Raised in SoCal by a variety of military "aunts and uncles", I was always a pretty self-sufficient dude. I'd rather put a gun in my mouth than accept a welfare handout and feel Americans - with our traditions of innovation and manufacturing - have the capacity to turn the nation around if we A-put aside our differences and B-identify common objectives and C-ACT on those agreements, rather than emulate Washington and just talk about it over a spiked punch bowl.

As I listen to the growing voice across America and the recognition that all of the hoodwinking we THOUGHT was going on was just the tip of the iceberg, I wonder how many Americans CAREFULLY listened to the tape of the flight attendant during 9/11 and learned what I did: the accents of the hijackers heard in the background were Israeli. I wonder how many Americans carefully watched the videos of the 30+ FDNY firefighters telling the world of the bombs in the towers, or saw building 7 collapse despite nothing every hitting it. I wonder how many Americans heard the eye-witness interview of the Pentagon employee on the back loading doc who testified that the plane - that supposedly crashed into the building on one side - in fact flew away - right in front of that loading doc worker. Those videos and sound bites - what little evidence we have from that day - are out there and easy enough to examine for yourself - like a cool, calm headed juror. You don't need to bash me: I am not the Prosecution. I just told you what to look for - go judge for yourself and make up your own mind. And if you haven't examined the evidence and you allowed - or worse - supported the variety of wars we are engaged in, starting with that fateful event, and the rape of our economy, pensions, mortgages, rural ranches and farms, and of course our liberties to "make America safer", while they reduce your rights of honest, law abiding citizens to carry a firearm (last I checked, most folks feel safer with a well oiled, fully loaded firearm), well if you're gonna disagree about what happened back then - fine - you have an opinion and I have mine. If you're gonna disagree about the last 10 years since, fine - I say the governments con job has become a blatant mugging by bankers who control politicians, and you can say its just been tough luck or poor choices in Presidents, no matter what party you choose.

But after we get done disagreeing, lets see if we can find some agreements, and then ACT on that. Acting on knowledge or as a team does require a little effort, but I am going to make this easy for you.

Let's assume you and I can agree that most of the "STIMULUS", paid for by tax payers, did not really benefit tax payers, but went to rich corporations - especially banks. I don't know if you realize that 85% of stimulus thus far has gone to foreign corporations. Thank goodness the money made someone happy; hopefully they even speak english and sent some back to their friends in America.

Let's assume you and I can agree that American manufacturing has been in a decline for 20 years. The graphs show this, and you can look it up. Now let's assume you and I can agree that the stimulus did little to change that trend, and furthermore, with the tough competitor in the auto industry - Japan - currently experiencing some severe mfg issues, let's see if we can agree that now is a good time to jump in with both feet and get back in that game. Naturally, we can all buy Chinese cars in the back lot of Walmart for 1/2 the price, but hey, lets assume that a few folks out there are tired of buying "Made Elsewhere" t-shirts and cars, and have actually come to understand that Made in the U.S.A. is a good deal for American families. I promise you if your neighbor is a little richer, there really is an effect on your entire community and you're likely to see a raise - or even get a job - a whole lot sooner if prosperity of any kind starts a new trend in your neighborhood.

It just makes common sense and from cars and electronics "we used to make", to wind generators (now made in Shanghai), to solar panels (Korea), and the list goes on and on, can we please - after 20 years of losing our mfg base - all agree that paying up to twice the price for a Made in U.S.A. product might have changed the course of our nation and sent a clear message to any U.S. corporation that even thought about going elsewhere to hire?

Today the news told a horror story - again just the tip of the iceberg. GE - formerly a huge American Corporation, who moved their office to London a while back, and who manufacturers their wind turbines in (yup) Shanghai, paid no U.S. Taxes. I hope that this year you were so lucky. Naturally, they made a few dollars more than you did, and the way the tax code is structured, in the U.S. the more you make, the less you pay. That's not what the politicians tell you, but that is how it works out most of the time.

