Must Read Commentary (You Won't See This Published In U.S. Newspapers)

Ed Asner already said it, so I don't have to - but I feel an obligation to report it.  In response to an inquiry about what has happened to the Hollywood liberal anti-war protesters that were quite vocal during the Bush years, Asner says:  Everyone is silent because no one wants to appear "anti-black" by defying Obama's will.

Here's a must-read editorial that appeared in the Asia Times.  It pretty much sums up the golden truth about what has happened in DC - and not just with regard to Obama's Syrian abortion:

In the West's comfort zones, the first black leader of the land of slavery still feels good, as if his very existence represents a social advance, regardless of his trail of blood. This obeisance to a symbol has all but destroyed the US anti-war movement: Obama's singular achievement...The judges at Nuremberg were succinct: "Individual citizens have the duty to violate domestic laws to prevent crimes against peace and humanity." The ordinary people of Syria, and countless others, and our own self respect, deserve nothing less now.

Please take the time to read this:  The Enemy Whose Name We Dare Not Speak

It's been my view ever since Bush initiated the fictitious "war on terruh" that the world's most danger terrorist is the U.S. Government.

The United States Crossed The Rubicon On Its Path To Collapse

Alea Iacta Est - "The die has been cast" - Julius Ceasar, after crossing the Rubicon River on his way to conquering Rome

I really wanted to go into a rant about how our economy and political system is in a serious state of collapse. The economic numbers released yesterday and this morning are proof that I'm right in my assessment of the economy.  The Syrian situation is all the proof we need that our Government knows I'm right (the old attempted "divert the public's mind from the problems at home").

Quietly yesterday afternoon the Government released the August spending defiict.  It surprisingly came in on the high side at $148 billion, well in excess of July's unexpectedly large deficit of $97.6 billion.  And I'll note for the record that media was pretty quiet about reporting the number.  YTD the total deficit with one month left in the fiscal year is $755 billion.  To be sure it will a be bit less than last year and it will fall short of the trillion dollar mark, but keep in mind that embedded in this number is close to $100 billion of non-recurring payments from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and taxpayers (the December tax revenue jump from investment gains taken before the Jan 1 capital gains increase).  In addition, revenues are higher this year, not because of a better economy, but because of a higher payroll tax rate.  Finally, we know that Jack "I'm Robert Rubin's New Butt Boy" Lew, the new Treasury Secretary, has explicitly stated that he has played games with the budget in order to avoid running out of money now that the Government debt issuance has exceeded the so-called debt ceiling limit. The Government spending will experience a "snap-back" affect - at least from an accounting perspective - in the next FY from these "games."

Today retail sales for August were reported.  They came in below expectations, and well below expectations if you strip out auto sales (which are inflated by easy credit) and inflation.  You can read the details here:  LINK and here:  LINK.  Essentially clothing sales and building materials (I told you the housing bounce is over) are dropping and restaurant sales - the beacon of disposable income - are plunging.  In addition, consumer confidence was reported and it had its biggest miss vs. expectations on record and it has plunged back to its January level:  LINK.  In short, consumer spending is contracting (expect for student loan and auto debt recipients) - the economy is in trouble and the people on "main street" know it.

So much for my not ranting (but I kept it brief).  The good news for gold investors is that since the Lehman crisis in 2008 it turns that gold and silver have been the number 1 and number 2 best performing investments:  Gold and Silver #1 Since Lehman Collapse.  I bet that surprises everyone who is reading this.  Despite this nasty two-year correction, if you invested every penny in gold and silver, you have outperformed every other possible asset class.  And get ready for the next move higher in gold and silver, because our system is in worse shape and further along its collapse than it was in 2008.  Goldman Sachs knows this and that's why - despite their analyst report that says gold could still go lower here - Goldman Sachs - the firm - became one of the largest holders of GLD during the 2nd quarter of 2013.  That just goes to show that anyone who follows the advice of the Taxpayer-supported big Wall Street banks is a complete idiot.

