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5 days and counting

Filed under: General — Downunder @ 10:48 am Sun 13th October 2013

The world economy is like a chess game, but not one between two players who take turnabout. Each piece on the board has its own mind, plays its own game, may move when it wants, and the game progresses in a sometimes unpredictable manner.

The five days referred to above is when the US could default on the world economy. We’ve been playing this game for a while now but this time is different. The US treasury has exhausted its extraordinary options and the Fed had indicated it would stop printing money but has been forced into an embarrassing about face.

Is this simply a bunch of intransigent politicians blissfully inconsiderate of the global economy? Is it high-stakes brinkmanship? Is this the time we must come face to face with the frightening inevitable?

The other chess pieces are paying close attention and there is a rising panic amongst major stakeholders.

China holds a trillion dollars in US debt and Japan has its own problems not the least of which is the failure to control Fukushima, the Japanese prime minister announcing this week;

‘We are wide open to receive the most advanced knowledge from overseas to contain the problem,’ he said.

While the rest of the world can do without a US default you can only elongate an economy so far. That said in other ways; you can only inflate an economy so much or allow the gap between rich and poor to become so great that too many people no longer have the ability to participate in that economy.

The US ecomony is at tipping point; it cannot continue to print money. The reduction in its dollar has given it a competitive parity with the rest of the world and at great expense to other economies. What has been the benchmark currency of the world is now under threat which in some respects is natural as its number one ranking equally is under threat.

This scrap between the Republican Tea Party faction and the Obama administration (which imposes the risk of another global meltdown) is not just a fight over the Obama-care health policy, it is recognition of the delicate position we have reached and the differences of opinion on how financial chaos might be avoided just a little bit longer.

The DHS (Department of Homeland Security) also recognises the significant level of seriousness they face. Their recent acquisition of 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition and military equipment isn’t to repel an anticipated invasion from the Chinese army.

For the first time since the American Civil War the US may soon be shooting its own people in order to defeat civil unrest. Yes it can happen in America just as it has happened it the Middle East. If the circumstances exist the population will riot; they want at the very least, their daily bread.

The US is exhausting its military options; those that we have watched them engage in over the last two decades since the first Iraq invasion have not relieved their economic vulnerability. They have lost the currency battle with China.

The next five days may appear to amount to nothing, should there be a last minute agreement to raise the US debt ceiling, but make no mistake, this isn’t going away.

Take note men, when the time comes, all of us, even in New Zealand will have to deal with the consequences of this.

12 Comments »

  1. Ha! a US or a world meltdown would not affect me as badly as being turfed out of my own home by police, via an illegal and unjust exparte order, did. World Order only holds value when you actually experience order in YOUR OWN world. Feminist dogma infiltrating the justice system f**ked my life up horrendously and I do intend to have revenge on the system when the time is right. 5 days time might be a good time to return to NZ and settle up some old debts with a few Judges and lawyers.

    Comment by triassic — Sun 13th October 2013 @ 11:36 am

  2. The US has run it’s economy in debt for all but 4 years in the past 40 years. Nothing new. I don’t hear the US’s biggest creditors screaming for repayments. A better measure of the US economic situation is it’s debt to GDP ratio; i.e. it’s ability to repay the debt if push came to shove. The Fed can mandate any number it likes as a comfortable debt number; it’s all smoke, mirrors and printed money anyway. All we are seeing here are politicians playing “oneupmanship”; i.e. nothing to see.

    So let’s play the game and assume the so called shutdown (of whatever) happens; I personally only see the upside; the biggest being that bureaucrats and public savants MAY NOT get paid. No loss there, NZ could use a dose of the same. Who cares if bureaucrats don’t go to work; not a lot of us. The biggest, overlooked factor in this whole equation is how “private enterprise” will certainly, quickly and more effectively do business without government interference. I fail to see any downsides of a US government “fiscal” collapse; hopefully it will show the rest of the world you can live without the tax drag, interference from bullies and stupid laws enacted for the convenience of a select few only. Looking really forward to the “supposed” 5 day deadline to pass. Hopefully and finally; the US people will be free to determine their own destiny unconstrained by the puppets of the “power” of politics! Shades of Rome!!

    Comment by Bruce S — Sun 13th October 2013 @ 12:55 pm

  3. I don’t see this post as being specifically relevant to MENZ Issues.

    Comment by blamemenforall — Sun 13th October 2013 @ 1:04 pm

  4. @blamemenforall

    I haven’t found the relevant statistics regarding New Zealand but they are probably comparable to the US data. In the 2008 recession more men in the US lost their jobs than women. In the 5 years since, women have regained a higher level of employment than men and 2 million men who previously had work remain unemployed.

    Recession appears to have significant detracting effects on employment for men. If a US default does cause another recession it will be interesting to see if the same pattern continues. Something Bruce is speculating on that private enterprise will solve the economic disarray.

    Luckily we were largely unscathed by the last recession due to our relationship with Australia and China. We will not be so lucky if a default impacts of China.

