Quotation for Today: Return of the Social Security and Medicare"Sharks"

Just when you thought it was safe to "get back in the water," we discover -- via the quotation for today -- that the Social Security and Medicare "sharks" have returned to the waters off "Social Security Island"; apologies to Peter Benchley and the producers of the movie, Jaws.

A Thousand Words, Vol.1, Issue 13.

In economics and finance, the notion of a wealth effect -- increased consumption based on a perceived increase in wealth -- is well known.  Conversely, true wealth increase (measured by income change) is a bit different, as pictured here.


David Cay Johnston's companion article to the true-wealth-increase picture can be read here.


Related information:


Permanent insecurity for the 99 percent.

Quotation for Today: 'Permanent Insecurity'

The quotation for today captures well the contemporary America built on 30 years of Republicans and Alan Greenspan's economic and monetary policies.  

A Thousand Words, Vol. 1, Issue 10.

Again, we are presented a graph of the intense inequity (or iniquity) of the American capitalistic system -- an economic system based on 30 years of Republican and Alan Greenspan economic and monetary policies.  The graph, a comparison of the rise in the distribution of income to the top one percent in the United States and Sweden, can be viewed here.


Paul Krugman's article accompanying the graph can be read here. 


Related information is available here.

Quotation for Today: GOP's Culture War Is More Than Just a War on American Women

In continuing the good fight against the bullying of women by Republicans, comments from a medical provider are offered.

Quotation for Today: GOP Stigmatize Hard-Working Americans

Inveterately and instinctually, the Republican Party presidential wannabes and powerbrokers speak their true feelings when they talk of American workers as special interests. The GOP elites view the one percent as their true constituency, not the hard-working Americans  --  the middle- and working-class Americans  --  who are the heart and soul of the 99 percent and America. The quotation for today condemns the Republican Party's presidential wannabes for stigmatizing industrious American workers as special interests.

A Thousand Words, Vol. 1, Issue 5.

The picture, referenced via a hyperlink, highlighted in this post speaks volumes about the appreciation of labor in contemporary America.  You can view the picture here. 


Yes, I read the company's rebuttal to the picture here, and for two reasons I didn't find the response to be a credulous one.  The first and most important reason is the customer didn't publicly rebut the picture, and the second reason was the company's rebuttal was not clear as to the incorrectness of the credit card receipt.

Quotation for Today: Moral Hazard - A Dog Whistle

The quotation for today opens a discussion about the somewhat arcane economic concept known as "moral hazard" and how it -- by excusing greed and selfishness -- is used to pervert our sense of community.

Quotation for Today: Lobbying for Inequality

The quotation for today opens a discussion about poverty, middle class, elites, capitalism and democracy.

A Thousand Words, Vol.1, Issue 4.

Today, we get a graphical look (link is across the jump) at the impact of inequality on poverty in the United States. Along with inequality, five other factors that affect poverty are portrayed.

Quotation for Today: Back To Failure, Mitt Romney's Campaign Theme?

Today's quotation, across the break, offers a bit of insight into Florida's Republican primary and how the 99 Percent are still suffering from the Republican policies of the George W. Bush presidential years. Those policies benefited mostly the One Percent and their Wall Street bankers; bankers who used residential mortgage-backed securities, credit default swaps and other, pernicious financial instruments to enrich the One Percent while sowing massive destruction on the Main Street economy.

Quotation for Today: Potholes, Dirtier Air and the One Percent

As the 2012 president campaign races full-throttle ahead, one of the major issues will be that of the tax rates levied on the wealthiest Americans.  Today's quotation, across the break, provides insight into that question.

Quotation for Today: A Tax Code for, by, and of the One Percent

The quotation for today addresses the inequity of the United States tax code; a tax code that benefits the One Percent and punishes the 99 Percent.

Putting Mitt Romney's Low Tax Rate In Perspective

The effective tax rate for Mitt Romney was reported to be 13.9 percent. Since many people do not know their effective tax rate, the article highlighted in this post will help you put Romney's low effective tax rate into perspective.  I strongly believe, based on personal experience, the effective tax rate that most Americans pay is equal to or higher than Mitt Romney's tax rate.

Quotation for Today: Swiss Mitt: The Quintessential Davos Man?

The quotation for today, across the jump, explores the issue of who among the people gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland pays taxes at a higher rate.

Mitt Romney's One Percent World

Mitt Romney's release of his 2010 tax return has further pullback the curtain on  the intense income and wealth disparity in the United States.  As pointed out in the Quotation-for-Today post, Romney utilized foreign bank accounts as part of his wealth management strategy; the complete nature of that strategy is yet to be known. 


Across the jump, an article that examines Mitt Romney's 2010 tax return provides clues as to how Romney "earned" his income while "working" at Bain Capital.