CTRA: Kevin Freeman discusses Global Economic Warfare

"A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself,
But the simple pass on and are punished.
Proverbs 22:3

Texas Land and Cattle -- Kevin Freeman, author of Game Plan, spoke to the Central Texas Republican Assembly last night.  He discussed foreign activity behind the 2008 stock market crash.  He also outlined the current ominous geo-economic situation:



Highlights:

• The past two days have been the biggest stock market drop in a year and a half.

• "I'm really worried about Radical Islam crashing the stock market."

• Brand new kind of war: Cyber-Economic

• 2008: Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia went after Lehman
• Putin went after Fannie and Freddie

• Saudi Arabia is going broke.

• Kanjorski's "electronic run on the bank" quote.

• Russian media predicting U.S. market collapse this fall.

• Financial Crisis Inquiry Report was a cover-up.

• July, 23 2015 -- China accuses U.S. of crashing their stock mkt.
• Commies always accuse their opponents of doing what they're about to do.

• Chinese role model is Soros' attack against the British Pound in 1992.

• Russians hacked NASDAQ in 2014.

• "You can do a lot of damage with fake tweets."

• China called for an end of the dollar in 2013.

• Kerry dollar comment -- What if they know it's coming and are trying to blame Congress?!?

• Texas needs to get Gold Depository operational.
• Texas could issue "Gold-Backed BITCOIN"

Protecting Texas from EMP attack

"Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,
Which, having no captain,
Overseer or ruler,
Provides her supplies in the summer,
And gathers her food in the harvest.
Proverbs 6:6-8

[Author's Note: North Korea already has the relevant technology and they're on the record threatening Austin.]

Last week, both chambers of the Texas Legislature considered legislation that would safeguard Texas' electrical grid against Electro-Magnetic pulse (EMP) attack.  While the consequences of an EMP attack could be devastating, protecting against it is relatively inexpensive (and would be an appropriate use of the rainy day fund).  Senator Bob Hall lays out his version of the bill below:



Highlights:

• Congress and the military has known about this for four decades.

• When the military takes positive action to do something, it shows they're scared.

• EMP's are an inexpensive way for various Global bad guys to do the most damage.

• Even absent an EMP, a hardened electrical grid would be good economically because it protects against weather related power outages.

• Fiscal note on the bill is only $3 million.

• Sadly, the Feds are "schizophrenic" on this issue; the utilities are not preparing themselves.

• Even if a foreign enemy does nothing, a natural EMP blast is inevitable.

Kevin Freeman has a lot more here.

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Senate Natural Resources Committee Chairman Troy Fraser: (512) 463-0124

BOOK REVIEW: Game Plan, by Kevin Freeman

"So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe....Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine.”
Genesis 41:31...36

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9

"But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand."
Ezekiel 33:6

Financial terrorism is the greatest threat currently facing the U.S. economy and national security.

In 2012, Kevin Freeman published Secret Weapon, which detailed how the 2008 financial crisis was a foreign attack on the U.S. economy.  Unfortunately, since then, U.S. political leadership has chosen cronyism over preparing for another attack.  Given this reality, Freeman's 2013 follow up Game Plan is a guide for individuals to protect themselves during perilous economic times.

Since 2008, under George W. Bush and Barack Obama (and congresses of both parties), the United States government has spent itself into oblivion.  The Federal Reserve has degraded the value of the dollar.  Productive economic activity is stagnant.  With more attacks on the horizon, the U.S. economy is prostrate.  While the primary battlefield is financial, military weakness and border chaos don't help.

Financial terrorism takes many forms (p. 71).  Examples include: an EMP (72), cyber attacks on financial markets (78-9), Flash Crashes (83), Bear Raids (90), or interest rate shocks (91).  Any of these scenarios could devastate the U.S. and/or Global economy.  From Al Qaeda, to China, to ISIS, to North Korea, to Russia, many of America's enemies have experimented with these capabilities.  Threats come from a variety of sources.

Over the next few years, prepare for economic uncertainty without recent precedent along with major downside risk.  Freeman investigates how various asset classes will act in various scenarios.  The biggest question is whether we face deflation or inflation.  The next major question is whether the dollar loses its status as global reserve currency.  Depending on the scenario, various allocations between precious metals (ch. 5), stocks (ch. 6), cash (ch. 8), and commodities (ch. 10) make sense.  Unfortunately, Freeman doesn't discuss BITCOIN, another avenue for diversification.  Under most circumstances, bonds should be avoided for a few years.

