Jocelyn's House Saved From Mortgage Auction

Now she has the time to Grieve for her Son, Killed in Iraq only a short time ago, Her Reality!!

I was just sent the following:

Friday was an historic day. At 11am, Jocelyne Voltaire was scheduled to lose her home in Queens Village, the home she had lived in for the past 20 years, the home where she raised her four children. Unable to keep up her skyrocketing mortgage payments, Jocelyne watched in horror as her home was put on the auction block. This amazing video clip by American News Project brought Jocelyn's plight to our attention.

At 9:05 am EST, we sent out an urgent call to our CODEPINK list. Our jaws dropped when we saw the response. Donations of $5, $25, $500, even $1,000! Within an hour, we had raised over $10,000. And the money kept pouring in, along with beautiful messages of support.

Jocelyne was moved to tears. And the mortgage bankers, with our immediate promise of $15,000 at 11am, were "moved" to stop the auction.

We did it!!! While our government has taken billions of our tax dollars to bail out the wealthy, we came together to bail out a desperate mother. Thanks to you, in one day we raised over $30,000 from 650 donors and showered Jocelyne with love and compassion. We modeled exactly what we want our government to do-bail out families facing personal disaster, not financiers.

Jocelyne still faces enormous hurdles, both financial and emotional. She has to pull herself out of a deep depression from the loss of her eldest son, a Marine who had served in the Gulf. She has to recover her health so she can start working again. She has to fix up her home so she can get renters to augment her income. And she still has to renegotiate her loan and make monthly mortgage payments.

But thanks to you, Jocelyne now has another chance. We found a wonderful pro-bono lawyer to help her battle the predatory lenders and restructure her loan. And after wiring the mortgage company $15,000, we will use the funds that keep coming in to help Jocelyne make her monthly payments and get back on her feet.

As we write, Jocelyne is feeling exhausted but renewed. She is ready to unpack the boxes she has been living out of for the past year. She now feels surrounded by people who want to lift her up, not toss her out. And she wants to use her experience to help others. At the press conference we held at the courthouse steps, surrounded by dozens of cameras, Jocelyne said: "To all of you facing similar disasters, don't be silent, don't be ashamed. Step forward and call out for help. That's what I did, and a miracle happened. These angels came to help me. We all have to pull together and help each other."

You are those angels and we at CODEPINK are in awe of you-your generosity, your compassion, your willingness to stand up for Main Street Americans. Now let's pull together in the coming months, as Jocelyne asked us to do, and move our government to do the same-bail out Main Street, not Wall Street.

Thanks for making miracles happen. Here's to Jocelyne, to you and to solidarity.

Dana, Deidra, Desiree, Farida, Gael, Gayle, Jean, Jodie, Liz, Lori, Medea, Nancy, and Rae

I had just woken from a nap, and was just going to post something, after doing abit of searching, about this. But I'll use the E announcement and see what else I can find.

This is the Video about what was happening:
Foreclosed Home Front: One Mother's Struggle

I had it in another post I've been trying to get up at my site, but the code change that the American News Project gives you to stop the video's from automatically starting doesn't work, so waiting to hear from them.

But I also had this in that post:

How Wall Street's Scam Artists......

The subject title is the first part of an Alternet post that finishes with Turned Home Mortgages Into Economic WMDs which is but a part of what brought about not only the collapsing economy here but in the money markets around the world, and in peoples lives.

The titans of high finance are trying desperately to shift blame for the crisis onto others, but this dead cat lies squarely on their doorstep.

And as we know more is coming out but still leaving most in a fog of what's coming, even the so called experts, most who put us here.

McClatchy and the American News Projecthave a series of video reports called Fallout on Main Street:

You can visit the McClatchy link to view a number of the Video reports.

And tonight, 10-18-08, as well as tomorrow, CNN introduces us to some of those who are playing the money game of the new capitalism that was created, top down, trickle down economy, on Wall Street.


CNN SIU: Fall of the Fat Cats

As the market tanked, the champagne flowed. CNN takes you inside the lives of Wall Street's rich and shameless. Watch an all new CNN SIU, Sat & Sun, 8 p.m. ET.

