re: America's embrace of stock ownership would increase Republican domination

Norquist was right -- but certainly not for the narrow reason he espoused.

I submit that Republican domination has increased. The latest evidence of this is staring us in the face: The utter capitulation of the Democratic majority in Congress to the wishes of the wildly unpopular Bush to extort $700bn from the taxpayers, in order to pay off the same banksters who caused our present economic crisis.

This, of course, follows a long train of similar capitulations by the Democrats -- The Patriot Act, endless war funding, FISA, taking impeachment off the table, etc.

And, as I have previously stated, there is precious little daylight between Obama and McCain on the overarching issues of our time. Neither will touch the sacred defense budget; both grovel before Israel; they share similar militaristic views on the "threat" from Iran and the "need" to send even more U.S. troops into the quagmire of Afghanistan; both embrace fully the whole nonsensical notion of a "war on terror"; both espouse the same cultish, messianic vision of America as savior of the world; etc.

It matters not what the general public thinks or with which party they may align themselves. The vote for the aforementioned bailout, which flew in the face of overwhelming public opposition, proves that what "the people" think is totally irrelevant.

When the rubber meets the road, the Republican agenda rules the day.

It is not just that McCain sounds like Obama; Obama sounds like McCain:

* On groveling before Israel and the total embrace of every action it takes.

* On the "threat" from Iran.

* On sending even more troops into the quagmire of Afghanistan.

* On the bloated military budget.

* On the whole nonsensical "war on terror".

* On the support of the $700bn ripoff of taxpayer money.

* On the cultish, messianic vision of America as the savior of the world.

* On the FISA vote.

* On reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act.

etc.

While there are indeed differences on so-called "social issues" and how, exactly, the federal government might best help average Americans, the fact is either candidate will be totally hamstrung in implementing any new social programs or spending by virtue of the astronomical budget deficits we are now faced with.

The only real "change" we are likely to see going forward is in our standard of living.

Unless it's going to line the pockets of preferred no-bid contractors and banksters.

The grim "revelation" we read about in this article is exactly what Walter Map and I have been posting about for years, now, so I see no point in re-posting any of the hundreds of articles and experts we've already pointed to. This was all as predictable as the sun rising tomorrow.

However, I will say once more that, in addition to a depression, we face the prospect of hyperinflation. The government is, after all, BROKE, and all they can do is print vast quantities of fiat currency to cover all of this.

And, insofar as unemployment, GDP, etc., the government's numbers are as phony as a Federal Reserve Note.

SEE: www.shadowstats.com

The ONLY question that remains for government to focus on is this: How will the population of our nation be kept alive?

Katrina showed that, even on a realtively limited scale, government was woefully inadequate in their ability to even get the basic neccessities of survival to citizens. Now we're talking about massive unemployment and homelessness. These clowns had better quickly contract with mobile home manufacturers to crank out millions of FEMA trailers. They also had better stock up pronto on MREs, water, blankets, etc.

Is there anyone in our government with even half a brain? Or are they all living in some alternate universe?

This is like watching the band playing on the deck of Titanic -- only not as well!

The real problem now is saving the currency from hyperinflation.

I'm not sure if it can be saved.

The question, then, boils down to simple survival.

Yes, it's that bad.

ALL other issues are now irrelevant.

"[The] tally of total existing and announced outlays from the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve relating to this financial crisis is approaching the $4 trillion mark!

Item - Issuer - Amount of Outlay:

Term Auction Facility

Federal Reserve

$900 billion

Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008

U.S. Treasury

$700 billion

Total USD international currency swaps

Federal Reserve

$620 billion

Other loans: Primary Dealer Credit, etc.

Federal Reserve

$409.5 billion

Hope for Homeowners Act of 2008

U.S. Treasury

$304 billion

Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM)

& Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE)

U.S. Treasury

$200 billion

Term Securities Lending Facility

Federal Reserve

$200 billion

Economic Stimulus Act of 2008

U.S. Treasury

$168 billion

Paid to JPMorgan Chase to settle Lehman debt

Federal Reserve

$138 billion

AIG (NYSE: AIG) Bailout

Federal Reserve

$122.8 billion

Commercial Paper Funding Facility

Federal Reserve

$100 billion*

Bear Stearns Brokered Sale

Federal Reserve

$29 billion

Drum roll, please...

Total:

$3,891,300,000,000

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2008/10/09/700-billion-was-a-drop-in-the-bucket.aspx#commentsBoxAnchor

For context:

We have surpassed the 2007 national budget ($2.77 trillion) by more than $1 trillion!

We have committed nearly five times the total direct cost to date ($800 billion) of the entire Iraq War!

Countries whose entire nominal GDP in 2007 was less that this amount: Germany, China, France, Italy, Spain, etc. etc. (only the U.S. and Japan were higher).

It's equivalent to 38% of our present national debt of $10.25 trillion, or nearly equivalent to the entire portion of our debt held by foreign governments ($4.27 trillion)

The hyperinflation we will experience by virtue of this flood of USD into the world markets will become the stuff of legend.

http://caps.fool.com/Blogs/ViewPost.aspx?bpid=96514&t=01006124249416869148