Saturday, June 29, 2013

Obama Owes Bernanke Big Time



Obama would not have a second term if it wasn't for the financial dexterity of Ben Bernanke.
While I voted for Obama three times, I believe he would never have been reelected without Bernanke's Fed policies.
When Obama entered office he turned over financial policy to Larry Summers, who never met a banker's ass he didn't want to kiss. One of the men responsible for killing Glass-Steagall, a New Deal law aimed at protecting bankers from themselves and America from chaos, Summers was the wrong man. He and Geithner made sure that bankers could walk away with all their ill-gotten gains during the financial crisis, while the American people bailed out the institutions they'd led down the garden path.
But lately, Obama has been dumping on Bernanke. He's indicated on more than one occasion he would not reappoint him. A list in the Wall Street Journal of potential appointees to run the Fed included the repugnant Summers, and Timothy Geithner. There are not two other Americans as supportive of the big banks then these two cronies. Either one of them would be a disaster as they kowtowed to Wall Street.
Maybe Obama resents the fact that Bernanke understands economics, while he clearly doesn't. He's good at running for office, just not good at running an office. When it comes to our financial system, he's as far from a progressive as one could imagine. We survived despite his lack of preparation for the presidency. It seems like he wants to take away the credit from the man who saved our financial system.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Koreans are Generous with Our Tears

My wife and I are hooked on Korean TV series. At the moment, we wait for the next episode of Shark to be shown in Korea, so Hulu can show it the next day. There is only one problem with Korean shows.
As my wife said the other day, "Koreans are too generous with our tears."

That's a fact you need to consider before joining the I love Korean TV fan club.  Korean directors have this incredible ability to dig into your emotions and tear your heart out.

Unlike American TV, Korean serials have planned finales before they begin the show. Unlike Alias,Lost and many other American dramas, you won't end up hating the creators of the series.

Korean writers and directors aren't afraid to kill off major characters in these stories. Some series end with the death of the hero.

If you can handle dramas with real emotions that can get inside you, then Korean television serials are the best in the world. Just don't say you weren't warned.