Nothing "Federal" About It!

It's been awhile, and I know that the buzz is all about the potential war with Syria and the possibility of sparking-off WWIII.

But, I have begun to look into the force behind the funding of all the Wars and conflicts the U.S. has been involved in over the last century -- The Federal Reserve System.

As is likely the case with most of us (including our parents and grandparents), we have gone through our entire lives so far without even giving it the slightest thought (though we've probable heard  of "The Fed" or the name of Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan and, perhaps, the latest Chairman, Ben Bernanke.

We may be vaguely aware that "The Fed" sets the rate that banks base interest rates on, but what is Federal Reserve System?

Here's a definition from Wikipedia:  "A central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority is an institution that manages a state's currency, money supply, and interest rates. Central banks also usually oversee the commercial banking system of their respective countries. In contrast to a commercial bank, a central bank possesses a monopoly on increasing the amount of money in the nation, and usually also prints the national currency, which usually serves as the nation's legal tender.  Examples include the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Federal Reserve of the United States..."

I don't know about you, but that definition us glimpse into something scary....  While we elect our U.S. Government, what of this "Fed"?

“Some people think that the Federal Reserve Banks are United States Government institutions. They are private monopolies which prey upon the people of these United States for the benefit of themselves and their foreign customers; foreign and domestic speculators and swindlers; and rich and predatory money lenders.” –The Honorable Louis McFadden, Chairman of the House Banking and Currency Committee in the 1930s

Hmmmm.

Check out:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/who-owns-the-federal-reserve/10489

Probably the most famous critique (expose' ?) Of the fed is The Creature from Jekyll Island (1994) - by G. Edward Griffin

See him give an excellent overview of the system on youtube: The Creature From Jekyll Island (by G. Edward Griffin)
http://www.youtube.com/embed/lu_VqX6J93k?autoplay=1

(also see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._Edward_Griffin

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0912986212/ )

I look forward to your comments and input!

[Illustrations:  initially found on Equilibrium.blog.bg, but turns out they belong to http://www.deesillustration.com/index.asp , so please go there, check out the many excellent illustrations and support that site!]

Blacks Hurt Most By Amnesty

Conservatives who oppose immigration bill see issue as opportunity to connect with black Democrats - Yahoo! News

New World Disorder

The New World Disorder | Antiwar.com Original

Nazi Salute = Ban For Life?!

Nazi salute by Greek soccer player brings outrage, ban for life -Washington Post

So much for freedom of expression.... Banned for life?

I understand that a national team from any country wants a player  that's politically neutral and is a good representative of the country, etc.

This is a 20 year old kid and, while I doubt he "doesn't know" what a Nazi salute is, I wouldn't be surprised that this kid doesn't actually realize the full significance of the recent (last century) historical meaning behind it.

Those "wiser" voices in the crowd that are "outraged" and speaking out against it seem so ready to exterminate this kid because they seem to have jumped to the conclusion that he is some force of evil that must be eliminated so that the genocide can be halted -or... what?!

This is exactly why we have the First Amendment here in the U.S.A.  Our Founding Fathers labored to give us a limited government "for the people, by the people" but strove to also protect us from mob rule.   (Ironically, parts of our U.S. government are modeled after some Greek ideas!)

I'd hate to see the organization this kid belongs to (Greece's national soccer team, I think - I was too irritated by the "life ban" thing and all the over-reaction to what probably amounts to a 20-year-old kid being silly in mocking a gesture) being allowed to take such harsh action against an individual who supposedly belongs to FREE Western Civilization.

I also hope that cooler minds are actually running things and are not influenced so much by the angry mob that seems ready to lynch this kid!

This is why I am so thankful to live in the U.S.A.

In my opinion, though there seems to be a growing pressure and influence to be "citizens of the world," the U.S.A. should never give up it's sovereignty to "international law" precisely because of thinking like this example shows. (I think, if anything, the pressure and influence should be the other way around!)

Can you imagine, our Bill of Rights subordinated to the "International Community" (it's already happening to some extent, I hear, with U.S.  Judges citing "International Law" in their decisions)!  Again (my opinion), I think "international law" should cite U.S. Law!

Now, I understand the countries formerly occupied by the Axis  Forces being sensitive about Nazi salutes and symbols.  Swastikas, lightning-bolt stylized S's, and other Nazi symbols are even illegal in Germany (at least, in public).

Here in the U.S.A., our freedom of speech is protected to the extent that, if one so desires, we can openly display swastikas, read a Bible, burn a Bible, Read Mein   Kampf right after reading The  Tanakh.  We can freely purchase a Koran, discuss The Communist Manifesto, make fun of Barry Obama, George  Bush, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels without fear of imprisonment, torture, forced labor or life banishment from anything!

We have Aryans, Communists, Vegans, Southern Baptists, Buddhists, Islamists, Adventists, Libertarians, Nation of Islam, Mormans, Creationists, Atheists, etcetera, ad infinitum!

We can speak out for or against any of these above mentioned movements, ideas, ideas or  groups without fear of (legal) retribution!

Here,  not only can an individual fly the Confederate Flag, but states can still have it incorporated into their state flag!

While l don't agree with a lot of folks and ideas, I stand by their First  Amendment and Everyone's right (in the U.S.A) to believe, speak, and express themselves as they see fit - so long as their activities do not violate nor infringe upon another's rights (even if it is deemed "offensive" - I don't mind warning labels and common courtesy, as long as it's not used as a tool just to shut me up!)

