Saturday, March 31, 2012
Judge Napolitano Day 2 Analysis of Supreme Court Health Care Debate 1/2 - YouTube
Judge Napolitano Day 2 Analysis of Supreme Court Health Care Debate 1/2 - YouTube: Judge Napolitano Day 2 Analysis of Supreme Court Health Care Debate 1/2
The Hutaree Case: Next, Time, They’ll Send in the Drones by William Norman Grigg
Next time the Regime identifies a group of people as "domestic terrorists," the result might be a summary mass execution, or imprisonment in military custody, rather than a trial. This is one very plausible result of the dismissal of "seditious conspiracy" charges against members of Michigan’s Hutaree militia.
Thanks to the legal environment created by the NDAA, the Feds won’t have to run the risks involved in submitting the next "domestic terrorism" case to the scrutiny of a court. Now that Attorney General Eric Holder has helpfully clarified that "due process" and "judicial process" aren’t the same thing, it’s entirely possible that the next group of American dissidents identified by the SPLC or some other self-appointed political watchdog group as "terrorists" could be targeted by a drone-fired missile or a presidential strike team. In fact, the SPLC, which provides an updated list of domestic enemies to law enforcement agencies, already has some experience as target-spotters for domestic drone operations.
When asked by Rep. Thomas Graves (R-Georgia) if "targeted assassinations" could be conducted domestically as well as overseas, FBI Commissar Robert Mueller pointedly refused to rule out the possibility. This was probably welcome news to Leslie Larsen, the FBI Agent who presided over the Hutaree case for years, only to see the most serious charges evaporate.
"We haven't worked a year and a half on this investigation and risked [an undercover agent's] life to walk away from this with 3 arrests," groused the secret police investigator two years ago. By that time it had become clear the FBI wouldn’t be able to manufacture a successful criminal conspiracy out of a few trivial firearms violations and a surfeit of anti-government rhetoric.
During the past decade, false flag operations targeting disaffected Muslims have become the FBI’s métier. The Hutaree was the first non-Muslim "domestic extremist" group to be cast as the lead in one of the Bureau’s post-911 Homeland Security Theater productions. U.S. District Judge Victoria Roberts, who was able to see the plot holes in the FBI’s implausible script, had the character and good sense – traits otherwise all but impossible to find on the bench – to dismiss the case with prejudice.
In her order granting the defense motion for summary judgment, Roberts – who had previously expressed severe skepticism regarding the supposed merits of the case – lambasted the Feds for repeatedly venturing beyond "inference to pure speculation" and "attempting to formulate an alternative theory of criminal liability" when it became clear that they couldn’t provide tangible evidence of intent to commit an overt criminal act. This resulted in a theory of the case "based primarily on two conversations … the first on August 13, 2009, and the second on February 20, 2010."
The Hutaree "militia" was a loosely organized group of obscure people united by their entirely commendable hostility toward the criminal clique calling itself the United States Government. They apparently shared a set of apocalyptic beliefs about the imminent rise of the Antichrist, and they engaged in survivalist training in anticipation of the End Times, when they might confront the necessity to use defensive force against government agents – whether foreign or domestic – in league with the enemy.
Read full article here
Thanks to the legal environment created by the NDAA, the Feds won’t have to run the risks involved in submitting the next "domestic terrorism" case to the scrutiny of a court. Now that Attorney General Eric Holder has helpfully clarified that "due process" and "judicial process" aren’t the same thing, it’s entirely possible that the next group of American dissidents identified by the SPLC or some other self-appointed political watchdog group as "terrorists" could be targeted by a drone-fired missile or a presidential strike team. In fact, the SPLC, which provides an updated list of domestic enemies to law enforcement agencies, already has some experience as target-spotters for domestic drone operations.
When asked by Rep. Thomas Graves (R-Georgia) if "targeted assassinations" could be conducted domestically as well as overseas, FBI Commissar Robert Mueller pointedly refused to rule out the possibility. This was probably welcome news to Leslie Larsen, the FBI Agent who presided over the Hutaree case for years, only to see the most serious charges evaporate.
"We haven't worked a year and a half on this investigation and risked [an undercover agent's] life to walk away from this with 3 arrests," groused the secret police investigator two years ago. By that time it had become clear the FBI wouldn’t be able to manufacture a successful criminal conspiracy out of a few trivial firearms violations and a surfeit of anti-government rhetoric.
During the past decade, false flag operations targeting disaffected Muslims have become the FBI’s métier. The Hutaree was the first non-Muslim "domestic extremist" group to be cast as the lead in one of the Bureau’s post-911 Homeland Security Theater productions. U.S. District Judge Victoria Roberts, who was able to see the plot holes in the FBI’s implausible script, had the character and good sense – traits otherwise all but impossible to find on the bench – to dismiss the case with prejudice.
In her order granting the defense motion for summary judgment, Roberts – who had previously expressed severe skepticism regarding the supposed merits of the case – lambasted the Feds for repeatedly venturing beyond "inference to pure speculation" and "attempting to formulate an alternative theory of criminal liability" when it became clear that they couldn’t provide tangible evidence of intent to commit an overt criminal act. This resulted in a theory of the case "based primarily on two conversations … the first on August 13, 2009, and the second on February 20, 2010."
The Hutaree "militia" was a loosely organized group of obscure people united by their entirely commendable hostility toward the criminal clique calling itself the United States Government. They apparently shared a set of apocalyptic beliefs about the imminent rise of the Antichrist, and they engaged in survivalist training in anticipation of the End Times, when they might confront the necessity to use defensive force against government agents – whether foreign or domestic – in league with the enemy.
Read full article here
Cross-Border Martial Law: Stage 1 by Gary North
On Monday, April 2, the leaders of the United States, Mexico, and Canada will meet at what is billed as the North American Leaders Summit. Here is the agenda, as posted on the website of the White House.
If you think I am exaggerating, consider the following.
TRILATERAL DEFENSE: STAGE 1
The Defense Department has posted a press release on steps leading up to this summit. A new system of multi-national defense has been created. It is called the North American Defence Ministry. Notice the way Defense is spelled: Oh, Canada! You can read the press release here.
According to the three Ministers of Defence, North America is facing threats so enormous that the three nations must work together to thwart them. But what nation is strong enough to offer such a threat? None is mentioned. Nevertheless, those threats are out there, the three ministers of defense assure us.
The first meeting of what they call "the trilateral collaboration" was held in Ottawa. Here is what they decided.
It turns out that the threats do not come from nations. They come from SPECTRE. You remember SPECTRE, the SPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion. Sean Connery's James Bond battled against SPECTRE. Well, maybe SPECTRE isn't the threat it once was, but something like it is.
But that's not all. The defense ministers will also
I am curious. What disasters across all three borders are such a threat that it requires a new trilateral defense system to respond?
I can think of one: a joint operation to release airborne anthrax in three cities, for example: Washington, Ottawa, and Mexico City. But why, exactly, will it take joint military responses to deal with this? The terrorists will be long gone.
I can think of another: a joint operation of a suicide squad that has been infected with smallpox. Each of them flies to a different city. He or she then goes to the movies. Lots of movies. If you are curious about the likely effects, do a Google search for "Dark Winter" and "terrorism." I did. Here are the results.
Conclusion: the targets of this trilateral planning are civilians, not terrorists. This is all about a cross-border system of martial law. This is stage one. There is stage two.
CANADA'S ECONOMIC ACTION PLAN
In 2011, the Canadian government posted what it called an Economic Action Plan. This is a bilateral plan to integrate economically the USA and Canada.
What caught my eye is this. They are concerned about public resistance. Remember, this is Canada – good old stodgy Canada.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper up until now has pursued bilateralism: USA and Canada. That policy is about to go the way of all flesh. Trilateralism is the agenda of the North American Leaders Summit.
Harper's government in February 2011 published a detailed outline of a system of bilateral government regulations on trade: transportation, agriculture, health products, and environmental safety. This sounded harmless to Canadians. But the extension of cross-border economic regulations is part of a much more comprehensive plan to integrate the economies of Mexico, Canada, and the United States. This, in turn, is preparatory for regional/hemispheric integration.
If all this sounds familiar, that's because it is. When David Rockefeller created the Trilateral Commission in 1973, he had something like this in mind. Step by step, the program has extended. Think of this as the dream of the wonderful folks who gave us the euro.
Read full article here
On April 2, 2012, President Obama will host Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada and President Felipe Calderon of Mexico for the North American Leaders' Summit (NALS) in Washington, DC. This meeting will build on wide-ranging and ongoing cooperation among the United States, Canada, and Mexico with a particular focus on economic growth and competitiveness, citizen security, energy, and climate change. The leaders will also discuss North America's role in the Americas in anticipation of the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia later in April, as well as other global economic, political, and security issues.Note: This summit is preliminary to a hemispheric summit to be held later in April. Note these words: citizen security, energy, and climate change. Allow me to translate: police state, rationing, and regulation.
If you think I am exaggerating, consider the following.
