On the origins of the debt-ceiling crisis - PBS Need To Know via N+1 Magazine

Nothing easy here if you need to know - Republicans and Debt Crisis... you get the numbers honestly but you have to read

Letting one dollar equal a trillion, the total debt of the U.S. Government is roughly $14.27. This divides into $8.32 of public debt, which is held by other nations, individuals and institutions, and $5.95 of intragovernmental debt, which is owed to programs like Social Security and Medicare, and to the Federal Reserve.

Of the $8.32 of public debt, $4.47 is owed to other countries: $1.15 to China, $0.91 to Japan, $0.36 to the U.K., roughly $0.20 each to oil exporters and Brazil, and $1.70 to the rest of the world. $0.63 is due to mutual funds, $0.61 to private pension plans, and $0.31 to depositors like commercial banks, credit institutions and credit unions. Insurance companies hold $0.25 and savings bonds and state pensions $.018 each, while individuals, brokers and dealers, bank personal trusts and estates, corporate and non-corporate businesses and other investors are due $1.21. ...

WI 1848 Forward: On the origins of the #Debt , #Deficit - #PBS Need To Know via N+1 Magazine- #47% #AARP vs #Elites

PBS -Video: Simon Johnson on Europe’s debt crisis

PBS - From "Need to Know" -

The epicenter for the Europe’s current economic crisis is Greece, a country with only 11 million people. Why has this country’s debt created so much turmoil within Europe? And is it only a matter of time until the United States feels the effects as well? In a global economy where one nation’s financial crisis can cause a ripple affect halfway around the world, the debt crisis in Greece hits very close to home.

Simon Johnson, a former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, talks with host Alison Stewart about how debt on both sides of the Atlantic will shape our economic futures for many years to come.

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

#PBS -Video: Simon Johnson on #Europe’s #debt crisis -
 Ancient History 

PBS - In Perspective: Tricia Rose - America’s growing inequality

From "The Need to Know" PBS ...

The debt ceiling gridlock and the limited range of solutions being considered in Washington to solve our economic crisis are likely to worsen the enormous gaps in wealth, income and opportunity that already exist. While the politicians argue, we are careening toward establishing a society in which the lion’s share of money and opportunity is permanently consolidated at the very top. This goes well beyond balancing a budget: it goes to the heart of who we are and who we are going to be. 

WI 1848 Forward #PBS - In Perspective: Tricia Rose - America’s growing #inequality : #47% #99% #OWS #AARP vs #elites

Why is the Stock Market down?

Circa 8/4/2011

There will be countless explanations offered in hindsight as  to why the stock market dropped 500+ points today!  The only true narrative is fear and uncertainty!  Others will say ...  it is Europe indebtedness, Congressional stalemate, bad economic policy being forced on us by a small minority ... no one can prove it.  We tend to always take recent events and try and use them to make ourselves feel better!  Does it help?  Not really ... fear and uncertainty still triumphs. 

The problem is that although I can  figure it out (he said euphemistically) I cannot count on you to figure it out ... so in our mutual confusion we continue to flounder!

Here is my narrative, which I am sure has been said by others, more articulately.  The Tea Party and Republicans have a grand strategy to get the Presidency back.  The big money interests such as the Koch brothers which have fanned the flames of national indebtedness as the source of all ills have probably seen their strategy backfire.  There is no doubt  that unless they (Koch Brothers) have parked all their money with hedge funds they are not as wealthy as they once were after today.

There will be every effort to blame all of this on President Obama.  Just remember it is spin, spin, spin, narrative, narrative, narrative and you need to speak up just as loudly with what you believe.

War and greed also known as Iraq and derivatives (and financial collapse) are why we are in this situation today.  Who started the war?  What caused the financial collapse? Not President Obama ... Republicans, Tea Party and Wall Street are the causal agents in my mind ... but we all let it happen by not paying attention to who we were electing locally and to Congress!

Why is the #StockMarket down, erratic?

8/2011 Proposal? Why is Luther Olsen giving Charter Schools access to State Retirement System?

Perhaps everyone in the state should be able to participate in the WRS (Retirement System) ... what's the deal with certain Charter School employees?   Don't miss other provisions ... unlicensed teachers - what are the requirement going to be?  Who is being paid off here ... major contributors to Olsen (etc.) like Presidential Coalition, LLC, Citzens United, Presidential Coalition?

See Luther Olsen -- Presidential Coalition - More Out-of-State Money as one example.