    How many men have child support obligations which continue and accrue during recessions and unemployment.

    How much easier is it for women to shift to the DPB rather than struggle on unemployment benefits. How many more men are dragged through separation and the Family Court during these upheavals. The Family Court activity in Christchurch is evidence enough of that.

    If we are dragged back into a global recession, it won’t be another round of the government bailouts which have caused the current flattened economic activity; it will be severe like the previous great depression.

    This has plenty to do with men in New Zealand and the changing environment that we are continually expected to adapt to.

    Comment by Downunder — Sun 13th October 2013 @ 2:33 pm

  5. Agree with you on shades of Rome Bruce S

    U.S. Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Courtney Rowe underscored that the outage is not related to the government shutdown.

    Electronic Food Stamps

    Comment by Downunder — Mon 14th October 2013 @ 11:14 am

  6. Story Here

    This is interesting reading. It gives an idea of life in America at the bottom of the food chain and the extent of their electronic food distribution system.

    Comment by Downunder — Tue 15th October 2013 @ 7:04 am

  7. 3. ABOVE – This is very relevant to parents – mums and dads – NZ KIWIS – because it highlights just what a sham the entire democratic system actually is……what NO mainstream media are reporting, is this – CHINA just started trading OIL in YUAN – wow, thats the biggest news in the history of the PETRODOLLAR – the only thing holding up the USD value is the fact it is backed by the sale of OIL in USD – if this changes, the USD plummets, and the with it collapses the house of Derivatives and bonds – cards of paper backed by nothing.

    How does this effect NZers – parents –

    Why are you paying a fortune for FOOD why are your taxes getting higher

    – the BANKS have been speculating on food and commodities since the 2008 crash – because people need to eat food, so its a sure fire good bet on the stock market – hence the high prices…….

    oh and if you watch closely the US has become a nation of people on PART TIME WORK – why? because to devoid themselves of having to pay Holidays, health care and so forth the Corporates hire people only on a part time basis, so they are NOT LIABLE – and this is legal in the US…… every worker is becoming a part timer – FULL TIME work is being slowly wiped out.

    And as we enter into more “FREE TRADE” agreements, watch the same thing happen here in NZ – has nobody noticed how many businesses, industry, jobs we have lost as we have signed into FREE TRADE agreements with other nations over the last 20 years – I DONT SEE NZers prospering, having an abundance of work, and lower costs in food and household commodities – or lower taxes as a result?????

    And moving on to RIGHTS – those things we THINK we have, but when you enter FAMILY COURT – you find out really quickly you have NONE – you have NO Right to see your own child as a parent, you are discriminated against, persecuted for being ” VIOLENT” when you are NOT, your integrity and character is destroyed without consequence – so that this “INDUSTRY” created by LAWYERS – built on the deliberate escalation of CONFLICT, can flourish

    – so back to how are parents in NZ effected by all this – BECAUSE its all part of the same system of control over the people – forcing you into a high cost game to see your own kids, and when thats finished they will then take every last cent you have left in child support to fund more Govt programs – propped up by leveraging massive debts against those deliberately INFLATED demands. Which you have to take the system to court to prove otherwise, more costs to you, because the system knows you will never be able to challenge it – FACTS are something which only get accepted if you have MONEY and TIME to force down the systems throat.

    So when we sign up to the TPP = and in ten years time the corporations have ravaged the environment, forced you to eat GMO from packets with no labeling, demanded you work only part time, so you receive no benefits, have your children locked into the student debt cycle, demanded BOTH parents must now pay child living allowances and hand over personal property when they cant afford it – these forced DEBTS are for life – all so that more debt can be borrowed, and you have NO way to challenge this because the “court” overseeing complaints – is now offshore, managed by the corporations – your Govt has cleverly divested accountability and responsibility to a foreign entity,

    then see just how few RIGHTS you have – you as the PEOPLE will have NONE. And if your protest forces a drop in PROFITS under TPP, the corporation can SUE the GOVT for the loses so there will be NO PROTESTS in the future ( forgot to add – the TPP is being raced through in secrecy – because of the OIL for YUAN problem – this is a last ditch effort to get all the pacific nations committed to trading in USD ONLY…….Aussie have recently been talking about trading directly with china AUD to CNY without using the Global Currency USD – not a good look for the petro dollar.)

    RIGHTS – you have NONE. and you will have less sooner than later……..

    Already today in NZ, the Ombudsmans office – ” FAIRNESS FOR ALL” is NOT Allowed to investigate – the HUMAN rights Commission – is NOT allowed to investigate – complaints against these BUSINESSES – there is too much money at stake, they need you locked and loaded into FORCED DEBT repayment – because YOUR DEBTS are required to support the ever increasing GOVT DEBTS leverage against YOU – which initially all flowed down steam to NZ from the FED – because the Bankers at the FED can create more DEBT by printing money from nothing to keep it all liquid, while demanding you the stupid Tax paying hard working parent pays for it all – even if it means – forcing you to give up your kids in exchange – extortion come to mind anyone???? Currently NO ONE is ACCOUNTABLE, NO ONE wants to be presented with TRUTH and FACTS, because it does not suit their BUSINESS model – plausible Deniability by deliberately avoiding the FACTS is a standard practice today in GOVT.