Free speech, free press, the right to redress the government with grievances, etc. lend to the healthy public discourse and debate, sometimes leading to improvements (like, say,  the abolishment of slavery, etc.)

So...  is this kid a good soccer player?  Maybe there's a slot open on Team U.S.A!

Celebrities, Dictators, BFFs

Isn't it comforting to know that North Korea is "years away" from the capability to strike the U.S.

It's a good thing that the U.N. Has added yet  another sanction against this country that has withstood them for 50 years!

At least our great partner in commerce, China, is "frustrated" with N. Korea's behavior (as they basically feed and supply them - something like 90% of N. Korea's imports are from China... Hey,  doesn't the U.S. Import a little from China, too?! -  Ooh! ... anyone remember that little event  often referred to as the "Korean War?").

Well, at least now Dennis Rodman and Kim Jung Un are "BFFs" .... A good thing Mr. Rodman was able to pitch his North Korea - USA basketball idea and "maybe we can start there!" 

(Sheesh!  What's with these celebrities going to hang-out with dictators and  supporting brutal regimes as if they are something to be emulated while thumbing their noses at that "empirical" USA,  you know, the country that actually provided the opportunity to become and prosper as a celebrity in the first place! 

Hmmm... I wonder if Danny Glover made it to the Hugo Chavez funeral, maybe the devastated Sean Penn could deliver the eulogy of his "close personal friend" and Oliver Stone can make a movie to show how Chavez is the great saviour of  the Venezuelan people, etc.  Anyway...)

Oh, yes... The celebs are friends with the dictators so, therefore, we (i.e., the "International Community" or, really, the   Sovereign U.S.) Should give concessions so then we all can just be friends and make a new and better world.

Aren't these simpletons usually the people that cry out for the oppressed (basically implicating the U.S. a "The Oppressor"  - you know, probably the freest country on the planet - any "freer" country is backed by the U.S.) and ironically become "dear friends" with the head of some totalitarian regime.

Well, I guess someone has to legitimize the propaganda. 

Useful idiots!

Green Government Waste

Here's an example of government "investing" your money into failure.

As many as 50 Obama-backed green energy companies bankrupt or troubled
By Michael Bastasch
3:24 PM 10/30/2012

The October bankruptcy of solar company Satcon Technology Corp. puts the number of bankrupt or troubled green energy companies as high as 50, according to one estimate. During the first presidential debate, Republican candidate Mitt Romney said the Obama administration had doled out $90 billion to green energy companies, half of which he said had failed, which sparked a media-wide debate over the accuracy of the claim. Read the Story
  Copyright ©2012 Daily Caller.
        All rights reserved.

Now,  probably as most anybody,  I am all for green energy and a clean environment.

I am no economist nor investing expert, (not even a betting man) but I would bet that private investors would NOT invest in these ventures.  Or, at least, private financers "go all in" like the government.

Now, after squandering billions of tax dollars, our governments are asking for more taxes!

It's like if I blew my whole paycheck buying a truckload of fake dog feces.  Now there's no money left to pay the rent and bills so my solution is to ask my  benefactors to pay me even more money because my children need a place to live.... They'd not only say "no" but probably laugh in my face.

So why should we say yes to our government at federal, state or any level -whatever the sob story is.  Or, that "we're just asking the rich to help out a little more...." because they can "afford" it (Mr. Buffet).

I say pay the bills  first, Mr. or Ms.Elected Government Official and don't ever ask me to chip in on a truckload of feces!

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.9

Journalists or Propagandists?

This blog shares the title of an article by writer and political analyst for THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, Dick Polman, subtitled Too many reporters today shed their ethics and become complicit in sources' spin.  (30 september 2012 edition of the Press Enterprise, PERSPECTIVE section -p.A24)

Centering around an article done for  Vanity Fair by journalist  Michael Lewis where he "hung out" with President Obama for 6 months and wrote about it.

Mr. Lewis was allowed to do this only after agreeing to submit all his quotes to the White House for approval before publication.

Mr. Polman's point seems to be that there is this move from journalism toward propagandism - a shift he calls "Orwellian" and he starts the article with a quote from YouGeorge Orwell, "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed:  every thing else is public relations."

I was sorry to be unable to find a link to the article online, so I snapped a couple of photos of the article in the paper to post along with this blog.

Though I am unfamiliar with Mr. Polman's writings, I sense that I differ vastly in most of our political views, I absolutely agree with what he is illustrating in this article and couldn't have painted a better picture myself!

Freedom of speech and the press are of the utmost importance, but journalistic integrity is paramount.  Bias is understandable, but fabrication or omission to present a reality that is untrue is unacceptable where a journalist has a duty to report factually to his/her audience.  It's especially dubious when government or politicians are allowed to dictate what truth is.  (Talk about abridging a constitutional right!)

Mr. Polman points out that some candor remains citing the example of cameras recording Romney's "dismissive contempt" for us commoners. (while my viewpoint is probably closer to that of Romney than Obama's, these comments stir-up my suspicions that political elites are out of touch with the overwhelming majority of everyday Americans and causes me to question whether they really represent me or anybody else in most of the U.S. populace! ....  Guess I'll just have to  "throw-away" my vote on a "third party" candidate our something!)

Mr. Polman also pointed out that the Romney Campaign is also guilty of employing the censorship policy of requiring "quote approval" before journalists are allowed access.

One last thing:  I love what Mr. Polman says about gettimg reporters to "just say no" rather than exchanging independence for access; "... Journalists are tougher to herd than cats in a rainstorm!"

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.9