the tax-cut idiots - idiocy exceeded only by 'the mugs' globalisation + neoliberalism = voodoo economics

.. simple things ...

  .. amuse simple minds ...

    .. a country full of simpletons?[1]

1st corollary: "It is not simple ..." - but it is Oh, so bloody obvious, that IF  you want something, anything, THEN  it must be paid for - and who better to pay, than those who *can* pay? (Der ... )

Subtitle: "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité!" a leitmotif of "the Enlightenment"
 
[update, 20Apr'11]

-=*=-

Murphy's lying furphy (my paraphrasing): "Whatever can happen, eventually will."

The furphy[2] lies not so much in the truism, but that it is used as an 'excuse' to claim some deliberate act as coincidence - however, contrary to conspiracies, we just don't 'do' coincidences:

2nd corollary: "Sufficient stress can hardly be laid on the advantages of simplicity ..." - now turning to Sherlock Holmes: "In solving a problem of this sort, the grand thing is to be able to reason backward."

Comment: Reasoning backwards can save a lot of time and effort; IF we have some bad result THEN the precursor-process was faulty. And so it is with the so-called 'new-world order' = NWO aka globalisation + 'neoliberalism' = 'voodoo economics.' A common name/term is 'Washington consensus,' comprising almost exclusively of 'what the US-regime wants' = hegemony, in this case US$-hegemony, and how they go about getting it = Bretton Woods, World Bank, IMF etc.. Apropos the latter, see Perkins' "Economic Hit Man."

3rd corollary: The IMF *forces* SAP-conditionalities on its targets, a way of *forcing* US$-hegemony onto hapless, mostly 3rd-world countries. Q: Why then, do some politicians apply IMF-SAP-type budget-options *apparently* voluntarily? The obvious example is drastic cuts to welfare, others privatisations, and herein one, if not the biggest problem: IMF SAP-conditionalities are reversing the previous, +ve trend towards increased "the Enlightenment"-inspired social justice. Why; cui bono?[3] - quite obviously not us, we the sheople.

-=*=-

Trigger article:

Euro zone debt crisis escalates
By Europe correspondent Emma Alberici, wires
Updated April 19, 2011 07:05:00
  «The European debt crisis deteriorated overnight as Irish banks were cut to junk status, Greece was rumoured to be struggling to pay back its loans ...
...
As EU and IMF officials arrived in Lisbon to set the terms of the Eurozone's third bailout in a year, Portugal found itself facing a veto from Finland after an anti-Euro party won more votes than expected in Finnish elections.» 
[AusBC/justin]

Comment: 'bailout' = loan them *more* money.

Comment: The Euro is a 'conjured' currency; it replaced multiple other currencies and its 'value' was arbitrarily assigned - primarily, it seems, with its relationship to the US$ in mind. The 1st error I saw was that it was set at approx. 2:1 DM:Euro ('new' price-tickets showed about ½ of what 'old' ones did) - leaving the opportunity for price inflation, which duly - ultra-cynically - occurred ("Euro = teuero!") In stark contrast, any old enough to recall the significance of 14Feb'66 (old £AU1 = new $AU2) may also recall the used-car dealers' wailing and teeth-gnashing.

-=*=-

1. An Aus-leitmotif: "Fair go, ya mug!"

Aussie workers spent a lot of time and effort fighting for fair wages, fair conditions and a fair 'democratic covenant:'

 "Eight hours to work; eight hours to play:
  Eight hours to sleep; eight bob a day!"

 "No taxation without representation!"

The latter was another lying furphy: little did we know that our so-called 'representatives' would one day sell us out - as has now well and truly happened.

In the meantime, we got Whitlam; his then 'Medibank' universal single-payer 'health insurance' - actually socialised medicine available to all - survives as 'Medicare,' albeit in crippled & reduced form, thanks, but "No, thanks!" to troglodyte-regressivees, mainly (mean) Liberals.

-=*=-

2. The 1929 stock-market crash on Wall St. was followed by a worldwide depression. It is not a must that the one should automatically follow the other; effectively some capitalists went on a capital-strike and started large-scale sacking, which by reducing demand then forced the process onto others and into a downward-spiral.

Welfare programs got a boost - since the alternative was to let people starve to death, never a 'good look' (well, that was then.)

The US and world economies began recovering, helped by so-called 'make-work' programs which, coincidentally or not, produced some durable infrastructure. Deliberately stimulating demand was written about by JMK = Keynes, hence Keynesian economics - hated by troglodyte-regressives, mainly (mean) Republicans.