One note on gold: it's a good idea, but it's not a panacea.  Freeman tracks the price of gold from 1263 to 1932 to illustrate how, "for hundreds of years, gold was relatively steady (97)."  The U.S. "constitution also explicitly addresses gold and silver coinage for the states" (100) in Article I, Section 10.  Unfortunately, gold is also subject to confiscation (102) and price manipulation (107).  Over the long run, stocks outperform gold.

Bailouts, government debt, and "quantitative easing" have hobbled the U.S. economy.  This weakened state leaves the U.S. economy perilously vulnerable to financial terrorism.  That terrorism can take a variety of forms and come from a variety of places.  That being said, if you stay calm and adapt with circumstances, you can survive and proper through the coming crises.  To prepare yourself, Game Plan, by Kevin Freeman, is a fantastic place to start.

Don't Tax My Credit Union

This will come as a 'shock,' but the same Obama administration that expanded TARP, re-appointed Bernanke, and gave us the Dodd-Frank big bank protection racket, now wants to tax independent credit unions out of existence:



Highlights:

• 96 million Americans use credit unions.

• 40% of Americans are credit union members.

• Only 6% of all financial assets in the United States are in credit unions.

Take action here.

Kevin Freeman: You can run but you can't hide (except maybe in Texas)

Cahnman's Musings has been familiar with Kevin Freeman since we read his book Secret Weapon last year.  Thus, it heartens us to hear Freeman speak approvingly of Rep. Giovanni Capriglione's effort to establish a gold bullion depository in the state of Texas. Freeman writes:

The most asked question after people grasp that we are in a global economic war is “What do I do with my money?” Now, it is a pretty astounding revelation to understand that the next global war, or more precisely the one we are in now, is not fought with tanks and planes. It is fought with money and computers. It is not a cyber war as so many have thought. It is an economic war and cyber is simply one of the many battlefields.

It wasn’t a cyber attack that doomed Cypriot depositors to lose 10%, 30%, or 80% of their deposits over 100,000 Euro (or however it ends up). No, it was bank failures and the pressures of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the European Union. These were terms “handed down.” No computer needed in this case.

Of course, there is a massive cyber battle underway. In fact, just last week may have been the largest attack in history. Here at home, JP Morgan Chase depositors logged on to their accounts recently only to see zero balances across the board. We have been told that this wasn’t hacking but rather a computer glitch. but, it could have been hacking and that is the point.

Once someone realizes that this is a global economic war they understand that their bank accounts, life savings, stock holdings, and even currency could come under attack. The immediate response is to ask how to protect your money. Unfortunately, there is no “one size fits all” answer. The reality is that no single approach can work.

....

The reality is that gold has been confiscated in the past and could be confiscated in the future.  If the IMF can raid Cyprus-held bank accounts, do you believe gold bars in your home would be immune?


It is interesting to note that the state of Texas may ask for their gold to be held in the state. A new bill sponsored by Giovanni Capriglione and supported by Governor Rick Perry may pave the way for one place to possibly hide. If successful, this bill opens some interesting possibilities as mentioned by Jim Rickards, best-selling author of Currency Wars. [Rickards has been featured extensively warning of the risks of a dollar collapse. He led a war game effort in the Pentagon that showed how Russia and China could destroy our currency.]

It makes us breathe just a little easier knowing that Kevin Freeman favors these efforts.

Update: Apparently, Kevin Freeman helped craft this plan.

On Mitt Romney and the Federal Reserve

The past few days, the media has thrown a hissy fit over Mitt's 47% comment; what's much more interesting, however, are Mitt's comments on that tape about Ben Bernanke and the Federal Reserve:

Yeah, it's interesting…the former head of Goldman Sachs, John Whitehead, was also the former head of the New York Federal Reserve. And I met with him, and he said as soon as the Fed stops buying all the debt that we're issuing—which they've been doing, the Fed's buying like three-quarters of the debt that America issues. He said, once that's over, he said we're going to have a failed Treasury auction, interest rates are going to have to go up. We're living in this borrowed fantasy world, where the government keeps on borrowing money. You know, we borrow this extra trillion a year, we wonder who's loaning us the trillion? The Chinese aren't loaning us anymore. The Russians aren't loaning it to us anymore. So who's giving us the trillion? And the answer is we're just making it up. The Federal Reserve is just taking it and saying, "Here, we're giving it.' It's just made up money, and this does not augur well for our economic future.

