Showing posts with label rich. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rich. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

The Games People Play Part 4 - Voodoo Economics - Who Loses?

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Oh the Games People Play Now

Every night and every day now
Never meaning what they say now
Never saying what they mean now


Where is Dr. Who when you need him?  We gotta get out of this place...

There are a few things they forgot to teach us in Economics 101 and they have nothing to do with algorithms, exchange rates, return on investment or earned income.  You see, basic economics is a mathematical function but the underlying factor in American Capitalism has nothing to do with mathematics.


Our system of capitalism has fallen into the age old trap of being controlled by ethics and morality rather than math tables and the masters of capitalism are those who manipulate the system for only one purpose, the accumulation of wealth and the power that comes with it.

Once upon a time in America there was such a thing as a fair and relatively honest system but it has long been banished to the land of fairy tales and mythology as if it never really existed in the first place.


Now we eat, sleep and dream the lies that have been implanted in us as if we never knew better in the first place.  Economics must be derived from the word control because that is what it is all about and because control is what the 1% of the population have over all the money earned by the 99% .


In my studies and experience over the years there are a handful of guiding principles I found in all those who make their fortunes on the backs of the middle class.

1. OPM -  Always use "Other People's Money" to make money.
2. DOY -  Always make the little people "Dependent On You".
3. DTBS - Always "Dazzle Them with Bull Shit" to keep them confused.
4. WCF -  Always "Work to Create Fear" to keep people in line.

   
As a result, if we have any disposable income, money we don't need to survive, we invest it in the stock markets based on the promise to grow your portfolio.  Then, as a card-carrying member of what I call the Raggedy People, we are denied the right to buy new stock issues at the offering price.


Nor are we allowed to have our money invested by the massive computer generated strategies of the super rich (high frequency trading) in which they intercept your pension fund strategy and beat you to the punch.

We are drowning in financial news, analysis and misinformation.  What we need is a little truth.  Here is some.

On October 9, 2007 the Dow Jones hit 14,164.  By March 6, 2009 it collapsed to 6,443, a loss of 54% of it's value.  That is what happened to your investments and pension funds other than your home equity which was also crashing.


As of today, May 13, 2014 it has risen to 16,715, an astonishing increase of 259% in just shy of 4 years.  Ask yourself, do you now have almost 3 times as much money from investments, or in your pension or 401k as you did just 4 years ago?

As far as stocks, the wealthiest 10% of Americans own 80% of all stock.

Just this year it was reported that the wealthiest 1% of Americans possess 40% of the nation's wealth while the bottom 80% possess 7% of the wealth.  The other 19% just below the super rich possess 50.5% of the nation's wealth.  As a result, the top 20% control 90% of all the nation's wealth.


Of course these are the people sucking the stock market profits up.

So why invest in the market - don't.  You are only padding the pockets of those who could care less about you.  And while you are at it demand that Congress protect the pension and 401k funds managed by the rich as these funds seem to make a lot less money than the stocks owned by the people doing the managing.

It is too easy to use your money to manipulate the market so the high frequency boys can steal a few hundred million or billion dollars a day at your expense.

What can we do?  Be aware of how you are being used.  Keep abreast of the market fluctuations and demand to know from your broker or pension manager why you aren't benefiting just like the rich.


Pay attention to all the things they say are right like inflation, are you really not seeing massive increases in health care and food, and wild changes in gasoline?  How could we be at a 1-2% inflation when the price of meat can double?

The unemployment rate is down but not because of economic recovery but because millions of  people have dropped out of the labor force because they can't find jobs.


In America all people are entitled to equal opportunity but when it comes to capitalism that is far from the truth.  Demand answers to how your money is being manipulated.  Demand now before it is too late.

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Thursday, April 17, 2014

Queens of Royalty, Rock & Raunch - Queen Elizabeth II, Taylor Swift & Miley Cyrus

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What do they have in common?  Other than a few hundred million dollars in net worth not much.  But it is fun to look at these three Queens when they were the same age.

Hannah Montana - Disney look
Miley Cyrus

For example, Miley Cyrus is now 21 years old and she grossed an estimated $78 million in the last year, and that wasn't all she grossed as she grossed out her fans with her free wheeling lifestyle based on getting stoned, getting drunk and getting wild.


Miley is the reincarnation of Madonna as a wild child and Cyrus intends to celebrate herself, her money, her sexuality and whatever else comes along with no interest in being apologetic or anything mature.

Actually Miley started out as a Disney do gooder, the All American teen, before she grew up and decided being provocative paid.  In 2006 at age 14 thanks to Disney Cyrus had an estimated net worth of $3.5 million.


Today it has grown to about $155 million net worth thanks to her on-stage antics, a lot of skin and a tongue that seems to drag on the floor.

    
When Queen Elizabeth was the same age, 21, she had just survived four years of Nazi bombings of London and had been a member of the British Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service.

Elizabeth age 3
On her 21st birthday, the same age as Cyrus today, she was traveling through Africa with her parents and made a radio broadcast back to Britain pledging:

"I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong."


Taylor Swift

Taylor is the heir apparent as Queen of Country music and has not fallen into the same pit of vulgarity and sexuality as Miley though they seem to be friends of some sort.

Swift made her breakthrough at age 16 with her first mega hit "Tim McGraw" and has created a multi-million dollar niche chronicling the life of a typical teen through her music, making her the greatest crossover artist ever from country to pop.


Of course most typical teens didn't earn $18 million by their 18th birthday nor generate about $50 million each the past few years touring while releasing one new album every two years.


Today Taylor continues to earn entertainer of the year awards for her relentless touring schedule, fan availability and All-American image.  At age 25 she is worth an estimated $220 million and has at least four estates worth millions each across the nation.

While Cyrus slithers on her tongue for the fans Taylor hobnobs with American royalty like the Kennedy family boys at her New England estate.  The crazier Miley gets the swifter Swift sets herself apart from her crazy friend.


So what was Queen Elizabeth up to when she was 25 like Taylor?  She was getting married and just two years later, at age 27, she became Queen of England and all the other territories associated with the British crown.


Okay, so how much is the British monarch worth compared to the American kids?  Well, contrary to reports the royal family overspends, the Queen is personally worth about $500 million.  Her properties alone generate about $79 million dollars per year, about what they cost to operate a year.

And her net worth does not count the Crown Estate trust for the British royalty consisting of real estate property, art work and other stuff worth BILLIONS of pounds, dollars, any way you want to count it, way more than 15 billions of dollars.

Soooo...

Before reaching the age of 21 Miley Cyrus was a multi-millionaire Disney television star and Taylor Swift was a multi-millionaire heart beat and heart throb of country and pop music. At the same age Queen Elizabeth was dodging Nazi bombs that were destroying London having refused to leave England and demanding to stay with her parents, the King and Queen.

At age 21 Miley Cyrus slithers on her tongue while Queen Elizabeth pledged her loyalty to the people of Britain and at age 25 Taylor Swift travels the world singing and buying mansions while Queen Elizabeth was getting married and two years away from becoming Queen of Britain.


Today Queen Elizabeth is closing in on becoming the longest reigning monarch in British history, yes for all time, as she will pass her great, great grandmother Queen Victoria and her 63 year 216 day continuous reign record in less than 500 days.

Ah the trials and tribulations of royalty British or American style.