Over the Cliff

The chances for avoiding the "Fiscal Cliff" are not looking good at the moment. Obama is chillin' on a warm beach in Hawaii, and congress has closed shop for the holidays.

I am amazed and irritated that a deal couldn't be done. I really thought a deal would emerge after everyone had their turn at calling names and laying blame. A last-minute scaled-down compromise could still happen, but even so, it would likely amount to punting the tough decisions once again.

The bulk of the blame should be reserved for the Republicans. Even though the election was lost and their Raison d'être under question, enough anti-tax hysteria prevailed in the House to humiliate Boehner's negotiating efforts. It's hard to believe these folks would place the nation at risk for the sake of their passionate belief that the wealthy should be shielded from paying an additional dime in taxes, but there you have it.

Some blame could be handed to Obama as well, for he seemed determined to push Boehner to the wall and continually rub the election result in his face. It seems as though Democrats have concluded that it's best to leap over the cliff at this point as long as Republicans can be squarely blamed for it. A large chunk of mandated cuts would be from defense programs, which isn't all bad. Tax rates would simply return to where they had been prior to the Bush tax cuts, although in the absence of the annual AMT patch some middle-class families will be hit hard.

The short-term risks of going over the cliff are obvious: A stock market crash and renewed recession as working families shoulder a large tax increase. What most don't seem concerned with is that no one has yet proposed a comprehensive solution to the national debt problem. If Obama had proposed more serious restraints on spending in exchange for higher taxes on the rich, perhaps Boehner would have had a chance at selling it to his colleagues. The irony is that by doing nothing, rates rise for everyone, and it's difficult to see how Republicans gain from that.

Whatever happens by years end, the next congress will likely continue the debate. The concern is that partisan divisions are so deep as to preclude the type of compromise we used to take for granted. So what if Obama wins points in public opinion and further vilifies Republicans; the next election is two years away and much damage could result in the near-term. If the rift becomes too wide, it erodes the ability to govern, and no one wins in that outcome.

Another example can be found in the debate over gun control in the wake of the latest school shootings. The emotional ground-swell of opinion in favor of more restrictions on guns collides with an equally emotional (and more irrational) viewpoint that claims Obama wants to disarm everyone. There are in fact some bizarre and disturbing aspects to the Sandy Hook tragedy, which will take a future blog to discuss. While it seems possible that the PTB somehow conspire to promote such shootings in order to sway public opinion, any benefit to public safety from increased gun control would be offset by deeper cracks, divisions and widespread cynicism among those opposed. The latter is my primary concern, and the present meme of revolution and national disintegration will need to be watched.

Lynn

What Lies Beyond the 2012 Solstice?

In a recent post on my companion blog at earthwaterwellness.com, I dismissed the chances of anything catastrophic occurring on the solstice date, and focused instead on the spiritual aspects. However, I want to examine the "doom n gloom" thinking a bit more. Not that my mind has changed on this, but just that the subject is fascinating and won't go away. Plus, it is abundantly clear that extinction-level events have visited Earth in the past, and there is no amount of "love and light" thinking can guarantee that won't happen again in a year or 5000 years. This is just plain, realistic fact.

Well, for starters, you can forget the photoshopped images of Planet-X depicted in plain view near the sun, or of Mercury, Venus and Saturn all neatly lined up over Giza. Ignore the colorful diagrams of the galactic plane that illustrate the solar system somehow magically aligning with the core on December 21. I explained the celestial mechanics of alignment on the solstice in the aforementioned blog.

One disaster scenario that has at least a plausible risk is damage from extreme solar flares. Although some psychics and remote viewers foresee vast destruction as the Earth becomes enveloped in hot plasma ejected from the sun, this appears as likely to me as the prospect of a large asteroid or comet decimating the planet - not impossible, but not worth raising one's anxiety level over.

