(Again) Belated Movie Review - "Elysium".

This production is probably best seen on a big - screen, and not because it is a violent movie

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(though not with the same bloody scenes in some recent productions as ends in themselves) with a theme overall that might be considered vigilante, but due to the kind of epic scale of the thing without its really trying to be so.  This is a feature film, extremely well - done, that again shows the clash of the forces of evil and good, and not just saints and sinners involved here in a plot you must pay attention to that is a rocky ride through everything from urban firefighting for guerillas and spies to very elegant space flight to a formidable castle in the sky.  I can not give away the plot, and while many people have already seen this movie, it shows a pitched and hotly contested battle not between the empire and Luke Skywalker types, but an environment where the existence of technologies and the spirits of this brutally and mortally work by nature against the code between everyone as a member of the human family.  Really something here that will hold you in your seat, good acting and with very real special effects.  Overall and in detail an outstanding Hollywood film for young people.

Belated book review - something from 2013 to gift yourself with (and stay up with this, too.)

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THE GREAT DEFORMATION:  "The Corruption of Capitalism in America", 2013, by David A. Stockman.
Having read Mr. Stockman's 1980's book about federal administration, the budget, the Reagan years, and public financial policies as published some time ago, when I first saw this text on the shelf of a local bookstore given the volume of the thing and the importance of the topic to every follower of economics and politics current events, I resolved to try to find out about its content through other means.  I sought out articles in reviews, and in the popular business press and in speaking with people whom I know at least watch the national evening news and maybe even occasionally some of the other "Meet The Press," "This Week," "Washington Journal" - type programs.  I then did see a copy of the text at local library and despite again its formidable size, made an attempt at checking out at least the quite informative introductory pages of which the following:  No matter one's efforts to learn about what is written in some books, from Dickens to Halberstam and then David Stockman, it is very difficult, in fact one might even have to be the author himself, to actually know all the implications and ins and outs of what is presented in any sizeable and detailed book.  While the latest Stockman book is mostly about public finances, it is about many things everyone needs read of, and people like me are surprised his works do not sell better than they do, nor why same are not more sought out at least through the library.  In order to locate his first book as published, as I had wanted same in hardback, and I had to go to a paperback clearninghouse -- the hardbacks had apparently all been valueably purchased and were on people's shelves, probably especially mostly in the New England area and in Southern California.  One cannot know the viscera of the content in such texts, nor of his first book, the Triumph of Politics, nor really of that of his second reviewed here and people like me do hope Mr. Stockman is speaking to some gifted people about his ideas somewhere, and often as the text itself is full of object lessons and of greatly interesting and profound insights into why the latest "Great Depression 2.0", and previous panics and recessions that are within memory.
This author, and with the greatest of humility, projects modestly a fiscal dilemma faced by our country, that the U.S., that will provoke within a few years an un - covered national debt of over $ 20 trillion (tt - my notation), due primarily to the largesse of the current political regime, and this due to the fault of no one in particular, with respect to the recently negative economic shock or shocks that called for the great bailouts of TBTF ("too big to fail") enterprises in America including Goldman Sachs, Long Term Capital Management, AIG, General Motors (and other auto makers,) the demise of Lehman Brothers, and of other big business entities that only add to the author's image of the American welfare state, and this now no longer in the offing, specifically due to the monetizing of deficits and economic downturns.  In addition to the overwhelming and actual business debts in the direct form of liabilities, there is an ever - increasing and accumulating consumer debt in the U.S. that during 2007 might have been six or seven times that of the Troubled Asset Recovery Program and its related funds implemented to alleviate the 2008 crises.
Stockman validly estimates, and this in a text published last year (2013,) that U.S. public and private debt at the end of 2008 had been at $ 22 tt, which has many economics and business market experts still asking about that time as a panic (?) or a depression (?).  He describes as well in the book a financial disaster 'contagion' as provoked by the AIG bailout madness from the failure of that company's C.D.S. and related hybrid and derivative investments on its own corporate accounts.  Similar enterprises with the same financial concerns included at the time Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, SOCIETE GENERALE, Deutsche Bank, BankAmerica / Merrill Lynch; and London, U..K.'s stodgy Barclays (incidentally that wound up the Lehmann Brothers business after that bank collapsed).  Stockman criticizes throwing and slinging federal moneys (perhaps good money after bad) at a "discombobulated" panic at the time, and this especially palpable in the affairs of the U.S. Treasury as superintended by Hank Paulson and the image he portrayed as a free mareketeer who engaged in the re - organization of the entities at hand, and who'd failed and demanded a kind of opaque and insulated, and even "bogus" reboot of these businesses.  The author proposed the problem began during the time when the deficits first started to be monetized, maybe during the early seventies, as followed then by the declaration and subsequent policies of the U. S. Federal Reserve to influence or make an "objective" of some properties and orders of magnitude in the New York stock market given the sort of leverage used there and the related debt as investors know it.  The illustrations of these are fascinating and dramatic while at the same time telling a story apart from individual vagaries like clothing and eating or coffee house habits, automobile styles and the like.  The Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan at the time allowed for a "put option" on the stock market as indicated by the new and overall re - framing of relations between the Federal Reserve and Wall Street starting in the 1990's - 2000's --  the U.S. New York stock market and its machinations and U.S. Federal Reserve's friendliness with same somehow were taken by business and other leaders as necessary since the repeal of Glass - Steagall and the changes in tone of dealing with public finances and the stock market that took place at the time.   From 2002 - 2007, credit market debt in America grew by $ 18 tt (from about $ 3.5 trillion to over $ 20 tt).  This is a main premise of the book, and a factual representation meant to have the reader pay attention and note better the other and very many financial and monetary details of this text that do no less than take the proverbial stuffing out of any curiosity involved in assessing what happened on or about 2008 with the crisis and again with T.A.R.P.
The text applies basic economic theory to a further examination of the effects of cronyism and business and commerce including the 2008 "Blackberry Panic", the new Keynesianism, misapplication of economic theories and rules especially with respect to the Taylor Rule and the Laffer Curve, the federal budget and spending in the face of all this, the myths of supply - side economics with respect to Keynesianism, the way in which deficits balloon including the expectation apparently of many of a "fiscal free lunch," how to "grow your way out" of recession and much  more.  The book also offers short economic history lessons that are riveting, going back to the 1929 crash, the 1932 recovery, WWII,  the Eisenhower years and numerous instances of public finance policies and their effects more recently of which those from the early 1970's when the U.S. annulled Bretton Woods policies, up through the Carter and Reagan years, then the war years under George H.W. Bush and others.  The recent wars and economic volatility and crises have been extremely expensive concerning currency values and the federal budget, though the text neither specifically cites the scale of the effects of