TRILATERAL DEFENSE: STAGE 1
The Defense Department has posted a press release on steps leading up to this summit. A new system of multi-national defense has been created. It is called the North American Defence Ministry. Notice the way Defense is spelled: Oh, Canada! You can read the press release here.
According to the three Ministers of Defence, North America is facing threats so enormous that the three nations must work together to thwart them. But what nation is strong enough to offer such a threat? None is mentioned. Nevertheless, those threats are out there, the three ministers of defense assure us.
The first meeting of what they call "the trilateral collaboration" was held in Ottawa. Here is what they decided.
By virtue of our geography, our peoples, and our trading relationship, our three nations share many defense interests. Threats to North America and the hemisphere are increasingly complex and require non-traditional responses. Building upon the trilateral collaboration under the North American Leaders Summit process, we share a determination to enhance our common understanding of those threats and of the approaches needed to address them.It would be helpful to know what these "increasingly complex" threats to North America are. It would be even more helpful to know which "non-traditional responses" are being contemplated.
Our countries are committed to working together to address challenges in the region. We know that transnational threats require transnational responses.That word, "transnational," needs clarification. What are some of these transnational threats? What nation might be planning transnational threats against Canada and Mexico, as well as the United States? What nation has identified these three nations as enemies? I have heard of none.
It turns out that the threats do not come from nations. They come from SPECTRE. You remember SPECTRE, the SPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion. Sean Connery's James Bond battled against SPECTRE. Well, maybe SPECTRE isn't the threat it once was, but something like it is.
With this in mind, we have agreed to enhance our cooperation to support efforts to counter transnational criminal organizations and to respond to natural disasters in the hemisphere.The trilateral collaboration is determined not to let these criminal organizations get the upper hand. Neither is nature: natural disasters in the hemisphere. We all remember what the hemisphere was almost wiped out by. . . . By. . . . By whatever it was. Back then. Never again!
Our meeting today has established the framework necessary to build North America's resilience by pursuing a practical agenda built on sustained trilateral cooperation on issues related to defense. As part of our initial work plan, we intend to:If we are to believe this press release, the Mexican drug dealers are so well armed and pose such a threat that the defense departments of all three North American nations must now cooperate trilaterally.
- Develop a joint trilateral defense threat assessment for North America to deepen our common understanding of the threats and challenges we face.
- Explore ways to improve our support to the efforts of civilian public security agencies in countering illicit activities in our respective countries and the hemisphere, such as narcotics trafficking.
But that's not all. The defense ministers will also
- Explore how we can collaborate to increase the speed and efficiency with which our armed forces support civilian-led responses to disasters.
I am curious. What disasters across all three borders are such a threat that it requires a new trilateral defense system to respond?
I can think of one: a joint operation to release airborne anthrax in three cities, for example: Washington, Ottawa, and Mexico City. But why, exactly, will it take joint military responses to deal with this? The terrorists will be long gone.
I can think of another: a joint operation of a suicide squad that has been infected with smallpox. Each of them flies to a different city. He or she then goes to the movies. Lots of movies. If you are curious about the likely effects, do a Google search for "Dark Winter" and "terrorism." I did. Here are the results.
Conclusion: the targets of this trilateral planning are civilians, not terrorists. This is all about a cross-border system of martial law. This is stage one. There is stage two.
- Continue to work together to strengthen hemispheric defence forums.
We have agreed to meet on a regular basis in order to build on today's historic meeting and continue our cooperation in addressing shared continental threats. We will pursue this trilateral agenda respectful of national sovereignty and in coordination with other agencies in our respective governments. The results of our meeting will be conveyed to our respective leaders in advance of the upcoming North American Leaders Summit.Notice the phrase, "respectful of national sovereignty." If you think NAFTA was a bad idea, sovereignty-wise, wait until you see what comes next.
CANADA'S ECONOMIC ACTION PLAN
In 2011, the Canadian government posted what it called an Economic Action Plan. This is a bilateral plan to integrate economically the USA and Canada.
What caught my eye is this. They are concerned about public resistance. Remember, this is Canada – good old stodgy Canada.
- Coordinate and share research on how people become radicalized and turn to violence;
- Share best practices and tools for law enforcement and corrections partners to detect, prevent and respond to this threat;
- Develop a common messaging and strategic communications approach; and
- Emphasize community-based and community-driven efforts. This will include collaborating on how to engage with communities and build their resilience against violent extremists who seek to target specific communities in our respective countries, as well as coordinating community outreach.
Establish binational plans and capabilities for emergency management, with a focus on chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives (CBRNE) events.In addition to this is the threat to the communications system.
- Coordinate national-level emergency communications plans and strategies;
- Identify future trends and technologies related to communications interoperability;
- Promote the use of standards in emergency communications;
- Promote governance models and structures; and
- Share best practices and lessons learned.
We build on the efforts of many partners – from police and other emergency workers to our armed forces – who continue to safeguard us from the complex threats we face.This is being promoted to Canadian voters as an economic action plan. It is a great deal more than an economic action plan. This is not merely about freer trade. It is about cross-border martial law.
We also recognize that cooperation across air, land, and maritime domains, as well as in space and cyberspace, our enduring bi-national defence relationship, and military support for civilian authorities engaged in disaster response efforts and critical infrastructure protection, have all contributed significantly to the security of our populations.
Harper's government in February 2011 published a detailed outline of a system of bilateral government regulations on trade: transportation, agriculture, health products, and environmental safety. This sounded harmless to Canadians. But the extension of cross-border economic regulations is part of a much more comprehensive plan to integrate the economies of Mexico, Canada, and the United States. This, in turn, is preparatory for regional/hemispheric integration.
If all this sounds familiar, that's because it is. When David Rockefeller created the Trilateral Commission in 1973, he had something like this in mind. Step by step, the program has extended. Think of this as the dream of the wonderful folks who gave us the euro.
Read full article here
Cash for Freedom by Charles Goyette
Cash for Freedom by Charles Goyette
The below article is an excerpt from Charles Goyette's bi-weekly Freedom & Prosperity Letter podcast, Cash for Freedom, originally published on March 22, 2012. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, click here.
The one thing about cash is that it is anonymous. And that's the one thing that intrusive governments don't like about it.
Governments hate that cash gives you anonymity. And they are often very anxious to track it and to control your use of it. They often attempt to criminalize the use of cash or at least criminalize having too much of it around.
Right now, 7% of the U.S. economy is cash-based. Across the Eurozone, it's a little bit higher, 9%, but in Sweden cash transactions are falling by the wayside. You can't use cash for buses there. A growing number of businesses are going entirely cashless. In fact, only 3% of all purchases in Sweden are transacted in cash. And some people think that 3% is too much.
Now, there are things you give up when you go cashless, and privacy is only one of them. Because you also give up a piece of every transaction to the facilitating financial institution, a state-approved financial institution that is going to take a cut one way or another of every purchase that it processes. And that cut will be paid by you.
In the United States, the government has implemented increasingly punitive and burdensome measures for those who use cash. Banks, for example, are required to file reports on the use of cash in certain circumstances, including suspicious persons reports for some cash activities. In fact, if you seem to be trying to transact in cash below the reporting threshold, that alone can trigger a suspicious persons report on you. Like a lot of the states' heavy-handed measures, this was all targeted at getting those drug dealers.
And you see how well that worked out.
Now, there are plenty of perfectly good reasons for someone to wish to do business in cash and anonymously. This is an age of home invasions and identity thefts. So the desire to do business in cash can simply be prudent. I mean, you wouldn't want to leave a receipt laying around in some business where you bought some expensive piece of jewelry for your wife, for example, for her birthday.
But equally important is this: In a free country, your transactions shouldn't be anybody else's business. And that's the bottom line.
At least it's the bottom line in a free country.
For a free and prosperous country, I'm Charles Goyette.
The below article is an excerpt from Charles Goyette's bi-weekly Freedom & Prosperity Letter podcast, Cash for Freedom, originally published on March 22, 2012. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, click here.
The one thing about cash is that it is anonymous. And that's the one thing that intrusive governments don't like about it.
Governments hate that cash gives you anonymity. And they are often very anxious to track it and to control your use of it. They often attempt to criminalize the use of cash or at least criminalize having too much of it around.
Now, there are things you give up when you go cashless, and privacy is only one of them. Because you also give up a piece of every transaction to the facilitating financial institution, a state-approved financial institution that is going to take a cut one way or another of every purchase that it processes. And that cut will be paid by you.
And you see how well that worked out.
Now, there are plenty of perfectly good reasons for someone to wish to do business in cash and anonymously. This is an age of home invasions and identity thefts. So the desire to do business in cash can simply be prudent. I mean, you wouldn't want to leave a receipt laying around in some business where you bought some expensive piece of jewelry for your wife, for example, for her birthday.
But equally important is this: In a free country, your transactions shouldn't be anybody else's business. And that's the bottom line.
At least it's the bottom line in a free country.
For a free and prosperous country, I'm Charles Goyette.
