Article rtic le I. Arti cle cl e II. II.
THE DOLLAR CRISIS How to Understand and Survive the Economic Collapse of the U.S. Dollar with the Help of Kemetic Philosophy Philos ophy and and Ancient Ancient Egyptian Egyptian Fiscal & Monetary Mo netary Policy Poli cy
Article III. The Ongoing World Financial Crisis of the 21st Century, It’s Causes and Consequences and What to Do about it to Protect One’s Life, Livelihood Livelihood and Asset s
Sema Institute/Cruzian Mystic Books P.O.Box 570459 Miami, Florida, 33257 (305) 378-6253 Fax: (305) 378-6253 First U.S. edition Ä 2008 By Reginald Muata Ashby All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission (address above) except in the case of brief quot ations embodied in critical articles and reviews. All inquiries may be addressed t o the address above. The author is available for group lectures and individual counseling. For further information contact the p ublisher. Ashby, M uata THE DOLLAR CRISIS: The Collapse of t he US Dollar and Redemption t hrough Ancient Egyptian Fiscal & Monet ary Policy ISBN: 978193701654 8
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Other books by Muata Ashby See back section for more li stings
INTRODUCTION What is the Problem? Arti cl e IV.
T
his book is a section of a larger work, The Death of American Empire: Understanding How Unethical Geo-Politics, Fanatical
World Religions and Economic Imperialism are Leading to World Crises in Health Care, Religious Conflict, Environmental Disaster and the Collapse of Civilization in the 21 st Century.(2006) In t hat larger and more comprehensive work t he causes and consequences of social
political and spiritual faults in the culture of the United States of America were analyz ed at length. We found that four main crises are facing the culture and the most imminent and dire crisis is t he threat of financial collapse. This volume has been put together so as to make that section of the book more easily accessible and also to present some updates to the situation and also present concrete steps that anyone can take to meet the challenges ahead whether or not the difficulties are moderate or severe. This book provides steps to take for considering the options you have for coping with the coming economic collapse. WHATS NEW?
This book has a new introduction as well as expanded essays. In this volume we have also included updates since the publication of the earlier work. Also, this volume has a new essay discussing the future of the economy of the United States of America. Additionally, included in this volume is a review of the political future of the United States of America and how the upcoming elections may affect the social order and collapse of the society and economy if the Dollar Crisis reaches catastrophic proportions.
Article V.
Where are we and How did we G et to the Current Crisis? Arti cl e VI.
he economic system of the United States of America began with slavery and continued with slave labor into the 1940s. It’s T founders took advantage of fertile lands t aken from its original inhabitants and free labor from making Africans and others into slaves. In addition to forced free labor, the economy of the United States of America was founded upon concepts of “free market” and “capitalism” which are designed to accumulate wealth and consume natural resources. Politically it was set up as a republic representing the “people” but in actuality it operates as an oligarchy system in which large corporations and wealthy individuals control the activities of government officials through a legalized bribery system called “campaign donations”. “Free market capitalism” is not a sustainable form of social order, either from an economic perspective or a social one. The U.S.A. has become a nation that uses its military to compel acquiescence to an economic system that forces, through subversion and or coercion or open warfare, other nations to accept U.S.A. hegemony and control over their natural resources. Internally the government and businesses rely on police and the legal system to prevent worker unity (through legal and non-legal ignored tactics), rights and equality with business owners. With the creation of the Federal Reserve the U.S.A. went of the gold standard and began the era of fiat currency in which the dollar lost most of its value. Through the 1960s and 1970s the concept of neoliberalism in economics became popular. It was equated with a list of policy [1] proposals by John Williamson's known as "Washington Consensus", which seemed to have approval by the international economic organizations (like the IMF and World Bank) that were Washington-based. Williamson's points included many features that would seem to be progressive and modernizing, such as: Tax reform , Deregulation and Redirection of public spending from subsidies ("especially indiscriminate subsidies") toward broad-based provision of key pro-growth, pro-poor services like primary education, primary health care and infrastructure investment, but many of those were not fully implemented and others in reality served the purpose of business interests and the wealthy such as Trade liberaliz ation, Privatization of state enterprises, Deregulation – abolition of regulations that impede market entry or restrict competition, and property rights. For this reason neoliberalism came to be thought of, by the peoples of the countries where it was implemented, as a new tool of economic oppression. Up to the 1980’s the U.S.A. economy was negative for the peop le and for the environment and it was, even then, ultimately unsustainable but there was more distribution of wealth among the general population. Inflation also took away the wealth of most people. This form of economic interaction was termed demand side economics because production is directed to what is in demand. For example, i people want cars then the companies start making more cars to sell. However, in the 1980’s with the presidency of Ronald Reagan and the coming into power of conservative thinkers the opposite theory of economics was introduced. This was referred to as Reaganomics, a form of “supply side economics in which the emphasis is on production and t hen creating the need for t he item p roduced while also facilitating its consump tion by allowing immigration t o increase the population, and promoting consumption as a lifesty le status symbol, and by also equating consumerism with hap piness. S UPPLY-SIDE ECONOMICS is a school of macroeconomic thought t hat argues that economic growth can be most effectively created using incentives for p eople to produce (supp ly) goods and services, such as adjusting income tax and capital gains tax rates. Supply-side economics is often conflated wit h trickle-down economics, now a derogatory [2] term given to right-leaning economists' views. The term supply-side economics was coined by journalist Jude Wanniski in 1975, and p opularized the ideas of economists Robert Mundell and Arthur Laffer. The typical policy recommendation of supply-side economics is the reduction of marginal tax rates. According to proponents increased pr ivate investment generally brings higher productivity, which increases economic growth, and [3] lowers costs for consumers. It is important to understand that both supp ly side and demand side economic theory have nothing necessarily to do with sharin wealth within the population, they are just debates about how best to accomplish the goal of capitalism, to enrich its operators. It so happens that the way that supply side economics has been implemented has caused more destructive effects in a shorter period of time as opposed to the other method. In the end both lead to the destruction of the environment, overuse of resources, richer owners and poorer workers. Along with that there is cooperation [collusion] between government lawmakers, and corporations to acquire more raw materials and receive favorable taxing status; and at the same time banking companies collude to work together to facilitate credit in order to move the supply of “stuff” even if there is no need or demand for it. The collusion of government and business is fascism. The following quote by Benito Mussolini illustrates the ultimate fascist agenda of collectivizing the resources and national sovereignty of the world’s nations under the elite rule into a form of fascist collective. Beni to M uss oli ni ( 188 3-19 45) o ver th e cours e of hi s li fet im e went fr om S ocia li sm - he was edit or o f Avanti , a socia li st n ewspa per - to t he lea ders hi p of a n ew pol it ical movem ent ca ll ed "fa scis m" [aft er "fa sces" , the symb ol o f bo und s ti cks us ed a to tem o f po wer in a ncien t Ro me]. Mus sol ini came t o power af ter t he "Ma rch on Rome" in 1922, and was appoint ed Prime Minister by King Victor E mmanuel. In 1932 Mussolini wrote ( with the help of Giovanni G entile) and entry for the Ita li an E ncyclo pedi a on t he defi ni ti on of fas cism .
"Given that t he nineteent h century was t he century of Socialis m, of Liberali sm, and of Democracy, it do es not necessaril y follo w that t he twent ieth century must also be a century of Socialism, Liberali sm and Democracy: pol iti cal doctrines pass, but humanit y remains, and i t may rather be expected that t his w ill b e a century o f authori ty...a century of Fascism. For if the nin eteenth century w as a century of indi vidu alism it may be expected that t his [4] wil l be th e century of collectivi sm and hence the centu ry of the State....
Therefore the system of government of the United States can not be considered as a democracy but rather something else. This is why so many products are produced and advertising is geared not to inform potential customers of products they actually need but to producing more desires in the p opulation for the products even if the need never existed before. This ever expanding model of economics is unsustainable since it would eventually consume all the natural resources and having done that would collapse. This model also emphasizes profits at the cost of wage reduction which forces reduction in income and eventually depression since the worker becomes unemployed or working fir slave wages. This model involves the theory of giving tax breaks to the wealthy with the idea they will reinvest and make new companies and make new jobs that would “trickle down” to the masses; so this form of economic system was also referred to as “trickle down economics”. During the 1980 election while competing with Reagan for the Republican party presidential nomination, George H.W. Bush disparaged Reagan's supply-side policies as "voodoo economics". Though a derisive usage of the name for the religious practices o people in Louisiana which were partially based on traditions from African religion, the term was meant t o put down the nonsensical form of
economic system that was recognized even then for what it was. Nevertheless, Reagan won the election not because of his policies but for the way he could make people feel patriotic and good about the country. FAILURE OF REAGANOMICS
[5]
The extreme promises of supply-side economics did not materialize. President Reagan argued that because of the effect depicted in the Laffer curve, the government could maintain expenditures, cut tax rates, and balance the budget. This was not the case. Government revenues fell sharply from levels that would have been realized without the tax cuts. - Karl Case & Ray Fair, Principles of Economics (2007), p. 695. Critics of "Reaganomics" claim it failed to produce much of the exaggerated gains some supply-siders had
[6] promised. Krugman later summarized the situation: "When Ronald Reagan was elected, the supply-siders got a chance to try out their ideas. Unfortunately, they failed." Although he credited supply-side economics for being more successful than monetarism which he claimed "left the economy in ruins", he stated that supply-side economics [7] produced results which fell "so far short of what it promised," describing the sup ply-side theory as "free lunches". The earlier flawed system of economics of the United States of America was further corrupted by Reaganomics to the point where over the next 28 years the U.S.A. saw the greatest disparity in income distribution with most of the wealth going to the top half percent of the [8] population. The Reagan administration presided over the greatest rise in economic inequality in twentieth century American history. Companies closed factories and opened them abroad where they could hire people at slave wages. Eventually the population grew poorer; the middle class began to collapse due to having only low paying service jobs instead higher paying manufacturing jobs as well as having the social burdens of medical care placed upon individuals instead of shared by the community. The tax cuts to the wealthy and government overspending led to unsustainable deficits and national debt which led to the U.S.A. becoming a greatest debtor nation in the world. All of this sets the stage for the collapse of the currency, hence the “DOLLAR CRISIS” and the collapse of the middle class that is already occurring as well as the collapse of the general society that is likely in the near future.
Chapter 1: The Economic Crisis: What is Happening Now and Why? The Fallacy & Fail ure of Capitalism, Pri vatization, Consumeri sm and “Free Trade”
he economies of the U.S.A. and the European nations emerged to become the richest in the world because of slave labor. Originally, those nations enslaved their own people through serfdom in the medieval and dark ages, and later through indentured service. Later, with the discovery of the “Americas” and the exploration of Africa, those lands were taken by force from their inhabitants and the Native Americans and Africans were enslaved to produce goods at cost, from which the plantation owners profited by selling to the merchants, who also profited. Those profits were parleyed into private capital used by aristocrats to create businesses and technological developments that led to the industrial revolution. Along the way, those aristocrats developed into an oligarchy that controls the
T
[9]
government, and they are backed by a plutocracy that controls the world economy via a corpocracy by means of philosophies that include free trade, fiat money [flexible currency] and capitalism. These philosophies have helped the Western countries to become wealthy, but have not shielded t hem from wars and economic depressions, and have not provided safety, equality and p rosperity for all or most of their populations. This movement has led to economic conditions that are complicated and pose great threats to national as well as international peace and stability. The capitalist [greed, power and wealth] seeking agenda has sought to gain control of the world through economic slavery [subsistence wages, usurpation of a country’s raw materials] and economic undermining of other countries by destabilizing their governments and then saddling them with economically crippling loans from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other proxy institutions. That in itself has caused war, torture, killings either directly by using the U.S.A. armed forces to conquer other countries or by fomenting coup d'états in other countries by supporting dictators who will favor U.S.A. political and economic goals. Overreaching in this way has lead to an unprecedented development of a military industrial complex, which drives the fear, warmongering, profiteering and deficit sp ending culture of the Western countries, and in particular the U.S.A. The modern Western cultures have sought to develop governments and economic systems that will produce opportunities for developing prosperity and wealth through a growth and expansion model of economies. The U.S.A., as a country, has developed with that mentality, from its inception, fueled by people desiring to be rich even beyond the capacity to use the wealth or caring much about the ethical means to achieve it. In a sustainable society, the economy is not driven by endless growth because that is unrealistic and it forces periods of growth and recession or depression. In a sustainable culture, the relative values of items would stay the same and the society would not be plagued by inflations and depressions, but in such a society there can be no fabulously rich people. There would be more even spreading of the wealth, and consequently less strife. In order to keep proper fiscal management and budgeting, one should not spend more money than one has or will have in the near future. If one does go into debt, that will leave one prey to the fluctuations of the economy and the desires of the person holding the mortgage. So economic debt is a form of slavery, and the more debt, the more slavery is strengthened and expanded. Interdependence of economic interaction such as international trade can be positive if it is even trade, but can lead to economic disparity, imbalance and vulnerability of the national economy if left unregulated. T he greed of large corporations drove the move towards banking fraud and trade imbalances that pose serious threats to the U.S.A. economy. DEFINITIONS For clarity, and better underst anding this section on economics the following definitions are included. The economy of t he United States of America has three important kinds of dept problems. First is the budget deficit. [10] budget deficit n : an excess of expenditures over revenues. When the government sp ends over its limit it goes into dep t. T he annual budget deficit accumulates and turns into the national debt. [11] national debt n. The tot al financial obligations of a national government. If a government engages in p roper economic management they may develop an annual budget surp lus [have money left over after regular expenses at the end of the year]; they can use that to pay towards the national debt if there is one. If they do not (governments spends more money than takes in as taxes or revenues) the governments is operating “at a deficit” and debt goes up even if they do not add to it because the debt has creditors [banks, other countries] and they charge interest on the debt.. The outstanding Public Debt as of Jul. 16, 2006 at
07:08:10 AM GMT was: $8,420,762,290,568.93 (8.4 Trillion Dollars). This means that if the estimated population of the United States is 299,111,866, each citizen's share of this debt was $28,152.55, on that date. The National Debt has continued to increase an average of $1.69 [12] billion per day since Sept ember 30, 2005! trade deficit: The amount of goods and services that a country imports that is in excess of the amount of goods and services it exports. Large trade deficits may result in unemployment and a reduction in economic growth in the country [13] with the deficit.
In the year 1971, the U.S.A. abandoned the gold standard. Since abandoning gold backing of the dollar in August of 1971, the country embarked on one of history's greatest experiments in fiat money. Since that day in 1971, debt and credit of every kind expanded at all levels of society. The Federal Reserve Note [U.S. Dollar ] has had 96% of its original 1913 value eroded due to inflation, according to the CPI. Essentially, the loss of purchasing power in the economy has been caused by the system of economy that has been put in place. It is not natural or absolute, but contrived. Yet most ignorant consumers are content to blame greedy business men for raising prices every year. The United States dollar was once defined as a specific weight of gold or silver, but the years 1913 to 1971 gradually came to be defined by the Federal Reserve Note (FRN) fiat currency principle. The “U.S. Federal Reserve Syst em” is a banking consortium created by the Federal Reserve Act in 1913. The rich corporation owners o that time, such as Henry Ford, Rockefeller, and bankers such as J. P. Morgan and others pushed for a central bank to provide investment capital to the economy [for their companies to expand] as well as prevent speculative and unstable private banking that produced many bank failures. So the Federal Reserve (Fed) was sup posedly created to provide liquidity [more money] in the economy or contraction in t he monetary supply when conditions required that, or otherwise controlling the economy [inflation-deflation] when needed. It is a corporation chartered by the U.S.A. Congress and given, by them, the exclusive franchise to create the nation’s money. The Fed is a hybrid “system” of banks that pool their capital in the Fed. The national board of the Fed is ap pointed by the President and ap proved by Congress. Essentially, it is a collaboration of the government and business. The member banks that are members of the Fed purchase stock certificates in proportion to the capital t hey put in. In order to get the bill p assed, the sponsors of the bill, in Congress, agreed to p ut in restrictions. The bill was originally enacted into law with provisions that restricted the capacity to the Fed to create money “out of thin air.” Since the Federal Reserve Act was passed, it was “amended” over 100 times and the restrictive provisions were gutted and new provisions favorable to government expansion, banking and corporations, were quietly passed in Congress that expanded the power of the Federal Reserve System beyond t he original enactment. The central banks in Europe are not hybrids, but serve the same function and also create money “out of thin air.” Nevertheless, in the time since the creation of the Fed, the U.S.A. economy did not remain stable as it was projected to be through the Fed. It experienced the crashes of 1921, 1929, great depression of 1931-1939, recessions of 1953, 1957, 1969, 1975, 1981, and the stock market “Black Monday” in 1987. The U.S.A. economy also experienced the highest personal debt than ever before, private and p ersonal bankruptcies at record highs, interest on national debt that consumes almost half of the tax dollars, and banks and savings and loans have failed more than in the past. So the stated objectives of the Fed have not been achieved for the economy, but the wealthy power elites holding the reigns of government, banks [t he large banks of the east coast {money center banks} that now have branches all over the world-Ex. Chase M anhattan Bank] and transnational corporations have prospered. The Federal Reserve System, instead of democratizing money policy and taking power away from the big banks and large corporations, insured their control over the economy and expanded their economic power and profits. The bi banks consolidated their control over the smaller ones by becoming their regulators. The U.S.A. has managed to get t he entire world to base its economy on the U.S. Dollar. After World War II, t he U.S.A. was t he strongest nation; it had a trade surplus. They produced many manufactured goods and brought in more money than was spent. Today there is a monumental trade deficit because the U.S.A. population spends more than it brings in through exports. This problem of trade deficits exploded when deregulations by President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s reduced tariffs on imported goods at the behest of business leaders, saying that that policy was “isolationist.” While other countries retained their tariffs, the U.S.A. left them low. This benefited businesses like Wal-Mart, which could import cheap goods. But the trade deficits increased dramatically and that hurt the value of the dollar. So the value of the dollar is dwindling every year, meaning it purchases less and less. China and Japan have been supporting the dollar by purchasing US Treasury Notes, a form of investment in the U.S. Dollar, banking on the “growth” potential of the U.S.A. economy. However, U.S.A. corporations have exported manufacturing jobs for many years [seeking greater profit through lower wages abroad] and now there are more service [low paying] jobs in the U.S.A. than manufacturing [high paying] jobs. So the dollar purchases less and people have less money to purchase things with and save. How degraded is the condition of the U.S.A. economy? In the book “Empire of Debt: The Rise of an Epic Financial Crisis” (Nov 11, 2005) the authors, Addison Wiggin and Bill Bonner point out that: “It is deeply unpleasant to consider the fact that the U.S. continues to rack up another $80 million of debt every hour, or that our trade deficit has hit an all time high of $725.8 billion.” “The renowned Levy Institute estimates that the United States will owe foreigners $8 trillion by 2008, a breathtaking 60 percent of our gross domestic p roduct.“ If the U.S. dollar should become devalued for any reason to a certain extent, the foreign investors could sell and invest in other currencies. If that were to happen, the value of the U.S. Dollar would plummet because the dollars would flood the world currency markets and the world economy would go into a depression, and the U.S. economy would go into a more severe depression than the Great Depression of the 1930s, because the more dollars there are, the more the value of the currency needs to be divided into more dollars, therefore making each dollar worth even less. What most people do not talk about is the fact that in 1971, the U.S.A. government made the decision to go off the gold standard and have an economy based on credit. It was a way to artificially expand the economic power of the U.S.A., because if a country were to base the economy on the gold standard, and has, say 1 trillion in gold reserves, it can only print 1 trillion dollars in paper money to represent the gold held in reserves, but with a credit economy it can print unlimited dollars backed by nothing of value except the idea that it can have a future value if the economy keeps on growing, expanding, etc. To grow and expand, there need to be new markets and more money to develop them. Now that there is printed paper money [with no real value], all that was needed was new markets, so the move started in earnest in the late 1960s and early 1970’s to economically subjugate other countries by
destabilizing their governments so a coherent national economic policy could not be developed [so those countries could not develop a manufacturing base to compete with the U.S.A.] and force them to accept loans from the I.M.F. or the World Bank, and to remain indebted [14] and dependent upon the U.S.A. and U.S.A corporations for the products they needed. Here we may recall the words of Lewis Mumford, who spoke about how the major corporations contrive to maintain mass production. This t ies into the imperialist and neocolonial efforts t o stifle independent development in developing countries, discussed above. The techniques used to perpetuate consumerism in reality are unethical devises for sustaining a myth of technological benefit, while at the same time promoting more commerce that would not ordinarily occur. In other words, greed has corrupted commerce such that technological advancements, which would have normally led to higher quality and lower production [since fewer products would be needed because the older ones would work longer], are not allowed to be implemented in the economy. In other words, t he creation and maintenance of world markets by subjugating other countries is an artificial form of “free market” system, otherwise said, it is actually corruption of the concept of free markets. In fact, there is no such thing as a free market where the multinational corporations are involved. They would have too much to lose by allowing the market to be free, so it has to be rigged to their advantage. Thus, the propaganda of corporate and technological benefit to society belies the true effect of those institutions, which is to hold back advancement, and even to promote devolution by the destruction of resources that occurs through overproduction and over-consumption. The U.S.A. introduced major credit cards and other credit for consumers to purchase goods in the 1960s. Now in the early 21st century, the U.S.A. population has the highest level of debt and lowest savings in history, and the desire to spend has not abated. What would happen if a household spends $4,000 for every $2,000 that comes in through wages income to the home? The home becomes bankrupt very [15] soon. And “the trade deficit only accelerates the speed of decline in the dollar's value.” This means that the U.S.A. economy is bankrupt and is only sustained by the confidence in the U.S.A. economy by foreign investors. If confidence should fall, the economy falls, and the U.S.A. would no longer be self-sufficient. It depends on oil imports to produce food crops and to sustain the lower levels of manufacturing, so the consequences of a financial collapse would affect everyone, but more so those who are in debt or without the capacity for selfsufficiency. Many people would go insane or commit suicide due to mounting un-payable debt, and the very rich would only suffer physically if there were a social revolution caused by the economic debacle that would cause p eople at large to violently dep ose them from their p ositions of p ower and remove them from their gated communities. But t heir income and the value of their assets and savings would be reduced, as it was during the Great Depression of the 1930s. However, if a person has 10 million dollars and their assets are reduced to 3 million, they still remain millionaires. But if a person has assets of $300,000 and those assets go down to $50,000 then that person could be in dire straights. Nevertheless, t he looming economic collapse would be much more severe than any earlier depression. This is why, in t imes of financial decline, many wealthy people choose t o move their asset s into tangible commodities and hard currencies backed by real material goods, or precious metals such as gold or silver. During times of financial crisis or devaluations of currency, those assets have real value instead of paper money which in itself has no value. The conventional wisdom has been that because China has so much invested in the U.S. economy in currency but also in the fact that the same money it invests in the U.S. Treasury Notes is the same money used to purchase Chinese goods that the Chinese would not like to see the economy of the U.S.A. fail. There is also the notion that China would not like to see the U.S. economy fail because that would depress or cause the Chinese market to fail also, because the U.S.A. population would not be able to buy cheap goods from China anymore, through such outlets as Wal-Mart. Within the past two years, China has moved to diversify its investments, moving away from investing in the U.S. dollar and into more stable currencies such as the European Euro, a move that raised tensions in world economic markets. Many other governments have been quietly exchanging the U.S. Dollar for other more stable currencies. 2005 China Revaluation. Yuan Revaluatio n - Euro's Big Moment?
As China moves to wards peggi ng the CNY t o a basket of currencies or floati ng th e Yuan, there could be a notable impact on the Euro . China is the second largest ho lder of US Treasury debt , approximately $1 91 bi lli on second o nly t o Japan and Euro Zone. A revaluati on of the Yuan wil l force Chinese pol icy makers to sell a least part of their US dollar holdings and buy euros and/or yen. Currently there is a growing shift by different countries to diversify their foreign exchange reserves away from dollar and including an increasing amount of Euro’s in their mix of currencies. So far we know that Russia will be readjusting their dollar denominated reserve holdings. South Africa and India are also suspected of dumping US treasuries. According to the latest Bank of International Settlements report, oil exporters have reduced their dollar holdings over the past 3 years. Central banks in the Middle East have exchanged some dollar reserves for euros to avoid incurring losses related to t he slide in the dollar. Although t he euro was only l aunched in 1999, it has s ince become the world's second most popular reserve currency. As time passes, we expect more central banks to hold an increasing number of euros as they adjust their reserve holdings to reflect their trade flows . For China, their mix wil l conti nue to in clude the do llar, but by a di mini shed capacity. How ever, they are also expected to increase their hol ding s of Japanese [16] yen and the euro.
The Attack on the U.S. Dollar and Energy Needs by Alan Caruba Mar ch 19 , 2006 0 9:34 A M ES T
“ As Davi d J. Jonsson, the autho r of “ Clash of Ideolog ies”, pointed ou t in a recent article, the Unit ed States “ relies on appro ximately 70 p ercent of all foreignexchange currency to be held in dollars because we sell Treasury debt into that foreign-exchange market.” A flight of foreign-exchange reserves away from the [17] dollar would depress it s value and, conversely pot entially increase the value of the Euro by 20 to 40 percent.”
The sensitivity and volatility of the dollar to the Chinese purchases of U.S. Treasury notes was demonstrated in April of 2006:
The U.S. Dollar fell sharply against the euro and yen in Asia, partly due to a media report suggesting China might reduce its purchases of U.S. treasury holdings. [18] –International News Network Wor ld Report- 4/19/06 Up until 1971, the various governments on the world market adhered to the Bretton Woods system of monetary management which used a “managed” Gold Standard. Some economists would like to return to a Bretton Woods–style system, so as to reduce the volatility of currencies. However, the reason it was supposedly dropped is that its government-ordained exchange ratio is unworkable. This has led followers of Austrian economist’s theory such as Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek and Murray Rothbard to promulgate the idea of a complete freeing up of the gold price in the market from a state-decreed exchange rate, as well as putting an end to the monopoly on the issuance of gold currency by the government. The Great Depression was a massive global economic depression (or “recession”) that occurred from the year 1929 to 1941. It affected the whole of the industrialized world, as well as the trading partners in peripheral nations. The most important crash in the 20 th century was the 1929 crash in which the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 50%; this crash preceded the Great Depression. In succeeding years, the Dow Jones dropped a total of over 85%. A stock market crash is a sudden loss of value of shares of stocks of corporations. The stock market system is akin to an auction; sometimes people overbid for an item that they want. They can recover the price they paid if there are others who want the item for the price they paid or a higher price, or if they can hold onto the item until it appreciates to the higher overpriced level. If the price is overvalued, eventually other people do not want it, so there are no buyers. People may loose confidence in the stock market because the prices are inflated, and those holding the stock need to sell at a loss. Emotional selling driven by panic can lead to undermining the market, and people want out to get their money out of the stock market before everybody else sells, i.e. while they can still get something for the stock, and the prices go lower or dwindle to almost nothing, and they lose everything they invested. So the stock market is volatile, risky and prone to inflated prices, like a pyramid scheme in which all is ok as long as there is someone at the bottom willing to buy in. If there is no one to buy, the prices go down because demand is low and prices “correct” to their supposedly true levels, i.e. their true market price without the emotional or speculative investing. So crashes often follow speculative stock market bubbles, such as the recent dot-com boom and general market downturn in the years 2000-2002. In truth Roosevelt had foreseen from early in his P residency that only a solution to t he international trade problem would finally end the depressio n, and that th e New Deal was, to no s mall extent, a "hold ing acti on". He contemplated precipitati ng a war with Japan early on, in ho pes of dealing with the problem early. However, the intensity of the economic crisis convinced him that before the world situation could be dealt with, the United States would have to put its ow n fiscal hous e back in order. His original conception was that the New Deal woul d restore circumstances which would allo w for a return to balanced budgets and an int ernational gol d standard. It was only gradually t hat he came to the conclusion that it was essenti al to remake the U.S. economy in a more extensi ve fashio n, particularly because of the "Roosevelt Recessi on" of 1937, wh en he had balanced t he [19] bud get b y rest rict in g fiscal su ppo rt to t he econo my.
During the period of the Great Depression president Roosevelt knew that he needed to increase government spending to stimulate the economy out of the depression, and that the international trade problems with other countries needed to be resolved as well in order to have a more permanent solution to the problems that led to the depression. He considered engaging the U.S.A. to war with Japan years before the U.S.A. officially entered World War II, but t here was a strong isolationist sentiment in the country. Prior to the war, t he U.S.A. economy was transformed and geared towards supplying the European allies of the U.S.A. with munitions and other war supplies, and that began to stimulate the U.S.A. economy before the U.S.A. entered the war. So delaying the entry into the war allowed the retooling of industry to produce vast quantit ies of weapons. T his was all accomplished through massive public expenditures and deficit spending. As a consequence of these actions, unemployment in the U.S.A. was reduced—from 19% in 1938 (which was already down from a peak of 1933's 24.9%) to 1.2% in 1944—as t he labor force grew by ten million. Along with deficit spending, Roosevelt applied socialist economic principles through his “New Deal” program, the reverse of the capitalist principles that had precipitated the Great Depression, in order to stimulate more even distribution of wealth in the economy. For [20]
that he was accused of turning America into a socialist or even Stalinist state. So it is ironic that anti-capitalist measures are needed to reverse the disastrous effects of capitalistic free market corporate driven economics, but those measures are only used when there is a financial crisis and not to promote sustainable equitable economics. See below: [21] New D eal prog rams so ugh t to s ti mulat e demand and prov id e work an d reli ef for th e impoveris hed t hrou gh i ncreased g overn ment s pend in g, by: · institut ing regulations which ended what was called "cut throat competition" (in which large players supposedly used predat ory p rici ng t o dri ve out small pl ayers); · creating regulations which would raise the wages of ordinary workers, to redistribute wealth so that more people could purch ase prod ucts . The original implementatio n, in th e form of the National Recovery Act, brought in di rect unemploy ment relief, and allo wed: · business to set price codes; · the NRA board to set labor codes and standards; · the Federal government to insure the bankin g syst em and provi de price supp orts for agricultu re and minin g.
