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gary boyd

Gary Boyd is a freelance Christian writer who attempts to spread goodwill about the good news by writing for Christian businesses, SEO content for up and coming websites, and B2B copy, like white papers, essays, and case studies. He has been doing freelance copy for 14 years, served in the U.S. Navy aboard the U.S.S. Stickell DD 888 back in the day, and has traveled quite extensively abroad. He is been married successfully for 23 years to Clarita Boyd with two children one of which will attend the University of Missouri this fall as a freshman majoring in Radiology. He lives in Quincy, Illinois and former alumni of Gem City Business College where he discovered his writing chops and current passion. He invites you to come search his blog at http://garyboyd2244.blogspot.com for interesting takes on the world around him. He is currently working for Editor Howard Klein as a staff writer for Pazoo.com, a fun informational site.

Who is really to blame for the housing collapse?

Put the blame of the housing collapse where it belongs

Government meddling in the free markets is usually where all trouble starts. The Federal Housing Administration, created in 1934, were given power to insure mortgages up to 100%. It required a 20% down payment and operated just fine for 25 years with hardly any bankruptcies because borrowers had skin in the game. In 1957 the good old boys in Congress slacked up the standards to jump start the growth in housing. Down payments were deflated down to 3% from 1957 to 1961.

Housing Boom Resulted

As prophesied this resulted in a FHA boom in insured mortgages and a bubble burst in the later 60’s. This pattern keeps reoccurring and no one seems to remember the earlier mistakes.  Keeping the Feds out of the game of housing would be a good start.  The Feds loosen up mortgage standards, a bubble occurs, and then there’s a crash. The government deflects its involvement by using discretionary lying, obfuscation, and new sets of laws for the banking industry like it was their fault. Other than the taxpayers, who eventually wind up paying for these debacles, most of the people squeezed are those who bought in the bubble years. Then, after it was too late, when the bubble popped, they came to discover they could not afford their homes anymore.

Financial Crisis of 2008

This happened again leading up to the financial crisis of 2008. This time the federal government’s policies were so pervasive and pursued with such enthusiasm by two different administrations that they caused a collapse that was heard worldwide. The mindless wonders in Congress planted the seeds of the fiasco to come in 1992 with the enactment of what was called “affordable housing” goals for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These two entities, before 1992, dominated the housing financial market, especially after the Federal Savings and Loan industry collapsed in the late 1980’s, engineered again by the geniuses in charge who of course deflected all blame away from them.

Fannie and Freddie’s Role

Their role was to conduct secondary market operations creating a liquid market in operations. They could not make loans but could buy mortgages from banks and other lenders. Their purchase provided cash for lenders thus encouraging home ownership by making more funds available for more mortgages. Fannie and Freddie being shareholder owned were chartered by Congress and granted numerous government benefits. These particular privileges gave the impression they were government backed and would be rescued if they ever went belly up. This of course, as we will learn later, was the wrong assumption.   

$2.25 Billion Line of Credit

With $2.25 billion line of credit at the Treasury it was easy to see how market participants believed Fannie & Freddie were government backed. With borrowing rates only a little higher than the Treasury itself Fannie & Freddie were able to drive all competition out of the secondary market for middle class mortgages. They controlled 70% of the $11 trillion housing finance market. From this dominant position they were able to set the underwriting standards for the market as a whole. Very few mortgage lenders would make middle class mortgages that could to be sold to Fannie & Freddie.

Foundational Elements

What kept delinquencies and defaults low was the required 10% to 20% down payment, good credit history for borrowers, and low debt to income ratios after the mortgage was closed. These were the foundational elements of what was called a prime loan that kept a stable mortgage market through the 1970’s and most of the 80’s under a default of less than 1%. Despite these strict standards home ownership from 1964 through 1994 remained at 64%.

Government Backing Was Their Undoing

Community activists put pressure on the Feds arguing Fannie & Freddie underwriting standards kept many low and moderate income families from buying homes. The initial quota was 30% and HUD was given authority to increase the quota as Congress cleared the way for more ambitious requirements reducing down payments below 5%. HUD raised the targeted quota to 42% in 1996, 50% in 2000, and 56% in 2008. By 2000 Fannie & Freddie were accepting loans with zero money down and lowering the credit standards so more would sign up in order to meet the quota.