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these, nor their financial scope.  The author does cite as the result of this and more that the deficits have been monetized, and while for these there is some Keynesian explanation and resulting policies though the difficulties of federal public finances multiply conundrum upon conundrum and thus the 2008 crises the country is now putting behind it.  Further, and as a result of the character of the recent downturn, recovery and long - term macro - economic growth rates are in question as to whether the recovery can actually be trusted.  This text gifts the reader with many such considerations and illustrates one set of circumstances after the other, conundrums and dilemmas one, again, after another:  Read word - for - word and to lose heart here is to lose faith in oneself.  The story overall is of greed, windfalls (occasional), riches in bailouts and receiverships, again a Keynesian recovery for breadwinners, crony capitalists in the areas of fiscal policy, energy, medicine and health care, central banking, the global financial network(s), and a tower of deficits; all leading eventually to a showdown between the state that sees ahead a severe economic wreck against those who would empty the Treasury.  Some radical reforms are proposed at the end of the book as analysis and conclusion on this chaos as portrayed is in order.  Pressure for, and the voice for reform are in the tone of the book throughout, and the author states a need for reform starting with a balanced budget rule (that of old, still), and some other suggestions and even some on tax reform.  Overall a read for the economist or businessperson who "needs to know" and who might be either in the top one percent financially, or in the remaining ninety - nine.  There's something for everyone to latch onto policy - wise here, and well worth reading in search of same if that is what the reader sets himself or herself to.  The historical economics is so well - illustrated in this writing that Stockman deserves awards for his linking together of things over generations and party and policy lines.

Another review (not read by me).

"Huffington Post" editorial.

Belated Movie Review: 2006 "Fearless" with Jet Li, ... .

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Happened to turn on the set today and caught this film that is an outstanding and very viewable interpretation of a Chinese version of a story that's half Alexander of Macedon and half Ulysses.  There are so many facets to this production, the quite intense and graphic fight scenes and others with their special effects aside, that one would do well to see it more than once.  This particular video is somewhat older, from 2006 or so, though I might do well to buy it, not because people like me are interested in karate nor the ornateness of some of the like films, but the plot here as it unfolds gives overall an excellent impression to the viewer and listener of dialogue and themes of the political environment of pre - revolutionary China (mention pre - 1911, or pre - 1905.)  China under the revolutionaries was such a violent place that it became undesirable to live or tour there for years and only was it opened up after the Carter administration, really, during and after 1979.  The Chinese of today share many habits and pastimes with their Western counterparts, especially with the guitar - playing and basketball hobbies of many Americans.  At least this was true with respect to young party members and young Americans after the publication of the Shang hai communique.