World War II was a boon for the U.S.A. economy because t he U.S.A. government was able to stimulate the economy t hrough sellin supplies to fight the war [profiteering] without domestic danger from damage due to bombings or combat on U.S.A. soil from the war itself. Only people were lost, as people were lost in the previous wars. So, it is no surprise that the U.S.A. economy became the most powerful, because it was intact and export ed the supplies to reconstruct and sustain other countries after the war. However, just as the British economy plunged after many years of imperialism that had propelled the British pound to become the standard currency for the world economy [reserve currency status], the U.S. dollar is headed for devaluation due to fiscal mismanagement, but the consequences are much more dire because of the dependency on the dollar by the U.S. Domestic economy and the worldwide markets.
Reserve currency status, however, is not without its risk s. While the Unit ed Kingdom enjoyed economic benefits t hrough the 19t h Century up un til 1 914 from the strength of the British Pound and its reserve currency status, the relative weakening o f the UK and strengthening of the US economies in the inter-war and postwar periods caused the shift in currency reserves, culminating in a 30% devaluation of the British Pound in 1949 which ended the dominance of the British Pound as a world currency. Weighed dow n by the debts o f fight ing World War II , and wit hout t he benefits of reserve currency status, the United Ki ngdo m strugg led to rebuild its economy, entering a period of economic slowdown and decline that would last over three decades. If, as many economists are speculating, current weakness in the dollar were to cause the shift of foreign exchange reserves or oil pricing into another currency [22] such as the Euro, then th e reserve currency advantage would also switch to the European Union.
Experts of Standard & Poor's forecast a global economic collapse.
The collapse will be caused with the demise of the US dollar rate against the European currency by more than 30 percent. The dollar, specialists say, may lose almost 45 p ercent of its current value against the euro. The European Central Bank has expressed its concerns with the forecast from Standard & Poor's. The European financial specialists say that the demise of American currency will endanger the global economy on the whole. [23] Pravda Online , Wednesday, February 01, 2006. The recent and unprecedented warning from S&P is seen as serious because that organization is one of the most important financial research organizations of the world economy. Despite the efforts to stem the decline of the dollar by controlling Iraq, the U.S. [24] Dollar continued to fall until the S&P issued the warning of the impending collapse of the dollar and the repercussions for the world economy. Meanwhile, the U.S. government has no comment and no advice to offer its people related to any adjustments needed to the economy, but rather the current president, George W. Bush, and his Republican Party cohorts continued to ask the p opulation to spend money and keep the economy going as a patriotic measure [especially right after the attack on the World Trade Center in New York on 9/11/01], call for tax cuts to the richest segments of the population and corporations, and raise military spending beyond all previous records; those are all moves that independent economists say will surely have the effect of making the economy worse. Unbridled consumer spending and businesses importing goods at a deficit may help corporations in the short term, but it does not help the economy in a fundamental and long term way ; what are needed are more trade balance and more personal savings. Joan Robinson, a w ell-known economist in the 1920-1930s close to John Maynard Keynes said: "If the capital inflows merely permit an excess of consumption over production, the economy is on the road to ruin. [25] If they permit an excess of investment over home saving, the result depends on the nature of the investment." The U.S.A. economy has engaged in “excess of consumption over production.” That, coupled with other financial mismanagement has promoted a negative economic condition. The continued budget deficit, which is different from the trade deficit, makes t he situation worse because the interest on t he deficit money must be p aid, and estimates show that the current spending and tax cuts have already created a situation wherein the current population will not be able to repay the deficit. It will need to be transferred to the taxes for the children of the current population and future generations, and that is considering that there will not be a financial collapse, that the current levels of income will be maintained, and that at some point the deficits must be reversed. Otherwise, the population would face perpetual deficit economies that would prevent financing for infrastructure and services, which would force the country to become dilapidated in infrastructure and limited in human services that esp ecially the indigent, sick, elderly and the y oung depend on. While it may be argued that a person with little training in economics can easily figure out that if you spend money without havin income there will be a deficit, the proponents of tax cuts continue to propose making the current ones permanent and instituting new ones even when confronted with evidence as to t he damage it does t o the economy. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated that extending the Bush tax cuts of 2001-2003 beyond
[26]
their 2010 expiration would increase deficits by $1.8 trilli on dollars over the following decade.
The CBO also completed a study in 2005 analyzing a hyp othetical 10% income tax cut and concluded that under various scenarios there would be minimal offsets to the loss of revenue. In other words, deficits would increase by nearly the same amount as the tax [27] cut in the first five years, with limited feedback revenue thereafter. The U.S. Bears A Greater Debt Load Now Than During The Great Depression
US debt of consumers, businesses, governments and financial institut ions exceeded $40 trillion in 2006, compared with only $11 trillion in output. The nation's debt more than triples its gross domestic product. Compare that to 1933 when debt was only 2 1/2 times the GDP. Also, with the lowest interest rates in four decades applied to this debt, we can only look forward to it [28] growing larger when those rates rise. As of the date February 11-12, 2006: US Trade Deficit Conti nues To Increase
The Commerce Department reported Friday t hat the gap b etween what America sells abroad and what i t imports rose to $ 725.8 bil lion last year, up by 17.5 percent from the previous record of $617.6 billion set in 2004. It marked the fourth consecuti ve year that America's trade deficit h as set a record as American consu mers conti nued th eir seemingl y ins atiable demand for all things foreign from new cars to televisions and electronic goods. The increased foreign competition has helped to keep the lid on prices in this country, but critics say the rising trade deficit is a major factor in the loss of nearly 3 million manufacturing jobs since mid-2000 as U.S. companies moved production overseas to lower-waged nations. Many economists believe those manufacturing jobs wil l never come back. "Such a hu ge trade gap undercuts domesti c manufacturing and dest roys g ood U.S. jobs," said Richard Trumka, secretary-treasurer of labor's AFL-CIO. "America's gargantuan t rade deficit i s a weight arou nd American workers' n ecks that i s pul ling them int o a cycle of debt, bankrupt cy and low-w age service [29] jo bs."
If we are to understand that a person can proceed with an erroneous idea not knowing it is erroneous what could we say when the person is informed of the error and confronted with evidence of the error and y et they cont inue to p romote the same ideas and policies now understanding the consequences? Are we dealing with mental illness, like a “moron” in the p sychological application of t he term? [ Psych ol ogy .
[30]
or are we perhaps dealing with willful criminality? Or is it ideological blindness, the pursuit of ideal without the benefit of intellectual, moral or ethical review? a person of borderline intelligence in a former classification of mental retardation, having an intelligence quotient of 50 to 69.]
Bill Clinton on ideology v. philosophy
"We believe in a polit ics...dominated by evid ence and argument. There is a big di fference between a philoso phy and an i deolog y on th e right or th e left. If you have a philos ophy, it generally pushes you in a certain direction or another. But li ke all phil osophers, you want to engage in discussion and argument. You are open to evidence, to new learning. And you are certainly open to debate the practical applications of your philosophy." "The problem with id eology is if you got an ideolo gy, you already go t your mind made up, you know all th e answers, and that makes evidence irrelevant and argument a waste of time, so you tend t o govern by assertion and attack. The problem with that is that discourages thinking and gives you bad [31] results."— Bill Clinton
Leaving aside the factor of the violations, throughout the history of the United States of America against it’s own people and that of other countries in the form of subversion, destabilization, wars and other forms of economic exploitation, having been perpetrated by democrats and republicans alike, Mr. Clinton did express a sound int ellectual concept, the difference between an ideological persp ective and a philosophical one, but in the political arena it is not so simple because oftentimes people can hold ideological positions not necessarily because they believe in them blindly but because they are self-serving to the egoistic aims of the person who may hold deep seated convictions or may just want to advance their own goals and or the goals of their group to the expense of others. If we agree that those who have instituted ideologies that are proven to be inherently erroneous but still continue to uphold those ideals we might consider them as being willfully perp etrating an error, an injustice; and we could add t he p olicy of creating fiat money to the list of willful ideological acts since fiat currency is also a well known fallacious instrument of economics. Yet it must be understood that in an ordinary economy there would be no way to create the vast amounts of wealth without the institution of the false ideals and false economic policies and governmental structures; we are therefore led back to the higher purpose, redistribution of wealth and accumulation of power by weakenin the masses, the infrastructure and the social safety nets of society. This is done by creating a system of fiat currency with inflation and shifting the burden of social needs [medical care, utilities, etc.] to individuals instead of to the community, through privatization and submitting them to the vagaries of the “market economy” wherein corporations vie for contracts to provide social services, all the while scheming ways to reduce costs and services, thereby hurting the population (consumers). The Federal Reserve of the USA acts as a central bank of the country. The main activity of the Federal Reserve is that it raises and lowers the funds rate to slow down or to speed up economic growth. At least that's the idea. The Federal Reserve operates by the logic that when the economic activity grows too fast (too much lending, prices rising too quickly), you see inflation. To slow inflation down, the Fed raises the funds rate. This makes it more expensive to borrow money, by increasing the interest rate p aid on borrowed money. High interest rates lead to a slowdown in bank lending, because fewer people could afford to pay the cost of borrowing money. Bank lending is what actually creates new money, not the Federal Reserve and not the US Treasury or the US Mint. When the Fed says it's going to "crank up the printing presses," it really means it's going to lower the interest rate on borrowed money. It hopes that by doing so it will encourage [32] Money
banks to make more loans to the public and corporations. It's t his lending that creates money "out of thin air." thin air" is also referred to by some economists as “flexible currency.”
that comes "out o
“paper money eventually goes down to its intrinsic value – zero.” ~ Voltaire 1729 A.C.E. Flexible currency also means the capacity to print money at will. Since the inception of the U.S. Federal Reserve, the member banks embarked on a program of using the new capacity to acquire “flexible currency” to entice businesses to borrow money instead of using their own savings. Prior to the creation of the Fed, there was a trend of corporations using “sinking funds.” Sinking funds are portions o dividends [profits] paid to stockholders, to buy back stock or reserve until a large enough fund is created in order to build new factories, etc., and thereby expand the company. This is also known as “private capital formation.” Private capital formation is a fiscally responsible way for a company to grow and expand. If companies use their own money, they wou ld not need banks, and there would be no interest charge to use the borrowed moneys. In those days, money was based on real currency like gold and not on thin air. In order to have money they would need to have more gold in their warehouse to back it up . Because there was a set amount of money [gold], there was a set interest rate on real money. Also, there was a set amount of paper money in circulation that was worth the same as the gold. The only way to entice the business men was to p rovide them money with lower interest rates, and the only way to provide them wit h that was t o give them money that had no value, because then it would not matter what interest rate was on it, as it cost nothing to begin with. This is how the large banks that joined the “cartel” of the Fed, which were based in the east coast of the U.S.A. in the early part of the 20 th century, became mega banks, controlling not only the U.S.A. economy, but much of the world economy as well. The activities of the Fed, ent icing corporations and businesses to borrow money, has led to the shaky conditions in which more and more businesses find themselves. If the economy experiences fluctuations, they may not be able to service the debt and would be forced into bankruptcy, and consequently, out of business. Many companies pay more to banks in interest than dividends [profits] to their shareholders. This means that the companies, which did the hard work to produce the money through their enterprises, are paying and sometimes struggling to pay the banks, which did nothing o value except provide the money which costs the banks virtually nothing! Actually, inflation is caused by adding printed money to the economy faster than the rate of increase of goods and services. If money were added at the same rate as productivity and population increases, that purchasing power of money would remain constant. As soon as money was separated from anything of real value like gold or silver, the temptation has always prevailed to print more than the economy needs for the p roper economic activity. If a gold or silver standard were used, t here might even be deflation p eriods in which the value of the dollar would go up instead of down; with the current system that will not happen. Despite the dire condition of the dollar due to massive deficits and private as well as governmental financial mismanagement, the new head of t he Federal Reserve made stat ements t hat have been considered by some critics as “wishful thinking.” CNNMONEY.com Bernanke: Econo my can handle do ll ar dr op Fed chairman says a steep decline in greenback wouldn't necessarily disrupt financial markets.
March 21, 2006: 6: 51 P M EST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chronic U.S. trade gap need not fuel a "precipit ous" decline in t he doll ar, but the economy could handle it if it di d, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke s aid Tuesday.
"Although U.S. trade deficits cannot continue to widen forever, these deficits need not engender a precipitous decline in the dollar, nor should such a decline, [33] were it t o occur, necessarily disrup t financial markets, prod uction or employ ment," Bernanke said in a l etter to Rep. Brad Sherman, a California D emocrat.
One of the most prominent examples of a deflating economy was the U.S.A. economy in the years 1930-1933 [during the beginning o the Great Depression] when asset prices dropped 10% per year or more. So, at the beginning of the year, the value of a house worth $100,000 would deflate to $90,000 at the end of the year. This is one of the reasons why investors in Japan began investing in gold and in U.S.A. Treasury Notes beginning in the early 1990s, and only in 2006 did world economists and the Prime Minister of Japan say (in March [34] 2006) that he thought the end was in sight. In that case, if the Japanese economy is coming out of the 15-year deflationary period, after inflating to a comparable state as the current condition of the U.S.A. economy, what would that mean for the U.S.A. economy? Will they now stop investing in the U.S. Treasury Notes? If that were to happen, who would take up the slack on supporting the U.S.A. debt? O course if nobody does that would constitute an untenable situation for the dollar. What about the question, could a protracted deflationary period occur in the U.S.A. economy? The recently appointed head of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board, Ben S. Bernanke, said the following remarks in the year 2002, at a time when interest rates had gone down to historical lows in the U.S.A. [highlighted portions by Ashby] Deflatio n is defined as a general decline in prices, wit h emphasi s on th e word "general." At any gi ven time, especially i n a low-in flatio n economy like that of our recent experience, prices of some goods and services w ill be fallin g. …Deflation per s e occurs only when price declin es are so widespread th at broad-based ind exes of prices, such as the cons umer price index, register ong oing declines. The sources of deflatio n are not a mystery. Deflatio n is in almost all cases a side effect of a collaps e of aggregate demand--a drop in spendi ng so severe that prod ucers must cut prices on an o ngo ing basi s in o rder to find b uyers . … It is true that once the policy rate has been driven down to zero, a central bank can no longer use its traditional means of stimulating aggregate demand and thus will be operating in less familiar territory. The central bank's inability to use its traditional methods may complicate the policymaking process and introduce uncertainty in the size and timing of the economy's response to policy actions. Hence I agree that the situation is one t o be avoided if possible. …Reserve study of the Japanese experience concluded th at the deflation there was almost entirely unexpected, by both foreign and Japanese observers alike (Ahearne et al., 2002). So, having said that deflation in the United States is highly unlikely, I would be imprudent to rule out the possib ility altogether.
We must remember that t he Federal Reserve Note has lost 96% of its original 1913 value. This means that t he present dollar purchases only $.04 of the original 1913 dollar [$1.00]. Furthermore, this means that the cumulative interest rate or profit to the banks has been over 1000% on all the money, factories, houses, cars and everything else this money was used on since that time. Additionally, the interest costs more than the item being purchased. For example, if a person were to get an $80,000 home mortgage at 6% and pay it over 30 years, the interest on that loan comes to $93,000. The home would cost a total of $173,000. If we multiply this interest figure by the number of homes in the U.S.A., we get a staggering number. We must remember that that interest payment is on money that the bank got for free. Therefore we must conclude that the current banking system is perhaps one of the most usurious and insidious forms of economic commerce that has ever been devised, even if we consider loan sharking or other forms of organized crime, because the banking system makes money on all money, the legitimate as well as the illegitimate; the loan shark worked to get the money he loaned out, but the bank did not. This situation can only be compared t o a barbarism such as the Vikings p illaging Europe; they would rape and pillage a country and take all the wealth, but at least they had to fight for it. Here, the bank just pays its expenses and manages paper, wherein people have signed their rights away and have consented to pay them the usurious fees. What occurred at the beginning of the 20th and 21st centuries was foreseen by some of the founders of the U.S.A. [Highlights by Ashby] Thomas Jefferson, th ird P resident (1801-18 09) o f the U.S.A.: "If the American peopl e ever allow private bank s to cont rol th e issue of their currency, first b y inflation, then b y deflatio n, the banks...will depri ve the peopl e of all pro perty unt il t heir child ren wake-up homeless on the cont inent t heir Fathers conquered.... The issu ing p ower of money sh ould b e taken from the banks and restored to the people, to wh om it properly belongs." ... "A privat e central bank iss uing t he publ ic currency is a greater menace to the lib erties of the people than a stand ing army." James Madison, fourth P resident (1809-18 17) of the U.S.A.: "History records th at the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrig ue, deceit, and vio lent means possib le to maint ain thei r control ov er governments by controlling money and its issuance."
The printing of money “out of thin air” actually constitutes a tax. It is an insidious tax that consumes the entire economy, but hurts those who do not have access to the initial buying power of the money. When the treasury prints money and deposits it into the government account, the government gains the first benefit. Once it is borrowed, the borrower or contractors for the government, the corporations, get the next benefit, and the banks get their fees. Once the money is diffused throughout the economy, it has the least value because by that time it has been added t o t he existing number of dollars already out in the economy. T he middle class and poor get the least value, and so the dollars they have in the bank and the ones they receive now and in the future are worth less than they were before the new money was printed and circulated. The money is not based on anything real except an I.O.U. that it will be paid sometime in the future. Therefore, the people are losing value over and paying interest on nothing real, nothing of value except, the paper produced by the treasury. People have been conditioned to believe that inflation is a p art of life, like death or the sun rising in the morning. They are given meager cost of living increases in the minimum wage, but those increases do not keep up with the real state of the economy, so no one can live on minimum wage and pay rent, food, utilities, etc. Those increases are always behind the inflation, and never given as inflation occurs, so that is why people are always behind on their bills and never can catch up, barely trying to keep their heads above water. This is also why currently in the U.S.A, two incomes at least are needed to support a home on average wages, and why children are often neglected; both parents need t o be working, and therefore, the children are reared by television and open to other pernicious dangers in early life, like predatory adults, negative peer pressure, malnutrition, or they may develop depression, anxiety, feelings of abandonment or being unloved, etc. These conditions may lead children to seek love through sex, drugs or getting pregnant to have somebody be with them, or they may develop negative social skills that might lead them to fail in relationships, jobs, etc. So through this st rategy, the government and the wealthy can have more money, and the population is used to pay for it, but the money is not taken as a legislated tax because that would be unpopular and would precipitate a revolt. This system works as long as the economy is expanding and as long as the economic environment remains the same, so that t he masses of p eople can maintain subsistence level existence with the dream of doing better.
If the population fluctuates [as populations naturally do], the system would collapse or crash regularly, as in a pyramid scheme. Thus, the government compensates for the shortfall in the population by admitting new immigrants. If immigrants stop entering the U.S.A., the economy would contract and the system would collapse under the weight of the massive federal debt that cannot be paid, even with the current amount of people in the population. If other countries want to expand in the same way, and have wealth [like the U.S.A. has done], then the competition will necessarily reduce to the incapacity of having expansion in money [inflation] through trade deficits. If the countries that own Treasury Notes [subsidizing the national debt and trade deficits] stop buying them, the U.S.A. economy would stop and reverse immediately. If the countries that own Treasury Notes decide they want to liquidate those notes, it would produce a financial crisis of majestic proportions, because the money is not there to pay them, and the standard of living in the U.S.A. would be lost. Another consideration is that the Federal Reserve System is written as a law mandated by the government, so that any bank failures that may arise are “guaranteed” by the government. This means that if a bank fails, as many have, the government must step in and pay the depositors. So banks or bank officers do not lose; the government prints new money to cover the losses [bail them out] and the citizens [taxpayers] must pay that back through taxes and inflation. [35] In order to stem the decline of the dollar, the U.S. Federal Reserve, under the chairmanship of Alan Greenspan, slashed [dramatically lowered] interest rates on the money supply after the recession that occurred between the years 2000 and 2003, in which many people lost their life savings in stock investments. This led to a rash of housing refinances and inflation in housing prices and deflation in stock prices. Much of the money gained in home refinances was used for making other purchases such as cars, boats and buying other real estate such as vacation homes. So t hat money is a loan based on t he inflated price of t he house, due to lower interest rates that allow people to pay less for the same money, but the refinances that took money out of the house are like having two loans on the house. So this situation created more debt while artificially raising the value of t he economy. …the Fed announced it was worried abou t deflation even whi le real inflation of goods we need from food t o energy heats up i n the economy. The poli cy statement—which was n othi ng more than moral suasion—w as an attempt by Fed officials t o direct the sp ec communit y and herd them into pl aying t he yield curve. The result was that money moved into the long-end of the market, driving down interest rates in an explosive bond rally that took 10-year rates down to the 3% level and drov e the long b ond i nto t he 4% zone. This in t urn ush ered in lower mortgage rates, which l ed to anot her round of mortgage refis put ting more debt money i nto the hand s of consumers. .. It has become apparent that the Fed is once again trying to re-inflate the stock market bubble along with keeping the real estate bubble inflated in order to avoid a deflationary debt collapse and another depression. Having expanded credit t hroughout th e 90’s and now t he 2000s, the Fed created a giant asset bu bble first i n sto cks, then in real estate. The Fed is no w in a fretful state because of the consequ ences of seeing t hese bubbl es deflate. The result w ould b e the possi ble collaps e of the financial syst em and a depression . In trying to fight and prevent th ese two event s from occurring, it i s expanding credit, monetizi ng debt , int ervening i n th e financial markets, debasing the currency and us ing every means of persuasion t o direct t he markets in an effort to achieve a certain outcome. In [36] thi s one sense t he U.S. economy and financial markets no l onger operate freely, but are now centrally pl anned.
The lowering interest rates created a need for more dollars to be p rinted and that lowered the value of the dollar more [the more dollars in circulation the less the value per dollar]; The continued devaluation of the dollar occurred while the value of real estate, fueled by investors seeking rapid returns they could no longer get in the stock market, was raised in many parts of the country. This led to the rapid rise of real estate in many parts of the U.S.A., which are far beyond the ordinary capacity of people’s income to sustain the mortgage payments. Added to these developments, new forms of mortgages were introduced in 2001 that allowed people to purchase bigger, more expensive houses and pay the same as they were before or less. The miracle was actually a shell game in which people were lured into adjustable rate mortgages on which they could pay only interest. So, for example, if the payment was supposed to be $2,000 on a $200,000 house that should have been worth only $125,000 [before the artificial inflation], but the person could not afford that $2,000 payment, they could now pay only $700 [interest p ortion]. But if the interest rate were to go up and they could only afford to p ay $700, t he new owner would be forced into an untenable financial crisis very quickly, possibly leading to foreclosure. Even if the interest rate did not go up, they would never pay the mortgage down because they are paying interest only, therefore the principal amount would remain the same, and so they would remain in debt p erpetually. These manipulations of real estate with inflated values and inflated mortgages in an economy where many people cannot afford t he basic expenses of life is called the “ real estate bubble.” M any real estate analysts and economists see a loomin collapse of the real estate market, a bursting of the “bubble” for many reasons. How does a real estate bubble form and how does it burst? What has caused U.S. home prices to go up and why it's unsustainable? Houses have become what stocks were in 1999, a can't-miss way of getting rich. Unfortunately, when you buy an asset w ith credit and credit its elf is easy to get, the price of the asset d oesn't accurately reflect its true market value. When credit tightens, home values will find their market level. …this mortgage bubble will not affect all areas of the country in the same way. There is no such thing as a national real estate market. There are hundreds of regional and l ocal markets and tho usands o f smaller ones. In some places — particul arly the Nort heast and th e West Coast — real estate prices have sky rocketed in the last five years. In these places, home prices are on the brink of the unaffordable for the average household. The numbers will tell you the story. And in these pl aces, homeowners an d borro wers h ave the most t o lo se in t he next few years. … But bubbles have not. One key ingredient of a bubble is the belief that the asset will keep rising. It's also fueled by a bit of psychological panic: "If I don't get in now, I' l l miss it! And everyone else is getting rich!" At some tipping point in the life of a bubble, nearly everyone believes that the asset currently in favor (tulips in Renaissance Holland, Florida real estate, technol ogy st ocks, houses) is THE ONLY WAY TO GET RICH. That's when the bubble usual ly pops — when popul ar sentiment is nearly unanimous that [37] there's no risk to buy ing the asset and that it is a nearly guaranteed way to get rich. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ In the early 19 90's the money suppl y increased at abou t th e CPI, just a few percent per year at most. But from 1995 to September 2003 the nu mber of U.S. doll ars increased at about 8% per year, far faster than t he combined rates of increase of goods and s ervices and of the CPI. This extra currency flowed int o buy ing assets, thereby, pus hing u p asset prices. In a bubbl e, the principle su pply -or-demand factor is th e oversuppl y of currency. Similar increases in t he amount of currency occurred in most o f the world 's fiat currencies, and a worldw ide bub ble in ass et prices develop ed. As of early 2004, the pri ces of real estate, stocks, and bon ds are all w ell ab ove hi st ori cal norms. Starting i n September 2003 t he rate of increase in the nu mber of US doll ars has slow ed to about 4% per year. A bubble requires ris ing ass et prices to b e maintained, because once a belief develops that asset prices are not rising then many people sell assets to repay the borrowed currency they used to buy those assets. Historically, bubbles usually end shortly after the flow of currency int o the assets stops or reverses. The data thus suggests t hat the b ubble may end in late [38] 2004 or early 2006.
One of the dangers of the housing bubble is the unprecedented level of “interest only” loans that have been made within the last 4 years. The frenzy to lend out money and the amount that has been lent out without regard to people’s ability to pay the loan back has opened much money [1 t rillion-dollars] in the economy and many borrowers to extreme risk of default and foreclosure. Popular interest-only and adjustable-rate mortgages that have made big houses affordable at low rates to new buyers have a sinister dark side: the repayment. According to a study by Deutsche Bank, some $300 billion in mortgage debt w ill enter its "adjustable" period next year. Borrowers will have to begin repaying
int erest AND prin cipal at goin g market interest rates. By 2007, 12% of U.S. mortgage debt, or $1 tril lion , wi l l enter its adju stabl e period. The chief economist at Freddie Mac, Amy Crews Cutt s, even said, "I’m not sure that peop le are being counseled o n really how big o f a risk they are takin g." I’ m sure. They’ re not being [39] counsel ed at all. They’re buyin g, and mortgage lend ers are eager to lend.
What is even more remarkable is that the risk does not end there. In the last 2 years, it has been revealed that the two main lending institutions - government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) — companies: Freddy Mac & Fannie Mae, have engaged in fraudulent lending practices. Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have admitted to scheming to manipulate their accounting books. The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) has also issued an interim report, which found irregularities in the GSEs. The Securities and Exchange Commission is already involved with the investigation. Since these institutions back the real estate market, the fraud was compounded as a ripple effect throughout the real estate market as well as the general financial market as a whole. Through a complicated scheme, the institutions sold bonds and created a new instrument called “mortgage-backed security.” Financial companies such as pension funds, life insurance companies, mutual funds, banks, etc., have been taking real cash paid to t hem by shareholders, investors and future retirees and they have been buy ing either bonds or mortgage-backed securities issued by GSEs. What this has done is to leave the U.S.A. economy dependent upon the financial returns for all the holders of the mortgage-backed securities and bondholders (and therefore by extension, also savers, all the investors and shareholders represented by them), dependent that is, on the ability of millions of homeowners to make their monthly mortgage payments. So now over $5 trillion in corporate assets are dependent on the ability of U.S.A. homeowners (many of which are now or soon will be overextended when – rather, AS interest rates do go up) to make the monthly mortgage payment. If payments default, the GSEs are responsible for paying the bond owners (government pension funds, Corporate America, money market mutual funds, etc.), and that would lead to the collapse of the foundation of all real estate financing…a tangled web. The p roblem is compounded due t o the complex scheme that was set up : Even more worrisome, over $7 trillion in household financial assets are invested in private and government pension funds — funds that may or may not own GSE bon ds and mortgage-backed securities. In oth er words, 24% of American hous ehold financial assets are tied in wi th pens ion funds th at are to some degree tied in with the GSEs. To what degree? That is the question. The critical number is 52%. When you combine public and private pension funds with corporate equities and mutual fund shares, you find that 52% of household financial assets are tied up with businesses whose assets are (a) variable and (b) exposed to the risks of the [40] GSEs.
[41] [42] Gretchen Morgenson of The New York Times wrote about why Fannie's accounting fraud problems could be systemic of the entire mortgage lending industry. "Fannie Mae 's prob lems have implicatio ns for the entire mortgage market.. .Most of the mortgages under-writ ten in the nati on t oday us e automated programs designed by Fannie Mae. 'If allegations that they engineered systems for growth without regard to safety and soundness are correct, other systems, including underwriting, appraisal, and loss mitigation systems, should be called into question as well, ' Mr. [Josh] Rosner said."
In a separate article, Ms. Morgenson wrote: Fannie Mae, the hou sing -finance giant , for years has fended off critics wh o contend t hat the company is too big, too p owerful and t oo risk y. But the Securities [43] and Exchange Commiss ion' s Wednesd ay ruling , that Fannie Mae had seriously breached account ing rul es, could tou ch off a chain reactio n…
Many people compare the current situation with a similar one that occurred in the 1970s. Then, investors also put money into real estate, however, today the financial conditions are different because: · in the 1970s the average cost of a house in California was $100,000 and the family income could afford that. As of 2003, the average was $400,000 and the average income could only afford $200,000. · in the 1970s the average home equity was 70% and homeowners owed banks only 30%. As of 2003, homeowners owe almost half. · In 1980 a family of four had only $20,000 of debt. As of 2004, the debt is now $100,000. In mid 2003, the economic conditions described above and those that follow, related to the U.S. Dollar, prompted one of the most successful worldwide money managers of the past 50 years, John Templeton, to say the following when he was asked about future investment in real estate in the U.S.A. “After home prices go down to one-tenth of the highest price homeowners paid, then buy.”
