The prevailing Primary Political Trend is down — towards more debt, inflation, and corruption. It is the product of the two leading political parties, both of them sharing the same drive for more.
Corporate insiders must file a Form 4 with the SEC within 48 hours of buying or selling stocks of companies they have control over, sit on the boards of directors or manage. That allows us peons to have a bit more insight into the direction a company may be heading.
Perhaps the SEC should require a similar type of form to be filed by our "elected" officials when they engage in stock trades so that we peons can see where their interests and allegiances truly lie.
Great idea, Mr. Ball. However, as previously mentioned, the filing would need to cover each politician’s family out to the third cousin level to potentially be effective. And probably not even then. It is more than likely that lowlife Deb’s pool boy would take over her portfolio- for a small percentage of course…
When I worked for the DoD I had to file a Financial Disclosure Form every year, I think it was the OGE 450???. It covered myself, my wife, and my kids with all investments. My supervisor who had to review it before it was sent up once asked me for financial advice which was very uncomfortable. His wife also worked for the IRS so I knew if any advice went wrong, I was going to get screwed.
Bill, while I agree that government is chock full of corrupt politicians, why do you lump Trump in with them? Isn’t it clear they and the swamp are scared to death of him. I think you conveniently forget he can’t be bought. Just like Elon and Vivek he will probably lose money serving his country.In regards to war, Trump had none and made more progress towards peace with the Abraham accords than he gets credit for. We know the war in Ukraine happened because the deep state and the industrial military complex were pushing that clown Zelenskyy towards NATO in spite of Putin warning them off. I believe Biden let it happen because he’s always been a part of the corrupt regime. I also believe if Trump was in office Putin wouldn’t have moved into Ukraine at all because Trump would have negotiated without regard for financial gain.
The obvious answer is to run for office. That is where the money is. But, of course, you would have to betray your belief in honest government and fair play. That is not so difficult as it may seem. Just consider all the benefits to your family and yourself. Forget about the fate of the nation. Forget about integrity. Life is good on the top of the dung heap, baby.
The Congress as a whole would have increased its salary by something like 60% a few months ago, except a few Congresscritters demurred on the vote and it didnt happen.
But this is the same dilemma as you point out in this article: our elected officials make the laws, and they vote on issues that are windows on the economy. Unless they refuse to vote themselves a raise, or keep refuse to use their insider knowledge to play the stock market, they're gonna do very well financially.
What we need are some suggestions on how to change this situation. We could tell them they cannot play the market, but then someone does it for them, as is the case with Paul Pelosi, for example. I guess we could appeal to their better angels, but most of their better angels seem to be on vacation.
SO -- don't just tell us what the scoundrels are doing wrong, tell us how to fix it.
Seriously, Flier??? Fix it?? There is no fixing it. It is so far passed fixing to be comical. As was said when Caesar crossed the Rubicon - "iacta alea est" (or in English) - the die is cast. The Primary Trend will continue until the US$ blows up - it is only a matter of time. The U.S. Hegemony will continue and denial will escalate. Those in power want more money and more power. Just like good ol' Debbie - why would she ever want to fix it? None of them do - too good for them and they don't give a hoot about us peons. It is going to be a sh*tshow beyond imagination. Ol' Bill knows it is not fixable - he is just pointing out (continuously to most commenters chagrin) what is happening and coming down the pike.
Though you land some good punches with your post, there is a clear cut way to fix this. Is it going to happen? We're moving in the right direction towards the Article 5 defined "Convention of States" solution. Washington D.C. will never fix itself via the standard Constitutional Amendment process, but Convention of States has members of the State Legislatures drafting and voting on the Amendments (the first and best one being term limits). There are about 20 States that have already signed on to this and we only need 33. Look into it because it would be a game changer.
Despite the naysayers who replied to you, there is a way to fix it. And that is to get the government back to the only thing it should be doing - protection of individual rights. Regulation of the economy should be severely curtailed. The miscreants in Congress should have almost no say in the matter.
All their investments should be in blind random trusts. The trust themselves would not be allowed to invest in any individual stock or corporate bond et al. Beyond that the normal rules of insider trading would apply to any of their family as it does for all of us now. The rule should hold until at least three years after leaving office. These few simple steps would keep many scumbags from overstaying in their position as their egos would drive them to something more lucrative in their view.
I work in a bank in the UK and although my role doesn't give me access to any inside information I'm still not allowed to buy single name stocks. Only non-discretionary funds and non-concentrated ETFs. There are even limits on fx, Bitcoin and commodities .