March 31, 2012
Charles Goyette [send him mail] is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Dollar Meltdown. His new book is Red and Blue and Broke All Over: Restoring America’s Free Economy. He is also editor of Freedom & Prosperity Letter, a monthly political and financial newsletter dedicated to revealing the truth about the U.S.'s political scene and economic climate. To learn more, go here.
Copyright © 2012 Charles Goyette
Frog in the Boiling Pot of Government: US Immigration Agents Are Loading Up On As Many As...
Frog in the Boiling Pot of Government: US Immigration Agents Are Loading Up On As Many As...: US Immigration Agents Are Loading Up On As Many As 450 Million New Rounds Of Ammo : U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement The Departmen...
Friday, March 30, 2012
» Confirmed: Michigan pig ban will eliminate all heritage breeds, destroy thousands of small farms Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!
» Confirmed: Michigan pig ban will eliminate all heritage breeds, destroy thousands of small farms Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!
Jonathan Benson
Natural News
Friday, March 30, 2012
As many NaturalNews readers now know, the state of Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently issued a final ruling on its invasive species order (ISO) for swine that targets destructive “feral” species for elimination across the state. But what many people do not realize is that because of the careless way in which the order was created, all unconventional pig breeds, including heritage breeds raised by small-scale farms, are also lumped into this “feral” category as well.
Contrary to some of the claims currently spreading across the internet elsewhere, DNR’s ISO does not simply target feral breeds responsible for destroying crops and forests. As we pointed out in a recent article on the matter, the ISO brands certain hair colors, fur types, tail and skeletal structures, and various other characteristics as being indicators of a feral breed, even though these descriptors also identify many heritage breeds that have been raised in Michigan for many decades (http://www.naturalnews.com/035372_Michigan_pigs_farm_freedom.html).
In other words, there is nothing sensational or overblown about the claims made that the state of Michigan has basically declared war on all pig breeds besides the select few raised by large-scale factory farms. The DNR’s approach to the situation is beyond misguided — it is a blatantly-unscientific assault on small-scale pig farmers across the state of Michigan, many of which face being completely put out of business.
“The DNR’s thinking is irrational,” writes Senator Darwin L. Booher from Michigan’s 35th District in a recent article on the issue. “The department says we must ban certain pigs because the state has a feral hog problem (pigs running at-large or outside a fence). But since all pigs outside of a fence are feral and the DNR cannot genetically differentiate between swine, the department decided to ban certain pigs in Michigan simply due to their appearance” (http://www.misenategop.com).
Sen. Booher also points out that DNR does not even have the proper jurisdiction to involve itself in private pig-raising operations, as its sole purpose is to manage game and wildlife owned by the public. So in essence, DNR has taken a similar approach with pigs as the U.S.Food and Drug Administrationhas done with raw milk — just ban all forms and varieties that deviate from the conventional norm.
Be sure to listen to the interview between Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, and Mark Baker fromBaker’s Green Acres, a heritage pig raiser whose entire farm is threatened by the new order:
http://buzz.naturalnews.com/000025-Michigan-pigs-invasive_species.html
You can also watch a video created by the Bakers themselves at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=843yH_0RMIA
Confirmed: Michigan pig ban will eliminate all heritage breeds, destroy thousands of small farms
Natural News
Friday, March 30, 2012
As many NaturalNews readers now know, the state of Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently issued a final ruling on its invasive species order (ISO) for swine that targets destructive “feral” species for elimination across the state. But what many people do not realize is that because of the careless way in which the order was created, all unconventional pig breeds, including heritage breeds raised by small-scale farms, are also lumped into this “feral” category as well.
In other words, there is nothing sensational or overblown about the claims made that the state of Michigan has basically declared war on all pig breeds besides the select few raised by large-scale factory farms. The DNR’s approach to the situation is beyond misguided — it is a blatantly-unscientific assault on small-scale pig farmers across the state of Michigan, many of which face being completely put out of business.
“The DNR’s thinking is irrational,” writes Senator Darwin L. Booher from Michigan’s 35th District in a recent article on the issue. “The department says we must ban certain pigs because the state has a feral hog problem (pigs running at-large or outside a fence). But since all pigs outside of a fence are feral and the DNR cannot genetically differentiate between swine, the department decided to ban certain pigs in Michigan simply due to their appearance” (http://www.misenategop.com).
Sen. Booher also points out that DNR does not even have the proper jurisdiction to involve itself in private pig-raising operations, as its sole purpose is to manage game and wildlife owned by the public. So in essence, DNR has taken a similar approach with pigs as the U.S.Food and Drug Administrationhas done with raw milk — just ban all forms and varieties that deviate from the conventional norm.
Be sure to listen to the interview between Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, and Mark Baker fromBaker’s Green Acres, a heritage pig raiser whose entire farm is threatened by the new order:
http://buzz.naturalnews.com/000025-Michigan-pigs-invasive_species.html
You can also watch a video created by the Bakers themselves at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=843yH_0RMIA
America: A Government Out of Control (Part 2) - YouTube
America: A Government Out of Control (Part 2) - YouTube: America: A Government Out of Control (Part 2)
The Decline and Fall of the USD - GoldSeek.com
The SWIFT Settlement System
In our previous article we looked at whether the U.S. Dollar was headed for a major fall or not. We demonstrated how the dominance of the U.S. dollar was almost entirely dependent on the grip it had over oil producers and this allowed the oil price to be designmnated in the U.S. dollar. The U.S. has gone to war in Kuwait and Iraq over this issue under the guise of destroying “weapons of Mass Destruction” as it appears on the verge of doing in Iran. It is no coincidence that Iran has long since ceased using the dollar to price its oil. It has also eliminated the U.S. dollar from its reserves. But of greater importance to the emerging world has been the use of the Belgian-based SWIFT system of international settlements. Not only has the move stopped the sale of Iranian oil, but it has also interfered with an important source of oil to the emerging world.
Right now there are ongoing discussions between the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries over ther use of the SWIFT system of international settlements as a ‘weapon’ against Iran. The full extent of the impact of this appears to have been ignored. With China and India as two of Iran’s clients, they found that the U.S. could hurt them considerably with this action. If they can hurt them in this way, then they can hurt them the same way on other issues. So the question that the BRIC nations are now asking is, “Must we be subject to the financial will of the U.S.?”
The question has long-term implications that could affect these nation’s freedom of financial activity. The question demands to see just how powerful the U.S. really is. It is very clear to these emerging nations that if they are to keep on growing, unfettered by the U.S. will, they must set up a system that is not vulnerable to U.S. influence and to reduce the influence of the dollar itself.
What is being realized slowly is that the actions that come out of this conference may well mark a watershed in the shift of power from West to East and the significant reduction in the power of the U.S. as the globe’s main financial influence. Consequently, these nation’s will have to lower the influence of the U.S. dollar on their affairs if they are to achieve real financial independence. This has to be a future and extremely negative influence on the international value of the U.S. dollar.
While the SWIFT settlement system is a Belgian-based international banking settlement agency, the U.S. influence over it was sufficient to halt all Iranian interbank transfers. It is not the system that is faulty but the influence of the U.S. over it that is the danger to the BRIC nations.
Read full article here
Can America’s Descent Possibly Be Reversed? by Scott Lazarowitz
Go to Video
My articles for LRC have been increasingly difficult and frustrating to write. More recently I have been trying to get people to understand America’s current police state. Yes, I have received some favorable emails when my articles have appeared, but there are also ones from those in denial, who refer to me as "nuts," "conspiracy theorist," and so on.
Now, to say that America is becoming like Nazi Germany is not an exaggeration. But too many people glance over such assertions in disbelief, perceiving such things as absurdities. They are in denial, and just do not want to believe what’s going on.
In my article on martial law, I emphasized that public officials are obligated to disobey unlawful orders, even those issued by the President of the United States. If the President orders suspension of civil liberties and basic rights protected by the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights, then governors, mayors, state troopers, police officers and military personnel must disobey those unlawful orders. Those officials have sworn to an oath to obey the Constitution, not to obey the President of the United States.
"But we’re at war!" some people cry. No, sorry. Regardless of what the warmongers say, there is no time ever to excuse violations of the people’s rights and their liberty, during war or peacetime.
America is dangerous now, but the reason isn’t because of Islamic terrorists – it’s because of government bureaucrats, central planners run amok.
The problem is that bureaucrats who MUST have war and expanded powers, including suppression of civil liberties, will change the laws to suit their narcissistic needs for more power.
And America is dangerous because too many amongst the general population are no longer raised with a sense of moral values and personal responsibility. Americans seem to get easily swept up into a national fervor for war, for killing and death. Just look at these past ten years of destruction that our government has caused overseas, and the American people’s passive acceptance of it based on the government’s emotion-driven propaganda.
One item of evidence of America’s decline in decency and values is how America’s youngsters are so bloodthirstily drawn to the latest pop culture phenomenon called The Hunger Games, #1 on Amazon.com this week. Because of modern Americans’ craving for war and sadism, and because of their widespread support for the Bush-Obama wars of the past decade, Americans have become even more desensitized to violence.
But this series of books supposedly has an anti-war tone or message. However, I wonder how many people who have read the books (or have seen the movie) are more "anti-war" than they were previously.
In continuing their apparent militantly exceptionalist attitude, and with much ignorance as well (especially of Muslims), many Americans now seem to have an insatiable craving for violence, sadism, cruelty, torture, murder, blood and death.
Fifty or sixty years ago, when America was perhaps a little more decent and moral in general than it is now, in no way would so many parents have let their kids see this movie or read the books.
Like The Hunger Games, America has a corrupt, degenerate central government that has grown into a monstrous Leviathan, consisting of professional bureaucrats and politicians who seem to delight in pitting one group of Americans against another, with class warfare and governmental-provocation of racial conflicts, and struggles between police and civilians. It is as though Washington’s political class wants to see conflicts between armed government agents and everyday civilians, via the drug war, the "war on terror," and thousands and thousands of needless regulations and laws that could cause the most innocent amongst us to be on the receiving end of a criminal S.W.A.T. team raid.
And now, Barack Obama is taking full advantage of the post-9/11 police state apparatus that the Bush-Cheney Administration set up. This is being used, in the name of "keeping us safe" and along with the massively intrusive ObamaCare in the name of "keeping us healthy and insured," to gain even more control over the people’s lives, their fortunes, their businesses, associations and contracts.
Recent Unconstitutional Acts by Barack Obama and Congress:
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) gives the President the power to have the military arrest and detain indefinitely anyone the president says is a "terrorist," or a "terrorist supporter," without providing any evidence against the accused.
NDAA is a clear and present danger to American liberty, a codification of dictatorship, and a treasonous act of turning the U.S. military against the people. And it is the reason why author Chris Hedges is suing Barack Obama.
Some legislators are claiming that they weren’t aware that in NDAA they voted for such removal of due process of Americans, but in fact, they knew exactly what they were doing.
And just recently, Attorney General Eric Holder defended the President’s self-granted power to assassinate Americans based on the President’s own judgment of guilt, without due process, without presenting any evidence of any kind.
But every human being who is accused of something has an inherent right to require that the accuser show evidence to prove such alleged guilt. No circumstances are too important – not wars, terrorism, and not economic collapse – that the government or Presidents be relieved of their burden to show evidence against the accused.
Infowars.com recently compared these Washington policies to similar police state policies of Chile’s dictator General Augusto Pinochet during the 1970s. The NDAA law could now be considered as Washington’s reactionary and desperate response to political dissent and economic collapse.
Obama’s most recent extreme overreach was his signing the Executive Order, the National Defense Resources Preparedness (NDRP) order, which gives the President complete control over all resources within the U.S. territory including water and agriculture, energy, transportation and food, during war or emergency. But this revised version gives the President such supreme powers in peacetime.
In this new example of totalitarianism the President also seizes control over the nation’s labor forces, and it is not merely a demand to conscript Americans into the military, but to conscript Americans to serve in other non-military labor capacities, and during peacetime as well. (Hmmm. Sounds a little like communism, if you ask me.)
And with the FEMA camps, there is plenty of evidence that the U.S. government either foresees or is planning for some sort of catastrophic event, economic collapse, or civil unrest. In an intensive investigation by former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura and Alex Jones, the investigators found one "residential center" (video here, starts at about 25 minutes) with locked doors, barbed wire fencing facing the inside of the property, and a children’s playground. Officials at the center refused to give information about what the place was for. Investigators also found stacks of hundreds of thousands of coffins and plans for mass graves. Investigators found plenty of evidence that camps and rendition sites are to be used to deal with possible massive political dissent in America. (more here, here, here, here, here, and here)
Analysis
No doubt many readers dismiss all this as "conspiracy theory," and FEMA probably has its explanations such as preparations for possible biological warfare, mass epidemics, and so forth. (And we all know, after Katrina, just how competent FEMA is in managing disasters.) That all these acts by federal U.S. government bureaucrats – NDAA, NDRP, the power to detain or assassinate Americans without showing evidence against the accused, the FEMA camps and prison-like facilities – could actually be meant for devious purposes by political power-grabbers is something that most people just would not want to acknowledge. The thought that the U.S. government and U.S. military could be designating the American people as the enemy is a frightening thought.
Now, some people believe that Obama is using his new military dictatorship and detainment camps on behalf of various left-wing groups, such as the Weather Underground, to "transform America" into communist rule. But many of these police state policies and Homeland Security intrusions were begun by the Bush Administration and even by previous administrations, such as Jimmy Carter who first signed FEMA into existence, and the Reagan Administration that included Oliver North acting out of the White House basement and who eagerly called for martial law at the drop of a hat.
However, we also have seen testimony from the 1970s by an FBI agent who infiltrated the Weather Underground, and who described how academic types such as Bill Ayers were allegedly plotting to bring down the U.S. government to make way for foreign communist regimes to occupy America, and that resisters and dissenters would be "eliminated." Here is a brief video of the FBI agent’s descriptions:
My articles for LRC have been increasingly difficult and frustrating to write. More recently I have been trying to get people to understand America’s current police state. Yes, I have received some favorable emails when my articles have appeared, but there are also ones from those in denial, who refer to me as "nuts," "conspiracy theorist," and so on.
Now, to say that America is becoming like Nazi Germany is not an exaggeration. But too many people glance over such assertions in disbelief, perceiving such things as absurdities. They are in denial, and just do not want to believe what’s going on.
In my article on martial law, I emphasized that public officials are obligated to disobey unlawful orders, even those issued by the President of the United States. If the President orders suspension of civil liberties and basic rights protected by the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights, then governors, mayors, state troopers, police officers and military personnel must disobey those unlawful orders. Those officials have sworn to an oath to obey the Constitution, not to obey the President of the United States.
"But we’re at war!" some people cry. No, sorry. Regardless of what the warmongers say, there is no time ever to excuse violations of the people’s rights and their liberty, during war or peacetime.
America is dangerous now, but the reason isn’t because of Islamic terrorists – it’s because of government bureaucrats, central planners run amok.
The problem is that bureaucrats who MUST have war and expanded powers, including suppression of civil liberties, will change the laws to suit their narcissistic needs for more power.
And America is dangerous because too many amongst the general population are no longer raised with a sense of moral values and personal responsibility. Americans seem to get easily swept up into a national fervor for war, for killing and death. Just look at these past ten years of destruction that our government has caused overseas, and the American people’s passive acceptance of it based on the government’s emotion-driven propaganda.
One item of evidence of America’s decline in decency and values is how America’s youngsters are so bloodthirstily drawn to the latest pop culture phenomenon called The Hunger Games, #1 on Amazon.com this week. Because of modern Americans’ craving for war and sadism, and because of their widespread support for the Bush-Obama wars of the past decade, Americans have become even more desensitized to violence.
But this series of books supposedly has an anti-war tone or message. However, I wonder how many people who have read the books (or have seen the movie) are more "anti-war" than they were previously.
In continuing their apparent militantly exceptionalist attitude, and with much ignorance as well (especially of Muslims), many Americans now seem to have an insatiable craving for violence, sadism, cruelty, torture, murder, blood and death.
Fifty or sixty years ago, when America was perhaps a little more decent and moral in general than it is now, in no way would so many parents have let their kids see this movie or read the books.
Like The Hunger Games, America has a corrupt, degenerate central government that has grown into a monstrous Leviathan, consisting of professional bureaucrats and politicians who seem to delight in pitting one group of Americans against another, with class warfare and governmental-provocation of racial conflicts, and struggles between police and civilians. It is as though Washington’s political class wants to see conflicts between armed government agents and everyday civilians, via the drug war, the "war on terror," and thousands and thousands of needless regulations and laws that could cause the most innocent amongst us to be on the receiving end of a criminal S.W.A.T. team raid.
And now, Barack Obama is taking full advantage of the post-9/11 police state apparatus that the Bush-Cheney Administration set up. This is being used, in the name of "keeping us safe" and along with the massively intrusive ObamaCare in the name of "keeping us healthy and insured," to gain even more control over the people’s lives, their fortunes, their businesses, associations and contracts.
Recent Unconstitutional Acts by Barack Obama and Congress:
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) gives the President the power to have the military arrest and detain indefinitely anyone the president says is a "terrorist," or a "terrorist supporter," without providing any evidence against the accused.
NDAA is a clear and present danger to American liberty, a codification of dictatorship, and a treasonous act of turning the U.S. military against the people. And it is the reason why author Chris Hedges is suing Barack Obama.
Some legislators are claiming that they weren’t aware that in NDAA they voted for such removal of due process of Americans, but in fact, they knew exactly what they were doing.
And just recently, Attorney General Eric Holder defended the President’s self-granted power to assassinate Americans based on the President’s own judgment of guilt, without due process, without presenting any evidence of any kind.
