What's going on with our money?

What's going on with our money?

It's not difficult to understand. Every country can participate in the global economy in a profitable way by trading or engaging with other countries according to the comparative advantage of its costs of production.
Large and well endowed economies like the US can choose to make, sell, or engage in any number of activities and do so effectively. But US policy makers decided to concentrate the country's energies in one specific arena, and that strategic focus, while once successful, is leading the country to its inevitable decline and ruin.
The US, through its elected and unelected powerbrokers, has chosen to sustain itself by plundering the wealth of other nations using the comparative advantage of its overwhelming military superiority।

The current administration, for example, in attacking Iraq and Afghanistan, miscalculated when it decided to risk an estimated $3 Trillion in an attempt to plunder Middle Eastern oil and gas reserves। We don't yet know for sure how this will play out, but so far it looks like this gambit was orchestrated by a group of incompetent amateurs who have gambled away enough resources and goodwill to bankrupt our country. In effect, they bet the entire store on this one throw of the dice. It appears to me that their mismanagement is unraveling at increasing speed.

To cover up their incompetence, they squandered half a century of accumulated goodwill in an attempt to fraudulently convince the American People that their hidden agenda was necessary and in the best interest of the nation। Their plot included a series of fraudulent, criminal acts which resulted in the effective overthrow of the legitimate government of the United States... corrupting in the process, the Constitution, its laws, critical government processes, and a large body of international jurisprudence.

Did they succeed? Many elected officials and a great number of government employees and corporate facilitators are co-conspirators even though most may be oblivious to the overall implications, dimensions, and context of the expanding plot। Slowly the American people are waking up. We'll see.

And what about our money? The conspirators resorted to the wholesale expansion of the money supply in order to hide the obvious economic consequences of their failed strategy. You can't see it directly because they stopped printing M3 statistics in 2006। These dollars continue to create asset bubbles in the housing market and in the stock market, but this deceit is unraveling as these bubbles are unsustainable and the current credit crisis and looming inflation makes it impossible now to hide the blunders and fraud that the conspirators pursued.

Soon everyone will see that it was gross negligence, deceit and fraud that undermined the economy. The nation's treasury has been plundered, the country's goodwill has been squandered, the money supply has been devalued, and the American dollar looks like it's losing its preeminent position as the international reserve currency... the collapse of the US economy will likely follow, finally revealing once and for all that the plot against the American people and the people of other nations was more than incompetence. I call undermining, attacking, and dismantling the Constitution — treason।

Whether America will survive this debacle as a democratic republic remains to be seen। The answer to that question will likely depend on if, how, and when the American people take responsibility for the crimes that have been committed in their name.

http://www.gpln.com/howiseeit.htm
http://www.gpln.com/followingorders.htm

No One is Leading

The American people have no one leading the charge for the restoration of the Constitution and the rule of law.

My point is not that too few Americans are engaged and energized in doing good things, but simply that there is no individual who is leading… no one with enough credibility and support to challenge the status quo… no one with whom you and a great many others will stand and fight under that person's leadership.

Vying for political leadership are the two principal nominees hoping to be the Democratic candidate for President of the United States. And there’s also the Presidential candidate for the Republicans. But none of these candidates have made the ongoing perpetration of crimes — against the American people, our Constitution, and the rule of law — an issue or a cause worth fighting for.

Apparently most citizens have been talked out of their patriotism by the mainstream media, the treasonous political parties, and our elected officials — those traitors who conveniently have forgotten their oaths of office and have allowed the Constitution to be so denigrated.

One issue in the next election that’s been addressed is the ending of the war in Iraq. But on close inspection we see that that, in and of itself, is a bogus issue. The real issue is whether we are going to recognize the illegitimacy of the war, the crimes that were committed to instigate the war, and the ongoing crimes against the Constitution and innocent people here and abroad in the administration of the war.  The war itself was a direct attack on the Constitution and the American people... and of course on the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. 

The real issue is whether we are a nation of laws… i.e., do we believe in the rule of law… or have we simply given up on the American Experiment and the Constitution itself. If we acknowledge that the war itself was illegal, that crimes were committed in its execution, then it will follow that we must end the war and seek justice in its resolution. But it also means much more than that.

Just talking about ending the war and bringing our troops home, without addressing the shredding of the Constitution and the rule of law is a betrayal of every American and every soldier who ever fought in this war or any other. Are we going to reclaim ourselves as a Constitutional republic or have we given up trying to be the America that was originally conceived into being by the Framers?

Beyond the war and its illegality, are the following travesties that need to be addressed:

1. the illegitimate elections that fraudulently put criminals in charge of our government and kept them there.
2. the ongoing destruction of government itself by the purposeful evisceration of nearly every oversight function of government. Lies permeate government offices everywhere. That’s why the economy is failing, why we have no energy policy, why our educational system is behind the rest of the world, why all citizens do not have access to affordable health care, why our food supply is at risk, why our children are at risk even when they play with toys, why our infrastructure is in a state of decay, why inflation is stealing from every paycheck, why the over-bloated military industrial complex is bankrupting our country, why Congress no longer works as a body representing real people… and the list goes on and on.
3. how are we going to take responsibility for the crimes we have committed against other members of our human family?