This would mean a severe decline that would affect the housing industry and all the related industries that produce household materials and products. Even if the U.S. Dollar did not plummet on its own, the real estate crash would have a rippling effect on the economy that would lead to the same outcome. Vise versa, a decline in the dollar would affect the real estate market. Either situation would have dire consequences for world financial markets. Thus, the possible economic crises facing the world and the United States are at least three in number: devaluation of the U.S. Dollar [financial “bubble”], the bursting of the real estate “bubble,” and the rise in oil consumption which would cause the price of oil to rise, which would have disastrous effects on the economy in itself. The world oil supply is expected to outstrip the demand in the y ear 2006, so the p rice of oil will not be going down again. Unfairness of the U.S. Dollar as the Worldwide Currency Reserve “ …if you post ulate a system that depends on one country always following the right policies, you will find th at sooner or later no such country exists. The system is eventually going t o break down”. — Sam Cross , US Treasury offici al
This system [t he dollar standard] can be criticized because foreign exchange reserves are created as a consequence of balance of p ayment deficits of the United States without any relationship to world reserve needs. Implicit in this is an unfair advantage to the reserve country, the United States, because it can finance its deficits by paying in its own currency. This makes it too easy to run deficits, and it creates an inflationary element in the monetary system, compared to the classical gold standard. By paying in its own currency, the United States
could continue to finance enormous deficits without being forced to introduce adequate deficit reducing measures. The same effect is obtained by having oil rich countries like Saudi Arabia reinvest p etrodollars in U.S.A. bonds. This is another reason that some analysts claim that the U.S.A. government and oil companies have tried to keep the Saudi royal family in power in Saudi Arabia and also keep dictators favorable to t he U.S.A. in place in other oil rich countries. Peop le like Hugo Chávezof Venezuela, who now wants to keep the revenues from oil sales and reinvest the money s to build his own country are regarded by the U.S.A. government as rogue leaders, un-democratic or radicals and anti-American, etc. The patent unfairness of the U.S.A.’s imposition of the U.S. dollar on the world as the reserve currency stems from the fact that first o all, the U.S. dollar is a fiat currency, and second, that it is a worthless currency due to the Federal and Trade deficits. As the U.S. prints more money, the dollar becomes more worthless. While people send goods to the U.S., the U.S. sends them worthless paper money. It is worthless because it is not backed by anything, such as gold or some other tangible asset. So a technically bankrupt country, the U.S.A., has managed to get the world to believe it is the richest country in the world [which it might have been prior to the 1970s], and it sustains the illusion through military force. In this manner, the country as a whole is swindling the economy of the world. Even though foreign countries and investors may seem to own real estate and other assets they, like U.S. citizens, cannot take comfort in those holdings. In a financial crisis those assets would deflate in value and in any case, the U.S. government would seize any assets they could find, including real estate, gold, etc. [as the government did in the past] in order to compensate for any problem. That is exactly what President Roosevelt did in the 1930s during the Great Depression. The economic situation of the devalued dollar is so advanced that the deficits cannot be paid through ordinary income, and the U.S. economy can no longer grow to sustain it because manufacturing jobs are dwindling due to U.S. corporations moving their manufacturing plants to countries with low wages to make more money, and also moving their headquarters overseas so as to evade paying taxes. If the U.S. government were to ask its people to buy less foreign goods, in order to reverse the trade deficit, the myth o the “ American way of life,” “American standard of living” would become an empty promise; citizens would lose confidence in the economy, become discontented and some would even rebel. The companies that benefit from imports would be upset, which would upset the members of Congress who would not longer receive their contributions. The “American standard of living” is actually one of over[44] consumption, being able to acquire more material goods than are needed, having modern conveniences, being able to eat more meat , and hoarding property that is not needed [houses have increased in size over the last 50 years and most of the area is used for storing material objects that are not used]. Many people who came to the U.S.A. (immigrants), lured by the prospect of “making” money and to “lead better lives” or “build better futures” for themselves and their families, who brought skills and expertise needed to support the economy, would go back to their countries of origin and the U.S. pop ulation would decline as Europe’s is right now. Why do fiat currencies fail? Fiat currency is created at the whim of politicians and bureaucrats. History's lesson on this point is clear: those in charge of a fiat currency always, eventually, due to s ome urgent gov ernment prio rity, create too much of the currency and it b ecomes worth l ess, and ulti mately wort hless . As a g overnment creates more of its fiat currency t hen th ere is an i ncreasing amount of currency to p ay for th e same amount of goods and services, so the pri ces of the goods and servi ces rises. The increase in the quan tit y of currency is called ‘ inflation' , and the consequent ri se in prices i s measured to some degree by the CPI (consu mer price index). The ‘val ue' of a currency (how many good s and services a uni t of the currency can buy) depends , in the lon g run, on how much the country's government inflates its currency. [45]
If the U.S. were to try a fraudulent financial strategy to get out of the predicament of repaying the deficit moneys owed, like inflatin money [printing enough to pay the debt] so that it is so worthless, making it easier to pay off the deficits or if it tried to institute two currencies, one domest ic and one foreign, as some have suggested, t hat would cause a massive devaluation of t he dollar in which for example it might take perhaps tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy a Toyota corolla (which as of 7/16/2006 was selling for MSRP: [46] $14,105 - $14,905) . That would also surpass what is already the greatest swindling of the world economy in human history [reserve currency status] and could precipitate trade embargos from other countries, if not direct conflict or even outright war against the U.S. O course, the war need not be with armies, but through effective strategies of economic retaliation such as boycotts, embargos or guerilla tactics such as have been employed by so-called terrorists: insurgency, guerilla tactics, sabotage, kidnappings, etc. U.S. citizens would not be able to travel abroad without fear of retaliation, etc. T he U.S. would be t hrough as a world p ower and would become isolated for one or more generations, that is of course, if they survive the period without internal implosion and social disarray or escalate conflicts with other countries to the extent of using weapons of mass destruct ion. The U.S. would be unable to import t he material goods it desires and no longer produces domestically, and would be forced to go back to a 19th century self-sufficiency based economy. Essentially, the U.S. would revert [47] to a status now assigned to so-called “Third World” countries, as it was when it was beginning to industrialize. The Failure of the Industria liz ed Economy combined with Capi tali st Ideolog y
By encouraging industrial specialization, industrializing countries grew rapidly in population, and therefore needed sources of agricultural goods. The need for cheap agricultural i mports , in turn, further pressured st ates to reduce tariffs and oth er trade barriers, so as to b e able to exchange wit h the ind ustri al natio ns for capital goods, such as factory machinery, which were needed to industrialize in turn. Eventually this pressured taxation systems, and pushed nations towards [48] income and sales t axes, and away from tariffs. It also produ ced a constant do wnward press ure on wages, which con tribu ted to t he "agony o f indu strial ization ".
Many people believe in the solvency of the U.S.A. government. Yet at the end of his term, the famous chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan (retired on January 31, 2006, after 18 years as Chairman ) admitted that the economy will not sustain the post World War II generation as they get older. He made the warning that the Congress and White House need to come up with a p lan quickly to trim M edicare and Social Security benefits that the 77 million baby boomers are p lanning to receive as t hey reach retirement age. Greensp an said, Greenspan S ounds Alert On S ocial S ecurity – As He Exits
[49]
[50] “ The benefits cu rrently promised cannot be financed by our gov ernment and Americans born in th e 20 years after World War II needed to be put on not ice to start putting away extra retirement savings during their working years. Even under the most optimistic economic assumptions of growth and productivity, [51] government resources will be inadequate to provide the baby boom generation with the level of benefits their parents got”.
The issue of the baby boomers getting older and going into retirement and burdening the economy has direct implications for the Gross Domestic Product, which is a measure of economic activity. As they retire they will collect p ensions, Social Security and will not be
producing for the economy anymore The GDP will decrease because there be less productive workers and an older population [agin population] burdening the economy. Under those conditions, the 6-7% of GDP that is financed by foreign investment will be definitely unsustainable. Greenspan also continued: "If we have promised more than our economy has the ability to deliver, ... as I fear we may have, we must recalibrate our public programs so pending retirees have time to adjust through other channels. If we delay, the adjustments could be abrupt and [52] painful." For these reasons, economists such as the Rodrigo de Rato, the head of the I.M.F., felt the need to say that the U.S.A. rate of savings [53] and deficit spending will be unsustainable within the next 10 years, but he added that a decade can come faster than one expects. Fiat Currencies as the source of economi c fa ilure and Go ld as a means to compensate f or the downturn in the economy.
Altho ugh The Val ue Of All Curr encies Goes Do wn In Time, Gold Na tur all y Increas es
Gold prices remain stable over long-periods of time, while currencies normally lose 90-100 percent of their value every hundred years to inflation. A Dollar today will buy less than t en percent of what it w ould in 1906, while one ounce of gold woul d buy t he same amount of goods today as it did back then. Gol d and si lver are the only currencies not created and controll ed by governments. All of today's other currencies (doll ars, euros, yen, pounds, renminbis, rupees, etc) are ‘fiat' currencies, which means they do not represent anything tangible but are only worth something due to government decree (namely legal tender laws).
All today's government currencies are ‘fiat' currencies.
Many critics of the U.S. and Western form of “faux” economics [fiat currencies] that have been in existence after t he rejection of the gold standard hold that t hat rejection led to t he coming financial debacle. If fiat currency [paper currency by government decree] were to be based on some standard base value that is held by a government such as the gold or silver standard, etc, then governments could not print more money than the value of the standard (gold, silver, etc.) they have in reserve. Credit would be limited and development would be slower, but inflation and deflation would be manageable. However, it would not be possible to have deficit spending, which allows a country like the U.S. to create vast armies, fabulously rich people and corporations, and extend imperialist designs to control the rest of the world through colonial or neo-colonial strategies. The gold stand ard is a monetary sys tem in wh ich the st andard economic unit of account is a fixed weight of gold and currency is suers guarantee, under specified rules, to redeem notes i n that amount of gold. Nation s that employ such a fixed unit of account, and which w ill redeem their not es to ot her nation s in gold , in principl e, share a fixed currency relation ship . The intent is to create a syst em that i s resist ant to run away credit and debt expansio n, and to enforce a system [54] where money cannot be created through government fiat currency, and wil l, therefore be safe as an alternativ e store of value against inflation.
The gold standard is not a perfect system, though it is better than the credit based economy founded on fiat money [false or baseless money] used at p resent, which eventually has to fail [as all other fiat currencies have failed in human history !]. Gold is seen as desirable as a backing for currency because it cannot be p rinted by a government, and it exists in limited p redictable supp lies. T he U.S. government went off the gold standard when it had to use deficit spending to get out of the depression and go to war. Previous to the use of the gold standard, the U.S. had other systems. However, the economy fluctuated so wildly that around the turn of the century, a move was made, following the rest of the world, to a gold standard. Then later, as stated earlier, the Federal Reserve was created to provide liquidity [more money] or contraction in the monetary supply when conditions required it, to control the economy. The U.S. was the last of the developing nations to [55] accept the gold standard (in 1900), and it did so on a de jure status, meaning at their discretion. An avid student of politics and economics should realize that the two party system as used in the U.S.A. is merely a reflection of two approaches to the conduct of government and economics that differ only in degree and not in substance. Those progressives who want more government regulation to control the economy and social programs are actually promoting the same thing as the conservatives who want more control and stabilization of the economy and less of the social programs. Both are controlled by the rich, so both want policies that increase their wealth, and will not and have never wanted to put in policies that will increase the value of money for the ordinary person. Both want to perpetuate the capitalist system; they only differ as to how to run it, with more or less controls. In this sense, the words o Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and their followers were not heeded. To the contrary, their opponents won the debate; the plan of Alexander Hamilton won. He was a banker and lawyer and the most influential Secretary of the Treasury, who was instrumental in establishing the First Bank of the United States, public credit and the foundations for American capitalism and stock and commodity [56] exchanges. He advocated that the Federal Government should take over the debt of the states and pay for the war of independence. In that way those who supplied the weapons and supplies to the U.S.A. rebels would be paid. To produce revenue, Hamilton advocated that there should be a tariff placed on imported manufactures as well as a series of excise taxes. He hoped by these measures to strengthen the [57] national government at the expense of the states and to tie government to men of wealth and prosperity. He also laid the foundation for unprecedented U.S.A. economic and military power. However, Hamilton st rongly advocated t he abolition of slavery , which George Washington and Thomas Jefferson did not. Past governments that have created too much fiat currency [money out of thin air] had failed economies within 100 years or less from the time of the fake money introduction. All fiat currencies in the past have ended up being worth very little, collapsing into hyperinflation or threatening to. All of today's fiat currencies around the world have been fiat currencies since 1971, and all government currencies were convertible to gold until 1971. In the 20th century, decades prior to 1971, there were no completely fiat currencies, because each currency unit was ult imately defined as a certain weight of gold. For example, in 1971 the Unit ed States of America abandoned its commitment to pay $35 U.S. dollars for an ounce of gold. To clarify, this means that in 1971 a U.S. dollar was wort h 1/35 of one ounce of gold. As of February 2006, it is worth less than a tenth of that, about 1/550 of an ounce of gold (because gold is about U.S. $550 per ounce –as of 2/2006). So therefore historical evidence demonstrates that the issue is not if the U.S. dollar will continue to lose value, but only how quickly it loses value. Prior to t he use of money as a means of currency in commerce, societies used barter. Barter is a t ype of trade where goods or services are
exchanged for a certain amount of ot her goods or services, i.e. there is no money involved in the transaction. It can be bilateral or multilateral as trade. Barter trade was common in societies where no monetary system existed or in economies suffering from a very unstable currency (as when hyperinflation hits) or a lack of currency. The disadvantage of using bilateral barter in the past was that it depended on the mutual coincidence of want s. Also, barter becomes more and more difficult when more people become dispossessed of the means of production needed to produce products, including their subsistence needs. For example, if money were totally abolished in the United States, most people would have not hing of value t o trade for food (since the farmer can only use so many cars, etc.) T rade and barter were p rimarily [58] reserved for trade between communities or countries. Early civilizations did not have so many complexities in their economies. In order to organize production and the distribution of goods and services among the population, many pre-market or pre-capitalist economies counted on tradition, community democracy or top-down command instead of market exchanges. Nations such as Ancient Egypt used these methods. Barbarian nations such as Ancient Greece and Rome attained supremacy by plundering other nations by war and conquest. In modern times, market imperialist nations such as Great Britain and the United States attained supremacy by using both the army and financial manipulations of the markets, social and political destabilization of other count ries, colonialism, neo-colonialism and globalization. With the market exchange organized system of commerce, there inevitably develops a desire by those trading in such a market to manipulate and control it to their advantage; those efforts usually end in failure such as t he debacle of t he dollar. One example of controlling and devastating the economies of developing countries are t he imposed “Structural Adjustment” and privatization (of the country’s resources) programs. Those regulations forced those nations to produce crops for export that the country could not use to feed itself, which created food shortages and many other problems in their economies. Another example is the potato famine of Ireland. The famine was not caused by short age of food, but because the price of food, relative to wages, soared; so the food was more profitable as an export as opposed to a means to feed the people, so they were allowed to die by the greed o the market and the inherent imperfection of the currency based market exchange organized system. In earlier times, reciprocity relations and/or redistribution substituted for market exchange. Due to the complexity and interrelated economics of the world today, it would be difficult to return to a more stable bartering system, but some bartering could be reincorporated into the economy. Returning t o a “real” gold standard is a more pragmatic solution to the problem. However, its opponents reject that solution because it would slow the economy and restrict governments in their monetary policies. In ot her words, it would tie the hands of government from unlawful actions such as deficits, wars, cronyism, manipulations of the economy to favor the rich, etc. The case against returning to a gold standard Many nations back their currencies in part with gold reserves, using these not to redeem notes, but as a store of value to sell in case their currency is attacked or rapidly devalues. Gold advocates claim that this extra step would no longer be necessary since the currency itself would have its own intrinsic store of value. A Gold Standard then is generally promoted by those who regard a stable store of value as the most important element to business confidence. It is generally opposed by the vast majority of governments and economists, because the gold standard has frequently been shown to provide insufficient flexibility in the supp ly of money and i n fiscal pol icy, because the suppl y of newly mined go ld is finit e and must b e carefully husb anded and accounted for. A sin gle count ry may also no t be able to i sol ate its economy from depressio n or inflation i n the rest of the world. In addit ion, the process of adjust ment for a country w ith a payments deficit can b e long an d painful whenever an i ncrease in unemployment or d ecline in the rate of economic expansi on occurs. One of the foremost oppon ents of the gold standard was John Maynard Keynes who scorned basing the money supply on "dead metal". Keynesians argue that the gold standard creates deflation which intensifies recessions as people are unwilling to spend money as prices fall, thus creating a downward spiral of economic activity. They also argue that the gold [59] standard also removes the ability of governments to fight recessions by increasing the money supply to boost economic growth.
The Case For Returning to the Gold Standard
Governments and central banks have been suppressing the price of gold since 1995 by lending and selling their gold. They won't be able to keep it up forever. Then the price of gold and silver will soar to its correct level, that it would have been at had there not been any [60] artificial manipulation. More moderate goldbugs point to gold as a hedge against commodity inflation, and a representation of resource extraction, in their view gold is a play against monetary policy follies of central banks, and a means of hedging against currency fluctuations, since gold can be sold in any currency, on a highly liquid world market, in nearly any country in the world. For this reason they believe that eventually t here will be a return to a go ld standard, since this is the only "stable" unit of value. That monetary gol d wou ld so ar to $5,000 an ou nce, about 1 0 times its current valu e, may well have so mething to do w ith s ome of the advocacy of a [61] renewed gold standard, holders of gold would stand to make an enormous profit.
The Treasury Secretary of the U.S.A., John Snow, made an important statement in March 2006. Essentially, he said that the U.S.A. debt ceiling, authorized by Congress, will soon be reached, and that they need to authorize a higher ceiling and more printed money in order to pay for the government’s obligations. He actually said that in accordance with the “law” he has tapped into the Civil Service Retirement, Pension and Disability Funds as a means to find more money and apparently he has done all within his power to cope with the deficit. This confirms an unprecedented and unmanageable deficit spending program of the Congress and the President that deepens the financial crisis every day. **Treasury Secretary John Snow notified Congress on Monday that the administration has now taken "all prudent and legal actions," including tapping certain government retirement funds. This is being done to keep from hitting the $8.2 trillion dollar national debt limit. In a letter to Congress, Snow urged lawmakers to pass a new debt ceili ng immediately to avo id the first-ever U.S. default on i ts obl igati ons. Snow not ified lawmakers that the Treasury wou ld begin tapping the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund, which Treasury officials said would provide a "few billion" dollars in extra borrowing ability. Treasury has also been taking investments out of a [62] $65.3 bi lli on gov ernment pensi on fund known as t he G-fund wh ich is p art of the Federal Employ ees Retirement System. Welcome to Spend City WashingtonPost.Com
By Dana Milbank
Friday, March 17, 2006; A02 It was the political equivalent of going on a shopping spree the same day you get a credit-line increase on your over-the-limit card. In the morning, the senators i ncreased the federal debt limit by $8 00 bil lio n, to $9 tri lli on -- that's wit h a T. In the afternoon came the Vote-a-Rama, a carnival in w hich th e lawmakers [63] took turns pitch ing scores of amendments to t he 200 7 bud get measure, most calling for more money for favorite p rograms.
FREE MARKET GOLD & M ONEY REPORT by James Turk The $8.2 trill ion debt li mit -- that has proven inadequate to meet the federal government’ s borrowin g needs -- covers only it s direct liabil iti es. In other words , this $8.2 tril lio n is the tot al amount o f doll ars owed to all th e holders of US government debt i nstruments. Excluded from thi s total d ebt are all of the federal government’ s other liabil iti es, which total anoth er $38 trilli on. In “ The 2005 Financi al Report of the Unit ed States Government”, US Comptrol ler General [64] David Wal ker reported that “ the federal government’ s fiscal exposures now to tal more than $46 tril lio n, up from $20 tri lli on in 20 00.”
When the well known conservative and former top GOP [republican] strategist Kevin Phillips, the author of "American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, a nd Borrowed Money in the 21st Century was asked if he thought the “American empire” was headed for doom he responded: KEVIN PHILLIPS: It’ s certainly h eaded for some degree of dis mantli ng and lo ss of internatio nal pow er. Now, to say it’ s headed for doom -- even when Britain lost its place in the world, it wasn’t headed for doom, and it reconstituted itself, and a lot of people are happy and fairly prosperous in the U.K. right now. But we can't go on in the imperial mode, in which we just demand the world's natural resources and that the dollar be the vehicle for everything and that we be able to invade wherever we want. I don't think that wil l last more than another ten years. I think t he crisis build s up sufficiently in the 2010s, that t he United States is really goin g to have to consid er what resources it has i n terms of energy, what resources it h as in terms of the economy, how far it can push i ts military, a [65] whole set of issues.
The proponents of “free trade” economics could not foresee the pitfalls of economically advanced countries competing with a developing country and the development of trade deficits and their danger to the economy of the more developed country. One prominent economist recently reversed himself after 50 years of teaching economics and spreading his philosophy around the country through his students who have risen to important posts in finance, government policy-making and business. For more than fifty years professor Paul Samuelson's book Economics: An Introductory Analysis was a bestselling textbook used in college economics classes. At the age of 89, the professor announced a very important correction to his philosophy. He explained that free trade might not be a benefit to all parties, after all. That is because: In certain circumstances, when a very poor but ambit ious nation is tradi ng wi th a wealthy advanced economy, free trade can turn in to a very ugly loser for the wealthy country--inflicting permanent economic loss, stagnant wages, greater inequality and other hurtful consequences. The professor's reasoning is expressed in the abst ract language of orthodox economics, but he do es name the two coun tries he has in mind--th e Unit ed States and China. His p aper, publ ished i n the Summer issue of the Jour nal of E cono mi c Pers pecti ves , bears the lig hthearted t itl e, "Where Ricardo and Mill Rebut and Co nfirmArguments of Mainst ream Economists [66] Supporting Globalization."
The stunning reversal described above demonstrates how modern economics of the Western countries in general, and the U.S.A. in particular, are based on t heory and initial circumstances that favor the more advanced nations in a colonial ty pe environment. But when the economies start to even out, there ensues a desire in the more advanced nation to become “conservative,” that is, keep things as they were or reverse the conditions so as to return to and maintain the previous status quo. Attempting to do this is where the strife and belligerence between nations, which lead t o wars, have come. The wars are fomented by the desire in the ruling class and middle class of the country with the higher “standard of living” to retain the standard [greed] and power as a means to achieve the end of maintaining economic prominence. It is a choice between sharing and developing equitable sustainable economic policies within a country, and with trading partners versus the desire to amass wealth and power t o experience inordinate and extravagant pleasures and standards of living. Another sign of the failing global economy and the power of the “Davos ruling class” is that in Latin America the countries Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Uruguay and Bolivia have ousted oligarchs who prospered by means of selling their countries' people and assets to transnational investors. In closing, it is important to understand that the “DOLLAR CRISIS” and the problems of the capitalist market economic system are contrived by human ingenuity applied to resolve human situations but without the benefit of humanity or ethics. Indeed, the dollar crisis will affect all but hardest hit and most impacted will be the masses that comprise the middle class and the poor. Since it is a manufactured problem due to the kind of economic system that has been p ut in p lace it means t hat things do not “have to” be this way, they can be different. A different economic system that works for all can be implemented that would better serve the needs of all people; but only if a sufficient number of people demand it and refuse to allow economic theorists and greedy corporations and government officials to dictate otherwise.
Chapter 2: The Ancient Egyptian Economy: A Model of Ethics in Commerce and Government
Why are Ancient Egyptian Symbols used by the United States of America Government and what does it mean? Many sy mbols of Ancient Egypt (ancient name: Kamit or Kemet) app ear in architecture, literature, and other iconography of the [67] U.S.A. Why is this and what is it supposed to mean? Many people know that several of the “founding Fathers” of the U.S.A. were “freemasons”. Originally Freemasons were men in the British Empire who were part of guilds. In the context of influencing the condition o society, Freemasonry is a group of men forming a fraternal secret order, as in a cabal, to control the activities of government and society; in other words, they have secret alliances beyond those of open government. Many Ancient Egyptian symbols and architectural forms were adopted by practitioners of Freemasonry and some of the groups claim to have a lineage that goes back to Ancient Egypt but that is impossible since the First freemason groups were known to have developed in Europe within the last millennium. So it is important to understand that Ancient Egyptian (Ancient Egyptian) culture was governed with a philosophy based on ethical culture. That ethical culture, termed “Maat” was not only the foundation of the government but also the temple system. In fact Maat is a philosophy, as well as a goddess of order, truth, righteousness and justice. In the last 500 years western culture has been able to study and adopt many aspects o other cultures that they met and were influenced by or which they conquered. Many things were co-opted and others were used without their intrinsic original intent or meaning. When studying or following the culture, history and philosophy of ancient Egypt it is necessary to distinguish between what has been presented in modern times as Ancient Egyptian culture through modern day usage of Ancient Egyptian symbols by organizations which purport to follow the Ancient Egyptian teachings and may even claim to be descendants of the original teachers and the actual history and teachings of Ancient Egypt. In the case of the U.S.A. many of the symbols were used without adopting the original meaning and intent: a primary example is the all-seeing eye on the l. It is important to understand that the Egyptian Mysteries (Shetaut Neter) are not teachings originated by or controlled by organizations which in modern times refer to themselves as raternal orders, lodges, masons, freemasons, illuminati, Odd Fellows, Shriners, new world orders, Satanists, occultists, or psychics. In fact, the organizations just mentioned have their origins in Western countries and not in Africa although the original Grand Temples of the Mystery teachings of Ancient Egypt influenced them. So observers should be careful when examining the use of Ancient Egyp t ian symbols by modern organizations. For example, the use o the pyramid on the reverse of the seal of the United States would seem to mean that the founding fathers of the United States had the idea o invoking the principles of the Ancient Egyptian tradition in the founding of the new country (United States). It was explained by the occultist and reputed expert in Masonic lore, Manly Hall, that many of the U.S. founding fathers were masons and that they received assistance from masons in Europe to establish the United States for “a peculiar and particular purpose known only to the initiated few.” Hall said that the seal was the signature of the masons and that the unfinished pyramid symbolizes the task that the government has to accomplish. The eagle is a representation of the phoenix, which is the ancient Greek reinterpretation of the Ancient Egyptian (ancient African) Benu bird (symbol of t he god Ra and rebirth). Another Ancient Egypt ian symbol used to rep resent the Unit ed States is the Washington M onument, which is a copy of the Ancient Egyptian Obelisk. The Lincoln memorial and Mount Rushmore, two of the most important icons of the United States were admittedly (by their creators) inspired by the Temple of Rameses II at Abu Simbel. So the question may be asked, if the founding fathers of the United States intended to use Ancient Egyptian representation which essentially means that they are wishing to adopt their meaning and symbolism, why then did the founding fathers allow a government to be set up that is in almost complete contradiction with Ancient Egyptian principles? Some of the more obvious contradictions are listed below. Differences between Ancient Egypt and the United States (Western Culture)
The U.S.A. government took the Ancient Egyptian symbols of the Py ramid and the open eye to represent a sup posed new world order based on the past order. However, the similarity between t he Ancient Egyptian culture and the U.S.A. or Western culture ends there, in a misuse of a religious symbol that has led to misunderstanding of the ancient tradition and misinformation about the present one. A brief overview of Ancient Egyptian economics offers some insights into a workable form of economy that can demonstrate the vast differences between the economic systems and may also present solutions for current problems. Ancient Egyp tian religion used the symbol of the [68] spiritual eye to represent the awakening of consciousness. There was a recognition that in order for t hat awakening to occur, there needs to be virtue in a human being.
According to Ancient Egyptian ethics, that necessarily means non-stealing and proper distribution of wealth. Ancient Egyptian Wisdom Teachings: "If thou be indus trious to procure wealth, be generous in the dispos al of it. One is never so happy as when givi ng happiness unto others." "An immoderate desire of riches is a poison lo dged in the mind. It contaminates and destroys everythi ng that was go od in it . It is no so oner rooted there, than all virtu e, all hones ty, all natural affection, fly before the face of it." "O thou who are enamored with the beauties of Truth, and hast fixed thy heart on the simplicity of her charms, hold fast thy fidelity unto her, and forsake her not: t he constancy of thy virtue shall crown thee with honor."
In order to have sustained prosperity, peace and security in a country, that country must be based on ethical principles. The Ancient Egyp tians called that ethical principle “M aat.” The Ancient Egyptian government is often referred to as a Theocracy, but a more accurate term would be “Ethiocracy” [Ethical-Theocracy]. Theocracy is a form of government based on religious law, but in Ancient Egypt, the government, as all other areas of society, was under the overall rubric of Maat Philosophy, the Ancient Egyptian theological and
philosophical framework of spiritual, social, p olitical and economic ethics. A theocratic form of government can be corrup ted if the values followed are not based on virtue and morality . The Christian Catholic Church suffered this p roblem of amoral government at various p eriods throughout its history, which led to dissent and the formation of the protest ant movement. Moral theocracy is a kind of shepherding form of government. Morality here means that which is good, i.e. integrity, righteousness, justice, balance, peace, honor and honesty. Morality in the ancient sense cannot be equated with moral relativism or the novel concept of “new morality” or “alternative moral philosophy,” which implies sexual freedom, or sexual revolution or situational morality. Maat implies universal moral principles that apply to all, but are not to be forced or imposed on other cultures or nations. In Ancient Egypt the laws had to be based on the philosophy of Maat. M aat is the concept of order, truth and balance in action, similar to Confucianism and Taoism of China and Dharma of Buddhism. The following are [69] injunctions of M aatian order contained in the t eachings of the Ancient Egyptian Sage Amenemope. On Business and Commerce Sage Amenemope
(48) Do not assess a man who has not hing, And thus falsify your pen. If you find a large debt against a poor man, Make it int o three parts; Forgive two, let one stand, (49) You w ill find i t a path of life. (66) Haste not to be rich, but be not sl othful in thine own i nterest. (83) One does not run to reach success, One does not move to spoil i t. (108) Don ’t make yourself a ferry on the river, And then s train to seek its fare; (109) Take th e fare from him who is wealthy , And let pass h im who is poor.