But every human being who is accused of something has an inherent right to require that the accuser show evidence to prove such alleged guilt. No circumstances are too important – not wars, terrorism, and not economic collapse – that the government or Presidents be relieved of their burden to show evidence against the accused.
Infowars.com recently compared these Washington policies to similar police state policies of Chile’s dictator General Augusto Pinochet during the 1970s. The NDAA law could now be considered as Washington’s reactionary and desperate response to political dissent and economic collapse.
Obama’s most recent extreme overreach was his signing the Executive Order, the National Defense Resources Preparedness (NDRP) order, which gives the President complete control over all resources within the U.S. territory including water and agriculture, energy, transportation and food, during war or emergency. But this revised version gives the President such supreme powers in peacetime.
In this new example of totalitarianism the President also seizes control over the nation’s labor forces, and it is not merely a demand to conscript Americans into the military, but to conscript Americans to serve in other non-military labor capacities, and during peacetime as well. (Hmmm. Sounds a little like communism, if you ask me.)
And with the FEMA camps, there is plenty of evidence that the U.S. government either foresees or is planning for some sort of catastrophic event, economic collapse, or civil unrest. In an intensive investigation by former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura and Alex Jones, the investigators found one "residential center" (video here, starts at about 25 minutes) with locked doors, barbed wire fencing facing the inside of the property, and a children’s playground. Officials at the center refused to give information about what the place was for. Investigators also found stacks of hundreds of thousands of coffins and plans for mass graves. Investigators found plenty of evidence that camps and rendition sites are to be used to deal with possible massive political dissent in America. (more here, here, here, here, here, and here)
Analysis
No doubt many readers dismiss all this as "conspiracy theory," and FEMA probably has its explanations such as preparations for possible biological warfare, mass epidemics, and so forth. (And we all know, after Katrina, just how competent FEMA is in managing disasters.) That all these acts by federal U.S. government bureaucrats – NDAA, NDRP, the power to detain or assassinate Americans without showing evidence against the accused, the FEMA camps and prison-like facilities – could actually be meant for devious purposes by political power-grabbers is something that most people just would not want to acknowledge. The thought that the U.S. government and U.S. military could be designating the American people as the enemy is a frightening thought.
Now, some people believe that Obama is using his new military dictatorship and detainment camps on behalf of various left-wing groups, such as the Weather Underground, to "transform America" into communist rule. But many of these police state policies and Homeland Security intrusions were begun by the Bush Administration and even by previous administrations, such as Jimmy Carter who first signed FEMA into existence, and the Reagan Administration that included Oliver North acting out of the White House basement and who eagerly called for martial law at the drop of a hat.
However, we also have seen testimony from the 1970s by an FBI agent who infiltrated the Weather Underground, and who described how academic types such as Bill Ayers were allegedly plotting to bring down the U.S. government to make way for foreign communist regimes to occupy America, and that resisters and dissenters would be "eliminated." Here is a brief video of the FBI agent’s descriptions:
A Cashless Society May Be Closer Than Most People Would Ever Dare To Imagine
A Cashless Society May Be Closer Than Most People Would Ever Dare To Imagine
Most people think of a cashless society as something that is way off in the distant future. Unfortunately, that is simply not the case. The truth is that a cashless society is much closer than most people would ever dare to imagine. To a large degree, the transition to a cashless society is being done voluntarily. Today, only 7 percent of all transactions in the United States are done with cash, and most of those transactions involve very small amounts of money. Just think about it for a moment. Where do you still use cash these days? If you buy a burger or if you purchase something at a flea market you will still use cash, but for any mid-size or large transaction the vast majority of people out there will use another form of payment. Our financial system is dramatically changing, and cash is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. We live in a digital world, and national governments and big banks are both encouraging the move away from paper currency and coins. But what would a cashless society mean for our future? Are there any dangers to such a system?Those are very important questions, but most of the time both sides of the issue are not presented in a balanced way in the mainstream media. Instead, most mainstream news articles tend to trash cash and talk about how wonderful digital currency is.
For example, a recent CBS News article declared that soon we may not need "that raggedy dollar bill" any longer and that the "greenback may soon be a goner"....
It's what the wallet was invented for, to carry cash. After all, there was a time when we needed cash everywhere we went, from filling stations to pay phones. Even the tooth fairy dealt only in cash.So will we see a completely cashless society in the near future?
But money isn't just physical anymore. It's not only the pennies in your piggy bank, or that raggedy dollar bill.
Money is also digital - it's zeros and ones stored in a computer, prompting some economists to predict the old-fashioned greenback may soon be a goner.
"There will be a time - I don't know when, I can't give you a date - when physical money is just going to cease to exist," said economist Robert Reich.
Of course not. It would be wildly unpopular for the governments of the world to force such a system upon us all at once.
Instead, the big banks and the governments of the industrialized world are doing all they can to get us to voluntarily transition to such a system. Once 98 or 99 percent of all transactions do not involve cash, eliminating the remaining 1 or 2 percent will only seem natural.
The big banks want a cashless society because it is much more profitable for them.
The big banks earn billions of dollars in fees from debit cards and they make absolutely enormous profits from credit cards.
But when people use cash the big banks do not earn anything.
So obviously the big banks and the big credit card companies are big cheerleaders for a cashless society.
Most governments around the world are eager to transition to a cashless society as well for the following reasons....
-Cash is expensive to print, inspect, move, store and guard.
-Counterfeiting is always going to be a problem as long as paper currency exists.
-Cash if favored by criminals because it does not leave a paper trail. Eliminating cash would make it much more difficult for drug dealers, prostitutes and other criminals to do business.
-Most of all, a cashless society would give governments more control. Governments would be able to track virtually all transactions and would also be able to monitor tax compliance much more closely.
When you understand the factors listed above, it becomes easier to understand why the use of cash is increasingly becoming demonized. Governments around the world are increasingly viewing the use of cash in a negative light. In fact, according to the U.S. government paying with cash in some circumstances is now considered to be "suspicious activity" that needs to be reported to the authorities.
This disdain of cash has also grown very strong in the financial community. The following is from a recent Slate article....
David Birch, a director at Consult Hyperion, a firm specializing in electronic payments, says a shift to digital currency would cut out these hidden costs. In Birch’s ideal world, paying with cash would be viewed like drunk driving—something we do with decreasing frequency as more and more people understand the negative social consequences. “We’re trying to use industrial age money to support commerce in a post-industrial age. It just doesn’t work,” he says. “Sooner or later, the tectonic plates shift and then, very quickly, you’ll find yourself in this new environment where if you ask somebody to pay you in cash, you’ll just assume that they’re a prostitute or a Somali pirate.”
Read full article
Milk Man Faces Multiple Felony Charges for Food Crimes! - YouTube
Milk Man Faces Multiple Felony Charges for Food Crimes! - YouTube: Milk Man Faces Multiple Felony Charges for Food Crimes!
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Alex talks with Rawsome Foods owner James Stewart, who faces multiple felony charges in California for the serious crime of providing people with farm fresh food. Stewart's Rawsome Foods in Venice, California, was raided last year and he was arrested on criminal conspiracy charges stemming from "the alleged illegal production and sale of unpasteurized goat milk, goat cheese and other products."
(NaturalNews) Perhaps the best investigative reporter covering the raw milk industry today is David Gumpert, writing for www.TheCompletePatient.com - a site covering food safety, raw milk raids, regulation and much more. All NaturalNews readers would do well to put his site on your reading list. Late last night he posted a showstopper article containing two extraordinary revelations about raw milk:
• In Wisconsin, the primary dairy insurance provider has ditched raw milk dairies, sending them a letter that essentially declares they will have no insurance coverage if they sell raw milk.
• After destroying Rawesome Foods (which is being physically deconstructed right now), the Ventura County Health Department is now targeting other raw milk distribution centers in California. As Gumpert writes:
[The county] has threatened to interfere with a private food club in that area just north of Los Angeles that distributes Organic Pastures milk. The health department officials first said to a food club volunteer manager that there was concern about whether the milk was going to be stored. When that turned out to be a non-issue, since the milk is nearly immediately distributed to members, the "concern" suddenly shifted to whether the club needs to be registered as a retailer.
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Alex talks with Rawsome Foods owner James Stewart, who faces multiple felony charges in California for the serious crime of providing people with farm fresh food. Stewart's Rawsome Foods in Venice, California, was raided last year and he was arrested on criminal conspiracy charges stemming from "the alleged illegal production and sale of unpasteurized goat milk, goat cheese and other products."
(NaturalNews) Perhaps the best investigative reporter covering the raw milk industry today is David Gumpert, writing for www.TheCompletePatient.com - a site covering food safety, raw milk raids, regulation and much more. All NaturalNews readers would do well to put his site on your reading list. Late last night he posted a showstopper article containing two extraordinary revelations about raw milk:
• In Wisconsin, the primary dairy insurance provider has ditched raw milk dairies, sending them a letter that essentially declares they will have no insurance coverage if they sell raw milk.
