The U.S. Economy: Stand by for more worse news

[Michael]

LOL, how about surprising me once and using a credible source. Below is a link to the Federal Reserve site and it shows the real survey results.

http://www.newyorkfed.org/microeconomics/sce/#main

Did you even bother to click on your own link Joe? Because if you had, you'd find the exact graph I posted once you isolate the $50,000 - $100,000 (aka: middle class) demographic. Just as I specifically stated in my post.

The combination of generational Government schooling (with their 20% functional illiterate graduates), zillions of State licencing scams, zillions of State backed rent-seeking scams and Hyper-regulatory-capture, whatever was America, is now a hollowed shit-hole of half Police State and half Welfare State.

That thin slice of middle class tax chattel the State likes to milk, is getting thinner. And it will continue to get thinner as we buy more incompetent bureaucracy expands and our bloated military (composed of incompetent bureaucrats and functionally illiterate Government school graduates) continues to make up and lose phony wars year in a year out (at a cost of $600 BILLION or more a year).

What was once LIMITED government with a LIMITED role in society is now the first-go-to for Americans to solve any and every social problem. Let's see how that works out for Amoorikkka.

Welcome to the USSA

Land of the Fleeced
Home of the Slave

 

[Michael]

LOL, how about surprising me once and using a credible source. Below is a link to the Federal Reserve site and it shows the real survey results.

http://www.newyorkfed.org/microeconomics/sce/#main

Did you even bother to click on your own link Joe? Because if you had, you'd find the exact graph I posted once you isolate the $50,000 - $100,000 (aka: middle class) demographic. Just as I specifically stated in my post.

The combination of generational Government schooling (with their 20% functional illiterate graduates), zillions of State licencing scams, zillions of State backed rent-seeking scams and Hyper-regulatory-capture, whatever was America, is now a hollowed shit-hole of half Police State and half Welfare State.

That thin slice of middle class tax chattel the State likes to milk, is getting thinner. And it will continue to get thinner as we buy more incompetent bureaucracy expands and our bloated military (composed of incompetent bureaucrats and functionally illiterate Government school graduates) continues to make up and lose phony wars year in a year out (at a cost of $600 BILLION or more a year).

What was once LIMITED government with a LIMITED role in society is now the first-go-to for Americans to solve any and every social problem. Let's see how that works out for Amoorikkka.

Welcome to the USSA

Land of the Fleeced
Home of the Slave

 

[joepistole]

Did you even bother to click on your own link Joe? Because if you had, you'd find the exact graph I posted once you isolate the $50,000 - $100,000 (aka: middle class) demographic. Just as I specifically stated in my post.

LOL, yeah I did. The question is did you? Your graph is not on the New York Fed's website. Nor is your graph from the New York Fed.

The combination of generational Government schooling (with their 20% functional illiterate graduates), zillions of State licencing scams, zillions of State backed rent-seeking scams and Hyper-regulatory-capture, whatever was America, is now a hollowed shit-hole of half Police State and half Welfare State.

That thin slice of middle class tax chattel the State likes to milk, is getting thinner. And it will continue to get thinner as we buy more incompetent bureaucracy expands and our bloated military (composed of incompetent bureaucrats and functionally illiterate Government school graduates) continues to make up and lose phony wars year in a year out (at a cost of $600 BILLION or more a year).

What was once LIMITED government with a LIMITED role in society is now the first-go-to for Americans to solve any and every social problem. Let's see how that works out for Amoorikkka.

Welcome to the USSA

Land of the Fleeced
Home of the Slave

Ok, yet another repetition of your standard rant.

 

[Michael]

LOL, yeah I did. The question is did you? Your graph is not on the New York Fed's website. Nor is your graph from the New York Fed.

