Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman has characterized Obama supporters as 'cult-like', and has complained that the media has not given Obama sufficient scrutiny.

Krugman, considered to be a neo-Keynesian economist, taught at the London School of Economics before joining the faculty of Princeton University, in 2000. He also served as a consultant for an advisory board for Enron in 1999 prior to joining the New York Times as a columnist in 2000.

Krugman is a member of The Group of Thirty (G30) which was founded in 1978 by the Rockefeller Foundation  which also provided initial funding for the body. Its first chairman was Johannes  Witteveen, the former managing director of the International Monetary Fund. Its current chairman of trustees is Paul Volcker.

We have separation of church and state in the United States of America because the state - all states - exalt themselves above all other groupings of people.

When we ask ourselves, ‘what is the state?’ We quickly realize that we must first ask, ‘ what are people?’ Human beings are individual organisms. Long age, however, these individuals came to realize that they could accomplish a great deal more as members of groups than as individuals.

The individuals formed families, clans, tribes, and eventually states. At first city-states, then groups of city- states which became nation-states. The state is itself, however, a group of people.

So, the answer to our question - ‘What is the state’ - is that the state is an organization - a group of individuals. These individuals may originally be a tribe, a clan, or a family which has become capable of influencing - exerting power over - the other groups within that particular state.

Organizations exercise power through control. To effectively exercise control the state has to be the focus of the individual’s loyalty. The state must, therefore, eliminate the other organizations within the state which are capable of competing with it for the loyalty of the individual.

We can now understand that the chief proponents of the rise of a state are, themselves, a group and that they are the dominant group within the state. It doesn’t matter whether this dominant group is an aristocracy, or a group of businessmen. Whatever it’s composition the group’s continued dominance is dependent upon control. The state must, therefore, eliminate the tribal leader, the clan chief, and the family patriarch through assimilation, or execution.

In the context of a struggle for dominance the priesthood is as great a rival of the state for the loyalty of the individual as are the tribe, the clan, and the family. Like the tribal leader, the clan chief, and the family patriarch the chief of high priest can be assimilated or executed but not the entire priesthood.

Assimilation of the high priesthood is not practical because the head of the state must also become the state religion’s high priest or another individual must be invested with that power. State religions run the risk of undermining the loyalty of those who practice a different faith. Power sharing with a high priest might result in a rivalry for control of the state.

The question then becomes how best to dominate the priesthood without turning them into rivals or martyrs. When the question is posed in this fashion the obvious solution is the "separation" of church and state. Being separate from the state the priesthood can be dominated by the state through the "rule of law" as easily as any other group of individuals within the state.

Separation of church and state is, therefore, a method of control and dominance by the state. That is why the state extends tax free status to those religious organizations which do not meddle in "politics." That is, those religious organizations who do not concern themselves with whether the state is actually managed in a fair and equitable manner.

What most of you aren't understanding is the depth of the anger on the right and left of the electorate in this country.

That is what John McCain is hearing at his rallies and you are seeing on CNN.  Democrats don't hear it at their rallies because the left long ago discarded the democratic party.

This anger is not something that will somehow evaporate and just go away.  The right is just now discovering how much they have been misled and betrayed.

Taking care of the needs of the citizens is not PANDERING - it is what ruling classes do to stay in power.

The United States of America should declare a "Year of Jubilee" - the "forgiveness of all debts." The requirement for a Year of Jubilee is clearly established in chapter 25, verse 10 of the of the Old Testament/Torah Book of Leviticus. Verses 28, 40, 50, 54, of the 25th chapter and verse 24 of the 27th chapter clearly require the forgiveness of all debts by all believers every 50 years.

This is a requirement, it is not an option. This is why in Chapter 6, verse 12, of the New Testament Book of Matthew (The Lord’s Prayer) Jesus prayed, "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

Like many of you I have been closely following the career of news reporter Courtney Hazlett on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. I was amazed to learn that this native of Murrysville, PA is a graduate of Tulane.

Ms Hazlett’s “stage” presence is always excellent but she was especially mesmerizing this morning.. She always seems to ask the relevant question and to make the critical observation. Traits which are undoubtedly attributable to her training in philosophy at Tulane.

