Thread: George Soros

"Abnormal Returns From the Common Stock Investments of Members of the U.S. House of Representatives,"
Business and Politics: Vol. 13: Iss. 1, Article 4.

Couldn't resist posting this here. Have I purchased the paper no? The thesis and results aren't really surprising though. I must add; given the results are based on average returns one has to wonder what the high returns were. Surely there are some foolish/unwise investors and non-crooked politicians that were dragging those averages down.

Abstract linked here

http://www.bepress.com/bap/vol13/iss1/art4/

Learned about it from this essay.

Not-so-Representative-Investors by John Schwartz. NY Times, July 9, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/10/bu...er=rss&emc=rss

Originally Posted by FireWeatherMet

Tom,
Regarding the next of many speculative accusations...again same thing...maybe or maybe not. The Obama administration did not want an SP downgrade, so they had nothing to do with it. As for insider speculation...you could argue that EVERY hedge fund manager tries to get inside information, their results rely on it. If anyone is going to try to make a political connection to it, then you probably have to look at the vast number of hedge fund managers on Wall St that lean to the Republican side. Soros and all those other hedge fund managagers make speculative bets all the time...its their job.

I absolutely agree with some of what you said. I am not dissing Soros for betting on the downgrade. I don't understand the defensiveness on this issue. I buy and sell short ETF's all the time. When I am short, I want the market to go down so I can buy low and sell high. I was just curious if it were true that it was him. Really. Some say it was, some say it wasn't. I'm simply asking if it was or not. He just doesn't seem to practice what he preaches. The man is a capitalist and very he's good at it.

I REALLY don't want to get into it here, but as far as republicans and Wall Street, I think actions speak louder than words. Clearly Obama received more contributions from Wall Street in '08, than did McCain. Is that even debatable anymore?

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If it is debatable, I'll see you over on... www.beltwaytalk.com/forum.php

Originally Posted by RealMoneyIssues

I'll get to this, promise, I just don't have time tonight. The why IS important, as much as the fact that he ONLY speaks for himself. "Show me the Money!"

Not making any arguments or debate here just clarifying the point on Buffet's tax stance brought up earlier in the discussion. His statement wasn't that he WANTS to pay more, it is that the vast majority of Americans (specifically 99.7% of the population) are being asked sacrifice more than the mega-rich (0.3%) are being asked to sacrifice. He doesn't think we need to keep "coddling" the 0.3% of people like himself.

FWIW, Buffet's point is that the mega-rich, he uses $1,000,000 not $250k, aren't being asked to contribute as much to the problem (deficit) as the middle class.

He points out that the mega-rich effective tax rate (considering the way cap gains taxes are used) is lower than middle class effective rates (largely payroll tax). His point is that the deficit can be reduced significantly by asking the mega-rich to pay their part. MOREOVER Buffet's point was, asking...err requiring via tax code...the mega-rich to pay a greater effective tax WILL NOT cause the mega-rich to invest less into their business ventures.

His piece, if you'd like to read it.