This brings me to the intended topic of my post today. I happened to catch the 1957 Frank Sinatra classic "Pal Joey" with Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak last night.  I have to say, there's nothing like a cheeseball 50's musical to make you think back to what this country was like when it truly was an "exceptional" place to live and in which to be a proud citizen.  I'm not going to elaborate beyond that because I want everyone to enjoy this number from the movie - but I will say that it really angered me that our country has devolved into a cesspool of unfettered corruption that's led by a gang of Democrats who are war-mongering, lying, cheating, stealing neocons and their figurehead is a useless Chicago-system politician who is better equipped to pimp hookers on Chicago's South Side - ENJOY:

The World Has Been Turned Upside-Down: Shaken, Not Stirred

“If the rule you followed brought you to this, of what use was the rule?”  - Cormac McCarthy, "No Country For Old Men"

As a child of the late 1960's and 1970's, I was taught that the U.S.S.R. was evil and the U.S was good.  It was the Russians and their cold-blooded leaders who wanted to destroy the world and "God's" country - good old "red, white and blue...baseball...apple pie...Chevrolet...yada yada yada" was here to save humanity.

But just like Obama and his band of Merry Democrats are now the blood-thirsty neocons running our God-forsaken country, it seems Russia has now assumed the role of global savior.

Shockingly, the NY Times published an editorial appeal by Vladimir Putin to the American public in which he pleads for caution with regard to how our country deals with the Syrian situation and he completely undresses the Obama regime and exposes it for what it is:

It is alarming that military intervention in internal conflicts in foreign countries has become commonplace for the United States. Is it in America’s long-term interest? I doubt it. Millions around the world increasingly see America not as a model of democracy but as relying solely on brute force, cobbling coalitions together under the slogan “you’re either with us or against us.”

I was shocked the NY Times actually published this piece because, at some point during the Bush years, the NY Times transformed from a bastion of liberalism and intellectual critique into a war-mongering, neocon-promoting tabloid.

Here's Putin's piece and I urge everyone to read it carefully and think about it terms of just how rotten to the core the American Government has become:   A Plea For Caution From Russia            

                              “Query: How does the never to be differ from what never was?”                                                                                   -Cormac McCarthy, The Road

It's Getting Interesting Out "There"

War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner.  - Cormac McCarthy, "Blood Meridian:  Or The Evening Redness In The West"

It's funny, I bought a few of Cormac McCarthy's novels for a friend several years ago and I ended up reading them before she did.  As an English major in college, I can say definitely say that his works should be taught at the college level.  The problem is, the college would have to decide if they should be taught as part of the English, Government or Philosophy curriculum.

It looks like Obama finally put the finishing touches on his fade from attacking Syria without justified provocation.  Hell even AP has ripped to shreds any of the "evidence" that Obama has offered up as proof Syria even used chemical weapons at all:  LINK  What's most stunning about this whole ordeal to is the ineptness with which Obama and John Kerry handled the entire situation.   This whole stunt the Obama regime tried to pull off was pathetic from start to finish.

Again, as an English major, to me the worst adjective that anyone can label anything is "pathetic."  What's hilarious about the whole ordeal is that the Democrats and CNN are now assuming the role of the neocons and the Republicans in Congress are now largely the pacifists.  It pretty much leaves one speechless.  Certainly anyone who originally supported and loves Obama unequivocally CAN NOT support this tragically pathetic neocon now...

At any rate, I am starting to conclude that gold and silver are marking time for a big move to the upside.  My latest indicator?  Pan American Silver (PAAS) announced out of the blue yesterday that just THREE weeks after it announced that it had implemented hedges for a significant amount of its gold and silver production, it had decided to remove them.  This was a stunning and rapid reversal of a big financial decision and it must have cost them a lot of money to remove the hedges.  I'll know if the cost was big enough that have to disclose the details in their next 10-Q (it will be pigeon-holed in the footnotes for sure).

I have never cared for PAAS as an investment because I have found the management to be incompetent and full of crap.  More important, they have always been a hedger.  But probably the biggest red flag for me with regard to PAAS is that Bill Fleckenstein was on the board of directors until the end of 2011.   Fleckenstein is probably one of the most disingenuous and incompetent market analysts out there.  For some reason he gets air-time on CNBC, but probably because he represents the "contrarian" investor viewpoint and CNBC has also figured out the he's an idiot.  We certainly know that CNBC features nothing but idiots.