Another US-erring-ideology-hate is communism, in all its 'lesser' variations, all typified by/as 'people cooperating with/helping other people.' Welfare of any type, unionisation, minimum wages, regulation (to ensure the safety of people and/or the economy), almost all government functions with the outstanding exception of 'defense' = offence = kill! - all are to be reduced, by sell-out internal politicians or external force, see Libya as latest victim.

In other words, US erring-ideology is driving "the Enlightenment" reversal.

Q: Why does the rest of the world allow this?

-=*=-

3. There are some things that governments can do better/best; using SH's 'reasoning backwards' explains why things developed as they did; a water collecting & distribution network (single, non-duplicated), a sewage disposal network (single, non-duplicated), an electricity generation & distribution network (single, mostly non-duplicated), roads and railways (some initially private and then nationalised), post & telephones etc. - you get the picture. Airlines seem to be a bit of an exception; few were nationalised and fewer remain so, but they are nevertheless prone to monopoly-type rip-off pricing, vs. lately some 'cheap' races to the bottom, and wage/conditions depression policies are now rife.

Then there are the 'office'-type functions like welfare, regulatory, licensing & taxation. Undoubtedly some of these suffer from 'near to completely useless, time-wasting bureaucrats[*],' such complaints are heard the world over, and some - like multiple-taxation scams are exactly that. A great, even monumental case can be made for tax-*simplification*, but - to return to a headline-theme - only idiots can think that all taxation (recalling required services), or even merely most taxes - can be cut, and then often mostly to the benefit of the already filthy-rich. But that's what's happening, espoused first & foremost by politicians calling themselves 'liberal' - when they're absolutely not so = the opposite. And now to add insult to injury, the nominally-progressive parties (Aus-Labor, US-Democrats etc.) are actively joining the tax-cuts/service-cuts/welfare-reductions/neoliberal rip-offs of us, we the people.

*[Mini-update: Slagging-off bureaucrats can be thought of as a pastime and/or sport (both cruel); the quality of any collective work depends primarily on the leadership. Guess where this might take us?]

'Natural' service monopolies have been and continue to be privatised, looong after the error of this idiotic policy has been demonstrated, namely by increasingly rip-off prices, service degradation and the resulting unemployment created by 'leaning and meaning.' It's sooo obvious - but it is persisted with, worst-case is 'privatised medicine;' for-profit anything will always produce profit before, even instead of, any other result. IF privatisation produced on-balance +ve results THEN one could understand its continuance - but again the opposite prevails. Hence my screech: "Idiots!"

Q: Why do so many of the people tolerate this, let alone vote for parties that inflict it upon us?

Possible A: The country is full of simpletons?

-=*=-

4. Now, to the PIIGS; Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece & Spain. With variable exceptions, these are all considered to be problem-economies and/or are accused of having over-spent (mainly on welfare), are all considered to be bankruptcy-candidates, all are to be pilloried - before being heroically 'rescued' - by the EU and the IMF.

Consider the expression: "they have form ..."

Just as some of us get very sceptical when we hear that F+UK+US+NATO are Shock'n Whore Mk2-ing = invading Libya for humanitarian = altruistic reasons, so some of us get very sceptical when we hear that the IMF (with or without the EU) will 'rescue' any PIIGS, especially when we hear that the rescue is to be by (further! higher interest, even!) loans.

Sounds a bit like offering a drowning person a glass of water.

None of this 'voodoo economics' passes the 'smell-test.'

Q: Why are so many so-called 'leaders' lying to us?

-=*end*=-

PS

The 'rescue' of the PIIGS, by more loaned money at higher interest will impose a 'repayment requirement' far greater than currently exists, and with the imposed welfare cuts means that the people will have to find more money to be 'harvested' (to be shipped out of the country) by the government, all the while getting less income. Now three questions:

Q: How is that supposed to work, like cut spending and buy less food?

Q: This 'rescue' = deliberately *creating* depression entry conditions?

Q: What did *any* people do to 'deserve' this *shit* neoliberalism?

PPS

The expression 'taxation is theft' could - and will be by me soon - compared to 'interest is theft,' as tangentially referred to in my "save the planet."

