Oligarchy versus Middle Class By Joost van Steenis

Bangkok March 28 2006

Dear reader, this is the 69th Letter of an Autonomous Thinker

The Middle Class comprises up to twenty percent of the population. The well-to-do members have higher functions and higher incomes but not as high as the elite at the top of society.

It is suggested that both the elite and the Middle Class profit from an economic boom. Maybe that is still the case in developing countries, see for example my last Letter about the Asian Economic Boom (http://members.chello.nl/jsteenis/letter68.htm) but not for the rich countries.

The "2006 Economic Report of the (American) President" affirms however that only the oligarchy (the elite) has profited from the American economic growth of the last thirty years.

" Between 1972 and 2001 the wage and salary in come of Americans at the 90th percentile (top 10%) of the income distribution rose only 34%, or about 1% a year.

Income at the 99th percentile rose 87%, income at the 99.9th percentile rose 181% and income at the 99.99th percentile (barely 30.000 persons) rose 497%." (Paul Krugman of the New York Times).

For the richest 30.000 persons every million in income in the seventies rose in thirty years to six million dollars while the income of the rest of the population hardly changed.

Krugman rightly asks the question: "Should we be worried about the increasingly oligarchical nature of American society?" The word increasingly implies however that he does not acknowledge that American society has always been very oligarchical.

- Hide quoted text -
His answer is clear: "Yes, and not just because a rising economic societies also tend to be highly corrupt."

One kind of corruption I described in my Third Letter "Gatesian Corruption" ( http://members.chelo.nl/jsteenis/letters3.htm).

The dominating question remains however "What can YOU do to change this situation?"

Again I advance the solution that masspeople should invade the eliteworld to make it impossible that elitepeople continue to live their prosperous, privileged and undisturbed life they have been living for ages. (see also http://members.chello.nl/jsteenis/catastrophes13.htm or catastrophes3.htm).

Yours truly, Joost van Steenis
http://members.chello.nl/jsteens
Ways to increase masspower

9 Trillion... I’ve been thinking about stewardship By Fred Cederholm

Column for on/after Mar 19th

I’ve been thinking about stewardship. Actually I’ve been thinking about Matthew 25: 14-30, the 10 talents, elections, truth, February, the costs of war, and the sounds of silence. Last Thursday our Senate voted to once again raise the ceiling on our National Debt to almost $ 9 TRILLION. Yes, $ 9 TRILLION! The vote was 52 to 48 in favor of the increase - strictly along party lines. The House of Representatives had already approved the increase when it passed a 2006 budget blueprint bill. Is this good stewardship? Who deserves to continue in their offices?

You see, the Matthew 25 teachings deal with stewardship and the parable of the 10 talents. A master entrusted three of his servants with his money – one received 5 talents, another received 2 talents, and the third 1 talent. In his absence, the first two worked diligently and doubled the master’s money while the third merely returned the one talent intact. Upon his return, the master rewarded the first two for their diligent stewardship, but cast the third out into the darkness. Now… TH*NK of voters as “the master” and our elected officials as “the servants” (of all the people). How would/should we, the master(s), react in knowing that what we had entrusted to our servants was all gone, and that we now “owed” even more?

On Tuesday, March 21, we the people go to the polls to select the candidates to be elected/re-elected to public office next November. There are good candidates/stewards out there who understand the madness of the profligate spending and the wanton misuse of debt.Find them, support them, and vote for them. And… HOLD them to their campaign rhetoric.Do not accept excuses from incumbents for failing to deliver on their prior promises; cast them out into the darkness. Make it clear to ALL candidates that they will be held accountable and that the coming “Election Day” in November will become the “Judgment Day”.

Truth is hidden from US/us out in the open because the truth is “protected” by a palace guard of lies. We are told that the economy is going great guns and that tax cuts will generate more revenue. Uncle $ugar is on a cash basis of accounting; recognizing revenues when received and expenses when paid. Normally in the first months of the calendar year there are “surpluses” because payments are coming in anticipation of the income tax filings due on the prior year’s income. February 2006 numbers just released showed a $119 BILLION deficit! No way do the numbers being released to the public pass the “straight face” test. Does THAT show us that the economy is booming and that tax revenues are increasing?