Why the USA allows this is truly a matter of wonder.
At least the insider trading grift involves going through the trouble of thinking through a trade or two. Better still, don’t think at all and risk nothing by simply voting as instructed by your lobbyist then collect your millions in “speaking fees” or “book deals” or “consulting fees” three months after leaving office. Take the cash in a briefcase a few months earlier and it’s prison time for bribery, but with just a wee bit of patience it’s just showing up for lunch and cashing out.
There are ETFs that track the S&P 500, NASDAQ and various sectors, among many others. Perhaps someone ought to start an ETF tracking congressional portfolios. Seems to me it would be a sure winner!
MSN is all about communism, until it's not currently in fashion! Now, they're some sort of exposing, whistle-blowing watchdog? All for the "common good", right? Give me a break. Best always. PM
One more thing about the great Elon. According to Trump China is our enemy. Yet the great Elon has made billions in investments in China. Kind of like me saying the guy down the street is a danger to the neighborhood while I'm renovating his house at a cut rate price.
You got that right. "Our enemy" not the enemy of the movers and shakers. We're in the arena of a WWE wrestling match. The wrestlers like Obama, Clinton, Trump, and Musk are putting on a good show. In the locker room like Trump and Obama at Carter's funeral the Big Boys are buddy-buddy.
How many jobs could be sustained without a pay raise in over 20 years? Answer: Just one. That of US Congressional representative. Why? Unlike nearly every other job on the planet, pay raises are unnecessary.
Debbie Does DC and we are the johns that are getting it done to. Does Bill the maganificent think were too dumb to know this? Or has he run out of quality things to write about? I'm beginning to rethink my scription.
Just not a great example. Unless she bought it at other times, the October 2023 trade had a tight window of opportunity tied to it.
Viasat was at at alltime high of $94.25 in 2019. In October 2023, when Debbie purchased the stock, it was at $19. When she disclosed, 28 days later, it had already reached its zenith for that period of time. $23. And has fallen to $7 ever since.
I have to head out to play some hockey, but here are the other transactions that bear scrutiny:
Patterson-UTI Energy Inc. (PTEN): She has both purchased and sold shares in this energy company, with multiple transactions reported.
GURUFOCUS
Westell Technologies Inc. (WSTL): Reported purchases of shares in this telecommunications equipment company.
GURUFOCUS
Alamos Gold Inc. (AGI): Engaged in both purchases and sales of shares in this gold mining company.
GURUFOCUS
Hecla Mining Company (HL): Purchased shares in this mining company, with the stock reportedly rallying over 8% following the trade.
FINBOLD
Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (LGF/B): Purchased shares in this entertainment company.
Don't worry about the great Elon losing money while serving his country. I don't see any current estimates but even in November all sources indicate Musk increase his wealth by $20 billion. Great work if you can get it.
"At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child — miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied, demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless. Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats."
― P.J. O'Rourke
Old PJ left out the key aspect of ENVY that all leftardes share.
Funny I'm a libtard but share the same view as Steve Bannon. Have you seen Bannon say we should send Elon back to South Africa and that Musk's ideas are "really about the implementation of techno-feudalism on a global scale". So there is no trepidation in your heart - that a guy who believes in UBI, brain chips, Carbon Tax Credits, and mRNA vaccines is in a position of power?
Frankly, it is hard to believe Mr. Musk ever rolled-up his sleeve for a jab. Just wouldn't be prudent. Now Jabs for the masses - absolutely! Corrupt world these days said with a big SIGH!
There is no Elon envy on my part. Plus I'm not a liberal - unlike Trump who once said that Hillary was a great senator, wife and candidate for president I detest both Clintons. Unlike Trump who jokes and jives with Obama, if I were in a room with Obama I would have to ask him why he bailed out the Banksters, invaded Syria, and destroyed Libya. As far as Musk, I'm just echoing Donald Trump when he said Eli would have got down on his knees and begged for more subsidies for his EVs that don't go long enough and driverless cars that crash. Maybe you should contemplate that Elon could be a sociopathic fraudster who jumped on the MAGA bandwagon to insure his free taxpayer money isn't cut off.
Corporate insiders must file a Form 4 with the SEC within 48 hours of buying or selling stocks of companies they have control over, sit on the boards of directors or manage. That allows us peons to have a bit more insight into the direction a company may be heading.
Perhaps the SEC should require a similar type of form to be filed by our "elected" officials when they engage in stock trades so that we peons can see where their interests and allegiances truly lie.
