A former official of one of the country's most-powerful unions, SEIU, has a secret plan to "destabilize" the country.
The plan is designed to destroy JP Morgan, nuke the stock market, and weaken Wall Street's grip on power, thus creating the conditions necessary for a redistribution of wealth and a change in government.
The former SEIU official, Stephen Lerner, spoke in a closed session at a Pace University forum last weekend.
Puerto Rico has emerged in recent years as one of the easiest places in the U.S. to get payments from the Social Security Disability Insurance program, created during the Eisenhower administration to help people who can't work because of a health problem. In 2010, 63% of applicants there won approval, four percentage points higher than New Jersey and Wyoming, the most-generous U.S. states. In fact, nine of the top 10 U.S. zip codes for disabled workers receiving benefits can be found on Puerto Rico.
The SSDI is set to soon become the first big federal benefit program to run out of cash--and one of the main reasons is U.S. states and territories have a large say in who qualifies for the federally funded program. Without changes, the Social Security retirement fund can survive intact through about 2040 and Medicare through 2029. The disability fund, however, will run dry in four to seven years without federal intervention, government auditors say. What was it said about democracies? They only last until the public realizes they can vote themselves helpings of the treasury.
#1
I continue to be flabbergasted that no one really sees the amount of fraud in SSDI, Medicare, basic Social Security, food stamps, student loans, etc. As we hear Washington talk about the cuts to discretionary budgets, and how thats only about 15-20 percent of the size of federal budget, no one talks about how perhaps 15-25% of the entitlement programs are fraud, and the savings that could be accrued merely by ending it. Not even punishment, merely cessation of fraudulenty obtained entitlements.
We are talking hundreds of billions of dollars.
For example, in the Central Valley of California, there are convenience stores that have shelf stockage of a few groceries, no more than 3-4k in value, with little obvious product movement, that do 2-300k a month in food stamps. (Going rate is around 50 cents on the dollar I'm told).
I cannot help but think that it is fear of the screams of those thieves who are caught and cut off that stops politicians from going down this path.
Can the reason be the possible overwhelming demographic of those found cheating?
Honestly, I cannot think of another inhibiting factor that prevents this easy fix. Anyone?
#2
I continue to be flabbergasted that anyone in the US can actually believe that the goverment should be sending checks to more than the poorest 2-3% of the population. Everyone else? By definition not desperately poor.
#3
Countries only become insolvent when they have debts denominated in other countries currencies. Which in a nutshell is Greece/Ireland/Portugal/Spain's problem.
The USA doesn't have this problem, and will end up with hyper-inflation rather than insolvency.
#4
And our hyperinflation will be self-sustaining rather than cleansing because the things that have bankrupted the nation operate on autopilot & increase faster than the real rate of inflation.
The Bolivian President and a Russian political leader have launched a campaign to revoke Obama's honour after the US attacked Libya.
Liberal Democratic Party of Russia leader and Vice-Chairman of the State Duma Vladimir Zhirinovsky released a statement today calling for the Nobel Prize Committee to take back the honour bestowed on US President Barack Obama in 2009. Zhirinovsky said the attacks were "another outrageous act of aggression by NATO forces and, in particular, the United States," and that the attacks demonstrated a "colonial policy" with "one goal: to establish control over Libyan oil and the Libyan regime." He said the prize was now hypocritical as a result.
Bolivian President Evo Morales echoed the call: "How is it possible that a Nobel Peace Prize winner leads a gang to attack and invade? This is not a defence of human rights or self-determination."
Morales won the Gaddafi International Prize for Human Rights in 2006.
And what would you rather have, a Nobel or a Gaddafi?
He is amongst a number of left-leaning Latin American leaders who have denounced the attacks against Libya. Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Rafael Correa of Ecuador, Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua and Cristina Ferdinez of Argentina have all criticised western media coverage of the Libyan crisis.
Morales and Chavez repeated calls for peace talks with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples." The Committee praised the "change in the international climate" affected by Obama's presidency.
In his Nobel Lecture, he discussed the "hard truth" of the inevitability of war, saying: "There will be times when nations -- acting individually or in concert -- will find the use of force not only necessary but morally justified."
A message has been widely retweeted on Twitter today: "Obama has now fired more cruise missiles than all other Nobel Peace prize winners combined."
#1
OOooh, I love it, Nothing stings like an award taken away.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
03/22/2011 5:53 Comments ||
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#2
That's what they get, the Nobel boys, for awarding an empty suit. They must be shocked!
Posted by: Bobby ||
03/22/2011 6:49 Comments ||
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#3
Yep, right after the NYT returns Duranty's Pulitzer. Short of that, how about firing the asshats who gave it in the first place 'pour encourager les autres'. Serious quality control problems with the program guys.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Puerto Rico has emerged in recent years as one of the easiest places in the U.S. to get payments from the Social Security Disability Insurance program, created during the Eisenhower administration to help people who can't work because of a health problem. In 2010, 63% of applicants there won approval, four percentage points higher than New Jersey and Wyoming, the most-generous U.S. states. In fact, nine of the top 10 U.S. zip codes for disabled workers receiving benefits can be found on Puerto Rico.
