Mitchell’s laws: The more budgets are cut and taxes inceased, the weaker an economy becomes. To survive long term, a monetarily non-sovereign government must have a positive balance of payments. Austerity = poverty and leads to civil disorder. Those, who do not understand the differences between Monetary Sovereignty and monetary non-sovereignty, do not understand economics.
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Has it ever occurred to you that a private, legally “non-profit” organization, selling products to its members, might have conflicts of interest when lobbying Congress? There often will be times when the business interests of the organization conflict with the best interests of its membership. What happens then?

That excellent web site, Naked Capitalism, ran a piece on AARP titled “AARP Back in Bed With Effort to Cut Social Security and Medicare.”

Readers of this blog know I commented on this situation twice last month”

AARP continues to peddle. This time it’s false information
and
With friends like these: How AARP’s misunderstanding of the facts hurts their members.

As I said in the first post: “AARP, formerly, The American Association of Retired Persons is a huge organization that peddles many things. They peddle insurance, publish a magazine, peddle insurance, produce radio and TV programs, peddle insurance, offer travel packages, peddle insurance, provide tax preparation services and, oh yes, they peddle insurance. They also publish on-line, various advice bulletins, some of which peddle insurance.”

The one thing, on which AARP does not seem to focus, is representing the interests retired people.

Here are some excerpts from the Naked Capitalism post:

In case you missed this saga (it wasn’t one we posted on till now) in June last year, AARP’s board approved supporting Social Security cuts. That followed a multi million dollar ad campaign against the very same stance. They planned to sell the future of old people living off dog food to the membership via a series of town hall meetings.

And to add insult to injury, the AARP plans a “listening tour” which is of course not at all about listening but selling a “Grand Bargain” which is more Newspeak, in this case the idea of a budget deal that includes retirement program cuts. The Huffington Post does a great job of exposing how the leadership of the AARP is flat out lying to its members about its conduct:

An AARP invitation to a secret “Relaxed and Robust Evening of ‘Salon Style’ Conversation” to be held at a Capitol Hill home on March 27, obtained by The Huffington Post, indicates that the organization is still very much interested in a “grand-bargain” style deal that puts Social Security and Medicare cuts on the table…

The list of invitees to the salon event includes a gallery of powerful Washington establishment figures who are on record favoring cuts to Social Security and Medicare. The only firm opponent of Social Security or Medicare benefit cuts on the list, the Economic Policy Institute’s Larry Mishel, said he wasn’t planning to go and wasn’t sure why he was listed as a featured guest. (AARP also responded to the request for comment by inviting HuffPost to attend the off-the-record gathering, an offer we plan to accept.)

Other listed invitees included business leaders and deficit hawks who have long argued for the cuts, including Tom Donohue of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, John Engler of the Business Roundtable group for corporate CEOs, and David Walker, a noted deficit alarmist and former head of the Government Accountability Office.

Yet the AARP wants its members to believe this sort of tripe:

“AARP is not pursuing any closed door deals or grand bargains,” said an AARP spokeswoman. “Our main focus is hearing from our members. . . .”

This isn’t even a good con. The AARP has no business “hearing from all sides.” Its mission is to represent its members, and they’ve made it clear they have no interest in having their benefits cut. Indeed, having the AARP stand firm would serve to put focus on the right issues which is that the real problem is Medicare, not Social Security, and the problem with Medicare is a broad social problem, that health care costs have and continue to rise much faster than inflation. Determined pushback from seniors and other parties could put focus on the real issue and serve as an important counterweight to the health care lobby.

The HuffPo article points out the fallacy of the leadership’s turncoat logic:

The irony is that while AARP’s legislative team may be convinced that a deal is inevitable, a grand bargain actively opposed by AARP would be effectively impossible for Congress to pass.

If you are a member of the AAPR or have relatives who are members, send this article on and tell them to call or write and tell the organization that you aren’t standing for this. Nor should you. You are about to be sold out by incompetent lobbyists unless you make a stink. You can also join the campaign at Firedoglake to cancel the event.

