920 featuring songs by Harry Warren (music) and Al Dubin (lyrics). In 2003, Gold Diggers of 1933 was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

"We're in the Money" is memorable not only for its energy but for a charming performance by Ginger Rogers, singing a verse in Pig Latin accompanied by scantily-clad showgirls dancing with giant coins.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amen, Len. You nailed it again. Keep tellin' the truth - truth is such a refreshing thing these days....

Unknown said...

Anonymous sez...

Amen, Len. You nailed it again. Keep tellin' the truth - truth is such a refreshing thing these days....

Thanks, anony. The reports of its death are greatly exaggerated! Keep up the great work, yourself.

SadButTrue said...

It's funny that people understand what economic warfare is but fail to recognize economic treason when it stares them in the face, hits them over the head, then kicks them out of their home.

It's well past time that these economic enemies are dealt with through a liberal reading of Article III, section 3 of the Constitution. As I've long maintained, hanging's too good for them.

Unknown said...

SadButTrue sez...

It's funny that people understand what economic warfare is but fail to recognize economic treason when it stares them in the face, hits them over the head, then kicks them out of their home.

Indeed!

The US Constitution establishes as a matter, a principle of law that the people of the US are SOVEREIGN.

The 'hired hands' in government have literally WAGED WAR upon the people of the US for the benefit of an increasingly tiny elite --now just ONE PERCENT of the total population.

THIS IS WAR!

Section 3. Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.

Indeed! And there are presently TWO FEW scaffolds equal to the job!

Marc McDonald said...

re:
>>>The year was 1982. Historians
>>>will write of that date that it
>>>was the beginning of the end of
>>>the American empire.

Definitely true, Len.
And Reagan's tax cuts wouldn't have been possible had it not been for the fact that Japan indicated that it was willing to start being America's banker and to start funding our massive deficits. (A role that Japan, along with China, continues to this day).
And what did Japan get for its billions, you might ask?
Well, for a start, Reagan agreed to play ball and cooperate with Japan industrial policies. In affect, Reagan stabbed U.S. manufacturers in the back---something from which they never recovered.
In turn, the Japanese rewarded Reagan. When he left office, Reagan collected several million dollars for simply giving a couple of speeches in Tokyo---a fee vastly higher than he could have commanded anywhere else.
The American MSM, as usual, ignored this story. But it received wide play in the East Asian press---where it confirmed the view long held by many East Asians that U.S. politicians are corrupt and money-obsessed and won't hesitate to betray their own countries, if the price is right.

Unknown said...

Marc sez...

And Reagan's tax cuts wouldn't have been possible had it not been for the fact that Japan indicated that it was willing to start being America's banker and to start funding our massive deficits. (A role that Japan, along with China, continues to this day).

You are absolutely correct, Marc. The US was LITERALLY auctioned off just as the Praetorian Guard sold the Roman Empire to one Didius Julianus, a 'nobleman' who wished to be an emperor! Like the US today, Roman currency was debauched. The sale was completed in Drachmas --GREEK currency, not worthless Roman sesterces!

The sale of America was conducted in Yens and Yuans and China is the ECONOMIC ruler of the US. They have us by the balls!

TREASON AND BETRAYAL!

A new broom sweeps clean!

GET A ROPE!

Cirze said...

Nice explication, Len, of the economic history that most people never stop to think about realistically.

But I think you've overoptimized the Reagan-heads.

They knew exactly whom they were paying off and whom would be hurt: all of the rest of us.

And as Nancy Reagan (and later Barbara Bush) made clear, they weren't concerned with "those people."

Thanks for all you do!

S

The Reagan-heads forgot that the wealth of a nation is the result of the 'work' that is done by its people - not the 'offshore investments' of an utterly worthless, idle leisure class.

Unknown said...

Suzan sez...

And as Nancy Reagan (and later Barbara Bush) made clear, they weren't concerned with "those people."

Indeed, I am reluctant to ascribe 'stupidity' to Reagan lest it absolve him of his crimes and for the worst of reasons. On the other hand, Reagan, himself, was, I think, just as stupid as we might think he was, perhaps as stupid as was Bush.

Certainly, as I may have pointed out, there were those in his administration who 'knew better'.

The problem is that there are TWO 'Reagans', TWO 'Bushes', two of any President. There is the President as individual and citizen; then there is the collective 'Reagan', the collective noun given his entire administration.