Last week, we learned that the projected costs of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq will increase from $6.8 BILLION a month to $ 9.8 BILLION a month – a jump of 44%. Will this really prove to be enough? Given the present saber rattling toward Iran, can we truly afford yet another invasion/war? Trust me when I say that peace and diplomacy are a hack of a lot cheaper in terms of both dollars and lives. Immediately after raising the debt ceiling by $781 BILLION – the fourth MEGA increase during the Bush Presidency (with almost two-and-a-half more years to go); Congress authorized another $ 92 BILLION more for the wars and Katrina/Rita relief. What kind of stewardship is that?

The very day the ceiling was increased, the outstanding debt jumped by $ 1 BILLION to $8,271 BILLION from the $8,270 BILLION where it had effectively “languished” since March 2nd. The game being played with the “cash basis accounting” and “honoring the sanctity” of the debt ceiling precluded Uncle $ugar from paying the bills. At the old ceiling of $8.2 TRILLION, $3,460 BILLION was already “misappropriated” from accumulated Social Security surpluses and other trust/retirement funds under Uncle’s stewardship, and spent elsewhere. To honor those obligations, we will be told that we must “re-fund” that which was already paid for by us.

We the people can no longer remain silent in our disgust over their “stewardship.” “The words of the ‘profits’ are written in the ‘Congress halls’… and the visions that were planted in my brain, still remain… echoing the sounds of silence.” I m Fred Cederholm and I’ve been thinking. You should be thinking, too.
Copyright 2006 Questions, Inc. All rights reserved.

To “audit” this column and to learn more about the subjects discussed, please check out:

The ten talents http://www.gardenofpraise.com/bibl52s.htm
http://www.web-ministry.com/religious/parables/tentalents/
http://www.west.net/~antipas/books/story_of_bible/talents.html

The Senate Vote

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-03-16-debt-ceiling_x.htm

War Spending

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=ak3gHkUGPtpY&refer=top_world_news

Debt to the Penny and Who Holds It.

http://www.publicdebt.treas.gov/opd/opdpdodt.htm

The Public Debt on-line

http://www.publicdebt.treas.gov/opd/opd.htm

Interest Expense on the debt outstanding (by month)

http://www.publicdebt.treas.gov/opd/opdint.htm

I’ve been thinking about warnings By Fred Cederholm

Column for on/after Mar 12th

I’ve been thinking about warnings. Actually I’ve been thinking about the weather, directions, 2005, pictograms, little Mac II, and the League of Women Voters. Sunday, proved to be quite a day. What began as normal routine for a restful day of attending church, reading, composing email responses, and writing my weekly column certainly ended differently.

You see, I was working on a column about the games currently being played regarding raising the ceiling on the National Debt when my kitchen windows began being pelted by heavy rain and “pea-sized” hail from the East. The storm stopped as abruptly as it started… so I took MacIntosh out for his afternoon “visits.” The sky looked weird, and the clouds were rapidly moving from the Southwest, but there was a strong wind blowing at ground level from the Northeast coming in the opposite direction. This was a warning.

Our weather patterns have been getting stranger and stranger in recent years. Normally our winter storms come from the Northwest, or the North. Our most damaging spring storms come from the Southwest. When the Gulf Coast is hit with a hurricane, we might we get a (residual) storm system from the Southeast. Lately it seems like we can get weather patterns coming at us from any (or all) directions -- at any time of the year. This should be a warning.

2005 saw all kinds of extreme meteorological phenomena. There were a record number of Atlantic hurricanes that hit, our yearly precipitation was over a foot shy of the norm, and we experienced the coldest December on record which was followed by a surprisingly mild New Year. Last Friday and Saturday were more like early May than early March. My neighbor Larry was even outside in shirtsleeves hitting golf balls across his front lawn.