The Result – Flash Forward to 2008

As a result of the gradual deterioration in loan quality over the preceding 16 years, by 2008, just before the housing bubble pop, 56% of all mortgages in the United States – 32 million loans – were subprime loans or otherwise what is called low quality loans. Of the 32 million 76% were on the books of government agencies that were controlled by government policies. This shows absolute proof where the demand for these mortgages originated!

Home Spun Disaster

Legislators, by playing nice with community activists because that is where their bread and butter voters come from, created this home spun disaster when the economy went south in 2007. Low end earners were the first to be laid off and a large percentage just walked away from the mortgage payments leaving it to the bankers to foreclose. When the bubble deflated, these mortgages failed in unprecedented numbers, driving down housing values and values of mortgage backed securities on the balance sheets of financial institutions.

Conclusion

Given these facts, further rules & regs of the financial system through the Dodd – Frank Act was actually a totally wrong headed response. The vast new regulatory restrictions in the act have created uncertainty and sapped the appetite for risk taking that had once made the U.S. financial system the largest and most successful in the world.  The smothering rules & regs of the Dodd – Frank Act is depressing economic growth and lending no support for the housing industry, thus a stagnant market creating a drag on the GDP. A return to sanity with credible loan standards would help buckle down the housing market and perhaps return it to solvency.

The answer is a thorough reorientation of the U.S. housing finance system away from the kind of federal government control that makes it hostage to narrow political imperatives like political activists. By cow towing to these political interests it holds the whole GDP hostage to selfish interests. When the Congress is always worried about re-election and further feathering their nest it is time to look at term limits as an answer to this good old boy system. By taking it out of the hands of Congress and letting the voters decide on term limits is the way to go if we want true representation.  If it is good enough for the President it is good enough for the Congress. 

The Myth about Global Warming RE:RE Preachers of Deception

Our writer replies to a rebuttal against his argument on global warming

This week, our writer Gary Boyd posted an article calling out global warming alarmists. Our other staff writer, Martin Hempfling decided to write a rebuttal to this article to debunk global warming skeptics, which in turn led to the following response article from Gary below.

Read the rebuttal HERE and the original article HERE

The Three Myths of Global Warming

The very first myth that the earth is warming is that all scientists agree that it is, which absolutely is not the facts!   All scientists do not agree the earth is warming and have data to prove what they believe are the facts.  Global satellite data is the best way to measure global warming to check climate measurements.  The satellite data, so far to date, since 1979 has shown no measurable increases or any evidence to show that the globe is warming.  In fact, the earth experienced a far greater warming period between the 10th and 15th centuries that was designated as the medieval warming period then is happening today. 

Medieval Warming Period

The time between the 10th and 15th centuries was a time of unusually warm weather and continued until the 15th century when a cold period known as the “Little Ice Age” appeared.  The warmer climate resulted in a remarkable increase of prosperity, knowledge, and new art forms in Europe.  Agriculture thrived, marshes and swamps dried up, eliminating breeding grounds for mosquitoes that was spreading malaria and killing the population off at the time.  Former wetlands were converted to productive farmland that helps reduce infant mortality and increase the population that had been devastated by disease before this time.  It is estimated that the European population increased to approximately 60 million at the end of this warm period.

Vikings

Vikings moved from Iceland to Greenland to colonize it and built settlements in Canada.  Greenland prosperity reached its height in the later part of the 12th century and the start of the 13th centuries, when over 3,000 colonists occupied over 280 farms.   The settlers experienced difficulty in the late 14th century at the beginning of the “Little Ice Age” cooling.  The settlements were finally abandoned in the 15th century when it had become too cool to raise any crops.  The warming that humanity is experiencing today is simply the result of the emergence from “the Little Ice Age”, which was close to the time of the founding of our nation. 