Because the public does not understand the differences between Monetary Sovereignty and monetary non-sovereignty, and because AARP, the media and the politicians don’t explain these differences, it is fairly simple to fool everyone into believing Social Security and Medicare are “broke” (John Boehner’s favorite lie).

AARP goes along with — in fact encourages — the BS, because a free Social Security retirement plan and a free Medicare are not nearly so profitable as paid-for retirement plans and paid for health insurance.

Did I mention? AARP sells insurance.

Rodger Malcolm Mitchell
http://www.rodgermitchell.com

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No nation can tax itself into prosperity, nor grow without money growth. Monetary Sovereignty: Cutting federal deficits to grow the economy is like applying leeches to cure anemia. Two key equations in economics:
Federal Deficits – Net Imports = Net Private Savings
Gross Domestic Product = Federal Spending + Private Investment and Consumption + Net exports

#MONETARY SOVEREIGNTY

Mitchell’s laws: The more budgets are cut and taxes inceased, the weaker an economy becomes. To survive long term, a monetarily non-sovereign government must have a positive balance of payments. Austerity = poverty and leads to civil disorder. Those, who do not understand the differences between Monetary Sovereignty and monetary non-sovereignty, do not understand economics.
==========================================================================================================================================

Those looking for humor in the Tea/Republican nomination process, have plenty to work with. Newt is everything the Tea/Republicans claim they hate – multiple infidelities plus no economic plan other than going to the moon. And he really expects the right wing (much less, the entire nation) to elect him.

And Ron doesn’t even want the nomination. He’s just hoping for a good seat at the convention, where he will try to barter his handful of delegates for some Flomax.

So we are left to be entertained by Rick and Mitt.

First came Rick:

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Rick Santorum says making English an official language should be a “condition” of statehood for Puerto Rico. Santorum said Thursday that the island would also have to make sure English is spoken “universally.”

The Republican presidential candidate told a Puerto Rican newspaper in an interview this week that English would have to be the “main language” if Puerto Rico were to become a state.

Then came Mitt:

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Campaigning in Puerto Rico, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is refusing to back off his criticism of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Minutes after arriving in San Juan on Friday afternoon, Romney faced questions about his charge that Sotomayor is an activist judge. Sotomayor, who is of Puerto Rican heritage, is widely supported by local Democrats and Republicans.

So the joke becomes, who will the Puerto Ricans vote AGAINST? The guy who says he will force them to abandon their native language? Or the guy who says he doesn’t like a popular, fellow Puerto Rican?

I award five clowns, one each to Mitt, Rick, Newt and Ron, plus one to the Tea/Republican party — for trying to convince the country that higher taxes and reduced federal spending will, in some mysterious way, help improve employment and economic growth — and for sending in the clowns.

Rodger Malcolm Mitchell
http://www.rodgermitchell.com

==========================================================================================================================================
No nation can tax itself into prosperity, nor grow without money growth. Monetary Sovereignty: Cutting federal deficits to grow the economy is like applying leeches to cure anemia. Two key equations in economics:
Federal Deficits – Net Imports = Net Private Savings
Gross Domestic Product = Federal Spending + Private Investment and Consumption + Net exports

#MONETARY SOVEREIGNTY

Mitchell’s laws: The more budgets are cut and taxes inceased, the weaker an economy becomes. To survive long term, a monetarily non-sovereign government must have a positive balance of payments. Austerity = poverty and leads to civil disorder. Those, who do not understand the differences between Monetary Sovereignty and monetary non-sovereignty, do not understand economics.
==========================================================================================================================================

Could these people possibly get any more stupid? Just when I think they have flown off the top of the stupid chart, they set yet a new standard.

Time Magazine
IMF Approves $36 Billion Funding for Greece
By ASSOCIATED PRESS | March 15, 2012 |

(ATHENS, Greece ) — The International Monetary Fund on Thursday approved euro28 billion ($36.56 billion) in funding for crisis-hit Greece over the next four years, while Standard and Poor’s said that the country’s new bonds were still vulnerable to a default.