Courtney Hazlett is definitely the new Barbara Walters.

Do we know where Mr Goolsbee studied as a Fulbrigth scholar?????

From Mr Goolsbee's CV: 

HONORS AND AWARDS

Fulbright Scholar, 2006-2007

Named one of the Young Global Leaders, World Economic Forum, Switzerland, 2005

Named one of the 100 Global Leaders for Tomorrow, World Economic Forum, Switzerland, 2002

Lumina Award for Pioneering Research in E-Commerce (with co-author Jeffrey Brown), Global Reinsurance, Monte Carlo, 2001

Bill's basic idea:

"....innovative ways to solve major problems for one billion of the world's poorest people, who don't get enough food or don't have drinking water or reliable access to mediication, which the rest of us take for granted, he said.

Bill apparently doesn't understand:

 "As of September 2008, the world's population is estimated to be about 6.7 billion (6,700,000,000). In line with population projections, this figure continues to grow at rates that were unprecedented before the 20th century, although the rate of growth has almost halved since its peak of 2.2% per year, which was reached in 1963. The world's population, on its current growth trajectory, is expected to reach nearly 9 billion by the year 2042"

What about the 6,700,900,000 thousand of us???????????

The New York Times reports: 

"Goldman Sachs spokesman, Ed Canaday, said that the firm was pleased to put the matter behind it, and that it would continue to expand its compliance training and oversight. Spear, Leeds & Kellogg will pay $43.5 million. "

5 firms were charged with violating 

"....laws by executing their own orders for the shares they managed ahead of customers' orders, depriving clients of fair trades and possibly better prices, the regulators said. "

NYT reports that the five firms which paid $241 million are:

 "....a Bear Stearns subsidiary, Bear Wagner Specialists; a FleetBoston subsidiary, Fleet Specialist; LaBranche & Company; Van der Moolen Specialists; and a Goldman Sachs subsidiary, Spear, Leeds & Kellogg. "

FINRA reports:

Spear, Leeds & Kellogg, L.P. (now known as Goldman Sachs Execution & Clearing, L.P.) was fined, "$1 million for creating and implementing an internal system to conceal sales of securities allocated in initial public offerings (IPOs) from the Depository Trust Corporation (DTC)."

From Market Report:

Stocks recovers some losses, but still post a sharp decline.  The Dow was down as much as 362 points, compared to its current decline of 156 points.

[BRIEFING.COM] Morgan Stanley (MS 17.91, -5.64) pares some losses on reports that the company said the investment it is receiving from Mitsubishi will close imminently, according to Reuters.

The Edinburgh-based bank had seen its share price plunge into double figures at one point this morning, before recovering to sit at 110.6p at 1.30pm.

It comes after 20 per cent, and more than £6 billion, was shaved off its share price yesterday in what was its biggest full-day decline in 20 years.

Bank of America preannounces lower-than-expected earnings, plans to raise $10 billion in common stock offering, cuts dividend by 50%

The Market Oracle says:

"The greatest heist in history took place on Friday when congress was CONNED into signing away $700 billion accompanied by SOME $120 billion of pork.

The Usual Suspects, Paulson, Bernanke and Cox (the Chair of SEC) over the last 10 days have proceeded to spin their verbal scare story to both the Democrats and Republicans into joining forces to hand over a ransom of $700 billion in the form of a blank check to the aid bankrupt banks to off load losses onto the US tax payer."

CNN reports:

NEW YORK  (CNNMoney.com) -- Stocks skidded Monday - with the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq falling to nearly five-year lows - as credit markets seized up and European governments' rush to prop up failing financial firms underscored the global reach of the credit crunch.

CNN says:

"Experts said the moves by the Fed were an acknowledgement that many of the nation's leading financial institutions may not be able to wait until Treasury sets up its program. "

Mr. Kashkari....was responsible for....developing and executing the Department’s response to the housing crisis, including the formation of the HOPE NOW Alliance, the development of the subprime fast-track loan modification plan, and Treasury’s initiative to kick-start a covered bond market in the United States.

 That certainly makes me feel a lot better - NOT.