-=*=-

Ref(s):

[1] simpleton  n. gullible or halfwitted person. [POD]

[2] A furphy ... is Australian slang for a rumour, or an erroneous or improbable story. [wiki]

[3] cui bono  The principle that the ultimate initiator of an action is likely he who stands to gain from the action. [wiktionary]

-=*=-
 
Update, 20Apr'11

Note: I set out on the impulse to add a few URLs, but then I thought a bit more... 1st, the URLs:

1. UK military advisers to help Libyan rebels

2. Memos: Oil Companies Pushed Britain Over Iraq War in 2002

3. Structural Adjustment - a Major Cause of Poverty

Comment 1: UNSCR1973 specifically excludes ground troops; the UK (at least; F, US/NATO, EU?) is in breach = requires being disciplined = brought to justice.

Comment 2: 'Murder for oil' was never in doubt (by truth & justice seekers at least), but always bare-facedly denied by B, B & H et al.. Q: What do we know about lying denialists?

Comment 3: Details the *deliberate* depredations of IMF SAPs + neoliberalism. Perkins' "Economic Hit Man" tells us that if the IMF 'cure' is refused by some country, the next step is likely to be the CIA and/or the Pentagon. Denial, attempted before (by liars), now not at all possible.

Comment (general): In case it's been somehow missed, news: Guns kill people. Then there's the (non-clever) retort: Guns don't kill people; people kill people (with guns, or bombs; whatever (Einstein: ... rocks!)) In addition, bombs/wars destroy things other than cynically-termed 'military objectives' - like totally innocent people, and things like buildings (homes, flats, humpies even) & infrastructure = whole cities, aka artefacts of civilisation, see Libya post-UNSCR1973, only the latest of many (when one is already one too many). Not for nothing, does the detested US-speak lexicon include "We'll bomb you back to the Stone Age!" - As we have seen, can see again. Troglodytes.

1st major conclusion: Wholesale destroyers of the artefacts of civilisation are themselves viciously un- & anti-civilised. Then, of course, there's their hypocrisy; damn to Hell the primitive savages in Afghanistan for blowing up two ancient stone carvings - whilst almost simultaneously demolishing most of Iraq's life-supporting infrastructure (water, sewage, elec. & phone, roads & bridges, whole towns/cities (Fallujah; WP/DU-HE 'shake'n bake')), and 'allowing' the looting of Iraqi museums (all the while plotting to loot Iraq's oil).

Now, to the results of the thinking:

*Proving* c-theories:

Needless to say, I'm distraught {adj. distracted with worry, fear, etc.; extremely agitated. [POD]}. It's not enough that Fukushima has blown up, approx. 25 years after Chernobyl, it's not enough that the excess-CO2 climate-change catastrophe gets ever more imminent (soon to be immanent) - but the more I dig (= read, internet), the more I find = mostly *bad* things, seldom if ever any good things - more than just a bit depressing. My digging started in earnest in the run-up to Shock'n Whore Mk1 = illegal, aggressive invasion of Iraq = murder for spoil (spoil = oil [see URL#2 above] by alien invaders = AIMs4S) - a massive, blatant war crime, 'hung' off a piss-weak 'excuse' based on (filthy! Deliberate!) lies = the non-existent WMD scam / imbroglio / scandal. In the meantime, I 'discovered' the illegitimate basis of another aggressive alien invasion, namely the Zs vs. hapless mostly Palestinian erstwhile legal owner/occupiers = murder for spoil (spoil = soil, also by alien invaders = AIMs4S again vs. ELO/Os).

So much is *now* obvious (and indisputably so), and the 'now' stimulated the "Ah ha!" moment. Actually moments (plural); one thing led to another:

The minor "Ah ha" resolves into two parts, an observation/conclusion and a question;

Following 'needless' above, we observe a *pattern* emerging, typified by AIMs4S vs. ELO/Os; we see a series of wretched, invasive = aggressive wars by obscenely armed *alien* powers against hapless, innocent victims, under the aegis of the UN - the very organization primarily tasked with *eliminating by prevention* of all war. Clearly, fail*2 = outlaw, rogue-regime perpetrators & incompetent preventers, all corrupt & criminal.

2nd major conclusion: Murdering theft by an individual justifiably causes uproar (one is already one too many), but the so-called 'major powers' - from my 'save the planet' headline US+Z, F+UK, NATO+EU, with RUS & CHN (occasionally) abstaining - are *deliberately*, *routinely* murdering to steal, as *pre-planned policy*. Utter outrage!