Sunday evening was bizarre to say the least. We saw constant warnings/alerts in the form of weather pictograms/maps on the TV screens with ever-present National Weather Service bulletins flashing across the bottom. The weather pictograms/maps had to keep alternating because we had five different types of warning/alerts (and colors) impacting the various counties of Northwest Illinois at the same time. These warning/alerts ran constantly even during the commercial advertising – that normally does not happen. Every Rockford TV station kept breaking in with their weather-persons giving “storm watch” updates. The Doppler radar depictions had more colors than a rainbow (no pun intended) and mega-multiple storm cells were hitting the entire heartland of America. This was more than a warning.

From 7 to 10 pm, it frequently sounded like trains passing thru town, but these whirring sounds were not preceded by any toot-toot-toooots - so I knew it was not a train. Then… there were periods of silence. When I checked outside, it was very still; and the copper rooster weather vane on the south garage was pointing in a different direction each time I looked. While the temperature had dropped from Sunday morning, a foggy haze was developing – this told me that the ground was colder than the surface air. A warning?

A little after 9 pm, I really began to worry when my furry little black domestic security unit, Mac II, kicked into action. He is very good about guarding me and alerts me when things are different around our home. Mac stays particularly close during storms - becoming my virtual Siamese twin. All of a sudden he “owoowed” and went under the bed. My ears began to pop - so there apparently was a sudden drop in the barometric pressure. The watches/alerts remained in effect until 4 am. There was minimal area damage. We were lucky… this time!

On Thursday, March 16th, the League of Women Voters is co-sponsoring the annual “State of the Community Dinner” at the Rochelle Country Club with the Rochelle Chamber of Commerce. This year’s theme is “Pieces of the Puzzle” and the program on “local disaster planning” will be presented by the Rochelle Fire Department, the Rochelle Police Department, Rochelle Municipal Utilities, and Rochelle Community Hospital – talk about being timely. If you’re interested in attending, please check with the Chamber (562-4189) to see if spaces are still available. I m Fred Cederholm and I’ve been thinking. You should be thinking, too.

Copyright 2006 Questions, Inc. All rights reserved.

The oil may be "iffy," but we've got Mangos!!! By Fred Cederholm

TH*NK*NG (SUPPLIERS) Column for on/after Mar 5th)

I’ve been thinking about suppliers. Actually I’ve been thinking about crude oil and petroleum imports, Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Nigeria, Iraq, a 20 cent jump, and Mangos. A little over a week ago, the Energy Information Agency of the US Department of Energy released the figures and breakdowns of our petroleum energy consumption and imports for 2005. The numbers boggle the mind and the outlook is… well, read on.

You see, despite the record prices for oil (which exceeded $60 per barrel for virtually all of 2005), total imports of crude/petroleum were up. We consumed 4.937 BILLION barrels in 2005; up from the 4.811 BILLION barrels in 2004 – a 2.62% increase. Meanwhile… our domestic crude oil field production decreased for the year; down to 1.869 BILLION barrels in 2005 from 1.983 BILLION barrels in 2004 - another 5.75% decline. This double edged sword cut US/us both ways, and was the largest component of Uncle $ugar’s trade (current) deficit in 2005. The major oil companies posted record profits for the year.

Canada was the largest external source of our energy imports in 2005. We imported 792.691 MILLION barrels from them versus the 782.598 MILLION barrels in 2004 – a 1.29% increase. Canada is not a member of OPEC and accepts dollars for their sales.

Mexico was the second largest external source of our energy imports in 2005. We imported 600.676 MILLION barrels from them versus the 609.225 MILLION barrels in 2004 – a 1.40% decrease. Mexico is not a member of OPEC and accepts dollars for their sales.

Saudi Arabia was the third largest external source of our energy imports in 2005. We imported 556.006 MILLION barrels from them versus the 570.137 MILLION barrels in 2004 – a 2.48% decrease. Saudi Arabia is a member of OPEC and accepts dollars for their sales.

