Will Politics Help Or Harm Your Business?

[OmnivoreInk]

I think we know the answer in Africa... where people are apparently not allowed to accept payments via Paypal? Is this an economic or political decision? The governments don't want a free exchange of money across countries?

It's closer to home in the USA, where if Obama gets elected (and everyone is expecting that to happen) he and his Democrats are going to implement "sharing the wealth" policies that are going to turn the US into a socialistic state like England.

Is it going to be worthwhile creating a business in the US, when as soon as you achieve success, half of your earnings will be taken away in taxes, and given to those who "need" it?

Here's an interesting video from Jim Moran, a Virginia Democrat, talking about the "simplistic notion" of people being allowed to keep their wealth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJyS1WJNisM

[litekepr]

I think we know the answer in Africa... where people are apparently not allowed to accept payments via Paypal? Is this an economic or political decision? The governments don't want a free exchange of money across countries?

It's closer to home in the USA, where if Obama gets elected (and everyone is expecting that to happen) he and his Democrats are going to implement "sharing the wealth" policies that are going to turn the US into a socialistic state like England.

Is it going to be worthwhile creating a business in the US, when as soon as you achieve success, half of your earnings will be taken away in taxes, and given to those who "need" it?

Here's an interesting video from Jim Moran, a Virginia Democrat, talking about the "simplistic notion" of people being allowed to keep their wealth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJyS1WJNisM

I like that you put "need" in quotation marks. I'm sorry, but I don't think its my responsibility to give a signficant part of what I make to support other people. The government has already insured that I "contributed" - about 10% when employed and about 20% when self employed - of my income to a very flawed and failing social security system. I don't see any reason for some company execs to get huge golden parachute bonuses - but small business people should be rewarded for their hard work by getting to keep the majority of the money they make.

Shri

[OmnivoreInk]

Well...Obama has won...

Democrats have increased their presence in both House and Senate...

Welcome to four years of socialism in the USA...

Everyone should remember where they are - financially speaking - at this moment, and four years from now, ask yourself, are you worse or better off?

I know what I expect to be.... hope I'm wrong...

[ideasuniversity]

I prefer capitalism to socialism because lazy people will not strive to be productive when they know at the end of the day, government will take care of their needs. Let see what the next four years will bring

[David Hurley]

Sorry OmnivorInk, but a tax rebate on mortgages, a tax cut for middle and lower classes and an considering a lower corporate tax rate is NOT socialism, it is tinkering with the system.

A socialist would abolish private home ownership and private ownership of business.

Obama is a reformist not a socialist.

I get the fact that you don't like higher taxes, but the flow of wealth is always facilitated by government intervention to some degree, and a decision to cut taxes for 90% of the population at the expense of the other 10% doesn't seem so bad to an outsider like myself when I compare it to the decision to raise the tax burden on the whole nation by prosecuting a costly overseas war of aggression and dubious legality in pursuit of a chimera.

[OmnivoreInk]

I get the fact that you don't like higher taxes, but the flow of wealth is always facilitated by government intervention to some degree, and a decision to cut taxes for 90% of the population at the expense of the other 10% doesn't seem so bad to an outsider like myself .

I don't think he's cutting taxes, though, that's the thing. He can't possibly, and implement all the plans he has.

Except by gutting our military, of course.

Oh, well, we'll see in four years which of us is right.

[David Hurley]

I don't think he's cutting taxes, though, that's the thing. He can't possibly, and implement all the plans he has.

Except by gutting our military, of course.

Oh, well, we'll see in four years which of us is right.

Ah yes, the tax cuts might have to be "postponed" due to "the state of the economy"...

On the military question, most Democrat Presidents go to war - Jimmy Carter being the notable exception. Play the nice guy first and build up lots of goodwill around the world, then play the tough guy later and win a second term!

So, you never know, you might end up with a bigger, better military yet!

[OmnivoreInk]

So, you never know, you might end up with a bigger, better military yet!

Just big enough and better enough to keep us safe, is all I ask.

[litekepr]

Well...Obama has won...

Democrats have increased their presence in both House and Senate...

Welcome to four years of socialism in the USA...

