Honesty and Integrity - The ,,All In'' Case

In Light of the sordid Petræus Affair, there has been a growing Chorus of Voices being raised in the Interest of Internet Privacy for the average Citizen.  Particularly of Concern to these Voices has been the Fact that the FBI has been able to access IP Addresses and track down Writers of eMails without a Court Warrant (although, it might quickly be added, if the FBI were to go before just about any Judge and raise National Security Concerns, it would take the lesser Part of 5 Seconds for most Judges to sign such a Warrant).  These Concerns carry a great Deal of Legitimacy.  Where these Concerns do not apply, however, is in the Area of Privacy for Public Officials.

Being a Public Official, especially a High Level Public Official has traditionally carried the Implication that such a Person surrenders his or her Privacy because of the High Level Position he or she holds (this is Public Service, not an Executive Position at General Motors, whether it be pre or post Bailout).  This Legal Principle has extended to Presidents, such as but not only Mr. Clinton, Senators, Representatives and other High Public Officials as well.  We do not believe we need to cite additional Examples.    Therefore, to argue, in this Circumstance, that General Petræus or General Allen might enjoy some Level of Privacy, especially, as it happens to be in this Case, where the Issues do not involve Intra Family Communications (,,Honey, what's for Dinner tonight,'' or ,,Honey, how are the Kids,'' etc.) is simply disingenuous.

It is also evident that he Communications that General Petræus had with Mr. Broadwell were salacious enough to where both he and Mrs. Broadwell went to great Lengths to maintain them remain secret.  The Focus of these Communications was not some covert CIA Operation or a Mission in Benghazi or something going on in Afghanistan, Iraq or elsewhere.  These were simply Communications involving an Extramarital Affair and, it must be emphasized, Mr. Petræus was and knew he was on Government Payroll; unless he would maintain now that he was writing and reading these complicated eMails involving Things such as Draft Folders and Cross Accessing Mrs. Broadwell's Account at home, while Mrs. Petræus was watching TV or something.

The other Personages involved in this Affair are deeply problematic.  Mrs. Natalie Khawam, who is Mrs. Jill Kelley's Twin Sister and a Lawyer, is involved in a nasty and bitter (Divorce) Custody Battle.  According to Court Records, she took her infant Child out of State without Court Authorisation or Permission, changed the Name of the Child and was found by a Judge to have a

 “stunning willingness to say anything, even under oath, to advance her own Interests.”

Attorney Natalie Khawam, Mrs. Jill Kelley's Twin Sister, here, from a Larger Photo showing Mrs. Khawam, Mr. and Mrs. Kelley and Mr. and Mrs. Petræus in the Kelleys Mansion

Those are pretty strong Words a Judge would use when referring to an Attorney.  The same Judge found Jill Kelley to be a

"patently biased and unbelievable Witness"

Ms. Kelley also seemed to have invoked, at least on one Instance, ,,Diplomatic Immunity.''  She seems to have recently gotten hold of the Title ,,Honorary Consul'' for, all of Places, South Korea.  Honorary Consuls do not enjoy the Privilege of Diplomatic Immunity except when they are on Official Business, which they rarely are.  Mrs. Kelley appears to have quickly developed an interest in pursuing Business Deals involving South Korea and, according to some Reports, began asking for Fees amounting to Tens of Millions of Dollars.  Earlier Reports that Mrs. Kelley was acting as some sort of a ,,Generals' Consul'' (which would have been inconsistent to Consular License Tags on her Automobile) have been proven false and were, more likely, an inept Plant.

Therefore, now, when we come across the Fact that General Allen wrote to the Court a Letter of Support on Behalf of Mrs. Khawam (Mrs. Kelley's Twin Sister), we can legitimately raise the Issue whether General Allen doesn't have his Hands full worring about the Taliban and the Future of Afghanistan, rather than why and how Mrs. Khawam, a Lawyer, took a Child across Interstate Lines without notifying any Court.

It would just seem that requiring a higher Standard from Public Officials, rather than a lower Standard (or the same Standard applicable to ordinary Citizens) is not unreasonable and neither is putting under Scrutiny any of their ongoings is unreasonable either.

Just a Couple of more Points.  Unconfirmed Reports have it that Mrs. Khawam, the Lawyer who should know better than taking a Child across Interstate Lines without Court Permission, lives in Mrs. Kelley's Mansion.

Ah, yes and also, while we are not able to definitively confirm, Mrs. Broadwell's Security Clearance has been revoked.

