Free Republic

6 Reasons Bernanke Is Wrong, And The Future Is Going To Be Bleak Rob Wile May 20, 2013, 10:10 AM Saturday morning, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told graduating Bard College students why he believes the future will be better. In theory, this is a pretty banal argument, especially in a graduation speech. But it looks a little different coming from an conscientious academic. Halfway through the speech, Bernanke presents the evidence of those who argue against this view — that actually, our best, most innovative days are way behind us. In a footnote, Bernanke discusses the folks he's really...

The Republican State Central Committee is meeting on April 13th to decide whether or not to oust Pat Brady as party chairman. Brady has been an absolute failure. He has divided the party. He has targeted conservative candidates for office. He has led the party off the cliff. He disrespects the party platform. In order for the GOP to have a future, he must go. Join us on April 13 at the Rally for the Future of the Illinois GOP.

In late June, Stockton became the nation's largest city to fail financially. At that time, all eyes were on the port city of 300,000 as experts warned the action could set off a string of similar filings among cash-strapped municipalities. Since then, a half-dozen cities have filed for Chapter 9 protection under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, including the city of San Bernardino.

Uploaded on Jul 5, 2011 Want an alternative to vehicular dependence on gas and oil? Forget about electric cars - how about wind-up cars, sail cars, and pogo cars! "Bruce McCall's Energy Free Transportation Future" envisions our roads and skies as environmentally fantastical places. click on the link

Or is it already one or the other? I don't know the answer, but the question is a basis for this article. I am not a student of religion and know little of Roman Catholic doctrine concerning Purgatory and Hell. Nor, as best I can remember, have I ever stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. However, my wife and I on several occasions back in 1997 and 1998 did enjoy our stays at Los Fraelis, a former (seventeenth century) monastery up in the mountains of the Venezuelan State of Merida that had been converted into a resort hotel. Los Fraelis...

Chavez is dead. Is Venezuela?h/t Devil's Excrement Daniel, one of my two favorite bloggers on things Venezuelan, published this article today. It summarizes what's wrong with Venezuela today and does not raise any false hopes for her immediate future. Her future is bleak. Here's the first paragraph. The wake is suspended, Chavez rests for the time being in a military museum, an old barrack to ensure past presidential safety at Miraflores, now unable to ensure safety in an area that has been overcome by slums. For a military that was never able to understand what the civilian world and democracy...

Celebrities are now upset about fracking, the injection of chemicals into the ground to crack rocks to release oil and gas. With everyone saying they want alternatives to foreign oil, I'd think celebrities would love fracking.I'd be wrong. Lady Gaga, Yoko Ono and their group, Artists Against Fracking, don't feel the love. Yoko sang, "Don't frack me!" on TV. Stopping fracking is the latest cause of the silly people. They succeeded in getting scientifically ignorant politicians to ban fracking in New York, Maryland and Vermont.Hollywood gave an Oscar to Gasland, a documentary that suggests fracking will shove gas into...

Bostrom: From Extinction to Transcendence by Paul Gilster on February 27, 2013 At the top of my list of people IÂ’d someday like to have a long conversation with is Nick Bostrom, a philosopher and director of OxfordÂ’s Future of Humanity Institute. As Centauri Dreams readers will likely know, Bostrom has been thinking about the issue of human extinction for a long time, his ideas playing interestingly against questions not only about our own past but about our future possibilities if we can leave the Solar System. And as Ross Andersen demonstrates in Omens, a superb feature on BostromÂ’s...

In fifty years, if not much sooner, half of the roughly 4,500 colleges and universities now operating in the United States will have ceased to exist. The technology driving this change is already at work, and nothing can stop it. The future looks like this: Access to college-level education will be free for everyone; the residential college campus will become largely obsolete; tens of thousands of professors will lose their jobs; the bachelor’s degree will become increasingly irrelevant; and ten years from now Harvard will enroll ten million students.

Hoping to take the commercialization of space to a higher level, a second company has jumped into what the founders hope will be a lucrative emerging market, prospecting for raw materials among near-Earth asteroids using fleets of low-cost robotic spacecraft, senior executives said Tuesday. The long-range goal is to develop an in situ manufacturing capability, harvesting raw materials and building components in space using high-tech mini foundries built around sophisticated 3D printers. "This is about the future. This is about making something happen," company chairman Rick Tumlinson told reporters during a news conference in Santa Monica, Calif. "Deep Space Industries...

The Next 10 Years Are Going To Be Mind-BlowingWe are living in an extremely exciting time in terms of science and technology. Things that have always been considered science fiction are becoming normal day-to-day components of our lives. And while we have been seeing invention after breakthrough over and over in the last couple of decades, this next ten years is going to blow everything else out of the water.The awesome thing about all these scientific discoveries it that they create technology that allows us to make more breakthroughs even faster. Our ability to innovate is increasing exponentially as the...