You know, some of these things are complex enough it's not easy for people to understand, but your point of saying, bankruptcy usually concentrates the mind.

Are you listening Ron Paul supporters?!?

Mitt Romney is calling for an end to printing money.  Mitt Romney supports audit the Fed.  Mitt Romney has pledged not to reappoint Ben Bernanke.  Heck, Mitt asked Bernanke not to do QE3.

Are you listening Ron Paul supporters?!?

The Ron Paul crowd has claimed, for years, that reigning in the Federal Reserve is their #1 priority.  Well, congratulations guys, you won.  The Republican party Presidential nominee opposes QE3 and supports Audit the Fed.  While he has yet to address the topic, I strongly suspect Mitt would sign a currency competition bill into law if Congress passed it.  Based on his previous public statements alone, Mitt Romney will give the Ron Paul crowd 70% of what they're asking on their #1 issue.

Can the Ron Paul crowd take yes for an answer?!?

This piece of audio is a test for the Ron Paul crowd.  Will they make a realistic decision based on evidence and facts, or would they rather be a 'persecuted' minority sulking over a perceived slight that wasn't that bad in the first place?!? On January 20th of next year, one of two men will be President.  One of them will give you 70% of what you want on your #1 issue; the alternative doesn't know the size of the national debt.  That one contrast should speak for itself.

GBTV: Mr. President

GBTV: Mr. President

Mission StatmentThe misadventures of Little Barry; the Seven Year Old Marxist Revolutionary who accidentally became President

Episode List:

Episode 1: Little Barry vs. The Economy (Part A)

Episode 2: Little Barry vs. The Economy (Part B)

Episode 3: Little Barry on Health Care

Episode 4: Little Barry and America’s Enemies (Part A)
Episode 5: Little Barry and America’s Enemies (Part B)

Episode 6: Little Barry on The Border

Episode 7: Little Barry’s Final Solution to the Zionist Problem

Cast:

Little Barry – A Seven Year Old Boy deeply steeped, since birth, in the ideas and writings of Karl Marx.  Seeks to “fundamentally transform” America along the line of his Marxist vision.  Because he’s been given a trophy his entire life possesses an immature narcissism that leaves him unable to handle the inevitable pushback to his radical ideas.

Crazy Old Joe – Little Barry’s Vice President; an old man no one takes seriously, encourages Little Barry’s Marxist Revolutionary instincts along with his immature narcissism.

Nancy Pee – Little Barry’s best friend in Congress; hates Republicans so much she soils herself.

Mrs. Silly Hilly – Little Barry’s Secretary of State; executes his foreign policy while saying some VERY silly things.

Van Jones, Bill Ayres, et. Al – Little Barry’s Radical Pals who give him the advice to which he actually listens

Spooky Dude – Little Barry’s Money Guy; Pays for everything.

Valerie VaJayJay – Little Barry’s Best Friend; acts as his go between with the Radicals

Princess Michelle – Little Barry’s Special Lady; even more spoiled and narcissistic.

Tiny Timmy Treasury and Benny Bubbles – Little Barry’s public economic advisors; come up with the Juvenile Justifications for everything the radicals propose.

Momma Grizz -- Explains how things actually work to Little Barry at the end of each episode.

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MR. President – Episode 1 – Little Barry vs. The Economy

Episode #1:  Establish the juvenile nature his face value justifications; show how it’s cover for deeper Radicalism.  Focus on Slushulus, Auto Takover, and Dodd-Frank with honorable mention to energy and housing.

Prologue: Little Barry’s Immaculation

Scene 1: Lay out Little Barry’s Economic Strategy

-          Juvenile Face Value combined with cover for Deep Radicalism

-          Laying the foundation for Napoleon Hill’s fear of poverty.

