Comments on: Housing Bread and Circus: Foreclosures, Employment, Bazookas, and the World’s Largest Mortgage Bailout. http://www.doctorhousingbubble.com/housing-bread-and-circus-foreclosures-employment-bazookas-and-the-worlds-largest-mortgage-bailout/ How I Learned to Love Southern California and Forget the Housing Bubble Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:16:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nancy Fisk http://www.doctorhousingbubble.com/housing-bread-and-circus-foreclosures-employment-bazookas-and-the-worlds-largest-mortgage-bailout/#comment-44700 Nancy Fisk Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:16:55 +0000 http://www.doctorhousingbubble.com/housing-bread-and-circus-foreclosures-employment-bazookas-and-the-worlds-largest-mortgage-bailout/#comment-44700 Yeah, much too easy to dismiss the info here by calling us "conspiracy theorists" who wear "tinfoil hats." Facts are facts. An elite does have control of our government, and it's been this way for a very long time. Special interests have been running/ruining things for a long time now. What's to be done about it? These problems are way beyond partisanship. Both "sides" seem to kowtow to the money. What's to be done? In certain circles, one cannot even talk about such things, without being branded a "racist" or an "antisemite." I'm not sure that name calling will be so effective if things get much worse. It just makes me sad, so very very sad, to see authority abused in such a horrendous way, without any repercussions. Yeah, much too easy to dismiss the info here by calling us “conspiracy theorists” who wear “tinfoil hats.” Facts are facts. An elite does have control of our government, and it’s been this way for a very long time. Special interests have been running/ruining things for a long time now. What’s to be done about it? These problems are way beyond partisanship. Both “sides” seem to kowtow to the money. What’s to be done? In certain circles, one cannot even talk about such things, without being branded a “racist” or an “antisemite.” I’m not sure that name calling will be so effective if things get much worse.
It just makes me sad, so very very sad, to see authority abused in such a horrendous way, without any repercussions.

]]> By: Charlie http://www.doctorhousingbubble.com/housing-bread-and-circus-foreclosures-employment-bazookas-and-the-worlds-largest-mortgage-bailout/#comment-24049 Charlie Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:47:12 +0000 http://www.doctorhousingbubble.com/housing-bread-and-circus-foreclosures-employment-bazookas-and-the-worlds-largest-mortgage-bailout/#comment-24049 Do some people really think that to be against illegal immigration is racist? wow. Do some people really think that to be against illegal immigration is racist? wow.

]]> By: exit http://www.doctorhousingbubble.com/housing-bread-and-circus-foreclosures-employment-bazookas-and-the-worlds-largest-mortgage-bailout/#comment-24007 exit Tue, 09 Sep 2008 05:47:09 +0000 http://www.doctorhousingbubble.com/housing-bread-and-circus-foreclosures-employment-bazookas-and-the-worlds-largest-mortgage-bailout/#comment-24007 Complexity frightens most people. Also, as a nation, Americans seem to be both primarily trusting (good) and gullible (not good, or as Orwell might say, ungood, even double ungood). 200 years ago few people traveled further than 50 miles from their residences more than a couple times in their lives. 100 years ago, long distance travel was constrained to the still rather pedestrian pace of railcar. 10 years ago more people used snail mail than email, and landlines still outnumbered cell phones. At core, I think even the most misguided racist, anti-immigrant, and anti-semite "contributors" recognize that there is something profoundly amiss with the economic system in which we all reside. I feel more pity than rancor towards them; they've misapplied their valid displeasure and mis-identified the true miscreants who are responsible. That is, the Martians. No, wait! Just kidding. It's the 'ownership class' that created mechanisms like CDO's, and which successfully distract people with, for example, crap on TV. For the anti-semite, I dare you try to get a Jew into the Skull and Bones at Yale. For the anti-immigrant - um, where exactly did YOUR ancestors come from? Also, are YOU willing to pick strawberries for $2 a flat? For the racist, what happens to your pigmentation when you go into the sun? The level of complexity - so much information running through our brains (Police lyric, modified) is now so enormous that IMO most can't handle it, and revert to the simplest explanation. It's the "other's" fault - immigrants, races, generations, gender. But do they turn off the TV? Do they seek out solace in solitude, reflection, and service? Or do they believe that 'freedom' is equal to having a gasoline powered vehicle running at 85 mph down route 66? Math is not a rumor. Complexity is rampant in our lives. Accept this, and accept that there aren't any "answers" to the economic malaise that grips the world economy, other than letting the rigged game fall, and starting fresh. Complexity frightens most people. Also, as a nation, Americans seem to be both primarily trusting (good) and gullible (not good, or as Orwell might say, ungood, even double ungood).

200 years ago few people traveled further than 50 miles from their residences more than a couple times in their lives. 100 years ago, long distance travel was constrained to the still rather pedestrian pace of railcar. 10 years ago more people used snail mail than email, and landlines still outnumbered cell phones.

At core, I think even the most misguided racist, anti-immigrant, and anti-semite “contributors” recognize that there is something profoundly amiss with the economic system in which we all reside. I feel more pity than rancor towards them; they’ve misapplied their valid displeasure and mis-identified the true miscreants who are responsible.