For those of you who can manage this magical thing called The Internet:

You'll find the graph and data: The New York Fed’s Survey of Consumer Expectations (SCE)
- Survey of Consumer Expectations - February 2015
-> main survey results
--> +House Hold Finance
---> One-year ahead household spending growth expectations
----> Demographics / Income / $50-100K (click under $50K as well as over $100K to remove)

Raw Data Download or as PDF

Oh, a couple facts about the USA:
1) One in five government schooled graduates are functionally illiterate.
2) The 2015 budget will waste $600 billion losing the wars for another year.

Don't worry, things aren't getting better and even with the The Police State using civil forfeiture to take as much as it can grab, it's still running out of other people's money to spend. And geee, it takes a ton of other people's money to pay for all the Crony Capitalism that comprises the lion's share of our "Economy". Who knows? Maybe it's time for a tax increase on those that have something worth taxing? How's 95% sound on anything over $12K? You know, share the wealth, for the Good of Society. LOL

Someone's got to bail out those Central Bankers.
And it isn't going to be the poor. No, their role in our Progressive Paradise is Cannon Fodder.
And it isn't going to be the rich. No, their role in our Progressive Paradise is Farmer.
It's going to be the middle class. See, their role is that of Tax Chattel.

Welcome to the USSA
Land of the Fleeced
Home of the Slave

 

[joepistole]

For those of you who can manage this magical thing called The Internet:

You'll find the graph and data: The New York Fed’s Survey of Consumer Expectations (SCE)
- Survey of Consumer Expectations - February 2015
-> main survey results
--> +House Hold Finance
---> One-year ahead household spending growth expectations
----> Demographics / Income / $50-100K (click under $50K as well as over $100K to remove)

Raw Data Download or as PDF

Oh, a couple facts about the USA:
1) One in five government schooled graduates are functionally illiterate.
2) The 2015 budget will waste $600 billion losing the wars for another year.

Don't worry, things aren't getting better and even with the The Police State using civil forfeiture to take as much as it can grab, it's still running out of other people's money to spend. And geee, it takes a ton of other people's money to pay for all the Crony Capitalism that comprises the lion's share of our "Economy". Who knows? Maybe it's time for a tax increase on those that have something worth taxing? How's 95% sound on anything over $12K? You know, share the wealth, for the Good of Society. LOL

Someone's got to bail out those Central Bankers.
And it isn't going to be the poor. No, their role in our Progressive Paradise is Cannon Fodder.
And it isn't going to be the rich. No, their role in our Progressive Paradise is Farmer.
It's going to be the middle class. See, their role is that of Tax Chattel.

Welcome to the USSA
Land of the Fleeced
Home of the Slave

LOL

 

[Billy T]

More details at: http://www.fool.com/retirement/gene...urity-the-congressional-budget-office-hi.aspx
Where it states: "What's $500 billion? - That's about the difference of opinion between the Social Security Trustees and the Congressional Budget Office when it comes to the Social Security Trust Funds in just over eight years from now.

"Last July, the Social Security Trustees published their annual report on the health of the Social Security Trust Funds. Their intermediate projection estimated that the combined Trust Funds would have $2,698.4 billion in 2023. This January, the Congressional Budget Office produced its updated estimate. Combining its estimate for the cumulative shortfall in the Disability trust fund with its estimate for the Retirement trust fund produces a combined balance of $2,171 billion in 2023."

Looks like 13% of payrolls goes to SS as tax, but it could be more, if there were no upper limit on how much the better off pay annually. I.e. Make them pay 13% of their salaries, regardless of the sum earned. That would go a long way in fixing SSs problems, but not likely to make it thru a Republican controlled Congress. collecting larger sums from the very high salary folks, would shoot holes in the current fiction that the SS tax is collected to finance "your Social Security" payments later in your life. SS is a Ponzi scheme, if that is defined as any plan that pays out funds now from the now collected funds others are paying in now.

 

[Michael]

Gallup Poll:

The 17% who believe the U.S. is the world's No. 1 economy ties for the lowest percentage to say so in the six times Gallup has asked this question. Americans were most confident about the United States' global economic stature in 1999 and 2000, when 40% and 39%, respectively, saw it as No. 1. This view has since waned, dropping to 25% in 2007 before falling again to 17% in 2010, where it remains.

