Snake

Thank you very much for your compliments. Been having a tough time lately so your words were like a tonic.

Only 15 years an exchange like ours could never occur. Believing as I do that the majority of people are simply trying to get along and 'do the right thing', the internet can be a force for true democracy. For that we need those nerdy hackers who can circumvent any walls that government or corporations try to implant. A little anarchy goes a long way.

Where we have difficulties is in our selection of leaders; we mistake authority for leadership. The difference is that one dictates while the other inspires. Obama is certainly inspirational, but he is up against a lot of entrenched authorities, whether they be Democrats or Republicans. He will have to compromise on many issues in order to maintain power. However, out of what was on offer in the USA election he is probably the best hope we have. My problem with Hilary was that she appeared to be more about power than vision.

It is going to get very interesting, and if I can keep my head above water for long enough, I may just get a glimpse of a more hopeful future.

Agreed Fractelle

Obama is still only early in the job and as inspirational he is, he may just be finding out how hard it will be to be a force for change. Change that we need so desperately to bring back some measure of restraint and equity in our economic system. I think and hope with a combination of softly-softly little steps and some big steps, we might just see a more positive world ahead.

Sorry to hear you are not well. It is difficult to remain positive at the moment but I reckon we need to take strength where we find it. Family, friends, interests, our core values/beliefs, charity work or even the simple things like tending a garden.

Keep well.

from
http://www.mybudget360.com/fdic-insures-47-trillion-in-deposits-with-a-136-billion-deposit-insurance-fund-this-is-like-going-into-a-hurricane-with-a-99-cent-store-umbrella/

FDIC Insures $4.7 Trillion in Deposits with a $13.6 Billion Deposit Insurance Fund...

This is Like Going into a Hurricane with a 99 Cent Store Umbrella.


On Friday, three banks failed and the FDIC took them over. ..Now this isn’t the big news necessarily... What it significant is that one of the banks taken over was Silverton Bank of Atlanta,..Georgia. Silverton bank has $4.1 billion in assets and will cost the FDIC $1.3 billion from their dwindling insurance fund.

This will be the costliest bank takeover since U.S. Bank took over Downey Savings and Loan in November of 2008 for a cost of $1.4 billion to the FDIC Insurance Fund.

So how much is left in the fund?..Not much...In fact,if we throw in Citigroup and Bank of America,..two banks that have failed without government support and massive intervention,the fund would be broke. But let us set those two banks aside and start running the numbers.

As of December 31, 2008 the FDIC fund had $18.9 billion in it. Already in 2009 we have seen 32 bank failures,above the 25 bank failures for all of 2008...And with commercial real estate and residential real estate still facing record foreclosures,we can expect that more money will be drained from the fund.

Now most of the times, you will get bank failures that cost a few million but every once in awhile you’ll get a moderate sized bank like Silverton that will cost the fund $1.3 billion...Let us first take a tally of the 2009 bank failures:..continued at link[abouve]

other info
http://newsbusters.org/node/11149
http://uruknet.com/?p=m53873&hd=&size=1&l=e
next might be a sound file..?[i cant open it]
http://theinfounderground.com/archives/TiU.Radio.30th.April.09-guest.Cynthia.McKinney.mp3
supposed to be an interesting talk re us poli-tricks

Pelican

Thank you for your kind words. Friends, family, interests and as you said core values are very important to keep oneself in perspective.

One of my techniques is to let go of any grudges I may be feeling. Enough negativity exists in the collective subconscious to fuel an eternity of hatred. Not believing in any formal religion, I am not restricted to the rules which restrict freedom of thought. However, I do know that the way we are feeling can be detected by others and either contribute to a bad atmosphere or lighten a difficult time.

Therefore, I believe it is paramount to counter the judgemental such as on a thread like this. I admit I was immediately judgemental of George W, I also believe I had good reason to be concerned by the manner of his election in 2000. And history has unfortunately confirmed my misgivings. However, there is none of the controversy surrounding either Obama's election or his words of hope. We (the human world) have a slender chance of change. Change to how we conduct business, use the environment and treat our fellow beings on this planet.

Yes we can (change).

Wish Ya luck wit' dat, Kiddo, I don't have much hope.
Given the enormous inertia of an entrenched system with it's billions of dollars and it's barnyard full of "good ol' boys" backslapping and pork-barrelling away, Prince Charming himself would be hard put to make a difference, let alone an American politician with all his baggage.
At best we can hope for a reduction in the Bush B-S, and a return to "business as usual" as it was a while back, with all it's ills and woes.

Sorry guys, for ducking off on this one - after initially saying it was a topic that interested me, too. But I've been having some real probs with this site the last coupla days and when this particular thread seemed to be changing into a Required Reading list - while appreciating the effort made - I kinda let it lie.

But now I have a question. Fractelle says says she lets go of grudges, others try to stay positive etc. But there is little doubt that Westerners are, generally, more inclined to the gloom and doom scenario than they used to be.

Is this something we can lay at the Internet's door too? Used to be, if one was truly convinced the world was coming to an end, you grabbed a sandwich board and patrolled the streets declaring this. A lot of things people believed that were depressingly negative stayed as personal mindsets and didn't affect anyone but the nearest and dearest.

Now, however, no-matter what your belief, you can trawl the Net and find hundreds, if not thousands of supporters for this view. You can convince yourself it is realistic. You gain confidence enough to get onto sites where you can try to convince others it is realistic.

Doesn't this become sorta like the Dung Beetles load - it gathers momentum as it goes? Its out there; it enters the public realm and attracts more and more to it? Even those who don't subscribe therefore, are surrounded to these negativities which were once fringe but now become mainstream?

You may have noticed that I specifically mentioned Westerners above. This is because, living and travelling constantly through less developed countries where the Internet is not part of peoples daily lives, I continually observe the outlook is markedly different, optimistic and up beat. Even though thier living conditions and futures are nowhere near as bright as those in developed nations.

It's just a theory, but I reckon it's got plausibility going for it?