• After destroying Rawesome Foods (which is being physically deconstructed right now), the Ventura County Health Department is now targeting other raw milk distribution centers in California. As Gumpert writes:
[The county] has threatened to interfere with a private food club in that area just north of Los Angeles that distributes Organic Pastures milk. The health department officials first said to a food club volunteer manager that there was concern about whether the milk was going to be stored. When that turned out to be a non-issue, since the milk is nearly immediately distributed to members, the "concern" suddenly shifted to whether the club needs to be registered as a retailer.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Doomsday Dating Sites: 'Don't Face The Future Alone'
| |||||||||
 Doomsday Dating Sites: 'Don't Face The Future Alone'03-29-2012 • CNN Money Canning venison, shooting firearms, living off the grid and creating manure from human waste just aren't traditional interests many people look for when browsing mainstream dating sites like eHarmony or Match.com. For female preppers interested in finding a man, the site is a dating goldmine. There are currently about two men for every woman on the site (which is a big disparity compared to a site like Match.com, where there's a roughly even split), and the average member is over 50. Read Full Story | |||||||||
| Reported by Chip Saunders | |||||||||
Bob Chapman The International Forecaster Blog: Bob Chapman: Gold & Silver markets are manipulated here is the proof !
Bob Chapman The International Forecaster Blog: Bob Chapman: Gold & Silver markets are manipulated here is the proof !
Bob Chapman: Gold & Silver markets are manipulated here is the proof !
Bob Chapman: Gold and silver markets are manipulated, but so are most other markets as well. Under Executive Order 12631 the government does as it pleases in markets. I have the order right here. It is entitled "Working Group on Financial Markets" and it came into force on March 18, 1988 signed, unfortunately, by Ronald Reagan. It's very short and you could reprint so that your readers understand the full extent of what's going on. This is by no means a dead letter. When you combine this authority with the authority of the Fed to create money, you are basically dealing with a fairly well-controlled system. It's certainly not what it was.
By virtue of the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, and in order to establish a Working Group on Financial Markets, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Establishment. (a) There is hereby established a Working Group on Financial Markets (Working Group). The Working Group shall be composed of:
(1) the Secretary of the Treasury, or his designee;
(2) the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, or his designee;
(3) the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or his designee; and
(4) the Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or her designee.
(b) The Secretary of the Treasury, or his designee, shall be the Chairman of the Working Group.
Sec. 2. Purposes and Functions. (a) Recognizing the goals of enhancing the integrity, efficiency, orderliness, and competitiveness of our Nation's financial markets and maintaining investor confidence, the Working Group shall identify and consider:
(1) the major issues raised by the numerous studies on the events in the financial markets surrounding October 19, 1987, and any of those recommendations that have the potential to achieve the goals noted above; and
(2) the actions, including governmental actions under existing laws and regulations (such as policy coordination and contingency planning), that are appropriate to carry out these recommendations.
(b) The Working Group shall consult, as appropriate, with representatives of the various exchanges, clearinghouses, self-regulatory bodies, and with major market participants to determine private sector solutions wherever possible.
(c) The Working Group shall report to the President initially within 60 days (and periodically thereafter) on its progress and, if appropriate, its views on any recommended legislative changes.
Sec. 3. Administration. (a) The heads of Executive departments, agencies, and independent instrumentalities shall, to the extent permitted by law, provide the Working Group such information as it may require for the purpose of carrying out this Order.
(b) Members of the Working Group shall serve without additional compensation for their work on the Working Group.
(c) To the extent permitted by law and subject to the availability of funds therefore, the Department of the Treasury shall provide the Working Group with such administrative and support services as may be necessary for the performance of its functions. - in an interview with Daily Bell
By virtue of the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, and in order to establish a Working Group on Financial Markets, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Establishment. (a) There is hereby established a Working Group on Financial Markets (Working Group). The Working Group shall be composed of:
(1) the Secretary of the Treasury, or his designee;
(2) the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, or his designee;
(3) the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or his designee; and
(4) the Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or her designee.
(b) The Secretary of the Treasury, or his designee, shall be the Chairman of the Working Group.
Sec. 2. Purposes and Functions. (a) Recognizing the goals of enhancing the integrity, efficiency, orderliness, and competitiveness of our Nation's financial markets and maintaining investor confidence, the Working Group shall identify and consider:
(1) the major issues raised by the numerous studies on the events in the financial markets surrounding October 19, 1987, and any of those recommendations that have the potential to achieve the goals noted above; and
(2) the actions, including governmental actions under existing laws and regulations (such as policy coordination and contingency planning), that are appropriate to carry out these recommendations.
(b) The Working Group shall consult, as appropriate, with representatives of the various exchanges, clearinghouses, self-regulatory bodies, and with major market participants to determine private sector solutions wherever possible.
(c) The Working Group shall report to the President initially within 60 days (and periodically thereafter) on its progress and, if appropriate, its views on any recommended legislative changes.
Sec. 3. Administration. (a) The heads of Executive departments, agencies, and independent instrumentalities shall, to the extent permitted by law, provide the Working Group such information as it may require for the purpose of carrying out this Order.
(b) Members of the Working Group shall serve without additional compensation for their work on the Working Group.
(c) To the extent permitted by law and subject to the availability of funds therefore, the Department of the Treasury shall provide the Working Group with such administrative and support services as may be necessary for the performance of its functions. - in an interview with Daily Bell
How to Disappear Completely And Never Be Found Altucher Confidential
How to Disappear Completely And Never Be Found Altucher Confidential
I wanted to move into a homeless shelter because I thought that girls who were homeless would be more likely to go out with me. I had this fantasy version of what a homeless shelter would be like. We’d sneak around to each others rooms as if they were dorm rooms. It would be romantic. Lots of giggling. And crack smoking. Heck, I’d try it. For love.
I had a job and wasn’t really homeless. I had a place to live. But my girlfriend at the time hated me I was pretty sure of it and I needed a change. Plus the homeless shelter was right next to my place of work. I could’ve lived at the shelter and it was about a 20 second walk to work. How great can life be? I ask again: How great can life really be?
The homeless shelter director said “no” to my request. He called my references. I had said I wanted to write about the experience. My boss, my ACTUAL boss at the time, said I was probably mentally ill. I didn’t have that job for too much longer. Nor did I move into the homeless shelter. But they did let me give chess lessons there.
All of this to say, there’s something primal in me that wants to disappear. To mix with what I view as the lowest of the low, to forget about my past, to sign up for a future that is meaningless, to think only about right now and give up everything else.
–
When I was a kid I bought the book “How to Disappear Completely And Never Be Found”. I don’t know if any of the techniques still work but here was the author’s plan:
Look at old newspapers from around the day you were born to find the names of babies that died that day. Ask your state government for their birth certificates. This isn’t unusual. Many people lose their birth certificates. Use the birth certificate to get a social security card (say you’ve been a permanent student up until now). Use the two forms of ID to get a bank account, credit cards, driver’s license.
Change your hair color. Lose weight. Put a tack in your shoe so you start to walk differently. Start siphoning money out of your bank account until it is all in cash. Find a crowded city where you can rent an apartment cheap and disappear in the crowd. Plan on building an employment history by starting with temp or construction jobs.
Then disappear. Just walk out of your house and never go back. You’ve just committed pseudocide.
The word “pseudocide” fascinates me. Its like a “little death”, a phrase often used to describe an orgasm.
The book had anecdotal stories of people who had disappeared (how the author kept finding these people was never explained). People running from marriages, lawsuits, the IRS, or maybe just every now and then someone needs an eraser, some whiteout to rub over emotions, fears, anxieties. A clean slate that would bring a temporary Nirvana when some, if not all, of the mental and emotional baggage can be discarded with your old life. Wrapped up in a garbage bag and left behind a bowling alley.
–
I wanted to move into a homeless shelter because I thought that girls who were homeless would be more likely to go out with me. I had this fantasy version of what a homeless shelter would be like. We’d sneak around to each others rooms as if they were dorm rooms. It would be romantic. Lots of giggling. And crack smoking. Heck, I’d try it. For love.
(I pictured a homeless girl like this)
The homeless shelter director said “no” to my request. He called my references. I had said I wanted to write about the experience. My boss, my ACTUAL boss at the time, said I was probably mentally ill. I didn’t have that job for too much longer. Nor did I move into the homeless shelter. But they did let me give chess lessons there.
All of this to say, there’s something primal in me that wants to disappear. To mix with what I view as the lowest of the low, to forget about my past, to sign up for a future that is meaningless, to think only about right now and give up everything else.
–
When I was a kid I bought the book “How to Disappear Completely And Never Be Found”. I don’t know if any of the techniques still work but here was the author’s plan:
Look at old newspapers from around the day you were born to find the names of babies that died that day. Ask your state government for their birth certificates. This isn’t unusual. Many people lose their birth certificates. Use the birth certificate to get a social security card (say you’ve been a permanent student up until now). Use the two forms of ID to get a bank account, credit cards, driver’s license.
(the book)
Then disappear. Just walk out of your house and never go back. You’ve just committed pseudocide.
The word “pseudocide” fascinates me. Its like a “little death”, a phrase often used to describe an orgasm.
The book had anecdotal stories of people who had disappeared (how the author kept finding these people was never explained). People running from marriages, lawsuits, the IRS, or maybe just every now and then someone needs an eraser, some whiteout to rub over emotions, fears, anxieties. A clean slate that would bring a temporary Nirvana when some, if not all, of the mental and emotional baggage can be discarded with your old life. Wrapped up in a garbage bag and left behind a bowling alley.
–
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Explaining Central Banking to the Publicly Educated
Explaining Central Banking to the Publicly Educatedy Jeff Berwick, The Dollar Vigilante
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Don't understand economics? And the thought of even trying makes your eyes cross?
That's what they want. Government, which is an artificial, unnecessary construct has made a concerted effort to make economics sound as difficult as possible for decades. The reason? They can use your programmed ignorance as the publicly "educated" to confuse you about how they manipulate the economy for their benefit.
Economics is simple. Nearly the full extent of it can be taught in a near pamphlet, as has been done in Henry Hazlitt's "Economics in One Lesson". That is the full extent that any individual needs and should know about economics.
Those four to eight years in college to get a bachelor or PhD in Economics? Pure mental masturbation - at best.
ECONOMICS ON AN ISLAND
Most everything can be broken down to its most basic components in order to simplify things. When faced with a large question always try to break it down. Let's do that with economics to show how simple it is and why central banking is a central tenet of communism and is an abomination that makes no sense in a free market.
Let's say that you and four other people live on an island. As far as you can tell there are no other humans on Earth. Each of the people on the island do things which help the collective although they have selfish reasons for doing so (ie. they want something in return).
Perhaps you fish. Another gathers coconuts. And another is good at building and repairing thatch huts and collecting rainwater for drinking. Amongst yourselves you trade. You offer some fish for coconuts, water and a nice maintained hut. The others offer their services in trade for your fish.
In comes the fourth person - a bearded man with no particular skills who thinks he is better than everyone else. He produces nothing but tells you that he has come up with a better system using "money" where you don't have to wait until the man who gets coconuts wants fish before you can get coconuts. Instead you can trade money... perhaps a piece of paper that the fourth person has inscribed with pictures and denominations on it.
So far it doesn't sound too bad. But here is where he becomes a "central banker". First, he pulls out a spear and tells you that you must, under all circumstances use his money and no other money. Then, during times when the fishing is poor or there is a drought he tells you that he can help everyone out by "stimulating" the economy of the island by drawing up more money.
If things got really tough he could double or triple the amount of money on the island. At first, everyone thinks they are richer, so they buy more fish or water or housing than they otherwise could afford. This ends up using up more resources than would otherwise be prudent. Soon the money has circulated and now coconuts just cost twice or three times more than before in currency units. The same for fish... the same for water and housing.
How has this central banking scheme "helped"? It hasn't. It actually ended up destroying scarce resources as it fooled the participants in the economy for a period of time into thinking they were more wealthy than they really were.
That is all there is to central banking. Of course, what then happens is the entire island gets corrupted and people begin to look to get favors from the central banker to get the newly created money first. And, then, if the printing of money begins to get out of control and the central banker stops printing money in order to salvage the "value" of the money before hyperinflating it into worthlessness, because of the fact he uses violence to enforce its use, all of a sudden there will not be enough money in the system to transact basic transactions and people will not be able to survive. There will be either war (over the resources) or starvation as the denizens of the island find themselves unable to acquire the currency they are forced to use to survive. Either that or the banker will take control of your future productivity in exchange for some easily printed cash today effectively putting you into slavery just to survive.
The only thing missing on the island at this point is someone to start a fascist media conglomerate who, in cahoots with the central bank, put out the following magazine cover showing the one non-productive member of the island as being the hero:
THE HERO?
"Ben Bernanke saved the economy, so why does everybody hate him?"
First of all, not enough people know enough about him to hate him. If they did, however, a public sodomization and lynching like Hillary did unto Khadaffi would be in order.
Here is the man who destroys economies. The man who funds and makes all wars possible. The man who puts senior citizens on treadmills and makes them run just to be able to eat cat food. And he does it all with a smug look on his face reminiscent of the last time this kind of nonsense was attempted:
Remember that one? Three of the smuggest looking conmen in the world posed as saviors just months before the collapse of the global economy - which they all brought about. That Slime cover story came out on February 15, 1999 proclaiming that the money changers had saved us all from the global economic meltdown.
How'd that all work out for everyone?
Are they pulling the same tricks again now to try to salvage a few more months of the fantasy economy? Probably.
The beautiful thing, however, is that all those anachronistic media organizations such as mainstream television and newspapers are dying a rapid death. I sat in the office of the President of USA Today, Tom Curley (now CEO of Associated Press), in 2000 and told him that inside of ten years he'd be irrelevant.
I declared victory when in 2008 Gannett (the parent of USA Today) hit $1 after being $60 in 2000... despite the dead cat bounce it has done since.
Today, The Dollar Vigilante and it's parent company, TDV Media, is one of the fastest growing media organizations on the planet.
Why? Because we spread truth and help awaken the brainwashed. A revolution is going on whether you realize it or not. The internet has exposed the cockroaches. Government, nor central banks, have any right to exist. Only propaganda and subterfuge has enabled them to survive this long.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
If you understand what central banking is really about then you are preparing now for the final stages of the collapse of the western monetary system. This means investments in hard assets such as gold and silver bullion and speculative bets in a final inflationary bubble into precious metals stocks. If you understand central banking and the governments that are subjugated to them then you know by now to get a significant portion of your assets outside of the control of the government that purports to own and control you. You understand that getting a second or a third passport is now as common sense as saving a significant percentage of your income in the past. Or, if you want to stay and fight in the coming years, you understand the importance of becoming self sufficient in terms of food and energy and preparing to protect yourself via armaments.
And if you understand all of this then you have broken out of the brainwashing of your public education and are thinking for yourself. You are now enemy number one of governments in the western world. We're happy you joined us.
Jeff Berwick, The Dollar Vigilante
http://www.dollarvigilante.com/
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Don't understand economics? And the thought of even trying makes your eyes cross?
That's what they want. Government, which is an artificial, unnecessary construct has made a concerted effort to make economics sound as difficult as possible for decades. The reason? They can use your programmed ignorance as the publicly "educated" to confuse you about how they manipulate the economy for their benefit.
Economics is simple. Nearly the full extent of it can be taught in a near pamphlet, as has been done in Henry Hazlitt's "Economics in One Lesson". That is the full extent that any individual needs and should know about economics.
Those four to eight years in college to get a bachelor or PhD in Economics? Pure mental masturbation - at best.
ECONOMICS ON AN ISLAND
Most everything can be broken down to its most basic components in order to simplify things. When faced with a large question always try to break it down. Let's do that with economics to show how simple it is and why central banking is a central tenet of communism and is an abomination that makes no sense in a free market.
Let's say that you and four other people live on an island. As far as you can tell there are no other humans on Earth. Each of the people on the island do things which help the collective although they have selfish reasons for doing so (ie. they want something in return).
Perhaps you fish. Another gathers coconuts. And another is good at building and repairing thatch huts and collecting rainwater for drinking. Amongst yourselves you trade. You offer some fish for coconuts, water and a nice maintained hut. The others offer their services in trade for your fish.
In comes the fourth person - a bearded man with no particular skills who thinks he is better than everyone else. He produces nothing but tells you that he has come up with a better system using "money" where you don't have to wait until the man who gets coconuts wants fish before you can get coconuts. Instead you can trade money... perhaps a piece of paper that the fourth person has inscribed with pictures and denominations on it.
So far it doesn't sound too bad. But here is where he becomes a "central banker". First, he pulls out a spear and tells you that you must, under all circumstances use his money and no other money. Then, during times when the fishing is poor or there is a drought he tells you that he can help everyone out by "stimulating" the economy of the island by drawing up more money.
If things got really tough he could double or triple the amount of money on the island. At first, everyone thinks they are richer, so they buy more fish or water or housing than they otherwise could afford. This ends up using up more resources than would otherwise be prudent. Soon the money has circulated and now coconuts just cost twice or three times more than before in currency units. The same for fish... the same for water and housing.
How has this central banking scheme "helped"? It hasn't. It actually ended up destroying scarce resources as it fooled the participants in the economy for a period of time into thinking they were more wealthy than they really were.
That is all there is to central banking. Of course, what then happens is the entire island gets corrupted and people begin to look to get favors from the central banker to get the newly created money first. And, then, if the printing of money begins to get out of control and the central banker stops printing money in order to salvage the "value" of the money before hyperinflating it into worthlessness, because of the fact he uses violence to enforce its use, all of a sudden there will not be enough money in the system to transact basic transactions and people will not be able to survive. There will be either war (over the resources) or starvation as the denizens of the island find themselves unable to acquire the currency they are forced to use to survive. Either that or the banker will take control of your future productivity in exchange for some easily printed cash today effectively putting you into slavery just to survive.