The one additional Personage who has just emerged was the mysterious FBI Agent to whom Mrs. Kelley went in the First Place, complaining about Mrs. Broadwell's anonymous eMails.  His Name is Frederick W. Humphries II, 47 and he has had a distinguished Career with the FBI.  Why Mr. Humphries would have sent shirtless Photos to Mrs. Kelley is yet to be revealed; however, Common Sense appears to suggest that, given the many Self Serving Statements which have been made by the various Individuals who have taken Part and still are in this Tragico/Comic Soap Opera with National Security Implications, it is best to wait out and see what emerges next.

Stay tuned.


 

ALL IN!!!

The Unfolding of the Story surrounding General Petræus continues at a dizzying Pace.  Senator Diane Feinstein from California compared it to ,,Peeling an Onion'' with one Revelation more startling than the one before unfolding before our Eyes.

Where all this will lead, nobody knows and, those who might possibly know are likely far more interested in ,,Damage Control'' than revealing what has been really going on.  Mika Brzeziński, Daughter of former distinguished Presidential Adviser, Zbigniew Brzeziński, a Man of, some would say, considerable Gravitas, expressed as much on her intellectually worth listening to TV Program today.

Most of us would agree that the rapidly unfolding Facts allow no Conclusions to be drawn at this Point; however, here at The Vitznau News Team, we thought we would highlight Compilation of some of what is known or believed to be known so far, along with the Concerns which these Pieces of Information raise:

§ Mr. Petræus and Mrs. Broadwell, both married, had an Extramarital Affair.

 

General Petræus and Mrs. Broadwell

 

§ Mrs. Broadwell appears to have been in Possession of some Classified Information, the Extent of which we do not know.  She did not have a Security Clearance.  How Mrs. Broadwell obtained this Information has not been revealed yet.

 

§ Mrs. Broadwell has made unverified Statements regarding ,,CIA Prisoners'' being held in Benghazi, Lybia at or around the Time of the Attack which killed Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens.

 

§ Mrs. Broadwell perceived, correctly or incorrectly, that Mrs. Jill Kelley (née Khawam) was, or was about to become her potential Rival.

 

Mrs. Jill Kelley (née Khawam)

 

§ Mrs. Broadwell sent anonymous eMails, possibly as many as 20.000 to Mrs. Kelley, apparently in an Attempt to disrupt the Social Relationship which Mrs. Kelley states existed between the Kelleys and the Petræuses.

 

§ Mr. Petræus sought to convince Mrs. Broadwell, unsuccesfully, it would appear, from sending this Avalance of eMails to Mrs. Kelley.

 

§ Mrs. Kelley knew an FBI Agent who had sent to her shirtless Photographs.  She turned to this Agent (after she had received the shirtless Photographs) in an Attempt to have Mrs. Broadwell, (whose Identity she did not know because the eMails were sent anonymously or using fictitious eMails), stop what she considered to be Harassement.

 

§ Apparently not calculated in Mrs. Kelley's Consideration was the possible Emergence of, some say, 30.000 eMails or 30.000 Pages of eMails which she had exchanged with General John R. Allen, ISAF (Allied) Commander in Afghanistan, who was in Line for a Promotion.

 

 

General John R. Allen

 

§ General Allen has stated that there was no ,,Inappropriate Relationship'' between him and Mrs. Kelley but, at least for the Time being, his Promotion as Commander in Chief for NATO has been put on Ice.

 

§ Mrs. Kelley is a wealthy Socialite and, undisputedly, well connected in Military Circles.  Her Husband is a Surgeon.  Together they have 3 Children.  Either Mrs. Kelley or someone in the Kelley Family serves as an ,,Honorary Consul'' for somebody or something.

 

 

Mrs. Kelley and the Florida License Plate on her Mercedes Benz

 

§ All of the Principals in this bizarre unfolding Story have, understandably, gone ,,Under the Radar'' and made themselves unavailable for Press Interviews.  Some have hired Agents or Representatives to speak on their Behalf.  Mrs. Kelley has hired as her Spokeswoman Judy Smith, who represented, yeah, Monica Lewinsky and Abby Lowell, who represented John Edwards.

 

Judy Smith, here seen with Monica Lewinsky

 

§ We need not tell you, President Clinton is ,,Under the Radar'' on this one.

 

§ Nobody ,,knew'' anything about this until after the Election.

 

Stayed tuned and, to any and all Readers of this Column; any News or developing Stories on this Saga, which appears to be quickly becoming more than just a little ,,Story'' about Sexual Escapades, please drop us a Note.  We welcome, indeed, seek to hear from all of you.

 

N. B. The Title of Mrs. Broadwell's Book about General Petræus is ,,ALL IN'' (whatever she meant by that) and, while we do not know if this is ,,ALL IN'' yet, neither does it appear to be ,,ALL OUT.''

