Dylan Ratigan

No Brainer TAX

Senators Jim Webb (D) and Barbara Boxer (D) are offering a NO BRAINER tax that many other countries have already enacted.

If your company took over $5 billion of the TARP funds (our tax money) all bonuses over $400,000 would be subject to a 50% tax for the years you held our TARP money. The only reason these companies exist is because of  the TARP bailout, borrowing trillions at @ 0.00% from the FED (means future inflation for you) and have been allowed to drop transparent mark to market accounting.

You’d think a 50% tax on just the bonuses over $400,000 for the top executive would fly through congress like far more stringent taxes have in other countries like Britain. But YOU hear almost nothing about it because of the lobbyists and their tight control over the media. Dylan Ratigan on MSNBC (4:00PM EST) yesterday carried an interview with Senator Webb (D-VA) It seems in their first attempt they could not even get this on the floor of the Senate for a vote.

YOU get the bill and the wealthy that screwed you get the Bonus – Only in America and third world dictatorships does this happen.

Health Care

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

• The Good-The proposed Heath car plan under Obama will cover an additional 31 million Americans. Perhaps we will no longer be #1 on the list of “western” countries in which preventable deaths occur. One Republican’s  plan covers 3 million additional Americans. Its better than zero.
• The Bad – At best long term, the Obama plan may very very slightly limits the 17+% and growing amount of GDP we spend on health care. Obama administration long ago sold out to the monopoly the insurance & drug companies have in the USA.
• The Ugly -  Totally political congress that is only interested in getting elected instead of solutions  and lack of leadership from Obama have prevented real solutions that are working – a public option or universal health care that dozens of other countries have voted to keep for decades.

Yes, we have the best health care system in the world - If youyou’rer a Saudi Prince, uber wealthy foreigner, know someone, or are a wealthy American you actually get to use the best system in the world. Forget it if you’re an average Joe and Jane American.

Whipcongress.com has  kept the drive for a public option alive – 40 Senators have signed on – YOU can help.

Dylan Ratigan

Dylan, used to be the anchor and co creator of CNBC’s “Fast Money” and now has his own show on MSNBC.  He has both financial skills and is unafraid to nail any politician or industry unlike the corporate lapdogs of CNBC. As stated above his show is on at 4:00 PM EST.  One of his recent editorials on Corporate Communism in Heath Care and Banking. is a Must Read.

As Americans, I believe we reject communism because it historically has allowed a tiny group of people to consolidate complete control over national resources (including people), in the process stifling competition, freedom and choice. It leaves its citizens stagnating under the perpetual broken systems with no natural motivation to innovate, improve services or reduce costs.

KISS & Stocks (Keep It Simple Stupid)

If you don’t understand a term look in up at Investopedia.com dictionary

AS ALWAYS, DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH BEFORE INVESTING!

Investors411 record – 5 years of beating benchmark S&P 500 and almost all major US indexes

Technicals, Fundamentals & Analysis

See Positions , Strategy , and Overview for changes made over weekend. (No changes this weekend)

A decent rally collapsed into yesterday’s close. We rallied a bit in the last 10 minutes to close in the green. Volume was up & above average. The benchmark S&P 500 came within @ 0.40% of reaching anew 18 month high. The NASDQ and Russell 2000 are already at new highs, but it has NOT been the typical big volume breakout that usually signifies the continuation of a major rally.

US markets need some fundamental push to breakout before the bullish momentum runs out of steam.

• Perhaps good news from weekly jobless claims Thursday.
• Perhaps the increased exports/imports just announced by China will lead markets higher, China is not nearly as close to or at  a new highs like US, Britain and some other countries. Worries over a developing housing/office space glut/bubble are holding back investors.
• Perhaps it will be the financial sector (XLF the ETF) that almost broke out yesterday. – Attempts to regulate this sector are getting weaker.
• Perhaps the Dollar will fall. This would mean the Euro would get stronger.

Significant Indexes

• McClellan Oscillator dropped a bit to +6o.89 yesterday. We are still well above +60 or Overbought territory. StockCharts has a better version of the McClellan chart ($NYMO) LINK.
• BDI - The Baltic Dry Index, which measures the cost of world trade (also a good indicator of how China is doing since they are huge exporters/importers) has exploded higher in the last few weeks = Bulls rule Two days ago the BDI, like stocks, leveled off in front of a strong resistance level. Yesterday it fell.

Positions

The  Positions Section = latest buys and sells – (Revised positions last weekend) - These are positions I actually own

Mantra – Since the McClellan Oscillator (NYMO) is still over +60, or overbought -  Right now,  selling (taking profits) is more desirable than opening new positions because of the short term over bought conditions. Positions:

• 6% EWZ (Brazil)
  
• 5%MOO (agriculture ETF)
• 5%FXI (China)
  
• 3% IMAX – In a HUGE explosion higher right now

All three ETF positions are currently under performing US markets.  They are 5 to 10% from their old highs. Will sell more if NYMO gets above +80. Will nibble on THY & other positions if NYMO falls to @+20

Answer to Monitor’s comment - Congratulations on using  YOUR Stock Picks wisely and making a killing, I know others who have used the list and sent personal emails are also doing well.  See comments section on side of blog.