From the few cuts I've seen on this it looks to be interesting and rage invoking, lets hope those reporting aren't also caught up in the glitter of the false reality and give the straight facts about these folks, most knowing what they were doing but not caring as long as they came out with great wealth and lifestyles, burning that wealth, which when burnt doesn't trickle down, it just disappears.

Help Stop Voter Harassment, Early Voting and on Nov 4th at the Polls

On my trip over to ePluribus Media this morning I found this open thread Help Make Sure Every Voter's Story Gets Told in 2008, not long but with very useful information that was gathered from two other sources from yesterday, one found here at daily kos about incidents at early voting polls here in North Carolina and also sourced at Andrew Sullivan at The Atlantic

Regardless of your political alignment, nobody -- from any party, special interest or group, has the right to interfere with your right to vote for the candidate of your choice.

There was a short form that can be filled out and sent to the VoterStory website


On a visit to VoterStory this is what I found:

The VoterStory web widget is programmed to collect and classify voter complaints in real time across the Internet and will provide a data feed of complaints that can be addressed in real time by Voter Protection groups who partner with VoterStory. Originally developed for the 2006 General Election, the VoterStory Web Widget is distributed web technology that enables a broad and expandable network to easily place sophisticated voter protection functionality on news, organizational web pages, blog and social media sites such as FaceBook or MySpace.

The VoterStory widget will be active on November 4, 2008. Complaints generated in the General Election will be shared with election protection partners.

Please download the widget and put it on your website today.

How the VoterStory.org Web tool works

1 On Election Day, the voter completes the form with their story.

2 When they hit "submit" their information is transmitted to voter protection organizations who will be standing by to intervene or lend support if necessary.

3 The voter also receives an email confirming that their story was transmitted.

4 Voter information is entered into a database of election incidents.

5 Voter Protection groups receive live information about voting problems during the election.

{You can get the above interactive form embed code to place at your sites at VoterStory}

Did a quick search, the local Charlotte Observer didn't seem to have any reports about yesterdays happenings, probably because it never got to the calling in the police stage, but I'll be keeping an eye on that paper as well as other papers around the state. But did find these:


ACLU Demands Halt To Intimidation Of Lawful Voters

"The Ohio Republican Party ought to stop harassing innocent voters. First they challenged newly registered voters' right to vote absentee, and now, after the courts turned them down, the party is continuing to imply wrongdoing by undertaking a sweeping investigation of legitimate voters for simply having the nerve to lawfully cast a ballot. Voting is a right. It should not be treated as a crime."

Voter harassment claims rolling in

"My guess is (the complainants) are probably some folks who have some motivation for doing so," Swain said. "I'd find it hard to believe any of our volunteers are doing anything else."

Mark Owen, chairman of the Vanderburgh County Democratic Party, denounced the reports of voter harassment as the work of Republicans.

"This is just another attempt by the Republicans ... to embarrass the Obama campaign and the Democrats to suppress the vote," Owen charged. "If they have witnesses and evidence, bring it forward and those people should be prosecuted."

Protecting the Vote: Know Your Rights

Republicans this year have stated they will use voter challenges as intimidation and harassment to reduce the vote in the hopes of helping John McCain win the presidential election.

Now if you witness or might be harassed yourself after filling out the form and clicking to send you can visit the ePluribus Media link above, they have a link in the post to also send them the information that can than be archived and used as research material on Voting.

Debate Avoids Wars - Video Loaded

No need for any narrative by me, let the video's speak for themselves, and follow the links at bottom for more.

Police Outside Debate Charge, Injure, Arrest Veterans














More videos and narative available at Be the Media

And a Short writeup at Huffington

Iraq Action Days Oct. 24 Nat'l Symposium

At this year's Iraq Action Days, EPIC supporters came to Washington DC to urge the Bush administration and Congress to do more to help innocent Iraqis affected by the war. Among the hundreds who participated was Kevin Murphy, an Iraq War veteran and Rutgers law student who has been a passionate advocate for Iraqi refugees since his return home.