A much more plausible scenario would be a repeat of the 1859 Carrington Event, in which a massive solar storm erupted. Auroras were spotted in the tropics, and were so bright in the night sky that gold miners in the Rocky Mountains thought dawn was breaking and began cooking breakfast. The electrical effects were severe enough to cause fires at telegraph stations and cause arcing that zapped telegraph operators. One can only imagine the damage such a storm would cause to the modern electrical grid and to satellites in orbit. The huge electrical currents that are induced are capable of melting the large transformers in power substations, and this actually happened on a minor scale during a 1989 storm. Some experts have speculated that a modern Carrington-sized event could cause the grid to go down for an extended period - perhaps months or years. The amount of damage to electronics and infrastructure could be mind-boggling. It could push civilization back hundreds of years.

Power outages are usually brief and inconvenient, but a widespread and sustained outage would lead to the end of the world as we know it. Stores would find it difficult to conduct business and refrigerated food would quickly spoil. Modern life is extremely dependent on power and electronic gadgets. Most of the populace would soon be hungry and cold (or hot depending on the season), and order would certainly break down.

The preppers in bunkers with stored food and water would fare better for a while, but emergency generators only have fuel for a limited time. With civilization giving way to anarchy, survival would be dicey at best. And besides, who would want to survive like that, sitting with a shotgun over your dwindling hoard?

At the moment, the Sun is doing something strange. The expected sunspot maximum seemed to be finally underway earlier this year following an extremely quiet minimum. At present, activity has tapered off again instead of continuing to rise as expected. There were predictions of massive solar storm activity and large earthquakes for early December, based on a supposed correlation with planetary alignments. This was supposed to be but a prelude to much larger events near the solstice. However, as of this writing, the largest earthquake worldwide was a 6.4 on December 2. Even earthquake activity seems to have tapered off of late.

Is this just the calm before the storm? Your guess is as good as mine, but there is nothing to correlate the 2012 solstice with increased chances of solar or earthquake activity. The projected 11-year solar maximum is supposed to occur in 2013, and CME activity seems to peak following the solar maximum. Even so, the current cycle seems more subdued than recent ones. There is always a chance that the increased levels of galactic dust we are currently heading into will instigate large upheavals in the sun. This could be part of the same long-term natural cycle that caused the last ice age, the flash-freezing of woolly mammoths, and subsequent rapid melting of the glaciers 12,000 years ago.

Many spiritual and intuitive people shy away from discussion of possible catastrophic scenarios. Of course there is a lot of fear mongering regarding 2012, but we can't ignore that destructive cycles are part of nature. Also, as the Kali Yuga - Age of Iron draws to a close, we realize that a new age is dawning. I suspect that ages don't transition as quietly as we would prefer. Something must breakdown to make way for the new. This process could get ugly at times.

Right now, the Shift is already underway, and intuitives can feel it. There must be tension building between the emerging conscious awareness, and the iron grip of the dark ones in control. They are afraid, and they are watching.

Will we suddenly wake up one day and find the world has transformed overnight for the better? I don't have answers to that, but I sense that something is transforming in our midst. Dolores Cannon has much to report on this. She feels that there will soon be a split between Old Earth and a New Earth. I suspect this is correct, but have no idea how it will take place. Actually it might be explained by the parallel timeline theory. Perhaps prophets of doom who foresee hellish scenarios could be focused on the Old Earth timeline. That would explain why remote viewers see such divergent conditions when they attempt to foresee the future.

Could be that the airy-fairy scenarios are correct, but for now I'm putting more stock in Dolores Cannon's research regarding the New Earth.

Lynn

A Shift in Reality

So good to have the election over with, but didn't it seem as though a switch had been flipped somewhere on the following day? Just prior to election day, every one's assumption seemed that Romney was gaining ground and Obama was on the ropes. Republican campaign propaganda appeared to be defining the debate on major issues.

Starting on the day after, it was like any moron could have seen that Romney didn't stand a chance. Republican pundits expiated over the their party's strategic blunders. The numbers of white males and Christian fundamentalists were now seen as shrinking in favor of Hispanics and other progressive people of color, so Republicans began to openly suggest that the party needs to reinvent itself.