So? How's that Centrally Planned, Economic "Recovery", from the "Great Recession" (caused by the very same Central Planners) going? Now that hookers, selling blow and McGovernmentHighSchool Greeter jobs are counted as 'Full Employment' it looks like 'Forward Guidance' will come to an end and our Dear Leaders at our Dear Central Planning Bank will start moving interest rates up for the first time since 2006. Or, maybe the Central Planners will stick to being "patient"? I guess we should leave it all up them. They are our "Leaders" after all. You know, like GW Pretzel Boy, Hitlary, or Cigar-in-the-intern-Progressive-feminist-man. Yeah, those ones. (or how about George Osborne Economist and crack cocaine smoking through a glass tube at north London drugs den, "Professor" Douglas McWilliams? AAAAAHAHAHAHAAAA.... there's a Central Planner for you! ROTFLMAO!!! Oh, by the Gods that's some funny shit

Hey, want to know when you're living in a Regressive .... errr, Progressive Socialistic crap-hole? When, if one of your Central Planners uses the word 'patient' or not, it can destroy your 'free-market' economy and "Great Recovery". You know, because, what we reeeallllyyyy have a problem with is just WAAAAY too much 'freedom' in our 'free-markets'. Let's take care of that with a few billion more lines of Government Regulation - because that works soooo well. Yeah, it was all that "Deregulation" that destroyed our economy. Hell, the Deregulation was so bad, it went back in time, and ALSO destroyed the Japanese stock market back in the early 90s too!

LOL! Be 'patient' and enjoy the "Great Recovery" - no amount of policy is going to reverse 100 years of Government 'Education' and teach the functionally illiterate Government School graduates to read or write. Nope. That'll take close to 3 decades to fix. And we're not even close to thinking about fixing it. So, the best option is to vote for the Politician who promises to take your landlords' house...errrr, I mean 'tax' your landlord a house, and give....errrr, I mean 'redistribute' it to you 'for the Good of Society'. Then take... 'tax' from the not-so-productive-but-invested-and-saved and give to the less-than-productive-but-spent-like-there-was-no-tomorrow class, aka: Consumer Tax Chattel.

See? Our society is built on a little something called "Consumerism" and you worked damn hard doing all that Patriotic shopping while your greedy landlord greedily invested in rental properties. Well well well, that isn't fair now is it?

Vote accordingly

Note: According to a study conducted in late April by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy, 32 million adults in the U.S. can't read (14% of the population) and 21% of adults in the U.S. read below a 5th grade level - oh, and 19% of Government School graduates can't read - but can probably poll well.

(I'm going to assume 2% is within the margin of error and align with the Gallup Poll)

--
Progressive Socialism, State-worship and other superstitious nonsense, destroying one civilization at a time.

 

[iceaura]

SS is a Ponzi scheme, if that is defined as any plan that pays out funds now from the now collected funds others are paying in now.

Since that's not how a Ponzi scheme is defined, SS is not a Ponzi scheme.

It's an inefficiently designed welfare, or transfer, payment. It's no more a Ponzi scheme than food stamps are, or workman's compensation, or heating oil subsidies, or income tax refunds.

Hey, want to know when you're living in a Regressive .... errr, Progressive Socialistic crap-hole?

Want to know when you are living in Michael's free market paradise? When the electrical supply connection to your roach infested slumlord's building looks like this: http://pandoraspromise.com/photo-gallery/2-2/

 

[Michael]

Want to know when you are living in Michael's free market paradise? When the electrical supply connection to your roach infested slumlord's building looks like this: http://pandoraspromise.com/photo-gallery/2-2/

Sorry to pop your bubble, but Brazil is anything but a 'free-market'. It's another hyper-regulated Progressive Socialistic paradise.

As for the USSA:
Which do you want?
The Progressive Housing Slums in New York:

How about Progressive Socialist housing slums in Baltimore?

