Prof Attahiru Jega, Show Your Best Crisis Management Skills in the Next 24 Hours
As Nigerians, we must face the reality that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega has spoken and it matters not whether his reasons for postponing the April 2nd parliamentary election to Monday are realistic or not. Why, because we are in a crisis now.
What is clear is that we need an environment where this crisis could be managed effectively. There is no doubt that on a psychological and spiritual level, this sudden occurrence is a major event that threatens to harm the faith we have in the system.
INEC, on behalf of the general public should effectively manage the threatposed by this huge matter as it relates to the element of surprise, and we all expect a short decision time for this to be done.
Jega has told us that he saw what was happening in the last few hours as a crisiswhich needed to be quenched, that is a process of transformation that needed to climb above existing failures. As for the chairman, this issue need not be maintained but corrected immediately for change sake. According to Jega, if the change is not proceeded with the episode could become more of a national humiliation and fiasco—no one wants such doom.
To the credit of President Jonathan, instead of remaining outside the nation’s capital(as he was reportedly in his home town), mistakes we have seen before, even among leaders in the western world;he returned to the capital immediately, and took the first instant step required in risk management, which involves assessing would-be threats and discovering for the people the best ways to avoid further complications to this threat. In the broader context of managing this political crisis every INEC worker and those involve in executing the elections must immediately be trained in crisis management skills in addition to other skills and techniques required to pinpoint, assess, understand, and cope with any serious situation, especially from the moment it first occurs to the point of when the regaining procedures start.
According to the Nigeria’s electoral commission, some States have already began voting, therefore the sacredness of those completed ballot papers in today’s parliamentary vote, must be protected. This is not the time for casting blames or passing emotions across personnel or stakeholders at this time. There will be time for that! Because the conduct of elections falls through the 4th, the 9th and the 16th of this month, Jega must show not through apology, but through competence that within this short period of time, that all regional constituents, INEC facilities, finances and above all its reputation does not remain in crisis.
Jega must realize that good crisis management is an art in decision making required to reduce or mitigate the effects of this current episode, something needed now while the incident itself is unfolding.
Jega should realize right now, while corrective decisions are being made workers and management as well as the INEC institutions are under stress, therefore there is need to watch out for more mistakes such as missing key pieces of information that are needed now.
Essential planning is needed now in order to best position INEC for the coming elections beginning April 4th.so as to reduce further chaos and doubts over what could happen next in terms of maintaining proper logistics.
Jega must help the workers or those involve in the electoral work engage in a series of positive behaviors (e.g.Restful sleep, take a break, support personnel, releasing muscle tension, good food habits, sit in a comfortable chair, etc.).
These tips are important to enhance better time management as they relate to quick manning of the polling units, focused entering of the results in the sheets, upholding the integrity of the ballots as well as preserving the effective overall control of the voting process.
This is a very critical and sensitive time for all of us and we must avoid planting into the consciousness of some people words of apprehension, upheaval, manipulation, or division.
What Jega needs now in this short period is an unwavering support from all Nigerians as we join together to fight this sudden uproar, and if the transmission of free, fair and credible elections is what we yearn for let’s take Jega for his stressful words, and with this little delay the credibility of the elections will be fully or almost ensured. God bless Nigeria.
~ By John EgbeazienOshodi, Ph.D., DABPS; FACFE; is a Licensed Clinical/Forensic Psychologist; Diplomate of American Board of Psychological Specialties; Fellow of American College of Forensic Examiners (For Psy); Former Interim Associate Dean and an Assistant Professor of Psychology, Broward College - North Campus, Florida. joshodi@broward.edu
Money Management International Offers Actionable Tips for Improving Finances
Houston, March 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — April is National Financial Literacy Month, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Between rapidly increasing prices in gas and food along with sluggish economic growth, consumers are feeling more pinched each week. In fact, according to a recent survey by Career Builder, 77 percent of American consumers are living paycheck to paycheck.
Financial Literacy Month offers the perfect opportunity for individuals and families to change their financial situation by learning about important financial matters like creating and managing a budget, paying down debt while saving for emergencies, and creating achievable financial goals. Here at Money Management International (MMI), we care about your financial future. We are committed to bringing you the financial education you need to reach your financial goals.