Iraqi refugees on the move.Following Iraq Action Day, Kevin Murphy went back to his campus and got to work. Today, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Kevin and his colleagues at Rutgers, we are proud to announce the next step in bringing the urgent humanitarian crisis to the center of our national discourse on Iraq:

IRAQ AT THE CROSSROADS: Protecting Refugees,
Rescuing Our Allies, and Empowering Iraqi Law
A National Symposium at Rutgers School of Law, Newark, NJ
October 24th, 2008 (Friday), 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
Rutgers Law Record

This important conference will explore the plight of Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons, the unique dangers faced by Iraqis who helped the U.S., and how existing Iraqi law can be empowered to create peace in the country. Learn from and network with fellow activists, knowledgeable experts, and organizations taking humanitarian action for peace in Iraq.

Gathering two weeks before the Presidential election, featured speakers include Iraqi Judge Ra'id Juhi of the Saddam Hussein trial, Congressman Bill Pascrell, Emily Gish of Mercy Corps, Bob Carey of International Rescue Committee, Zahir Janmohamed of Amnesty International, Sam Parker of the U.S. Institute of Peace, Kirk Johnson of the List Project, and Hilary Ingraham of the U.S. State Department.

We hope you will join us on October 24th for this powerful symposium on the Iraq Crisis. For more information please visit: Rutgers Law Record

Sincerely,
Erik
Erik Gustafson
Executive Director
Education for Peace in Iraq Center

P.S. EPIC has set up a scholarship fund to help offset travel costs for students and other low income participants who wish to attend. If you'd like to contribute, donate today "on behalf of the Rutgers Scholarship Fund."

The Education for Peace in Iraq Center works to build peace through the advancement of human rights, humanitarian relief and sustainable development that benefits all Iraqis.


If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up with EPIC.


Education for Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC)
900 Second St. NE, Suite 216
Washington, DC 20002
202-682-0208

Lets Re-Visit the Flyers Puck Drop {Video not seen? and Pics}

No wonder the hockey puck, whoops, hockey mom dressed her youngest daughter in a Flyers Shirt and led her onto the ice, using her, as she even said, as a Political Tool to try and silence the crowd!


Take a look at the reception received on arriving at the rink outside.


The following pics and the video link to the FOX 29 News Report, which I moved to a couple of video saver sites, was posted at the VFP group board site by brother 'Nam Vet Bill Perry, Service Officer Disabled American Veteran CSO, who sigs with this:

Make ANY ERROR in the VA Claims maze, & you'll be forced into a 2 year Appeal process Get Expert Advice, Evaluations, & Treatment

Bill is a member of the Delaware Valley Veterans For America as well as a Disabled American Veteran and member of VVAW, VFP, VFW, and VVA


And who has given me permission to pass all this on.


Lets first watch the FOX 29 report {many may not have seen this video report, many have seen the YouTube one}





Gotta say, I think the reporter is enjoying doing this one, wonder why.


Now to move on to what met the self described 'Hockey Mom' outside as she arrived at the rink, using some of Bill's descriptive narrative:

The Philadelphia Flyers were known as the "Broad Street Bullies" before and
after they won their back to back Stanley Cup Championships in the 70's.
Billy Penn, atop City Hall, in the middle of Broad Street, seems to have turned his back on Gov Palin, in this photo
The adjacent pic was the theme of our Saturday Rally... To reduce
Mechanical McCain & Silly Sarah to the cartoonish characters that they are.

Click on Pics to View Larger Image

This photo is Yours Truly, BP (Green VVAW shirt), & Viet Nam, Iraq, & Delaware Valley Vets banner.
Inaccurately, Historical Revisionists & Democrats call McCain a "war hero"

Okay, before moving on let me give abit of explanation to what Bill writes next. He's abit descriptive but actually if you've never been in a Theater of Occupation and War his description only gives a short picture of what you might see, and see over and over, especially if a grunt in the jungles or on patrols, and in 'Nam riding the rivers on the attack boats.