"Fearless" is the type of movie that leaves the viewer with the impression that the martial arts in China, as boxing and other fighting contests in the West, have a primacy dating to a long time ago, and this despite the evidence the 1949 revolution and the Mao times that were conducted as to purge as much about ancient culture as could be.  This long heritage of these arts, and the considerable acting and fighting arts capabilities of Mr. Li and his character adversaries take the aura of martial arts films to a new level that merits direct legacy from the Lee films of the 1970's and the like.  The thing about such films today, and of the same thematic complexities as the Lee films, is they have more stark, impressionable, and even shocking imagery than the Lee films that put down the pavestones for the current media.  This 2006 production deserves a repeated audience and discussion as to the actual redeeming value of martial arts training and how such things are portrayed for the public (not, for instance, that every one has to be on the order of the epic "Crouching Tiger, ... ) about the cultural and societal terrain of the last years of the Qing dynasty that proved in spirit, and in retrospect, to have finally favored civic and political freedoms and a constitution, bicameral rule, and this along with many other features of administration in to the modern world; though without a doubt the adaptability and hopes about this of the populace to promised reforms was abated by what many figures of the times proposed as the unlikelihood of the Nationalists and the proximity at the same time to Lenin's kingdom over the Western lands.  Sun Yat - sen, who was a great force for unity, died in the process of bringing actual home rule to the masses, and this is addressed partially in the film with various and sundry tragedy that trim possibilities again and again for the main character(s.)

Master Hou in the story undergoes impossible fighting contests and ordeals and leverages everything to gain the right of passage as the fighting champion of Tian jin at his Wu shu methods and style, and at the eventuality and completion of this project that takes on a life of its own, throws off the glorious yet burdensome title of "best in Tian jin", and by some personal tragedies involved, takes to the country to recover from his battles and the social forces that made these contests so forcefully and brutally contested.  The Buddhist tone and older cultural beliefs of the social environment in the aftermath of his title - seeking are palpable in his removal to a place in the countryside where he is found and nurtured by those in the hills along his path.  Much of the actually and extremely valuable parts of the film take place after his return to Tian jin from the hills.  A must - see for those into martial arts productions, and again and again.  

U.S. and Ukraine - Crimea (don't worry.)

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A short column might suffice for many people who know that Western Ukraine is mysterious enough without the Russians organizing a snap referendum on joining their federation, then amassing military units to enforce the election terms at border and other areas as they apparently have been doing lately.  Our own reasons for Secretary of State Kerry trying to meet (and apparently hopelessly) with Sergei Lavrov, Russian foreign minister, have to do with the way in which the U.S. encourages any number of trends, ideas, principles, and other framework to allow for action in statehood affairs concerning the type of, again, Western federalism that has proved so successful and vital in places like Europe proper and North America.  The logic to this is complicated however rooted in the traditions of the power of non - Marxist and other centrist and non - centrist views and their role in free - thinking and other administrations that apply the rule of law, the structure of political, civil, and human rights and other applications of the kind of universalities, in a way very simple once illustrated properly, that appear to be lacking in Ukraine at this time; at least in the part now rapidly annexed by the Putin government as represented by Lavrov in many cases before the U.S. and U.N.  It is probable that Putin speaks English and likes places like McDonald's, and maybe even the Yankees, and Carnegie Hall, the Florida Coast - all pretty close and accessible to Russia at this point; he might even like watching the Red Sox this season on his Russian satellite television network.  What is therefore the sense and sanity, if perceptible, within the framework of the snap Ukrainian referendum on statehood and then the troop movements?  It is almost certainly not due to electoral or post - electoral opposition as those who had a stake in the referendum and lost at least are so momentarily weak, and their political allies as well that these could barely and hardly challenge the referendum - winning party or parties, themselves, and without really the help of menacing Russian crack troops as the television portrays them in this barely - warmer - than - late - winter March / April 2014.  With respect to this and editorials:  Maybe see as well related articles in U.S. national papers via your Google searches; and even South China Morning Post, ... .  Concerning the image above, remember it could represent a thousand or more people showing agreement or assent with a handshake, and then ... , and this with specific respect to Kremlin intransigence, to use a term here, and their own style of bamboozling and bulldozing.  Remember as well the Russians in power at this point, and those connected to them are wonderful people, fun and fun - loving, caring and concerned for everyone they meet, good at parties.