Scare Tactics

Of course the irony of all these global warming scare tactics is that a slightly warmer climate with an increase in carbon dioxide (plants thrive on carbon dioxide) is actually very beneficial to the earth, as opposed to having a negative effect.  Economic studies, done by economics professor Robert O. Mendelsohm of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, have demonstrated that moderate warming and higher carbon dioxide levels will increase the total value of all final goods and services (GNP), and will increase standards of living, primarily by improving agriculture and forestry.  Homes in the North could have heating fuel savings, farmers in Canada could become richly supplied with cod and oil riches, shippers could rely upon an Artic shortcut between the Atlantic and the Pacific, and forests could expand making available more wood for construction while lowering the price at the same time. 

The Second Myth of Global Warming

The second myth is a tall tale that the environmentalists have tried to sell the whole world and have tried to get us to swallow hook, line, and sinker.  Scientists aren’t buying it, however.  The premise is that the whole of mankind is causing the so called global warming, evidence for such an assertion happens to be minuscule at best.  The majority of true scientists, however, do not agree humanity has exerted any discernible influence upon global climate.  According to a Gallup poll only 17% of the members of the Meteorological Society and American Geophysical Society believe that current global warming conditions is the result of greenhouse gas emissions, 83% disagree.  It is true that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by 28% in the past 160 years, but the amount of carbon dioxide generated by humanity is minuscule to any global warming because the majority of the warming occurred prior to 1940, prior to carbon dioxide emissions from human beings.

Greenhouse Theory

Global warming theory assumes the earth is naturally in a state of global energy balance (i.e. absorbed sunlight = emitted infrared).  Catchy metaphors have been used to seize public approval.  Phrases like “greenhouse gasses” and the “greenhouse effect.”  When you try to make an argument by metaphor it can be dangerous and misleading.  The “greenhouse” metaphor is used to promote the idea that putting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere will make the earth more like a greenhouse that will increase global temperature.  Temperature, it should be noted, is a statistic, not an actual measurement.  Actually, the major historical unknown is how to define what is “normal.”  In other words, what is a global average temperature?  It is impossible to specify any human caused effect upon the global temperature unless these questions can be answered.  Therefore, the psychology behind global warming is to sell bad news with eschewed figures that also helps to sell their story and generate funding for their supposed cause.  The cause so far looks like filling their pockets is the main gain. 

Secondly

Greenhouses do not function like the atmosphere.  There are other aspects involved, like fluid dynamics and infrared radiation.  A greenhouse controls fluid dynamical energy drain from the surface by placing something like glass or plastic above the plants, which allows solar radiation to pass through the glass or plastic, but air cannot.  If the flow balance between dynamical energy and infrared radiation is halted, then the greenhouses are not warm because they trap infrared radiation, but that is the issue that global warming advocates want the public to believe.  It is simply impossible to halt the release of energy from the earth through fluid dynamics.  Greenhouses are controlled to produce certain heating, but the planet is not.  The earth cannot and never will be a greenhouse because it is impossible to control fluid dynamical flow.  To assert otherwise is not science, but religious faith.  That is what the environmental movement has become, however, a fanaticism that is religious in nature, cynical to the point that if you do not believe in what they are espousing then you are doomed to burn up with the planet. 

The 3rd Myth of Global Warming

The third myth of global warming is that somehow government must intervene to stop global warming and help us all cut back on our carbon dioxide production.  The intelligence behind this myth is that the consequences of inaction will be catastrophic; therefore, prudence demands immediate government action.  However, there is absolutely no scientific consensus that global warming is a problem are in any way are humans its cause.  Even if current predications of warming is correct, delaying drastic government actions by even 25 years will make little difference in global temperature 100 years from now.  Proposed treaty restrictions would do little environmental good and tremendous economic harm.  Conversely, delaying action until there is more evidence of human caused global warming, and better technology to mitigate it, is both a positive environmental and economical response. 

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Federal attempts to control so called greenhouse gas emissions are vacuous and unnecessary.  Nevertheless, there are state governors demanding carbon dioxide emissions limits on automobiles; there are major cities demanding mandatory carbon dioxide controls; the Supreme Court recently declared that carbon dioxide is a pollutant that may need to be regulated.  When you mention regulation you also must realize that with that regulation would come certain fees and taxes and another way for the government to claim money from you simply because they can.  Why would the government be so worried about carbon dioxide when it only amount to .1% makeup of the air and soon dissipates when vegetation sucks it up.  Simply because it is another revenue stream they can add to government coffers without doing much to get it. 