McCain was a fighter pilot, they got their targets, or calls from the field, to drop their bomb loads or strafe with heavy gun fire, never seeing the destruction done except from air photo's or ground photo's, never up close and personal. During McCains time, and for much of the conflict, we were Nixon had the policy of Carpet Bombing the North which naturally led to many G.I.'s being killed and maimed in the South as well as to the torturing of the POW's that were being held continuing after McCain got shot down. These pilots weren't flying Choppers, who actually did see what War is, they were flying thousands of feet above the ground and dropping their WMD's, bombs geered to do a variety of damage, this is why Bill writes this, and I include it:

When McCain & I were in Viet Nam, all the military age men from the
North were down South, fighting me & my fellow "Boonie Rats"

McCain was raining death on the Women, Children, Babies, and old folks
in the North, while we fought the VietNamese men {I was all around the Parrots Beak
of Cambodia, where the Ho Chi Minh Trail dumped out} as they tried to expel the American Invaders.

McCain was raining death on the innocent Women, Children, Babies, and old folks
in the North at 400 mph. ... In an ILLEGAL WAR.

The U.S. DoD estimates we killed over 2,000,000 folks in AIRSTRIKES. Ain't nothing funny about
finding a baby's torso covered by it's Mother's upper body, then finding BOTH their heads, and some arms & legs in the same damn BOMB CRATER, and counting the same Mother & Child's scattered body parts as 8 KIA's.
Then we'd move on to the NEXT bomb crater.

While respect was there for these pilots, they were trained and doing their jobs, outside of the few migs the North had, that was the reality of their jobs and nature of these wars, they are called Top Guns when the Real Fighting wasn't happening in the skies, it was happening on the ground, in the South, not the North, where Thousands of Soldiers and Innocents were being Killed and Maimed!!


Those who've been there understand, those who haven't should try and understand better, much better, so this is one reason for what greeted the extremely inexperienced VP candidate running with the war hero.

The Police told the Philadelphia Inquirer that 400 of us showed up... That means there were about
800 of us, on BOTH sides of BROAD STREET, for the whole block, and on the center Island

The Gov Palin Motorcade approaches, and IVAW Iraq Vet Gordie Lachance ( 19 Delta Cavalry Scout,
and Garrett Reppenhagan's Squad Leader) prepares to signal us to "choke" the South Bound Broad Street Access.

The Secret Service puts candidates in one of 6 or 8 Chevy Suburbans, in random position, and I missed
a photo of Palin, but 800 rowdy folks lining both sides of Broad Street had REALLY visably shaken poor
little Hockey Mom.
I came home from 'Nam in '68. I have harrassed the Republican ticket in ALL 11 Presidential Cycles since '68.
Reagan, both Bushes, Nixon and Ford, AND their running mates, all tried to do a hearty and haughty fake grin and wave, when accosted by Demonstrators.
Silly Sarah must believe her own hype, because she was visibly shaken, and actually frightened by us Labor, Vet, GLB&T, & Poor Peeps, FIRED UP !
We could actually see her slumping lower and lower in her seat, scared shitless. It was PRICELESS !

The excitement, and espirit de corps was palatable

NOBODY's BUYING SARAH's BULLSHIT in PHILLY !

What I found most interesting was that over the 11 Presidential Cycles that I've harrassed Republican
Presidential Tickets, this is the FIRST TIME that a lot of the Cops seemed to laugh at the Secret Service,
and their Secret Service anal-compulsive nervousness.
AIN'T NOBODY BUYING McCain-Palin BULLSHIT , in Philly !

Most Vietnam Vets had respect for John McCain especially for what he went through, even though if there are hero's from 'Nam and there are, for Soldiers fight to protect each other, themselves, as well as the innocent civilians.


But if what I keep hearing over and over from a number of 'Nam Brothers and Sisters he has Lost that Respect with the way he's running for the CiC and Presidential Office and his pick of this Sarah Palin to run with him, they have taken themselves down to the level of the handfull of those 'Nam Vets calling themselves 'swifties' from the last election and the level their once political party, the GOP, now exists in it's attempt to destroy this Country and build an Imperial one party Dictatorship with No Constitution!!