Then there's good ole' Camden NJ. Truly, the pinnacle of Progressive Ghetto.

 

[Michael]

Want to know when you are living in Michael's free market paradise?

Let's all make sure we know "Michael's" position on 'free-markets'. Free markets are simply free people interacting with one another without using violence. A free market transaction is you freely choosing to buy a cup of coffee. You cannot live in a free society without automatically having free markets. AND likewise, without free markets, you cannot live in a free society. They are impossible to separate from one another. The ingredients for a prosperous society are LIMITED government, sound money (which does not require a government) and Law that protects private property and upholds contract. That's it. It's not that difficult.

But, don't worry. We're not getting more Civil Liberty any time too soon. Exactly the opposite. In the meantime, lets watch and see if the functionally illiterate voting consumer Chattel Class does the right thing and votes in a real demagogue. You know 'someone who isn't afraid of getting his/her hands dirty' and is willing to 'do what it takes' to 'turn this ship around' blah blah blah.... a story as old as time.

Let the 'Redistribution' begin!
LOL

 

[Michael]

CPI Detailed Report
Data for January 2015

Hey, looky here. Our Central Planners at our Central Bank said we have a really really really big problem with *GASP* deflation (-0.1% for the year). You know, because when prices are going down, people stop buying. That's why SALES never work. Anyway, here's the wonderful news. The CPI report showed some good ole' happy happy "Inflation" for the last year:

• Beef and veal +22.5%
• Ground beef +21.0%
• Steaks +14.9%
• Pork +7.4%
• Ham +11.5%
• Whole Chicken +6.1%
• Fresh Fish +3.5%
• Eggs +8.2%
• Cheese +7.8%
• Fresh Vegetables +4.3%
• Lettuce +12.2%
• Tomatoes +9.6%
• Coffee +6.7%
• Butter +19.5%
• Restaurant food +3.1%
• Housing +2.9%
• Hotels +7.6%
• Owners Equivalent Rent +2.6%
• Homeowners Insurance +5.6%
• Electricity +2.5%
• Water & Sewer +5.5%
• Home Repairs +4.4%
• Footwear +2.6%
• Car Insurance +5.0%
• Parking Fees & Tolls +2.3%
• Medicinal Drugs +4.2%
• Prescription Drugs +5.6%
• Hospital Services +4.3%
• Veterinarian Services +3.2%
• Sporting Events +3.6%
• Newspapers & Magazines +4.6%
• College Tuition +3.6%
• Educational Books & Supplies +6.5%
• Grade School & High School Tuition +4.0%
• Childcare & Nursery School +3.0%
• Postage +3.6%
• Cigarettes +2.5%
• Financial Services +5.7%
• Tax Return Prep +9.3%

Don't you feel richer already?!

I bet you're looking at that list thinking, I sure as hell better not save my money in a fist even tighter than before - nope. Particularly if you're on a fixed income. No no no, instead you're thinking of running out there getting the sweeeet deals - - buy buy buy!!!
Now's the time my friend!
Don't worry about tomorrow.
Hurry up while the sweet deals are for the getten.

Isn't life wonderful in a Centrally Planned economy? You know, where they bailout the TBTFail and TBTJail criminal 0.01% while the rest of you get to live in your parents rental property or basement and pay 21% more to make a beef patty. Go on.... fulfil your role as Consumer Tax Chattel. Buy something plastic - that's always nice.