 



 

We have a Little more to show you (but, from this Source, it is going to be for free...)

Ah, the iPhone 5.  Apple was hoping that everyone would want to have the new iPhone 5 the Moment it hit the Market.  Without doing some advanced (and totally useless) Research as to how adept Apple has become at creating percieved ,,Shortages'' we cannot know exactly what happened but, in any Event, the ,,Shortage'' of iPhone 5's did not materialize.  You can buy an iPhone 5 wherever you want, even bargain over the Price but, either Way, it is still going to mean that you will need to fork over a considerable Sum of Money which will be good only until the ,,next Generation'' iPhone 5 1/2 or iPhone 6 or who possibly knows what Number.  But, anyways...one of the Reasons why the iPhone 5 is presumably considered so ,,cool'' is because of that new Apple Clock...sleek...21st Century Design...all black with a red Second Hand which has a round little Dot on it.

iPhone 5 showing the SBB-CFF-FFS Clock designed by Swíss Electro Engineer and Inventor Hans Hilfiker in 1944

 

Folks, if that Clock was one of the main Reasons if not the main Reason why you would have wanted an Apple Clock, we have a Money Saving Solution for you.  Without interfering with any of Apple's grandiose Plans, such as the little Boat (Yacht) that Steve Jobs ordered and had built before he died.

 

,,Venus,'' the Yacht Steve Jobs ordered to be built while he was still alive and which was just recently finished, in October 2012.

 

And, without violating any of Apple's fiercely guarded Patents, either.  As a Matter of Fact, the so called ,,Apple Clock'' is not an Apple Invention at all, nor is it sleek 21st Century.  The Clock is a Railroad Station Clock, dating back to the 1940's and belonging to the Swiss National Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS).  Apple ,,mistakenly'' adopted the Design.  So much for Observing other People's Trademarks.  However, you/we need not worry.  For one Thing, apparently Apple has quickly reached a Royalty Agreement with the Swiss National Railways whereby it can use the SBB-CFF-FFS Clock by Permission.

 

 

The Good News we have to give you is, if you want an ,,Apple Clock,'' or, more correctly, an SBB-CFF-FFS Clock, developed in 1944 by Swiss Electro Engineer and Inventor Hans Hilfiker, you need not buy an iPhone 5 or even get in touch with Apple.

 

The Swiss National Railways offers one for downloading at no Cost; all you need to go is go to the following Site:

 

http://www.sbb.ch/freizeit-ferien/allgemeine-informationen/wallpaper/sbb-uhr.html

 

A large, small and even a Mac OS System Clock are available.  Keep your Money and maybe next Time when Apple will have ,,a little more to show you'' it won't be from 1944 or, who knows, may be it won't be from Apple at all.

 

 



 

High Class and, let's not forget, President Clinton

General David H. Petræus has just announced his Resignation as Chief of the CIA, not particularly because he was involved in an ,,Extramarital Affair'' with another Woman, also married, Paula Broadwell, but because an FBI Investigation into the Incident suggested that



Security Breaches might have been involved.  Details into what exactly happened are still unfolding but, apparently, another Woman (not Mrs. Petræus), may have played a Role in blowing the Lid.

Mrs. Broadwell, who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, seen above in a not too spartan Government (possibly military) Executive Jet, together with Mr. Petræus, gives expanded Meaning to the all too oft heard Phrase, ,,Your Tax Dollars at Work,'' Rosewood Paneling and all.  So far as it is known until now, the Decision to resign was Mr. Petræus's own and he received no Pressure from the President to do so.  If this is true, Mr. Petræus is to be commended for doing so in a Responsible Manner, even though, his Decision may not help very much the Explaining which he will have to do to Mrs. Petræus (who also just happens to come from a military Family with a distinguished Lineage which stretches all the Way back to the Civil War).

What is lamentable, we believe, is not only the Appearance (if not the Actual) Breach(es) of Security which may have ocurred, but also the Intertwining of such Relationships between current and former Government Officials.  Mrs. Broadwell worked for the Military for 15 Years and is a West Point Graduate.  Mrs. Petræus works for the Government, too.  So far, this Column has not been able to find out who the ,,Third Woman'' works for or what her Identity is.

What is possibly even more lamentable, though, is the Lavish and Praise that former President Clinton currently enjoys (still), despite having been involved in a Situation which was not all that different than the ,,Pickle'' General Petræus suddenly finds himself in.

So far as we know, General Petræus did not call and ask President Clinton how he might have been able to handle the Situation.  Is it possible that President Clinton's salacious Relationship with Monica Lewinsky, whatever it was, was such that President Clinton was just ,,Too big to fail'' and, thusly, General Petræus decided to forego such Advice?