An easy first example of this is Warren Harding--the R.R. of his day. Harding was, I believe, as dumb as a stump surrounded by crooks and liars.

This duality may not be unique to the American system but often seems so. The British solved the problem long ago by making of the CROWN a mere 'figure head'. We should follow their example.

IF Reagan was, in fact, innocent by virtue of stupidity, we have only ourselves to blame. We keep electing these dumb asses! And, as Texas --now beating out Mississippi for DEAD LAST in the percentage of folk graduating high school --becomes the norm, we can be sure of electing even STUPIDER Reagans, Bushes et al in the future.

Being ignorant and/or intelligent, however, is no excuse. It was David Hume (as I recall) who wrote of the 'moral imperative to be intelligent'. Jeez! By that standard, we are all sorely screwed!

Anonymous said...

" Making mistakes is very human, but repeating a mistake over and over again expecting a different outcome, is plain insanity " (Albert Einstein)

Greed and Power, or, Power and Greed, and its inevitable collapse, can be traced in a direct line throughout the history of mankind.

Now its the 'investor class', a mere hundred years ago the Industrialists, rubber barons and such were sociëties parasites, and before that we've had the aristocrats, kings, emperors, moguls, sultans and Chinese Warlords. I bet the pre-historic Neolitic People and the humanoids before them had their bloodsucker class. All this in a straight line to our partly human partly animal and premate ancestors, millions of years in the past.

Repeating the same 'power and greed' mistakes over and over again, expecting a different outcome? Insane?!

This Power and Greed " Groundhog Day " for thousands and thousands of years, has always accumulated into whole-sale corruption and perversion of human life, and this 'animal' inheritance is logically the strongest amongst the 1 to 5% 'humanoids' who claim and oppress their 'Alpha-Status' onto the meek underlying human-masses with any means needed to 'enforce' that status-quo. These 'Alpha-Humanoids', a mere 1 to 5% of this Worlds human-population, rather destroy the very fabric of human civilisation including the extermination of millions, by now that may be billions of human-lives, than to give up their privileged status enforced by their 'de-generative' power and greed games wich assures them their 'top-dog positions', great wealth and un-touchable image.

I do not particularly agree with Len Hart with his 'Don Quichotte Quest' on the GOP, but I sure agree with him to call that GOP-BREED the filthiest of the 'Investor-Blood-Sucking-Class'!

In the U.S. they, the GOP, are the 'Great Corruptors' of law and truth and human decency, together with the Neo-Cons and AIPAC!

They suck the blood out of all 'meaningfull human creativity and labor', but there are many bloodsuckers to be found thoughout the whole spectrum of the CAPITALIST SOCIËTY, that's maby why people like Gore Vidal and Noam Chomsky call U.S. politics 'A One Party System'!

Balance, there's no balance in a one party system, it's a dead end (the U.S. Republic is Dead; Gore Vidal)

With a World Population rapidly nearing the 7-billion people it's also rather futile to keep staring just at U.S. predicaments, those 300 million people, most obese and dumbed down by Monsanto Foods and Inadequate Education cannot, I repeat CANNOT compete with the mean, lean, ambitious, inventive, innovative people-machine of China and India, it's just oneother consequence of the de-generative alpha-dog/conformist mentality of the Western-Capitalist System, "Times They Are 'A Changin" (Bob Dylan)

Jacob.

Unknown said...

Jacob sez...

Now its the 'investor class', a mere hundred years ago the Industrialists, rubber barons and such were societies parasites, and before that we've had the aristocrats, kings, emperors, moguls, sultans and Chinese Warlords.

As the Bard would have said of them: "What's in a name...?" Clearly, the exploitation of one class by another has taken many forms in many times and societies. The exploitation, the subjugation, the extermination of a people or a class by another is at the root of almost every social evil.

Repeating the same 'power and greed' mistakes over and over again, expecting a different outcome? Insane?!

As Darwin, Montague, and Huxley point out every specie must adapt or perish. However, the 'Social Darwinists' were wrong. It is not always the strong who survive; 'survival of the fittest' is a value judgement --not a valid, objective scientific principle.

I do not particularly agree with Len Hart with his 'Don Quixote Quest' on the GOP, but I sure agree with him to call that GOP-BREED the filthiest of the 'Investor-Blood-Sucking-Class'!

