Mann to Man

  Cyprus, Troika Reach Bailout Deal -- WSJ Cyprus and its institutional lenders have reached a bailout deal, according to reports citing European Union officials. As part of the agreement the country will impose a 40% haircut on Bank of Cyprus depositors holding more than $129,760 in their accounts, Agence France Presse reported. The deal followed a weekend of tense meetings between Cyprus and the Troika -- the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund -- to reach a deal before a Monday evening funding deadline. Friends, given the government we have today, this could well be a model for the USA. Probably seems far-fetch ed for many, especially those of you who are left leaning and support the current administration. It will baffle me for the rest of my life that thinking people  can support Obama and those he appoints when he promotes all the policies that have brought Europe to a disastrous state....bankruptcy and...

WHAT CHEMICAL/BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS DOES SYRIA HAVE? It's possi ble that Syria has access to chemical and biol ogical weapons , the so-called WMD's, that Iraq "didn't have."  While it has been accepted in all the western world that IRAQ did not have the WMD's that  intelligence agencies of several countries had reported, it's possible we will find that their original reports were correct. Probability of doing so? Don't know! But information I received during the run-up to the Iraq war compels me to think of the possibility. During the run-up to the Iraq war, I received a report from a major British news source that chemical/biological weapons were trucked in tractor trailers out of Iraq into Syria. They showed pictures of the trucks, going across a bridge into Syria. However, no contents of the trucks were shown, of course. I turned the information over to our very competent newspaper publisher and asked him to have his sources investigate it and a...

CYPRUS -- WHEN WILL AMERICA FOLLOW ? The link below supports what I have been writing about the Cyprus financial crisis with focus on how the Cyprus/EU/BIG BANKS financial dilemma may relate to America and our financial state, including subterfuge in how our data are reported. Most data coming from government are deliberately invalid -- employment, inflation, debt and more. Americans must wake up and realize the truth about the national condition and what the current government policies are doing to traditional America. The Obama administration is well on course to transform traditional America to a Socialist/Marxist state looking like the EU PIIGS and worse. Most Americans are oblivious to this. That's Obama's goal -- or worse. It's time to recognize it for what it is. http://www.jewishworldreuview.com/0313/ahlert032213.php3

Uninsured Depositors in Cyprus's Laiki Bank Face Hit Uninsured depositors of Cyprus Popular Bank, also known locally as Laiki Bank, could lose up to 40% of their savings if the government proceeds with a proposed restructuring plan as part of efforts to unlock aid from international lenders, European and Cypriot officials with knowledge of the plan said. The bank's resolution would reduce by 3.6 billion euros ($4.65 billion) the 5.8 billion euros that Cyprus has been asked to raise on its own to secure a 10-billion euro bailout from the euro zone and the International Monetary Fund, another official said. The Cypriot government rushed to parliament late Thursday a range of draft bills regulating the resolution of banks and introducing restrictions on financial transactions to stem potential outflows once the banks reopen. One of the officials said these measures could be in place "for months." I AM CONTINUING TO POST INFORMATION ON THE CYPRUS FI...

Cyprus Plans Bank Restructuring to Save Rescue -- WSJ The Cypriot government was preparing a bill Thursday night to restructure its second-largest lender, Cyprus Popular Bank, in a last-ditch bid to unlock aid from the European Union and reopen the nation’s banking system. Cyprus was also planning wide restrictions on financial transactions when the banks reopen. The proposals would allow authorities to restrict noncash transactions, freeze check cashing, limit withdrawals and even convert checking accounts into fixed-term deposits. MY VIEW It would appear that, while a bloc of parliament abstained from voting to tax all bank deposits for an EU bailout of bankrupt Cyprus, effectively stopping the taxing efforts, the government now intends to take control of bank customers' accounts. The rationale for this is not quite clear to me. However it's compelling to think that the government is still hellbent to take control enough cash to back the EU in Brussels to...

The Wall Street Journal News Alert Cyprus's Parliament Rejects Bank-Deposit Levy Cyprus’s Parliament voted against a bank-deposit levy, part of a bill required to secure an international bailout for the country and avoid default. After a debate on the divisive tax, lawmakers from Cyprus's Democratic Rally party, headed by President Nicos Anastasiades, said they would abstain from a vote, a move that secured the rejection of the plan. My view: Please know that this is not the end of the effort to tax the people of Cyprus. I would be sure others of the EU PIIGS will consider similar plans and Cyprus to still find a way to raise the revenue they desperately need to pay down debt and/or pay for a bailout. Some expect Italy to be next, but in my opinion, Spain will be the next and Portugal to follow. This is the ugliness of Socialism, Keynesian economic government actions, depressed GDP and public service union excesses. If you think it cannot happen...