I DON'T FALL IN LOVE with politicians – the last presidential candidate I voted for with ardor was Ronald Reagan in 1980 – and my heart doesn't break when those I support don't win. Nor am I a party loyalist. As a conservative I vote for Republicans more often than not; for those of us committed to free enterprise, limited government, military strength, and a healthy civil society, there is usually no better option. But the Republican Party isn't the conservative movement. And a GOP defeat doesn't mean conservatism – or the GOP, for that matter – is in crisis....

It has long been understood that there is something peculiar, even paradoxical, about conservatism in America. American conservatism is different from conservatism in other countries, even those countries which were the original source of many other American ideas and ideals, i.e., the countries of Europe. Indeed, the very term “American conservatism” is something of an oxymoron. For most Europeans who came to America, the whole purpose of their difficult and disruptive journey to the New World was not to conserve European institutions but to leave them behind and to create something new, often an entirely new life and even a...

AMERICA NEARS EL TIPPING POINTO December 5, 2012 Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on emailShare on printMore Sharing Services355 I apologize to America's young people, whose dashed dreams and dim employment prospects I had laughed at, believing these to be a direct result of their voting for Obama. On closer examination, it turns out that young voters, aged 18-29, overwhelmingly supported Romney. But only the white ones. According to Pew Research, 54 percent of white voters under 30 voted for Romney and only 41 percent for Obama. That's the same percentage Reagan got from the entire white population in 1980....

With companies like Google creating self-driving cars and augmented-reality glasses, futurist Ray Kurzweil's predictions are starting to sound much more realistic. Kurzweil, cofounder of Singularity University, became famous for creating the first text-to-speech software. Forbes called him "the ultimate thinking machine." With technology advancing at increasingly rapid rate, and researchers making serious headway into discovering the mysteries of the brain, it seems as if we'll all be reconstituted as a computer someday.

Recently, nature punished us for our fossil fuel burning with hurricane Sandy; ask any science enthusiast, like Meghan McCain. Some people deny global warming exists, but that is foolish. It’s been proven. It is settled science. Globes have been warmed in science labs. And now we’re getting hit with massive hurricanes because… warming. It’s science — you don’t have to understand it, you just have to fear it. If we continue to pump carbon into the air, we will be hit by frequent hurricanes, flooding of the coasts, and men in white lab coats yelling at us and calling us...

Will anything of them remain? That's up to us.On November 8th, the day after the election returns were known, The Mad Jewess posted this 1968 YouTube video. She wrote, "It is the song of the once great America, a nation that is now gone with the wind." I felt much the same way and at times still feel that such is our future; but it will not necessarily happen that way unless we allow it to.[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB64vAgIvig?feature=player_detailpage] Video link. Please watch it. Those were indeed "the days" and try as I might I haven't been able to get the song...

Thus the only future I can predict is the one where you go French and surrender. You, and only you can turn this debacle around and me into a false prophet. Sadly, some among you seem to have all but given up. Reading through your reactions in the comments at PJ Media, Breitbart, Hotair and others, I see cries that "the Republic is dead", and even claims—shocking claims, for this Americanophile—to burn the flag because "it doesn’t mean anything anymore".

America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. ~ Abraham Lincoln America has forsaken her first love. She has finally, and fully, given herself over to a licentious Lothario with whom she has increasingly flirted since her youth. He is sin – and, notwithstanding full knowledge of who he is and what he intends, with him she has lain. America has tasted the poisonous fruits of lust, pride, passion, and envy – sloth, frivolity, iniquity and entitlement. She has tasted of their sweet deception and...

Mitt Romney wasn't a bad candidate. He ran a fairly strong race. He made a few errors. And he made many good moves. Certainly he was adequate. And he was probably the strongest Republican candidate among the primary field of contenders. That is, he was the best man available to run against Barack Obama. And he did a pretty good job. Obama on the other hand, was a horrible candidate. He was mean and vindictive. He was contemptuous and superficial. He ran on irrelevancies like abortion and a fictitious Republican war against women. He didn't give his supporters any reason...

Minimize your exposure, and batten down your hatches...because the only thing worse that you can do to the Left than denying them what they want, is when they get what they want.....

It is a glorious day The Lord has given us. This morning I extend an honest “Thank you” to the American electorate, for they provided a snapshot of themselves with unusual clarity. Six weeks ago I declared that the election was not a choice between two candidates as much as it was a verdict on us as a nation, and with near ubiquity and persuasive forcefulness that verdict has been rendered. From coast to coast the electorate chose debauchery and an expanding welfare state. (they may not have thought that was what they were voting for, but make no mistake...)...

So that's what it takes to win an election, huh? Lie, cheat, and steal? You should be proud of yourself, Barack and Mitt. As far as I'm concerned both of these traitorous, do-nothing, chicken-shit twits deserve each other. I think it would have been best for America if Obama's and Romney's planes have collided over the high desert somewhere? It's time for a third party!

House Democrats will hold their leadership elections after the Thanksgiving break, a leadership aide announced Wednesday. On an afternoon call with members of her caucus, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the party will stage the elections on Nov. 29, the aide said. That date is much later than the schedule adopted by Republicans, who have indicated they'll finalize their leadership slots the week before the Thanksgiving holiday. The distinction has stirred some speculation that Pelosi might be preparing to step down after 25 years on Capitol Hill, and that she plans to use her return in the lame-duck...

I just finished watching a movie (out of free time).. It gave insight to what has become of our society from the "Social Networks"..

Dylan Grice Writes His Most Negative Note Ever: 'I Am More Worried Than I Have Ever Been' Matthew BoeslerOctober 2, 2012 www.investmentweek.co.uk SocGen strategist Dylan Grice is known for being pretty bearish in general, but this could take the cake. Check out the way Dylan Grice begins his latest missive: I am more worried than I have ever been about the clouds gathering today (which may be the most wonderful contrary indicator you could hope for...). I hope they pass without breaking, but I fear the defining feature of coming decades will be a Great Disorder of the sort which...

The bitter tone of the debate over the legality of circumcision has shocked Jews living in Germany and reopened old wounds. In light of what many report are ongoing difficulties, some are now wondering if the country truly wants them. Arye Sharuz Shalicar was looking for a place he could call home. It wasn't an unusual wish. He doesn't wear a kippah and isn't a devout Jew. He grew up in Berlin's Wedding district, surrounded by Turkish and Arab children -- a difficult combination. Later he wore the uniform of the German army during his military service. Then he went...

Lets just suppose Romney wins the election and one of his first acts is to start a investigation of who Obama is. If all that some believe is true like, born in another country, went to school as a Muslim immigrant, his grades were poor and his IQ is average, has a communist trained background and support through school. What will this do to the future of the Democratic party after the average American is told that party lied to them about who Obama was?

Battalions of super-soldiers could be selected for specific duties on the basis of their genetic make-up and then constantly monitored for signs of weakness. So says a report by the U.S. National Academies of Science (NAS). If a soldier is struggling, a digital "buddy" might step in to warn about nearby threats, or advise comrades to zap the soldier with an electromagnet to increase his alertness. If the whole unit is falling apart, biosensors could warn central commanders to send in a replacement team.

July 4th used to be my favorite holiday. Now, not so much. What happened? Independence Day has always been a day to join friends and neighbors in the celebration of America’s greatness, its unparalleled achievements and its unbounded future. It was the one day it was cool to be a “super patriot,” and that was super cool. We used to celebrate what President Reagan called, “that shining city on a hill.” America was a beacon of hope and bastion of freedom, an example to the world – a beacon and an example not because of special history but because of...

Once one of the most beautiful cities in America, San Francisco is now a bastion of 'progressive' lunacy: the law is basically ignored, the homeless are encouraged to camp-out... convicted felons are given jobs over honest citizens... our military is hated and disrespected... and droves of gay activists walk the streets stark-naked. Public decency laws, federal immigration laws, and plain common-decency have been replaced by a city that no longer respects itself, or others... And if the 'progressives' have their way- the whole country will look just this nuts. So if you want to be offended, disrespected, and insulted, plan a...

A look into the Future After the SCOTUS ruling this past week, here is a hypothetical look at our future. This situation may never happen, however, after the ruling, this could happen and "WE THE PEOPLE" no longer have many recourses to prevent it. Dom Breeskov: Yesterday, President Willard Wilson signed the hotly contested “BUY GM Bill” after it was approved in the House and Senate, both by narrow margins. The bills requires anybody that purchases a car in the US to buy a General Motors product in order to avoid paying a $5000.00 tax that would be imposed on...

I'm curious: with what may be our country's most important Supreme Court decision due tomorrow, what do all you fellow Freepers see as our collective, national future - and your personal future - if ObamaCare is left intact?

Not only does he not have debt, a mortgage or rent, he does not earn a salary. Nor does he buy food or clothes, or own any product with a lower case "i" before it. Home is a cave on public land outside Moab, Utah. He scavenges for food from the garbage or off the land (fried grasshoppers, anyone?). He has been known to carve up and boil fresh road kill. He bathes, without soap, in the creek.