-          Meeting with Tiny Timmy Treasury and  Benny Bubbles, but really run by the Radicals

Scene 2: Speech to Congress/The Early Promotion

-          Remind people how simultaneously apocalyptic AND juvenile he sounded in the early days

Scene 3: Slushulus Passes/The Early Implementation/Details on Auto Takeover

-          Mock the ever-loving daylights out of Cash-for-Clunkers (George Will Quote)

o   It’s about control, not prosperity

-          Illustrate the direct Union Payouts in the Slushulus

-          Chrysler’s bondholders and Republican dealership owners sacrificed on UAW’s alter

Scene 4: Public Begins to Catch On

-          The first big round of Tea Parties (4/15/09)

-          Santelli

-          Illustrate uncertainty created by Auto Takeover

-     Bringing Toyota to it's knees

Scene 5: Reacting to the Public’s Reaction/Dodd-Frank Details

-          Illustrate Arrogant Derision

-          Van Jones: Stay the course; no matter how much they hate you, once they’re on Food Stamps, you own their Soul

-          Dodd-Frank written for Spooky Dude; address central shortcoming

Scene 6: Summer of “Recovery”

-          Verbalize why this all feels so instinctively wrong to decent Americans

-          Princess Michelle’s 2010 trip to Spain

-          Nancy Pee’s first “I hate Republicans” rant; no self-soiling (yet)....

-          Gulf drilling moratorium: Mock Little Barry coming into his own as a Radical

o   “I ruined the Energy Industry ALL BY MYSELF!!!”

o   Illustrate: Never let a crisis go to waste

-     Election 201O

Scene 7: Late 2010 Tax Deal

Mediterranean Update Tuesday on Saturday

Between my Ted Cruz interview and the Obamacare news this week, I haven't had time to comment on the news coming out of the Mediterranean.  There are, however, three stories that came out this past week about which I do want to comment.

First things first, the Muslim Brotherhood has officially come to power in Egypt.  There is no way to spin this, it's an unmitigated disaster.  The Suez Canal is now controlled by Islamists.  Even worse, we can now expect Egypt to become a major state sponsor of terrorism.  I pray Jesus is coming back soon, because every other possibility is catastrophic.

Speaking of Jesus coming back, Vladimir Putin was in Israel this past week.  We was there to talk Natural Gas and Iranian Nukes.  I think Ezekiel 38:12 speaks for itself: "To take a spoil, and to take a prey."

Finally, I wanted to touch on the latest European bailout deal.  Jim Rogers is spot on when he says "Just because you have a way to get to borrow more money, this is not solving the problem, it is making the problem worse."  However, we are now late enough in Barack Obama's presidency that I think there's actually A LOT of value in kicking the can down the road seven more months and into Mitt Romney's presidency.

At a minimum, this AIN'T gonna be boring.

Update from the Mediterranean Zone

In the past few days, we've seen significant developments in the Mediterranean Zone of Chaos.  It's a giant cluster-you-know-what, but in the past week we've seen:

• Spain -- A Major Bailout that's "The Most Insane Thing" a MAJOR Wall St. Player, and one of the few good guys on Wall St., has ever heard.

• Greece -- Remember those elections last month where Communists and NAZI'S combined for nearly 30% of the seats?!?  Yeah, they're gonna 86 those election results this weekend in and have a do-over that could blow up the Euro.

• Egypt -- Islamists are re-writing the Constitution.

• Libya -- Remember the war Barack Obama launched last year without Congressional authorization?!?  Now, Eurocrats are being detained and the British Ambassador was attacked today.  (Update: AND ETHNIC CLEANSING)

• Israel -- Yeah.

Stay tuned, this ain't gonna be boring!!!

Glenn Beck Follow Up: On Team Obama

"Always remember the first rule of power tactics: Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have."  Saul Alinsky, Rules for Radicals, p. 127

In case you missed it, I had the opportunity this morning for an extended tete-a-tete with Glenn Beck.  It was pretty awesome.  Glenn had me on the air for close to ten minutes and I want to thank God for the opportunity.

We discussed my belief that Barack Obama's political team is wildly overrated, which I want to address more systematically.  In fairness, Barack Obama's political team skillfully uses Alinsky's first rule to psych out their opponents.  In 2008, Team Obama's biggest accomplishment in was to psych out Team Clinton, then they got really lucky in the fact that John McCain was his opponent in the General.  For all of Team Obama's alleged skill, they barely got the nomination and they only won the General Election following a foreign terrorist attack on U.S. Financial Markets.