Land of the Fleeced
Home of the Slave

 

[joepistole]

CPI Detailed Report
Data for January 2015

Hey, looky here. Our Central Planners at our Central Bank said we have a really really really big problem with *GASP* deflation (-0.1% for the year). You know, because when prices are going down, people stop buying. That's why SALES never work. Anyway, here's the wonderful news. The CPI report showed some good ole' happy happy "Inflation" for the last year:

• Beef and veal +22.5%
• Ground beef +21.0%
• Steaks +14.9%
• Pork +7.4%
• Ham +11.5%
• Whole Chicken +6.1%
• Fresh Fish +3.5%
• Eggs +8.2%
• Cheese +7.8%
• Fresh Vegetables +4.3%
• Lettuce +12.2%
• Tomatoes +9.6%
• Coffee +6.7%
• Butter +19.5%
• Restaurant food +3.1%
• Housing +2.9%
• Hotels +7.6%
• Owners Equivalent Rent +2.6%
• Homeowners Insurance +5.6%
• Electricity +2.5%
• Water & Sewer +5.5%
• Home Repairs +4.4%
• Footwear +2.6%
• Car Insurance +5.0%
• Parking Fees & Tolls +2.3%
• Medicinal Drugs +4.2%
• Prescription Drugs +5.6%
• Hospital Services +4.3%
• Veterinarian Services +3.2%
• Sporting Events +3.6%
• Newspapers & Magazines +4.6%
• College Tuition +3.6%
• Educational Books & Supplies +6.5%
• Grade School & High School Tuition +4.0%
• Childcare & Nursery School +3.0%
• Postage +3.6%
• Cigarettes +2.5%
• Financial Services +5.7%
• Tax Return Prep +9.3%

Don't you feel richer already?!

I bet you're looking at that list thinking, I sure as hell better not save my money in a fist even tighter than before - nope. Particularly if you're on a fixed income. No no no, instead you're thinking of running out there getting the sweeeet deals - - buy buy buy!!!
Now's the time my friend!
Don't worry about tomorrow.
Hurry up while the sweet deals are for the getten.

Isn't life wonderful in a Centrally Planned economy? You know, where they bailout the TBTFail and TBTJail criminal 0.01% while the rest of you get to live in your parents rental property or basement and pay 21% more to make a beef patty. Go on.... fulfil your role as Consumer Tax Chattel. Buy something plastic - that's always nice.

Land of the Fleeced
Home of the Slave

Billy T removed a question, probably offensive to both Michael and his parents , that was here, and total unrelated to the thread.

Apparently you don't now what a centrally planned economy is, what we have in the US isn't by any stretch a centrally planned economy as has been explained to you umpteen times over the years. And yes deflation is bad because by definition it means people have less money to spend. That's why prices fall, and that is why the Fed, businesses, and economists are concerned about deflation. If people have less money, it becomes more difficult for them to pay their debts, groceries, rents, etc.

Yeah, government "bailed out" the banks and made a nice profit on the bailouts and kept people employed rather than in the unemployment lines. I'd say that is good business.

 

[pjdude1219]

Let's all make sure we know "Michael's" position on 'free-markets'. Free markets are simply free people interacting with one another without using violence. A free market transaction is you freely choosing to buy a cup of coffee. You cannot live in a free society without automatically having free markets. AND likewise, without free markets, you cannot live in a free society. They are impossible to separate from one another. The ingredients for a prosperous society are LIMITED government, sound money (which does not require a government) and Law that protects private property and upholds contract. That's it. It's not that difficult.

But, don't worry. We're not getting more Civil Liberty any time too soon. Exactly the opposite. In the meantime, lets watch and see if the functionally illiterate voting consumer Chattel Class does the right thing and votes in a real demagogue. You know 'someone who isn't afraid of getting his/her hands dirty' and is willing to 'do what it takes' to 'turn this ship around' blah blah blah.... a story as old as time.

Let the 'Redistribution' begin!
LOL

thats true but only if you accept micheals redefining most of the terms to suit his needs rather than use simple dictionary definition. just remember people your dealing with a pathological liar here. seriously sciforums how much longer our we going to put up with his intellectual dishonety. i know its funny. i know when i'm ever feeling depressed i start looking for his posts to cheer me up but seriously its really cruel to continue to let him make a fool of him self. he's already proven incapable of being educated on the fact and wishes to remain ignorant but its kinda dangerous to leave these lies out in the open.