The 42 Precepts of Maat are condensed injunctions that form the foundation of Maat Philosophy. They are written in the form of negative statements [“I have not…ex. Maat Precept: I have not snatched away food from the needy] reflecting the successful accomplishment of virtuous actions and refraining from actions based on vice. However, in the Ancient Egyptian wisdom texts the Ancient Egyptian sages expounded further on the practical interpretation and application of the precepts in day-to-day life. Do n ot m ove the s cales , do not chan ge th e weight s an d do n ot d im ini sh t he par ts o f th e bus hel... Do no t crea te a bu shel th at co nta ins two , lest you wi ll n ear t he abys s. The bus hel i s th e eye of Ra ( God ). He loa thes him who d efr aud s.
The teachings of Sage Amenemope
The Ancient Egyptian culture and civilization was the longest-lived and has the record as the longest perpetual civilization [10,000 [70] years] in human history. One of the reasons for their success is that the culture was founded and governed by an ethical philosophy that discouraged and prevented government excesses and economic frauds, unlike a market economy or fiat currencies that promote fraud. The country was protected by a legal system that was based on the ethical philosophy of “Maat.” Maat is a philosophy and a universal principle of cosmic order that all human beings need t o observe in order t o avoid st rife and suffering and maintain personal balance, balance with the society, and balance with the universe and the Supreme Being (God). Therefore, any violation of Maat was a serious and egregious [71] act that was dealt with forthwith so as to maintain the order of the society. Before the “Late Period,” the Ancient Egyptians did not use coin money as modern society does today. When shopp ing in an Ancient Egyp tian market peop le, would need to bargain on a price. There were few fixed prices, and Ancient Egyp tians were experienced at [72] calculating the cost of an item. Cost was measured in a unit called deben which was a copp er weight of .5 ounces. The p assage below shows that oil and grain could serve as a kind of currency. The Middle Kingdom priest Heqanakhte preferred to be paid in grain: Concerning him who will give me payment in oil - he shall give me 1 big jar of oil for 2 sacks of Lower Egyptian barley or for 3 sacks of emmer. Beho ld, I pref er to b e given m y prop erty as Lower Eg ypti an ba rl ey.
3rd letter of Heqanakhte After a German translat ion o n the Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae w ebsite htt p://aaew.bbaw.de/tla/
Gold was not used as a standard per se in Ancient Egypt, the way it is conceived in modern times. Gold was seen as a reflection o timeless and immortal qualities of divinity, the sun, so possessing it represented closeness to the spiritual essence of the Divine. The value ratios for the most common commodities would have been known generally, but the wide ranging value combinations brought into existence [73]
an abstract value system. Certain amounts were based on a deben, seniu or, beginning with the New Kingdom, a kit of gold, silver and copper were used as units. Generally, no metal appears to have changed hands during the commercial exchanges until the Late Period of Ancient Egyp tian history. The use of metal rings as a standard of a given weight goes back to the Old Kingdom era of Ancient Egyptian history. Among the artifacts found in Queen Hetep-heres I's tomb was a jewel box that had the inscription: Mot her o f th e King o f Up per a nd Lower E gypt , Hetep-h eres. Bo x conta ini ng d eben ri ngs .
Reiser, George A. The Household Furnit ure of Queen Hetep-heres I , BMFA 27, No. 164 , December 1929 , pp. 83-90
The introduction of money as we know it today
In the fifth century B.C.E. [early Late Period], foreign coins were being introduced to Kamit [Ancient Egypt]. In the beginning, those imported silver and gold pieces were used by the Ancient Egyptians as precious metal of standardized weight rather than true currency money. From the mid 4th century B.C.E. and onwards, as the Greek mercenaries in Egypt began demanding payment in specie, and as [74] Mediterranean traders relied more and more on coined metal as means of exchange, the Ancient Egyptian mint produced coins [see above] that were similar to Athenian tetradrachms. Under the rule of the Ptolemies, coins were later struck that bared the effigies of the Hellenist [Greek] rulers. IOU's were often written on pot shards [ostraca] or other pieces of matter that were flat enough to be written on. Owed by Apahte, son of Patai : 30 pieces of silver. W ritten in the year 28(?), on the 30th of Mesore.
Demotic ostrakon, Ptolemaic Period, Victoria-Museum, Uppsala, inv . no. 982 [75] My trans latio n from the G erman
Aside from personal credits, the people were able to deposit grain in state warehouses and later write withdrawal orders that served as [76] payment. Instead of paying interest on the deposit, these grain banks worked by deducting 10% (demurrage -Compensation paid for such detention.). Some researchers theorize t hat due to t he demurrage, the Ancient Egypt ians did not need to hoard their wealth, but proceeded to keep on sp ending it, most oft en on the maintenance and improvement of the older temples and for the building of new temples. However, since the basic needs of life were provided for through collective work and distribution of goods needed for survival, there was no need for saving money for the purpose of developing riches or for inordinate security needs. Ancient Egyptian Wisdom Teachings: "Those who give away their treasure wisely, giveth away their plagues: they that retain their increase, heap up sorrow." "The earth is barren of good t hing s where she hoard up t reasure; where gold is in her bow els, there no herb grows ." "Help your friends wi th the thi ngs th at you have, for you have these thi ngs by t he grace of God. If you fail to help yo ur friends, one wil l say "you have a selfish soul". One plans for tomorrow, but you do not know what tomorrow will bring. The right soul is t he soul by which one is sustained. If you do prai sewo rth y deeds , your friends wi ll s ay "welcome" in y our t ime of need."
During the Hellenistic (Greek) period, this banking system became a countrywide and not just a local phenomenon. Accounts were [77] maintained at a central bank in t he capital city of Alexandria and the granaries formed a financial syst em like the British giro network. W ealth accrues to him who guards it; Let your han d no t sca tt er it t o st ran gers , Lest i t tu rn t o lo ss f or you . If weal th i s pl aced wher e it bea rs i nt erest , It com es ba ck to you r edou bl ed; Make a s to reho use f or yo ur o wn weal th, Your people will find it on your way. W hat is given small returns augmented, [What is replaced brings abundance.]
The Instruction of Any M. Lichth eim Anci ent E gypt ia n Lit erat ure Vol. 2, p.138f
Increasingly, now in t he Greek conquest period, t he banks began to deal more and more with coin money instead of p erishable grain. The example below is of orders for payment crediting and debiting accounts at the royal bank of Greek-controlled Ancient Egypt: [[And there is a notice of payment, as payment for the honourable . . .]] The form of the customary not ice of payment is as follows. To be credited to the account of the sacred offices(?). Due to the king from Asklepiades son of Eu phris( ?), of the Zephyrian deme, as payment for the honoura ble office of prophet which he purchased in the temple in Menelais of the Menelaite nome, 500 drachmai(?).
P.Mich.:1:9, 257 BCE APIS record: michigan.apis.1864
The ancient peoples did not have identification cards and social security numbers. However, the ancient banks were concerned with positive identification of p eople doing business at the royal bank (which actually served as a central bank). Remember that there were dire consequences for anyone defrauding the bank or committing any crime in Ancient Egypt. The bank recorded a person’s ancestry, physical characteristics, age, profession and other pertinent information: ... through the bank of Sarapion of the Stoa of Athena. Isidoros son of Mari on, to Hermas son of H eron, grandson of Hermas, from the second Goose Pen ward, aged forty years with a scar i n the middl e of his f orehead, (acknowledges) that he (H ermas) has received from Isidoros an interestbearing loan of a principal of one hundred twenty silver drachmas, which he will pay back in the month of P auni of the current year forthwith. (second hand) I, Hermas, have borrowed the one hundred twenty drachmas, which I will pay back in the month of Pauni of the same ninth year, as set for th a bove. P.Col .:10:25 9, 146 CE APIS record : columbia.ap is .p292
In the Greek and Roman controlled era of Ancient Egypt, the money lenders were concerned about obtaining collateral when lending.
The wisdom writings of Sage Ankhsheshonq (about 2nd -1st century B.C.E.) gave words of advice to all prosp ective lenders: "Do not lend money at interest without obt aining a security." and "Do not be too trus ting lest you become poor."
Ankhsheshonq also had prudent advice about how borrowed money should be used by a borrower so as to make the most of the money through investment in worthwhile ventures, building its value and progressing in life, instead of squandering it in short term enjoyments: Bo rro w mon ey at in teres t an d put it i n fa rm lan d. Bo rro w mon ey at in ter est a nd t ake a wif e. Bo rro w mon ey at in ter est a nd cel ebra te you r bi rt hda y. Do n ot b orr ow mo ney at i nter est i n or der t o li ve well on i t.
M. Lichth eim, An cient Egyp ti an Lit erat ure , Vol.3, p.172
A person pledging their property could receive credit. Pawnbrokers did exist in Egypt at least from the time of the Roman conquest period. Some frequent items p awned were jewelry, furniture, utensils and metal implements: The bronze vessels of Claudius (?) Severus were redeemed when the report of his [property ?] was made ..... and payment was ma de for t he interest on the bond from Epeiph of the 4th year to Tybi [of the 7th year], a period of 31 mont hs, at the rate of 110 drachmas per mont h, a total 3,410 drachmas, and for the pr inci pal 1 ta lent 5,600 dra chma s , and f rom Theon f or t he redem pt ion of h is A phr odi te 40 0 dr achm as, am oun ti ng t o 2 ta lent s 3,41 0 dr achm as f or p rin cipa l and i nterest. The remaining ..... four thousa nd si x hundred dr achmas, in t otal .... talents, 4,600 drachmas [are secured] by the r emaining pledges, which are ..... a pair of arml ets, a pair of cups, a pair of an klets, a necklace, a spearshaped ornament. Anoth er cupboard was given in addi tion ..... from P.Mich.inv. 1950 , 3rd centur y CE APIS record : michi gan.ap is .1554
Article VII.
Degeneration of the economy
The ancient system of distribution of goods throughout Ancient Egypt operated in a way so that goods were collected by royal decree and the Vizier, governors, and tax collectors and a veritable army of bureaucrats managed the process. So farm crops in the north of Egypt were collected and redistributed so that everyone would get what they needed. Crops of a different sort in the south would in turn be redistributed to t he north, and so on. Therefore, this was a massive system of economy based on collective sharing of the wealth of the country without leaving some to fend for themselves or creating associations or guilds that segregate people from subsistence level goods. This system of economy may be thought of as a Barter and Collective Sharing Economy. One present day similar but small-scale system o sharing is called Community-supported agriculture (CSA). Typically, CSA farms are small, independent, labor intensive, family [78] farms. In Ancient Egypt, the system was countrywide and managed by the central government, the Pharaonic system. By Roman times, however, the Pharaonic state which had controlled the general economy by collecting and redistributing had been mostly dismantled by the Roman conquerors in favor of a colonial administrative system, which had the main goal of exploiting Egypt in favor of Rome. Egypt became t he “ breadbasket” t hat allowed the Roman empire to grow, but Egyp t was depleted of its wealth. T rade fell under the control of private persons w ho often organized themselves in guilds. One such example is the association of the salt merchants of Tebt unis: The undersigned men, salt merchants of Tebtynis, meeting t ogether have decided by common consent to elect one of their number, a good man, Ap ynchi s, son o f Or seus , both s uper vis or a nd col lecto r of t he pub li c taxes f or t he comi ng ei ght h year o f Tib eriu s
P.Mich.:5:245, 47 CE APIS record: michigan.apis.2876
After the Romans conquered Egypt, a positive interest rate scheme imposed on invested capital was introduced to the economy and the wealth from the profits were taken out of the country, and so the temple sites began to decline. What occurred to Egypt at the hands of the Roman empire recalls what recent colonial powers such as the British empire, the other European colonial powers, and most recently, the U.S.A. have done to smaller weaker countries as well as the regions of p oor people in the U.S.A. itself. The guilds may be likened to today’s multinational corporations in some ways. The guilds assigned territories that had special privileges. One example is the territory paid for by one Orseus. Orseus paid 66 drachmas to have a monop oly for s elling gypsum in the p articular region of Tebt unis. (they, i.e. the merchants, have decided) that al l alike shall sell salt in the afor esaid village of Tebtynis, and that Orseus alone has obtained by lot the sole right to sell gypsum in t he aforesaid village of Tebtynis and in the adjacent villages,
P.Mich.:5:245, 47 CE APIS record: michigan.apis.2876
The guilds also fixed prices. They also set and imposed fines on any one who would undercut t hem: they shall sell the good salt at the rate of two and one-half obols, the light salt at two obols, and the lighter salt at one and one-half obol, by our measure or that o f the warehouse. And if anyone shall sell at a lower price than these, let him be fined eight drachmai in sil ver for the common fun d and th e sam e for t he pu bli c trea sur y; P.Mich.:5:2 45, 47 CE APIS record : michi gan.ap is .2876
This very brief overview displays the Ancient Egyptian system of economy and how the Greek and Roman conquerors changed it into an early form of capitalist [imperialist] economy that eventually failed with the downfall of the Greco-Roman cultures. It is interesting to note that the ancient Egyptian culture lasted for thousands of years [ancient Egyptian economic system: 5,000-10,000 years] while the GrecoRoman cultures only existed for a few hundred years. Ancient Egyptian economics was based on human needs within a context of a trust between the heka (Pharaoh) and the hekat (p opulace). While there were wealthy people in Ancient Egypt there were no super rich or fabulously wealthy people and that allowed more wealth to be spread among the p opulation more evenly. In Ancient Egypt the Pharaoh was responsible for the peop le’s well being and that meant that he or she could not favor t he wealthy over the less wealthy nor could they allow people to become so poor as to live in hunger or languish in destitution. Enshrined in one of the main documents of Ancient Egyptian duty is the injunction to provide food, shelter and opportunity for all. So, the favoritism and disparity between the wealthy and the poor that has developed in so called capitalist or market economies would be rejected as unjust and inhumane. This means that the concept s of cap italism and consumerism are to be rejected in favor of t he collective good. Ancient Egyp tian society was not based on imperialism so there was no need to raise vast armies for conquest and occupation o other lands. Polluters were punished by law so the environment was protected for future generations. Imagine if the Ancient Egyptians had [79] despoiled the environment on the scale that modern culture has done, what would we have now? The Ancient Egyptian system of economics was not based on perpetual expansion and fiat currency but rather on sustainability. This means that there would be no boom or bust periods or inflation and loss of value but rather a balanced and steady predictable economy where all members of the society have a place.
Chapter 3: A Dire Scenario for the Future?
Arti cl e VIII.
Changes in the “economic, political and racial demographics of the United States” and the Possibilities for the Future
“ No one immigrates to the Uni ted States anymore. The promise of a better life and opportun ity evapo rated with the echoes of the optimistic or deluded economists and politicians who said the economy could grow forever. No one comes out into the streets of the great cities anymore. Places like New York , Chicago , Washi ngt on D .C. and Lo s An gel es are now smolderi ng cau ld rons of unrest and v io lence. In th e coun try t hat was formerly kn ow n as the Un ited Stat es of America, those citi es and many ot hers became the sit es for the greatest social u pheaval th at was ever to take place in t he modern era. The social unrest w as preceded by foreign wars to chang e foreign regi mes and prot ect the U.S.A. from terrorists that w ere created by th e U.S.A.’s imperial policies around the world. But domestically, the incessant wars l ed to public civil disobedience, which led to clashes between protestors, and conservative groups who w ere supported by the police and national guards. The suspension of the Constitution and perpetual state of martial law and the harshn ess in which lawbreakers and prot estors w ere treated left no quarter, no compassi on, no chance for anyone. There was no freedom of speech or freedom to walk the streets in the wrong neighborhood. Anyone who was not of a particular neighborhood became a legitimate target. The rich now live in exclusive walled compounds which are like self-contained cities and they hardly ever come out. The large corporations have their own paramilitary forces which protect their assets and the neighborhoods of their workers. There were gangs and syndicates controlling most low income neighborhoods. They were so powerful that by the year 2046 i t was no t possi ble for the national gu ard or police or the army to control the lawlessness in the country so th e police retreated to their own neig hborho ods, like homesteaders circlin g their wagons to prot ect themselves from the “ savages.” This segregation was not only due to race differences, gang wars, or wars for control of territory to promote the drug trade or prostitution but also due to animosity between the wealthy and the poor. These territorial disput es between the suburbs of the cities were a battle of control by one neighborhood against others caused by th e desire of one group to keep the other one out; the purpose was protection, the desire was s urvival and the drivi ng force was fear. The U.S. economy collapsed and unemployment went up to 45% so the government could not control the ire of the population left in distress while greedy landlords evicted entire neighborhoods for nonpayment of their home mortgages. By 2050 there were more people of color in the U.S.A. than people of European descent and they resented the fact that there was no non-white president and that promoted the disaffection with the political system that left the minority in control of the government and the economy and left the rest of the population in dire straights. European Americans feared the masses of Latino and African and Asian Americans and resented their desire for political power which promoted rioting and racial conflicts throughout th e country.”
he description above is the projection, by a futurist, of a possible scenario, a possible outcome of the present course of politics and Teconomic injustices of the United States extended over the next 60 years. By the years 2010- 2015, the “Baby Boomer” generation will constitute the larger segment of those who are retired and those using the healthcare system which is projected to collapse under the weight of the expense and the numbers in need. Also, during those same years, it is projected there will be a decline in the economy due to the exit of the baby boomer generation. The segment of the population that spends the most money and drives the economy is between the ages o 45 to 60. Economic forecasters fear that when that generation passes into the retirement stage, the loss of so many people who will not be contributing to the economy will trigger a recession that will lead to loss of confidence in the economy and the U.S. Dollar and will force a [80] depression and other problems in the economy that will last for at least 15 years, and possibly over one generation. [81] In the year 2004, it was announced that the number of Protestants in the U.S.A. had fallen below 50% of the population. Even though the total number of Catholics was 25.9% in 2001 it would seem that, due to their loud voices, the religious conservatives, the fundamentalists and evangelists are t he majority . However, t he rise in religious fundamentalism could be a factor of the decreasing practice o [82] general Christianity in the United States, down from 88.3% in 1990 t o 79.8% in 2001. Even though Globalism and improvements in technology have progressed, the gap between the rich and the poor has widened even though futurists such as Herman Khan predicted a bright global future in which “worldwide economic affluence and beneficent technology [83] [84] are bright.” Rather, the MIT world systems modelers are showing that the economic system of endless growth instead o sustainable development is a looming problem for humanity and the usual answer of “problem solving by growth” [solving economic problems by perpetually expanding the economy] is self-defeating [does not work] and environmentally destructive, i.e., impractical and unsustainable in the long term. If the current rate of immigration and birthrate are not manipulated, in the year 2050 it is projected that the population demographics o the U.S. will change such that the numbers of those who consider themselves “white” will fall below the numbers of those who consider themselves as “Black,” “Hispanic,” “Asian,” “other,” etc. As the recent situation with the devastation of the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas of the states of Louisiana and Mississi ppi due to the impact of hurricanes Katrina and Rita demonstrated, racism and neglect of the poor continue to be stark realities of the United States cultural landscape which will continue into the future [as only small actions are being taken to reverse the problem], just as the construction of new gated communities continues unabated. However, as the city [85] of Santa M onica discovered during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles, if the general rioting is large enough, it can spill over into any community, no matter how separate it may appear to be from the general population. Yet, the perpetuation of the culture of fear, terrorism, [86] crime by rancorous politicians and clergy who stir up strife, etc., continued which has expanded a social pattern of alienation between the power elite and the rest of the population of the U.S.A., and the rest of the lower classes of the world, which constitute a majority numerically. In another scenar io, the power elite population would retain political control at least one generation after the ethnic demographic changes. The economic power would be retained for some time longer, perhaps 1-2 more generations or longer after the political change, all of which would engender more animosity against them and promote more fear in them, and hence more of a desire to retreat to more secure gated communities that would, as expressed in the imagination of the writer Neal Stephenson, in his novel Snow Crash, exist in a future where gated communities are mass-produced by franchising systems and operate as sovereign city-states. Then there would be a regression to a situation such as was experienced by the ancient Greeks, who endured many wars for supremacy between the city-states. So in other words, there would be devolution of civilization that would follow the degraded culture of separatism, segregation, fundamentalism and ignorance. What actions could be taken to avoid the possible conflict over religion and race, politics and economics? Firstly, more religious, economic, as well as social pluralism needs to be promoted by the leadership so that society may move towards a more social and economically equitable and harmonious condition. That might be considered a manipulation of social order, but unlike the positions o fundamentalists, racists and neo-conservatives, it is a positive manipulation based on ethics, balance and peace. To the extent that society is able to move in that direction, to that extent it will be able to move towards peace and avoid the great social upheavals that are possible in the future. Of course, this is predicated upon the world not experiencing an ecological disaster due to global warming, pollution, overfarming, and genetically modifying foods and animals, and not experiencing a serious conflict between east (China) and west (United States), or a nuclear disaster due to error, or a terrorist attack as retaliation for Western economic or religious imperialism. In such a case, those factors would complicate the dynamics of the future social conflicts even further. Perhaps the words of John Lennon “ All You Need Is Love” should be heeded, but in the absence of love, perhaps the more important factor is justice, which might be more easily attainable; and from there perchance that justice, as the popular saying goes, will lead to peace and conceivably someday in the future, also love among all nations, if not all peoples. What would a justice system look like that would produce such a positive outcome? Efforts towards honest sharing of resources, promoting prosperity for all human beings and not just for some countries, the abandonment of the imperialist ideal, as well as the renouncement of religious orthodoxy, absolutism and fundamentalism would lean humanity towards true prosperity and real emancipation from hatred and fear. Those who deprive any part of life, eventually deprive all life. So any injustice, anywhere in the world, is degradation for everyone, and will eventually bring everyone down.
Article IX.
W
What Coul d Happen in the Near Future and What Can you do to Prepare and Protect yourself now?
hat could happen to the U.S.A. and world economy if the current course of affairs continues? What are the consequences to the U.S.A. economy due t o the financial mismanagement, deficits, consumerism and the profit motive of t he multinational corporations?
Thanks to George W. Bush's reckless fiscal deficits, the government will have less ability to overcome an economic crisis through borrow-and-spend, as it did i n the last economic downturn. With the appetite for America's IOUs diminishing, US pol iticians wil l have their hands full dealing wit h rising energy costs and the tottering finances of healthcare, education and pensions. The basics of a harder-times scenario are not much in di sput e. The debate is bet ween thos e who foresee a hard landing and tho se who beli eve that th e world's central bankers will somehow figure out a way to avoid a global financial meltdown. But hard landing or soft, even the staunchest supporters of globalization [87] admit that lower living standards are already in the cards.
Here is what some prominent political and economic leaders in the U.S.A. had to say in relation to the upcoming future economic conditions of the U.S.A.: N. Grego ry Manki w, the G eorge W. Bus h adminis trat ion ’s econo mis t sai d th at th e U.S.A.’s rel iance o n foreign i nves to rs to s upp ort i ts h igh level of consumpti on will mean a "less prosperous futur e." [88] In the year 2005 Paul Volker, a member of the power elite of the U.S.A. and former chairman of the U.S.A, Federal Reserve said that there was a 75% chance of an economic catastrophe within 5 years.
Financier Warren Buffett conclu ded in 20 04 that t he U.S.A. is moving to wards "significant political unrest." Democratic Senator Max Baucus, [January 2006] who i s a supporter of globalizatio n, told Chin ese busi ness executiv es recently th at China should cut their country's trade deficit wi th t he U.S.A. by w ithholdi ng exports or else "US polit ics will become unmanageable."
Any of several possible scenarios could cause the economy of the U.S.A. to collapse, and if it does, its collapse will reverberate through the world financial markets and adversely affect other economies. Some recent examples of financial collapse were the devaluation of the Mexican and Argentinean currencies, and before that the British also experienced a collapse. The same could likely happen to the U.S.A., but t here is a possibility t hat the downturn could be more severe. Anyp lace one or more of the four factors y ou're abou t to discov er could have an i mpact on A merica's petrol eum supp ly I call an "oil chokepoi nt." A combination of any of these (although each of them could do it single-handedly) has the potential to not just make the U.S. oil outlook grim, but to spell the end of our world as we know it - a world where we can't afford to cons ume to our heart's con tent, and where America's oil int erests aren't sov ereign... In other words : A worl d where you may not have a steady job, where many of your investments (even blue chip s) have tanked, where everything from groceries to heating oil costs a fortune, where the United States isn't the top dog economically or militarily anymore and where you'll no l onger be able to just fly or drive anywhere you want. [89] A world where your freedom and liv elihoo d are put in m ort al j eopa rdy .
Article X.
Possible scenarios for the near future based on financial disturbance to the economy:
Scenario 1: Recession- the economy becomes depressed as in the 1970s and early 1980s; there would be difficult times, but people get by . Scenario 2: Depression- severe economic distress but country goes on with severe economic downturn. [Hard T imes] The current generation would define their lives as the older Great Depression generation did, by the dep rivation and destitut e nature of life. Nevertheless, as with the Great Depression, the rich will continue to be rich and control the population with coercion or police and army. Scenario 3: Financial Collapse of the world Economy: U.S. dollar falls 30% or more relative to t he euro and loses its status as world reserve currency, and the U.S.A. can no longer finance the deficits of the past and must stop any deficit spending. The Euro takes over as t he world reserve currency and the European Union becomes the economic world power while the U.S.A. remains as the world military power due only to its nuclear arsenal. Pump price for gasoline skyrockets to $5.32 per gallon or more Crude oil prices explode to more than $150 per barrel Over 2 million American jobs or mor e vanish across varied sectors and the unemp loyment figures can rise to 20% or more, even higher than the Great Depression of the 1930’s The Standard & Poor 500 blue chip stock index drops by 28% An instant recession all but cripples the U.S. economy, followed by full-scale depression. The consequences of the conditions out lined above would include: · Due to high costs people can't travel because airlines are grounded because people can’t pay the higher costs- or they (airlines and people) may be even forced into bankruptcy. · Some peop le who are fortunate enough to hold onto their jobs will not be able to get to work since bus schedules would be cut. · Grocery store shelves get increasingly bare because it is too costly to ship anything or because the costs to produce things or import them gets to high. · New car sales plunge as the “Big Three” auto makers of Detroit [Chry sler, GM and Ford] struggle for solvency. · There would be no money left for entertainment, travel, retail buying or entrepreneurship. People would be forced into subsistence level living as it was before the present “standard of living” was achieved through imperialism, and underhanded economics. People would be forced to live in a way they are not used to, but out of the illusory way that has led to hubris and social pretentiousness, etc. i.e. the country would be humbled- but would find it hard to accept. · There would be shortages of food since the economy was based on import s, so food prices will go up and some people will not have money t o pay, so they will starve; there will be large famines since the government will be slow to respond if at all. · Minorities in the country [especially illegal immigrants and African-Americans] would be used as scapegoats and persecuted for the country ’s ills. · The whole U.S. economy would stall on the way to full collapse. One possible positive effect of the financial collapse would be the inability of the U.S.A to conduct wars. So the move in 2003 to attack and occupying Iraq and the continued drain on the economy due to the continuing resistance to U.S.A. occupation is hastening the demise o the U.S. Dollar and the U.S.A. economy. In the event of a major financial collapse in the U.S.A., everyone would want to survive and perpetuate the culture, and eventually there would be a sorting out and reorganization of the economy, but not before some traumatic social events. The country may experience conditions like those of the Great Depression coupled with social strife like the 1960s. Surely there would emerge religious animosity and conflict as some fundamentalist Christian groups would claim that God has forsaken the U.S.A. for its sins of allowing “Jews,” “gays,” “fornicators,” “immigrants” or other “undesirables” to enter and run the country down. Also, racism, which still exists, would experience a resurgence, as many of the majority population, which is still of mostly European descent [“white” people] even though they may have some non-European (including African) ancestry], enter into active efforts to expel non-whites [African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Native-Americans, etc.], but not before demonizing them and or blaming them for the dire conditions of the country. Unscrupulous politicians and demagogs would fan the flames of hatred and discontent so as to get the masses, seeking stability, to grant them power to “make things better.” There would be many people incarcerated and the social strife would lead to many deaths. There would be many of European descent who would object to the treatment of minorities, but just as they objected to other social ills, like the war on Iraq, without much effect, their efforts would be inconsequential, without real conviction or political organization, and of no consequence; their calls would go unheeded. One reason is because they would not have the fortitude to cope with the struggle of life and at the same time challenge the power of the power elite, being backed by those who follow them blindly or through a deluded sense o patriotism.