Venezuela was the fourth largest external source of our energy imports in 2005. We imported 549.535 MILLION barrels from them versus the 568.944 MILLION barrels in 2004 – a 3.41% decrease. Venezuela is a member of OPEC and accepts dollars/EURO’s for their sales.

Nigeria was the fifth largest external source in 2005. We imported 418.778 MILLION barrels from them versus the 417.152 MILLION barrels in 2004 – a .39% increase. Nigeria is a member of OPEC and accepts dollars for their sales.

Iraq was the sixth largest external source of our energy imports in 2005. We imported 190.404 MILLION barrels from them versus the 240.191 MILLION barrels in 2004 – a 20.73% decrease. Iraq was a founding member of OPEC and accepts dollars for their sales. Iraq’s production has yet to approach its pre-March 19th, 2003 levels.

After these six largest sources, the amounts provided to Uncle $ugar in 2005 and 2004 drops off considerably (by country of origin) and, the remaining mix shifted only marginally. Last Friday, the at-the-pump-price for gasoline jumped 20 cents to $2.46 a gallon here in Northwest Illinois. The Venezuelan Oil Minister, Rafael Ramirez, is calling for a MILLION barrels per day (BPD) production cut at OPEC’s Wednesday March 8th meeting. While the OPEC official production ceiling stands at 28 MILLION BPD, the group’s eleven members pumped nearly 30 MILLION BPD in February – a 320,000 BPD increase over January. Their usable spare capacity is presently only 1.6% of the daily global oil production. Did the 20 cent spike in the at-the-pump-prices reflect anxiety over future production levels, or was it because there was a weekend coming?

On the brighter side, it was announced by the President (traveling abroad) that the importation restrictions on Mangos from the subcontinent of India would be eliminated. In return, we would provide the Indian government with our “state of the art” nuclear technology and a guaranteed supply of nuclear fuel. Similar agreements were not reached with Pakistan, Iran, and North Korea. The last time I enjoyed truly succulent Mangos was at the Turtle Bay Hilton Resort on Oahu where I took my late mother Alice to celebrate her 70th birthday in March of 1984. I m Fred Cederholm and I’ve been thinking. You should be thinking, too.

Copyright 2006 Questions, Inc. All rights reserved.

To “audit” this column and to learn more about the subjects discussed, please check out:

Crude Oil and Total Petroleum Imports from top 15 countries (Source: Energy Information Agency of US Department of Energy)
http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/company_level_imports/current/import.html

U.S. Crude Oil Field Production (Thousand Barrels) http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/mcrfpus1A.htm

U.S. Imports by Country of Origin http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_move_impcus_a2_nus_ep00_im0_mbbl_m.htm

U.S. Crude Oil and Petroleum Products Imports from All Countries (Thousand Barrels) 1981 – 2005 (BY YEAR AND BY MONTH) http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/mttimus1M.

U.S. Crude Oil and Petroleum Products Imports from Persian Gulf Countries (Thousand Barrels) 1993 -2005 http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/mttimuspg1A.htm

OPEC expected to keep output steady; prices could fall
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0603060107mar06,1,2576543.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

Bush, India's Singh Sign Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006& ;m=March&x=20060302111240ndyblehs0.734997&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html

ScandiArabia By Fred Cederholm

I’ve been thinking about “Scandiarabia.” Actually I’ve been thinking about Scandinavia, Hans Blix, the Jyllands-Posten cartoons, Norwegian oil, Sven Arild Andersen, and the US Dollar. While the images of snow capped mountains, reindeer, and stable political democracies of the Scandinavian countries are a far cry from the images of arid geography, camels, and questionable stability of the oligarchies of the Arabian Peninsula; there are clear links.

You see, Scandinavian connections figure predominantly in the unfolding drama of the present war/instability in the Middle East - and have so since before the US invasion of Iraq on March 19th, 2003. The significance of these “Scandiarabia” factors cannot be downplayed. Two of these links (with ongoing ramifications) have already transpired. One more link between these regions is about to unfold in the coming weeks. It will hit with a bang, and not a whimper.