For th ose who bel ieve Obama's, Pelosi's and Reid and the whole O bama cabinet's contention that deficits and total national debt are unimportant read what has just happened in Cyprus -- co nfiscation of ci tizen s' bank accounts without notification and without a vote. If you think it can't happen in the USA, you 're in denial -- 50+% who elected O bama will probably be so. FROM ERIC OF VA I BELIEVE THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT SIGN FOLKS! WHEN WE GO BACK TO WORK ON MONDAY THERE WILL BE A LOT LESS TRUST OF BANKS AND A LOT MORE FEAR! CYPRUS........WITH NO WARNING OF ANY KIND! Get your money out of the banks. Due to an “emergency deal reached today in Brussels”, a one-time 9.9% tax is to be levied on Cypriot bank deposits of more than 100,000 euros effective Tuesday, March 19. With no warning of any kind, the emergency tax deal was imposed on the people of Cyprus without vote or debate. People ran to ATM machines today only to discover ...

Friends, I have had some problems with posts being too dark to read with some readers but not all. We have no problems with our computers, desktops and laptops, or with our handhelds. I have much to write about and will try to get on with writing tomorrow. If anyone has the problem trying to read the posts and can alert me, I'd appreciate it very much. Shouldn't  be so mysterious, but is.Thank your for your patience, for your loyal readership and for any feedback you give. JAM

NANCY PELOSI DOESN'T GET IT - ARROGANT Click here: Pelosi: Pay Cut for Congress Beneath Their Dignity – Patriot Update Nancy Pelost (D, CA), former Speaker of the House of Representatives, avers that to cut Congressional pay affronts her dignity. Really! What dignity does she have in mind? Was it dignified to charge taxpayers millions of dollars for expenses, including air travel even for relatives, not to mention liquor, while “serving” as House Speaker? Was it dignified to announce that the “Affordable Care Act” would have to be “passed before we could find out what was in it?” And, was it dignified to call the act “affordable” and that every American would be insured, or that it would reduce costs when the opposite is true? Was it dignified to call Tea Party Activists “Astroturf,” not grassroots, hence not authentic Americans? Was it dignified, while House Speaker and seated behind President Obama at the “SOTU,” to jump up idiotically like a jac...

The media, both broadcast and print, are beginning their predictable efforts to influence, even determine, who runs for president in 2016 -- and who is elected. It has been clear for some time that the media will do all possible to help Hillary Clinton secure the Democrats' nomination for president in 2016. The CBS "60 Minutes" powder puff interview of President Obama and Ms. Clinton, an interview that was only a promotion of the two in reality, was proof enough of their intentions. They don't even need Dan Rather anymore. Now, the absolutely ridiculous focus on Senator Marco Rubio's drinking water during his rebuttal to Obama's speech (can't believe this but it's all around!!!) indicates they will do whatever necessary to destroy Rubio. And, they will! Even Van Jones, former Obama aide, has stated publicly that "Rubio is dangerous for Democrats." The media ignored the fact that Rubio's 10-minute rebuttal had more substance that the ...

SIGNS OF THE TIMES – AMERICA'S DEVOLUTION Every day I look for signs of our times -- America's national condition is critical. Yesterday, February 12, 2013, was a significant day. Indicators of decline ranged from the top of government to the low of societal human behavior. Do I like to note this, to write about it? No, but it's time to speak out and hopefully elicit some recognition in others who may, collectively, be able to reverse the significant decline in our great nation. At the same time, I've come to realize that more people than I've been willing to admit may want what is no doubt a decline in our culture. Some will ridicule this and some won't care. Here are my assessments of yesterday's indicators of devolution of society. Top of the list is President Obama's “State of The Union” speech that wasn't – had almost nothing to do with the state of the nation. It was simply another campaign speech, which all of his addresses ar...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=e_JJLLfTR8I Daily I receive much information including many links similar to the one above. Most I ignore. Some are inaccurate and some are meaningless in the larger sense of our national condition -- now  critical. But, some are meaningful and reflect truth about the declining national condition that many people disregard. At times, I think most do. As I try to write a larger treatise, even a book, about the national condition and what has happened to our America in my lifetime, I look for any defining information irrespective of its form. The link above is simple in form but quite profound in its meaning -- to a thinking person. First, to those who remain delusional about the media being fair and unbiased, it will show how wrong that opinion is and what information they get out. However, it's unlikely any opinions will change. Nearly all participants in the survey in the link knew of the negatives about ...

I give special regards and thanks to readers of the mann2man blog in Sweden. If you have special issues that you want to have discussed, please inform me and I will make best efforts to discuss those issues on which I have expertise and information. Please click onto the comments indicator (symbol) at the bottom of each post and give me your thoughts. Your readership is very much appreciated. Best to all. JAM.

Click here: Obama Skeet Shooting Photo Released By White House (PHOTO)  Doesn't look like any skeet range or shooting position that I've been on. I also haven't seen many smoke plumes coming from a 12 gauge in sunlight, and never one 90 degrees to the muzzle. This thing may have been photo shopped.  If Obama is shooting skeet, the clay would be many feet up in the air. As Obama stands, he'd shoot the trap house or the guy launching the clay (although that is often done remotely today). Comments are welcome and sought. Thanks. This from a friend who knows how it should be: --> Pure hokum. I've only done it a few times as a young whipper-snapper, and I think I got 'em all. I qualified expert in the service. Had a keen eye as a young boy because my dad hunted squirrel and gator as a boy and had the nerve to buy me a bb gun with which I terrorized the neighborhood. The position is wrong . I recall these a...