Q; often deployed by our (sadly missed) co-blogger Ern: How do they get away with it? The answer to this is *the key*, since it leads directly to ...

A; the major "Ah ha:" Tip: See 'contrary to ... coincidences' above, one thing that distinguishes humans from monkeys = humans make detailed *plans*. Well, well, well (three holes in the ground (oil wells)); guess what - 2nd tip, consider this definition: conspiracy  n. (pl. -ies) 1 secret plan to commit a crime; plot. [POD].

-=*=-

C-theorists are mocked and denigrated (mostly by right-whingers)[*]; my 1st recall of such happening was when some idiot started accusing me of believing in some "flying spaghetti monster" (note that 'believing' is done by people in the absence of evidence; as a consequence, both in principle & practice, I do *not* believe (at all). I work on the balance of probabilities, based wherever possible on my own direct observations, or reports by trusted others.) A more 'normal' c-theory is that "Elvis is alive" etc., and another is some "alien invader" rubbish - interesting, because that's *exactly* what the victims of US+ wars in general are suffering from (*external* to US = aggressive), and in particular, the hapless ELO/Os of Palestine, via the continuing Deir Yassin-type attacks by the overwhelmingly not-from-there Zs. Then, there's 9/11 (denialist tasks: Explain 'pulling' WTC7, explain *all three* falling Oh, so neatly into their own 'footprints;' explain *all* the "known unknowns" ...) Perhaps the 1st noteworthy c-theory kerfuffle I'm aware of was that over the JFK assassination, try this and/or this.

*[Mini-update, 21Apr'11: Slagging-off c-theorists could well be a deliberate 'black-hat' strategy, along the lines of 'offence as defence.' We know that both the CIA & Pentagon have 'offices of disinformation' [n. false information, propaganda.[POD]], i.e. 'Total Information Awareness' & 'perception management' (... cover and deception, and psychological operations) etc., and it only makes sense to muddy the waters as much as possible, if not deliberately 'seed' nutty conspiracies - so that people seriously doubting the Iraq 'excuse' or the official 9/11 line, say (the latter both risible & 'beyond physics') - can be negatively equated with the real nut-jobs. That the PPP = pushed-propaganda paradigm is coordinated is actually another brick in the conspiracy-wall. A deployed trick is 'the narrative,' a method employing a fictional-framework to keep all the lies flying in close formation. This in turn implies the 'black-hats' briefing the (corrupt & venal) MSM - observe for yourself; yet another brick. Note that deceiving voters is a deadly, undemocratic & anti-democracy crime; only fair & fully informed voters may make rational voting decisions.]

Penultimate tip is dual, and comes as a pair of Qs: 1) In context, exactly what would be 'unspeakable,' and 2) is secrecy a problem in a (proper) democracy?

Answer(s) as a riddle:

 "The last temptation is the greatest treason:
  To do the right deed for the wrong reason."

Of course, since it's a riddle, the 'right deeds' under discussion are not right at all - but totally wrong, and criminal 'to boot;' there is no reason behind criminals except these two, a) the desire to take = steal something-not-theirs and b) naked, ultimate psychopathy - 'ultimate,' since they don't 'merely' lie, nor cheat *so much*, but rather as well and as a 'primary option,' they kill, here mass-murder, in order to steal. It just doesn't get any worse than that (with the possible exception of arbitrary killing for its own sake). The only thing in my (actually, TSEliot's) riddle that's true is "the greatest treason."

I've considered the thought, Q: Must I name names? A: No easy way out.

In the book review cited above ("Unspeakable"), the reviewer couldn't restrain him/herself; s/he gave the answer away, although reviews are not supposed to do that. One assumes that 'the answer' was/still is simply too important. Then, if there was a conspiracy going on - by definition secret, by definition criminal, a grave threat to the nation if not the entire world - whose actual job would it be, to find (and expose, even correct) such? A: DIY = do it yourself; both you the reader (identifying the prime-perpetrators) and they, the covert operators (who are themselves doing the dirty deeds). Last tip: Gamekeeper turned poacher.

Recall from above: "they have form ..." and we just don't 'do' coincidences.

One other thing, before we 'move on' from the prime-perpetrators (CIA, as if you hadn't guessed; possibly including FBI+), this:

«The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society[*]. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ...We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of ...»
[wiki/Propaganda/Bernays]

*[Mini-update, 21Apr'11: The wording "is an important element" is wrong, probably deliberately, maliciously so. It's the result of a similar process whereby neoliberal = voodoo economics was *forced* upon us, and indicates that corrupt-academia is also part of 'the problem.' We are propagandised, partly because our so-called 'leaders' cannot trust us to vote the way they'd like us to (the other part is so we will 'accept' their crimes - by having them disguised); see Hamas, see most of the Arab/Muslim tyrant/dictators supported = encouraged, armed & trained by the US.]