Article XI. ·
Strategies to cope with the challenges of the future:
Reduce debts. o Do not get a larger house when a smaller one will do. o Avoid large mortgage p ayments. o Do not get a new car if the older one is in good running order. o Avoid car payments. · If possible, move from an overprized real estate location to a less overprized location. If possible, use the profit [before the real estate bubble and dollar bubble] deflate the cost of real estate t o purchase a home to live in that requires no mortgage expense or does not require as much mortgage expense. · If you cannot move and you have equity in the house then another strategy is to get a second mortgage with fixed interest rate on the property and invest that in foreign currencies, securities or property that can pay a dividend that is higher than the interest of the mortgage. This secures the money in case of an emergency. Seek professional advice. · Stop eating meat and processed foods. · Learn to have your own garden and water supply in case of any emergencies. · Place some assets in t angible commodities such as gold, silver and real estate in ot her countries to sp read the risk from having assets in the U.S.A. Keep in mind that real estate is not as liquid as currency or other assets and is susceptible to deflation. · Live in an area where you would not be susceptible to social violence: o Where there is a community of ethical peop le who will not t urn to violence and degradation, looting and hatred as an outlet for their despair and fear in times of strife. o Prepare to leave the country if necessary by having other real estate assets and income producing capacities in other countries. · In other words, gain a skill that would be necessary in any society such as a trade or other form of self-sufficient endeavor. Look into ways to simplify life, reduce debts and become self-sufficient. · If possible move to an area where the climate is milder, such as the t ropical zone, and will not require as much energy to heat · up in the winter or cool down in the summer. If you stay in temperate zones of the country start getting used to being hot, before the days of air conditioning. Also, start gett ing used to being cold. Put on thermal clothing and extra blankets. Snuggle up with y our family members for body warmth. · Live with or close to others of like mind with whom you can cooperate and who can support you if the society deteriorates. · Simplify your life; divest from high mortgages, and p laces were it is expensive to live. o Learn to live a simple life without extravagant needs. o Turn your attention towards the deeper meaning of life and realize that the strife of society, not just the troubles ahead, but all troubles, are designed to lead you to understand that there is no perfect situation in the world even though some may seem to last longer than others. o
Arti cl e XII.
Summary of Strategies
The following should not be t aken as financial advice. You should consult a t rusted financial advisor who agrees with t his outlook for the economy who can assist you in working out the specific strategies for your situation. v Reduce debt v Sell our real estat e and instead rent v Seek to live in a self-sufficient and secure community v Start y our own vegetable and fruit garden v Get your savings out of the US dollar and into foreign currencies that will appreciate versus the dollar (like euro, Swiss, or other currencies.) v Invest in gold v Invest in foreign stocks and real estate v If possible plan on living abroad for some time v If you cannot live abroad then follow the strategies in the section of this book entitled: How to Survive the Economic Collapse of the US Dollar Update #3
Chapter 4: Concl usion: What happens next? A
s a summary I would like to include a statement by Dr. David Ray Griffin, a professor emeritus of philosophy of religion and theology, at the Claremont School of Theology in Claremont, California, from his essay 9/11 and American Empire: How should
religious people respond? I suggested earlier that seeing t he true connections between 9/11 and the gl obal domination project helps us und erstand how fully this p roject reflects "fanaticism based on a deeply perverted valu e system." This is a valu e system that is di ametrically op posed t o the valu e systems on which all the great religi ous and moral tradit ions of the worl d have been based. These traditional v alue syst ems say th at we shou ld no t covet, steal, and murder, and that we shou ld make sure that everyo ne has th e necessary means for a decent li fe. But our gov ernment's project for global d ominati on is carried out in the name of the greed of the "haves" of the world to have still more, even if it means killing hundreds of thousands of people and letting millions more die every year of starvation and poverty-related dis eases. We can now see, furthermore, that some politi cal and mili tary leaders are so fanatically i nfected wit h these perverted valu es that th ey are willi ng to k ill thou sands of their own cit izens, then endl essly u se a deceptive account of these terrorist attacks t o jus tify "a war on terror," in th e name of which t hey claim the right to do virtually anythin g they wish, ignoring all principles of morality and international law.
What is the purpose for amassing great quantities of wealth, more than one can possibly use? Power can be a form of compensation for insecurity, but power can also be a high for a person who “has everything” and is bored with life. The economic maelstrom created by the world plutocracy is no longer just for pleasure seeking in the ordinary sense, buying big houses, fancy cars and land, etc., it is evident that the purpose is power. It has been done before, by the empires of the past, and was described in detail by Machiavelli. However, the current level of power-seeking is unprecedented in that the goal is not just to acquire and control territories or commodities, but to control whole governments and whole countries, along with the people in them. Thus, there is great investment in mass media, genetic manipulation o food and more effective means to control people physically [riot control methods]. [90] As Noam Chomsky explained, the reason for the power elite promoting fiscally unsound expenditures such as the private health care system and swollen deficits and bloated defense budgets that are justified by fear of enemies, is for the purpose of driving the economy into a state of crisis that will force the drastic action of cutting social programs altogether, which will undercut the populace and leave them destitute and at the mercy of the power elite with their vast military power. This means that the population within the developed country would become conditioned through terror alerts and fear of dire economic conditions to accept becoming relatively as destitute as those people in the developing countries, and would become more pliable to t he control of the power elite. So what Alexander, Caesar, Napoleon, Genghis Khan, Attila, the British Empire and others could not do has been attempted by the world power elite through such strategies as fiat currency, institutions such as the I.M .F. and the World Bank, as well as conditioning of the minds of people through propaganda, mindless entertainments, barbaric sporting events, meat eating, chemicals in foods, and fear instead o cooperation. Many of the problems faced by the U.S.A. society in particular and the world in general [political-social-economic] occurred in ancient civilizations such as ancient Rome. Ancient Rome faced the barbarians at the gates. With the disengagement of the dollar from the gold standard, the present devaluation of the dollar, the real estate bubble, the rise of global warming and the coming healthcare crisis, a situation reminiscent of ancient Rome looms on the horizon. Who are the barbarians now? –the political and religious fundamentalists and corporations who have blinded themselves to rationality and espouse ideas that are destructive to society. This should remind us of movies such as Robocop, where the corporations take over the insolvent government and the tyrants are in the boardroom! So the source of social degradation is the society itself due to not acting in ways that are in harmony with truth. Living in a way that promotes pleasure-seekin and disregard for truth promotes pain and suffering to other humans, animals, as well as nature itself. This is the source of ill health as well as a contributing source of distress, anger and hatred in the world. It is more than ironic that that pain and suffering meted out by humanity is being returned t o humanity in the form of degenerative and infectious diseases and inhabitable environments. There are voices of reason in today’s society, though the din of fear mongering, warmongering, apocalyptic fanaticism, and or the corporate blind championing of capitalism drown them out. Gary Hart, former U.S.A Senator and presidential candidate, and author of the book, The Shield and the Cloak: The Security of the Commons , discussed military security, government corruption and the needed political reforms for the U.S.A. government in order to turn away from t he current course in his book, and in an interview on news p rogram Democracy Now: “ Basically, what the country is goin g through now is a rerun of what happened during periods of the Vietnam War, in which largely the Ni xon adminis trati on u ndert ook i ll egal act ivi ti es to p lace American cit izens und er survei ll ance and accus e them of unp atri ot ic cond uct, and j us ti fyin g su ppo rt for the war -- using support for the war as a justification for violation of constitutional rights and liberties. So, what's happening now is a rerun of history, in effect…” “ …I think we have to broaden our un derstandi ng of what it means to be secure in the 21s t century. The 20th centu ry clearly was a century of ideology . We defeated imperialism, we defeated fascism. We stoo d off communis m. And that ended i n 19 91. And now, w e're not clear on -- I mean, war on terrorism replaced contain ment of communis m as our central organizi ng prin ciple. But if you've los t you r job, you' re not secure. Ifyour chil dren are contaminated by p ollu tants , you' re not secure. Ifyour so n or daught er loses thei r lives -- their l ife in Gu lf War III, IV or V, so you r neighbo r can drive his Hu mvee, you're not secure. So we have to broaden our u nderstanding of what security means to i nclude the environment, to include energy, to i nclude economic livelihoo d. And I don't know anyone else that's making this argument. And secon d, the idea of nation al security i s simply erodin g, because America can't b e secure if the rest of the world is insecure. So rather than go it alo ne, as we are right now, we desperately need international alliances and friends and partners, both to deal with terrorism, but also to address issues like global warming. The challenges of the 21st century in clude mass migration s outh to no rth -- the E uropeans and we are suffering -- I mean, are experiencing this ; climate change and global warming; weapons of mass destruction; and t he list goes on. Those do not l end themselves to military solutions , nor can any single nation solve any of [91] those problems.”
The community of humanity must work to reduce and ultimately abandon the idea of nationalistic exclusiveness in which nations seek to selfishly promote their own agendas, excluding the needs of other nations. Just as a family cannot operate well if some members of the family are selfish, so too, the human community will not function well. It will be continuously beset with conflicts and strife. You as an individual must stand up for your own financial and physical health. Those who want to rely on the government or on authorities or on anyone else to provide for their security are deluded. Seek to understand the meaning of life, simplify your life and create
conditions that are conducive to peace in your life, community, nation and world. That U.S.A. culture is headed for hard times is now accepted by economists and environmental scientists as well as social scientists. Financially, the reason is that will be the only way to balance the trade deficit and start to pay for the government debt. Environmentally, the reason is that the raising of the global temperature is and will cause severe problems for humanity. In health, the reason is that most people continue t o accept the notion of eating animal p roducts, which have been scientifically linked with serious and potentially deadly conditions of ill health, such as cancer and heart disease, and t he production of which is degenerative to t he environment. There are many people in society who choose not to face these issues, and when the result of those social policies reaches a certain level that will be undeniable and uncontrollable, those people will be surprised. When you look around and see people driving new cars, buyin cars, houses, and boats, running up large debts on their credit cards, going to the movies, watching TV and carrying on as if everything is OK, thinking that the government will perpetuate the current situation indefinitely, you might tend to fall into that delusion along with them. Yet, it cannot continue indefinitely because the government does not exist in a vacuum or in a world that it can control indefinitely. Other people will inevitably develop their economies to the extent that they will not want to support U.S.A. consumerism at the expense o their own economies, which has already started to happen in several parts of the world. As was demonstrated with the 2003 war in Iraq, the U.S.A military power is limited. So if sufficient numbers of people arise and throw off the U.S.A. economic hegemony from t heir countries, the U.S.A. economy will fall; that p rocess has already begun. Most people in the U.S.A. who are finding out about these issues, and who have ethical consciousness or who are fearful of the future, are overwhelmed and do not know what to do. They have been inculcated with sentimental ideals of the American Dream or are too lost in the day-to-day struggle to pay their bills and cannot pay attention and reorient their lives to control their government and the people running it. So the same type of belt tightening measures that the I.M.F. imposes on other countries will be felt in the U.S.A. The question is how harsh will the coming austerity period be and how long it will last? Looking at the cases of the United Kingdom, Mexico, and Argentina, it will be a situation that the current generation has never seen, and factoring the extreme and unprecedented depth of the negative financial condition, it will be more severe. This is why there likely will be civil unrest and social strife. The so-called “American way of life” and the “American standard of living” would likely be lost to the middle and lower classes of the society. In order to maintain order, the police forces would have to be well paid, and police brutality and abuses would increase, until the society may approach the level of martial law. Yet, life would go on. Though people know intrinsically that they have been living in a bubble reality, nevertheless, they would not want to accept the new condition, and so there would be strife, anger and widespread disgust and lawlessness. Perhaps the most amazing phenomenon of this research is that while western culture has given perhaps the most freedom of speech than other government systems in modern times, most of its people generally seem to be intoxicated with the luxuries of consumerism and are smitten with their government leaders in such a way that the leaders can do what they please as long as the economy allows the consumerism to continue. It is as if the culture is disconnected from its humanity and does not understand the interconnectedness of life, which demands retribution for unethical behavior, comp lacency and acquiescence. The biosphere of the earth is one connected system, so if a part of it is distressed, it will affect other parts. Therefore, the nineteenth century mechanistic idea of the world as a machine with separate parts does not work. The human race is also not a machine. The injustices perpetrated on one group are visited on the other in the fullness of time, just as pollution in one count ry affects all other countries around the world. So it is indeed the responsibility of every human being to promote equity and justice for all populations and for the earth and to resist the temptation to become lost in the sea of greed and self-centered vanity. It is incumbent upon every human being to discover the means to understand the plight of the world today and not get caught up in the rhetoric and propaganda of war and pleasure-seeking that cloud the intellect to the true meaning of life and the possibilities for making the world a better place, while at the same time discovering one’s purpose and true happiness in life. While it may not be possible to avoid the hard times ahead, the past lessons must be faced and the truth must be upheld through direct pursuit of justice for all peoples in all countries. Until that happens, there will be no end to empires, no end to tyrants and dictators, because if injustice is allowed abroad and not at home, the injustice in the heart will manifest at home unconsciously and silently until it destroys the fabric of culture and its very foundation, which is the justice system. Complacency and apathy are not acquired all at once, but year in and year out, in degrees, after many st ruggles in pay ing bills and mortgages and listening to p ropaganda day in and day out. As with any cycle, we are coming to the end o the U.S.A. empire as we have known it for the last 60 years, but there is always some other emperor waiting in the wings, to pull the wool over the ey es of the ignorant, t he tired, the hungry or the fanatical. So knowledge is a key, self-sufficiency is a key, organization is a key, and ethics is a key to establishing the next society if it is to be governed by balance, justice, equitable economics, natural health and compassion for all human beings. "When opulence and extravagance are a necessity instead of righteousness and t ruth, society will be governed by greed and injustice." [92] -Ancient Egyptian Proverb On February 15th and 16th 2003, some 10 million or more people around the world expressed their overwhelming opposition to the war in Iraq through marches and demonstrations. This was an unprecedented move by the world’s people who are cognizant of the danger of militarism and many of whom have experienced the devastation of an unjust world market economy. Citing the failure of Brazil’s leader, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and South Africa’s leader, Nelson Mandela, to truly transform a political victory, ousting the corporocracy and establishing a government and economy that serves the common people, Arundhati Roy made some astute observations. I'm thinking here of President Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva of Brazil. Lula was the hero of the World Social Forum last year. This y ear he's busy implementing IMF guidelines, reducing pension benefits and purging radicals from the Workers' Party . I'm thinking also of ex-president of South Africa, Nelson M andela. Within two y ears of taking office in 1994, his government
genuflected with hardly a caveat to the market god. It instituted a massive program of privatization and structural adjustment, which has left millions of p eople homeless, jobless and without water and electricity . Why does this happen? There's little point in beating our breasts and feeling betrayed. Lula and Mandela are, by any reckoning, magnificent men. But the moment they cross the floor from the opposition into government they become hostage to a spectrum of threats — most malevolent among them the threat of capital flight, which can destroy any government overnight. [93] …Radical change will not be negotiated by governments; it can only be enforced by people. If there is a solution to the problem of the world power elite and their military industrial complex, it likely is the uprising of millions o individuals who refuse to go along with plans that enrich the rich and slowly drain the life out of the poor, and which call for the constant conflict and warmongering that cause people to succumb to their fears and render them weak, malleable subjects, ripe for manipulation and self-destruction. That will be the death of empire by popular demand. But that will hold as long as people remember and are vigilant, for the seeds of imperialism remain in the egoistic psy che and the desire filled personality that wants to rule and become rich.
Article XIII.
A Window of Opportunity?
The title of this book, The Death of American Empire, contains the word and concept of death, but here death should not be thought o in the ordinary way, as a final and absolute end. Affording to some spiritual traditions there is an afterlife, and to others there is reincarnation. The imperial idea will not die forever, but it will die as we know it, and the culture that gave birth to it will continue but in an unknown different form. In time, people will forget the past just as they have forgotten about the “Great Depression” of the 1930s. Then there will be a time of seeming prosperity, and yet another crash, and people will say why didn’t we do the right thing? Why didn’t we learn from the last crash? Before that happens there may be an opportunity to change things, to change the way that society is arranged, and to inst itute sustainable and renewable economies. There are many groups that would like to see the U.S.A. fall, some because they are scared of U.S.A. hegemony and others because they are rivals of U.S.A. imperialist power and would like to take its place. Still others would like to see the downfall because of grievances due to past U.S.A wrongdoings to other countries and dissidents. There is a concept called ariu in Ancient Egyptian Philosophy and karma in Indian Hindu and Buddhist Philosophies. This concept holds that the past actions lead to present conditions. Thus, the present negative conditions being faced would be due t o past unrighteousness. This concept is akin to the orthodox Christian Jewish, Islamic (and other religions) concept of reaping what one sows, however, the Ancient Egyptian, Hindu and Buddhist traditions all believe in reincarnation (and thus the effects of one’s actions from one’s past lives can also manifest in this present lifetime or a future one) whereas orthodox Christianity does not. However, the commonality in all of these traditions is a recognition that there is some resulting consequence for one’s actions that will be expressed in one’s life. Negative actions will lead to negative consequences, which will be viewed as punishment by some; others might call this “chickens coming home to roost.” Nevertheless, the results or consequences of negative actions lead to suffering, which is sup posed to teach lessons of not repeating the offensive act; thus, if t he offender learns the lessons, that person would become increasingly virtuous as their life progresses. If the sufferer does not learn the lessons and become virtuous, they are bound to commit the same actions again that will lead to more suffering in this life, or with respect to religions that believe in reincarnation, also the next. Nations have ariu or karma, just as individual do. Examples of this are the troubles encountered by the U.S.A. with Iran and also with various South American countries due to a backlash from the U.S.A. sponsored top pling of governments and support of dictators, etc. Yet, the downfall would cause worldwide problems for all nations, but eventually others may try to take the place of the U.S.A., perhaps Russia or China, and that will lead to strife. So provisions should be made to p romote a family of nations that promote the common good instead of individual agendas; that was t he original goal of the United Nations. The empire that is the United States as we know it today, just as with the Roman, Ottoman, British and other empires that came before, will come to an end. There will be a necessity to scale back all areas of society. It will not be possible to have unrestricted consumerism and deficit spending. The government will not be able to sustain armies all over the world. All of this would cause innumerable problems in the economy as the consumerism comes to an end. There would be massive social disruption of the previous way of life. Government officials would have difficulty governing, so t here would have to be rep ressive measures imposed. During this period of reorganization of society, which could last about one generation, there would be much strife, scapegoating and political demagoguery as well as religious fundamentalism and fanaticism. But amidst the chaos, there would be an op portunity that is not now p ossible. The lifesty le of consumerism and world dominance that has been p erpetuated since the end of World War II and has become accepted and expected by most people would be shattered, and so too the unwillingness of most people to listen to the voices of reason and face the reality of the error of consumerism, capitalism and selfishness would be reduced. But even so, the capacity for the population to make use of this opportunity would depend on how much the people wanted to hold on to the bogus notions of “American Supremacy” or “t he American Dream” and the illusory value of the U.S. Dollar. If the society turns away from hegemony to cooperation and real promotion of democracy and freedom around the world instead o promoting dictators that favor U.S.A. p olitical and economic designs, the world may indeed move in a new direction t hat could lead t o a positive outcome for all humanity. How are those who want to promote a better society in the future to know the true direction of government p olicies? And how are t hey to control government and make sure that the p olicies of sust ainable, ethical government are enacted and enforced? The true agenda of any government is not determined by the rhetoric of its leaders but by the items contained in the government’s budget. For instance, while President George W. Bush spoke about supporting veterans, he was at the same time cutting veteran’s benefits. There would be an opportunity to expose this kind of duplicity in government and to implant ethical values in government that would manifest in fiscal responsibility in government; this would also mean an end to fiat money and budget deficits. In order to make a new society, the government and economic systems must be changed. The current constitutional system of the U.S.A. allowed the country to become what it has, and so those errors must be confronted, if possible by amendments, but if not by changing to a new system of government that takes power from government officials and makes them accountable to the masses. The power of corporations and their mandate to make profits at all cost must be abolished. The oil-based economy must be changed to renewable fuels, with all due haste, as an emergency. It is important to end the corporate scheme of society and to institute regulations that protect workers and human rights, both nationally and internationally. U.S.A. corporat ions should not be allowed to collude with foreign governments t o enslave their pop ulations with meager wages in order to produce cheap goods to sell to the U.S.A. population and elsewhere. This can be done by ending the legalized government bribery sy stem, that is, lobbying, and the legal status of corp orations as “p ersons.” It is important to join the world community that is overwhelmingly in favor of facing the global warming issue instead of forestallin efforts by obfuscating the truth so as to prolong corporate irresponsibility and profits. The U.S.A. government should also join the International World Court and humble itself t o international law. There are many people who speak of the lofty ideals of the U.S.A. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They often tout it as a beacon o light for the world. If that is true, the upcoming period may offer the opportunity for those who believe in those ideals to create a movement
in society that might cause a retreat from militarism, racism and sexism, and the rule of the government and the economy by a minority o men of European descent. Nevertheless, it would seem that if t he U.S. Constitution has such lofty ideals, t here was some flaw in it that allowed the culture t o be degraded to the degree that it did, with government officials that colluded to take bribes and break laws with impunity. So it is apparent that greater effort should be made in raising an ethical society and correcting the flaws in the Constitution in order to better prevent these kinds of situations. So what will you do to work towards that high ideal? How will you prepare yourself to meet the upcoming challenges to survival? What organizations will you join in order to promote those high ideals? How will you position yourself and your family in order to protect and preserve health? This is t he time to reflect on these questions. But t he reflection time should not be t oo long, because it may be necessary to take action soon to begin preparations.
Q&A
Article XIV. Question: What happens if there is war with Iran? Answer: Firstly in order to reflect on the reason for this question and discern the possible answer we need to see why the war is [94] possible. In an interview on the program Democracy Now, hosted by Amy Goodman, guest Antonia Juhasz, visiting scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies, spoke about the blatant statements by Oil company and government contractors about how they would like to see Iraq and the rest of the Middle East invaded by the U.S.A. so that they can control the oil and get government contracts. AMY G OODMAN: In your chapt er "A Mutual Seduction ," you h ave a quote of Ken Derr, the former C.E.O. of Chevron, 1998 . I know hi s tenu re well. It was the time in the Nig er Delta that Chevron was involved wi th the kil ling of two Nigerian villagers, who were protesting yet another oil spill o f Chevron and jobs not bei ng giv en to the local communit y as they drill ed for oil. But your quo te here says, “ Iraq possesses hu ge reserves of oil and gas, reserves I would lo ve Chevron to have access to.” And then you follow t hat by a quote of John Gi bson, Chief Executive of Halli burton E nergy Service Group, who says, “ We hope Iraq will be the first domino and that Libya and Iran will follow. We don't like being kept out of markets, because it gives our competitors an unfair advantage.” ANTONIA JUHASZ: I love it w hen they’ re honest. It doesn ’t happen very often. Yeah, these companies have been expli cit, for decades, that they want i n, part icul arly t o Iraq. The reason i s ob vi ous . Iraq certainl y has t he secon d larg est o il res erves i n th e worl d, but some geolo gis ts b eli eve it h as th e largest , at least o n par wi th Saud i Arab ia. That's a t remendo us p ool of wealth . And no t ju st h ave the co mpani es been cl ear that t hey wan t access t o th at oi l, U.S. leaders -- for example, Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Zalmay Khalil zad, Donald Rumsfeld -- have all been explicit for the past 20 years that w hat the U.S. needs to do i s gain i ncreased access to t he region's oil, and most explicitly during the ‘ 90s, Iraq's oi l, that this is so mething that shouldn’ t be in the hands of Saddam Hussein.
The statements above clearly show how the economic motivations act to foment wars. Thus, it is possible to see the growin willingness and active search for situations in which to use the military in order to stimulate the economy and expand the economic prospects of t he United States throughout its history. It is this factor [war-specifically World War 2] also that allowed the United States to emerge out of its most profound economic depression and stagnating economy to become the most powerful economy in the world. Now we know that the possible reasons for war with Iran are, from the perspective of the U.S.A., economic since Iran cannot pose a threat to the U.S.A. unless it has nuclear weapons, but why would it use nuclear weapons against the U.S.A. if there have been no hostilities and since the U.S.A. has many more bombs, enough to annihilate Iran? May 23, 2006 Paranoia as Policy How Bush Brewed the Iran Cris is By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS
Why di d the Bush regi me create a crisis over Iran? The answer is that the Bush regime is desperate to widen t he war in the Middle E ast. What has Iran done? Unlike Israel, Pakistan and India, countries that developed nuclear weapons on the sly, Iran signed the non-proliferation treaty. Countries that sign this treaty have the right to develop nuclear energy. The International Atomic Energy Agency monitors their energy programs to guard against the programs being used to cloak a weapons program. Until the Bush regime provoked a crisis, Iran was cooperating with the inspection safeguards. The weapons inspectors have found no Iranian weapons programs. There is no evidence for the Bush regime's accU.S.A.tion that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. What the Bush regime is trying to do is to unilaterally take away Iran's right under the non-proliferation treaty to develop nuclear energy. It is the Bush regime that i s viol ating th e treaty by attempting to deny its benefits to Iran . The Bus h regi me is acti ng i ll egall y becaus e of it s paran oid sus pici on t hat 5 o r 10 years i n th e futu re Iran wil l us e what i t has managed t o learn about urani um enrichment to d evelop a weapons program.
Mr. Roberts explained that the real fear is not that Iran may gain nuclear weapons and use them on Israel but that Iran may gain sufficient time to develop nuclear weapons in thereby be able to oppose U.S.A. hegemony and control, just as India and Pakistan have been able to do. In early 2006, the political and military situation had deteriorated to such an extent that the rebellion in Iraq had sparked violence between t he two main religious factions of the country [Sunni and Shia], which further destabilized t he country and furt her weakened t he [95] U.S.A. economy and military. Since the president apparently lied about the reason for war and used manipulated intelligence that said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, there were far more people less willing to believe what was said by the U.S.A. in the Fall, 2005 about the impending threat from Iran. Those statements made in Fall, 2005 were intensified because of the infamous statement by President George W. Bush using the term “axis of evil” in his State of the Union Address on January 29, 2002, describing supposed "regimes that sponsor terror" where he named Iraq, Iran, and North Korea as forming that axis. But this time even the media, which had been accused by critics as being little more than a stenographer for the government, did not echo the call for war with the same enthusiasm as it did previously for t he war on Iraq. Nevertheless, the Bush administration kept up intensifying the rhetorical pressure on Iran as if there was an “imminent threat” of nuclear attack from Iran; that pressure was applied even though a report emerged in the Washington Post that stated a contradictory assessment of Iran’s nuclear capabilities by the U.S. intelligence review. So, just as was done with Iraq, the military assessments were ignored because they did not fit t he geopolitical agenda of att acking and controlling Iran. Iran Is Judged 10 Years Fr om Nuclea r Bomb
U.S. Intelligence Review Contrasts With Administration Statements By Da fna Linz er Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, August 2, 2005; P age A01 A major U.S. intellig ence review has projected th at Iran is about a decade away from manufacturing t he key ing redient for a nuclear weapon, roughl y doub ling the previo us esti mate of five years, accordin g to go vernment sou rces with firsthand k nowl edge of the new analys is. The carefull y hedged assess ments, whi ch represent consensu s among U.S. intell igence agencies, contrast wi th forceful pu blic st atements by t he Whit e House. Administ ration o fficials have asserted, but h ave not offered proof, that Tehran is moving d eterminedl y tow ard a nuclear arsenal. The new est imate could provid e more time for diplomacy with Iran over its nuclear ambitions. President Bush has said that he wants the crisis resolved diplomatically but that "all options are on the table."
Despite the reports about Iran’s nonexistent or suspended nuclear development, the President and his advisors continued to make provocative statements and t hreatening assertions about t he supposed danger Iran posed. Democracy Now Headlines fo r March 7, 2006 Tuesday, March 7th, 20 06 US Dismisses Possib ili ty of Compromise on Iran Nuclear Activity
In other news, the United States has dismissed the possibility of reaching a compromise in the international standoff over Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Iran has been i n tal ks t o move its n ucl ear enrichment acti vit ies t o Rus si a. The US anno unced i ts s tance after U.N. Intern ati onal Ato mic En ergy Ag ency head Mo hamed ElBaradei said a deal between Moscow and Tehran could prevent Iran’s referral to the UN Security Council.
After the U.S.A. invasion of Iraq, Iran attempted to make peace with the U.S.A. which would have included not developing nuclear
weapons. The Iranian government made diplomatic overtures to the U.S.A. government, wanting to negotiate with President George W. Bush as they had with President Bill Clinton’s administration. However, President Bush and his advisors rejected those overtures, preferring instead to label Iran as part of an “ axis of evil” and thereby provoking Iranian hard-line leaders to gain sup port t o move towards a confrontation with the U.S.A. and thereby creating an enemy for the U.S.A. to oppose. In this way a confrontation posture could be maintained in the U.S.A. foreign policy that would necessitate continued military spending and also a continued focus of fear for the administration to call upon to rally people to its cause and reduce opposition to its policies. Also, not having foreseen the debacle in Iraq, the administration expected quick success in Iraq that could be a springboard for further invasions of Iran, Syria and other nations in the Middle East so they rebuffed Iran’s overtures. However, the failure in Iraq reduced support for any other military actions. Now Iran, seeing the weakness of the U.S.A. in Iraq and the reduced standing in the international community due to the absence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and the revelations of manipulated intelligence and lies to take the U.S.A. to war with Iraq, Iran is defying the U.S.A. attempts to control it. In 2003 , U.S. Spurned Iran's Of fer of Dialogue
Some Officials L ament Los t Opp ortuni ty By Gl enn Kess ler
Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, June 18, 2006; Page A16 Just after the li ghtn ing takeover of Baghdad b y U.S. forces three years ago, an unusu al two -page document spewed out of a fax machine at th e Near East bureau of the State Department. It was a propo sal from Iran for a broad dialog ue with the Uni ted States, and the fax suggested everyth ing w as on the tabl e -- includin g full cooperation on nucl ear programs, acceptance of Israel and the terminati on of Iranian sup port for Palesti nian militant groups .
The subsequent failure of the U.S.A. invasion in Iraq, bogging the U.S.A. army and government down, emboldened Iran to proceed with nuclear power developments which are entirely within international law but which worries the U.S.A. conservatives and neoconservatives most, because those developments could nevertheless in the future (several years) be used to produce nuclear weapons (just as the U.S.A. did). When we examine the political rhetoric that was put out by t he U.S.A. government related to Iran, we discover a parallel with the kinds of statements that were put out in the time running up to the attack on Iraq. It was a media and public relations effort to sway public opinion to support an attack on Iran. The Republican Party [in power] was not the only source of belligerent statements advocating war on Iran. The following statement came from Democratic Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, who was speaking at Princeton University in January 2006. Her statement echoes those by other Democratic Party leaders who support the same imperialist and hegemonic strategies that have characterized the history of the U.S.A. We must move as quickly as feasible for sanctions i n the Uni ted Nati ons, and we cannot t ake any opti on off the table i n sendi ng a clear message to t he current leadership of Iran, that they will not be permitted to acquire nuclear weapons.