I have often listed defining characteristics of this 'class'! Working backward from conclusions to premises is but one and among the most harmful. Do other 'classes' exhibit this defining trait? I am sure of it! The GOP, however, shares so many of those traits that it logical to so define the GOP as that 'class' exhibiting those characteristics! There is no science of the particular and logic, since Russell and the rise of symbolic logic et al, is concerned with 'sets' and their 'defining characteristics'.

With a World Population rapidly nearing the 7-billion people it's also rather futile to keep staring just at U.S. predicaments...

But we must for the lessons to be learned. It was Georges Santayana who said: "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to relive it!"

Anonymous said...

Len, we are a country of rubes...
As you say, Reagan only helped the investor class, an then they did away with unions, regulations and general market controls. Destroyed , or tried to pound labor and associated industries back to 19th century standards, and those that did not comply, were shipped over seas, as you state ( of course their big excuse was they had 'no choice' , I say they just wanted it all...literally, and that is what they got going to India, China etc.).

The only thing working people were to do was acquire more debt as time went on. More debt, & dropping wage and benefit standards ( Clinton helped regain some, but NAFTA etc. et el would kick in and probably negate any of the good Clinton labor/reform was to do).

Lately we have to listen to these shameless, corporate shills & lairs in 'our' congress arguing about how regulated govt. options or single payer health care reform will be bad for small business people and everyday Americans. I did small business for the first half of my working career, I can tell you unequivocally, no politician at any level ever, EVER did anything to help the real time situations of small business people.

I have heard rumblings on the TeeVee about 'tax increases' things are not going so swell...I can tell you, it had better be coming out of the ass of the investor class, the folks that are currently taking advantage of the low real estate market, the folks that can still go out and buy what ever their hearts desire...because the rest of us are 'investing' our funds on the supper table and keeping gas in our vehicles so we can get to WORK and keep the wheels of this society on...That tax had better be coming out of the investor class...as he (Obama) had originally promised.

I am tired of paying for unnecessary wars, ( we have two ongoing) ill begotten economic policies, failing corrupted industries, and for the large percent of idiots that run this country ( there are a few good ones, and many that have promise...but most are corrupt lobby controlled classicist shills)

I think it was you who posted the link /tape of H. R. Haldeman's conversation with Nixon about the template for what was to become the HMO health care system that ultimately has lead us to the present failures of today. The main jist of the conversation was of PROFIT...and here we are to day, our health care rated at the BOTTOM of the industrial countries, no matter how many of the rich and famous come to the US for specialists...that is actually one of the problems with our 'system'. Let them play THAT tape on the nightly news, and then have a 'panel' discussion.

Len, thanks for all of your well thought out articles it keeps the truth out there, and at least you are still in print...something to be said for that. I don't expect the ms population to get this stuff, but one would hope that leadership persons will begin to pick up the progressive ball...we shall see.

benmerc

Anonymous said...

Either 'the human species' come to terms with the knowledge, scientific knowledge that is, about our 'human-evolution' and recognise the de-generative animal-paterns wich keep us from evolving our humanities, and act accordingly on that knowledge in order to improve ourselves, or we are doomed to repeat ourselves in an everlasting create-destruct cirkel-dance enforced by the few (the parasites) who trive on that.

In only a few decades, say since W.W.-II, it has become clear that the main Western-sociëtal forces, i.e. (Western-Christian)Religious, Political, Military, Media and Corporate forces, and the Elites thereoff, have merged into a 'rather incestual, and thus, de-generative conspiracy' wich in the 60's and 70's of last century would be called "The Establishment"!

In only a few decades people, human-beings, were transformed/degraded into a 'sub-species, now called 'consumers', wich makes it all the more easy, even obvious, for the psycho/sociopath elites to look upon ordinary people as mere numbers, numbers they could shift and kick around and steal from and fire and send to war to die or get maimed to their grandiose behalf and wishes.

Masters of the Universe they're called, rulers of life and dead they are.

WHY?

BECAUSE THE PEOPLE LET THEM?!

Most normal, i.e. ordinary people, hardworking, decent people, have not a clou as of the vile and outright evil manipulations the 'Investor Class' is capable of.

Yet it is every-day practice and they, these decent, ordinary people, are deceived and lied to by their Christian Ministers, their Politicians in Congress, theyr Military Strategists, their News-Readers and their Corporate snake-oil salesmen/women, EVERY DAY!