Barack Obama's victory had little to do with the alleged skill of his political team although, to their credit, they did read the rules and organize the caucus states.  Beyond the caucus states, however, Obama's success was due to the corrupt media, not his political team.  For example, Obama's 2008 speech on race was a bigger cliche than any Toni Morrison novel, but since most people don't watch full speeches they got absurd media spin.

Media corruption not sufficient to re-elect an incumbent President with Obama's record.  Campaigns need a message, Barack Obama doesn't have a credible one.  In 2008, Barack Obama was 'the Other Guy;' in 2012, he's the incumbent.  By any statistical measure, the United States is in worse shape than January 2009; no amount of political gimmickry will change that underlying fact.  Hope and Change don't pay the bills.

One thing that has changed since 2008 is that our side has gotten much better at interrupting leftist narratives.  We can't yet set the narrative, but we can interrupt theirs.  Personally, I think we're (FINALLY!!!) hitting the point where distrust of the media has hit critical mass; once people stop listening to the corrupt media, the wildly overrated Team Obama can't do squat.

Glenn raised the point of Obama's legislative 'successes' and how far Barack Obama has gotten.  As I've discussed before, Barack Obama is a Marxist true believer.  In addition, you have 80 open Communists in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Once you have a Marxist true believer occupying (pun intended) the White House at the same time as you have this many open Communists in Congress, it's not surprising that they would so ruthlessly exploit a temporary numerical advantage.  That being said, Team Obama now resembles a gambler who keeps going double or nothing.  They can keep the scam up for awhile, but eventually they're going to crash HARD!

Stu brought up the point of Obama's poll numbers.  I mentioned that I don't believe the polls, I think Obama's in much deeper trouble than anyone realizes.  I could address this issue at length, but Rush did that years ago.  Suffice to say that Mike Flynn has done yeoman's work debunking Obama's recent polling and Stu should read Mike Flynn's work.  Unfortunately, Pat and Stu can't read....

In the past, we've underestimated the intent and overestimated the competence of Team Obama; we should do the opposite.

Congressman Lamar Smith's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Record

Here in Texas, everyone is focused on Ted Cruz and the U.S. Senate race.  That's awesome; the U.S. Senate race is very important and Ted is a once in a generation candidate.  There is, however, another race at the Federal level here in Texas that can have just as big an impact as sending Ted to the United States Senate.

Congressman Lamar Smith, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, is one of the worst Republicans in Congress.  He plays the game where he works to pass atrocious legislation while he's in Washington then comes home and panders to what we want to hear.

Consider Congressman Lamar Smith's record:

• Congressman Lamar Smith voted FOR Bush's TARP Bailout.
• Congressman Lamar Smith voted FOR Obama's Debt-Ceiling Bailout.
• Congressman Lamar Smith WROTE SOPA.
• Congressman Lamar Smith voted FOR the NDAA.
• Congressman Lamar Smith voted FOR Sarbanes-Oxley
• Congressman Lamar Smith voted FOR No Child Left Behind.
• Congressman Lamar Smith voted FOR the Terri Schiavo Intervention.
• Just this past Wednesday, Congressman Lamar Smith voted FOR re-authorizing the Export-Import Bank; a particularly noxious piece of corporate welfare.
• Congressman Lamar Smith voted FOR the Bush/Pelosi Economic 'Stimulus' Act of 2008; 6 months before TARP.

I could go on, but I think you get the picture.  25 years in Congress is long enough.  Congressman Lamar Smith: it's time to go.

Why Vladimir Putin is an Asshole (Partial!)

Recently, Google added analytics to the blogger package, so I've been able to track where readership from this blog comes from.  I was shocked to learn that the #2 country in the world for traffic to Cahnman's Musings is Russia.  Since that either means I'm being monitored by the FSS (the modern equivalent of the KGB), or I'm an inspiration to dissidents, the time has come to talk about Vladimir Putin.

Who is Vladimir Putin?!?

Vladmir Putin is the newly re-inaugurated "President" of Russia; in reality, he's the Dictator of Russia.  He's a former KGB guy.  He's wildly corrupt.  All-in-all, he's a really bad dude.  I stand by my characterization in the title, here's why:

The following seven examples are a small sample of Vladimir Putin's malfeasance.