Brave New Foundation: In Their Boots Webcast 15

Topic: Volunteerism A Good Cause Chapter 2

Originally aired on October 8th, 2008

Grace Park
Student Volunteer
CAUSE - Comfort for America's Uniformed Services

Paul Park
Student Volunteer
CAUSE - Comfort for America's Uniformed Services

Jon Karanopoulos
Liaison
CAUSE - Comfort for America's Uniformed Services




Courtney Lavelleye
One of her greatest friends describes her best: "Courtney is the energetic, all-American girl." The 18-year-old high school senior from Potomac, Maryland, is more or less the ringleader of a three-person crew - Courtney, Ellie, Grace. While many of their classmates have been sleeping in on the weekends, Courtney and her two best friends have spent the past two years volunteering every Saturday at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Inspired by the work she has done at the hospital, Courtney's goal is to pursue a career as civilian nurse for a military treatment facility, like Walter Reed.

Grace Park
Grace, also 18 years old, is the valedictorian at Bullis High School. As Ellie says, "She's good at everything - she's all around amazing." She does have two rooms with two closets to fit all her clothes, but Grace is the first to admit she lives in a sheltered upper-class suburb, or as she calls it, "the Potomac Bubble." It's something she discovered while volunteering with Courtney and Ellie at Walter Reed. The experience for her was eye opening and, like the other girls, life changing. The lucky one of the group, she'll be attending nearby Georgetown University this fall, and will still be able to pop in for visits at Walter Reed.

Eleanor Gass
Originally from England, 18-year-old Ellie Gass is also a senior at Bullis High School in Potomac, Maryland. Out of the three girls, she's the self-described 'athlete' of the group, which became a bonding point for her and many of the patients at Walter Reed. Like Courtney, Ellie has been so deeply impacted by what she's seen and experienced at Walter Reed, that she's now hoping to pursue a future career in physical therapy.

Not For The Weak Stomach - Reality of War!! {UpDated}

Salon has this up at their site and I'm sure we haven't heard the end of this incident, or like others maybe we have!!


The only way that doesn't happen is if You, the Citizens Of This Country, Make Sure It Gets Investigated and Indictments come down, not for the Soldiers but for those in Leadership, Top Down!!


Friendly fire in Iraq — and a coverup


The Army says no, but a graphic video and eyewitness testimony indicate that a U.S. tank killed two American soldiers. The mother of one soldier demands answers.


I'm not going to give you much here, but Watch the Videio's, warning included, and use the above links, than slam your Representatives with the needs to investigate, help these soldiers Families and this Nation!

Editor’s note: Mark Benjamin’s friendly fire investigation contains 1) the main article, 2) video documentation {Video's Below} and 3) the Army’s own report on the killing of Nelson and Suarez.

The main article starts out with the following:

Oct. 14, 2008 | PHILADELPHIA — Once a cop, always a cop. Asked if she wanted to see a graphic battle video showing her son Albert bleeding to death, Jean Feggins, retired from the Philadelphia Police Department, said yes.

“Listen, I’ve moved dead bodies of people I don’t even know,” she told me, as she sat on a brown couch in the den of her West Philadelphia row house. “I need to know everything. Because he is not a stranger. That’s my baby. That’s my child.”

Listen carefully.

Helmet-cam footage from Ramadi, Iraq (12-min. edited version). Warning: Contains graphic violence and profanity.



An interview with Jean Feggins, mother of Pfc. Albert Markee Nelson, who died of wounds received in the alleged friendly fire incident.



This report is five pages at the site, at the bottom of each page there's a title for the next, below are these titles:

“Dude, I’m almost positive that was that tank, because I saw him flash”


“We know it was a tank. They got an ass whooping coming. That’s all I got to say”


“It is fucking plain as day that the tank shot at the building I was in and killed two of my friends”


“He said, ‘He was killed instantly. He was killed so fast that he didn’t have time to feel pain’”


Accountibility for all that this Country, and much of this World, have been put through, leading up to the Financial Collapse, must be one of the first Orders of this Countries Business when the Civilian Leadership Changes, taking with them many in the Military Ranks as well.

