SAR #12249

In large nation-states, sociopaths who would easily be unmasked in small groups, can rise to positions of power and influence. And do.

 Growth Industry:  State spending on higher education increased 21% in the 20 years from 1987 to 2007.  During the same period, spending on prisons increase 127% - mostly to incarcerate black Americans, while shifting the cost of education to students and delivering them to Wall Street to be indebted for life without parole.

Move Along, Nothing To See Here:   Don't worry about the end of “cheap food,” Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Barclays are poised to make a billions in rigging food commodity trading.

Stimulating:   The American Society of Civil Engineers gives US infrastructure a “D” and says we need to spend $2.2 trillion on repairs and maintenance – and more to improve and upgrade.   Sounds like a Good Idea.

Missing:  The D's 2012 platform does not comment on indefinite detention, racial profiling, warrantless surveillance and the progressive loss of civil rights, because...

Twilight Zone:  The ISM's manufacturing index is below 50% for the third month, indicating that US manufacturing is in trouble.  Worse, the ratio of the new orders index to the overall index suggests a broad economic downturn is approaching.

Bias:  Independent investment brokers – who are dependent on a positive outlook to bring in business – are remarkably positive.  Over 80% of them report being long – a disturbing level of departure from reality for those who tell others what to do with their money. 

Animal Farm:  Ohio’s Secretary of State, a Republican,  refuses to “restore early voting hours for all voters in Ohio until an appeals court examines a federal judge’s ruling that restored those rights.”   Some voters are more equal than other in Ohio.  Republicans, presumably.

Accountability:  The Bush Justice Department initiated an investigation into Sheriff Joe, so naturally the investigation was an Obama witch hunt. 

This Great Nation:    The average age children are trapped into prostitution in the US is 12 -13.  In Florida it is 10 – 11. Most are runaways. 

Myopia:  House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) thinks Labor Day is set aside to celebrate entrepreneurs and business owners.

Both Sides:  There's been a lot of concern voiced about the fall in the price of iron ore as China's demand drops, suggesting that the Chinese economy is slowing considerably.  But what about the folks at the other end?  Australia has gotten pretty used to profiting from digging up the ore and shipping it off to China.  

World Without End...  Everyone in the Euromarket seems dependent of someone – the ECB, the EU, the IMF, the Good Fairy – someone, to buy up all the sovereign debt, kiss it and make it respectable.  Who has that much money?  Are Martians going to buy up all the iffy paper?  Where's the Galactic Empire when you need them?

Echo, What Echo?  A quarter of all new car buyers can't afford the cars they are buying.  Can't possibly pay for them. But the subprime market is now the target – and for used cars, too.  What could go wrong?  Yeah, but beside that?

The Parting Shot: