And here’s QE Explained, for those who haven’t seen it yet:

But how is this legal plunder to be identified? Quite simply. See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them, and gives it to other persons to whom it does not belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime.

Then abolish this law without delay, for it is not only an evil itself, but also it is a fertile source for further evils because it invites reprisals. If such a law — which may be an isolated case — is not abolished immediately, it will spread, multiply, and develop into a system.

The person who profits from this law will complain bitterly, defending his acquired rights. He will claim that the state is obligated to protect and encourage his particular industry; that this procedure enriches the state because the protected industry is thus able to spend more and to pay higher wages to the poor workingmen.

Do not listen to this sophistry by vested interests. The acceptance of these arguments will build legal plunder into a whole system. In fact, this has already occurred. The present-day delusion is an attempt to enrich everyone at the expense of everyone else; to make plunder universal under the pretense of organizing it.

Connecting the dots from 1850, when Bastiat wrote this, to today, hardly seems necessary. 162 years later, and Bastiat’s The Law is fresh as a daisy.

• 1984: (warning of a surveillance state)
• 2001: “This [housing] bubble will burst, as all bubbles do”.
• 2002: “Over the next decade, Americans will become poorer and less free”

Naturally, everyone was pretending Ron Paul doesn’t exist. Then Bill Maher did this, and redeemed his show:

Rob Reiner, after his near-stroke in reaction to Maher’s endorsement, says “You only like [Paul] because he’d let you smoke pot!”

Think about his wording there. Let you. Those sound like the words of a thoroughly-indoctrinated statist. Reiner and his preferred politicians know what’s best for you; all of us, it seems.

And I’ve heard similar sentiment all-too-often. Young voters only like Paul because of his drug policy. Well, they don’t hate the idea of ending 1 million marijuana arrests per year in the US. But the idea that it’s the driving issue is wishful thinking.

Mr. Reiner: it’s not his views on any single issue. What’s driving interest in Ron Paul’s campaign is the theme of personal liberty and freedom. People of all political backgrounds who are fed up with endless war are probably the most notable group.

Also, South Park was too kind to you:

When measured on a per capita basis, cumulative GDP growth since the start of the recession in ’08 is extremely disappointing. Especially when you consider all the measures which were supposedly designed to boost growth.

QE1, QE2, TARP, ZIRP, stimulus (think Solyndra & Fisker, not roads & bridges). Failure & wealth transfer have resulted.

Perhaps the most economically impactful “stimulus” enacted so far is the payroll tax cut. Social Security payroll tax deductions were temporarily reduced from 6.2% to 4.2% in 2011. Although there will be bickering, for now it seems like the tax cut will be extended indefinitely (ignore the unsustainable long-term nature of it all, if you can).

Some economists venture to guess that the payroll tax cut (2% less taxes on all wages/salaries below a certain threshold) will contribute 1-1.5% to annual GDP as long as it remains in place.

So picture the chart to the left, without a big chunk of the recent upturn. Now picture it if properly adjusted for inflation. It’s not a pretty picture.

Conclusion: any economist that says we’re not currently in a recession/depression is trying to sell you something.

Chart via WSJ’s Jason Lahart.

Ron Paul 2012 - Donate/learn more here. He’s got a very good shot, believe it or not. McCain got 13% in Iowa last time around. Paul got 20%. And he’s raising more money than anyone else but Romney (top 3 contribs: Goldman, UBS, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley).

The political posts will subside (at some point). And hopefully some more meaty posts will resume when I get the time. Until then, browse the posts under “Favorites” in the sidebar. And of course, read ZH, read Jesses’s Cafe, read SHTF Plan, read Financial Armageddon, and all the other sites on my blog roll if you’re in need of some pessimism pr0n.

TL;DW:

• Explains why he moved to Singapore (likes China, but Bejing & Shanghai too polluted)
• He’s short stocks “across the world”
• Long commodities
• Long gold, silver
• Crisis still imminent, better to take the hit now