Greece will receive a total euro172.7 billion in rescue loans from its eurozone partners and the IMF to keep it afloat in the next few years, as dizzily high borrowing rates have blocked its ability to raise money on the international bond markets.

Greece’s problems began when it surrendered its Monetary Sovereignty. Having made itself monetarily non-sovereign, it needs not only to balance its budget, but it needs a positive cash flow (all monetarily non-sovereign governments do). But it has no way to achieve that positive cash flow.

So what is the EU/IMF solution? Lend Greece more money, to put it even deeper into debt, then demand Greece wreck its economy further with higher taxes and lower spending, i.e. austerity.

IMF spokesman Gerry Rice said “continued reform efforts to improve competitiveness and restore economic growth will be key to overcoming the crisis.”

Oh really? And how will Greece accomplish that, while paying off higher and higher debt?

Without the bailout, Greece would have been forced into a messy default of a euro14.5 billion bond repayment due on March. 20, a move that could have sent shockwaves throughout the global financial system and further destabilized the group of 17 countries that use the euro as their currency.

Translation: We screwed Greece, because we don’t want “messy” or “shockwaves” or heavens-to-Betsy, to destabilize that shining symbol of currency stabilization, the euro.

The new bailout cash was approved after Greece secured a massive debt-reduction deal with banks and other private bond holders, swapping old government bonds for new ones that have better repayment terms.

Translation: We screwed the private sector, too.

The ratings agency Standard and Poor’s assigned a CCC score — or still vulnerable to default — and said Greece’s sovereign rating would remain in selective default until the exchange was completed next month.

Translation: Forget “selective default.” Greece is dead. If we had a ZZZ rating, we’d use it for Greece.

The country has survived since May 2010 on a first rescue loan package worth a total euro110 billion ($143.63 billion). In return for both bailouts, Athens has imposed harsh cost-cutting measures, slashing pensions and salaries while repeatedly increasing taxes.

Translation: See, here’s how economics works. You increase taxes to gut the economy. Simultaneously, you cut pensions and salaries, to impoverish the people. And you slash government spending to finish the job. Then stand back and insist Greece grow its economy while paying off its debts. It should be a good plan. After all, we got the idea from the American Tea/Republican party.

Also Thursday, Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos said he would ensure the terms of the bailout deals would be met if he is part of the next government. Venizelos is the only contender for the leadership of the majority socialist PASOK party in a vote this Sunday.

Once he takes over the party helm, he will resign as minister to focus on the election campaign. “It is hypocritical to say that you can sign commitments and then say you are not bound by them. That’s an insult to our intelligence,” Venizelos said.

That’s the insult to intelligence? How about the plan to drain blood from the patient, to cure anemia?

Meanwhile, a European Union inspector has reported rare progress in Greece’s effort to reform its large civil service — one of the key austerity measures and a condition of receiving the bailout. Horst Reichenbach, heading an EU task force sent to Greece to assist painful structural reforms, said there had been a “number of very positive developments” including an improvement in clearing tax arrears.

Translation: We’re firing lots of people and collecting more taxes from the few who still have jobs. What could possibly go wrong with that?

I award 6 dunce caps (out of a maximum of 5 — that’s how incredibly stupid this is), to the EU, the IMF, and the Greek leaders who would do this to their own people.

People of Greece: My heart truly goes out to you. You are doomed. Now if only, we here in America, can prevent our leaders from doing the same things to us. They already have begun.