The only thing missing on the island at this point is someone to start a fascist media conglomerate who, in cahoots with the central bank, put out the following magazine cover showing the one non-productive member of the island as being the hero:
"Ben Bernanke saved the economy, so why does everybody hate him?"
First of all, not enough people know enough about him to hate him. If they did, however, a public sodomization and lynching like Hillary did unto Khadaffi would be in order.
Here is the man who destroys economies. The man who funds and makes all wars possible. The man who puts senior citizens on treadmills and makes them run just to be able to eat cat food. And he does it all with a smug look on his face reminiscent of the last time this kind of nonsense was attempted:
How'd that all work out for everyone?
The beautiful thing, however, is that all those anachronistic media organizations such as mainstream television and newspapers are dying a rapid death. I sat in the office of the President of USA Today, Tom Curley (now CEO of Associated Press), in 2000 and told him that inside of ten years he'd be irrelevant.I declared victory when in 2008 Gannett (the parent of USA Today) hit $1 after being $60 in 2000... despite the dead cat bounce it has done since.
Why? Because we spread truth and help awaken the brainwashed. A revolution is going on whether you realize it or not. The internet has exposed the cockroaches. Government, nor central banks, have any right to exist. Only propaganda and subterfuge has enabled them to survive this long.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
If you understand what central banking is really about then you are preparing now for the final stages of the collapse of the western monetary system. This means investments in hard assets such as gold and silver bullion and speculative bets in a final inflationary bubble into precious metals stocks. If you understand central banking and the governments that are subjugated to them then you know by now to get a significant portion of your assets outside of the control of the government that purports to own and control you. You understand that getting a second or a third passport is now as common sense as saving a significant percentage of your income in the past. Or, if you want to stay and fight in the coming years, you understand the importance of becoming self sufficient in terms of food and energy and preparing to protect yourself via armaments.
And if you understand all of this then you have broken out of the brainwashing of your public education and are thinking for yourself. You are now enemy number one of governments in the western world. We're happy you joined us.
Jeff Berwick, The Dollar Vigilante
http://www.dollarvigilante.com/
International Forecaster March 2012 (#8) - Gold, Silver, Economy + More
International Forecaster March 2012 (#8) - Gold, Silver, Economy + More
International Forecaster March 2012 (#8) - Gold, Silver, Economy + More
By: Bob Chapman, The International Forecaster
-- Posted Wednesday, 28 March 2012 | | Source: GoldSeek.com
The following are some snippets from the most recent issue of the International Forecaster. For the full 28 page issue, please see subscription information below.
By: Bob Chapman, The International Forecaster
-- Posted Wednesday, 28 March 2012 | | Source: GoldSeek.com
The following are some snippets from the most recent issue of the International Forecaster. For the full 28 page issue, please see subscription information below.
US MARKETS
Seven months after the official announcement on 9/21/11 of “Operation Twist” not much progress has been made at the long end of the market to reduce yields. The yield on the 10-year T-note has gone from 1.88% to 2.3% and the 30-year bond went from 3.03% to 3.41%. The episode has been marred by hedge fund and sovereign selling, which has left the short end a little higher, but the long end much higher. The question now is how much did this cost the Fed for such disappointing results? Or in fact was this really their objective? We may never know, because the Fed hides what they do not want anyone to know. These results might not seem important but US Treasury instruments are the foundation of the global monetary system. If yields continue to increase, like they are, it forces the Fed into QE 3, which we believe is inevitable. Other nations are not cooperating, as we saw in January and February that US banks bought more government paper than they had in all of 2011. If this continues the banks will be forced to lend. That could cause a minor recovery and more inflation. That is not something the banks want to do. They want the safety of low yielding Treasuries that is why they still sit on $2 trillion in Treasuries. As of yet stock markets may be trending higher based on recovery, but we are yet to see a follow through. Recent statistics tell us generally speaking the public is out of the stock market. We believe because they do not see recovery either and many are listening to alternative radio and getting news from the Internet, which tells them of the massive markets manipulation that the US government and the Fed are engaged in. You cannot win unless you understand what they are up too.
The embargo sanctions against Iran we have spoken about unspokenly on the air and in this publication. We figured out long before almost all others that these moves had to be some of the stupidest in history. The elitists have this time shot themselves in both feet. SWIFT is very important, because it settles almost every instruction in US dollars. Denying the system to other currencies is foolish. The players in dollars can create something similar to swift code or have some other front for them. End running oil shipments are even easier. As a feeble answer the US will sell oil from its oil reserves to try to reduce prices. This action is nothing but smoke and mirrors.
It is no secret that municipalities all over America are in serious trouble. Their pension plans and those of companies are vastly underfunded and little is being done to solve the problem. In 1983, 62% of Americans had pension plans. Today that figure is 17%, but this is still a large group of future participants, who for the most part are not going to get what they paid for and some, will end up with nothing. The reason for municipal failures for the most part is that pension and health care plans were never properly funded, investment results were terrible and incompetence was the order of the day. Corporate managers did not do much better. We call this the pension bomb and it has finally arrived, late but lethal.
The terrible part about all this is that the pension plan you are counting on might not be there for you when you need it. You may also not be able to take it from the pension writer leaving you with absolutely no control. Being generally ignorant to most of these facts Americans have little put away personally for retirement. They are short close to $7 trillion.
For the next 20 years 10,000 baby boomers will retire every day, which presents a crisis of spectacular magnitude. Some will get partial checks from Social Security and pensions or perhaps nothing at all. Now you know why you have to invest into gold and silver coins, bullion and shares. They are your only protection. In addition if the Dow falls back to 6550, as it recently did, we could be looking at 50% losses in pension fund stock investments. Already the total amount of unfunded pension and health care obligations for just state and local governments in the US is $4.4 trillion. We hope you have gotten the message?
Unfortunately Spain is experiencing an accelerating fall in property prices that has been expected for some time. Spaniards expected higher prices, which turned out to be wishful thinking. The economy is saddled with depression. Unemployment is 23% and youth joblessness is close to 50%. Austerity reigns and all the seeds of revolution have been planted. In response at demonstrations the police have been brutal. If you want a violent revolution, that is the way to start it. As depression grows, so does discontent.
The banks mostly owned by outsiders are basket cases waiting for a bailout, which, of course, will be paid for by the people. We are talking about the fastest fall on record. Those prices fell 11.2% in the 4th quarter yoy, and versus 7.4% in the 3rd quarter. This kind of fall is similar to what occurred in the US after the 2008 credit crisis. Banks that have been holding defaulted loans in construction and real estate worth $520 billion are far more than bankrupt. That is a monstrous debt and it will have to be dealt with along with sovereign debt of $1.5 trillion. That is not a pretty picture.
Spain’s public debt to GDP is now predicted to be 4.8%. They are not supposed to exceed 3% of GDP. Private sector debt, mainly the banks, have debt of more than 200% of GDP. Taking a lesson from Greece if the new administration cuts too much the depression will deepen, as will tax revenues as well as unemployment costs will accelerate. Bond rates have climbed even higher than those of Italy making the situation even wore. Like Greece, Portugal, Italy and Ireland be believe in time that Spain will have to default.
Spain’s PM Rojay in his recently stated position is saying we want more time to solve the problems. His challenge to the ECB and the euro zone members is do not push to hard and too far, or you will see a real banking crisis. We will just default like the rest of the weak members. It is obvious that newer politicians on the scene are not socialists in the European sense. They tend to be middle of the road and socialists on only certain issues. The lure of world government is not alluring to them, at least not presently. Europeans do not want the euro and perhaps not the EU as well. They were created to keep Germany from conquering the world. Connective alliances really have not worked even though they are still in place. Their failure gives Rojay an opportunity for challenge to the system. He seems, as well, to be giving assistance to Germany to allow it to exit the euro zone as well and perhaps the EU. We see little chance Germans will subsidize $3 trillion.
Not much is said about Switzerland, probably because they are outside the euro zone and the EU and they use the Swiss franc as a currency. The Swiss are major exporters and are dependent upon those exports. In the final quarter of 2011 exports fell 6.8% due to its strong currency. As a result the economy is headed for recession and deflation simultaneously. As long as the euro crisis continues you will see a flight to the Swiss franc by owners of euros. The SNB has been maintaining the franc at 1.20 to the euro and it remains to be seen if that can be continued. The Swiss and the Germans have to come to terms with their stronger economies and that is not going to change. All indications are that the Swiss are going to be soon touching on recession and Germany won’t be far behind, unless banks start lending to business.
Unemployment is increasing and retail sales are falling. Even exports within the euro zone fell 4.2%, as investments fell. As we have said before unless banks lend there can be no overall recovery. Falling employment and retail is taking Switzerland toward deflation. This is not good, because the Swiss could be the catalyst to take Europe and the world into deflation and perhaps even into depression.
...THE INTERNATIONAL FORECASTER
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012
3/28/28 (8) IF
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