 

Help APPLE Stock recover! Help China! Help Retail Sales by buying an iPad at Walmart! and GOOD LUCK!!!

http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/walmart-ipad-throwing-employee-video-it-made-us-wince-1C6979906

 

Who cares?

We want to write in this Column about Things that use, abuse and irritate our Minds.  For those who want to and those who care about such Things, of course.  And we invite, actually want both critical and vigorous Agreement and Dissent from all of you, because we value the Opinion of everyone who reads or glances at this Column.

The Subjects that capture our Attention are those which appear in the News and which, we believe, are likely to have a short or long Term Effect on our Lives and the Lives of those around us.

It stands to Reason that, due to obvious Limits, not all Subjects which could be addressed are.  They simply cannot be.  And, although the Subjects chosen for Discussion are chosen on the Basis of some Modecum of Importance, we want to emphasize, there is no particular Effort to assign a Ranking Order.

Still, one must ignore, dismiss, many Subjects which deserve some Discussion and, sadly (fortunately?), many, many more which do not deserve either Discussion or Attention, in our Opinion.  Of those which do not, it sometimes makes us wonder, just how some Things even rise to the Level of meriting Attention from the News Wires.

Today, one such Example just fleetingly paraded across.

http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2012/11/10/15075019-justin-bieber-and-selena-gomez-break-up-source-says?lite

Folks, who cares, who should really even care what Justin Bieber does?  Who cares who Selena Gomez even is?  Why are these People important and why should they even be annointed with a Modecum of Importance?  What Effect has what they do or do not do in Bed, or outside of their Bedrooms on your Lives?  Don't we have more important Things to do?  Are you better off today than you were 4 Days ago, 4 Months ago or 4 Years ago, as a former President formulated the Question a few short Decades ago and just how does Justin Bieber and whoever his Girlfriend/Sexual Partner might be, past, current or present have anything to do with it?

Let us concentrate on the Issues which need our Attention, Understanding and Action and let Justin Bieber Distractions and the Like to just fend for themselves.  They are not Part of the 99% nor do they have any Intention to become Part of it anytime soon.

Cordially,

The Vitznau News Team
 

Correction: $ 4 Billion, not $ 1 Billion

In our last Writing, we reported that Cost of the Presidential Election (counting Money spent by both Parties), exceeded $ 1 Billion, an Amount most People would simply find as staggering.  However, as more Figures keep pouring they are suggesting that the Amount spent most certainly was closer to $ 2 Billion.  Some Estimates put the Amount spent (including the Money spent by Political Action Committees, which are not directly tied to the Campaigns) to $ 4 Billion.

Still other Reports suggest that, on the Average, approximately $ 20,00 was spent for each Vote Cast.

Some of us may remember Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen, who hailed from a Town with the improbable Name of Pekin, Illinois and who was also a Playwright (notably, ,,Chinese Love'') who said, ,,A Billion Dollars here, a Billion Dollars there, pretty soon you are talking abour real Money!''

These Kinds of Sums of Money, wantonly spent, some might say, by both Candidates and those who supported them, sometimes call into Question the Resolution and Determination which will be required by the winning Candidate, Mr. Obama, to deal with the Challenges ahead.

The immediate Issue facing the Nation at this Time (and we are not dismissing further ones down the Horizon) is the so called ,,Fiscal Cliff'' which must be dealt, rather than ,,kicking the Can forward'' which is what most likely will happen.

Mr. Romney, despite his Rhetoric, did not really have a Plan for dealing with the financial Challenges which face this Country.  However, Mr. Obama does not have one either.  And, neither does the Republican House of Representatives which is determined to fight him Tooth and Nail on allowing the 10% Cut for High Income Tax  Brackets to expire.

In recent Years, ,,Borrow from China'' has been the Solution.  In a very real Sense, China has even financed the ill fated and poorly thought out Wars that Mr. Bush initiated in Afghanistan and Iraq and which, although being wound down, still represent an enormous Drain on the Economy.  When it comes to certain Things, Costs are not really so easy to cut, even when the Project is brought to an End (Take, for Example, in Iraq, an Embassy employing 15.000 People, the largest Embassy in the World for any Country).

But the Strategy ,,Borrow from China'' may be fraught with Peril.  The Chinese have been willing to lend and they may still be willing to lend, even at ,,Basement'' Interest Rates.  However, it may well be that the Chinese may soon come to the Point where they cannot lend anymore in order to feed such a voracious Apetite for Deficits, simply because, they won't have any more Money to lend, no matter which Way they ,,manipulate'' their Currency.
 