 

[Billy T]

Post that was here is now at: http://www.sciforums.com/threads/ca...-be-avoided-even-if-co2-release-ended.145265/

 

[Michael]

thats true but only if you accept micheals redefining most of the terms to suit his needs rather than use simple dictionary definition.

The Brainwashing is Strong in this one.

Yeah, government "bailed out" the banks and made a nice profit on the bailouts and kept people employed rather than in the unemployment lines. I'd say that is good business.

Your same argument is good rational for never ending the phony wars. Which is a good thing, because then the functionally illiterate Government Schooled Labor Cogs have a role in society to fulfill / job - that of Cannon Fodder.

There can be no change / Progress in Joe's World / insane asylum.
Only stagnation for the majority and success for those good at rent-seeking / the lowest denominators of society.

So, take a look around, if you like what you see: Never ending 600 billion a year phony wars, 20% functional illiteracy rates, expanding welfare ghettos, the drug wars, more regulatory capture, expansion of the NSA, the loss of your Civil Liberty, an expansion of the Patriot Act, if these the are sound foundation on which society rests, then your choice is simple: stand with the Joe's of the world and keep voting for the demagogue who promises you the most then go fulfill your role as cannon fodder and/or tax chattel. And expect to another round of Bailout the TBTF Banking Oligarchy / modern Aristocracy.

You'll see.

The USSA, where 'free' Americans are legally strangled to death by the Police State on suspicion of *gasp* selling a $0.50 cent smoke on the street corner - - without their Nanny's permission slip, which they need, you know, for the Good of Society and You use the Roads. Because America is the freest place on earth: Land of the Free.

More like: Land of the Fleeced
Home of the Slave


Note: Joe's rational also works for never ending human Slavery. No no no, in Joe's world not only would we be keeping human Slavery, but we'd also be bailing out the Slave owner classes to the tune of GENERATIONAL debts. You know, because otherwise Slave owners would have to go out and earn an honest living and geeee think of all them poor henchman in the unemployment lines.

As a matter of fact, Joe's argument could have been made for NOT ending the 1000 year old rule by Aristocracy. Ending the Aristocracy would upend 1000 years of stable rule and *GASP* people might be free to start their own business instead of stuck as little Labor Cogs working for corrupt business owners. Joe would have made a Good British Loyalist. I'm pretty the Joe's of the world are simply built from the DNA up as Statists. It really doesn't matter if they're born in the KSA, North Korea or the USSA. 1715 or 2015, they'll always support the ruling Oligarchy and have a small vested interest in maintaining the statuesque.

Anyway, how's that Great Recovery working for you? Getting the Change You Believe In? Hope and Change right? Good. Expect 30-50 more years of it - at least.

hahah.... the Great Recession.... LOL, do enjoy.

 

[Michael]

Our Glorious Central Planners doing the "Science" of Economics:

January 27-28 FOMC meeting 2015:
"Many participants regarded dropping the "patient" language in the statement, whenever that might occur, as risking a shift in market expectations for the beginning of policy firming toward an unduly narrow range of dates. As a result, some expressed the concern that financial markets might overreact, resulting in undesirably tight financial conditions."

Translation:
We hope (like hell) the "markets" (that may even refer to *gasp*.... us Peons don't actually believe what we tell them.

January 27-28 FOMC meeting 2015:
"A number of participants noted that while forward guidance had been a very useful tool under the extraordinary conditions of recent years, as the start of normalization approaches, there would be limits to the specificity that the Committee could provide about its timing."

Translation:
Transparency is fan-f*cking-tastic when the printing presses run at full tilt, but my Gods, letting the Peon's see behind the Wizards Magic Curtain isn't so useful now that the markets (that's not actually us, this is in reference to the people who work on Wall Street) expect us to stop giving them free money to play with.

January 27-28 FOMC meeting 2015:
"...it was suggested that the Committee should communicate clearly that policy decisions will be data dependent, and that unanticipated economic developments could therefore warrant a path of the federal funds rate different from that currently expected by investors or policymakers."

Translation:
Who can know the Will of the Gods anyway? Certainly not the Peons.