Vice President Dick Cheney made even more aggressive statements while addressing the American Public Affairs Committee on Tuesday March 7, 2006. The Iranian regime needs to kn ow th at if it s tays on i ts present co urse, the internati onal communit y is prepared to i mpose meaningful consequ ences. For our part , the Uni ted St ates i s keepi ng al l op ti ons on t he tab le in ad dress ing the i rrespo nsi ble con duct of the regime.
On the same day as Cheney’s statements, Donald Rumsfeld, the Defense Secretary, spoke at a Pentagon news conference and said the following, when he was asked about Iran. I will say this about Iran. They are currently putting people into Iraq to do things that are harmful to the future of Iraq, and we know it. And it is something that they, I think, wil l look back on as having been an error in judgment.
After the above and other ominous accusations of Iran, that they were sending fighters into Iraq, the top military officer for all the U.S.A. armed forces was asked about the evidence about that claim. He looked over to his left, at the secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfeld, who had made the aggressive statements earlier, and then he turned to the reporter who asked the question and denied the claim, thereby exposing the disingenuous statements that prompted most progressive commentators to suggest that the purpose of the false statements was to drum up sup port for attacking Iran. DEMOCRACY NOW, Headlines for March 15, 2006
Top US Military Commander: No Evidence of Iran Links
Meanwhile, the top US mili tary commander said Tuesday there is no evi dence Iran is aiding the Iraqi ins urgency. At a Pent agon briefing, Gen. Peter Pace, chair of the Joint Chi efs of Staff, was asked if he thou ght Iran was arming milit ants or send ing w eapons to Iraq. Pace replied: “ I do not s ir.” Pace’s comments appear to contradict recent st atements made by bot h Presi dent Bus h and Defense Secretary Don ald Rumsfeld lin king t he viol ence in Iraq to the Iranian government.
Along with the statements described above, apparent baseless lies and deceptions by President Bush and his assistants, journalists [96] such as Seymour Hersh revealed that t he administration was considering limited nuclear weapon strikes on Iran’s nuclear research sites. Those reports led to controversy since the use of nuclear weapons would seem to be a departure from U.S.A. policy and international relations. The issuance of threats to use nuclear weapons is unfortunately not new. In an interview with journalist Amy Goodman, the author of the Pent ago n Pap ers and former military analyst Daniel Ellsberg revealed that the late journalist, Jack Anderson, whose files are currently being sought by the F.B.I. in order to confiscate any classified documents he might have uncovered [part of a new program to seize and classify information damaging to the government], revealed the startling history of the use of the threat to use nuclear weapons by Presidents Carter and Truman, who were both of the Democratic Party. Jack Anderson, in a little known expose which is in one of his memoirs, also revealed that President Carter was making nuclear threats over a possible intervention by Russia int o Iran in 1980. I'll bet even you don't know about t hat, Amy. It’s really very little known, but there's a good deal in print about it now, nobody remarks. Carter was threatening to u se nuclear weapons i n connection wi th a possible second raid, amounting to an invasion into Iran, which is part of a very long pattern of U.S. making nuclear threats over Iran, as it is doing this week. We're using our nuclear -- we're using our nuclear weapons in Iran right now. We're using them by pointing the nuclear gun at these people, whether we pull the trigger or not . Harry Truman claims, in a nu mber of times, that he go t th e Russians out o f north ern Iran, Azerbaijan, in 1 946, by t hreatening t o use an ato mic bomb on it . They didn 't. If correct -- and he said i t four ti mes -- that woul d be the first use of our using nu clear weapons sin ce Nagasaki, and that was i n Iran, which is on the border of Russia and has oil fields. We don't -- we never wanted to go to Russia, and now we don't want to be under the control of Iranians who are not friendly to us. [97]
If we examine some economic acts by Iran, we may discover some motivating reasons for the U.S.A.’s government to make such seemingly irrational belligerent and urgent statements about the supposed danger of Iran, which sounded like the statements about the supposed danger of Iraq. Saddam Hussein’s act of selling oil in Euros instead of dollars in the year 2000 that contributed to the neocon desire to invade Iraq and control its oil is to be surp assed by Iran. The following excerpt from an essay by William Clark explains. The Iranians are about t o commit an "offense" far greater than Saddam Hussein' s conv ersion to t he euro of Iraq’s oil exports in t he fall of 2000. Numerous articles have revealed Pentagon planning for operations against Iran as early as 200 5. While the publicly stated reasons will be over Iran's nuclear ambitions,
there are unspoken macroeconomic drivers explaini ng th e Real Reasons regardin g the 2nd stage of petrodollar warfare - Iran's upcoming euro-based oi l Bourse. In 2005-2006, The Tehran government has a developed a plan to begin competing wit h New York's NYMEX and London's IP E wi th respect to international oil trades - using a euro-denominated international oil-trading mechanism. This means that without some form of US intervention, the euro is going to establish a firm foothold in the international oil trade. Given U.S. debt levels and the stated neoconservative project for U.S. global domination, Tehran's objective [98] constitutes an obvious encroachment on U.S. dollar supremacy in the international oil market
What is the “Petrodollar? A petrodollar is a do llar earned by a coun try th rough t he sale of petro(leum). The term was coin ed by Ibrahim Oweiss , a professor of economics at Georgetown University, in 1973 . Oweiss felt there was a need for a word to describe the situation whi ch was occurring in the OP EC countries, where it was entirely the sale of crude oil which allowed th ese nations to prosper economically and to invest in the economies of the nations which purchased their oil. More recently, speculation has arisen that OPEC may switch from the US dollar to the Euro, inaugurating the Petroeuro. So far, OPEC has resisted t his move althoug h some OPEC members (such as Iran and Venezuela) have been pushi ng for a swit ch to th e Euro. During Iraq's Oil-forFood P rogramme, Saddam Huss ein did swit ch to th e Euro and some commentators clai m thi s swi tch was anot her factor contribu tin g to th e 2003 [99] Invasio n of Iraq.
In a paper by Cóil ín Nunan, the author explains the importance of Petrodollars to the U.S.A. economy. A move away from the dol lar towards t he euro could, on th e other hand, have a disastro us effect on the US economy as the US would n o long er be able to spend beyond its means. Worse still, the US would have to become a net currency importer as foreigners would probably seek to spend back in the US a large proportion of the estimated three trillion dollars whi ch they currently own. In other words, the US would have to run a trade surplus, prov id ing the res t of the worl d wi th more good s and s ervi ces th an it w as receiv ing in ret urn. A rapi d and w hol esale move to t he euro might even l ead to a doll ar crash as everyone soug ht t o get rid of some, or all, of their do llars at t he same time. But that is an o utcome that no-one, not even France or Germany, is seeki ng because of the huge effect it w ould have on t he world economy. Europe w ould much prefer to see a gradual move to a euro-dol lar [100] world , or even a euro-dominated one.
Now that we have seen t he why of the question of war with Iran and we have s een that the reason is greed and p ower as well as t he factor that the explanations of Iranian aggression and nuclear weapons are only excuses for war we can now see t hat war is p ossible since the truth about the weapons is that there are none and yet the call for war continues just as it did for war against Iraq; therefore we can now move to reflect on what would happen if the war is started and then we can determine what can be done to prepare fore such a conflict. In December 21, 2006 the program Democracy Now presented an interview with former UN Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter and Investigative Journalist Seymour Hersh on White House Plans for Regime Change in Iran, the two discussed t he possibility of war and the likely outcome [101] of such a conflict. M r. Hersh quest ioned Mr. Ritter about what such a conflict would mean and if it will occur. SEYMOUR HERSH: …We want to do one more question. Let me ask him one more question. One last question, which is, OK, briefly, we go to war. We begin a massive bombing campaign. Take your pick. Odds are it’s going to be systematic, at least three days of intense bombing, decapitation prob ably, whi ch—th at is one o f th e thi ngs you do w hen y ou b egin a bombing att ack, lik e we did again st Sad dam twice and li ke th e Israeli s di d agai nst Hezbollah when they targeted Nasrallah. And I think we and the Israelis are now 0-for-8, almost as bad as Shrummy and his elections. But anyway, so the question then i s—we go to war—tell us what happens next, in your view. SCOTT RITTER: Well, it’ s, you know—it’ s almost impossible to be 100% correct, but I’ll give you my best analysis. The Iranians will use the weapon t hat is the most effective weapon , because the key for Iran—you k now, Iran can’ t afford, if this—remember, the regime wants to stay i n po wer, so they can’ t afford a strategy that g ets th e American people to recognize three years in t hat, oops, we made a mist ake. I mean, if that w as Saddam’s strategy, it failed for him, because he’ s out of power. Yeah, we realize we made a mist ake now i n Iraq, but th e regime is go ne. So the Iranians realize that they have to in flict pai n upfront. The pain is n ot goi ng to b e inflicted mili tarily, because we’ re not goi ng to commit nu mbers of ground forces on the grou nd that can cause that pai n. The pain will come economically. Our oil -based economy is operating o n the margins , as we speak. We only have 1.0% to 1.5% excess product ion capacity . Ifyou t ake the Iranian oil off the market, which is the first thing the Iranians will do, we automatically drop to around minus-4%, which means there ain’t enough oil out there to support the glob e’s thi rst for oil, especially America’s thirst for oil. And we’re not the only ones drinking it ? Y ou think for a second the Chinese and the Indians, the world’s two l argest developing economies, are going to say, “ Hey, Uncle Sam, we’ll p ut everything on hold, so w e can divert oil resources, so you can feed your oil addicti on, because you attacked Iran”? And it ’s not ju st Iranian oil th at will go off the market. Why do you thi nk we sent minesweepers up th ere? We’ve got to keep the Straits of Hormuz open. The Iranians will shut it down that qui ck. They’ll also shut dow n oil p roduction in the western oil fields of Saudi Arabia. They’ll shut down Kuwaiti oi l production. They’l l shut down oil production in t he United Arab Emirates. They’ll shut dow n whatever remaining oil production there is in Iraq. They’ ll l aunch a massiv e attack using their Shia proxies in Iraq agains t American forces. That wil l cause bloo dshed. The bottom line is, wit hin tw o days of our decision to initiate an attack on Iran, every single one o f you is going t o be feeling the consequences of that in you r pocketbook. And it’s only goin g to get wo rse. This is not s omething that onl y I recognize. Ask Dick Lugar what information he’s getting from big b usin ess, who are saying , “ We can’t afford to g o to war wi th Iran.” SEYMOUR HERSH: Final question: given all this, are we going to do it? SCOTT RITTER: Yes, we’re going to do it.
Now that we see the reason for belligerence against Iran is not aggression by Iran against t he U.S.A. but greed for p ower and control over the wealth of Iran we may now look at the issue of what may happen. Despite evidence presented by the spy agencies of the country in a document called National Intelligence Estimate that Iran shut down any nuclear weapons program it might have had and after bein [102] informed about the findings President Bush continued to call for war with Iran.
AMY GOODMAN: President Bush says Iran remains a th reat, despite a new National Intelligence Estimate that concluded Iran shu t down its nuclear weapons program more than four years ago. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: I believed before the NIE t hat Iran was dangerous , and I believe after the NIE th at Iran is dangerous . And I believe now i s the ti me for the worl d to do t he hard work necessary to con vince the Iranians t here is a better way forward. AMY GOODMAN: The NIE is a consensus assessment from all sixteen US intelligence agencies. It starkly contradicts the Bush administration’s repeated claims Iran is actively pursuing a nuclear bomb. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley announced the findings i n Washingto n on Monday. STEPHEN HADLEY: The intelli gence communit y has hig h confidence that Iran halted its covert nuclear weapons p rogram in th e fall of 2003, and they have moderate confidence that it h ad not rest arted that p rogram as of mid-200 7.
In a follow-up interview in April 28, 2008, Mr. Ritter updated his assessment about the possibility of war with Iran.
[103]
AMY GOODMAN: Do you t hink the US does pl an to attack Iran? SCOTT RITTER: There’s no doubt in my mind that the United States is planning right now, as we speak, a military strike against Iran. The
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and al most every senio r US military official has p retty much acknow ledged the s ame. They speak of the n eed to pun is h Iran and d eter Iran from cont inu ing to p rovi de materi al ass is tance t o Iraqi g roup s, thes e so-cal led “ speci al gro ups ” that o perate, accordi ng t o th e Unit ed States, outsi de of the umbrella of the Mahdi Army. And they speak of the Iranian Revoluti onary Guard Command as being a rogu e organization within the Iranian government that provides this support. The United States Senate, through the Kyl-Lieberman resolution, has pretty much given a target list bl essing to the US military by passing a resolution that labels the Revolutionary Guard Command as a terrorist organization. And t he Bush administration, of course, is engaged in a global war on terror backed by two congressional war powers resolutions. We take a look at the military buil dup, we take a look at t he rhetoric, we take a look at the diplomatic posturing, and I would s ay that it’ s a virtual guarantee that there will be a limited aerial strike against Iran in the not-so-near future—or not-so-distant future, that focuses on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Command. And if this situation spins further out of control, you wou ld see these aerial strikes expanding to include Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and some significant command and cont rol targets . AMY GOODMAN: Scott Ritter, I want to thank you for being with us. Scott Ritter is a former UN weapons inspector in Iraq. He has written the boo k, Target Iran: The Truth About the W hite House’s Plans for Regime Change .
It is important to understand that the issue of war with Iran and the dire economic consequences it would have are separate from the already ongoing collapse of the US Dollar. If t here is war with Iran some may hop e that it would have a s timulating effect, like World War 2, however, this is a different age and a different situation, especially with the position of the U.S.A. on the economic world stage and its current bankrupt condition but also the fact that the rest of the world, not to mention Iran and China, is not likely to allow the U.S.A. to control the resources of Iran or the world economy while those countries suffer occupation or economic bondage to the U.S.A. even as the U.S.A. contributes nothing, due to its bankrupt state and minimal manufacturing base which means it produces little and contributes little to real wealth creation. Now, what concerns should a prudent person have if war breaks out with Iran? Firstly, one should have heeded this warning and begun preparations months prior. In other words, one should plan for any emergency before it happ ens. As of June 2008, [104] there were also report s of Israel planning and p racticing bombing raids on Iran. However, Mr. Ritter recently has said that they do not have the capacity to mount a sustained attack that would be needed over days which the United States of America has. There have also been some rumors that President Bush will attack Iran before leaving office if he feels that the new president would not; presumably he is referring to candidate Obama, since the other candidate, John McCain, has already indicated a willingness, to bomb Iran and stop their nuclear energy program that supposedly could be turned into a nuclear weapons program [which does not exist as per the National [105] Intelligence Estimate] . Nevertheless, if that occurs the disruption to the world economy will be severe. The disruption to the U.S.A. economy will be devastating since the economy depends on oil. Suddenly prices on commodities like food will increase dramatically and gasoline will be too expensive for a significant portion of the population and the workforce will be severely disrupted. The national economy would suffer and a substantial amount of t axes would go uncollected. So many government services would be disrupt ed. There will eventually be hunger and rioting and an explosion of protests, political unrest and crime. It may eventually be necessary to establish martial law and the U.S. Constitution could be suspended indefinitely which will mean that human rites will be at the discretion of government officials and elections could be stopped, effectively leaving the president as a permanent dictator, as the old Roman Empire used to do. The dollar will completely collapse since the raised prices will force the government to print as much money as needed to keep the government running but that could only be a temporary measure before full crash; the dollar will be replaced by the Euro as the world reserve currency, so the U.S.A. would lose that major benefit of automatic worldwide support of the US Dollar. The following assessment comce from John Rubino, co-author, with GoldMoney’s James Turk, of The Coming Collapse of the Dollar and How to Profit From It (December 2004). Notice that their predictions are already occurring.
[106] What happens when the doll ar coll apses?
Many things, most of them bad. When foreign investors and central banks stop demanding dollars, U.S. bond prices will fall, which is another way of saying that U.S. interest rates will rise. Mortgage and credit card rates will soar, bursting the housing bubble. Home prices in hot markets like California and New York wi ll fall by 50% or more in a matter of month s, bankrupt ing mill ions of over-extended homeowners. The U.S. government wi ll respond by opening the monetary floodgates, printing as many paper dollars as necessary to keep the economy from collapsing. This surge in supply will send the value o f the dollar through the floor. Prices for most t hings will skyrocket, and people w hose life savings are in cash, bank CDs or dollardenominated bonds, will be wiped out. Most U.S. consumer finance companies will be ruined, along with their stockholders. THEN the Dollar Disease will go global. The only reason Japan or Europe have been able to generate their current meager rates of growth is the willing ness of U.S. consumers to buy their Hondas and BMWs. As the doll ar plunges, Asian and E uropean goods, priced in sudd enly-appreciating currencies, will become prohibitively expensive for U.S. consumers, who will respond by buying U.S.-made alternatives or nothing at all. Correctly interpreting t his change in buying patterns as a threat to their vital export sectors, European and Asian l eaders will respond with t he only weapon they have left: monetary inflation. They’ll cut interest rates and buy dollars with their currencies, flooding the world with euros and yen the way the U.S. now floods th e world wit h doll ars. The result of these “ competit ive devaluati ons” wil l be a death spiral for all major fiat currencies, in which Euro pean and Japanese bonds wi ll, eventuall y, fare as badly as their U.S. cousins.
The U.S. Corporations that do not have substantial foreign income will suffer dramatically and many will fail, causing more unemployment and more unrest. For the first time in years there will be more emigration than immigration. Those who have the capacity and did not get out of the country when war broke out will leave the country. This includes citizens and non citizens. Those who stay will band together if p ossible to form survival cooperatives or gangs or enclaves of well-to-do communities. Unemployment will transcend t he levels of the “Great Depression”. A war with Iran either by proxy [perpetrated by Israel] or directly [perpetrated by the U.S.A.] would trigger an economic meltdown of epic proportions. Even though some corporations may object it is possible that the president and his neo-conservative supporters [who even after being wrong in Iraq have not been discredited and dismissed] may move forward seeing the disruption to themselves and the economy and the population as an acceptable problem on the way to achieving their goals, domination of the Middle East which means control of oil and t he oil-based world economic system. So, a prudent person would make plans, so that in the event these events transpire, they can leave the country for a number of years or oin a support community of people of like mind and ethical interest, to help each other and cooperate in the tasks needed to run a sustainable community with little or no government support. A prudent person should have a survival kit with first aid items, radios, books and other items needed for survival. A prudent person would also plan to stock emergency food and fuel and then grow their own food and plan for how to protect, educate and rear t heir children. A prudent person should look at this situation as a period of social disrupt ion as great as any short of civil war, in history and use the occasion as an opportunity to explore the meaning of life beyond the illusory rat race lifestyle and American Idol nonsense, to a day when society will come back to normalcy and perhaps a new culture with improved values may improve society. Do not expect this to happen overnight if at all. However, the work towards such a goal elevates all who attempt it and eventually society as well. NOTE: It is important to understand that the Dollar Crisis that started in the year 2007 was not caused by aggression against Iran but a
more pronounced catastrophe would be caused by it. The Dollar Crisis exists because of failed monetary policies that have been purposely implemented and which will run their course even if there is no war with Iran because no attempt has been made to change the causes that led to it.
Arti cle cl e XV. XV. Questi Questi on: If Barack Oba Obama ma is el e l ected as presi dent dent of the United States of Ameri ca wil wi l l that that change change the outloo o utlook k for for the t he futu future re of the Doll Dol l ar and and the the economy ec onomy to be more positive? Article XVI. June 2008 Answer: NO.
Neither t he election of o f Barack Obama or John M cCain will change change t he out look t o a p ositive. Why? Because neither one is p roposin rop osin righteous fiscal policies. They are both talking about more spending and not deficit reduction, in other words, the same form of government and economic we have now! Mr. Obama has talked about many new social programs and those are needed and should have been instituted prior p rior to sp ending cuts for t he wealthy which were started in earnest under t he Reagan Reagan administration administration and t hrough Clinton Clinton and into int o the t he Bush administration. However, no one is facing the reality that the United States of America is a bankrupt country and has been so for many years. With almost no manufacturing base the economy has been turned into a service economy with lower paying jobs. As we said earlier, the increased demand for products in China and India has raised prices for food but the other reason for the sharp rise in food prices and other commodities is not just because of higher higher demand and the raising of the price p rice of crude oil due to t he increased increased demand. Neither has talked t alked seriously seriously about solar p ower, wind p ower, solar thermal, solar phot ovoltaic, passive solar architecture, or ot her forms of alternative fuels but rather support corporate oriented nuclear energy or fuels favored by oil companies or car companies. They have not spoken seriously or offered programs for moving away from oil. So the current economic system will continue until it collapses or destroys the environment to an irreparable state for human habitation. While Obama may appear to be the more benign of the two politicians it is important to remember that he is a politician and that even if he were elected there are powerful people and groups who could, for political or economic economic reasons, manipulate him or any p resident into doing something ng he he or she did not want to do but may be compelled to do. Obama recently recently ap p ap pointed ointed economic economic advisers related to t o the Robert Rubin school of Citig Cit igroup roup and t he University of Chicago. Chicago. The Chicago school of economics is a theoretical perspective which favors “free-market economics”. It was developed and disseminated out o the University U niversity of Chicago Chicago beginning beginning in the 1950’s. 1950’s . The T he leaders leaders of t his theoretical t heoretical persp ective were George George Stigler Stigler and Milton M ilton Friedman. This theoretical framework included included such ideas as: neoclassical price theory, free market libertarianism, libertarianism, rejection rejection and refutation of Keynesiani Key nesianism sm and favored monetarism and rejection of bus iness regulation regulation in favor of laissez-faire. The Chicago Chicago School School theories were behind many p olicies olicies used by the World Bank and other Washington-based financial institutions, including the U.S. Treasury Department and International [107] Monetary Fund. These institutions, controlled by western banks and governments, embraced free market ideas as solutions for developing supposed reform strategies for economically wrecked countries. Influence by it, large amounts of state-owned companies were [108] privatized p rivatized in many Third World countries during the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. The World Bank and IMF were instruments of western financial powers for forcing developing countries to adopt economic strategies that were favorable to western businesses that needed raw materials and open markets to sell their products but also restricted their ability to compete with western companies. The World Bank and IMF would entice governments to accept loans that could later not be repaid or that they knew were going to dictators and not to invest in the country. Then when the economies failed the World Bank and IMF would impose harsh conditions for repayment that forced the populations (except for the dictators and or ruling classes) to starve and remain in protracted poverty which produced violence and unrest that would then require repression and war which was handled by local soldiers trained by the United States of America in schools such as the School of the Americas or if need be the U.S.A. would send United States troops to occupy countries or assist the local dictatorial governments to enforce order without justice. So the “Chicago School” is not a Progressive or Liberal organization promotin prog p rogressive ressive ideals ideals and polic po licies. ies. It is a failed failed strateg strat egyy for maintaining maintaining t he same format of economics economics that existed existed p rior to the advent o Reganomics, another failed strategy. In essence these amount to instruments of imperialism, the true goal and purpose of the U.S.A. economy and military military industrial complex. complex. Some Some have suggested suggested that M r. Obama is saying the things he needs to say to get elected; elected; this idea is accept accepted ed as a necessity necessity of political p olitical campaign campaign rhetoric which p eople have grown accustomed to and even though the p ast is replete with p oliticians oliticians who p romised things to get elected and then forgot about the promises, since there is no mechanism to force politicians to keep their promises, many people p eople seem t o harbor a hope hop e that things will be different; that again again we have seen many times t hroughout hroughout history. Yet it would seem that t hat Mr. Obama has engendered a heightened expectation that his supposed political rhetoric of necessity and his reversals on previous policies will be themselves reversed back to a liberal perspective once he wins the presidency. If that were the case then what would people think once he were elected and began to take a progressive liberal agenda? Who in the opposition would support him if they do not get somethin in return and gaining that quid pro quo, how would that serve a progressive agenda? As a mainstream candidate he is by default a supporter of the t he current st ructure of government government and economics economics so expecting those t o change, change, save a major upheaval in sociopolitical culture, culture, would be unrealistic. Even in that case, a national emergency such as the collapse of the economy, there would be an opportunity but also an incapacity [egoism, protecting their own positions, social status, income, communities, etc.] to deal with fundamental flaws in the Constitution, the legal structure , the fundamentally unfair economic system, overbearing corporations, and the legalized bribery o politicia p oliticians. ns. In reference reference to the question of Israel and it’s it’s relationship relationship t o the U.S.A. U.S.A. Mr M r. Obama has made made unequivocal unequivocal statements stat ements of seeming seeming unconditional support for Israel, a mainstream position and an seemingly irrational support for the existence of Israel at the cost of U.S.A. soldier’s lives lives and billions in U.S.A. foreign foreign aid so t hat Israel may develop a formidable army army to insure it’s survival s urvival at any cost. SEN. BARACK OBAMA: Let me be clear. Israel’s security is sacrosanct. It is non-negotiable. The Palestinians need a state—the Palestinians need a state that is conti guous and cohesive and that allow s th em to prosper, but any agreem agreement ent with the Palestini an people must preserve preserve Israel’s Israel’s ident ity as a Jewish st ate, with secure, recogni recogni zed, defensibl defensibl e borders. And Jerusalem wil l remain remain the capit al of Israel, Israel, and it must must remain remain un divi ded. -Barack Obama Obama address AIPA C, the American Israel Pu bli c Affairs Affairs Committ Committ ee 2008
There's goi ng to b e other wars..." wars..." "I'm "I'm sorry to t ell you , SEN. JOHN MCCAIN : "It's a tough w ar we're in. It's not g oing t o be over right away. There's there's going to be other wars. We will never surrender but there will be other wars."
- John McCain speaking to a crowd Jan. 27.
Both are talking talking about war with Iran and Mr. Obama Obama has signaled signaled a willing willingness ness to att ack supp osed enemies enemies in in sovereign sovereign countries without the permission of the government of the countries; that sounds like the same hegemonic act of an overbearing strongman who feels he can hurt others and go into their property and do whatever he wants because he is stronger and has the capacity to do it. How is that [109] different from the supremacy concept and domination manifest destiny concept that has permeated the culture from its inception; how is that a new kind of p olitics, a departure depart ure from the America Americann Empire culture? culture? M r. Obama, ap ap p earing earing to want to p osition himself himself as the staunchest supporter of Israel, has recently said that Jerusalem is “sacrosanct” which means he will support Israel if they decide to start a war with Iran which will cause such havoc with the oil prices of the world that gasoline would probably jump in price 100% just for starters and wreck the economy. Why was the t he use of the t erm “sacrosanct” adopt ed? Such Such a word calls calls to t o many a mind an ideal of relig religious ious fervor or even fanaticism and unquestioning support for the existence of Israel, a country that is not formally a part of the U.S.A. but is tacitly treated as such either due to its strategic position in the middle East and/or the fact that many Jewish people are influential in the U.S.A. government. How does this further the peace process or the economic recovery? Obama also said: elements of American American power to pressu re Iran. Iran. I will do everythin g in my power to prevent Iran from from obtai ning a SEN. BARACK OBAMA: We will also us e all elements nuclear weapon. Everything in my power to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Everything.
Such statements by Obama and McCain prompted Ralph Nader to make the following comment: in March and New York Tim es reporters a few few weeks l ater saying RALPH NADER: Well, it recalls Michael Abramowitz in the Washington Post in that i f Obama or Clint on were elected president , the foreign foreign and milit ary policy w ould not b e much much different different than the foreign and mili mili tary pol icy of George Bush in his second term. And that illustrates that. The military-industrial complex and the politicians like Obama and McCain who support it— $700 b ill ion, over half of the federal federal government’ government’ s operatin g expenditure now i s the military bud get—are desperately look ing for enemies, enemies, desperately exaggerating exaggerating enemies. enemies. Iran Iran has not invaded anybody in 250 years. Yet it’s obviously frightened. It’s It’s surrounded by the US military west, south, east. It’s It’s been labeled labeled “ Axis of Evil” by Bush , who inv aded Iraq after after he labeled them “ Axis of Evi l.” We have Special Special Forces, accordin accordin g to Sy Hersh, that g o in and o ut of Iran. What are they going to do? They talk very belligerently nationally, but they’re really scared. I mean, we supported Saddam Hussein, logistically and wit h materiel, materiel, in invadi ng Iran, which to ok a half a mill ion Iranian l ives. They remem remember ber the shoo tin g down of their civi lian airli ner years ago.
