The audacity of hope !

Now it's the era of monster governments ! Get used to it. 1.5 Trillion in deficit ? - Counting is getting harder. I am going to take some basic math classes!

NAV, we are not supposed to speak of it here. I'm finding that more and more difficult.

Well, if we can discuss home prices, mortage rates and general economy, what's wrong with asking a slanted question "How the hell are we gonna bridge this deficit". I can feel the noose of the taxman around my neck already. This is not trading related i agree. Sorry about that. But it's certainly not a political, but an economic question. All these big numbers just boggles my mind.

What is money ?

Edited by NAV, 26 February 2009 - 10:10 PM.

included for the first time is the 'off budget supplemental cost" for the Iraq and Afgan Wars and realistic budgeting for US natural disasters....hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes.......

But it's certainly not a political, but an economic question

That's the difficulty that Mark faces as he wants to avoid political cheerleading and shoe throwing.
But at the same time he has said these are unusual times.

Before the election, my favorite bumper sticker was:

2009: WE'RE SCREWED!

What's the difference between a million, a billion, a trillion?A million seconds is 12 days.
A billion seconds is 31 years.
A trillion seconds is 31,688 years.



A million minutes ago was – 1 year, 329 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes ago.
A billion minutes ago was just after the time of Christ.



A million hours ago was in 1885.
A billion hours ago man had not yet walked on earth.



A million dollars ago was five (5) seconds ago at the U.S. Treasury.
A billion dollars ago was late yesterday afternoon at the U.S. Treasury.



A trillion dollars is so large a number that only politicians
can use the term in conversation... probably because they
seldom think about what they are really saying. I've read that
mathematicians do not even use the term trillion!
Here is some perspective on TRILLION:

Trillion = 1,000,000,000,000.
The country has not existed for a trillion seconds.
Western civilization has not been around a trillion seconds.
One trillion seconds ago – 31,688 years – Neanderthals stalked the plains of Europe.



Million: 1,000,000
Billion: 1,000,000,000
Trillion: 1,000,000,000,000
Quintillion: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000
Sextillion: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
Nonillion: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
Centillion: 1 followed by 303 zeros

Now it's the era of monster governments ! Get used to it.

1.5 Trillion in deficit ? - Counting is getting harder. I am going to take some basic math classes!

Some here think this is political, i.e. partisan.

But it isn't...really. 40% of the pork/earmarks in the omnibus spending bill is by the Republicans. How I weigh the relative "fault" is poiitical and I'll keep that to myself...especially since it would take volumes about both sides.

It is GOVERNMENT -- PERIOD....no matter the party.

All I know is the "basic math" shows it is (almost*) written in stone with the BASE LINE costs added to the underlying budget (those that will be funded from now on, every year, into the future) will create hyper-inflation and a collapse of the dollar....NO ONE WILL BUY US DEBT. NOT to mention what would happen is we get hit with a terror attack with nukes or bios.

(almost* -- maybe can be stopped if 2010 elections throws ALL the spenders OUT and congress reverses what it hath wrought....any later, I see NO chance!)

Now it's the era of monster governments ! Get used to it.

1.5 Trillion in deficit ? - Counting is getting harder. I am going to take some basic math classes!

All I know is the "basic math" shows it is (almost*) written in stone with the BASE LINE costs added to the underlying budget (those that will be funded from now on, every year, into the future) will create hyper-inflation and a collapse of the dollar....NO ONE WILL BUY US DEBT. NOT to mention what would happen is we get hit with a terror attack with nukes or bios.

I agree. If the govt decides to walk along the path they have chosen, the greatest shorts of the next decade will be the U.S dollar and U.S Bonds.

Well, if we can discuss home prices, mortage rates and general economy, what's wrong with asking a slanted question "How the hell are we gonna bridge this deficit". I can feel the noose of the taxman around my neck already. This is not trading related i agree. Sorry about that. But it's certainly not a political, but an economic question. All these big numbers just boggles my mind.

What is money ?

I have posted many times....how can you ignore the ECONOMIC aspects of politics while trading/investing? But there seems to be some conception here that somehow any thing which includes the names of a politician is bad for this forum. I don't get it. So many major movements in the market recently have been due to statements made by some government official.

Even the day trader has to be wary of which official is about to face a congressional committee or give a speech before joint session of congress.

The only rule which should prevail is that no one should post personal attacks against another poster, and no profanity will be permitted.

Edited by pdx5, 27 February 2009 - 12:08 AM.

1.5 Trillion in deficit ?

If those dollars were laid end to end, I think that would be the distance of 300 round-trips to the moon.