The Kingdom - House of Saud Trying to Placate the Masses

The House of Saud seems shaken by events taking place all around them:

IYADH (Reuters) - Saudi King Abdullah returned home on Wednesday after a three-month medical absence and unveiled benefits for Saudis worth some $37 billion in an apparent bid to insulate the world's top oil exporter from an Arab protest wave.

Before Abdullah arrived, state media announced an action plan to help lower- and middle-income people among the 18 million Saudi nationals. It includes pay rises to offset inflation, unemployment benefits and affordable family housing.

No, this isn't a geopolitical blog, it is a market blog.  These are market events.  These actions have the ability to become game changers, and we had better understand the events and their repercussions.  Should we start to see the "winter of discontent" spread to the House of Saud, watch oil, watch margins in just about every industry, watch global growth.  Park the Expedition, unpack the smart car.


Disclosure:  long just about everything that would get smacked.

The Shame of the US Political process

Once again, our system of government is showing what it has truly become.  Gone are the days of debate and making tough decisions, gone are the days or a government of the people, by the people and for the people.  The founding fathers would be ashamed of the cowardice.

Most Democratic members of the Indiana House of Representatives have decamped for Illinois to avoid being forced to vote on legislation that would allow workers in private sector unions the right to opt out of their unions and not pay dues, officials said Wednesday.

In a statement released Wednesday morning, the Democratic members, who were trying to prevent a quorum in the House, said: “We will remain here until we get assurances from the governor and House Speaker Brian Bosma that these bills will not be called down in the House at any time this session.”

Following the pitiful conduct by Wisconsin:

The Democratic state senators have fled the state as a way of preventing a vote on the union legislation. Starting Tuesday, those senators, who are in Illinois, will have to watch from afar as Republicans continue the work of governing without them, taking up matters from the mundane to the controversial. 

Now, before I am accused of being a covert Fox neocon, let me just say that this is not about mere politics - it is about the the subversion of the constitution and all that this country has worked for and stands to lose (yes, this is in motion).  It is a shame.  Is it any wonder many nations do not want our democracy?