No Guarantee

In solitude I hunger for the days of long ago. Where a gentle summer breeze carries me away to a world much different than now. A world filled with peace and tranquility though unrecognizable today. A world that has morphed into a harshness where many troubled souls continue to languish in quiet desperation hoping and praying for better times ahead. They too hunger and thirst for those days of so long ago. What should be a joyous coming holiday season millions the world over are caught in a whirlwind of despair. Then there are those so fortunate indeed who are too often caught up in selfish motivation that don't even realize how blessed their lives actually are. For they can't seem to fathom the realities so many face. Self embellishment, not the lest bit concerned of how others fare. Why they should concern themselves for the troubles others face. Shielded behind the wall of apathy where money plays it's part. They have taken for granted all that they have so why give the many thanks for their blessings so far? It always seem to be that the more materialistic people become the more they want. The many apathetic attitudes have carried over to this time of year.

The commercialism of today has set the tone for more selfish whims to be displayed. It is no more apparent than what se see today that many can't wait to rush through Thanksgiving only to run out the door in hopes of beating the growing crowds besieging so many stores. The avalanche of humanity stampeding to get the latest gadget is not a wonder to behold. Lost in translation of the holiday season is the fact that today society has been corrupted by what really doesn't matter. Lost is the reverence of this time of year now replaced by commercialism glorifying materialistic majesty in practically every facet of genre.

It is around this time of year that it never ceases to amaze the display of gluttony by so many has only gotten worse while millions the world over lay impoverished where just having shoes on their feet would be celebration enough. But, there still no guarantee for those many souls who wait so desperately hoping this time of year their days of suffering, woe and despair will finally disappear.

The clock is ticking, no time to spare, are days may be numbered no joy to renew. After years of disingenuous policies by the powers that be have squandered the hopes and dreams of much of humanity. The hopes and dreams have all died on those vines of so many lost opportunities. They have taken away the avenues to success and in the process have intensified the tempests of torment around the world today. The struggle for survival continues to mount. To think the troubles are a world away as many a politician continues to say is a plain distortion of reality today.

What should be a festive time of year is clouded over by doubt and fear. But, for many are oblivious, don't seem to care for the commercialism they see has been overwhelming displacing the realities. No benevolence they share, where selfish motivation is all that they care. Even many of the powers that be continue to assault the impoverished multitudes who continue to grow in numbers with each stroke of the pen. The reversal Robin Hood mentality has already taken hold. Just look at the numbers of late for they underscore the real dangers we face. But, then again leave it to our most prestigious members of state where already have common core curriculums in place in every state. Where 3 X 5 = not 15 but some unknown figure that remains to be seen. It is not any wonder now why we can't get it right.

Without that helping hand that so many need those financial wizards of Washington have stopped extending that helping hand. They can't seem to understand what they have done. In short sighted thinking have exasperated an already feeble economy. Unfazed, they continue to cease to amaze the acumen to which they famously ignore the very public that they are supposed of serve. It is no more evident with this coming year for millions of Seniors their plight only worsens. When our dubious legislators passed legislation concerning Social Security where cost of living increases make it possible for seniors to stay in their homes, buy food, pay utilities, and keep paying those Medicare Part B premiums that have increased this year will get no cost of living adjustment. A cost of living adjustment that still won't keep pace with all the other rising costs of today just because gas prices per gallon we pay at the pump today are not as costly as they once were. It really is a perverted sense of equation when it comes to cost of living adjustments for our seniors.

To add salt to the wound as they say over 600,000 seniors already are in reverse mortgage foreclosures. And, without a cost of living increase the prognosis is that thousands more will be faced with foreclosure. All those TV adds that we see more frequently today when either Fred Thompson or Henry Winkler push reverse mortgages as a useful financial tool are really beguiling the public into thinking that it is free money when in reality all reverse mortgages are nothing more than a home line of credit that has to be paid back with compounding interest. Leave it to Einstein who visualized compounding interest as the eighth wonder.

Now when government has almost come to an impasse the points of contention have always been placed on the backs of our citizens who can least afford the luxuries that many of our powers that be take for granted. No shame or remorse from the powers that control. But, for us depending on safety nets in place there is actually no guarantee. One day for certain just when we can't say if policies are not changed those guarantees that we have depended upon for life's basic necessities will be ripped away.