At any rate, one of the primary Wall Street firms that "advises" PAAS is JP Morgan.  JP Morgan has spent the better part of the last 9 months eliminating its massive, manipulating short position in Comex gold and silver contracts and has actually amassed a considerably large long position in gold contracts.  My bet is that JP Morgan told PAAS that, based on what it knows as an insider to the precious metals market worldwide, putting on those hedges was not a good idea.

There are plenty of other signals being flashed loud and clear for anyone who is paying attention, but this latest move by PAAS further confirms my view that the metals are marking some time here - ostensibly until after the next FOMC meeting next Tues/Wed - before they being to make a move to the upside that will take everyone except the hardiest of precious metals investors by surprise.

Putin To Obama: "Check Mate - Little Boys Shouldn't Play A Man's Game"

When the shooting starts would you rather be armed or legal?  - Cormac McCarthy,  "The Road"

In a move that I can only describe as the equivalent of Putin changing Obama's political diapers for him, the Russian President has persuaded Syria to place its chemical weapons stockpile under international control:  LINK

This takes away any stated motive for Obama and John Kerry to press their dwindling cast of supporters into firing away at Syria.  Furthermore, it removes the possibility of the U.S. staging another "false flag" chemical weapons show, which is what most rational-minded observers have concluded occurred in Syria.

To be quite frank, I have to say that in the latest footage I've seen of John Kerry making his case for war in Syria, he has a frightening "rabid dog" look in his eyes - he's literally foaming at the mouth to attack Syria and get rid of the Assad Government.  I have to conclude that Obama and Kerry are acting in a politically insane manner here and I stand by my earlier conclusions that the underlying motive for this attempted attack on Syria by the Obama Government is seeded in money - oil-based blood money.

Is this the kind of leadership and political directive this country needs right now (or ever for that matter), when a record number of people sign up for food stamps and social security disability every month:  LINK  I have to believe that Obama has more serious policy agendas at home with the number of people in this country slipping into poverty growing by the day.

How about the Government debt ceiling Barack?  According to your blood money Secretary of Treasury and quiet advocate of your move to attack Syria, the Treasury runs out of money in about weeks.  How about the sinking economy?   Unfortunately money is the ultimate persuader in DC these days and AIPAC, the defense industry and the oil industry are throwing horse bales of it around very liberally.

The truth of the matter is that as the widespread and overt corruption on Wall Street and Capitol Hill grows by day, Obama needs something to divert our attention from our collapsing system.  History has taught us that crumbling empires always resort to war.  I hope this time around, given the historically unprecedented availability of life-destroying weapons technology, that Cormac McCarthy's vision in "The Road" does not spring into reality - it's been my fear since reading this must-read book four years ago...

When we're all gone at last then there'll be nobody here but death and his days will be numbered too. He'll be out in the road there with nothing to do and nobody to do it to. He'll say: where did everybody go? And that's how it will be. What's wrong with that?    Cormac McCarthy, "The Road"

The Non-Farm Payroll Report: The BLS Outright Embarrasses Itself

I want to preface my comments today by stating that the Government's monthly employment report is a complete work of fiction.  This has been shown to be true ad nauseum by many analysts.  What really amuses me is that these supposed highly educated, highly paid Wall Street "experts" go on programs like CNBC and Bloomberg News and have a serious discussion about an economic report that is really nothing more than a statistical comic book.  It's like watching a human version of "Family Guy."

Having said that, today's particular report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics was an outright embarrassment for the people working at the BLS - the few who actually put in a solid 30 hours per week not including their one hour lunch.  The headline number reported that 169k jobs were added to the economy in August, well below the 180k expected by Wall Street's finest forecasters.  But the real shocker was the downward revision to July's report.  The original report stated that 162k jobs were created in July.  But today's report showed a downward revision to just 104k jobs (please keep in mind that these numbers are purely fictitious).  If you care, here's a link to the actual report:  No BS like BLS

Huh?  The Phd Government statisticians and data-gatherers missed their original estimate by 38%?  You can't be serious.  If an insurance company actuary missed his estimates on expected payouts over the next year by 38%, he would be fired on the spot.  This is a tragedy and a comedy at the same time.  But what's most pathetic about the situation is that an error in estimation this egregious essentially means that everyone who works at the BLS on the employment report has been rendered of no use.  They are working on the taxpayer payroll in order to produce reports that are completely useless.  Their jobs are meaningless.  Why even bother going into the office?