The $ 1 Billion Presidential Election: One Billion Dollars and 10 Days to go

Way back then, way back when, in the 1960's an American writer by the Name of Theodore H. White came up with a brilliant Idea:  write a Book each four Years entitled ,,The Making of the President."  The Idea met with great Success.  Theodore H. White, who first wrote ,,The Making of the President 1960'' about the historic Kennedy-Nixon Campaign, went on to write Sequels about subsequent Presidential Elections, none as succesful as his First One, but still, all of them succesful enough.  Today, this Tradition seems to have faded.

So, one wonders, what insightful Issue might be noteworthy enough to bring to the Forefront if one were to write a Book titled ,,The Making of the President 2012.''  Several Campaign Issues which have been played up by the two Candidates come to mind.

§  Jobs - this is an Issue that impacts every American.

§  The Economy - again, this is an Issue that also impacts every American as well.

Other Issues, be they in the Area of Foreign Policy, Women's Rights, Homosexual Rights, Minority and Immigration Issues, are all Policy Issues, which, while being important enough and likely to affect the Outcome of the Election in a profound Manner, are still issues which, directly, ipso Facto, do not directly and imminently affect every American in the same Way that Jobs and the Economy (Two Facets of one and the same Issue) do.

However, there is another Aspect which does affect each and every American and, at that, in a profound Way and that is the Deficit.  Currently at $ 16 Trillion (it was 11 Trillion when President George W. Bush left Office) it is projected to rise in the upcoming Four Years, regardless of which Candidate wins the coveted Office.

http://economywatch.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/15/14453514-whether-its-obama-or-romney-either-will-face-huge-obstacles-on-economy?lite

And, aside from Generalities which are difficult to pin in Terms of tangible Policies, neither Candidate has a stark, aggressive and palpably effective Plan to deal with this Morass.  Even more worrysome is the Fact that the Federal Debt is held largely in foreign Hands, China, surprisingly, Japan (No. 2), according to several Reports and then followed by other Countries.

More worrysome is the Fact that under Mr. Bernanke's Policies, the Federal Deficit has become more susceptible to short Term Effects, this, because of Mr. Bernanke's Implementation of something he calls ,,Operation Twist'' under which the Fed is retiring as much as possible of the Long Term Debt, in exchange for Short Term Debt at somewhat lower Interest Rates.

This, of course, has the Effect of reducing, in the Short Term, the Federal Deficit which would be worse if the Interest Rates paid by the Federal Government were higher rather than lower, as they would become and are becoming, under the Policy of swapping higher Interest Long Term Debt for (slightly) lower Interest Short Term Debt, sometimes as short as a Month, a Week, or even a Day.

http://bottomline.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/11/14370868-washington-must-avoid-fiscal-cliff-goldmans-blankfein-warns?lite

However, there is serious Danger in the Policy being pursued by Mr. Bernanke.  Any Increase in the Interest Rates (on which the Fed has mercilessly kept the Lid on), would be ruinous for the Federal Debt.  Higher Interest Rates would push Interest Expenses into the Stratosphere, worsen the Deficit and Situations like that are ocurring right now not only in Greece, but also in places like Italy and Spain.  Mr. Bernanke does not tell us what Plan he has to deal with these Dangers and, what the Heck?  He wants to retire after his current Term expires.  Let someone else deal with that Problem.

 

But for the Presidential Candidates, there is another Aspect.  The President of the United States, or an Aspirant to that High Office, the Highest Office in the Land can set an Example.  An Example of a Modecum of Fiscal Discipline.  And, Mr. Obama, who has been unable to exercise this and Mr. Romney who claims he has ,,Experience'' in Fiscal Discipline have both set an unglorious Example:  this will be the First Presidental Election which will cost more than $ 1 Billion, which, as everyone else knows, is $ 1000 Million, that is to say, the Equivalent of $ 3,00 being spent for each Man, Woman and Child in the United States; that includes everyone, voting or non voting.

