Housing subsidy pushes prices up

[Ethnic]

Interesting analysis cynik although I wouldn't go so far as to call the common class "scumbags". After all governments haven't exactly discouraged such a system created by the banks. If governments are blabbering on about "good times, economic booms, lotsa money, good time to buy etc" then people, motivated by greed and a desire to be rich and living in mcmansions, aren't going to care about over spending and huge debts. I won't be happy to see people lose their jobs and homes, if it happens, but I can't say that I am sorry that reality is hitting and things are slowing down. Although realistically lessons won't be learnt and when the crunch starts to wither away people will forget this period and continue on their merry money-hungry, debt-driven ways. We will see many more periods of financial pain and overpriced housing. No doubt encouraged by governments of course.

[cynik]

Governments did not create the international banking system and fractional lending ratios.

That was monarchs. Europe changed from a game where monarchs sold each other war slaves (soldiers) for cash, and made war for territory, into a game where monarchs borrowed money that banking aristocrats did not have in order to enslave their people through greed.

The "scumbag" class, of whom I am regrettably one, went from being illiterate holy warriors to being literate unholy consumers.

Representative democracy, being just another form of oligarchy, changed nothing.

Think for a moment about what representative democracy is. Just think about how you can describe it in the neatest terms.

Other people get to choose who you get to choose from. then those chosen get to make the law.

So who makes the law? The demos, or the few?

Democracy means the power to make and veto law rests with the people. That means the people must be able to instigate referenda by popular demand.

This is called "direct democracy", but in fact is is better called "real democracy".

If a "something-cracy" is a something controlling the law, let us be real about what sort of government we live under.

I live in Switzerland, in a real democracy for those who are deemed citizens. Once upon a time I served in the military belonging to the Queen of a oligarchy. I swore allegiance to her, not to the Australian people.

That is how it is, and I think more and more people are going to wake up. I believe it is already happening. Representative democracy has ever been government sponsored by the rich, but now a black man has won the biggest prize in the turkey raffle by raising money from small donors, and preaching against "lobbyists".

Logically, if you walk away from sponsored representatives in government, you end up with direct democracy.

That is where we are going, anyway. The only question is when we arrive. Even the towel heads are beginning to understand the futility of listening men paid to tell you something that cannot help you.

[Ethnic]

The 'black man' has a name you know. You should refer to him by his name.

Towel heads?????? Who or what is a towel head?

[freediver]

Towel head = Arab (turban).

BTW, a belated welcome to the forum. Who is the lady in your avatar?

[cynik]

I was referring to "a" black man, not "the" black man. I mean, if you follow what I wrote, the whole point is that "a" black man has won the presidency. Times a changing, and fast.

Please read what I write before getting superior.

Regarding towel heads, those are the folks who cannot protect their women and children, but who nevertheless continue to preach war, war, war against anyone who defies our grand religion.

I put a lot of Israeli jews in that basket, to be fair.

You are not going to get much change out of me if you want to celebrate cultural equivalence with arabs. No fucking way. I may have sincere reservations about the USA and the way that business is run, and I may want Bush done for war crimes, but you are not going to find me saying that America is full of assholes who preach war when they can't even feed themselves.

Americans are our people, and they make fine friends. The arabs and jews who scream at each other and butcher each other with weapons their cultures can't make for themselves are not our people, and they do not make fine friends in my experience. Don't forget that when you talk to me.

I have a very, very dim view of arab culture, as I think there is something very wrong with theocracy indoctrinating people to live in their own shit, and to scream war at others whilst they do it.

First you protect your people. If you can't do that, change. Adapt. Overcome. Only when you can protect your people do you begin to lecture other on how to live. those are the rules of a dignified game, as I see it. Now the american people play by those rules, and one ought to remember that they punch on like a sack of fighting cats. Wherefore then, the dignity or intelligence in screaming at them?

The towel heads have been getting massively owned, and I am not going to apologize for my disdain of their continued appetite for conflict. It is time for the mullahs to shut the fuck up, and for arabs who want a future to make it happen. They don't got to like the yankees, but they sure as shit better start respecting them. If it is good enough for me to respect them, and good enough for putin, it is damn well good enough for the fucking arabs.

[cynik]

It is also time for the Israeli's to shut the fuck up, and for us to shut that failed state down.

Have I offended everyone yet?

Seriously, I have no time for folks who talk religion and use weapons made possible by science. Jewish fanatics, christian fanatics and Muslim fanatics are equally worthless in my view. Jewish, christian and muslim men of peace are all cool, though I am suspect of anyone who belongs to any religion.

You think god loves you cause you belong to the right club?

I am reaching for my whackin stick when I hear that shit.

[Ethnic]

Towel head = Arab (turban).

BTW, a belated welcome to the forum. Who is the lady in your avatar?

Thank you very much. It's Nicole Kidman. Not a real big fan but I just love the look she is pulling.

[Ethnic]

I was referring to "a" black man, not "the" black man. I mean, if you follow what I wrote, the whole point is that "a" black man has won the presidency. Times a changing, and fast.

Please read what I write before getting superior.

I'm not getting superior, just bringing to your attention that his name is Barack Obama. But since you accuse me of being superior, I might as well mention that he is half black and half white.

Not sure how I got you started on your anti-religion post but I think it's sad you feel that way about religion but at the same time I can sort of understand why. I'm a practising Catholic but I have a mutli-faith friendship group. We get along well.

[cynik]

Look, please read what is written.

I was specifically noting that "a black man" (ie any black man) was able to win the presidency. Of the USA.

If I had written "the black man", meaning Barack Obama, what I wrote would have had a totally different, and weird, meaning. I would have been saying "Look, THIS guy, this guy from Harvard law with the big smile, can you believe HE won??? I mean, any other half negro fellow, sure, but THIS GUY?"

So this leads me to suspect you didn't understand what I wrote.

And yet, you pull me up on the matter, implying that I have disrepected the man, barack obama, with what i wrote. You then tell me what I should have written. That is why I claim you are waxing superior. You preach manners and tell others what to say, before you read what was actually written. You talk before you have understood.

Just read what is written before you criticize and lecture me on my writing, please.

I am not fishing for an apology, just a refrain from the lecturing.

My anti religion bit came from my culturally insensitive slur on arabs, calling them towel heads. I have very little respect for arab culture because it is dominated by theocratic and brutal regimes. I show that lack of respect through the use of the derogatory term.

[Ethnic]

Do you always act this precious? Get over it. I never intended to give you an apology so why you even remotely mention anything regarding an apology is beyond me. Take a deep breath and stop thinking that all my thoughts are an attack on you. You clearly are not an easy person to chat to.

And enough with your encyclopedia-length theories about how the world works. You sound like a bitter pill.