In reference reference to foreign foreign policy, Mr. Obama Obama has enlisted enlisted the services services of Mr. Zbigniew Zbigniew Brzezinski as national security advisor. This is is a curious association as Mr. Obama has talked about “turning the page” on previous administrations and restoring America’s standing in the world and moving away from t he aggre aggressive ssive and belligerent belligerent foreign foreign p olicy olicy of p resident George W. W. Bush administration. T he 9/11/01 attack att ack provided p rovided the alleg alleged ed reason for p utting utt ing more military military bases in Central Asia. A sia. Zbigniew Zbigniew Brzezinski, Brzez inski, author and a former United States National Security Security Advisor selected selected by President Jimmy Carter [Democratic [Democratic Party ], said having more bases in Central Asia As ia would be [110] imperative for preserving "American primacy" in part due to the large oil reserves that exist in the area of the Caspian Sea. The permane p ermanent nt U.S.A. military military bases in Iraq have been strateg strat egical ically ly p laced laced around the oil p ipeline. In his book, The Grand Chessboard: merican Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives, Brzezinski, explained that the U.S.A. public had previously "supported America's engag engagement ement in World World War War II largely largely because of t he shock effect of the Japanese J apanese attack at tack on Pearl Harbor," and he t hen suggested suggested t hat t he American public of today would also support the necessity of military operations in Central Asia, now but only "in the circumstance of a [111] truly massive and widely perceived direct external threat. " There is a document from an organization, established by a group of “neoconservative” thinkers who were instrumental in promotin war with Iraq and convincing the country count ry and president George George W. Bush to go to w ar, that was created in the sp ring 1997, called called The Project or the New American Century, or PNAC, a Washington, DC based neoconservative think tank that seems to adopt Brzezinski’s strategy, discussed earlier. earlier. This document, 4½ y ears before the 9/11/01 attack, p redicted redicted the t he need for a Pearl Harbor Harbor ty p e event to accelerate accelerate the agenda of establishing U.S.A. dominance in the world, which follows the philosophy of Machiavelli, and also Leo Straus, the neoconservative thinker that outlined the neoconservative strategy for political domination of the populace. A line frequently quoted by critics comes comes from the PNAC P NAC document entit led: Rebuilding Rebuilding America's America's Defenses, Defenses, which famously refers to the possibility of a: "catastrophic and catalyzing event — like a new Pearl Harbor" (page 51). The quote appears in Chapter V of the document section entitled "Creating Tomorrow's Dominant Force," which discusses the percei p erceived ved need for the Department of Defense D efense to: "move more more aggressively to experiment experiment wi th new t echnolog ies and op erational concept s” (page 50).
The document also cont ains the following: following: "Further, "Further, the process of transform transformation ation , even if it bri ngs revol uti onary change, is lik ely to b e a long one, absent so me catastrophic and cataly zing event – l ike a new Pearl Harbor."
What should a prudent person think about Obama’s close association with someone who sees the world as a “chessboard” instead of a family of communities, made up of human beings who all have the same right to live and discover the meaning of life? On Mr. Obama’s campaign web site it is stated: Expand the Military: We have learned from Iraq that our military needs needs more men and women in uniform to reduce the strain on our active force. Obama will increase the size of ground forces, adding 65,000 soldiers to the Army and 27,000 [112] We may ask how does the aforesaid resolve the issue of the over 700 military bases around the world and the military arines.
spending that forms the majority of the national budget and which is already unsustainable and which irritates many people around the world, causing other governments, like India and Pakistan, to feel the need to acquire nuclear weapons so that they may not be treated as pawns p awns on a chessboard? It sounds like an exp exp ansion of the military military industrial complex and not a contraction. What will t hat exp exp anded capacity be used for? OBAMA' S FOREIGN POL POLICY ICY ADVISORS - A PROB LEM OF TONE
by ilsea ilsea on on Nov ember ember 27, 2007 I asked them what Senator Obama intends to do about the worldwide existence of U.S. military bases? I feel that it is not enough to be against the Iraq war. U.S. U.S. mili mili tary pos ture abroad has t o be curbed. Earlier th is y ear, I asked Senator Senat or Obama this quest ion and, frankly, frankly, he had no ans wer at the time. [113] I do not hold th is against h im, im, but feel feel that the problem now has to be addressed. addressed.
In June 2008 Obama made to compromises for the sake of political expediency and in so doing set aside some of his previously professed p rofessed convictions. He H e went w ent back on a p romise to t o accep accep t p ublic financing financing for the presidential campaign campaign in favor of accep accep ting internet donations. He H e earlier, earlier, during the primary season, declined declined to t o sup p ort a Foreign Foreign Intell Int ellig igence ence Surveil Surveillance lance Act (FISA) that would give immunity to telecom companies who operated illegally with the Bush administration and then later agreed to support a new FISA that gives retroactive immunity to telecom companies that conspired with the Bush administration to spy on United States citizens in violation of the law. These reversals caused anger and consternation among his supporters but that is not the issue; the issue is that even before winning the position p osition of p resident he would seem s eem to be either aligning aligning himself himself with the mainstream of t he p ower elite or p andering andering to the conservative political p olitical views. views. If he is simply saying say ing what he needs to say to win and that t hat p resumably he wants want s t o do what his p opular op ular base want him t o do, the things he spoke about during the campaign, what does that mean about how he would conduct himself if he were to act otherwise? I Obama lied to supporters what does that mean about him as a person and as a candidate; would he not be just another politician? If Obama is lying to the power elite in government and corporate interests so he can get elected, what does that mean about him as a person and as a candidate; would he not be just another politician? Furthermore, how would the elite and other opposing parties react, would they suddenly roll over and allow him to do whatever he wants? If these compromises were made because “politics is the art of the possible” as many politicia p oliticians ns have said, and if Obama is a p rincip rincip led and ethical individual individual but made these t hese compromises regardless regardless of his p rincip rincip les, what can we say about a system of government where politicians regularly subvert their principles or ethics? What can we say about a person who professes p rofesses certain convictions but y et lives and act s out of a p ragmatic ragmatic center? What does that way of life do t o a p erson’s erson’s et hics, morality morality and thought thought processes? p rocesses? For the politicians personally, what hap pen p enss to them internally, their morals and ethical foundations? What can we say about a person who professes certain convictions but yet lives and acts out of a pragmatic center? Also, from a societal perspective, where is the line to be dr be dr awn awn then? When do the compromises stop short of violating the principles of it’s own constitution. During the George W. Bush administration that line would seem to have been crossed dozens of times by the president, along with the conspiracy of most of the people in congress and the judicial system. The violations have prompted several books by researchers and legal professionals, detailing the violations and also one person in congress introduced articles of impeachment; yet the congress as a whole [114] has refused to take any action against the president despite what many scholars and a large portion of the population feel are impeachable impeachable offences. What kind of government can op erate for long without becoming becoming corrupt and self-destructing, in which its leaders leaders are not held to account for crimes against the public, humanity or its own constitution? Kucinich Vows to Press Bush Impeachment
[115]
On Capitol Hill, Democratic Congressmember Dennis Kucinich is vowing to continue his impeachment effort against President Bush despite attempts to bury it in committee. On Wednesday, Congress members voted to send Kucinich’s bill to the House Judiciary Committee, where it’s unli kely t o be consi dered before before Bush leaves o ffice. Kucinich’ s th irty-five articles of impeachm impeachment ent agains t P resident Bu sh accuse him of war crimes crimes and deceiving deceiving t he public in the run-up to t he Iraq invasion. Kucinich also list s the i mprisonment prisonment of foreign foreign nationals and US citizens wi thout charge charge in t he so-called so-called “ war on terror”; terror”; Bush’ s poli cies on global warming, warming, voting rights, Medicare; Medicare; and the response to Hurricane Katrina. Katrina.
If a system of government is corrupt and inspires corruption in its officials, where can such a system of government end up besides ultimate ruin? If Obama is a uniter who works by compromise and not standing on principal what will that mean when it comes to the rights of his supporters; if these two reversals are an indication it would seem to be a typical political move. The typical political moves have led to the current appalling situation in politics and economics as well as the social-cultural inequities and divides that persist in the society. If Obama is a typical politician, born in the culture and bred in the politics of it, then what should we think about the ideal of a new kind o politics p olitics that he p rofesses especia esp ecially lly in the face of his political operations? It has been argued by some throughout the 2008 political campaign season for President of the United States that the great support that Mr. Obama has received so far from a large portion of the population of which most are of European decent [white] that if he were to win, being a “black man”, the event would bring forth a new day for the culture of the Unites States, that has been ravaged by atrocities against against Native Americans, Americans, African Americans, Americans, Asian Americans, Americans, women, etc. as well w ell as the scourge scourge of slavery, racism, forced unp aid labor, Jim Crow Laws and voting rights violations and general exploitation of the masses. The idea is that it would supposedly mean that the domination by “white men” in control of the “most powerful country in the world” has shifted dramatically to a new paradigm. Well the question then needs to be asked if there is a real difference if the “black man” holds the same policies as the “white men”? Would it not simply mean a “black face” on a “white” cultural policy of strategic domination of the world economy and the world oil supplies that has led the culture to it’s present situation of dire economic condition and tense foreign affairs? For that matter what would be the difference in having a Latino president or an Asian American president, a woman, etc. What would be the difference if the policies are the same, if the
[116] same faith in “ American Empire” is upheld? If this is a case of the lesser of two evils, Obama or McCain, the dire economic conditions have made the answer irrelevant since as long as there is support for and continuation of the economic system that promotes consumerism and the downfall of the environment due to the continued economic and political strategies the president of any political party will lead to the society to the same end. When the well known conservative and former top GOP [republican] strategist Kevin Phillips, the author of "American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century was asked if he thought the “American empire” was headed for doom he responded: KEVIN PHILLIPS: It’ s certainly h eaded for some degree of dismantlin g and los s of international p ower. Now, to say it ’s headed for doom -- even when Britain lost its place in the world, it wasn’t headed for doom, and it reconstituted itself, and a lot of people are happy and fairly prosperous in the U.K. right now. But we can't go on in the imperial mode, in which we just demand the world's natural resources and that the dollar be the vehicle for everything and that we be able to i nvade wherever we want. I don't thi nk that will last more than another ten years. I think the crisis bui lds up sufficiently in the 2010s, that the Unit ed States is really g oing t o have to cons ider what resou rces it has in t erms of energy, what resources it h as in terms of the economy, how far it can push [117] its military, a whole set of issues.
The United State’s government system has been from the beginning a political system not for “democracy” but for an oligarchy controlled by a social elite. The United States economic system and the military has been a machine for the promotion and enforcement o free enterprise in the form of subjugation of other countries so that corporations of the United States may use free or near free labor, and the raw materials of those countries to make substantial profits while the peoples of the other countries are relegated to poverty or near poverty [118] conditions. Obama has not renounced the military industrial complex or stated opposition to the 737 oversees bases that sustain the American Empire or the system of government lobbyists or the system of corporations controlling industry and international economics or the profit motive in health care and he could never get elected if he did but what could he be expected to do about those problems if he were to be elected being that he has done nothing and offered no plan to deal with those issues? In short, the policies proposed by both candidates will not substantially change the political-economic system which is the real problem. What p oliticians do in reference to this issue is no more than bandaging when a t ourniquet and radical surgery is needed. P eople may find some relief temporarily but the economic situation is so dismal that the social, economic and political ignorance that most people are fighting over will continue while the social elite continue to rule over the society with impunity as they exploit the masses not only o the United States of America but of the rest of the world as well. Perhaps some words by the recently deceased political satirist, critic, author and comedian George Carlin, with their raw and passionate sensibility, can make plain the st ark reality of the situation t he country faces and the necessity to look beyond the p oliticians as the cause and or solution of the problems the society faces by looking at the complicity of the society. Until these issues of conscience, ethics and justice are confronted and resolved no politician and no political system will work democratically or free from corruptions or legalized bribery.
GEORGE CARLIN:
"Now, there's one thing you might have noticed I don't complain about: politicians. Everybody complains about politicians. Everybody says t hey suck. Well, where do p eople th ink these po lit icians come from? They don't fall o ut o f the sky. They don' t pas s th rough a membrane from anoth er reality. They come from American parent s and A merican famil ies , American h omes, American s choo ls , American chu rches, American bu sin esses and American un iv ersit ies , and they are el ected by American citizens. This is t he best we can do folks. This is wh at we have to offer. It's w hat our sy stem produces: Garbage in, garbage out. If you have sel fish, ig norant citizens, you're going to get selfish, ignorant leaders. Termlimits ain't going to do any good; you're just going t o end up with a brand new bunch of selfish, ignorant Americans. So, maybe, maybe, maybe, it's n ot t he pol iti cians wh o suck. Maybe something el se sucks around here... lik e, the publi c. Yeah, the public s ucks. There's a nice campaign s logan for somebody: ' The Publi c Sucks. F*ck Hope.'" "I have solv ed this poli tical di lemma in a very direct way: I don 't vot e. On Election Day, I stay home. I firmly beli eve that if you vote, you have no ri ght t o complain. Now , some peop le li ke to t wi st t hat aro und . They s ay, 'If you d on' t vo te, you h ave no ri ght to co mpl ain,' b ut w here's t he lo gi c in th at? If you vot e, and you el ect dishonest, incompetent politicians, and they get into office and screw everything up, you are responsible for what they have done. You voted them in. You caused the problem. You have no right to complain. I, on the other hand, who did not vot e -- who did not even leave the house on Election Day -- am in no way responsible for that these politicians have done and have every right to complain about the mess that you created…" …I’d like t o talk about some things that bring us together, things that po int out our similarities inst ead of our differences, because that’s all you ever hear about i n thi s count ry, is our differences. That’s all the media and the po lit icians are ever talking abo ut, the thi ngs t hat separate us, thin gs th at make us different from one another. That’s the way the ruling class operates in any society. They try to divide the rest of the people. They keep the lower and the middle classes fighting with each other, so that they, the rich, can run off with all the [bleep] money. Fairly simple thing, happens to work. You know, anything different, that’s what they’re going to t alk about. Race, religion, ethnic and national background, jobs, income, education, social status, sexuality. Anything you can do, keep us fighting with each other, so that t hey can keep going to the bank. You k now ho w I describe the economic and social classes i n thi s count ry? The upper class keeps al l of the money, pays non e of the taxes. The middl e class pays all of the taxes, does all of the work. The poor are there just t o scare the [bleep] out of the middl e class. Keep them show ing u p at thos e jobs. So [bleep] I like to d o from time to ti me. But I also like to know that I can come back to these little things we have in common, little universal moments that we share separately, the things that make us the same. They’re so small we hardly ever talk about them. Do you ever look at your watch, and then you don’t know what time it is? Then you have to look again, and you stil l don’ t know t he time. So you lo ok a third time, and somebody says, “ What time is it? ” You say, “ I don’t know.” Do you ever notice how sometimes all day Wednesday, you keep thinking it’ s Thursday? And it happens over and over all day long. And then the next day, you’re alright again… … Bi par ti san usually means that a larger-than-usual deception is being carried out.
Epilog: The Value of Anci ent Egyptian Monetary Pol icy As a scholar of Ancient Egyptian philosophy I have been privileged to receive the wisdom and spiritual insights from the tradition of Ancient African wisdom. Studying this or any other authentic philosophy of spiritual and social ethical culture allows one to be able to clearly see the problems of the world and how far the world has deviated from a standard of ethical culture {Maat Philosophy of Ancient Egypt} that allowed the Ancient Egyptian society to perpetuate itself for thousands and thousands of years. Clearly, after only a little over 200 years, the current path is unsustainable for many reasons. Yet Ancient Egyptian monetary policy and ethical culture shows the way to economic sustainability and social harmony through the proper usage and distribution of natural resources. The current modern culture may follow its course at its own peril but if the principles of Ancient Egyptian Monetary Policy were adopted they could turn around the current situation leading to the collapse of the economy. Yet, failing to do so, the Ancient Egyptian Monetary Policy could be the foundation for a return to a tried and true economic policy governed by needs instead of greed and wants. Ancient Egyptian Monetary Policy includes the following principles: v Society & Justice system founded upon solid ethical conscience and not partisan, oligarchic or plutocratic imperial government structures v Society governed by trained managers – schooled in their areas of expertise and in ethical culture instead of a system o cronyism and legalized bribery v Sustainable use of resources v Protecting the environment v Providing food for all v Providing shelter for all v Providing opportunity for all to improve themselves and lead a meaningful life beyond consumerism and pleasure seeking, which has become a perversion of the ideal of the pursuit of happiness (United States Declaration of Independence: Life, Liberty and the pursuit of hap piness) The ideals set forth above were implemented in Ancient Egyptian government. They stand in stark contrast to what the United States of America has become over the last 200 years but particularly what has occurred in the last 8 years under the administration of president George W. Bush, which has proven the outcome predicted by the first president, George Washington, as he left office. In his farewell address he stated the following about political parties: 20 I have already inti mated to yo u the danger of parties in th e state, with p articular reference to the foundi ng of them on geograph ical discriminatio ns. Let me now take a more comprehensiv e view, and warn yo u in the most sol emn manner against the baneful effects of the spiri t of party, generally. 21 This sp irit , unfortunat ely, is ins eparable from our nature, having i ts root in th e strongest passio ns of the human mind. It exists un der different shapes in all gov ernments, more or less st ifled, control led, or repressed; but, in t hose of the popul ar form, it is seen in its g reatest rankness, and is truly their wo rst enemy. 22 The alternate domination of one faction ov er another, sharpened by the spi rit of revenge, natural to party dis sensio n, which in d ifferent ages and countri es has perpetrated t he most horrid eno rmiti es, is it self a fright ful d espoti sm. But th is l eads at leng th to a more formal and permanent desp otis m. The disorders and miseries, which result, gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and soon er or later the chief of some prevaili ng faction , more able or more fortunat e than his competito rs, turns th is di spos iti on to t he purpos es of his o wn elevation, on the ruins of Public L iberty. 23 Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind, (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight,) the common and continual mischi efs of the spirit o f party are sufficient t o make it the i nterest and du ty of a wise people to d iscourage and restrain it. 24 It serves always to di stract the Pub lic Councils, and enfeeble the P ublic Administration. It agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; ki ndles t he animosi ty of one part against anot her, foments o ccasionall y riot and i nsurrectio n. It opens th e door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to t he policy and w ill o f another. 25 There is an opini on, that parti es in free countries are useful checks upon th e admini stratio n of the Government, and serve to keep alive th e spirit of Liberty. This within certain limits is probably true; and in Governments of a Monarchical cast, Patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon th e spirit of party. But in t hose of the popul ar character, in Governments pu rely elective, it i s a spirit not t o be encouraged. From their natural tend ency, it is certain t here will alw ays be enough of that sp irit for every salutary purpo se. And, there being const ant danger of excess, the effort ought to be, by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, ins tead of warming, i t sh ould consume.
We may keep in mind that George Washington presided over the creation of a republic supp osedly for t he peop le but which was in reality a government that excluded women and was created to serve the “white” male aristocracy of the time and that it based its economy on chattel slavery and the usurpation and wholesale massacring of Native Americans to steal their lands. Aside from that, any altruistic motivations, that might have been intended for the government that was set up, would eventually be corrupted by partisan politics, which in the time since the Reagan administration has become intensely partisan, ideological, reactionary, regressive, exploitative and arrogant both nationally and internationally. Now that the partisanship has been used by ruling interests to shape the conscience of the populace and frame arguments in terms of polarized concepts for the benefit of the ruling elite what chance can the system have to change? This question is the top ic we have been exploring and the definitive answers will be revealed in the near future. Nevertheless, the pyramid and eye on the reverse side of the U.S. Dollar remains a farce unt il t he true values and principles o Ancient Egyptian Monetary Policy are fully adopted by the U.S.A. culture, economic institutions and it’s government. When that happens there will be a real chance for the U.S.A. to become a real beacon of liberty , p eace and a p ositive force in the world. Ancient Egyptian Monetary Policy is based on human needs as opposed to artificial monetary theory based on currency and consumer desires. In other words, neither supply side nor demand side economics could work because these are predicated upon an illusory ideal that is disconnected from real human issues. Fulfilling someone’s desires is not the same as fulfilling their needs. Running after desires will ultimately fail because there can never be true satisfaction of a desire; for example if people desire meat from cattle that is unsustainable because it uses more resources and causes cancer. Filling p eople’s need for food through vegetable farming is possible. T his is only one example but the same idea applies generally. Economy cannot be based on money but rather on people. In order to truly resolve the problems of humanity, humanity itself must turn towards ethical conscience in economics and government. Consumerism may be a philosophy promoted by businesses that profit upon the consumption but consumers do not have to overindulge or consume in a way that is injurious to the society and the environment. In other words, those who overconsume or consume in an unsustainable way are colluding with the promoters of consumerism. Likewise, capitalism and the profit motive have permeated almost
every area of society in a negative fashion by promoting profits above service and safety of products. This corrosive corruptive influence leads to economic pursuits, not just by company owners and managers but also workers and government administrators, for profit instead of altruism and the discovery and offering of products and services that are truly needed and beneficial for society. Therefore, an ethical culture, based on sustainable economics, such as that which was practiced in Ancient Egypt must be adopted by modern culture so as to avoid an even worse disaster than what is already on the way for society. The increased demand for products in China and India has raised prices for food but t he other reason for the sharp rise in food prices and other commodities is not just because of higher demand and the raising of the price of crude oil due to the increased demand worldwide. The other reason is the weakening US Dollar. So the cause of high food and commodity prices around the world is because of a situation that human beings have created and it is not a real food shortage. This situation would not have occurred in Ancient Egypt because they did not raise corporate values and capitalist ideologies above human values, social justice and caring for humanity. Thus, this new ideology of capitalist greed is antithetical and we may also say anathema, to the previous history of humanity and thus it will lead to its downfall. So it is not necessary to give more power to companies that genetically modify foods or to companies that can drill for more oil; the answer is not to empower more companies but to empower human values and social organizations so that they can take care of people. In other words, the values, p riorities and humanity of p eople needs to change from greed and profit to human caring and social welfare.
How to Survive the Economic Coll apse of the US Dol lar Update #1
February 2008 Greetings, This is a brief message in reply to a question about preparedness for the future based on themes that were presented in the book Death merican Empire ©2006. As y ou know, in the book Death of American Empire (pub. Summer 2006) 4 crises facing humanity and particularly the United States o America, were discussed, economic/social/political, environment/ecology, religious and health. Out of all of these the economic crisis poses the most immediate and dire threat to human welfare. Many of the predictions contained in the original book have come to pass such as the fall of the dollar, collapse of the real estate market, rise of gold, etc. the fall of the dollar, increase in oil and other factors are causing rising inflation and may cause collapse in imports, ability to pay for food, housing, etc. If such conditions occur there will be many panicking, and more crime and more stress in the future. Rely on the teaching for safe harbor, health disciplines, mental peace and spiritual enlightenment. Rely on its wisdom to inform you about prudent actions to protect yourself and family for the p ossible rough times ahead. The following recommendations are enjoined for all who can take measures to whatever degree to safeguard their assets and promote security for their wealth for the near and long-term future in order to survive and do well during the coming hard times that are projected to last from 1-2 decades. M uch of the advice was contained in the book and below is a summary. The following is guidance based on researches but should not be taken as legal or financial advice. Seek that council elsewhere if necessary. Note t hat there is no reason for apprehension as the teaching offers peace and wisdom to take the proper actions in time to meet the challenges ahead. HTP Additionally… What does it mean and what could happen if things go into a severe economic downturn or worse? Two possibilities: 1-It is certain
that the USA economy is ALREADY in recession and will fall further and life will be more difficult, with prices going up (especially for middle class and lower classes.) That will be a permanent condition for 1-2 decades. 2-What may also happen is full economic collapse which will also affect the world, especially those countries that are traders with or dependent upon the USA, but others less severely since the world is generally no longer so dependent on the USA economy. In which case the situation will be more dire than any previous recession or the “Great Depression” of the 1930’s. Keep in mind that due to economic malfeasance and imperious acts around the world the USA economy will experience a reversal and will go down to its true position as other countries such as China, Japan, and the Europeans and a few others, rise above it in standard of living and economic strength. Those who have noted the signs have been investing in foreign stocks and other foreign equities, in effect bailing out of the USA dollar and essentially keeping their assets abroad, in effect transferring their wealth abroad. The USA will no longer be the economic superpower just as the United Kingdom British Empire fell in the late 19th century and you can see how long that took to fully resolve (75 years). So the cycle of malfeasance that began with the creation of the federal reserve manipulation of currencies is coming to an end and that will reshape the economy being that many people will not be able to buy at walmart since things will be more expensive than the dollar and they will be concerned with food first. IF the dire scenario occurs the transition period will be traumatic and will likely take 1-2 decades to resettle, to find its equilibrium. Those who are not able to protect their assets could be reduced to lower than paupers with assets that are worth a fraction of what they were before. Then those with money can come in and buy at that fraction and own more in a new economy and of course the poor will be happy to be “saved” by the wealthy who they will beg or do anything for, to have coming in to “invest” in their poor neighborhoods, not realizing they will lose the last of whatever they might have had, just to survive. So the wealthy will remain wealthy, in power and control of the economy, military and police forces and able to command from their gated communities as others scramble and fight over t he crumbs left over by them. So precautions should be taken to weather the storm. For details on the history and reasons for the economic collapse read the book Death of American Empire. Ø For the next 3 years until the near term reveals itself and until you have assessed, rearranged and protected your finances, Stop all discretionary spending – no more p lasma TVs, postp one childbearing, no more big houses with big mortgages, and car p ayments. If possible pay off the house and car. As the Ancient Egypt ian Proverb goes, “Live by Love and Necessity.” Ø Consolidate debts and payoff burdening loans Ø Open non-dollar denominated checking and savings accounts –in Canadian, Euro or Yen currency Ø If possible look into safe foreign equity, stocks and bond investments for asset protection to protect assets against the fall of the dollar. While it is true that economic down turns and prosperity periods can occur cyclically it is prudent to diversify assets especially when living in a country that is founded upon unsound economic principles and corruption, by spreading it in different countries. The easiest way to do that is with funds that invest in actual stocks and equities abroad in other countries and in the currencies of those countries. Ø Deposit at least 10% of income into that account Ø If you have a lot of equity in real estate sell it and cash out t he real estate and rent or p urchase a house using minimal affordable down payment in order to miss the devaluation of real estate. Place the money in safe investments. Ø If possible make arrangements to live outside the country or purchase real estate outside the country to avoid equity loss and in the event it is necessary t o leave temporarily in the event of a full economic crisis and breakdown of the social order. Ø If possible purchase gold for long-term investment- keep at least 25% of your assets in gold Ø Practice Kemetic Diet t o avoid health issues that would cripp le one financially. Ø In relation to food issues there are three main concerns: Availability of solid food to eat (if economy crashes or hyp erinflation hits and food prices skyrocket) 2-clean drinking water, 3-vitamins and nutritional supplements-for nutrition. Solutions: Food storage, wells and inexpensive recyclable filtration systems, natural food supplements. Start a garden for personal use and keep food in your
home sufficient to survive for up to a month if necessary -but up to a year if preferably. Look into food storage to cope with possible shortages in food supply. Ø Keep survival kits: Food, water, medical kit. The world is not going to end but life as we know it will change and the transition period may come with acute crisis times. As the sit uation in the USA is similar to that of Argentina, which experienced an economic collapse in 2001: (http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/South_America/EconDebacle_Argentina.html) it would be good to review the account of a person who lived through that crisis (www.peakoil.com/fortop ic14183.html). Keep in mind that you will still be living and need to work if possible, pay bills if possible, etc. Ø Make alliances with those of like mind to band together for common survival. Live close to a group or neighbors y ou know and outside of large cities if possible but not in isolated areas. Ø Shift from jobs and industries that are dependent upon discretionary spending to industries that are essential for survival: food, security, alternative energy (for more see trends report). If you are transitioning from one job to another seek stability for the next 1-2 years and live frugally so y ou can save a port ion of income as described above. If st arting a business make sure it will be within the categories described and that you are well capitalized to get through the start up period counting on extra difficult conditions. The following are Important forecasts from the original book ( Death of American empire), given by high government officials:
v Experts of Standard & Poor's forecast a global economic collapse. The collapse will be caused with the demise of the US dollar rate against the Europ ean currency by more than 30 p ercent. T he dollar, specialists say, may lose almost 45 percent of its current value against the euro. The European Central Bank has expressed its concerns with the forecast from Standard & Poor's. The European financial specialists say that the demise of American currency will endanger the global economy on the whole. Pravda Online , Wednesday, February 01, 2006. http://english.pravda.ru/world/americas/31-01-2006/75027-dollar-0 v Greenspan S ounds Alert On S ocial S ecurity – As He Exits[1] “The benefits currently p romised cannot be financed by our government and Americans born in t he 20 years after World War II [2] needed to be put on notice to start putting away extra retirement savings during their working years. Even under the most optimistic economic assumptions of growth and productivity, government resources will be inadequate to provide the baby boom generation with the level of benefits their parents got”. [3] [1] GOLD-INVESTMENT.INFO , http://www.gold-investment.info/why_invest_in_gold_1.htm [2]“Baby Boomer” generation [3]government estimates put the shortfalls at 11 trillion however, private studies have put the Medicare and Social Security deficit at over 45 t rillion ---------------------------v Rodrigo de Rato, the head of the I.M.F., felt the need to say that the U.S.A. rate of savings and deficit spending will be unsustainable within the next 10 years, but he added that a decade can come faster than one expects.[1] [1] February 3, 2006, Shared Resp onsibilities: Solving the Problem of Global Imbalances University of California, Berkley New items for appendix for the book Death of American Empire
Cheneys betting on bad news? A look at t he president and vice president's financial disclosure forms. By Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine
Vice President Dick Cheney's financial advisers are apparently betting on a rise in inflation and interest rates and on a decline in the value of the dollar against foreign currencies. That's the conclusion we draw after scouring the financial disclosure form released by Cheney recently. http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/CheneysBettingonBadNews.aspx 6/2/2006 12:00 PM ET
Robert E. Lee on American empire:
The consolidation of the States into one vast empire, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor of ruin which has overwhelmed all that preceded it. -- General Robert E Lee
Arti cl e XVII.