Long Term Outlook = CAUTIOUSLY BULLISH

AS ALWAYS DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH BEFORE INVESTING

Government rejects GM/Chrysler bailout plan. The G 20 meets. Asking the wrong questions – What’s wrong with our prisons/justice system? The real question - What’s wrong with the USA? The “Quiet Coup’s”  ominous forecast referenced in Sunday’s blog deserves further consideration. One solution that prevented/delayed the downfall of the Roman Empire.

Rejecting Autos & G 20

(see  fundamental section below)

What’s Wrong with the USA?

Parade (the Sunday news magazine/supplement in many newspapers) headlined What’s Wrong with Our Prisons? Investors411 asked what’s wrong with our Justice System Friday?

Yes our justice system is a “national disgrace” (Sen. Jim Webb)   Our rate of imprisonment is “5 times the world’s average… Either we are the most evil people on the earth or we are doing something very wrong.”  (headline from front page of  Parade) The real question is what wrong or what’s happened to America’s culture? Webb has some good ideas, but the roots of this problem go well beyond the justice system. 

• Why are we so violent, 
• Why are we so fearful?
• Why are we so focused on me instead of we?  
• Why do we focus on retaliation instead of mediation?
• Why is mob mentality growing and individual accoutability vanishing?

I’m sure you could add to this list. 

The Quiet Coup

Here’s the conclusion of the MIT professor Simon Johnson’s editorial

What we face now could, in fact, be worse than the Great Depression—because the world is now so much more interconnected and because the banking sector is now so big. We face a synchronized downturn in almost all countries, a weakening of confidence among individuals and firms, and major problems for government finances. If our leadership wakes up to the potential consequences, we may yet see dramatic action on the banking system and a breaking of the old elite. Let us hope it is not then too late.

How a Roman General Beat the Terrorists.

Pompey in 67 BC beat the terrorist pirates who threatened to destroy Rome. Here’s how

AS ALWAYS DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH BEFORE INVESTING

“A National Disgrace “- The American Justice System. South Park – Bailout video. Update on Iraq. A Berlin wall separating 39 million Hispanics from 135 million Mexicans. Pat Buchanan solution to the drug problem. The rising Red River. Over bought stocks market’s short term outlook 

Lady Justice by Rodringo Duran

“A National Disgrace” US Justice System

Senator Jim Webb (D VA) words at the introduction of the 2009 National Criminal Justice Act. Webb - With 5% of the world’s population, our country now houses 25% of the world’s reported prisoners. That’s just his opening in a laundry list of problems

Of course you’re wondering if any of the criminals who run the Shadow Banking System and robbed Americans of trillions will ever see the inside of a prison.  We, by far, run the largest police state of any civilized democracy, but if you’re wealthy shadow banker?

South Park – Bailout

 A 30 second You Tube video

Iraq’s Civil war

American corporate media has ignored the fact that the Shia have almost wiped out the Sunni’s in a bloody civil war that is still simmering. Baghdad once a majority Sunni city has now less than 15% Sunni according to Juan Cole’s Informed Comment blog. The latest on the Iranian backed Shia’s that control a fearful and divided Iraq/Baghdad – AP story

Mexico

Far more relevant than Shia dominating Sunni’s in Iraq to the US will be the 39 million Hispanics in the USA we are trying to separate from the 135 million Mexican’s by a wall. We will have to turn into what communist East Germany was when they erected the Berlin Wall to make this work or find a different solution.

Hillary Clinton is leading a diplomatic effort to Mexico that will culminate with an Obama visit. ” Clinton – “The U.S. shares responsibility for its neighbor’s drug violence. Now we must be just as smart about our ‘help.’” More from LA Times on Clinton and the Mexico Message

Hillary, is winning kudos as Secretary of State,

Solution to the Drug problem

Conservative/Libiterian Pat Buchanan often offers a choice in solving the “weed” problem.

•  Do what chairman Mao did and kill all the dealers and users
• Legalize it like cigarettes & alcohol, then tax it.

Legalizing pot would take a whole lot of business away from the violent Mexican cartels that operate in 230 American communities and account the 1200% increase in drug offenders in the USA since 1980. (stat source Jim Webb, point of view – mine)

The Red River

Just turn on the weather channel. The Red River in Fargo/Moorhead is cresting above 40 ft. (new record) in 6 below zero temperatures this AM. Best wishes to several bloggers and a grandson & granddaughter who live a few hundred yards from this river.

AS ALWAYS DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH BEFORE INVESTING