That is, the Martians. No, wait! Just kidding. It’s the ‘ownership class’ that created mechanisms like CDO’s, and which successfully distract people with, for example, crap on TV. For the anti-semite, I dare you try to get a Jew into the Skull and Bones at Yale. For the anti-immigrant – um, where exactly did YOUR ancestors come from? Also, are YOU willing to pick strawberries for $2 a flat? For the racist, what happens to your pigmentation when you go into the sun?

The level of complexity – so much information running through our brains (Police lyric, modified) is now so enormous that IMO most can’t handle it, and revert to the simplest explanation. It’s the “other’s” fault – immigrants, races, generations, gender.

But do they turn off the TV? Do they seek out solace in solitude, reflection, and service? Or do they believe that ‘freedom’ is equal to having a gasoline powered vehicle running at 85 mph down route 66?

Math is not a rumor. Complexity is rampant in our lives. Accept this, and accept that there aren’t any “answers” to the economic malaise that grips the world economy, other than letting the rigged game fall, and starting fresh.

]]> By: ToadB http://www.doctorhousingbubble.com/housing-bread-and-circus-foreclosures-employment-bazookas-and-the-worlds-largest-mortgage-bailout/#comment-23998 ToadB Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:34:17 +0000 http://www.doctorhousingbubble.com/housing-bread-and-circus-foreclosures-employment-bazookas-and-the-worlds-largest-mortgage-bailout/#comment-23998 I'm stunned how everyone blames the individual, but nobody bothers to look what is driving our society. It's easy to blame the individual, but be honest, it's all around us: You can't turn on the tv without a shiny ad telling you how inadequate and unhappy you are without a certain product, and you should get it, because you "deserve" it. This is a consumer society where growth is measured in consumption. Wall Street economics warned in 2005 that we were heading for trouble, and the Fed had to stop in, raise the interest rates (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aD88.sUId1IM&refer=us), but it didn't happen, because that would have slowed "growth". This disaster didn't happen only because individuals took out loans they couldn't afford. There was a whole slew of institutions, supposedly full of experts, who should have known better, who not only allowed this happen, but actively participated and benefited from it. Check out this ad by Countrywide: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk5Op5lsZgo - Ironic isn't it? Or the CEO of Re/Max telling people in 2007 (!) that this is the time to buy, appreciation is guaranteed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD2_NmPevVs Issues like illegal immigration are red herring. If you want to get on your soap box, keep it relevant to the subject of real estate. Once you start spouting racism, bigotry, you lose credibility for good. I’m stunned how everyone blames the individual, but nobody bothers to look what is driving our society. It’s easy to blame the individual, but be honest, it’s all around us: You can’t turn on the tv without a shiny ad telling you how inadequate and unhappy you are without a certain product, and you should get it, because you “deserve” it.

This is a consumer society where growth is measured in consumption. Wall Street economics warned in 2005 that we were heading for trouble, and the Fed had to stop in, raise the interest rates (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aD88.sUId1IM&refer=us), but it didn’t happen, because that would have slowed “growth”. This disaster didn’t happen only because individuals took out loans they couldn’t afford. There was a whole slew of institutions, supposedly full of experts, who should have known better, who not only allowed this happen, but actively participated and benefited from it.

Check out this ad by Countrywide: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk5Op5lsZgo – Ironic isn’t it?

Or the CEO of Re/Max telling people in 2007 (!) that this is the time to buy, appreciation is guaranteed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD2_NmPevVs

Issues like illegal immigration are red herring. If you want to get on your soap box, keep it relevant to the subject of real estate. Once you start spouting racism, bigotry, you lose credibility for good.

]]> By: cariqunyil http://www.doctorhousingbubble.com/housing-bread-and-circus-foreclosures-employment-bazookas-and-the-worlds-largest-mortgage-bailout/#comment-23990 cariqunyil Mon, 08 Sep 2008 22:50:44 +0000 http://www.doctorhousingbubble.com/housing-bread-and-circus-foreclosures-employment-bazookas-and-the-worlds-largest-mortgage-bailout/#comment-23990 I don't think the "Great Creator" is the reason this country is great...it has to do with tremendous opportunity and a strong work ethic. Just within my 40 year lifetime, this has disappeared. Americans are becoming lazy entitled whiners who sue each other at the drop of a hat. The opportunities are gone as we now have an established upper class that pulls the strings in government to save itself at the cost of common people. Like the Doc says, there is a privileged inner circle of cronies who benefit, but it is always couched like it is helping the average American. We have become a nation of patsies for whatever Ponzi scheme they want to sell us. The immigration thing is just a wedge issue and is miniscule compared to the real problems we face due to the spendthrift mentality of the political party in power. I don’t think the “Great Creator” is the reason this country is great…it has to do with tremendous opportunity and a strong work ethic. Just within my 40 year lifetime, this has disappeared. Americans are becoming lazy entitled whiners who sue each other at the drop of a hat. The opportunities are gone as we now have an established upper class that pulls the strings in government to save itself at the cost of common people. Like the Doc says, there is a privileged inner circle of cronies who benefit, but it is always couched like it is helping the average American. We have become a nation of patsies for whatever Ponzi scheme they want to sell us. The immigration thing is just a wedge issue and is miniscule compared to the real problems we face due to the spendthrift mentality of the political party in power.

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