Rodger Malcolm Mitchell
http://www.rodgermitchell.com

==========================================================================================================================================
No nation can tax itself into prosperity, nor grow without money growth. Monetary Sovereignty: Cutting federal deficits to grow the economy is like applying leeches to cure anemia. Two key equations in economics:
Federal Deficits – Net Imports = Net Private Savings
Gross Domestic Product = Federal Spending + Private Investment and Consumption + Net exports

#MONETARY SOVEREIGNTY

Mitchell’s laws: The more budgets are cut and taxes inceased, the weaker an economy becomes. To survive long term, a monetarily non-sovereign government must have a positive balance of payments. Austerity = poverty and leads to civil disorder. Those, who do not understand the differences between Monetary Sovereignty and monetary non-sovereignty, do not understand economics.
==========================================================================================================================================

Just when you think someone in the government understands Monetary Sovereignty, they open their mouth once too often. Check these excerpts:

Scottrade Daily Ticker
U.S. Economy Needs More Fiscal Stimulus: Christina Romer Defends Keynesian Economics
By Aaron Task

One of Obama’s former top economic advisers says the President deserves credit for his handling of the economy, not criticism.

“I have no doubt without the actions President Obama took and actions Chairman Bernanke and the Fed took we would be in a much, much worse situation,” says Christina Romer, former chair of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers. “This had all of the makings of terrible depression and the fact we are struggling but coming out is a tribute to the President’s policies.”

Specifically, Romer says the Recovery Act and other measures taken by the administration “made a difference, helped to strengthen growth and bring down the unemployment rate.”

Of course, Romer was one of the architects of those policies and, according to multiple reports, lobbied for even more stimulus than the $800 billion package signed in 2009.

True to form, Romer is still lobbying for more and is an ardent believer in the power of fiscal stimulus, a.k.a. Keynesian economics. “I absolutely think more fiscal stimulus would be very helpful,” she says. “We need faster growth [to bring down unemployment]. Fiscal stimulus could help do that.”

Hurrah! She’s right on target. Someone in Washington actually gets it. But then . . .

Notably, Romer believes short-term stimulus should be tied to long-term plans to bring down the deficit, the huge growth of which — along with the more recent rise in gas prices — explains a lot of the public’s displeasure with Obama’s economic policies. Unfortunately, there is little indication “of Congress being willing to go along with that very sensible, rational policy – what would be effective and what the economy needs,” Romer laments.

Oh, no! “Bring down the deficit” is a synonym for “create fewer dollars,” which in turn is a synonym for “austerity.” And she came so close. What a shame she missed it.

Such views are clearly in the minority in Washington and much of the economic punditry these days is seemingly dedicated to the notion that more government spending to help boost the economy — a.k.a. Keynesianism — is the absolute wrong prescription. (See: Europe’s “Going in the Wrong Direction,” Forbes Says: “The Worst of Both Worlds”)

We already spoke of Forbes and his inability to understand the difference between the monetarily non-sovereign euro nations, and the Monetarily Sovereign U.S. government.

That’s another shame. He’s a guy with a very loud bullhorn. He could help save the American economy, and create an everlasting, positive legacy for himself. Instead, he has opted lazily to parrot the same, old popular wisdom, and he will be remembered as a rich guy who, along with his magazine, spouted nonsense.

But Romer dismisses and (politely) challenges the skeptics. “Fiscal stimulus absolutely can and does help the economy,” she says, citing “unbiased” academic research and recent history. “Countries that did more stimulus in 2009 recovered more quickly from the downturn than those that did less,” Romer declares. And, yes, that very much includes the United States — even if growth isn’t what it “should” be and even if President Obama is seemingly getting very little credit for the recovery to date.

Now, if only she could divorce herself from the Tea/Republican/Forbes cut-the-deficit myth. Yes, if only.

Rodger Malcolm Mitchell
http://www.rodgermitchell.com

==========================================================================================================================================
No nation can tax itself into prosperity, nor grow without money growth. Monetary Sovereignty: Cutting federal deficits to grow the economy is like applying leeches to cure anemia. Two key equations in economics:
Federal Deficits – Net Imports = Net Private Savings
Gross Domestic Product = Federal Spending + Private Investment and Consumption + Net exports

#MONETARY SOVEREIGNTY