Scare Tactics

I must mention that it is noteworthy that there are direct benefits to tens of thousands of interested people to perpetuate all the global warming scare tactics to the uneducated, this, of course is at the expense of the ordinary consumer.  Global environmental organizations, such as the Global Environmental Defense Fund, Greenpeace, and the Sierra Club have all profited many billions of dollars through multi-billion dollar government subsides, which are continually getting larger, for ineffective and ineffectual mitigation schemes.  Emission trading programs will soon generate profits of $100 billion yearly, with sizeable fees paid to brokers and those who regulate these programs.  You must realize that this is big business and you must be intelligent enough to know that there are many people who are benefiting from these climate scare tactics and who obviously have an ensconced interest.  There are many sincere individuals who have been duped to  believe that a global warming catastrophe is imminent, and whose fears are encouraged by the many increasing volumes of biased and prejudiced books, movies ( like “Inconvenient Truth”), and skewed media coverage.

The Al Gore Group

I cannot complete this third myth by not mentioning Al Gore (presidential candidate that if he would have carried his home state of Tennessee would have won the presidency) who has a company by the name of Global Solutions who stands to benefit by the billions if he can dupe the world into believing they can fight this global warming threat by a world tax on every individual.  This is so felonious and fraudulent that I just had to mention that he has been the major perpetrator of this myth since day one. 
If people want to believe in this fairy tale while calling names at the ones that do not, just remember this is not settled science, 83% of scientists do not agree there is global warming for the simple fact the earth has been cooling the last 13 years. Look it  up…

Currency Wars: Are we currently living in a fake economy?

The government continues to print money with no value

Due to the United States printing of billions of phony paper fiat dollars a month with no intrinsic value we now have a monkey see monkey do with every central bank in the world printing money, trying to debase their currency. Stocks are running wild in almost every country creating this artificial economy that is not real, cannot last, and could cause worldwide devastation to our economies.   Now who do you think will get the blame when this all goes belly up?  Who will be the international pariah?  Who will the militants want to attack to do away with the Great Satan?

Like Lemmings Rushing to the Sea

First Japan, then America, then the U.K., and of course now the E.U. have all gotten into the act that has spread like a plague across the planet.  Of course everyone in their right mind has to know that this will not end well.  What we have here is global economies robbing the working class of their hard earned money by debasing world currencies shrinking their spending power.  This is a worldwide bubble economy floating on a sea of artificial money that is losing its value.

In the Short Term

In the short run for Japan it has helped by driving down the value of their currency that for now keeps exports cheap to the rest of the world which keeps Japan’s population of 125 million working to stay above water. In the long run, however, it has rising debt, a shrinking population, and now with further debasing of the yen the price of imports will continue to rise shrinking their buying power slowly leading to the ruination of their nation.  It will not work in the long run as a stabilizing policy.

The People Who Did it Right are Getting Burned

The United States today cannot possibly pay off the national debt without a serious crisis.  We are the largest debtor nation in the history of the world; now do you honestly think this will all have a lollipops and rainbow ending?  The Fed’s zero interest rate is destroying the people who saved and invested all their lives.  A lot of people were frugal did not get over extended; did not go out and buy five houses with no money, no job, while running up huge debts. It is those people that we are now bailing out with taxpayer dollars; the working stiff that done it right has been destroyed financially in the process.

Thomas Jefferson Clued Us In

One of the founders of our country clued us in way back when by stating, “Paper is poverty…It is only the ghost of money and not money itself.”  So how many lives does this ghost money have?  There is a revolution coming called M-commerce that will be a form of electronic payment with no exchange of anything of intrinsic value involved.  Smartphones and iPhones have led the way.  The specter of electric money is haunting the world; a one world fiat money is on the way; a one world electronic payment system with only one way to pay is coming to fruition on the horizon.  Perhaps to rescue us from what we have become or possibly to enslave us all.  Only the future knows.