Rather than continuing the assault on common sense, right-wing pundits suddenly began sounding reasonable for a change! William Kristol weighed in on the "fiscal cliff" by stating that "it would be foolish for Republicans to fall on their swords" by opposing tax increases for the ultra-rich. Grover Norquist has suddenly become a non-person! And then even the likes of mega-bitch Ann Coulter chided Republicans for their misogynist blunders regarding rape. It was like Alice in Wonderland, with everything turned around!

But back to reality: the nation is deeply divided, the fiscal cliff must be resolved, and warmongering is ramping up in Israel.

The situation in the Mideast is particularly worrisome. As usual, the Zionist-controlled media is portraying Hamas as a terrorist organization, hell bent on destroying Israel. Hamas launched rockets on Tel Aviv in a brazen provocation, we are told. Coverage focuses on the 3 Israeli civilians killed and 60 wounded, while the losses inflicted by Israel in Gaza are many times greater.

The corporate media does not ask the obvious question of why Hamas would make the suicidal mistake of provoking an attack. There was evidence of Israeli agents launching rockets from Hamas in the past, so I certainly would suspect it again. An expanded war would seem to fit into Israel's agenda at the moment.

Fighting rages in Syria, and the destabilized situation must present a tempting opportunity for Israel. Provoke a few rocket exchanges with Egypt, trade fire with Syrian tanks at Golan, and perhaps a major conflagration could be kindled. This could provide perfect context for the long-awaited attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.

This warmongering is flirting with disaster, but few voices are heard in opposition. Corporate media can't even report events accurately, and little spotlight is shone on the carnage suffered by Palestinians. Hopefully we can avoid nuclear exchanges and WW III, or at least reschedule Armageddon for a later date.

Lynn

Obama's Golden Opportunity

The Tea Party madness has left the Republican party gasping for air, and right-wing pundits are wailing and gnashing their teeth. No time for Democrats to bask in the victory; the fiscal cliff looms ominously ahead, while Republican congressional leaders appear to be digging into no-compromise mode on taxes.

This moment of peril could also be a time of historic opportunity. President Obama could capitalize on his new-found momentum by unveiling a daring new approach for resolving the budgetary woes.

What if...Rather than continuing the old polemic as before, Obama carved a new path on higher ground? Republicans are angry and hurting, and pushing them deeper into their defensive stand on taxes only plays to their strengths.

Obama could redefine the debate by delivering this televised speech:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm taking this opportunity to speak to you about a serious issue facing this country: The so-called Fiscal Cliff. This situation came about because Congress elected to put off difficult budgetary decisions until after the election. If we fail to act decisively, large cuts in important programs will take place automatically, and taxes will rise for everyone effective January 1st.

The budgetary gridlock we are in represents failure by both parties. Democrats and Republicans share in the blame. We have lacked the discipline to manage our budget responsibly, and have come to rely on borrowing as a too-easy fix.

The burgeoning debt is a legitimate issue that causes understandable angst among our citizens. Republicans have responded by taking a hard line on only one side of the equation: tax revenue. Unfortunately, this is like attempting to kill a virus by starving the patient. They decry our debt, but remain willing to borrow as an alternative to taxation, particularly when their pet projects are on the block.

We all agree on the need to restrain spending, but senators and congressmen on both sides of the aisle have their respective favorite projects and programs. We can and will continue to debate how to best spend the taxpayer's dollars, but what is needed now is a new-found common resolve to stop feeding the debt monster.

We are a great nation and we can do this. We have the resources. All we are lacking is the resolve.

Republicans have made the argument that the size of government is relentlessly growing, and feel that increased revenue only fosters more growth in government. On this, I am ready to concede that they have a valid point. The size of government cannot be allowed to grow uncontrollably.

Government spends money on many essential programs, and our constitution laid it upon the congress to decide how much to appropriate and how much to raise in revenue. This is now our challenge: To balance taxing and spending in a responsible manner that does not rely on borrowing as an acceptable means of filling the gap.

To this end, we need a mixture of spending cuts and increased revenue. Republican leaders may tell you that increasing any tax is wrong; I'm telling you that borrowing is not better than taxation. I call upon Republicans to change your pledge to "no new borrowing".

I'm calling upon Congress to address the "fiscal cliff" crisis with a balanced mix of spending restraint and increased revenue. I'm not willing to allow austerity to fall disproportionately upon those of limited means, and the wealthy certainly can pay their fair share.

