RoR: Forum

Post 0

Wednesday, June 18 - 1:35pm

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A mercenary and a pragmatist, Dick Morris is still one of the most astute commentators on today's political scene.

You can subscribe to his free email newsletter (about 3-4 a week) simply by visiting http://www.dickmorris.com/

Post 1

Wednesday, June 18 - 1:41pm

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Speculation, Regulation and the Gas Bubble:

from http://www.dickmorris.com/

Formerly, most of the investments in oil futures came from energy companies. The federal Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) sharply limited investments by those outside the business, to prevent precisely the kind of speculation now gripping the market.

But when the stock market slowed down in 2000 - 2002, outside investors decided to speculate in oil futures....

To avoid the CFTC caps, these investors moved their operations to London, setting up the International Commodities Exchange. Now they can buy all the oil futures they want.

Michael W. Masters, of Masters Capital Management, told Congress that the volume of investment in commodities futures soared from $13 billion at the end of 2003 to $260 billion by March of 2008.

Yet another hugely lucrative market moved to London from New York due to federal regulation.

Post 2

Thursday, June 19 - 12:13pm

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+1 on DM. You have to hold your nose, though. I've been watching him and getting his newsletter for the past year. He's spot on every time. He was the first one that I heard say that Hillary lost - last February.

Post 3

Thursday, June 19 - 12:36pm

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Beneficial if Unpleasant

Like I said, he's mercenary. And I really hate the "horse race" aspect of political coverage, as it treats politics as entirely cynical and divorced from principles. (One reason I so love my DVR is that I can skip the political sound bites on the nightly news!) Of course, this is a valid aspect of the media, just as proctology is a valid field of medicine.

A friend cajoled me to sign up for Morris for months. He knows my politics and my disdain for the day to day media speculation and obsession with gaining rhetorical advantage, appearances, pragmatics, and sophistry.

But the reports are succinct, well-thought out, event- and not deadline-driven. Morris only says something when he actually has something to say.

Post 4

Thursday, June 19 - 1:14pm

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And I really hate the "horse race" aspect of political coverage, as it treats politics as entirely cynical and divorced from principles.

But - politics in the real world IS divorced from principles.....

Post 5

Thursday, June 19 - 1:47pm

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That's not entirely true, Robert. Republicans usually resign from office when there is an appearance of impropriety. (Usually.) Democrats get re-elected on that basis.