Billboard Music Awards brings us Michael Jackson holograms, Flaming Lips and more

The awards brought in more viewers than ever

ABC had the most watched Billboard Music Awards in the last 13 years with an audience of 10 ½ million people gazing in at the neon attraction. 

The get down party night was accented by the uncanny performance of Michael Jackson swirling around in a hologram singing his latest off the new album “Xcapse” Slave to the Rhythm! Accompanied by 16 live dancers it was a back when we were Gods moment that shot flaming arrows through the hearts of the audience that was a teary eyed time for all. To say the least very moving!

• The three hour hoe down featured performances by Carrie Underwood & Miranda Lambert in a mind bending duet that had to be seen to be believed. Jennifer Lopez doing her thang with Lorde continuing in her rule at the top with a live performance of “Tennis Court”. Miley Cyrus the forever provocateur led off with a changeup cover of “Sgt. Pepper’s” classic ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ along with the ‘Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne that opens up the ceremony like a giant wrecking ball!

• The top winner from across the ether was Justin Timberlake with seven trophies including Top Male Artist & Top Artist, Imagine Dragons captured five, T.I. & Robin Thicke grabbed four apiece. Other winners included:

• Top New Artist
• Lorde
 

• Top Female Artist
• Katy Perry

• Top Duo/Group
• Imagine Dragons

• Top Billboard 200 Artist
• Justin Timberlake

• Top Hot 100 Artist
• Imagine Dragons

• Top Digital Songs Artist
• Katy Perry

• Top Radio Songs Artist
• Justin Timberlake

• Top Touring Artist
• Bon Jovi

• Top Social Artist
• Justin Bieber
•
• Top Streaming Artist
• Miley Cyrus

• Top R&B Artist
• Justin Timberlake

• Top Rap Artist
• Eminem

• Top Country Artist
• Luke Bryan

• Top Rock Artist
• Imagine Dragons

• Top Latin Artist
• Marc Anthony

• Top Dance/Electronic Artist
• Daft Punk

• Top Christian Artist
Chris Tomlin

• Top Billboard 200 Album
• Justin Timberlake, “The 20/20 Experience”

• Top R&B Album
• Justin Timberlake, “The 20/20 Experience”

• Top Rap Album
• Eminem, “The Marshall Mathers LP 2”

• Top Country Album
• Luke Bryan, “Crash My Party”

• Top Rock Album
• Imagine Dragons, “Night Visions”

• Top Latin Album
• Marc Anthony, “3.0”

• Top Dance/Electronic Album
• Daft Punk, “Random Access Memories”

• Top Christian Album
• Alan Jackson, “Precious Memories: Volume II”

• Top Hot 100 Song
• Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell, “Blurred Lines”

• Top Digital Song
• Robin Thicke, Featuring T.I. & Pharrell “Blurred Lines”

• Top Radio Song
• Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell, “Blurred Lines”

• Top Streaming Song (Audio)
• Imagine Dragons, “Radioactive”

• Top Streaming Song (Video)
• Miley Cyrus “Wrecking Ball”

• Top R&B Song
• Robin Thicke Feat. T.I. & Pharrell, “Blurred Lines”
•
• Top Rap Song
• Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Ray Dalton, “Can’t Hold Us”

• Top Country Song
• Florida Georgia Line Featuring Nelly, “Cruise”

• Top Rock Song
• Lorde, “Royals”
•
• Top Latin Song
• Marc Anthony “Vivir Mi Vida”

• Top Dance/Electronic Song
• Avicii “Wake Me Up!”

• Top Christian Song
Matthew West “Hello, My Name Is”

Preachers of Deception: Global warming alarmists are feeding us lies

Al Gore and IPCC use fear tactics to swerve the masses

Preachers of Deception

Global warming alarmists, like Al Gore (former VP) and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), point out the level of CO2 in the air has increased annually since the 1860’s Civil War. The current continued growth in the world economy (China & India) they say will accelerate the rate of increase of the level of CO2 in the atmosphere. 