"Bring Them Home NOW, and Take Care Of Them When They Return"

UpDate

New probe sought in servicemembers’ deaths
Lawmaker petitions Army after video of battle suggests friendly fire

Finally A Heartwarming 'Wasilla Alaska' Story

Wasilla, nobody knew about that little Alaskan town unless from Alaska. Wasilla's favorite daughter, what is it now 5 or 6 weeks ago few ever heard the name Sarah Palin and apparently those that did didn't know much about her either, even Alaskans are quickly finding out that apparently they didn't really get rid of the corruption and incompetence in the Alaskan Governors office when electing Sarah who ran on cleaning it up and honest government.


Now Wasilla and Sarah Palin are well known in the lower 49, and yes Hawaii is below Alaska despite where some maps of the U.S. put it.


But this isn't about the hockey mom nor really about Wasilla except for one of the residents of.


It is about a Soldier's source of hope, and that soldier, John Shaubach, who is an Alaskan veteran struggling with PTSD, and was reunited with his long-lost dog.


I don't know anything about this except what I read in this article I just caught, link above.

On Friday, Sarha Shaubach made the hour-long drive from her Wasilla, Alaska, home to the Anchorage airport by herself.

The winding road between the mountains carries too strong a reminder of convoys through Afghanistan for her husband, John Shaubach, a veteran suffering from a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder.

But Sarha brought her husband's hunting jacket with her.

When she reached the kennel crate, Sarha put the jacket against the door. The bone-thin black Lab inside sniffed the jacket and jumped.

Zeus knew he was almost home.

I want you to clink the link and read about how and where Zeus was found but a few snippets won't hurt.

On the way home to Wasilla, Sarha bought Zeus five cheeseburgers and a large order of fries.

He devoured them in seconds. Then he started to crawl on Sarha as she drove. He slurped at her face and then licked a pearl earring right out of her ear.

It goes on to describe, briefly, John's meeting with Zeus when Sarha finally arrived at their home.

Sarha has been worried John's condition will worsen as Alaska's long, dark winter settles in, when her husband won't be able to go duck hunting or take long walks in the woods.

She still is.

But Sarha hopes reconnecting with his old friend will give her husband a renewed sense of purpose. And hope.

They have this at the bottom of the article:


AT A GLANCE

John Shaubach served 22 years in the Army with the 82nd Airborne Division. He led men in combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan, earning a purple heart and a bronze star.

Now retired and living in Alaska, Shaubach is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and the effects of a traumatic brain injury. He has repeatedly had difficulty receiving the care he requires from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The York Daily Record/Sunday News wrote about Shaubach in June, after his sister, Melissa Gieniec, a dental assistant in Springettsbury Township, went to visit him.

According to the VA, Shaubach is one of more than 75,000 veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan to receive treatment for PTSD at either a VA medical facility or a Vet Center.

You can read the previous story about him at in our veterans and military affairs special section.

Wasilla, just like any American Town, politicians and all, but with Real People and Real People stories, some heartwarming some heartbreaking, but American Stories all, and this one from Alaska which many of us down here know little about, till recently!

What's Coming Next, or Is Collapse Over, Nope!

I'm not an economist and the only real numbers I crunch are my personal expenses and when bidding construction jobs putting together those costs and percentages which in these latter years of my life, preferring more to do the work, I have done very little of, except while doing the work to bring a better quality for hopefully a bit cheaper cost in material and professional skill.


Watching what is now taking place in banking and the dream new capitalist economy that's been sold for a number of years isn't really a big surprise to this common man, many were forecasting exactly what would happen if we followed the sales pitch.


Following is a report from CBS that hits on the next shoe to drop or dropping already as we've seen with the collapse of a number of finance institutions but not yet talked about but part of what we the tax payers are already bailing out.


CBS News Investigates: Credit Derivatives Comprise $54.6 Trillion Of Risk Among Few Banks Left Standing

“This bill will, in my judgment, raise the likelihood of future massive taxpayer bailouts. …if you want to gamble, go to Las Vegas. If you want to trade in derivatives, God bless you.”