Great idea, Mr. Ball. However, as previously mentioned, the filing would need to cover each politician’s family out to the third cousin level to potentially be effective. And probably not even then. It is more than likely that lowlife Deb’s pool boy would take over her portfolio- for a small percentage of course…
When I worked for the DoD I had to file a Financial Disclosure Form every year, I think it was the OGE 450???. It covered myself, my wife, and my kids with all investments. My supervisor who had to review it before it was sent up once asked me for financial advice which was very uncomfortable. His wife also worked for the IRS so I knew if any advice went wrong, I was going to get screwed.
Thanks Steve for posting this. Congress specifically excluding themselves from the “insider trading” regulations shows how long they’ve been corrupt.
Bill, while I agree that government is chock full of corrupt politicians, why do you lump Trump in with them? Isn’t it clear they and the swamp are scared to death of him. I think you conveniently forget he can’t be bought. Just like Elon and Vivek he will probably lose money serving his country.In regards to war, Trump had none and made more progress towards peace with the Abraham accords than he gets credit for. We know the war in Ukraine happened because the deep state and the industrial military complex were pushing that clown Zelenskyy towards NATO in spite of Putin warning them off. I believe Biden let it happen because he’s always been a part of the corrupt regime. I also believe if Trump was in office Putin wouldn’t have moved into Ukraine at all because Trump would have negotiated without regard for financial gain.
Because compared to other politicians Trump is a visionary and a saint. Compared to decent and moral humans, not so much...
The obvious answer is to run for office. That is where the money is. But, of course, you would have to betray your belief in honest government and fair play. That is not so difficult as it may seem. Just consider all the benefits to your family and yourself. Forget about the fate of the nation. Forget about integrity. Life is good on the top of the dung heap, baby.
The Congress as a whole would have increased its salary by something like 60% a few months ago, except a few Congresscritters demurred on the vote and it didnt happen.
But this is the same dilemma as you point out in this article: our elected officials make the laws, and they vote on issues that are windows on the economy. Unless they refuse to vote themselves a raise, or keep refuse to use their insider knowledge to play the stock market, they're gonna do very well financially.
What we need are some suggestions on how to change this situation. We could tell them they cannot play the market, but then someone does it for them, as is the case with Paul Pelosi, for example. I guess we could appeal to their better angels, but most of their better angels seem to be on vacation.
SO -- don't just tell us what the scoundrels are doing wrong, tell us how to fix it.
Seriously, Flier??? Fix it?? There is no fixing it. It is so far passed fixing to be comical. As was said when Caesar crossed the Rubicon - "iacta alea est" (or in English) - the die is cast. The Primary Trend will continue until the US$ blows up - it is only a matter of time. The U.S. Hegemony will continue and denial will escalate. Those in power want more money and more power. Just like good ol' Debbie - why would she ever want to fix it? None of them do - too good for them and they don't give a hoot about us peons. It is going to be a sh*tshow beyond imagination. Ol' Bill knows it is not fixable - he is just pointing out (continuously to most commenters chagrin) what is happening and coming down the pike.
Though you land some good punches with your post, there is a clear cut way to fix this. Is it going to happen? We're moving in the right direction towards the Article 5 defined "Convention of States" solution. Washington D.C. will never fix itself via the standard Constitutional Amendment process, but Convention of States has members of the State Legislatures drafting and voting on the Amendments (the first and best one being term limits). There are about 20 States that have already signed on to this and we only need 33. Look into it because it would be a game changer.
Despite the naysayers who replied to you, there is a way to fix it. And that is to get the government back to the only thing it should be doing - protection of individual rights. Regulation of the economy should be severely curtailed. The miscreants in Congress should have almost no say in the matter.
Agreed. And how exactly do you propose to do that short of an all out complete crash at some unforeseen point in the future?
There is no fix other than continuing to spread the news until enough people care enough to “throw the bums out.”
Actually.
All their investments should be in blind random trusts. The trust themselves would not be allowed to invest in any individual stock or corporate bond et al. Beyond that the normal rules of insider trading would apply to any of their family as it does for all of us now. The rule should hold until at least three years after leaving office. These few simple steps would keep many scumbags from overstaying in their position as their egos would drive them to something more lucrative in their view.
A sort of financial term limit. Wont happen
of course.
"better angels" Good one!
I work in a bank in the UK and although my role doesn't give me access to any inside information I'm still not allowed to buy single name stocks. Only non-discretionary funds and non-concentrated ETFs. There are even limits on fx, Bitcoin and commodities .
Why the USA allows this is truly a matter of wonder.