Blatantly apparent is a failure of vision and courage on the part of most Americans… including even those who clearly recognize how the fabric of our society is unraveling from so many directions.

I say to you, that if you refuse to find and stand with a leader who is willing and able to address these issues, you are surrendering to the enemies of truth and decency, your rights and your freedoms—and probably your happiness and the happiness of your children and grandchildren.

I say to you it’s time to lead… by following… Find someone who knows what to fight for and is willing to fight… and stand with that person… or be prepared to explain to your grandchildren one day why you just didn’t, or couldn’t, or wouldn’t.

 

http://www.gpln.com/howiseeit.htm

http://www.gpln.com/citizen.htm

http://www.gpln.com/oneissue.htm

http://www.gpln.com/resolution.htm

Simple Strategy for Deciding Who to Vote For

Listening to presidential candidates promote themselves during this year’s presidential campaign is pretty much a fruitless and counterproductive exercise. We see what’s happened to our country… how our reputation has changed in the world… and how we as a people, acting through our elected officials, impacted our children and the rest of humanity since the current administration took office.

In selecting the next president and members of Congress, the most productive strategy you can adopt as a citizen, will be pursued not by listening to what any one of them has to say, but by going back and reviewing what each of them actually did or tried to do since the Bush administration began running things. Review the hard evidence. Review what they said, what they wrote, and how they voted (if they had a chance to vote). 

How much leadership did they provide. That will tell you more about who they are and what you can expect from them than who they now tell you they are or what they tell you to expect if you elect them.

Hope is one thing, responsibility is another. If they haven’t been doing what you think they should have been doing all along, as citizens and/or as public servants, you can be pretty well sure you will feel the same way 5 years from now. Hoping for something else is pie in the sky. Am I telling you something you don’t already know? 

Are you going to waste your vote or are you going to use it to make a difference?

What the World Needs Now

What the world needs now is love. What the world needs now is you. But what is love? Not so easy to define. Review in your mind all the possible human attributes that give you hope, add to your joy, inspire you to think, to be creative, to give thanks, to offer a helping hand, to tell the truth, to do something right, to try harder, to share what you know, to be willing to learn or to teach, to express yourself, to have compassion, make peace, be vulnerable, stay true, be thoughtful, and brave… Complete this list, then add them all up, divide by three, multiply by seven, close your eyes, pick any one or three and you will be thinking about love. Everything on your list will be something you can do or be. You love. This is you. Why do you hide or pretend it is not? You’re so funny. You’re so beautiful. Don’t you know that? I’m starting to get old now. And in many ways I’m still a child. Don’t you feel that way sometimes? How long it took to even begin to understand how little I really know… But some things I do know. I know you’re beautiful. The world needs us now. Our children do. All our children do. 'What the world needs now is love, sweet love.' That’s what I’ve been thinking of…

http://www.gpln.com/theanswer.htm

Guantanamo Comes to Main Street U.S.A.

They say that the difference between how democracy in Europe has evolved compared to that of the United States is that in Europe the government is afraid of the People whereas in the United States the People are afraid of the government.  That's a dangerous state of affairs and it looks like it's going to get worse. 

It's not only a matter of who you vote for... it's a matter of how well informed you are when you do vote... and Americans now are notorious for not being nearly as well informed as the citizens of many other countries are.  So in America, we don't really think that deeply about the range of choices that are or are not available to us.  Fatal mistake.

The video below is indicative of the evolving consciousness of law enforcement in our nation... and it's our 'Shock and Awe' government, with its penchant for gratuitous and unconscionable violence, and the People's refusal to hold them accountable, that is setting the stage for our future in this 'land of the free and home of the brave.'

When we allow fear and force to dominate the way in which our government deals with people we don't know... we open the door to despotism, for surely when we fail to protect the legitimate rights of any group or person, we sow the seeds of our own destruction.  Take a look at this video if you want to know what is happening to civil liberties in our own country.  I guess for some members of our community, this is not news at all.  

Apparently local law enforcement officers are now being trained to treat citizens the way military personnel were trained to treat Guantanamo prisoners.  Your government doesn't seem to care anymore what you think... except maybe during an election year and even then, not so much.  And like the military, many police officers who have been trained to just follow orders, are doing just that...just following orders.  Watch this video.