That was North Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan’s statement on the floor of the Senate - not this week or last, or even during the last six months as Wall Street collapsed - but back in 1999.

Four years later in a letter to shareholders, billionaire investor Warren Buffett followed with his own warning, calling derivatives “weapons of financial mass destruction” controlled by “madmen.”

Steve Kroft looks at some of the arcane Wall Street financial instruments that have magnified the economic crisis.

What worries financial insiders most is the $54.6 trillion of risky credit derivatives concentrated among the few banks left standing.

Today, the same commercial banking heavyweights thought to be the most safe, JPMorgan, Citigroup Inc. and Bank of America, hold 92 percent of all the disclosed credit derivative contracts, according to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency {PDF}.

There's another huge storm on the horizon, we've already been experiencing for many years but ignoring the size of the detestation coming. we've been sold another bill of goods, mostly by one particular political party, the GOP, and that bill of goods has been the thought process that a Nation in Deficit is a strong financial situation, much of those deficits monies heading into the pockets of the private sector while we the tax payer pay the monies needed and the ever rising interest accumulated as we borrow from other nations. They sold it so well that many think it's perfectly fine to live their own lives in personal deficit, using free wealth, Plastic and Loans!


CONSUMER CREDIT OUTSTANDING


The Next Meltdown: Credit-Card Debt

Rising rates are accelerating credit-card defaults and soured debt could further undermine the financial system

There's a video at the Business Week site above as well, and instead of talking about what may be coming, as to consumer debt, they talk about which cards are better for you, still selling the hype!


Federal Reserve Statistical Release


Standard of living squeezes middle class

Credit card and other consumer debt, not counting the dramatic growth in mortgages, has soared 150% since 1994, more than four times faster than inflation, ...

Ron and Laurie Kopack are educated, hard-working suburban Detroit homeowners who, by American middle-class standards, should have earned comfortable family evenings, a little peace of mind and a few luxuries. Instead, they are struggling.
Advertisement

Ron, an electrician, spent most of his summer living in a tent city while doing flood repairs in Iowa because he couldn't find work at home. Laurie, who just got a bachelor's degree but is paid only $15 per hour, faces $30,000 in student debt and a teenager coming of age with his dad often gone.

"The whole American dream, that's a snow job," Laurie says. "I mean, who tried to sell us that? Is that to keep us good consumers?"

The Credit Card Debt tsunami already breaking over us and how to fix it

Overall, Americans today carry $2.6 trillion in all kinds of consumer debt, up 24% from just 2003, according to the Federal Reserve.

We once had a Nation, not long ago, and never really worked completely right, but was on the road heading in what looked liked the right direction. We were envied around the world for our work force and products. Top executives made more money if their companies made better profits. Innovation came from employee's, long term, who through their hard work, dedication, and regular wage increases gave to their companies, second families, what was needed to enhance that companies reputation and customer satisfaction, building better profit margins. Investors were usually long term and as the companies grew saw their investments increase through regular dividends and reaped their gamble when selling usually when near or in retirement.


We shunned and condemned extreme profiteers and shady business practices geared for quick wealth of a few, we stopped doing business with companies that took short cuts in what they offered, products and services thus bringing them down and raising up further those that worked for their good reputations.


No longer, we've made a u-turn on that direction and now praise and hold up as successful those who we once shunned and condemned. They started using relatively simple schemes with little catch phrases and words to gain quick extreme wealth and stature in the society they were setting up, the workers became just bodies carrying out what was needed in the ever changing schemes, coming on quick enough so they weren't recognized as such.


We didn't stop what was happening, we readily joined in, many thinking that what was great for the few would somehow touch them as well raising them up to those lofty ranks, we even built lives around the coming rise, much of it on borrowed monies, living beyond the reality we really had.


What will rise out of the collapse of that which we built, or will anything rise!

Oh and by the way, the bin Ladens of the World, have won, as the economies of the advanced Collapse!