At least the insider trading grift involves going through the trouble of thinking through a trade or two. Better still, don’t think at all and risk nothing by simply voting as instructed by your lobbyist then collect your millions in “speaking fees” or “book deals” or “consulting fees” three months after leaving office. Take the cash in a briefcase a few months earlier and it’s prison time for bribery, but with just a wee bit of patience it’s just showing up for lunch and cashing out.
Doin’ the DC (District of Corruption) two step don’t ya know.
There are ETFs that track the S&P 500, NASDAQ and various sectors, among many others. Perhaps someone ought to start an ETF tracking congressional portfolios. Seems to me it would be a sure winner!
MSN is all about communism, until it's not currently in fashion! Now, they're some sort of exposing, whistle-blowing watchdog? All for the "common good", right? Give me a break. Best always. PM
One more thing about the great Elon. According to Trump China is our enemy. Yet the great Elon has made billions in investments in China. Kind of like me saying the guy down the street is a danger to the neighborhood while I'm renovating his house at a cut rate price.
Musk must be a really smart guy. He seems to be the only one here making money off our enemy. Apparently,Chinese are making a bundle....
You got that right. "Our enemy" not the enemy of the movers and shakers. We're in the arena of a WWE wrestling match. The wrestlers like Obama, Clinton, Trump, and Musk are putting on a good show. In the locker room like Trump and Obama at Carter's funeral the Big Boys are buddy-buddy.
How many jobs could be sustained without a pay raise in over 20 years? Answer: Just one. That of US Congressional representative. Why? Unlike nearly every other job on the planet, pay raises are unnecessary.
Hey they have to exceed the inflation their policies cause.
If you are not on the inside you are on the outside! 🤑
Debbie Does DC and we are the johns that are getting it done to. Does Bill the maganificent think were too dumb to know this? Or has he run out of quality things to write about? I'm beginning to rethink my scription.
Good story Bill.
Just not a great example. Unless she bought it at other times, the October 2023 trade had a tight window of opportunity tied to it.
Viasat was at at alltime high of $94.25 in 2019. In October 2023, when Debbie purchased the stock, it was at $19. When she disclosed, 28 days later, it had already reached its zenith for that period of time. $23. And has fallen to $7 ever since.
I have to head out to play some hockey, but here are the other transactions that bear scrutiny:
Patterson-UTI Energy Inc. (PTEN): She has both purchased and sold shares in this energy company, with multiple transactions reported.
GURUFOCUS
Westell Technologies Inc. (WSTL): Reported purchases of shares in this telecommunications equipment company.
GURUFOCUS
Alamos Gold Inc. (AGI): Engaged in both purchases and sales of shares in this gold mining company.
GURUFOCUS
Hecla Mining Company (HL): Purchased shares in this mining company, with the stock reportedly rallying over 8% following the trade.
FINBOLD
Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (LGF/B): Purchased shares in this entertainment company.
CAPITOL TRADES
Don't worry about the great Elon losing money while serving his country. I don't see any current estimates but even in November all sources indicate Musk increase his wealth by $20 billion. Great work if you can get it.
"At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child — miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied, demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless. Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats."
― P.J. O'Rourke
Old PJ left out the key aspect of ENVY that all leftardes share.
Exhibit A is Mr. Cartero....
Funny I'm a libtard but share the same view as Steve Bannon. Have you seen Bannon say we should send Elon back to South Africa and that Musk's ideas are "really about the implementation of techno-feudalism on a global scale". So there is no trepidation in your heart - that a guy who believes in UBI, brain chips, Carbon Tax Credits, and mRNA vaccines is in a position of power?
Frankly, it is hard to believe Mr. Musk ever rolled-up his sleeve for a jab. Just wouldn't be prudent. Now Jabs for the masses - absolutely! Corrupt world these days said with a big SIGH!
You just have to be a genius.
The classic movie was called
“Debbie does Dallas”.
There is no Elon envy on my part. Plus I'm not a liberal - unlike Trump who once said that Hillary was a great senator, wife and candidate for president I detest both Clintons. Unlike Trump who jokes and jives with Obama, if I were in a room with Obama I would have to ask him why he bailed out the Banksters, invaded Syria, and destroyed Libya. As far as Musk, I'm just echoing Donald Trump when he said Eli would have got down on his knees and begged for more subsidies for his EVs that don't go long enough and driverless cars that crash. Maybe you should contemplate that Elon could be a sociopathic fraudster who jumped on the MAGA bandwagon to insure his free taxpayer money isn't cut off.