Committee: Joint Committee on Finance
  AB-51 was referred to joint committee on Finance in the Assembly on August 2, 2011
      Bill History: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2011/data/AB51hst.html
      Relating to: creating a Charter School Authorizing Board, providing additional charter school author...
 
All in Favor ---

Introduced by Representatives Vos, Kestell, Marklein, Van Roy, Kleefisch, Pridemore, Bies, Nass, Honadel, Ballweg, Knodl, Mursau and Jacque; cosponsored by Senators Darling, Olsen, Lazich, Vukmir, Kapanke and Galloway.

Authorizing Board, providing additional charter school authorizers, eliminating the limit on the number of pupils who may attend virtual charter schools, modifying teacher licensure requirements, eliminating the limit on the reduction in general school aid used to fund independent charter schools, covering certain charter school employees under the Group Insurance Board health coverage plan for local government employees, allowing a charter school to elect to participate in the Wisconsin Retirement System, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation.

WI 1848 Forward: 8/2011 Proposal? Why is Luther #Olsen giving #Voucher Schools access to State Retirement - #WRS?

Walker's War on Education: AB 51 giving away public goods

Committee: Joint Committee on Finance
  AB-51 was referred to joint committee on Finance in the Assembly on August 2, 2011
      Bill History: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2011/data/AB51hst.html
      Relating to: creating a Charter School Authorizing Board, providing additional charter school author...
 

All in Favor ---

Introduced by Representatives Vos, Kestell, Marklein, Van
Roy, Kleefisch, Pridemore, Bies, Nass, Honadel, Ballweg,
Knodl, Mursau and Jacque; cosponsored by Senators
Darling, Olsen, Lazich, Vukmir, Kapanke and Galloway.

Authorizing Board, providing additional charter school authorizers,
eliminating the limit on the number of pupils who may attend virtual
charter schools, modifying teacher licensure requirements, eliminating
the limit on the reduction in general school aid used to fund
independent charter schools, covering certain charter school employees
under the Group Insurance Board health coverage plan for local
government employees, allowing a charter school to elect to participate
in the Wisconsin Retirement System, granting rule-making authority, and
making an appropriation. 


#Walker 's War on #Education: AB 51 giving away public goods! #vouchers and infrastructure to the Private Sector - general #GOP philosophy - WI 1848 Forward #timeCapsule

Luther Olsen -- Presidential Coalition - More Out-of-State Money

More ads and more ads basically promoting school choice, vouchers and firing old teachers ... that's the gist of this mornings ads MSNBC 8:15am - paid for by Presidential Coalition, LLC - another out-of-state organization.   Knowledge is power ... this kind of information is not knowledge

Their mantra from website -

The Presidential Coalition exists to educate the American public on the value of having principled conservative Republican leadership at all levels of government. From Abraham Lincoln to Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush, principled Republican Presidents have displayed the courage and wisdom necessary to guide our nation through some of our greatest and most difficult times. Their leadership has stood the test of time and made America great. These principled Republicans are the ideal role models for America's future leaders.

... 

As an affiliate of Citizens United The Presidential Coalition was organized to teach Americans about the significance of having Republican leadership throughout all levels of government. The conservative principles that Republican leaders believe in have made our country what it is today.

The Presidential Coalition teamed up with Dick Morris to promote the conservative values that we believe in. Dick Morris has played a pivotal role in advancing The Presidential Coalition’s mission of stopping the liberal agenda. He, like the rest of the top Conservative supporters, is concerned and ready to do his part to make America great again.

OUR FOUNDER

DAVID BOSSIE

David Bossie is the former chief investigator for the U.S. House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight. Bossie is the president of Citizens United and the executive producer of several critically acclaimed documentaries, including “Perfect Valor”, “Ronald Reagan: Rendezvous With Destiny”, “We Have The Power”, “Blocking ‘The Path to 9/11’”, “HYPE: The Obama Effect”, “Hillary The Movie”, “Rediscovering God in America”, “Border War: The Battle over Illegal Immigration”, “ACLU: At War with America”, “Broken Promises: The United Nations at 60”, and “Celsius 41.11”. Bossie is also the author of “Intelligence Failure: How Bill Clinton’s National Security Policy Set the Stage for 9/11” (2004; Nelson Current), “The Many Faces of John Kerry: Why This Massachusetts Liberal Is Wrong for America” (2004; Nelson Current) and “Prince Albert: The Life and Lies of Al Gore” (2000; Merill), which he co-wrote with Floyd Brown.