A significant Part of this Expenditure is yet to happen and it is about to happen now:  in the last 10 hectic Days of the Election, on an unprecedented Advertising Blitz by both Candidates.  That means, the Candidates would not be spending the Bulk of this Money on explaining or discussing the Issues which affect the Nation but rather, spending the Money on Advertising of one Sort of another.  Someone even before Theodore H. White said that the campaign for President of the United States is akin to selling a Box of Cereal on Television.

 http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/17/14511630-ad-spending-tops-800-million-on-pace-to-reach-or-come-close-to-1-billion?lite

What Confidence can this Kind of senseless Spending instill in the Electorate that the succesful Candidate Ten Days from now, is going to have what it takes and it is going to take a Lot, an awful Lot, to bring Sense and Reason to a Financial Mumbo Jumbo built Brick by Brick by President Reagan with his Supply Side Economics Theories, President Clinton with his ,,Take the Money from here, put it there and balance the Budget'' Theories,  President Bush with his we can do two Wars at the same Time and do everything else at the same Time Theories, Mr. Greenspan with his ,,Irrational Exuberence'' Theories,  Mr. Bernanke with his ,,Operation Twist'' Theories and, and...Mr. Obama who, regardless of what one's Opinion might be of him, certainly was faced, for the last Four Years with a nagging Question:  how do we get out of this Mess which took so long to create?

One Way, admittedly four Years later that both he and Mr. Romney could have done was:  don't spend this Kind of ,,Irrational Exuberance'' Money to be elected President.

The Problem with President Clinton

The Problem the Democrats have with President Clinton, but do not or do not want to recognize, at least not yet, is similar to the Problem Republicans have with President Reagan but, it may be, that Republicans do not recognize their Problem, not yet anyway, either.  Certainly, the Republicans do not want to recognize it, though.

However, President Reagan has slowly began to fade from Memory, that ,,Great Communicator'' who had to have ,,Handlers'' when it came to Presidential Debates.  President Reagan caused enormous and, one might say, irreparable Damage by stimulating the Economy with enormous Deficits which expanded the Economy, created a Lot of rich People but also started the Build Up of an unprecedented Debt Load.  After a brief Hiatus during the 4 Year Presidency of President George H. W. Bush (Bush ,,41'', who called ,,Reaganomics'' ,,Voodoo Economics'') President Clinton not only continued President Reagan's Tradition but even praised it.

So now President Clinton whose salacious Activities with Monica Lewinsky have long ago faded from Memory, he and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton now boast, he knew how to balance the Budget.  Yeah, he did.  But how he did it is the more interesting Part.  President Clinton took the Postal Service Retirement Fund ($ 7 Billion) as well as the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds (which were enormous Sums of Money) and threw them into the General Budget thusly creating a huge but temporary Infusion of Cash and, ,,Poof!,'' it looked as if the Budget was ,,balanced,'' but, again, only temporarily.  Now, not only the U. S. Postal Service but, far more worrying, Social Security and Medicare are in dire Straits.  Everyone is scared of raising the Payroll Tax Deduction Ceiling (now at $ 110,000 for People earning $ 110 Million, or $ 11 Million or even $ 1,1 Million because it would ,,discourage'' the Creation of new Jobs?).  President Clinton's Two Terms were then followed by the two economically disastrous Terms of President George W. Bush (Bush ,,43,'' the Dubya) and during his Term and after that, we all know what happened.  The Federal Deficit now adds up to $ 16 Trillion, give or take a Couple of Pennies and nobody has come up with a Plan of any Kind as to how this Deficit might begin to be retired.  Statements by the two Presidential Candidates, President Obama and former Governor Romney are about how they plan to reduce the Size of future Deficits and eventually reach (one hopes) a Balanced Budget, if...if this and if that and if something else, but, without raising Taxes.  Go figure.

So, when Mr. Clinton claims that the Economy is not ,,hunky dory'' but on the Mend,

http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/19/14567670-clinton-lauds-obama-says-economy-not-hunky-dory-but-on-the-mend?lite

it is reasonable to question his Authority at coming up with such Statements.  Actually, with the Congressional Impasse over Cuts and Taxes and with ,,Automatic Sequestrations'' being a Problem which, no matter which way it is resolved or remains unresolved, the adverse Consequences on the Economy, the Problems which will be faced by the President after he takes the Oath of Office on 20 January 2013, no Matter if it is the current President or the Republican Challenger, will be daunting, very, very daunting, indeed.  And that, while at the same Time having to deal with Mr. Bernanke's untested Theories about ,,Quantitative Easing,'' ,,Operation Twist'' and who knows what else that Mr. Bernanke might come up with.

Sometimes, we can overcomplicate Things in spite of ourselves.  The basic Truth is that just like the Republican Party is not the Party of Ronald Reagan, it is the Party of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt; equally, the Democratic Party, it would be good to remember, is not the Party of Bill Clinton; it is the Party of Thomas Jefferson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  President Clinton said, when he first ran for President, ,,It's the Economy, Stupid!'' and he was right.  One could have also said at the same Time and certainly can say it now:  ,,Keep it simple, (Stupid!)''  ,,Do not solve a Problem by creating another Problem.''