Everyone should remember where they are - financially speaking - at this moment, and four years from now, ask yourself, are you worse or better off?

I know what I expect to be.... hope I'm wrong...

That's what I keep saying - for the sake of this country, I hope my impressions and concerns are wrong. I saw a link for a video on YouTube the other day and it was a clip with a single mother and she said, "Obama's in office, I won't have to worry about paying for gas or my house anymore." I know there are several ways to take that, but... what does it sound like to you??? This country does not need more people getting paid to do nothing.

Shri

[litekepr]

So, you never know, you might end up with a bigger, better military yet!

Just big enough and better enough to keep us safe, is all I ask.

He just wants to move them to Afghanistan. Today he has access to all the ultra top secret info about security, etc - should be a sobering day.

Shri

[David Hurley]

Hello again,

Here are a couple of interesting articles (one I posted on the other thread), from very different political perspectives:

1. The shrinking of the Republican "silent majority":

http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php? ... icle/5891/

2. McCain team too PC to call Obama on his role the mortgage crisis...

Madeline Talbott "hooked up with a slick and highly capable young community activist in Chicago, who she hired to train her ACORN agitators. Her new friend, one Barak Obama, taught them confrontational tactics learned from various 1960s Black Power activists he idolised (his favourite was Malcolm X), and secured campaign money from the left-philanthropic Woods Fund.

"This helped ACORN secure its greatest triumph, when Talbott in 1993 persuaded US mortgage giant Fannie Mae to roll out a $55 million national pilot programme to give mortgages to people with “troubled credit histories”. The rest, as they say, is history — except for the suffering yet to be endured by untold millions whose lives are going to be savaged by the Second Great Depression caused when the banksters/black agitators’ boom went bust."

http://bnp.org.uk/2008/11/obama-the-expected-victory/

In each case, the analysis is not the standard BBC, CNN fare!

[David Hurley]

OK folks, how will politics help or harm your investments under an Obama presidency?

==> "I'll make oil companies like Exxon pay a tax on their windfall profits” -Barack Obama (7/9/08 )

OK, time to bail out of oil then!

==> "I will cut investments in unproven missile defense systems. I will not weaponize space. I will slow our development of future combat systems, and I will institute an independent defense priorities board to ensure that the Quadrennial Defense Review is not used to justify unnecessary spending." -Barack Obama (6/2/08 )

OK, forget about investing in the defence industry, especially companies that supply the US only or were close to the Bush govt. (Exception = Boeing)

==> “We can strengthen Medicare by eliminating wasteful subsidies to big HMOs in Medicare... letting Medicare negotiate with drug companies for cheaper prices on their drugs. That's the kind of change we need.” -Barack Obama (10/17/08 )

Hmm, if you are invested in any drug companies, get out quick! On the other hand, if you want to get into this field, go for a company that is set up to profit from generic drugs.

If you want to have a punt in any of these markets, go short.

===> “I'll invest 150 billion dollars over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy - wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels” - Barack Obama (9/24/08 )

INVEST in alternative energy stocks and go and have a holiday!

Bush played the same game with government money, but shifted it into different fields so as to favour his Republican friends. In the Bush years you really needed to be in oil, nuclear power and war toys. Now Obama is going to reallocate the loot in the slush fund to favour his Democrat friends plus punish the friends of Bush.

You see, Obama is NOT a socialist, he is a manager of capitalism, just like Bush. He just has a different set of friends.

Whoever's in power, some people are going to make a lot of money.

Why not be one of them, no matter who the president is?

It is irrelevant whether you or I think it is good or bad that Obama is in power. However, there IS something you can do... rearrange your investments to match the prejudices of the president when his party is in complete control of government...

Oh, and if you don't have any money to invest, start an ALTERNATIVE ENERGY business.

And good luck to you.

David H.

[OmnivoreInk]

I notice that the Dow has dropped 300 points today....

It's not a question I think of what to invest in... it's a question of how much money will Obama allow you to make before he comes and skims off up to 90% of your profits.

I'm listening to Rush Limbaugh even as I type, and he's aired some soundbytes from last night, a couple of people on the Charlie Rose show, talking about how little is known about Obama, how he's a "personality cult' , for example apparently when he gave his acceptance speech he was on stage all alone - no Joe Biden (locked in a bar somewhere, Rose speculated) no family. First time that had ever happened.