    So yes NZ this is very relevant……..

    How can it all be stopped – take a look at NORWAY – in NORWAY, employees are all paid the SAME WAGE – did you hear me correct, everyone is treated as EQUAL – so the CEO gets paid the same as the JANITOR – no way I hear you say……well take a look at NORWAYS DEBT – they have NONE – they are in CREDIT with the IMF – yes they are one of only two countries in the DEBT ridden mess around he world, who have NO DEBT – because they treat everyone as EQUAL – so no opportunity for bribery, corruption, paying off people with large salaries to do as they are told and roll out corporate control = and because of this they also have a very healthy FAMILY life ……….

    if you want to get NZ back on track, you must demand, we start making things here again, growing our industry EMPLOYING people and supporting ourselves – open our timber mills again, and mill our logs here rather than sending them offshore for processing as is currently the case – depriving KIWIS of work, PROCESS our FISH here – open a cannery in NZ instead of sending it offshore for processing and having to BUY it back, process our leather here – a buy product of our PRIMARY sector, all of which currently goes to Aussie for processing and we have to BUY it back to work with it, farm our own pork here… make our own clothes and shoes here……we once had a thriving industry here – exporting …. the list of LOST business and lost jobs – lost under the guise of FREE TRADE is very long –

    Comment by hornet — Tue 15th October 2013 @ 8:26 am

  8. Want to understand more of what is happening in the US, read this –

    http://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2013/10/the-threat-we-face-2732292.html?currentSplittedPage=1

    – as described towards the end of this article…….

    Government debt is not just an accountant’s nightmare.
    Debt is a form of economic slavery. If you add up all the taxes
    Americans pay – federal, state, local, income, sales – Americans already
    work half the year for government rather than for themselves. Like
    Obamacare and the political use of the I.R.S., debt is a threat to
    individual freedom.

    if you understand this, and the same applies in NZ – then you understand why we are all being forced into more and more DEBT……excessive demands for Child Support – over and above what you earn as income, Kiwi Saver – an UNFUNDED LIABILITY – which means when the Govt cant pay its bills, Kiwi saver will be first to go, because the money will not be there to cover it or your future superannuation payment at retirement…..Student Loans are simply a debt for LIFE……and another tool in this business – massive accumulated DEBT against which more borrowing ( and more Debt ) can be leveraged……..

    The business of leveraging borrowing against DEBT forced on the people must stop, it is an unjust and despicable form of business, especially when that debt is leveraged against CHILDREN……………Parents and their property…….

    Comment by hornet — Tue 15th October 2013 @ 9:50 am

  9. @Hornet (#7) – precisely and very well articulated. Perhaps you could have just signed off after saying “….what a sham the entire democratic system actually is..”

    “democracy” has merely become an overused word by underused politicians who are incapable of seeing how they are being manipulated by minority pressure groups to the detriment of a civil populace. The bureaucrats are the instruments of pain in society (look no further than the family courts or CYFS here in NZ); without them men would quickly regain equality and perhaps more importantly, the majority of families would recapture the right to govern themselves. So a government unable to pay it’s savants is something we should all (men and women) be cheering for!!!

    Comment by Bruce S — Tue 15th October 2013 @ 8:15 pm

  10. The crisis is avoided at the last minute, but only until January and we will do this all over again.

    Comment by Downunder — Thu 17th October 2013 @ 6:43 pm

  11. The most recent data published by the Wall Street Journal confirms the trend that recession favours women.

    Women have recovered all the jobs they lost during the recession. Men have not.

    A record 67.5 million women are working today, up from the prior peak of 67.4 million in early 2008, according to the Labor Department’s latest tally of payrolls that captured the full rebound for the first time. By comparison, 69 million men currently have jobs, below their high of 70.9 million in June 2007.

    I wonder how New Zealand compares on the same basis?

    Comment by Downunder — Tue 19th November 2013 @ 6:38 am

  12. Predicting things is a spurious game, especially giving dates.
    How long can those five days be, to see something happen.
    The first three paragraphs of the post, are good.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/128048292/petrol-prices-government-bows-to-inevitable-but-goes-big-with-fuel-excise-cut

    If this is not a wake up call, nothing is.
    We do not have, energy independence.
    And waste large sums, with our petrol addiction.
    At any moment, NZ can be cut off from supply.
    That hopefully will not happen, yet anything can actually happen.
    How slow then have we been, in changing to the electric car.
    How fast then must we reform, our addiction.

    I travel a lot, so lucky I have a little A to B car.

    Comment by DJ Ward — Mon 14th March 2022 @ 7:43 pm

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