The following five steps will help you on the path toward financial wellness:
1. Make a commitment – Changing your relationship with money is not an easy task; it takes hard work and a strong commitment. Visit FinancialLiteracyMonth.com and take the pledge to start on the path toward financial security. 2. Assess your financial situation – A simple quiz can help you understand your current financial position. Knowing where you are today will help you determine the best path toward meeting your financial goals. 3. Get organized – Getting your financial house organized is a great way to begin on a clear path toward financial wellness. 4. Set priorities – Understanding the difference between needs and wants will help you establish financial priorities and set realistic goals. 5. Live on a budget – Spending less than you earn is easier said than done, but a solid budget is the most important element of any successful financial plan.
“Changing your financial habits and your relationship with money can be hard work, but the payoff is priceless,” said Kim McGrigg, community and media relations manager for MMI. “The important thing to remember while on your journey to financial freedom is to stay flexible. Revisit your financial plan often and make changes as needed.”
X X X About Money Management International
Money Management International (MMI) is a nonprofit, full-service credit-counseling agency, providing confidential financial guidance, financial education, counseling and debt management assistance to consumers since 1958. MMI helps consumers trim their expenses, develop a spending plan and repay debts. Counseling is available by appointment in branch offices and 24/7 by telephone and Internet. Services are available in English or Spanish. To learn more, call 800.432.7310 or visit www.MoneyManagement.org.
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Media Contact: Tanisha Warner Media Relations 713.394.3202 Tanisha.Warner@MoneyManagement.org
ROME, March 31, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The festivities in Nigeria for the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Italian Unification began on 21 March with the opening in Abuja of a contemporary art exhibition: 30 works by Angelo Bellobono, Filippo Centenari, Fabrizio Cervelli, Stefania Fabrizi, Adriano Nardi and Davide Eron Salvadei, using both traditional techniques such as oil on canvas and innovative media on aluminium and plexiglass.
The exhibition was mounted by Marta Boeri and Marinù Paduano's M&M Contemporary Art, and was made possible through the sponsorship of ENI (through the Nigerian Agip Oil Company – NAOC) and a contribution from the construction firm Stabilini.
A reception at the embassy followed the opening, whose guests included the Minister for Women's Affairs and Minister of State for Energy of the Federal Nigerian Government. Also present were the ENI executive for Sub-Saharan Africa, the CEO of NAOC, and many other Nigerian institutional, civil society and press representatives, members of the Italian foreign service and other Italian nationals.
Ambassador Roberto Colaminè will host an exhibition in his residence on 30 March by Nigerian artist Ben Ibebe, accompanied by a reading of Nigerian poetry.
The 7th edition of the prestigious African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) was a grand event on Sunday night March 27, 2011 with the constellation of Nollywood stars and icons and the leading stars of African movies, stars from Hollywood were among the special guests and other dignitaries gracing the colourful red carpet. The following photographs are from the photo album of the event.
A happy winner with her coveted AMAA
Veteran actor Olu Jacobs
Nollywood Diva Rita Dominic
Award winning Nigerian filmmaker Kunle Afolayan
Nollywood Diva Kate Henshaw-Nuttal
Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, CEO of AMAA
Nollywood Diva Omoni Oboli and Hollywood actor Jimmy Jean-Louis
The hosts Nollywood stars Jim Iyke and Nse Ikpe Etim
Best Young Actor, ASA Drama School actor Edward Kagutuzi, star of “Mirror Boy”
Copyright Warning: ( Do Not Copy ) In case of unauthorized reproduction or distribution of our copyright content, complaint will be registered under "Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)" & IT Act 2000, without any prior notice and needed legal action will be taken immediately. Stealing copyright content is illegal, not matter if its on 3rd party blogs, IP address and required information is always stored on wordpress, blogspot servers while registration, that information can be used for legal actions incase violation of terms & conditions found (that also include plagiarism).
Côte d'Ivoire / West African Immigrants Massacred / UN Imposes Strong Measures on Gbagbo; Greater Civilian Protection Needed
DAKAR, March 31, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Ivorian militias and Liberian mercenaries loyal to Laurent Gbagbo killed at least 37 West African immigrants in a village near the border with Liberia on March 22, 2011, Human Rights Watch said today. In response to the intensifying abuses and descent into civil war, the United Nations Security Council on March 30 imposed strong measures on Gbagbo, the incumbent president, who has refused to step down and cede power to his rival, Alassane Ouattara.
Witnesses in Côte d'Ivoire told Human Rights Watch that armed men, some in uniform and others in civilian clothes, massacred the villagers, presumed to be Ouattara supporters, possibly in retaliation for the capture of nearby areas by pro-Ouattara forces. Several other witnesses described numerous incidents in which real or perceived Ouattara supporters were killed by pro-Gbagbo security forces and militiamen in Abidjan. Ouattara's troops are spreading south and east, seizing several key towns, including the political capital, Yamoussoukro, and moving toward Abidjan, the commercial capital, in a very fluid situation.
“Côte d'Ivoire has reached the boiling point,” said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “We are extremely concerned about the potential for further human rights atrocities, given the killings by both sides and the continued incitement to violence through the media by Gbagbo cronies.”
In a four-month organized campaign of human rights abuses, which probably rise to the level of crimes against humanity, Gbagbo's forces have killed, “disappeared,” and raped real and perceived supporters of Ouattara, Human Rights Watch has found. Armed men supporting Ouattara have also engaged in numerous extrajudicial executions of presumed pro-Gbagbo fighters and supporters.
According to UN estimates, approximately 500 people, the vast majority civilians, have lost their lives as a result of the violence. In March alone, forces aligned with Gbagbo killed at least 50 civilians by firing mortars into neighborhoods known to be Ouattara strongholds. Pro-Gbagbo forces have also beaten and hacked and burned to death numerous perceived Ouattara supporters at checkpoints set up by militias.
On March 25, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated that between 700,000 and one million people have been displaced, largely from Abidjan. On March 29, UNHCR reported that 116,000 Ivorians have fled to eight West African countries: Liberia, Ghana, Togo, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin, and Nigeria.
On March 30, the UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution that calls on Gbagbo to leave office and urges a political solution to the crisis. The resolution demands an end to violence against both civilians and the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI). It urges the UN operation to use all necessary means to carry out its mandate to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence.
In addition, the Security Council resolution calls upon all parties to cooperate fully with an international commission of inquiry put in place in late March by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate human rights violations committed in Côte d'Ivoire. Finally, the resolution adopts targeted sanctions against Gbagbo and four close associates, including his wife, Simone.
Human Rights Watch has urged all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and end the targeting of civilians and extrajudicial executions, and has called for UN peacekeepers to enhance civilian protection. The UN operation needs equipment, such as helicopters, as well as additional deployments of well-trained and equipped troops, Human Rights Watch said.
Human Rights Watch has also stressed the importance of accountability for atrocities. The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has repeatedly indicated that it will prosecute crimes committed in Côte d'Ivoire if the ICC's requirements for investigation – which relate to the gravity of the crimes and the inadequacy of national proceedings – are met. An investigation could be triggered by a referral of the situation by the UN Security Council or any state that is party to the court, or if the prosecutor decides to act on his own authority. While Côte d'Ivoire is not a party to the court, it accepted the court's jurisdiction through a declaration in 2003. The Security Council resolution references this declaration and states that the report of the commission of inquiry should be provided to the Security Council and “other relevant international bodies.”
“The massacre of West African immigrants, targeting of civilians in Abidjan, and massive displacement are deeply troubling and require an effective response,” Bekele said. “The UN should prepare for the worst and do all it can to protect everyone in Côte d'Ivoire who is at grave risk of horrific abuse.”
Massacre at Bedi-Gouzan
Human Rights Watch interviewed five witnesses to the March 22 massacre by pro-Gbagbo militias of at least 37 West African immigrants. The killings took place in the village of Bedi-Gouzan, 32 kilometers from the town of Guiglo in western Côte d'Ivoire, the day after combatants loyal to Ouattara had captured the nearby town of Blolequin. Bedi-Gouzan is home both to Ivorians and to an estimated 400 other West Africans, most of whom work on the cacao plantations in western Côte d'Ivoire. The witnesses said that many of the attackers, who spoke English, appeared to be Liberian, while the vast majority of victims were immigrants from Mali and Burkina Faso.
The witnesses said armed men fighting on behalf of Ouattara passed through Bedi-Gouzan as they advanced toward Guiglo at approximately 1 p.m. on the day of the attack. At about 3:30 p.m., witnesses said, at least four cars containing scores of pro-Gbagbo militiamen, some in military and some in civilian dress, and some speaking English while others spoke French, attacked the part of the village where the West African immigrants live. The witnesses said the militiamen killed the immigrants inside their homes and as they attempted to flee.
Human Rights Watch received a list of 27 Malian victims, but witnesses said that the Malians' relatives, who had fled into the surrounding forest and later briefly returned to the village, counted up to 40 dead. The witnesses said the attackers were armed with automatic weapons, rocket-propelled grenades, and machetes. The witnesses believed their village had been attacked in reprisal for the military advance in the area by armed Ouattara supporters. As the attackers left, they pillaged and in some instances burned houses, looting any items of value, including motorcycles, money, televisions, mattresses, and clothing.
Several witnesses described a clear ethnic element to the targeting of victims. A 36-year-old witness said: “They came in accusing us of being rebels, and said, ‘If you're Dioula (from Northern Côte d'Ivoire), you can try to flee if you can, if you're Guere (natives of the area and largely supporters of Gbagbo), stay, we're not concerned with you. But if you're Malian or Mossi (Burkinabe, from Burkina Faso), we will kill you.' And then they started killing.”
An 18-year old Malian woman described hearing the attackers yelling, “Fire them, fire them all,” in English as they descended from their vehicles and started to kill. She said she and many other women and children were saved by a female Liberian rebel who intervened to stop them from being killed.
A few witnesses, including a 16-year-old interviewed by Human Rights Watch, were wounded by machetes during the attack: “They beat me, saying they were going to cut my throat; they slashed my arms with a machete saying we were rebels.”
He and others, like this 28-year-old Malian man, survived after paying money to the attackers:
At around 3 p.m. we heard the sound of heavy trucks coming, and ran into our houses. The men fired into the air, then started breaking down the doors…saying, “Fire, fire” and, “You're rebels, we'll kill all of you.” We heard shots, and screams. They were killing people. My family and I were cowering in our home; after breaking down my door they screamed that I should give them money, or they'd kill me. I gave them all I had - 84,000 CFA, and the keys to 3 motorcycles. I begged them not to kill me….I was terrified…but it saved my life. The commander said, “If it wasn't for this money, you'd be dead.” But not everyone had money… they killed a Burkinabe man in front of me…and later in a nearby house, I saw them kill 5 women… just a few meters away. They screamed, “Give us money!” The women pleaded saying they didn't have any….then they shot them…three inside the house, two just outside. They ordered four of us to carry the goods they looted to their truck…. As I walked through the village I saw at least 20 bodies and heard women and children wailing.… I saw them setting houses on fire and was told some villagers were burned inside.
A 34-year-old man from Burkina Faso described seeing 25 people killed, and noted what he believed to be a clear motive for the attack:
As they were killing people, they accused us of being rebels…They said other things in English that I couldn't understand. I saw 25 people killed with my own eyes. They killed women, with children, with men. They said they'd kill us all. They forced the people out and they killed them, just like they said. Most people who live there in the village are Burkinabe, Malians, and Senoufo (an ethnic group from Northern Côte d'Ivoire.) They killed people in front of the door to their house after pulling them out. One man opened his door, two guys dragged him out, and they fired their Kalashes [Kalashnikov rifles] into him. Also I saw an entire family killed. The man, two wives, the man's little brother, and their kids – two kids 9 and 5 years old. They killed them like it was nothing.
Ethnic Targeting in Abidjan
Since armed men loyal to Ouattara attempted to expand their control of areas in Abidjan into the Adjame and Williamsburg neighborhoods on March 16, dozens of civilians have been killed, either deliberately, or through excessive use of force. Immigrants from West Africa and active members of political parties allied to Ouattara were particularly targeted.
A 40 year-old man from Burkina Faso was one of nine West African immigrants detained by armed and uniformed men he believed to be policemen at a checkpoint in Adjame on March 29, and later taken into a police station and shot. Six of the men died, and the other three, including the witness, were wounded:
At 8:30 a.m., I was stopped by a checkpoint in Adjame on my way to work. They asked for my ID and after seeing my name, told me to get into a 4x4 nearby. I got in; there were 8 others there. The police vehicle took us to the 11th police commissariat. Just behind the commissariat there is a camp, which is where all happened. The police pushed us in and yelled at us, “Are you brothers of the rebellion?” I said no but obviously it wasn't a real question. Then they said, “If you are Burkinabe, go over there to the left. If you are Malian, go to the left.” So we all went left. Then they turned left and fired on us…6 of us died. I got shot in the arm and the kidneys and it looked bad so they left me for dead. The police left directly after. It was clear they were police because of their uniform; even the 4x4 was a police vehicle, marked as such, and the camp was the police camp at the commissariat. Two of the dead were Burkinabes; I learned the other six were Malian, including the two other survivors. I couldn't sleep last night because of the sutures and the memories. I will try tonight.
An Ivorian driver described the March 28 killing of three Malian butchers by militiamen wearing black T-shirts and red armbands, which are typically worn by neighborhood militiamen. The men shot the butchers as they were in the process of fetching a cow in the Williamsville neighborhood. A Senegalese man who was shot in the arm in the Adjame neighborhood by armed men in uniform on March 17 described how two of his Senegalese friends were shot dead in the same incident: “The armed men pointed their guns at them shot them…they didn't ask them any questions, they just shot them point blank.”
Another witness described the March 30 killing of a civilian who was stopped at a militia checkpoint in Adjame:
At noon, the militiamen stopped a pick-up truck and asked the driver and his apprentice for their ID papers. The driver was told to go ahead, but they pulled the apprentice out of the passenger seat and fired four times at him; his body is still in the street. This is their way of targeting foreigners…they judge your background from your ID papers. If you're an ECOWAS national or from the north, they take you out and – too often – shoot and kill. With some ten such checkpoints in Adjame now, these kinds of incidents and killings are becoming the norm.
Another witness described how he saw local militiamen conducting house-to-house searches and manning checkpoints on March 21 and 22 in Williamsville. He said he saw them kill three people, including two of his friends who were murdered in his house.
The violence in Adjame provoked the mass exodus of West African immigrants and Ivorians of northern descent from Abidjan or led them to take refuge in West African embassies.
For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Côte d'Ivoire, please visit:
Are The Online Marketing Efforts of TV Shows and Programs Worthwhile?
Many go online to further engage with content seen on TV; men and women and adults of different ages do so in different ways
PR Newswire
NEW YORK, March 30, 2011
NEW YORK, March 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Marketers are increasingly spending time, money and creativity to reach their audiences in non-traditional ways. A recent 24/7 Wall St./Harris Poll on Social Media and Television set out to see if these efforts are paying off. It found that many Americans are participating in this type of interactions. Among online U.S. adults, two in five say they have gone online or utilized social media to comment, post, watch or read
something about a television show or program (43%). Among these 80-some million people, a third say they have done so after watching a TV show or program (33%) and fewer say they have done so either before watching (18%) or while watching (17%) a TV show or program.
These are some of the findings of a new 24/7 Wall St./ Harris Poll survey of 2,526 U.S. adults surveyed online between March 11 and 15, 2011 by Harris Interactive.
Younger online adults are much more likely to take part in these activities than are older people -- six in ten of those 18-34 say they have engaged with TV programs in this way (59%), compared to fewer adults aged 35-44 (40%), 45-54 (36%) and 55 and older (28%) who say the same. When adults are doing these things also varies by age. Three in ten of those 18-34 years (31%) say they have gone online to do these activities while watching a TV program, compared to very few adults 55 and older who have done the same (5%). Adults 55 and older, on the other hand, are most likely to go online after seeing a TV program (22%) if they are going to go online at all.
This poll also finds that:
* Half of adults who engage with TV shows or programs online (53%) do so in an individual forum such as by posting on their own or a friend's Facebook page, Twitter account or blog, 44% do so on a website or page created by the TV content provider such as a TV network's Facebook page or website, and a third (33%) do so on a separate media outlet's site, such as an entertainment or news site; * Women are more likely than men to engage in an individual forum (57% vs. 50%), while men are more likely than women to do so on a separate media outlet's site (38% vs. 27%); * Younger adults are more likely than those older to engage individually while older adults are somewhat more likely to do so on a site or page created by the content provider; * Two in five online adults are a fan or a follower of a TV network, program or show on Facebook or Twitter (39%) while the same number are not (41%); one in five do not use Facebook or Twitter (20%); * Three quarters of adults who engage with TV programs or shows online say that it provides more information, which is an important reason why they do it (76%), two thirds say the analysis or summary is important to them (68%) or it's a source of additional entertainment, which is important (67%); half say that it's important that they engage with other viewers (51%); * All age groups are equally likely to place importance on finding additional information online (between 75% and 77%), but younger adults are more likely to place importance on engaging with other viewers (54% of those 18-34 and 56% of those 35-44 compared to 40% of those 55 and older); and, * Among the online adults who do not comment, post, watch, view or read anything about TV programs or shows online, six in ten say it's because they don't want or need to (60%), a third say they don't think about it (34%), one in five say they don't have the time (20%) and fewer list privacy (12%) or other reasons (7%).
So What?
Many TV networks, programs and shows are investing in websites, online programming and social media outreach to further capture and engage their audiences, and, most online adults are aware of these efforts – almost six in ten say that when watching a program on television they are aware of additional material available online (57%). However, depending on who a marketer wants to target, they might be well advised to focus their efforts accordingly since this poll makes clear that different groups sign online in different ways, and at different times.
NIA Responds to Harvard Economics Professor About Inflation
PR Newswire
FORT LEE, N.J., March 29, 2011
FORT LEE, N.J., March 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Inflation Association (NIA) - http://inflation.us - today responded to an article Harvard economics professor Gregory Mankiw wrote in the NY Times yesterday entitled, It's 2026, and the Debt Is Due. In this article, Mankiw gave a hypothetical Presidential address the President of the U.S. might make in the year 2026 after a failed bond auction. Mankiw's hypothetical Presidential address takes place in a scenario where in the year 2026, the U.S. Treasury "tried to auction its most recent issue of government bonds" but "almost no one was buying." According to Mankiw's hypothetical speech, during this 2026 crisis the President will admit, "The private market will lend us no more."
Unfortunately, Professor Mankiw fails to understand that the U.S. has zero chance of surviving until the year 2026. What Mankiw predicts will happen 15 years from now is already happening today right under his nose, but somehow he fails to realize it.
The public today has already stopped buying U.S. treasuries. The Pimco Total Return Fund, which was the largest private holder of U.S. government bonds, has just reduced their holdings down to zero. The private sector was buying 30% of U.S. treasuries, but today is no longer buying at all. The Federal Reserve is currently buying 70% of U.S. treasuries. If it wasn't for the Federal Reserve buying U.S. treasuries, we would already be experiencing failed bond auctions today.
According to Mankiw, the President will say in 2026, "Today, most of the large baby-boom generation is retired. They are no longer working and paying taxes, but they are eligible for the many government benefits we offer the elderly." The fact is, the last baby-boomer turned 46 years old in 2010 and 46 is the age in which the average American reaches peak consumer spending. Therefore, even though most baby-boomers might not be retired, baby-boomer spending is now in free-fall while baby-boomers are simultaneously signing up for entitlement programs at record pace. This will begin to affect our economy today, not 15 years from now.
Mankiw's hypothetical speech has the President admitting in 2026 that we "have to cut Social Security immediately, especially for higher-income beneficiaries. Social Security will still keep the elderly out of poverty, but just barely" and we "have to limit Medicare and Medicaid. These programs will still provide basic health care, but they will no longer cover many expensive treatments. Individuals will have to pay for these treatments on their own or, sadly, do without." The truth is, if the U.S. government cut 100% of all spending except for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, we would still have a budget deficit from these entitlement programs and interest payments on our debt alone. If the U.S. wants to prevent hyperinflation and survive until 2026, we need to make major cuts to these programs today. By 2026, it will be over a decade too late and these programs will no longer exist at all.
Mankiw's hypothetical 2026 Presidential address goes on to say that "over the last several years" the U.S. has experienced a "vicious circle of rising budget deficits" and "as the ratio of our debt to gross domestic product reached ever-higher levels, investors started getting nervous". Does Mankiw realize that the U.S. just reported a budget deficit for the month of February 2011 of $222.5 billion, more than the entire fiscal year of 2007? In our opinion, our budget deficits can't rise much more viciously than what they already are today, without the U.S. experiencing an outbreak of hyperinflation. We need to begin sharply reducing our deficits immediately or else hyperinflation this decade is inevitable.
Our real debt to GDP ratio in the U.S. today is already north of 500% when you include unfunded liabilities for entitlement programs, as well as other commitments like the backing of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It will simply be impossible for this figure to rise much higher without the U.S. experiencing hyperinflation. NIA believes that unless the U.S. government completely eliminated Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, there is no way the U.S. government will be able to stay afloat for another 15 years with such an unprecedented level of debt.
In 2026, Mankiw believes the President will admit that, "Our efforts to control health care costs have failed." He suggests the President will proclaim that, "We must now acknowledge that rising costs are driven largely by technological advances in saving lives. These advances are welcome, but they are expensive nonetheless." Does Professor Mankiw own a laptop computer, plasma TV, or mobile phone? These technologies are improving by leaps and bounds yet prices are falling. Technological advances are not driving health care costs higher! It is the government's involvement in the health care sector and their failure to allow the free market to operate that is driving health care costs through the roof.
Professor Mankiw believes the President will continue by saying, "We have to cut health insurance subsidies to middle-income families." NIA believes it is the very same subsidies Mankiw is referring to that are driving health care costs sky high. It is just like in the college education industry. If the government didn't provide subsidies for students to learn voodoo Keynesian economic theories from professors like Mankiw, college tuitions would be a lot more affordable.
To solve this supposed 2026 crisis, Mankiw believes the President will announce, "We will raise taxes on all but the poorest Americans. We will do this primarily by broadening the tax base, eliminating deductions for mortgage interest and state and local taxes. Employer-provided health insurance will hereafter be taxable compensation." Although NIA believes employer-provided health insurance should be taxable compensation because it would end the employer based health insurance system and make health insurance cheaper for all Americans, we believe it will be impossible for the government to raise any additional revenues from tax increases. We are at a point where any additional taxes will drive economic activity overseas and result in less tax receipts. When hyperinflation soon arrives, taxes will become irrelevant. The government will fund over 99% of its spending by printing money and less than 1% from taxation.
Mankiw also believes the President in 2026 will, "increase the gasoline tax by $2 a gallon. This will not only increase revenue, but will also address various social ills, from global climate change to local traffic congestion." Come 2026, gasoline will probably cost $20,000 per gallon, if we are lucky. An additional $2 gasoline tax will be absolutely pointless and meaningless.
Mankiw suggests that the President in 2026 will, "secure from the I.M.F. a temporary line of credit to help us through this crisis." The I.M.F. recently sold a large percentage of its gold reserves and by 2026 will likely be broke. Even if the I.M.F. was still around 15 years from now and did provide the U.S. with a line of credit that helps it survive the crisis, the largest line of credit the I.M.F. could possibly financially provide would only support a U.S. government that is less than 1/10 of its size today. Therefore, NIA believes the U.S. government should begin dramatically reducing its size immediately, before it is in need of a line of credit from the I.M.F.
It would be nice to think that the U.S. will be able to borrow and print money for another 15 years to fund endless budget deficits and that 2026 is some magical year when all of our debts will come due. The economy does not work this way and it is disgraceful that our nation's most prestigious ivy league schools are teaching such dangerous economic principles. Considering that a large percentage of our highest ranking government officials graduated from Harvard, it really explains a lot when you look at who is teaching economics at Harvard. Mankiw is the same professor who in April of 2009 called for the Federal Reserve to implement negative interest rates. Mankiw called for savers to be punished and for all Americans with $100,000 in the bank to have only $98,000 one year later.
It is the destructive Keynesian theories of economists like Mankiw that have gotten the U.S. economy into the dire situation it is in today. Mankiw and other professors like him are brainwashing American students into believing that forcing people to spend is the key to a healthy economy and the way to solve all economic problems is to create a lot of inflation. All across America, students are graduating colleges with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, no jobs, and no idea of how the economy actually works. They will spend the rest of their lives paying off their debts and trying to get the false economic information they were taught out of their heads. The college education system in America is the single largest fraud that exists today, and NIA is going to expose the truth about the government's conspiracy to turn American students into debt slaves in our next feature documentary, coming in April.
It is important to spread the word about NIA to as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, if you want America to survive hyperinflation. Please tell everybody you know to become members of NIA for free immediately at: http://inflation.us
About us:
The National Inflation Association is an organization that is dedicated to preparing Americans for hyperinflation. NIA offers free membership at http://www.inflation.us and provides its members with articles about the U.S. economy and inflation, daily news stories and blog updates, and important charts not shown by the mainstream media. NIA is the producer of economic documentaries that have received a combined 10 million views including the critically acclaimed 'Meltup', 'The Dollar Bubble', 'End of Liberty', and 'Hyperinflation Nation'. NIA provides unbiased reviews of the major online sellers of gold and silver bullion and also offers profiles of gold, silver, agriculture, oil, and alternative energy companies that could prosper in an inflationary environment. NIA is the creator of 'NIAnswers', the world's most comprehensive database of questions and answers about inflation, currencies, debt, and precious metals.
CONTACT: Gerard Adams, 1-888-99-NIA US (1888-996-4287), editor@inflation.us