Though there is reason for optimism here, a silver lining:  There might now be some Kremlin statement the troops will be removed as soon as possible as is indicated sometimes, and apparently at least in part now with respect to the "Orange Revolution" of late - that politics have come full - circle again in Eastern Europe with Ukraine and that mystery of a place, Crimea, as a flagship example of the power of the Kremlin in first allowing for the administrative flux since some time ago, and then reining in the people whose chains they originally let out.  In remembering the political relationship, though they might have disliked each other personally, between Boris Yeltsin and his like to the Saint Petersburg people, Putin and Medvedev, Lavrov, included, Yeltsin himself might have had a word with his then underlings, maybe even in English as the Russians are good at English and other languages, that predicated the current politics and political movements and trends in Eastern Europe right now about Crimea and so forth upon things like Russian constitutional, legislative and military reforms, lots of public jostling and meetings including demonstrations and talking with foreigners including Putin's admonitions, jeremiads, and diatribes about affairs.  In the old days sometimes these sorts of things, and this for the ears probably only, really short things were said about some very large issues, today maybe of which the actual territorial bounds, some of which some Russians regard to justify expansionism, for example, as actually the "cultural", societal or linguistic boundaries of the country.  In this way, places like Chicago or Bloomington might be part of Russia, though naturally reasonable people know this to be impossible, and impossible it is with respect to this attitude duplicative of stalinist verbiage of old that people there really seem to admire despite its open brutality and blunt and brute force political and militarily - oriented intent.  Stalin was as expansionist as Hitler had been and chose a psychological and cultural, political approach to this instead of trying to move people out of the way in his aims by publicly and illegally shooting them.  The paradox of this is stalinism is supposed to be peaceful and as the religion of the time has its current descendants in control of Eastern Ukraine and Crimea where not many people know what is actually happening save for a few documentarists favorable to Kremlin aims.

This I propose that Moskva pulls the wool over everyone's eyes these days when it can, and does so arrogantly and in person very nicely and politely with all the manners and worldliness, sophistication that one would expect of Malenkov or Molotov, and disciples so anointed including Andrei Gromyko's, even Yuri Andropov's and Konstantin Tchernenko's descendants:  These people proved publicly only somewhat effective on the world stage in what concerns soviet political tour - de - force of the day after the 1960's and then the Brezhnev years.  The end of the cold war turned these people and their colleagues into court jesters, but to meet them or be in contact with them was extremely powerful and this with respect to their many - faceted political pursuits of which the trending brushfires in places like Africa and South and maybe even Southeast Asia, The Middle East, China, ... .  The legacy of these individuals, themselves down in history in their country at this point as heroes, tragically, has been the kind of troublemaking and knit - picking on the U.S. and its allies that has taken place since (and this noticeably) the change of the regimes in North Africa, notably that of Libya.  This Russian statebuilding, or referendum by the Russian Federation on Crimea represents on an incremental scale the sort of thing the old Bolsheviks dreamed about in all events given the open and wasteful spending by same of their political and other currencies and the dialectical paradoxes of the kind of military boasting same had done and continue to do while donned in administrative cloth.  Sergei Lavrov used us, used public opinion about basic sovereignty, misused it, and then betrayed his friends in the West to certify a regional military bedrock the Russian Federation has now assimilated in the Crimean peninsula.  This is tragic and ominous, and it what happened under the Tsars and later under the old Bolsheviks when people shook hands but there was no actual understanding of the intentions of Moskva nor of its machinations and "smoke and mirrors."  The same old thing again - trying to make the West and its envoys and ambassadors look like ineffectual fools, and they might have lately with the meeting in Europe between Kerry and Lavrov who has all this military / KGB and cloak and dagger tradition behind him.  All Kerry has at hand in Eastern Europe is youthful intelligence and aspirations, hope for the future, a spirit of freedom, democracy as it is known, the rule of law; principles that are ethereal to those who have manipulated them there and another reason or reasons the soviets were cast into oblivion by the Cold War.  This insight is not really my own, and despite the cloak and dagger, and the militants of old retaining the rights to enforce referendum results, one would like to see what actually happens now and into the future in places like Western Ukraine and the new border areas with its neighbor.  This might have been why everyone smiled and shook hands shortly ago in Paree.  Though the current situation is a tragedy with Russian troops imposing on another populace at this point, such a presence is quite expensive politically and concerning the Russian treasury.  It is however given certain evens here, including the ongoing opposition publicly to the snap referendum on Crimea, the Bolshevik will to power and its effects as demonstrated by a renewed type of stalinism are greatly attenuated by the passage of time since his death and other slack on the Russian Federation at this point making for less foreign kow - towing to the Kremlin than otherwise might be the case, and probably as well to the frustration of the reigning parties in Moskva and apparatchik and supporters at this time; and, and, and.  "Who, when".