  Here is an op-ed that was published today in The Virginia Gazette, a Tribune Paper. I should note that Gov. McDonnell is a good governor and gets national attention for being so. I've known  him for 20+ years, but I cannot simply support policy reflexively. I want to support his initiatives, but I have been on the opposing side of the issues mentioned up front in this op-ed and now on the new tax plan. JAMES CITY COUNTY VIRGINIA: Gov. Bob McDonnell's proposal to fund roads with increased sales tax while canceling the gas tax is as incomprehensible as previous proposals. The first proposal — to sell the ABC operations for a fraction of their value for incremental road funding, while losing $47 million annually from the general fund — was canceled when the true economics were revealed. The second proposal — to sell our crown jewel ports to such as Goldman-Sachs — was dropped, partly because of arguments that the ports would end up in foreign hands as Go...

ON NATIONAL DEBT-TO-GDP: After I, and a couple others, beat the drums for identifying all of the national debt correctly, even those in the media who finally got it right have slipped backwards. $16.4 trillion of debt and $15 trillion GDP is ~109% Debt-to-GDP. Charles Krauthammer, whom I respect immensely, reported it as ~70% a while ago and didn't respond to my e-mail correction. Today, a Fox News reporter quoted 73%. WHY? Government number crunchers/managers have bought into the Keynesian nonsense that debt owe to ourselves is not real debt. So, the $5+ trillion owed to Social Security trust fund isn't debt at all, yet it is borrowed from our payments. As I wrote in a blog earlier, the government has no intentions to pay that back from general funds. This now takes on very special signficance since Obama threatens to not pay social security retirement if he doesn't get his demands on the debt ceiling. I invite you to go to my blog and enter into the search block, top le...

OBAMA' POSITION ON DEBT AND THE CEILING HAS CHANGED SINCE 2006 US Senator, Barack Obama in a speech on the Senate floor March 16, 2006 Mr. President, I rise today to talk about America's debt problem. The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government can't pay its own bills. It's a sign that we now depend on financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our government's reckless fiscal policies. Over the past 5 years, our federal debt has increased by $3.5 trillion to $8.6 trillion. That is a “trillion” with a “t.” That is money that we have borrowed from the Social Security trust fund, borrowed from China and Japan, borrowed from American taxpayers. And, over the next 5 years, between now and 2011, the President's budget will increase the debt by almost another $3.5 trillion. Numbers that large are sometimes hard to understand. Some people m...

SSI – FEDERAL TREASURY TROUGH FEEDERS – MY EXPERIENCE For many years I thought about not signing up for Social Security Retirement. I was told I was being foolish and worse, and maybe I was. Some aspects of life changed, including health. Frankly, maybe I wised up a bit also as I thought more carefully about Social Security -- who benefits and who pays. I decided to sign up. When I went to the SS office, I got a real lesson. What I witnessed was astounding -- disturbing. In my assessment it was a sign of the degradation of American society – a vivid example of the dependent class that has grown to excessive numbers. What I witnessed was the best example yet of how the safety net for the needy and helpless few has become overburdened by the irresponsible and greedy many. It is the sign of the times and it's gotten much worse under President Obama. Frankly, this group is now one of his assured voter blocs for Democrats. There were 28 of us in the room to sign up....

OBAMA MAY ISSUE AN EXECUTIVE ORDER ON GUN CONTROL  As Obama contemplates an executive order on gun control, according to Biden and news pundits, I can only think of how wrong this would be in that it abrogates the constitution and ignores the wishes of the masses of Americans. But, Obama is totally capable of doing so without hesitation and without thought of its total effect. If he makes the order, it may become the worst Executive Order of all time. As I write this, I am compelled to think of another executive order that resulted in the collapse of America's economy and created structural problems that will long remain....even though our government representatives, including President Obama, are either ignorant of it or, truthfully, haven't the integrity to admit it. I lost all respect for Bill Clinton during the 2012 election as he campaigned on "the failed policies of the past," yet one of his orders was the key to economic collapse in 2008. Yes! Clinton...

<img src="http://b.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=8428426&cv=2.0&cj=1" /> Both the broadcast media and the print press are utterly irresponsible and derelict in doing what they are historically charged with doing -- "holding our elected officials accountable." Obama apparently has never been held accountable in his life....not even now as president. WHY? Reprinted from The Weekly Standard The Four-Year Honeymoon Will the press ever give Obama tough coverage? Fred Barnes January 14, 2013 , Vol. 18, No. 17 President Obama never disappoints. When the monthly unemployment rate fails to drop, forget it. What’s important is the number of jobs created. But when the rate actually does drop, forget the growth (or lack of it) in jobs. It’s the rate that matters. And don’t blame Obama for the persistence of slow economic growth and high joblessness. That’s the “new normal.” As for the millions of dropouts from the job market, that’s no big ...