The Lie

Now for the lie and the imposed guilt that goes with it. After displaying a graph illustrating rising levels of CO2, the champions of limiting anthropogenic (man-made impact on the environment) global warming (AGW) turn to another graph showing the rising global temperatures during the same period of time. The implication is clear: as the levels of CO2 rise, the level of global temperatures will inexorably rise to. However, there is no consistent peer reviewed scientific research that establishes a cause and effect relationship between increased atmospheric CO2 and higher global temperatures.

Clever Spin

It is a clever deception, but a lie nonetheless. The AGW hoax lacks any basis in independently verified science. It is built on a grain of truth and a well formed foundation of exaggeration, deliberate deception, and strong arm tactics to promote the AGW view with educators and media.

Taken Advantage

In many cases it is the well-meaning environmentally focused individuals working to prevent the so called global warming “crisis” that are being duped and taken advantage of.  They were conscripted into the movement by deliberate lies and deception. They work unknowingly to advance the agenda of unseen globalist elite. The organized effort to combat AGW is the tactic chosen by the globalist elite to impose a centralized, worldwide socialist Marxist government. They have frightened citizens and coerced governments, and so far nothing has stood in the way.

The Hidden Agenda is Global Government

Some of the key scientists in the AGW movement falsify historical temperature data to make it conform to their agenda. The global warming alarmist silence climate change critics to avoid public debate over the scientific validity of the AGW theory. This is just not poor science, it is deliberate deception. This systematic fraud can be traced to the international elite that is bent on forcing democracy to support a globalist autocracy. The fight against global warming is what they have decided to use for leverage.

Who are the Supporters?

Those who support the AGW alarmists include national government leaders, politicians, scientists, members of the news media, private organizations, multinational companies, and members of the intellectual elite.  Their agenda is decidedly anti-Western, anti-democracy, and anti-capitalism. The methodology is complex but readily apparent: massive scientific hype and exaggeration, falsification of historical temperature data, and negating well established scientific data (such as Medieval Warm Period & the Little Ice Age). Anything that disproves the AGW theory is discounted, silenced, or falsified.

The Science of Fear

These globalist alarmists use the science of fear to put images in our mind of melting polar icecaps, the fear of dramatic rises in sea levels, increasing global temperatures, the destruction of entire species due to climate change, unless we take drastic action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The unspoken agenda is to promote fear and dread among citizens (including schoolchildren) politicians, business leaders, and governments.

Two Reasons to use Fear

The first reason is because fear is an effective motivator, and the news media love scary headlines. Fear sells! 
The second reason is because fearful citizens and politicians feel a great urgency to “do something!” Fear of global doom can be used to force sovereign nations to accept enormous social and political changes: like massive reduction in the quality of life and standard of living, while accepting the huge burden of massive taxation, with most of the tax revenues going overseas. All this and more simply to respond to a fabricated and exaggerated environmental threat. It is not too strong a definition to call this “international environmental extortion.” It is not too far away from being “political terrorism” the definition being, “the unlawful use of force or violence against people or property in order to coerce or intimate the civilian population.”

The AGW End Game

The hidden AGW agenda end game is to weaken and eventually subvert Western free market economies, sovereign nations, and capitalistic democracies. This will enable the socialist Marxist elite to take control of commerce, economics, politics, and national governments. Using the false threat of man-made global warming as the wedge, the globalist elite want to impose their full political agenda. They won’t stop until they have established an unchallenged global government controlled by intellectual, scientific, and political elite.

Where Does the Money Come From?

The clever ruse to raise fear of global doom and gloom is to eventually collect a world tax on every human being alive. This tax will be started to help the so called elimination of deadly CO2 emissions. Money will be siphoned off to help establish the one world global government, just like it was when one billion dollars in disaster aid money disappeared from the fund to rebuild Haiti after the devastating earthquake. While the globalist elite control the money, the pseudo-science, the numbers involved can be made to say anything they want. The AGW elitists want to use our love for the environment to manipulate us and destroy the economic, political, and spiritual values that form the philosophical foundation of the United States of America and Canada! Next time you hear a rant on global warming realize where the message is coming from and who is behind it so we will not be suckered again.