I can't remember all of what they said, but they were talking about a man who has just been elected President and they "don't know anything about him." They don't know what books he's read, they don't know his plans... all they know are his speeches where he talks about "Change" and "Yes we can." without giving specifics.

It will certainly be interesting to see who he chooses for his Cabinet members. So far, Rahm Emanuel -- a good friend of Obama's - has agreed to become chief of staff.

Emanuel is the guy who apparently once took a steak knife, and started jabbing it into a table while he gave a speech about Democrats who had "betrayed" the party. Each time he said a name, he stabbed the knife into the table and yelled, "Dead!".

And he's the guy who extorted money from donators. If they gave $5,000 and he felt like they could afford to give $25,000, he's send their check back and demand the higher sum. Once he sent a dead, stinking fish to a donator who hadn't given enough money to the party.

(Look up the news reports on Emanuel, don't just take my word for it!)

And yet despite this guy's despicable behavior (or perhaps because of it) he remained in power, and is now going to be in charge of Obama's White House.

Scary days indeed.

Edited to add links:
Here's information on Obama's very good friend, Rahm Emanuel:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... orcer.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/0 ... 41595.html
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/st ... _enforcer/

[litekepr]

Hello again,

Here are a couple of interesting articles (one I posted on the other thread), from very different political perspectives:

1. The shrinking of the Republican "silent majority":

http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php? ... icle/5891/

2. McCain team too PC to call Obama on his role the mortgage crisis...

Madeline Talbott "hooked up with a slick and highly capable young community activist in Chicago, who she hired to train her ACORN agitators. Her new friend, one Barak Obama, taught them confrontational tactics learned from various 1960s Black Power activists he idolised (his favourite was Malcolm X), and secured campaign money from the left-philanthropic Woods Fund.

"This helped ACORN secure its greatest triumph, when Talbott in 1993 persuaded US mortgage giant Fannie Mae to roll out a $55 million national pilot programme to give mortgages to people with “troubled credit histories”. The rest, as they say, is history — except for the suffering yet to be endured by untold millions whose lives are going to be savaged by the Second Great Depression caused when the banksters/black agitators’ boom went bust."

http://bnp.org.uk/2008/11/obama-the-expected-victory/

In each case, the analysis is not the standard BBC, CNN fare!

Definitely not info that the US mass media would report although none is surprising. The media was determined Obama would win. So determined that issues that should have been reported were swept under the rug so to speak. The other night there was a segment on CNN asking if the media showed undo bias during this election - I lost any respect for several people during that segment. Funny, there was a show on CNN that was focusing day in and day out on all the things the majority f the media were ignoring - funny how the show has disappeared from CNN and moved to Fox

Shri

[David Hurley]

Thanks for the links, OmnivoreInk. Interesting reading.

The choice of a prince's ministers is a matter of no little importance... The first impression that one gets of a ruler and of his brains is from seeing the men that he has about him.

My first impression is that Obama has made the right move in choosing Rahm Emanuel as his Chief of Staff. Intelligent and ruthless, just what Prince O will need if he is to push through his energy policy and the rest of it.

There is another reason why this choice ought to be applauded.

If Emanuel is really such a bad egg he should be given a loose reign to impose Obama's policies with a suitable amount of intimidation while Obama maintains the cool statesman-like idealistic high mindedness he has shown hitherto.

Consider the case of Cesare Borgia and Remirro de Orco. Cesare appointed Messer de Orco, a cruel and able man, to whom he gave the fullest authority. This man, in a short time, was highly successful in rendering the country orderly and united, but with a harshness that had engendered some amount of hatred.

Cesare resolved to show that if any cruelty had taken place it was not by his orders, but through the harsh disposition of his minister. And having found the opportunity he had him cut in half and placed one morning in the public square at Cesena with a piece of wood and blood-stained knife by his side. The ferocity of this spectacle caused the people both satisfaction and amazement.

So, how long do you think Prince O and Remanuel de Orco's beautiful relationship will last?

David H & Nick M.