The Swedish career diplomat and Doctor of Laws, Hans Blix, had served as the Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 1981 to 1997. In 2000, he was brought from retirement by UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan to head the UN Monitoring Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) in Iraq. His team of investigators was finding the Saddam regime in Iraq had neither weapons of mass destruction nor ongoing nuclear weapon development capabilities. His conclusions were made very public.

When his Commission’s findings were not acceptable (and ignored) by the Bush and the Blair governments, Blix publicly stated: they had “over-interpreted the case for war,” and (by going to war, the US and the UK) “ignored the view of the majority of the Security Council, leading to a loss of legitimacy for the invasion.” His statements did not endear him to either 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue or Number 10 Downing Street. Three years of warfare, over 3000 US/UK casualties, and over $300 BILLION in costs; have yet to prove his findings wrong!

The publication of depictions of twelve comic representations of the central figures of Islam by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, and their re-publication globally have triggered worldwide riots and other acts of violence. Are they “directly” responsible for the past week’s bombings and intra-Islam conflicts in Iraq? It is impossible to say, but they certainly did not help the situation. Iraq is now on the brink of all-out civil war, and the “light at the end of the tunnel,” is looking more and more like an on-coming train!

Norway is the third largest player in the global petroleum market. Its exports from the North Sea fields are only surpassed globally by Saudi Arabia and Russia. Norway’s role in the international oil market is about to increase because on Tuesday, Feb. 21st, 2006, 192 additional exploration lease parcels of the Norwegian North Sea fields were offered for sale. This was the largest such sale in over 40 years. It is important to note that Norway is neither a member of the European Union (EU) nor is it a member of OPEC. Its currency is the Krone – not the EURO.

On Dec. 27th, 2005, it was published (in Norwegian) that Swen Arild Andersen, the Director of the Norwegian (energy) Bourse, would pursue an expanded role for their exchange in the trading of Norway’s oil, and that the transactions would be denominated in EURO’s. Andersen stated:” "We have performed market studies and both Russia, which is a large oil exporter, as well as the countries of the Middle East have large parts of their economies in Euros. They would be able to view such a bourse as a contribution to balancing their economies in a better manner than at present, where their products are traded solely in dollars,"

The Norwegian article was not translated (and re-published) in English until Feb 22nd, 2006 and this development comes on the back of the already much publicized Iranian Energy Bourse scheduled to commence trading oil, gas, and petro-chemical (in EURO’s) on March 20th, 2006. The largest mandated use of the US dollar (up to now) has been for the purchase of oil. Accepting the EURO for oil sales was begun by Saddam of Iraq in December 2002. Chavez of Venezuela has since followed suit. Now, it is Iran, Norway, and… – Ca-Ching, Ca-Ching, Ca-Ching – OUCH! I’m Fred Cederholm and I’ve been thinking. You should be thinking, too
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Copyright 2006 Questions, Inc. All rights reserved.

To “audit” this column and to learn more about the subjects discussed, please check out:

Profile: Hans Blix http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2268819.stm

CHANGING FACE OF IRAQ -- Hans Blix: Profile
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/E6D5D6EB-B320-475C-8F87-A42C8FC7A061.htm

Hans Blix: War Planned 'Long in Advance'
http://truthout.org/docs_03/041203A.shtml

THINKING ABOUT CARTOONS
http://real-wealth-society.blogspot.com/2006/02/thinking-about-cartoons-by-fred.html

Norway Offers 192 Oil Exploration Blocks http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8FTEVM82.htm?campaign_id=apn_home_ down&chan=db

Norwegian Bourse Director wants oil bourse - priced in euros (originally published in N0rwegian 12/27/05 – translated into English and re-published 02/22/06)
http://www.energybulletin.net/13081.html

Crude Oil and Total Petroleum Imports from top 15 countries (Source: Energy Information Agency of US Department of Energy)
http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/company_level_imports/current/import.html