 

Google and Apple

There was some ,,terrible'' News about Google (GOOG, NASDAQ) today.  Somebody at R. R. Donnelley and Company (definitely not a ,,Star Quality'' Company, a true Has Been) seems to have made a Mistake or somebody at Google made a Mistake in reporting Google Earnings without the proper Orchestration and Google Stock immediately took a Tumble of more than 10% in Seconds.  Google, obviously a Company with Clout, was not only able to call NASDAQ and get through but also able to demand and succeed in having the Trading of the Stock suspended until it ,,corrected'' the News but not before $ 26 Billion went down the Toilet.

http://marketday.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/18/14540754-google-error-triggers-pending-larry-twitter-meme?lite

The Good News is that Google has the right Telephone Numbers and knows whom to call at NASDAQ.  The not so good News is that the Google Earnings took a Tumble and a certain Kind of Reality is setting in:  spectacular Earnings for Newstarts can often be achieved and even continue for a long Time but not forever.  By acquiring Motorola, Google has entered the ,,Mainstream'' and in the Mainstream Things are not as simple as for a Start Up; even for a giant Start Up which Google is.

Entertaining and amusing to some is that Google seemed to have used ,,Smart Phones'' for the Transmission of at least some of the Information to R. R. Donnelley and/or to the SEC; apparently, Google Higher Ups are busy using their Android Smart Phones and have fallen out of the Habit of just sitting down at some Desk and doing their Work the ,,Old Fashioned Way;''  proofing, reading and re reading something that is sent out because once it is sent out, it becomes just that; sent.  Such ,,Work'' is not for Big People; it is only for the little People, it seems.

But Google is not alone in this Stratosphere.  The Darling of the Stock Market right now is and has been for some Time, Apple Computer (AAPL, NASDAQ), not all that long ago a nearly bankrupt Company.  Apple rose from the Ashes under the masterful Hand of Steve Jobs, who backed his creative Innovations with equally creative Marketing and who went after its Competitors with ruthless Vengeance.  Trouble is, there are Dozens of Cell Phones and ,,Tablets'' which work really just as fine as Apple and one can sustain this Kind of Sizzle for only so long.  Steve Jobs masterfully maintained the Apple Legend for far longer than any savvy Marketing Executive would have thought possible but his untimely Death merely accelerated the Inevitable and Tim Cook...well, Tim Cook is no Steve Jobs and the First One who should know this and hopefully does, is Tim Cook himself.  Tim Cook overshot the Mark with the Introduction of the latest iPhone and overshot it badly; apparently the Orders for 5 Million iPhones were not 5 Million; and just because Tim Cook said there would be 5 Million iPhones sold did not cause Peopole to snatch those iPhones fast enough just to prove Tim Cook was right in predicting the Number of iPhones to be sold.  Apple Stock did not fare as badly as Google Stock did; it went down only 8,5%.  Other Warts, which were dismissed during Steve Jobs' Reign, keep raising their ugly Heads:  the Working Conditions at Foxconn which is the primary Producer of iPhones, the Lawsuits which Apple is pursuing against everybody in Sight (including the $ 1 Billion Judgment Apple was awarded against Samsung, now on Appeal) and more.

Still, none of the Above really points to the Crux of the Problem here.  With the American Economy in severe Trouble, with neither Mr. Obama or Mr. Romney having put out a credible Plan as to how they are going to pull the Economy out if its Tailspin, the more relevant Question should really have to do with just how many Jobs are these two Companies creating or even sustaining in the United States.

The Reader should be aware that we are talking here about two enormous Giants; one, Apple,the largest Company in the World in Terms of Capitalization.  Apple is bigger than General Motors although, it should be noted, General Motors is no longr General Motors but Apple is bigger than Exxon, too and, sometimes, that stretches the Limits of Credulity.

The Answer is that these two Companies employ very, very few People in the United States and, really, not that many Worldwide either.  Of Course, Investors on the Stock Market are not interested in creating Jobs; they are interested in making Money and that may not offer any Benefit to the Economy, regardless of what Mr. Bernanke thinks, but, as long as they are not breaking any Laws, there is no Choice but to tolerate their Practices.

However, the Question should be asked why the Focus of the News Media on these two Companies and, possibly, others of less Significance.  We are not talking about Trade Publications but rather, Mainstream.  These two Companies, which have amassed Billions and Zillions have not added any significant Jobs to the American Economy and they are not going to.  We, as a Nation, can be more mature.  We can pay less Importance to what Google and Apple do or think or even earn and pay more Attention how to create or ,,re-create'' Jobs which have evaporated, possibly, in Part, due to the Actions of these two Companies and focus on some of the real, acute and crucial Problems which this Country is facing today, economically.