So I have an idea. Let's all agree that any firm that hires foreign labor, sells goods in the U.S., and pays no taxes, should have to pay for ... I dunno ... pick something ... how about all the teacher salaries for a given state, or all the money lost be Union Pensions, or houses for all the homeless mothers living in pup tents under freeway overpasses with their kids. I know these are rather "arbitrary" things to throw at foreign corporations, and lord knows if the govt. collected that money, barely 3% of it would make it to the intended recipients, but can we agree that foreign corporations selling goods here, who often pay no taxes, should contribute to "SOMETHING? SOMEWHERE? SOMEHOW?" to try to get America back in the saddle again? It doesn't make sense to me to impoverish a nation by outsourcing jobs, and then expect to come back the following day, week, month or year, and try to sell anything to communities that can barely afford peanut butter, let alone, the hottest electronic gizmo or fastest all electric vehicle - imported from "name that place - it wasn't U.S.".

So, can we agree that we could all START TODAY and look for the USA labels. Its an old slogan, largely ignored, but its never too late to wise up and doesn't really take much of an effort - just a couple of bucks more perhaps - think of it like a charity donation to employ one of those homeless moms, which is a lot better than giving her food stamps (Pelosi should'a been a comedian - funniest thing I ever heard came from her).

On the next "agreement", can we agree that if all Americans - everywhere - cashed in their dollars everytime they got one, and used silver coins, copper coins, gold coins - name it - that it would throw the banking sector into chaos. I know. I develop financial software for financial institutions and the fees from all that plastic in your wallet is an incredible revenue stream for those firms. You really have no idea. Stop it cold - use metal for your purchases - and you will find banks collapsing and vaporizing into a bloody cloud faster than geese coming out the back end of an engine on a 747. Naturally, I'd prefer it was bankers coming out the back - I am sort of fond of geese - but you get my drift.

Many of you probably missed the Max Keisner videos on what buying silver dollars would do to the banks, and how the big banks all over the world, use the 3rd Friday of each month to manipulate the silver markets and cream the options investors. You probably missed the McGuire testimony on how the markets are rigged, and how buying silver - coins, jewelry, bullion - whatever - can rip a hole in the monopoly of the bankers that makes the Grand Canyon seem like a golf course hole. Can we agree that if the big banks failed - those charming institutions that have robbed America's citizens of their homes - that if those institutions vaporized overnight (or even in a year - who cares) that it would probably be good for the average American, tired of the bankers controlling our politicians?

Wait a sec. Think about that for a moment. "If the big banks failed, the average American Citizen would probably be better off." Let that sink in and then ask yourself why we bailed them out?

Are we just stupid or are the Legislators we send to D.C. just stupid or are they all so corrupt that they don't understand the simple equation: you can't continue to rape a people and expect them to buy fancy products they can't afford. The system in place today is just not sustainable; the growing evidence of rising unemployment and foreclosures is just too hard to miss.

So, I am asking you all - before you bash me or argue with me - to go look at the evidence, agree or disagree all you like - fine - love it - just don't take too long and don't expect any answer from me. This post was long enough.

Then after you get done harping your view, see if you can find some point we can ALL agree on and then ACT and you better do it quick. The financial reports and projections I've produced lately - for the big shots with the money - that trend this nation over the next 10 - 20 years - are so ugly, your 95 year old grandma with her boobs tucked into her belt would make a prettier date.

We can change that and give America a face lift - if we do it as a team. And as the old saying goes, "United we Stand" etc., Perhaps that is the first lesson we all need to learn.

Apparently, Nick, just like in America, these rich investors have way too much money, so they use it to speculate in real estate and drive the prices up beyond the level most people can afford. Same thing is happening in oil, food, and a lot of other commodities markets around the world. They provide no added value to anything, but they get richer and cause resources to be used up while the rest of the population goes without homes, transportation, and food. And when the bubble bursts, everyone suffers.

 Hi there,

I thought you might like to know why there are so many empty apartments and houses in China.

These are investment properties and from a chinese perspective, if the house has been lived in it is equivilent to a second hand car. It effects the resale value.

These people buy the houses with no intention to ever have someone live in it and know someone else will buy it from them with the same intention.