I am asking for all members of Congress and the American people to support my budgetary proposal. In return for your support, I am proposing a constitutional amendment that limits the total amount of government spending to a fixed percentage of the gross national product except in times of national emergency.

Under these proposals, we will stabilize the federal budget in a equitable manner and set the foundation for future economic growth. A small amount of sacrifice now will pay dividends later. I ask that we put aside our partisan differences and move forward together as a nation. Thank you and good night."

-Lynn

Republican Meltdown

This is really phenomenal. This goes beyond anything I would have expected. I'm not surprised that Obama was reelected, but the Republican whining and blame game reveals much about what their party now stands for.

Karl Rove complains that Obama "suppressed the Romney vote" by painting him as "a rich guy who only cares about himself". Wowzers! And didn't Romney help that along just a bit with his occasional candid comments and background as a vulture capitalist? Was Romney's character really that hard to judge without help from Democratic campaign ads?

Maybe what this really tells us is that voters aren't as stupid as Rove had assumed. Perhaps blatant lying with implausible whoppers didn't pay off after all. Rove seems to think that it should have. Shame on us for not falling for the lies! This attitude is an insult to all voters.

It's clear to see what has motivated the GOP push for voter suppression measures, ostensibly known as "Voter ID". They fear that they cannot win if too many of Romney's 47% show up to vote. This apparently accounts for the gross miscalculation made by Rove, Dick Morris, George F. Will and others.

Republicans accuse Obama of engaging in class warfare for attempting to limit tax breaks for the wealthy, but now we see true class warfare clearly demonstrated in their campaign strategy. Unfortunately for them, it's harder than expected to piece together a winning coalition of banksters, angry, white male voters and religious fundamentalists. This has left the nation divided and cynical, but hopefully still intact.

It will be interesting to watch how the Republican party evolves from here. The lunatic fringe Tea Party takeover is complete, and related or not, the fact remains that not one Republican of significant stature bothered to compete for the presidential nomination. It's been suggested that Jeb Bush sat this one out to allow the madness to work its course and then be in line to save the party in 2016. That would require new leadership and some serious changes in four years. One thing for certain, Rove and El Rushbo won't be leading the charge.

Lynn

So What Now?

This is like dodging a bullet; it's good to escape, but it's no fun being shot at.

It's a relief that Romney was turned back. That sums up my reaction.

My conservative friends can take comfort from the fact that Romney was the "designated loser" in a race that was remarkable in that not a single Republican of stature competed for the nomination. Romney could have damaged the Republican brand and dragged the party down prior to the next election in 2016. It's widely suspected that Jeb Bush has been quietly waiting in the weeds for that date to arrive. If Obama doesn't make the most of his second chance, it will be bad news for Democrats next time around.

As an intuitive, I am most concerned with the broad trends and forces shaping current events. As stated before, we are perilously close to the edge of a cliff, and not just the "fiscal cliff" that must be dealt with by year's end.

Immediate problems on the horizon include:

• Massive debt bubble about to burst
• Public unrest at the Bankster cartel for siphoning wealth from the economy
• Earth changes (including abrupt climate change) - this could soon be headline news
• Warmongers threatening to launch a conflagration in the middle east
• Individual liberties threatened by the police state that began under Bush
• Deep divisions tearing at the nation as Uranus-Pluto square up

The candidates failed to address these issues during the campaign, and there is no reason to think that either one had any better shot at them. Romney used deception to raise false hopes that he had solutions in general, but now that's in the rear-view mirror.

My opinion is that coming events will render the government relatively irrelevant. The brighter future that many intuitives foresee will begin in small pockets under local initiative. Prior to this there may be heavy seas and turbulence.

So now the task is to figure it all out...

If Romney Wins...

 

 

Sometime in the next day or so, we should know the identity of the next president. That is, if we're fortunate. If not, the recounts and disputed totals could go on for a long time.