Recall the definition: «conspiracy  n. (pl. -ies) 1 secret plan to commit a crime; plot.»

*Exactly because* they attempt secrecy, AND they should be pretty good at it (after all, it's their business!) - THEN evidence will be scarce to non-findable; we turn to deduction, perforce:

Consider Eisenhower's warning vis-à-vis the Military Industrial Complex = (US) M/I-plex; partly because 'it is not simple,' things have progressed a bit since then; we now add C = Congress (the 'best' that $s can buy!) - and interestingly, *traitorously*, the press = 4th Estate, aka the (corrupt & venal) MSM, *also* including signifigant bits of publicly-financed, 'national' broadcasters.

Ta ra! - This now extends the prime-perpetrators by adding the M/I/C/4-plex, to which we also add the self-explanatory I/J/Z-plex.

Q: Is there really *no* evidence? A: No, look around.

The (US/Z, UK, F etc.) M/I-plex is obvious; they are attacking. Prediction: Wars - resource-wars, murders for spoil by alien invaders = AIMs4S - will get worse, much worse, before they get better, if ever at all.

C-example: Despite changing from 'Tweedledee' to 'Tweedledum' = supposed opposites; i.e. Aus Lib to Lab, US Rep to Dem, UK Lab to Cons, the wars go on = bipartisan = un- & anti-democratic = the voters have *no* effective choice.

4-example 1: I 'grew up' listening to the AusBC. I was *not* correctly informed vis-à-vis Israel, and was largely ignorant of the I/J/Z-plex depredations = vicious crimes (ethnic cleansing via genocidal attacks = outrages) against the hapless ELO/Os of Palestine. Bad, Aunty. Damnable = criminal, in fact.

4-example 2: Until recently (internet), *all* info came to us via the news 'gatekeepers;' it is obvious that we were and are still being lied to *by* politicians (amongst others), but the lies are often *assisted/augmented* by the 4th-estate itself (NYT/Judith Miller as definitive example, but see also most Murdoch rags, theAge/Parkinson, RN/B'fast - the list is as looong as it is infamous.)

4-example 3, actually a "mini-Ah ha!:" It has bothered me, as to how the AusBC can act so badly. Theory: They are in-like-Flynn on the conspiracy (*have* to be; 'news' is their (Uni-degree) business, but if *I* can see their lies ..) - but they're not so much so on the $s. Sooo, they can be cheeky to the politicians, knowing full-well that they have the 'perfect' blackmail backing them, and they censor truth&justice seekers' comment-inputs out of sheer, pathological spite. Repeat: Bad, Aunty. Damnable = criminal, in fact and deed.

[Mini-update, 21Apr'11: Again from the clandestine nature of 'the problem,' we are stuck with deduction (in the absence of a definitive leak, unlikely but possible); my list is sure to be incomplete. What of banksters, say? Must be involved, even if this triggers the 'Jewish banker' denigratory storm from the un- & anti-democratic r-whinger corps. Q: How else does a debt-crisis 'arrive,' unless constructed by banksters? This recalls 'no coincidences,' we can be sure that the massive crimes are coordinated (TINA = there is no alternative), and that the criminals must be combated - successfully.]

Fazit: I mooted a possible remedy; it's the same as previously mentioned in my 'save the planet.' Since things will not get better on their own, someone must do something to save us, soonest. That someone is me, you and our mates, i.e. almost everyone. A new political entity is needed; people-power to save our planet = PP2SoP. We all have to work together, cooperation instead of confrontation - the latter reserved for and aimed at our enemies, as identified in this article, all together they are the CIA (plus its illegitimate side-kick Mossad), the M/I/C/4-plex and the I/J/Z-plex.

Quite a lot arrayed against us - but we cannot, *must not* fail. The enemy, after all, are merely a tiny few; we are many. And the entire once jewel-like, life-supporting world is at stake = our lives, we the people, and our future. Must be worth a bit more than a try, push on to the win-win, for us and the planet? IF the will of the majority were to prevail - that's *our* will, we the people, THEN that'd only be (proper!) democracy in action?

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