Don't question.
Don't think.
Just Believe......

LOL.... too funny

 

[joepistole]

Our Glorious Central Planners doing the "Science" of Economics:

January 27-28 FOMC meeting 2015:
"Many participants regarded dropping the "patient" language in the statement, whenever that might occur, as risking a shift in market expectations for the beginning of policy firming toward an unduly narrow range of dates. As a result, some expressed the concern that financial markets might overreact, resulting in undesirably tight financial conditions."

Translation:
We hope (like hell) the "markets" (that may even refer to *gasp*.... us Peons don't actually believe what we tell them.

January 27-28 FOMC meeting 2015:
"A number of participants noted that while forward guidance had been a very useful tool under the extraordinary conditions of recent years, as the start of normalization approaches, there would be limits to the specificity that the Committee could provide about its timing."

Translation:
Transparency is fan-f*cking-tastic when the printing presses run at full tilt, but my Gods, letting the Peon's see behind the Wizards Magic Curtain isn't so useful now that the markets (that's not actually us, this is in reference to the people who work on Wall Street) expect us to stop giving them free money to play with.

January 27-28 FOMC meeting 2015:
"...it was suggested that the Committee should communicate clearly that policy decisions will be data dependent, and that unanticipated economic developments could therefore warrant a path of the federal funds rate different from that currently expected by investors or policymakers."

Translation:
Who can know the Will of the Gods anyway? Certainly not the Peons.

Don't question.
Don't think.
Just Believe......

LOL.... too funny

The only one who is funny around here Michael.

You had better go back to translator school. Oh, that's right, you never attended translator school. That's why you can't translate.

 

[Kittamaru]

Am I the only one that finds Michael's posts to be incredibly off topic? Or... at the very least, delusional?

 

[pjdude1219]

Am I the only one that finds Michael's posts to be incredibly off topic? Or... at the very least, delusional?

no your not. i'm fairly certain the mods keep him around for comic relief for the educated members of the forum. alot of people have recognized his pathologial dishonesty and attempts to rewrite reality to suit his needs

 

[Billy T]

... i'm fairly certain the mods keep him around for comic relief for the educated members of the forum. ...

Just an informational note: I no longer moderate B&E and don't know who does.

There seems to be some increase in friction between US & UK in addition to some difference in what sanction should be applied to Russia related to its actions in Ukraine:

The White House accused the UK on Thursday of a “constant accommodation” of China after the British government decided to join a new China-led financial institution that could become a rival to the World Bank. The rare rebuke of one of the US’s closest allies comes as Britain prepares to announce it will become a founding member of the $50bn Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, making it the first G7 country to join an institution launched by China last October.
While Beijing has long been suspicious about US influence over the World Bank and IMF, China also believes that the US and Japan have too much control over the Manila-based Asian Development Bank.

In addition to the AIIB, China is the driving force behind the creation last year of the Brics development bank and is promoting a $40bn Silk Road Fund to finance economic integration with Central Asia.
The Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank is one of four institutions created or proposed by Beijing in what some see as an attempt to create a Sino-centric financial system to rival western dominated institutions set up after the second world war. The other institutions are the New Development Bank (better known as the BRICS* bank) and a contingent reserve arrangement, seen as alternatives to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund; and a proposed Development Bank of the Shanghai Co-operation Organization, a six-country Eurasian political, economic and military grouping dominated by China and Russia ...

* After years of negotiations, the "BRICS Bank" was set up a little more than a year ago with 200 billion (dollar value, but not dollars) to lend out for development projects, that made economic sense. In contrast the US backed and dominated, Asian Development Bank focuses on smaller poverty relief projects but doesn't undertake the large-scale infrastructure projects that are the focus of the AIIB like a high speed rail line for at least trade between China and EU (with Moscow spur) that high value / pound goods would use instead of planes or slower ocean transport. Brazil was in the running for the HQ, but China got it as is providing at least half the funding and lending to others so they can supply their agreed share of the initial capital