And now things are so complicated, chaotic-corrupt and hopeless that they, these hardworking, decent ordinary people, a lot of them, do'nt even want to know how f$ck$d they are by the Goldman-Sachs scumbags, the FED, AIG, the politicians and the whole stinking system, they react like the hardworking, decent ordinary Roman People did, when that Empire crashed around them, huddled down and silent, just hoping to survive the mess.


Even if Geithner and Bernanke and Barack Obama manage to kickstart some part of that wreck of a U.S. economy, it'll be to restore and strenghten the parasite-elite-status-quo, the Bank-Bonus spree has already recovered and is growing with the hardworking, decent ordinary taxpayer National debt-rise, soon totalling a 15-trillion dollar.

I-OW-YOU?

Hell No!

WE OWN YOU!!

(George Carlin R.I.P.)


Jacob.

LanceThruster said...

The investor class are the Morlocks and we are the Eloi; no more discerning than your typical beefsteack cattle.

Unknown said...

benmerc sez....

I did small business for the first half of my working career, I can tell you unequivocally, no politician at any level ever, EVER did anything to help the real time situations of small business people.

You are absolutley correct. 'Small business' was duped by Reaganites. When Reaganites talked about 'business' they meant the BIG CORPORATIONS! Everyone else was sold sops that made them 'feel good about themselves'!

I am tired of paying for unnecessary wars, ( we have two ongoing) ill begotten economic policies, failing corrupted industries, and for the large percent of idiots that run this country ( there are a few good ones, and many that have promise...but most are corrupt lobby controlled classicist shills)

Wow...you SUMMED it up! But this power base of corruption, lobbies and shils will not go quietly into that good night for the mere loss of an election, an opinion poll or a referendum. War has already been declared AGAINST US!!!

Len, thanks for all of your well thought out articles it keeps the truth out there, and at least you are still in print...something to be said for that. I don't expect the ms population to get this stuff, but one would hope that leadership persons will begin to pick up the progressive ball...we shall see.

I appreciate that, benmerc. Indeed, the MSM is in establishment la la land! Kissin' up and kissin' ass! Obama's election has not had a good effect. Complacency has set in and it seems not to matter that however well-intentioned, Obama is simply one man against an ENTRENCHED and almost all-powerful MIC/K-Street AXIS. These guys will NOT go quietly into that good night.

And good luck! We're gonna need it!

Jacob sez...

Even if Geithner and Bernanke and Barack Obama manage to kickstart some part of that wreck of a U.S. economy, it'll be to restore and strenghten the parasite-elite-status-quo,

I wish you were wrong! But ...you're absolutely right!

Lance sez...

The investor class are the Morlocks and we are the Eloi; no more discerning than your typical beefsteack cattle.

I agree completely.

BTW --Wells' 'Time Machine' is a fave of mine. You may enjoy the trailer to the early sixties George Pal movie version of 'The Time Machine' at The Time Machine

Anonymous said...

Here's an idea. Consume less. Use cash. Walk more, grow more, eat less but better. And KILL YOUR TV!!

CoachingByPeter said...

It's understandable that investments in a long-rising market would be overpriced. The longer an uptrend continues, the more investors become convinced that it will continue forever. Confident that the fundamental value will continue to increase and hoping that the premium itself will rise.

Anonymous said...

feed the rich....to the poor.

kill the parasite.

Unknown said...

CoachingByPeter sez...

It's understandable that investments in a long-rising market would be overpriced. The longer an uptrend continues, the more investors become convinced that it will continue forever.

And, of course, they don't! Indeed, everyone would like to make 'free money' and getting in on the bottom of the upside has hypnotized folk just prior to every crash.

Here's the point: ONLY the elites benefit from markets of any type and --in fact --CONTROL them!

At the end of EVERY crash you can depend upon only a few CERTAINTIES: 1) the TRULY elite will have shrunk; 2) those on the TOP RUNG of the ladder CONTROL the game and who gets to play; 3) anyone who is NOT an 'elite' is an IDIOT to play a game in which the elites may simply change the rules when it suits them.

In the end, however, the ELITES will have cut their own throats there being no other THROATS left to cut!

We're doomed!

LanceThruster said...

The financial markets seems to operate in the manner of that poker maxim that says, "At any card game if you don't know who the 'mark' is, it's probably you."