• Bullying the 'Near Abroad' --  In the imperial Russian mind, former Soviet 'republics' are known as Russia's 'Near Abroad.'  Whether it's murdering the President of Poland, attempting to assassinate a Ukranian Presidential candidate, invading the sovereign republic of Georgia, or any one of hundreds of other examples, Vladimir Putin bullies those countries to keep them dependent on Moscow.  Vladmir Putin makes it impossible for tens of millions of people beyond Russia borders to live in freedom.

• Helping Hugo Chavez -- Over the years, Putin has sold hundreds of Billions of Dollars worth of weapons to America's #1 enemy in the Western Hemisphere, Venezuelan Dictator Hugo Chavez.

• Helping Iran Build Nukes -- Time and again (and long before Obama), Vladimir Putin has run diplomatic interference for and actively assisted construction of Iran's nuclear program.

• Helping Saddam Hussein ditch his WMD's -- In February 2003, Saddam Hussein's WMD exited Iraq via Syria with Russian assistance.

• Murdering Journalists -- Hundreds of Journalists have been murdered by the Security Services in Russia since Putin assumed power.  (Apologize for the Wikipedia link, but it has the full list in one place.)

• Provoking the 2008 Stock Market Collapse -- Yup, Putin helped provoke the 2008 stock market collapse; his exact role is in dispute, but it's now widely agreed he played a part.

• Homoerotic Propaganda Photos -- Whether he's riding a horse, flexing his biceps, or trouncing around with his gun Vladimir Putin has been photographed without his shirt time and again for years.  I can't STAND these photos, they're creepy and gross.  The fact that Barack Obama does the same thing doesn't help....

A small sampling of the evil Vladmir Putin has done over the years.  Vladimir Putin is an Asshole.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Free Market America and Paul Harvey: The Sincerest form of Flattery

The other day, this online video started making the rounds:

It's obviously based on this old Paul Harvey commentary that went around about six weeks ago:

It's almost like the Devil wants America to fail economically, but that would be crazy....

POTUS 2012: Data vs. Critical Theory

There's an aspect of Mitt Romney's background about which I'd forgotten; if I'd have remembered it earlier, I'd have opposed his nomination far less strenuously.  A massive opportunity exists for Mitt Romney if he can use the same skill set with Barack Obama that he used with new hires twenty years ago.

Mitt Romney's background, prior to becoming Governor of Massachusetts, was turning around failing companies and organizations.  When Mitt Romney ran for President in 2008, I read Hugh Hewitt's A Mormon in the White House.  Hewitt's second chapter, titled "Bain Washed" not "Brain Washed" details Romney's business career.  As Romney told Hewitt, his approach to solving tough problems was to:

"let people sit at the table and let them bring in different viewpoints and arguments and then support them with reviewable data that could be confirmed." (58-59)

 In contrast with Mitt Romney's data based background, Barack Obama is steeped in something called critical theory.  While critical theory is often presented as something high-falutin', at its core it's nihilstic bullcrap.  Critical theory is the tactic the left has used on numerous topics these past five years: like George W. Bush and Iraq, Health Care and the Tea Party, and the Debt Ceiling.

The short version of critical theory is that its practitioners relentlessly criticize their opponents without presenting an alternative.  Critical theory is against everything and for nothing.  The purpose of critical theory is to demoralize your opposition while disguising your intentions.  This video, from PJTV, outlines the history of critical theory:

Mitt Romney's background with data makes him uniquely suited to confront critical theory.  The weakness of critical theory comes when you demand your opponent present their alternative, backed up with data.  Romney told Hewitt his approach was:

"the approach of gathering people who represent different viewpoints and then insisting they argue but with data and analysis allows people to reach consensus and points out where self-interest is driving a particular argument rather than mutual interest." (58) Emphasis Mine

 Hewitt summarizes Romney's approach by saying that "[T]he 'Bain way' presumes a common interest in success. (58)"  It's also a unique tool to highlight Barack Obama's refusal to argue in good faith AND the media's corrupt complicity.  Consider the following examples:

• Does a corrupt trillion dollar 'stimulus' that was written years earlier, and has failed to meet its own standards, represent national or parochial interests?!?
• Does shredding 1000 years of bankruptcy law to give the Auto Companies to the Unions while lying about their performance represent national or parochial interests?!?
• Does Obama's corrupt Health Care Law represent national or parochial interests?!?
• Does special interest banking legislation that fails to address the underlying causes of the housing crisis represent national or parochial interests?!?
• Does abandoning national interests in Iraq while simultaneously launching a treasonous war in Libya without Congressional authorization and helping the Muslim Brotherhood takeover of the region represent national or parochial interests?!?
• Does creations a national clusterf**k in Afghanistan while classlessly taking credit for the actions of the Navy Seals in the bin Laden raid represent national or parochial interests?!?
• Does ignoring a growing alliance between Gog and Persia Russia and Iran, while forcing Israel to indefensible borders, represent national or parochial interests?!? :)

(Author's note: And I didn't even mention the border)

If Mitt Romney can force Barack Obama, and his buddies in the media, to argue with data instead of critical theory, Romney will win BIG.  The basic math is so obvious a fourth grader can understand it if it's presented with data.  Barack Obama cannot discuss his plans with data because, if he did, he's be lucky to win 30%.  Many Americans instinctively understand how terrible Barack Obama has been; if Mitt Romney can educate them about the facts while demanding that Obama and the Media argue with data, the contrast will speak for itself.

Financial Terrorism, the 2008 Crash, and the Coming Chaos‏

I finished Kevin Freeman's Secret Weapon a couple weeks ago.  I highly recommend it if you're interested in knowing what really happened in 2008 and how the same folks are setting us up for an even bigger attack later this year soon.  The short version: the 2008 crash was a coordinated financial attack on the United States by foreign enemies.

First things first, everything we know about the 2008 crash is still true; it's just that the collapse of the housing bubble didn't cause the crash, the bubble bursting merely left us vulnerable to an attack from foreigners.  Essentially, our government forced our banks to make loans to people who couldn't pay them back, then dumped those loans into Fannie and Freddie, which then left all sorts of folks over leveraged when the you know what hit the fan.  That's when the foreign involvement comes in.

The Cliff's notes version follows: using Naked Short Selling (short selling without ever borrowing, let alone Owning, the underlying asset), Credit Default Swaps, and the Wall Street herd mentality/group think foreign entities launched bear raids (spreading rumors to undermine confidence in a company) to attack first Bear Stearns, then Fannie and Freddie, then Lehman in order to collapse the U.S. Stock Market and Economy.

To put it mildly, they succeeded.

This leaves some obvious questions, the first one being 'who is they?'  The short version is that we don't know, these financial transactions occur behind a veil of secrecy that us rubes in flyover country aren't supposed to penetrate.  The longer, and probably more accurate, version is that strong circumstantial evidence suggests it was a combination of the ChiComs and various Muzzie groups in the Middle East and Gulf.  It seems safe to guess that the usual suspects between the various Leftist (incl. Putin, the ChiComs, and Soros), Islamist, and Drug Cartel groups worked together in some form.

Next, have we addressed our vulnerabilities since 2008?!?  Good Grief no, we've only made them worse.  Part of the purpose of the 2008 attack was to get the U.S. govt. and Fed to spend massive amounts of money to bail out the various institutions attacked and their various counter parties in order to ruin the balance sheet of the Federal Government and soften the U.S. up for the next attack (which is probably coming this summer).  Think about how much weaker of a position our national balance sheet is in as a result of Obama's spending.  Making matters worse, despite public claims to the contrary, the government has taken ZERO steps to actually fix our underlying vulnerabilities to economic terrorism while it has simultaneously jacked up regulations in just about every other area of the economy.  These jacked up regulations (which, it cannot be emphasized enough, do ZERO to address the underlying causes of the 2008 crash) meanwhile stifle the economic growth that would make another economic terrorist attack at least manageable.

So, what is the next attack?!?  Hard to know for sure in advance, but once Greece inevitably defaults, it will set off a chain reaction of Global Chaos that will provide the perfect backdrop for an invisible attack on the dollar.  The long term objective is to collapse the dollar and replace it as the global reserve currency.

I'll answer questions to the best of my ability, but you're better off just reading the book; you can get through it in about six hours if you're diligent.

I hope this helps.

Update (4/1/2013): Ok, so the crash didn't happen last year; but it's more inevitable than ever.