Expert ,,Recommendations'' for President of the United States

In less than a Month, the Election for President of the United States will be over, setting, most likely, a Record on how much Money has been sent for electing a Public Official anywhere, ever...

Of more than inconsequential Interest appear to be some of the People whose Presidential ,,Preference'' is being reported by various Media, People whom we should take into Account, as ,,Authorities,'' or ,,Experts'' of some Sort...otherwise, why even mention what their Opinion is on the Subject?

For Mitt Romney:  Lindsay Lohan, fresh from her Nighttime Hotel Escapade in New York!

 

Lindsay Lohan

http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2012/10/12/14392258-lindsay-lohan-not-yet-registered-to-vote-endorses-mitt-romney?lite

For Barack Obama:  Bruce Springsteen, a major Force in 20th Century American Politics!

 

Bruce Springsteen

http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/13/14418216-bruce-springsteen-to-campaign-for-obama-in-ohio?lite

Just how is the Opinion of these People relevant to the crucial Issues which confront this Country today?

One Publication described certain Endorsements as having the Potential to be toxic.  What may be equally, if not more toxic is the Attention and Importance we and the Press pay to the Opinions of these People, just as, how can one forget, Mike Huckabee running for President being endorsed by Chuck Norris?  Are these People who should shape our Political Thinking and be held up by the Press as ,,Authorities'' of any Sort whatsoever?

Important Footnote:  we are told, Lindsay Lohan will soon register to vote in order to add ,,Gravitas'' to her Endorsement.

The Vice Presidential Debate

The one and only Vice Presidential Debate took place on Thursday.  It was at a Level which far superceded the preceding Affair which took place Four Years ago between Vice President (then Senator) Joe Biden and then Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin.  The latter, one could say, was merely a Caricature of a Vice Presidential Candidate, a Choice which Senator John McCain came to regret deeply but, of course, too late for himself.

Vice President Joseph R. Biden

Both Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan had one Job to do and they both knew it; enhance the Position of their respective Presidential Running Mate and inflict as much Damage on the Opposition as possible, especially in View of the unexpected outcome of the First Presidential Debate only a Week ago.

Congressman Paul D. Ryan

Each of the two Opponents put into sharp Focus the Positions of their respective Ticket although, sadly, the National Audience for the Debate was modest; not too many seemed to care, apparently, what each had to say.  At the same Time, however, this Observer believes, they both revealed, either unwittingly or because they did not know how else to avoid, the Weaknesses in their Views.

Vice President Biden argued eloquently and flawlessly for the Responsibilities of the Federal Government when it comes to Social Security and Medicare among other Things but he was not able to offer a Plan which would show how the Federal Government can sustain over the long Term, or even the short or moderate Term, these Expenditures.  Although the Vice President argued, passionately, for an end to the ,,Tax Cut'' for People making $250.000,00 or more, the Truth of the Matter is, even if that Plan were to materialize despite the fanatical and, some would say, illogical Opposition by the Republican Members of Congress, that, alone, would not come even close to beginning to deal with the horrendous Federal Deficit which threatens to cripple not only Social Security and Medicare, but much, much more.

Congressman Ryan, on the other Hand, made the Argument, with equal Eloquence, for the Management and Control of Social Security and Medicare (but not Defense) Costs.  Certainly, Management and Control of these Costs (whether in the Form proposed by Congressman Ryan, who has been advocating much of what he said long before he became a Vice Presidential Candidate) or another, are necessary.  But, assuming for a Moment, that everything that Congressman Ryan is proposing were to be implemented, that, too, would not come even close to dealing with the - just as horrendous - Federal Deficit.

So, where does that leave us?  Lost in the Equation was the Observation and Warning by IMF Director Christine Lagarde, who warned of dire Consequences if these severe financial Problems are not addressed and, soon.

Mme. Christine (Madeleine Odette) Lagarde, Director of the IMF

One interesting ,,Tidbit'' that came out during the dueling was about Embassy Security Details.  Vice President Biden pointed out, correctly, that Congressman Ryan had voted against increasing the Security Detail Budget for Embassies and Consulates abroad by $300 Million.  One might well wonder just how much Money is being spent on Embassy Security Details in the First Place, if the Increase that was being sought, alone, was $ 300 Million.  One might equally wonder why the U. S. Embassy in Baghdad has nearly 16,000 Individuals working there (Largest U. S. Embassy abroad, according to the last Fact Check).  You could ask, which is the Second largest U. S. Embassy abroad.  Here is the Answer:  Beijing, China and, although just recently opened, it is too small and the Construction of an Addition is under Way.