 

Well, I for one am not holding my breath. As made clear on the pages of this blog, I consider the political system to be rigged and fraudulent. There is not nearly enough difference to be made between electing this Dickhead over that one to account for the tremendous, passionate animosity being slung around by both sides. Romney seems to me to be more despicable and disgusting than the incumbent, so I will vote accordingly.

 

If Romney wins, it could be an unfortunate moment for this country, but not for the reasons one might expect. The downside I would expect would be vastly increased levels of cynicism at some point, given the salesmanship he has exhibited on behalf of his campaign promises. Here is a number of points to consider:

 

1. Jobs - Obama has been hammered by a relentless tirade of criticism regarding the economy. Unemployment is too high, hasn't dropped as fast as Obama promised, etc. Now it's perfectly reasonable to attack the opponent's record, as the challenger needs to make the case for a change. However, he needs to have a realistic and plausible alternative proposal on the table. On this issue, Romney clearly has not. Cutting taxes is the centerpiece of his agenda. He promises to create 12 million "good paying" jobs. Good luck with that. Most economists expect the recovery to continue if nothing else is done. Whichever dickhead gets elected, it looks like things will slog on as before.

 

Bottom line: If people are dissatisfied now, they will continue to be regardless of who wins. However, expectations for Romney will be much higher, so he has much farther to fall.

 

2. Budget - As has been documented ad nauseum, Romney's math is complete nonsense. His promises to cut taxes likely will be derailed rather quickly, as frenzied budget negotiations ramp up. A huge factor is the immediate need to cut the deficit by January 1, or else the draconian sequestration measures kick in. There will likely be a lame-duck session of Congress during December that will make huge tax and spending decisions before the next presidential term even begins. If this is not done properly, the economy could stall and dip into another recession. Romneys' goose might get cooked by events before he gets sworn in over the Book of Mormon.

 

Bottom line: Romney will be in for a rough ride if he remains serious about his promises for a tax cut, extra trillions for defense, and a balanced budget. If he reneges his hollow promises will be exposed for the empty deception that they are. At some point the real math will catch up.

 

3. Foreign policy - There is a tremendous disconnect between what a president says and the policies that are actually carried out. As demonstrated in the final debate, there is little that the two parties actually disagree on. Romney exposed himself as sounding more reckless about throwing American power around, but that's just campaign noise. It appears that the PTB plan to ignite more wars in the near future, regardless of who the president is.

 

Bottom line: No difference under Romney, except people might be more prone to associate deceptive warmongering with Bush, so Romney would inspire more protest and opposition than Obama.

 

4. Religion - Romney's involvement in the Mormon church has been downplayed as a private matter of personal faith, but there are secretive, mystical aspects that are reason for concern. As pointed out in a Huffington Post blog, Romney holds the title of Bishop. Considering the racist elements within Mormon teaching, and the eclectic prophecies of end-time events, Romney's interaction with the church bears close watching.

 

Bottom line: Christian conservatives appear to support Romney in large numbers, largely because he is white and supposedly pro-life. While he surely won't be changing his skin color (he probably would if he could along with everything else that he has changed), if he reverts to moderate form on abortion, there will be tremendous anger and frustration among the Christian faithful. At that point, lingering suspicion about Romney's Mormonism will probably flare.

 

The silver lining for Democrats is that the Republican party brand will likely suffer severe damage under a Romney presidency. Given the surreal nature of the campaign, Romney's vacuous campaign rhetoric, and the likelihood of major events really hitting the fan during the next 4 years, this might not be the best time for a Democrat to occupy the white house.

 

There might be some wry satisfaction to be gleaned for progressives in watching right-wing talking heads turn against one of their own, once Romney either a) fails or b) succeeds by reverting to sensible, moderate positions.

 

Final Note: The Prophecy Wonk John Hogue is still sticking to his prediction that Obama will complete a second term. He has not erred in calling presidential elections since Nixon won in 1968. Others are claiming that Nostradamus predicted that the 2012 election will be deadlocked, and Obama will exercise martial law to remain in power while Romney attempts to rally support among the military. That sounds rather far-fetched for this blogger; Something is undoubtedly being lost in translation of the archaic French.

 

Whatever happens will soon be history.

 

Lynn