Panasonic's new 145-inch Ultra High Definition television boasts resolution of nearly 34 million pixels, demonstrating what the future of television may eventually look like. When it comes to TVs, bigger is better. NHK, also known as the Japanese Broadcasting Corporation, unveiled its 85-inch LCD display, developed in conjunction with Sharp, last year. Today they’ve bested their previous technology with the introduction of a 145-inch Ultra High Definition plasma display, developed in conjunction with Panasonic. The ultra-high-definition display, or Super Hi-Vision TV as NHK refers to the format, rivals IMAX theaters in detail. “Even when viewed from 1.6 meters away,...

The late great Alistaire Cooke describes the current predicament of the U.S. -- in 1973! Phenomenal.

Sex workers in Amsterdam will have a hard time finding work if two New Zealand academics' vision of the future comes true. "In 2050, Amsterdam's red light district will all be about android prostitutes who are clean of sexual transmitted infections, not smuggled in from Eastern Europe and forced into slavery, the city council will have direct control over android sex workers controlling prices, hours of operations and sexual services," write futurologist Ian Yeoman and sexologist Michelle Mars. The duo's paper, Robots, Men And Sex Tourism, published in the journal Futures, centres on an imaginary future sex club in Amsterdam...

As advances in computer technology make gadgets ever smaller and more portable the idea of carrying a screen of any kind could soon be outdated. Consumer products with screens have dropped in size from computer to laptop to tablet via phone. But one company specialising in cutting edge visual technology waIsraeli company Lumus has shown off the PD-18-2, which may look like a cumbersome pair of shades but allow the user to see high-quality images while they walk.nts to beam information directly into your field of vision.

YOU DECIDE! Somebody's been reading their Albert Pike docs., lol

we are getting closer to the jetsons!!

<p>There are moments when our political system, whose essential job is to mediate conflicts in broadly acceptable and desirable ways, is simply not up to the task. It fails. This may be one of those moments. What we learned in 2011 is that the frustrating and confusing budget debate may never reach a workable conclusion. It may continue indefinitely until it's abruptly ended by a severe economic or financial crisis that wrenches control from elected leaders.</p>

If Newt Gingrich were being nominated for sainthood, many of us would vote very differently from the way we would vote if he were being nominated for a political office. What the media call Gingrich’s “baggage” concerns largely his personal life and the fact that he made a lot of money running a consulting firm after he left Congress. This kind of stuff makes lots of talking points that we will no doubt hear, again and again, over the coming weeks and months. But how much weight should we give to this stuff when we are talking about the future...

Islam is on its way to become the most practiced religion in Europe. In a new book published by the University of Leuven, “The Iris and the Crescent,” sociologist Felice Dassetto says that Muslims will comprise the majority of the population of Brussels by 2030. The title of the book refers to the yellow flower symbol of Brussels’ region and to the Islamic emblem: While the first is decaying, the second is growing. Muslims now make up one-quarter of the population of the capital of the enlightened Europe and they are asking to use the empty churches for Islamic prayers....

Occupy Protesters Consider Political FutureBy Don Gonyea Thu., December 1, 2011 3:45am (EST) **SNIP** One who has been watching the Occupy movement closely is Van Jones, an activist who once worked in the Obama White House, and who now heads an organization called Rebuild the Dream. Jones has spoken at Occupy encampments and met with those working on the next steps. He thinks that the movement can work on multiple fronts. Protests and demonstrations are important, Jones says, but so too are elections. "There's no reason to do an either or here. This can be one of the biggest movements...

GOP candidate speaks out on 'Your World'

BOSTON (AP) -- Rep. Barney Frank's decision to step down at the end of his term is the latest jolt to the bruised ego of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, which once counted Kennedys, House speakers and a president among its ranks. Instead, some of the state's best-known political figures are now Republicans, among them Sen. Scott Brown and presidential candidate Mitt Romney. "For a long time, Massachusetts Democrats have felt they played a special role in the national Democratic Party," said Tufts University political science professor Jeffrey Berry. "I think that has gone at this point. There is no one...

Nice to listen to on many fronts.

Get Ready! Listen up – Because your space playbook is about to really change. There’s a new gunslinger in Dodge and he’s huge. He’s hungry. He’s very wealthy. He’s ambitious, (like we used to be). And he is not American. He has already started to play the Game and we are unaware. We don’t even know what the Game is. What is the Game? The Game is what I call "Solar System Monopoly". This will characterize the 21st and 22nd centuries and beyond. "The Hell you say." Yes, I say -- and if we ignore this it shall be at...

"...First, identify prominent purveyors of global warming doom-and-gloom. The bigger the media ham, the better. For a jumping-off list, I suggest Al Gore, James Hansen, Michael Mann, Gavin Schmidt and Joe Romm. Second, whenever the purveyors of doom make ridiculous predictions about global warming, ask them to put their money where their mouths are. After all, if Al Gore can so fervently urge government to force us to spend our hard-earned money complying with his global warming predictions, he should certainly be willing to risk his own millions backing up his global warming claims. Sometimes you might get lucky and...