Everything by the book
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq3jV1_GOTs

Our silence and indifference to the plight of others is what allows this kind of thing to happen.  You probably won't get a better wake up call than this.  No doubt bad public relations will force this kind of evidence into dark corners.  The question is, will we wake up, or will we remain silent until something like this happens to someone we know and care about... or maybe to a lot of people we know and care about?  

http://www.gpln.com/followingorders.htm

http://www.gpln.com/howiseeit.htm

Stand Up For Freedom

I see that someone is exploring whether or not there is interest in having Ralph Nader run for President in 2008.  http://www.naderexplore08.org/

I for one am interested in having him run and would support his candidacy.  I would do so because I believe that of all the people who have been candidates for President in recent memory he would make the best president.  We do not need any more liars and cheats in the White House.  We don't need anyone in the White House who, as a public official, failed to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution which they were honor bound to do.  We don't need anyone in the White House who can't be trusted to do their best for all The People.  We don't need anyone in the White House who doesn't understand the meaning of honor and integrity... who doesn't have the will to fight... who would continue to shame us for what we have allowed our country to become.  I believe Ralph Nader would serve honorably.  I believe he can be trusted to do what needs to be done.  He believes in the rule of law and would not shirk his duty.  He has the vision, the experience, the guts and the skill to be the best President we ever had.  I would vote for him.  If he runs I will vote for him.  I am saying this in hopes that you will finally stand up and fight for what you believe in...  I hope you will let go of any fear of failure but instead stand up for what we really need now.  Please click on the link above and ask him to please run for office.

Thank you,

Mark A. Goldman

Remembering Martin Luther King and Others

In honor of Martin Luther King I am not going to speak directly about his dream or his sacrifice. 

His contribution and the contribution of all who helped make him what he was—which is to say, all those who marched, boycotted, broke the rules, sat at lunch counters and on buses, got dog bit, hand cuffed, fire hosed, jailed and billy clubbed so that he might have a platform on which to speak—cannot be properly honored with fancy words or platitudes.

I will not offer praise either... for the same reason that I sometimes feel slightly unsettled when I hear people say, “Praise the Lord,” as if praise is really what God was hoping for.

The movement that provided King the platform from which he so eloquently spoke, made great strides under his leadership, and did so in the face of terrible odds. One of King’s most important victories was having both the consciousness to recognize and the courage to then proclaim, that all people—not only Americans—are entitled to basic human rights, compassion, and respect. Today, remembering King, we are grateful for what he, and those who marched shoulder to shoulder with him, stood for… and what they stood against.

But alas, history reminds us that the fruits of victory which are won even with enormous sacrifice—which is how our freedoms were won—are not guaranteed to last forever. The will to dominate, and other aspects of human depravity, somehow show up time and again just like hunger, poverty, and injustice do even in the midst of plenty and in the face of what we call progress.

At the close of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, when a woman asked Ben Franklin what kind of government had just been created, he replied, “A republic, madam, if you can keep it.” That republic was only the skeleton of an idea—a promise— that Franklin knew could only be fulfilled and then periodically renewed by future generations.

A longing for universal peace, justice and freedom has been incubating in the human soul for as long as there is memory. Even the birth of our nation, in pursuit of those goals, had to wait eons for its time to come.  It was the hope of the world.

Now fast-forward two centuries. In just a blink of an eye we have seen many rights and freedoms that were once secured and later defended through the sacrifice of untold quantities of blood… and supposedly etched, as if in stone, into the hearts and minds of our countrymen… fade… as if those promises were written onto our sacred document in time-delayed invisible ink.

We have now suffered through two consecutive fraudulent national elections that installed a would-be king to the presidency— a man who calls the document on which The Great Idea of our republic is inscribed,“…just a goddamn piece of paper.”

And what is left of that " goddamn piece of paper” which, for over two centuries, was the glue that held our nation together and united us as a people:

• Habeas Corpus and the right to a fair trial … crossed out
• Basic Principles of International Law… erased
• Treaties… no longer the Supreme Law of the Land
• War Crimes… no longer prosecuted, but sanctioned, funded, administered, and ignored
• The Right to Privacy… removed
• Cruel and Unusual Punishment… now business as usual by executive fiat
• Free Speech… relocated to a free speech zone
• Freedom of Religion… contorted beyond meaning and recognition
• Freedom of the Press… diminished, corrupted, and self- or state- censored
• Justice… guilty until proven innocent; while liars, cheats, and war criminals go free
• The Rule of Law… applies to some but not to all
• Separation of Powers… cancelled
• Impeachment for High Crimes and Misdemeanors… off the table

All of this made possible by public servants and citizens too, who behave as if they never read a book, visited a museum, went to school, took an oath, or pledged allegiance. The ship of state is lost at sea, captained by a would-be king, and attended to by painted courtesans, all busy defending their lust for power and feigning innocence with platitudes and half-truths.  

Their handiwork has left behind a multitude of dead bodies, still uncounted. The murdered, the dispossessed, the mind-damaged, and the broken-bodied suffering souls remind us that something evil has been going on in our name that we don't understand… something that by official decree we are forbidden to understand.  We are faintly aware that something has been stolen from us and our progeny, the full accounting of which, is locked up, hidden away, and beyond our reach—like the papers of past and future presidents are locked away… until they are dead and gone and so are we.  

Lies, deceit and fear hang in the air like the exhaust of half a billion oil burning engines, and squinting through the stifling smog—we finally open our eyes and ask ourselves, “My goodness, I’ve lost track of time…what time is it… look over there through the haze… does that look to you like a rising or a setting sun?”

And then as if from some distant past, we hear a voice answer, “I guess that will depend now on how you honor your dead, and what you intend to leave to your posterity.”