There is still time to thwart impending catastrophe but only through collective participation can a democratic republic survive. It takes a united effort to wield the sword of equality in this time of need. To get back to a semblance of those wondrous days of yesteryear would be so refreshing for many this time of year. Where peace and understanding held us together. The guarantees we had then were honored and not take for granted. When there was not just Social Security but pensions were taken, and one could actually put some of their paychecks in savings where there was an actual interest rate that rewarded savers. Many a baby boomers parents could be assured of these three guarantees. The effort is needed now to guarantee that the future is there for all to share.

The torch will pass this next November so that a new generation should be guaranteed that the avenues of success will not be blocked and the safety nets for all those in need will be their lending that helping hand to overcome life's adversities. To secure the future of this nation requires the knowledge to use the tools that are available is up to each and everyone of us. No longer can we lie in apathy. A collective caring contributing to ending the quagmire that has squandered too many avenues of economic growth and stability for far too many Americans has to be the choice we make. Dr. Tim G Williams

The Great Commodity Crash

After four nationalized TV debates the cast of Republican contenders continue to show a resolute in self embellishment on how they and they alone are the next great savior of our nation. But, it was in this latest show of showmanship by all that underscored the embodiment of failing to grasp just how fragile our economy really is. An economy that is so fragile it is right on the verge of falling into an abyss where there is no return. So many missed opportunities to educate the viewing public on what are the actual causes of why the American Dream is out of reach for many millions of Americans today. And, not to mention not one word was uttered about the drastic effects that climate change has on the overall economy. Then of course everyone on that stage is in denial that "Big Oil" is a leading cause of carbon emissions.

There was one golden opportunity to show some resolve in securing the nations economic stability. But, again failure to capitalize on two specific questions asked by the moderators only precluded that everyone on that stage sought to out point the other. When asked would you bail out the banks should another financial crisis hit like it did in 2008 they all missed the mark. What should have been explained entails that when a person deposits money into a bank whether it is a checking, savings or CD account that money is now property of the bank courtesy of the new financial policies that went into effect this past summer. In essence your money is now the banks. In the event that the bank has made bad investments with your money they bear no responsibility to you, the depositor. Regardless of whether it is an FDIC insured financial institution or not those bad investments are the bank's responsibility. But what happened in 2008 when the government bailed out those same financial institutions that risked it all on failed investments that money from the government did not go back to depositors. All the billions of dollars that was funneled back into the financial sector was borrowed to begin with and all it did was put the country further in debt. That government bailout did not go back to her very people that helped these financial institutions ability to make those risky investments. The end result today is that these same financial institutions have amassed more funds in order to again make extremely risky investments that have all the earmarks of causing another great financial crisis.

Again, this past debate and even the Democratic debates have missed the mark to educate the public on just how bad our whole economic future really is. Today, many economists also have failed to surmise the potential catastrophe lying in wait poised to strike untold devastation on the United States. We must remember that history is an invaluable resource. In remembering what other nations have gone through is a great indicator to understanding the consequences of failing to act to prevent similar scenario's. For 40 years after World War II, one economy was the envy of the world. Its goods were exported globally, spurring incredible growth. Due to the diligence and foresight of General Douglas MacArthur Japan became the economic engine that rivaled the United States. By the late 80s Japan's stocks and housing market were on a massive bull-run. Its corporations were dominating the skylines of cities across the world. Its products were lining the shelves of American supermarkets and department stores everywhere. Sounding familiar? It should because China is now dominating our store shelves. But, back in 1980 the Asian Tiger ruled. Iconic American brand names were and still are taking a back seat in the markets of the world.

The 1980's was an era of unprecedented awakening for the American manufacturing sectors. Our whole economy was now being driven by Japanese imports. Toyota dealerships were opening up on street corners all across America, even in Detroit. Cadillacs were being overtaken by Camrys, the coveted Mustang was overrun by Mitsubishis. All this while the Japanese stock exchange, the Nikkei jumped by over 920% eclipsing every other bull market run on stocks in history. Japan's real estate market soared and by 1989 a single square foot in Tokyo cost over $93,000. At that time it was the most expensive real estate in the world.

Japan was an emerging market success story unlike any the world had ever known, becoming a wealthy developed country in just three decades. And the consensus was almost unanimous: the Japanese were taking over the world. But, then to the shock of virtually everybody something went horribly wrong. The Japanese economic miracle started to rip apart. Its market began a precipitous slide. The Nikkei plummeted over 50% in just two years, and continued its slide to 80% into early 2009! Even today, the Nikkei is 50% off its 1989 high! The question is what happened to cause this sudden collapse?