What's equally as astonishing is that the Government has the nerve to report that the unemployment rate actually fell to 7.3%.  Again, this is a purely fictitious number.  The reason that the unemployment rate fell in August is that 516,000 people left the labor force.  Over half a million people either gave up looking for a job and crawled down some rabbit hole, took out massive student loans and enrolled at University of Phoenix online or went for the real money and decided to apply for social security disability and get paid by the taxpayer to stay at home and stare at reality tv.

Recall that the unemployment rate is calculated by dividing the number of people not working but appear to be looking for a job that's not there divided by the labor force.  The labor force is defined as everyone working plus everyone who really wants to work.  If you leave the "labor force" for any of the three reasons I listed above, you are no longer considered part of the BLS statistic known as "the unemployment rate."

From this the labor force participation rate dropped to 63.2%.  This rate is the number of people defined to be in the labor force divided by the working age population.  With over a half million people dropping out of the BLS's sight, the labor force participation is at its lowest level since 1978.  Think about that for a minute.  What were you doing in 1978?  What was our country like?  What was going on in our country?

Think about what it means that our economic system can only support the same relative number of jobs now that it supported in 1978.  That is truly an appalling fact.  That's even more mind-blowing than the revelation that everyone at the BLS who works on the monthly non-farm employment report is completely useless..

A Really Foul Smell Is Coming From The White House

You know how horrific it smells when you walk into the men's room at an NFL football stadium in the fourth quarter?  That's the kind of smell I'm getting from the Obama Government right now after Barack has made it clear that he wants to attack  Syria and ultimately remove Assad.  But the real question is, why?

Does anyone really believe that the U.S. can prove that the Syrian military used chemical weapons against the rebel forces?  To begin with, based on everything I've read, IF chemical weapons were deployed, it's impossible to know if they came from the Syrian military or the rebels.  But just to remind everyone, the rebel forces are being led by Al Qaida and have been heavily funded, armed and trained by both Saudi Arabia and the United States.  The latter is a fact that the U.S. can not deny. 

How absurd is it that the U.S. is conducting a trillion dollar "war on terror" against Al Qaida around the globe and yet it is funding and supporting them in Syria?  It's so absurd that you couldn't begin to make that up.  But why?

First off, let's completely dispel the cover story of chemical weapons use.  The evidence is flimsy and 100% hear-say.  Maybe they were used, maybe not.  But which side used them is impossible to know for sure, although, as I'll show in a minute, the motive for staging the use of chemicals was a lot greater for the Saudi/U.S. coalition.  This reminds me 100% of the Bush regime argument for going to war in Iraq, which we know for a fact was complete lie.  Colin Powell lied to the world and he knows it and we know it.

Second, check out this photograph of John Kerry having a cosy dinner with Assad and their respective wives in 2009:  LINK   Keep in mind this the same person that Kerry just referred to as "Hitler."

Finally, what's the U.S. motive?  It's never really for "humanitarian" reasons.  After all, regardless of which side flung the alleged chemicals, there's no do doubt that the U.S.' strategic bombing of Syria will yield many more multiples of casualties - military and civilian - than occurred from the alleged use of chemical weapons.

However, I have found that beneath the surface reasons for every war in history there has always been economic reasons embedded as the root cause.  Every single one.  As it turns out, not surprisingly, this one is over energy.  Natural gas pipelines.  Read this if you don't believe me - and this is not the first source from which I've read this but it's laid out nicely here:  LINK

The real reason for the U.S. involvement is that both Saudi Arabia and Qatar want to tighten their control of the flow of energy in the Middle East.  Rest assured that there's also plenty of motive for big U.S. oil companies to make this happen. 

I guess the next questions would be, who really controls the U.S. and the Obama regime?  Big oil or Saudi Arabia?  And does Obama really deserve that Nobel Peace Prize?