The answer lies with the greatest resource that drives any economy and the fulfillment of the "Williams Theory of Economic Evolution" Today, the United States is faced with the exact scenario that doomed Japan into falling into their worst economic crisis since before World War II. For over 14 years Japan's stock market and economy declined and for the next 20 years they have only experienced a minor rebound. Still many never imagined Japan's depression would last that long and today not one political candidate is even mentioning or predicting the same fate that awaits the United States.

History is about to repeat itself yet again if we don't come to grips with this imminent threat to our economic future. What make this so dangerous for the security and stability of America's economy is that all the headlines are focused on gold, oil or water. Granted all are contributing factors that drive economies but the one resource that is failing to grab everyone's attention is people, the ultimate commodity. Still many will argue that one resource cannot send a market crashing and an economy into a recession or even a depression and yet history has proven it can time and time again.

In the latest report by the Federal Reserve over $84 trillion is directly affective by our population. When you look at the United States gross domestic product or GDP is only $18 trillion. All this means that the working populations economic impact is four times greater than our GDP, meaning that people are the ultimate force that drives markets. Now when you have political candidates wanting to deport immigrants or support trade agreement that only continue to decimate the American workforce, the very resource that drive economies just think of the double impact on our economic future. A major catastrophe awaits us.

Back in the 1950's through early 1960's the birth rate in the United States was around 96% today that birth rate has declined to where it stands at 28%. As it stands today the United States is facing a major shortage which will trigger a economic recession if not a full blown depression in the near future if we fail to address this now. Let's face the facts. Right after World War II birth rates increased so that over 109.2 million were born in just 18 years. Today that 109.2 million are know as the baby boomer generation which represent 32% of the population and over $46 trillion of the nations wealth. This generation now controls 77% of the net worth of the United states. We should point out that the average person now spends the most in proportion to their income at the age of 46. The accumulated wealth reaches it's peak when they reach the age of 64. The baby boomer generation is today's driving force of our economy. But, since 2007 this generation has begun withdrawing from the workforce and retiring. It should be noted that since the mid 1990's the middle class wage jobs were vanishing faster than the jobs created. In short we have had a job shortage with minimal wages which adds to the economic quandary we face today.

The combined impact of so many baby boomers retiring at a rate of over 10,000 per day with an estimated 50 million retiring within the next decade and the continued lack of middle class wage jobs with people filling those employment venues will have a very prolonged impact on the future stability of our whole economic future. When so many millions of skilled workers that are leaving the work force or have been forced out due to governmental policies that have enticed so many businesses to relocate outside the United States the income power that they possessed is lost. This is the crisis at hand.

Some say there is no solution yet it is these naysayers of political expediency are focused not on this most pressing crisis but on maintaining their ego's is the height of their hypocrisy. The economic impact now is being felt. The failure to achieve the Williams Theory of Economic Evolution in the United States is accelerating an economic crisis that will have devastating consequences that will reverberate around the globe. So what is the answer to bring more people into the United States and at the same time rejuvenate employment opportunities with real middle class wages so that instead of failing to achieve the Williams Theory of Economic Evolution the United States will in fact be the one economic engine that will power the third industrialized revolution. The answer lies in implementation of National Economic Reform's Ten Articles of Confederation. By Dr. Tim G Williams

Homeland Investment Act and the Dollar

The Swedish Newspaper Dagens Industri this morning published an article that tried to explain the much debated weakness of the Swedish Krona during the spring. According to the article, the U.S. Homeland Investment Act could provide a useful clue. The HIA has let U.S. firms repatriate profits earned abroad during 2005 and a Dollar/Euro chart suggests that it has had a dollar positive impact.

Dagens Industri provides a chart showing "U.S. direct foreign investment" to support its reasoning:
Looking for other opinions on the web, I came up with the following: The investment blog "Always Bet on Black" cautiously exclaimed itself to be "a modest USD bull" in early December. In October TaxProf had an estimate on the amount of repatrieated money tha he found to much exceeded estimates:

Well, here's what has happened: In nine months the law has increased the flow of repatriated foreign capital by a whopping $225 billion. J.P. Morgan estimates that another $75 billion will return to America in the fourth quarter. About half of these returning funds were profits from pharmaceutical companies and much of the rest from such high-tech firms as Dell, IBM and Intel. We can't resist noting that this $300 billion of repatriated capital is nearly double the estimate by Congress's hapless Joint Tax Committee, which had assured us this time last year that not a dime more than $165 billion would arrive. To quote Britney Spears: Oops, they did it again.

Maybe it is time now for the fall in the dollar that economists has been waiting for during quite a while?