Here are some web sites where you can begin researches.
http://www.freedomtofascism.com/ http://www.europac.net http://www.idpconsultinggroup.com/precious_metals.html?Itemid=32 http://www.efoodsdirect.com http://www.squarefootgardening.com/ http://www.seedsofchange.com/ http://www.parkseed.com/ https://www.everbank.com http://www.compactappliance.com http://www.solarcookers.org/basics/how.html http://www.sunoven.com/usa.asp http://www.sunoven.com/saving%20lives.asp
How to Survive the Economic Collapse of the US Dollar Update #2
March 2008 Udja, While there are no certainties in life and every human being and society is the architect of their own destiny there are certain personalities and countries as well that seem not able to t urn away from disaster, may hem and other misfortune of their own Creation; we may be witnessing such events in a grand scale not seen in the history of the world. There is no need for an update since the same general economic forecast holds true, except possibly to say that the situation has been made worse and possibly accelerated. In fact what the government officials have done through the so called stimulus and the lowering o interest rates will have only a passing temporary and negligible effect because the problem with the economy is fundamental. This means that actually what they have done now will make things worse later. It is a continuation of malfeasance since what is needed is reduced spending and savings, paying off the budget deficit and the national debt but also what is needed is a reversal of the policy of inflationary economics which is devaluing the dollar, which has not stop ped as a larger trend that will end in the collapse of t he dollar. With that collapse the rest of the economy collapses. The Subp rime problem is due to greed of the banking industry and collusion by the government regulators or conspiracy to bilk not only USA homeowners but people around the world who financed the bad mortgages, which were known by the mortgage companies that made them, to be bad, yet they made them and sold them to investors and companies around the world. This is the reason why the world economy is suffering, not because it is tied to the USA economy itself like when they used to say “if the USA sneezes the rest of the world gets a cold”. That is no longer true as the world and primarily China and other countries in Asia and the Eurozone, have largely decoup led from the USA dependence. Another factor is the use of t he dollar as the world reserve currency which is changing as some countries are changing to Euro, gold or other currencies. Those peging their currency to the dollar will suffer until they stop that practice which they will when the dollar goes low enough. Though the loss of reserve currency status will hit the U.S.A. economy hard, many people around the world who decry the unethical imperialism of the United States of America hope that the when the dollar is no longer the world reserve currency, that foreigners will stop financing the US budget and trade deficits, and that then the American Empire along with the wars that it produces and hegemonic policies will disappear overnight. The wars, the subprime and deficit spending, inflationary economics, promotion of a consumer economy [consumerism] instead of a saving and manufacturing economy, promotion of unsustainable industries - oil based economy, shipping jobs abroad to satisfy the greed of industries looking for cheap labor, etc. –in short, UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, is the cause of the general collapse of the dollar and the USA economy and this was predicted. Perhaps some good may come of it as explained in the book since the American Empire will be humbled and never be the same but there will be hard times the likes not seen since the Great Depression and possibly worse. Consider that no country in human history has had their economy survive when their currency has been devalued. Lowering interest rates, printing money out of thin air without anything (like gold) to back it up, importing more than what is exported are all individually ways of devaluating the currency and the USA has and continues to do this. The subprime crisis is a separate issue. The devaluation is the real fundamental underlying problem. Malfeasance, budget deficits and national debt are the effects of overspending which is a practice o taking national money and giving to the rich. Devaluation of t he currency leads to inflation. So what the Federal Reserve has done is p romote devaluation and inflation. For political reasons they are frantically bailing out banks and investment firms [but notice the CEOs and other actors like government officials who colluded in the creation of the subprime debacle are not prosecuted or sued to get the money back] trying to prop up the economy but shortly after elections they will be FORCED to raise interest rates and that will be a different devastation on the economy and on consumers which already cannot afford the basics. The short term effects of lowering rates is illusory and not a trend; the trend is downward until the true value of the dollar is reached because the USA is bankrupt –so the true value is not much and is being propped up by the effect of t he USA dollar being used as the world reserve currency. That will end and is ending as more counties and businesses refuse to accept dollars since the value is going down so fast. Look at what happ ened to t he currencies of Argentina, Look at Zimbabwe, look at Mexico... inflation is the true cause of the rise in oil, food and everything else and devaluation is the cause o inflation. Inflation saps the value of fiat currency (money backed up by more and more dollar bills than valuable assets). The subprime is an effect of selling bad mortgages and wrapping them up as good loans and selling that garbage to people around the world and that is hurting the world economies that are invested in that junk. When that is finally resolved the world economies will be reduced but less affected by the USA economy. For example, China already has plans to sell its own goods to its own middle class which is larger than the entire population of the USA. So after a period of turmoil the foreign economies will reorganize and will not fall with the USA economy. When the full collapse of the USA economy occurs –which may occur over months and not necessarily in a single day-there will be much social unrest and escalation of crime and the increase of t he police state. Some may believe that a good or righteous leader may be able to lead the society towards what is good and that will be a daunting task no matt er the p erson, for t he society is corrupt in gross as well as subtle ways that may render it incapable of following such a righteous course. Look at what happened to president Carter who found himself in the same position; he was handed a messed up economy and he only lasted 1 term in office. What of this situation which is more like a monumental disaster? –might this be a greater subp lot here? ... [119]
This is how ari works, for those who do not listen they must feel the pain and if they do not learn even then they must feel the pain again and again and no one can save them until they are ready t o listen, reflect and understand. The world will go on but economically not as we know it. This will lead to certain social changes and maybe some opportunities to make positive changes - but t hat remains to be seen... In the mean time, those who are wise have the courage, to look ahead and understand what is coming and the will and fortitude to do what is necessary to meet the challenges ahead. See the links given in the last update for the details on why this is happening and what can be done to avoid or alleviate one’s suffering in this period. A development that was expected in the economic collapse is more foreclosures but now also there is an increasing number of people who are “walking away” from their homes because either they cannot afford the higher mortgage payment since they have adjustable mortgages that have adjusted the monthly payment higher; or they simply do not see the point in paying lots of money for a property in which the mortgage is now larger than the value of the property due to the deflation of the housing bubble. Those who walk away from their properties have the right t o do so as t hey are simply giving back the p roperty; though they would have to cope with a mark on their credit history for 7 years since the house will be taken in as a foreclosure. They see that as a better financial outcome where they can pay minimal rent inst ead of p aying for a high mortgage on a house where that money will never be recaptured s ince the house will not sell for the inflated price any more.
How to Survive the Economic Collapse of the US Dollar Update #3
April 2008 Have a plan i n case of a national financial e mergency:
v Have a plan so that you and your family will know exactly what you will do in the event of an emergency. o What will you do if t he dollar fully collapses and p rices for food and fuel go up 100-300$? o How will you provide for yourself and your family? o I you have decided to leave the country: § What needs to be done in order for y ou and your family to be able to leave? § How will you provide for your you and family in your new home? v Have cash on hand in case banks close. v Have enough food t o last 1-3 months for short term emergencies if y ou have a vegetable garden v Have enough food t o last 1-2 years for short term emergencies if y ou do not have a vegetable garden Do not be dependent on the government, if possible, for your needs and well-being. Be as independent as possible within your financial means. So you also need to take control of your own finances. Research financial literature and watch t he news closely.Work out the details now while there is time to think and plan and explore possibilities so that you will not get caught up in a mad rush if an emergency occurs. There is no down side in this kind of planning; even if an emergency did not occur there is peace of mind and additional well being by securing the family finances. What happens if there's no water? No heat? No electricity? Do you have Oil lamps and candles? If the situation gets really bad, the electricity might be rationed, and food may also be rationed. That means brown outs and or failure o public utilities. How will you cope without water? If y ou cannot p ay the ut ilities will be cut off. The internet will continue but unless you have a solar panel to make your laptop work and get access to WIFI, you will not have access. Look into solar power and batteries that can [120] be charged with solar power. This is a good reason to start a garden to sustain or at least supplement your food needs in the event o an emergency. A generator may not be useful for long because it will need fuel which will be expensive and also it will call attention from [121] undesirable people who have not prepared for the emergency. Look for portable and low wattage appliances. Carpool or use public transportation whenever possible or. If possible get a job closer to home to avoid too much travel costs. Even public transport ation costs are going up. If you cannot leave the country it would be best to stay in a community outside big city and not in the city. Cities may be difficult places to be in the event of an emergency because there will be challenges of stay ing safe and finding food. If you stay in t he city t ry to form a cooperative with others of like mind, perhaps join with others in your building and make a rooftop garden and contribute with individual indoor gardens and work out a plan to meet each others needs. Farms may be vulnerable but the suburbs can be a good place because most people have some land to grow a garden for food but even here there should be a close community of neighbors looking out for each other for cooperation and for safety issues. What will you all do about social justice issues? What rules will you have for behavior if there is no p olice available? Form a social justice committee to ensure that everyone is treated fairly and there is equitable distribution of resources. How will you handle people in your group who are suddenly unemployed and in shock? In the event of a crisis small nuclear families will not be as flexible as a community because a diversity of skills and division of labor are needed for the most efficient maintenance of all. Some duties like carpentry, cooking, gardening, and nursing need to be taken care of. In such a crisis it is possible that many people will work in subsistence level jobs and many will be unemployed and foraging for water and food. Some members of the community may need to protect the community from thieves. Families with elderly and children will need to assign family members to take care of them while others take care of food issues. T his is a crisis so old family squabbles need to be forgiven. Those who got caught up in the subprime debacle or who made bad investments do not need you to tell them I told you so; you all need to agree on how you will act going forward, so decide what behavior will be expected from all family members now and what will be done if a family member violates that agreement. Will smoking, drinking, or illicit relationships be allowed? How will visitors be handled, will they be allowed to become permanent residents? What happens if someone becomes mentally ill? What happens if someone becomes pregnant? Who will keep up the duties? Be very clear and specific about obligations and expectations before you finalize the arrangement and put it in writing if possible. A provision should be made for creating a spiritual space for studies and worship in order to maintain the spiritual health of the community. Shelter is of paramount importance so try to pay your rent or mortgage before paying any other bills and that means even before buying food.
More References U.S. NATIONAL DEBT CLOCK The Outstanding Public Debt as of 30 Mar 2008 at 03:30:12 PM GMT is:
The estimated population of the United States is 303,717,338 so each citizen's share of this debt is $31,005.46. The National Debt has continued to increase an average of $1.66 billion per day since September 29, 2006! informative videos 1. Corrupt Banking System - Cartels Robbing the Public: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy-fD78zyvI 2. Corrupt Banking System - How Money is Created (2/5): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfXavRTM4Fg 3. Corrupt Banking System - Money is Debt (3/5): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yvRZoM-2r8 4. Corrupt Banking System - Monetary Reform (4/5): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0p8LepIuVM 5. Corrupt Banking System - Warning About the NWO (5/5): http ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzXZ_Hs1g6U
Late news reports: [122] THE IRANI AN OIL BOURSE The Iranian Oil Bo urse, (Persian:
) International Oil Bourse, Iran Petroleum Exchange or Oil Bourse in Kish (IOB; the official English language name is un clear) is a commodit y exchange which opened on February 17, 200 8. -----------------------
US Middle East Commander Resigns Over Iran Stance
[123]
The top US commander in the Midd le East has s tepped do wn in w hat appears to be a direct result of his differences with th e Bush adminis tration on Iran. Admiral Wil l Fallon’ s resignat ion comes month s after his well -publ icized comments th at the “ const ant drumbeat of conflict” from Washin gton t owards Iran is “ not help ful and not u sefu The comment was recently reprint ed in an Es qui re magazine profile that called Fallon t he only p erson who could s top a US attack on Iran. In a statement read by his s uperio Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Fallon deni ed steppi ng dow n over poli cy differences but said reports of them had become a distractio n. Defense Sec. Robert Gates : “ Admiral Fallon advised me of his decision early this morning. He told me that, quote, ‘a current embarrassing sit uation, public perceptio differences between my views and administration policy, and the distraction this causes from the mission make this the right thing to do,’ unquote. I have approved Admira Fallon’s request to retire with reluctance and regret.” Fallon’s departure is seen by some as a sign of an increased US threat towards Iran. Fallon is also known to have clashed with General David Petraeus on US troop le Iraq. ---------------------- Not e: Ad . Fallon h ad previ ous ly s tat ed th at th ere woul d be no w ar wit h Iran “ on hi s wat ch” -----------------------
Is Israel Preparing to Bomb Iran?
[124]
The New York Tim es reported Friday t hat Israel recently carried ou t a major military exercise th at Pent agon officials say appeared to b e a rehearsal for a potential bombin g att ack on Iran ’s nucl ear facil it ies. More th an 10 0 Israel i F-16 an d F-15 fight er plan es to ok p art in t he maneuv ers ov er the east ern Medi terranean an d Greece. -----------------------
RBS issues global stock and credit crash alert
[125]
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, International Business Ed itor Last Updated: 12:19am BST 19/06/2008 The Royal Bank of Scotland has adv ised cli ents to brace for a full-fledged crash in gl obal st ock and credit markets ov er the next three month s as inflation p aralyses the major central banks. "A very nasty period i s soon to be upo n us - be prepared," said Bob Janjuah, the bank's credit strategist. -----------------------
Wall S treet fears for next Great Depression By Margareta Pagano, Business Editor Sunday, 16 March 2008
Wall Street is b racing its elf for another week of roller-coaster trading after more than $30 0bn (£150bn) was w iped off the US equit y markets on Friday followi ng th e emergency fundi ng package put togeth er by the Federal Reserve and JPMorgan Chase to rescue Bear Stearns. One UK economist warned that the world is now close to a 1930s-like Great Depression, while New York traders said they had never experienced such fear. The Fed's emergency fundi ng procedure was first used in the Depressi on and has rarely been us ed since. A Gold man Sachs trader in New York said: "Everyone is in a tot al state of shock, aghast at what is happening. No one wants to talk, let alone deal; we're just standing by waiting. Everyone is nervous about what is going t o emerge when trading s tarts tomorrow." -----------------------
Hersh: Congress Agreed to Bush Request to Fund Major Escalation in Secret Operations Against Iran
[126]
Congressi onal leaders agreed to a request from Presi dent Bush l ast year to fund a major escalation of covert operation s against Iran aimed at destabil izing Iran’ s leadership, according to a new article by veteran investigative journalist Seymour Hersh in the New Yorker magazine. The operations were set out in a highly classified Presidential Finding signed by Bush which, by law, must be made known t o Democratic and Republican leaders. The plan allowed up to $400 million i n covert spending for activities ranging from supporting dissident groups to spying on Iran’s nuclear program. ----------------------[127]
Democrats Agree to Fund Major Escalation Of Covert Operations Against Iran
Investi gativ e reporter Seymour Hersh of the New Yorker magazine has revealed th e Democratic-led Cong ress agreed to a request last y ear from Presi dent Bus h to fund a major escalation of covert operations against Iran. Congress approved $400 million in spending for covert activities ranging from spying on Iran’s nuclear program to supporting rebel groups i n a bid to overthrow the Iranian government. -----------------------
Housing Market in Deepest Downswing S ince Depression
[128]
In economic news, the chief economist for the Nat ional Association of Home Builders says the housing market is in t he “deep est, most rapid downswing since the Great Depression.” The group is projecting that new home sales will drop 22 percent this year. There are now two million vacant homes for sale across the country. -----------------------
Jobless Claims S ee Bigges t Rise i n Two Decades
[129]
The vot e came as Labor Dep artment figures showed the number of Americans filing new unemploy ment claims increased by 25,000 last week. The unemployment rate rose half a percentage point last month to 5.5 percent, the biggest gain in more than two decades. -----------------------
As Oil Hits Another Record High, A Look at the New Geopoliti cs of Energy
[130]
Oil prices have jumped t o y et another record high, nearing $142 a barrel in Asian trading today. The latest price surge comes a day after OPEC’s president said crude prices could reach $170 this summer. -----------------------
Stocks: Mixed day, brutal June [131] Dow and S&P 500 see the biggest l osses for the month si nce the Great Depressi on despite edging highe r Monday.
NEW YORK (CNNM oney.com) -- Stocks struggled Monday at the end of the worst June for the S&P 500 and the Dow industrials since t he Great Depression, amid rocketing oil prices and ongoing financial market woes. Rate of home foreclosures expected to get worse
[132]
4/15/2008 By Stephanie A rmour, USA TODAY The nation's already alarming p ace of home foreclosures i s poi sed to accelerate throu gh th e rest of the year, according t o RealtyTrac, which reported Tuesday that foreclosure filin gs j umped 57% in March from March 2007.
Appendix A Update: 10/4/08 Dear Sebai Maa, I am curious about the economic conditions of the USA. Could you tell us what is going on? It’s so complicated and it seems like the rich are getting a bail out but does t hat help the litt le people? I know you wrote t he book and I am reading. Udja, In the books “Death of American Empire” and “Dollar Crisis” I explored t he problem of American Empire and t he US economy. As for how the economic system was developed and how the US economy became an illusory, false economy and how a system of inflationary economics was devised to steal wealth out of the dollar, through modern banking and the Federal Reserve, making the masses of the world poor and giving the value of the dollar and other currencies to banks and the rich and how we got t o this p oint of American Empire through a military industrial complex supported by deficit spending and the dollar as the world reserve currency managed by business and bankin interests and elected officials {fascism} creating essentially an imperial nation {American Empire}, look at t he books for those details. Right now there are two major problems with the economy, which were predictable and were predicted – and in fact were foreseen and purposely allowed to occur; the second one compounds, wors ens and accelerates the first. "When opulence and extravagance are a necessity instead of righteousness and truth, society will be governed by greed and injustice."
-Ancient Egyptian P roverb
Firstly, the country’s economic system is based on credit and expansion of the money supply through fractional banking {creating money out of thin air} instead of a gold standard and sustainable economics [supply = demand {instead of producing massive quantities o “stuff” and then enticing people to buy things they do not need}] and renewable industry. The de-pegging of the value of the dollars to an ounce of gold allowed the capacity to run wild and excessive deficit spending where people, businesses and government were able to consume more on credit than t he value of the dollar relative to t he gold would have allowed. In 1971 y ou could p urchase an ounce of gold for $35 but today you need $850. If the peg [keeping dollar assigned to the value of gold and not creating more currency than there is gold to back it up ] had been maintained the $35 would roughly still purchase 1 ounce of gold today – or t he purchasing power [value of the dollar] would have stayed relatively the same-relative to gold. The expansionary system in which the money supply grows through credit and not because anything of value has been created [if there is value in the currency if y ou have $1000 cash because there is $1000 wort h of gold in the vault] causes there to be more money in the world than there are things that represent its value. So in this system money was created out of thin air but the further excess in inflation, caused by creating more money, causes the value of the units of money [dollars] to lose value [if you have $1000 in 1000 units of currency {dollars} that purchases $1000 worth of goods that is a one to one relationship between the dollars and the value in terms of the amount of goods it can buy. But if there are $10000 units of currency held by more people then each unit of currency purchases less of the goods because the value of the currency has not increased but has been divided amongst more people. {$1000 dollars/$10000 dollars = 10%}. So the original value of $1000 has been decreased to $100 in this example if the money supply has been increased 10 fold. Since the early 1900s the original value of the US dollar has been decreased 98% so t he current dollar is now worth 2 cents –but that is merely a theoretical value –If we consider that the US government is in debt by 11 trillion dollars and does not have 11 trillion in savings to pay for it then it means that the country is bankrupt but is being sustained by people’s idea that it is solvent. If you have $1000 in the bank savings account but your debts are 11 million dollars are you solvent? What is the value of your money to take care of your debts? So as inflation operates the money purchases less and less –[things {goods} cost more and more]– this is called inflation. Every year the government spends more than it takes in [budget deficit]. Since 1980 with the Reagan administration, the total accumulated debt [national debt] is now over 11 trillion and when baby boomers retire the obligations to take care of them with social security and Medicare will be unsustainable due to all the years of overspending and the fact that the money paid into the SSI fund was used to retire some of the debts. This alone [inflation, credit, debt and the need to take care of elderly] would be enough to cause the economy as a currency to collapse. "Complexity is the decadence of so ciety; sim plicity is the path of reality and salvation."
-Ancient Egyptian P roverb
Now to the second p roblem; in recent y ears, deregulation by the congress in collusion wit h big business, t he Federal Reserve and the Treasury has allowed excessive economic corruption where ordinary people were given moneys [credit moneys-created out of thin air] to invest in the stock market, then the Dot.Com boom, and finally the real estate boom. All of these bubbles cause many to lose money but apparently the bigger one, the real estate bubble, now bursting has caused a loss of confidence in the financial system. Ordinary people were given corrupt mortgages so that those who knowingly sold them could make big commissions. In collusion with rating agencies those loans were classified as AAA or top rated so people around the world would feel secure in investing in them – thereby financing the corrupt [subprime] mortgages of the USA and leaving them holding the bag that the sellers knew would go bust eventually. That is why it affects worldwide finances. Since as predicted those people could not pay the mortgages [after the interest rates changed from the lower teaser rates] the value of that real estate-which was artificially inflated, is deflating and those who owned those mortgages or investments derived from those mortgages [derivatives –purposely complex financial instruments]- must realize they do not have the value they thought they had in their portfolios. So now the big financial institutions that engaged in these exotic financial instruments must reduce the value of their assets and since many now have more liabilities than assets of value they are actually insolvent and cannot op erate. So now those companies that are still able to lend are afraid to lend to others since they might get more corrupt loans. Those who sold the corrupt mortgages have already absconded with that money – leaving others to hold the bag. It is interesting to note that the derivatives market is said to be composed of 1000 trillion dollars in financial instruments. Keeping in mind that the world economies produce only 60 trillion worth o value, it is clear that the derivatives are based on complex but illusory worthless financial instruments pushed by hedge funds and unrighteous brokers and TV talking pundits. It is also clear that despite or perhaps because of the complexity of these investments they are no different than "ponsie schemes" or "pyramid schemes". Nevertheless we should not forget that the general population, the masses of the United States of America, have support ed the greed in the hop es of somehow someday becoming one of those who have acquired the wealth – so t he poor masses, to the extend that they agree with and sup port the sy stem are complicit in the excesses of t he society even if they do
not partake in its benefits and even if they find themselves on the losing end of the economic strata. "If you want to have perfect conduct, to be free from evil, then above all g uard against the vice of greed. Greed is a grievous sickness that has no cure. There is no treatment for it. It embroils fa thers, mothers and the brothers of the mother. It parts the wife f rom the husband. Greed is a compound of a ll the evils; a bundle of all hateful things. That person endures whose rule is rightness, who walks a s traight line, f or that person will l eave a legacy by such behavior. On the other hand, the greedy has no tomb."
-Ancient Egyptian Proverb
Worldwide economies are affected by the toxic mortgages of the USA to the extent they bought the corrupt mortgage derivatives. The finances of the world countries are not ideal but are not as corrupt {living on credit and massive deficits} as t hat of t he USA and so were not caught in extreme debt as the USA is now. Because of their participation in the schemes and in the faux Fiat currency format of economics, those economies around the world will also lose some value but not to the extent of what will happen to the USA. If the USA had balanced budgets it could handle t he situation better but it is severely in debt and its citizens are most ly in debt and the value of their assets is decreasing. So the only apparent solution is getting credit money to throw at the problem since there is no savings money to handle it. The proposal to p ut 700 billion {the problem is bigger than t his and will require more bailouts} into the economy to ‘bail out’ the companies in trouble is wit h the idea that t hat will take out the corrup t mortgages and t hen bankers will feel safe about lending again. However there are several flaws in the bailout plan. The first flaw is that it uses creation of more money that will immediately devalue the dollar by causing more inflation. Secondly, taking out the corrupt mortgages does not eliminate the original problem of the people who are being foreclosed on but it gives money to the banks that created and distributed the corrupt mortgage instruments and or others who were swindled. The banks get the foreclosed on properties and also the bail out, as they say, a “sweet deal” –that is, for them, not for the homeowner or the ordinary masses. This solution allows ordinary homeowners to lose their homes, mess up their credit and they will not contribute to the economy, causing a spiral in which they will not buy stuff and businesses will lose money, etc. until the economy grinds to a depressed state, thinking it will rise again {in cyclical fashion, as does occur in an inflationary monetary system, (periods of inflation [Bull Markets] and periods of deflation [bear markets]) and eventually offer new opportunities for investment {for the wealthy-those able to invest} after the economy has been pushed down and those who ended the last cycle of the inflation holding the bag {the masses o individual investors, through pension funds, money market funds, etc. –not institutional investors and the super rich} lost their wealth, while maintaining the masses in a perpetual state of economic struggle. Of course this makes bankers and other owners of the mortgages richer even if it destroys the economy, but since there are no ethics – who cares about that- the objective is to get rich now and to hell with the consequences {the ultimate pure philosophy of capitalism and imperial fascism}. The goal of capitalism is to own capital and the means of p roduction to maintain power and accumulate wealth in order to gain more power and more wealth. The goal of imperial fascism is to use the wealth and control of the means of production to keep the workforce weak, living at subsistence level in order to sap their wealth and keep them powerless to change the economic hierarchy nationally and internationally. The better solution would be to not allow inflation, credit money creation, and fiat currency [currency by government decree instead o based on gold or some ot her standard]; to p romote righteous economics, a s tandard of value for currency and sust ainable industry. Who is talking about moving towards righteous economics and sustainable industry? Who is talking about ending government corruption through legalized bribery [campaign contributions, lobbying, etc.]? Who is talking about ending the American Empire, whose operative system [imperialism] requires massive military expenditures to put down true democratic movements around the world seeking political and economic freedom from the cabal of the world power elite? Who is talking about ending military spending that does not contribute to the productiveness of the country or its crumbling infrastructure or its deteriorating health system, etc. – and is one of the biggest causes contributing to the deficits? Nobody; so the overall system of economics stays the same-the so-called “free market” “capitalist” system will not go away and so the problems will not go away. This alone [faux economy and unsustainable industry] guarantees a collapse in the foreseeable future even without the financing/credit problems. But what to do now? The course now should be to allow the institutions that assisted in the creation of and or that invested in those corrupt mortgages to go bankrupt as a penalty. Then all mortgages should be reset as to their current value and proper affordable payments. This way the underlying cause of the problem would be eliminated. Then the bankin system can reconstitute without being bailed out and without the banks and other already rich entities taking even more money that itself is credit – that the population will be forced to pay. Nevertheless, even this solution requires infusion of more money into the economy that will raise inflation! "The fool who does not hear, can do nothing at all; looking at ignorance and seeing knowledge; looking at harmfulness and seeing usefulness; l iving on the things by which one dies; the food o f evil speech." "The wise person who acts with MAAT is free of fa lsehood and diso rder."
-Ancient Egyptian Proverb
So the second problem and its inadequate solution compound and exacerbates the first; and even if it frees up credit markets in the short term - the creation of so much more FIAT [false, illusory] money will inevitably cause a devaluation of the dollar leading to the collapse of its value. Who will invest in the dollar when it is a devaluating currency? Who will support t he US dollar under such conditions? China, t he Europeans, the Japanese, the wealthy super rich? Who would throw money into quicksand? The media and most commentators are admonishing people not to panic and its ok to invest in US stocks and Mutual Funds because the “fundamentals are sound” and assurin them that if their savings are in a bank insured by FDIC that their money is safe; well how safe is worthless money? If you have $100,000 in the bank and the collapse of the value of the dollar continues as it is happening now, eventually that $100K might only buy what $25k can buy today and what if the value sinks further than that? A devaluation of 90% is not impossible, that would leave a value of 10 cents on the dollar! When it t akes $30 for a loaf of bread how tight will things be? If y ou own a US st ock and the value goes up and it p ays even 20% dividend what use is that going to be if gasoline costs $20 per gallon? What good is money without monetary value? To what purpose is a treasury without its revenues?
-Ancient Egyptian P roverb
That is the problem of the loss of value of a currency and that is what the deficit spending and inflation will lead to if not stopped and the bailout plan is not stopping that but actually the opposite -accelerating that. This is the same thing that led to the depression of the 1930s. Do not be fooled, while it is possible to make short term gains based on the volatility of the dollar any investment [especially longterm investments] that is denominated in US dollars is in danger; so be prepared. All stocks, mutual funds and real estate are going down in terms of selling value and the intrinsic value of the asset s is also going down due t o the devaluation of the dollar. So everyone –except for the
rich-is going to a subsistence level existence. What could happen in the near future [4-24 months]? The USA can descend into a severe depression. Having little manufacturing base the USA cannot take care of its own needs and things will get so expensive that imported goods will be for the rich and all others will discover a new level of struggle to survive and pay the bills. For a time (decades), social unrest, crime, racism, expulsion of immigrants, confiscation of wealth of citizens by the government, and other social maladies will increase in epidemic proportions. Look at what happened in Argentina, Mexico and elsewhere. There is a possibility of losing one’s income, savings, property, and liberty. There is a possibility of civil disturbance-rioting, violence-crime, etc. –for which t he government has put into place certain contingency plans, not a bailout but rather a p rogram to force compliance: 1- National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive -COG [continuity o government]
[133]
so the president can suspend the constitution in case of a national emergency [the president decides what an emergency
is] – in other words “Martial Law”.
[134]
2- Nationwide “Immigrant” detention centers and special facilities at military bases to [135]
accommodate millions of detainees [beyond the millions already in the jails and p risons]. 3-3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team -new and unprecedented army unit stationed in the continental USA (for the first time) with the sole duty to “help with civil unrest [136]
and crowd control”.
Whether or not the reason for putting an army unit inside the United States, which is in violation of the Posse Commentates [137] Law , is actually to assist in times of disaster or homeland “emergencies” such as a natural disaster, as the authorities want to characterize it, there is ample evidence of popular unrest due to the upcoming election of the president of the United States. There is also the possibility of the use of this army unit to quell protests due to economic unrest as the country now seems headed for a massive recession or depression; or it may be used to quell protests against the government if any group feels that the election was stolen as many believe the year 2000 and year 2004 elections were stolen t hrough election fraud. In any case a wise person would p lan for any eventuality where the use of a military unit to enforce martial law is possible. "To s uff er, is a necessity entailed upon your nature, would you prefer that miracl es should protect you f rom i ts l essons or shal t you repine, because it happened unto you, when lo i t happened unto all? Suff ering is the golden cross upon which the rose of the Soul unfol ds."
-Ancient Egyptian Proverb
The damage has been done to the economy and there will be a severe economic downturn regardless of who is elected and whatever bailout plans they try to put in place. What should a person do under these circumstances? Do not rely on TV investment pundits or financial broker firms, politicians or government. One TV pundit “Mad Money” told people on TV to BUY stock in Bear Sterns one week before it went bankrupt -and he is still on TV. T hey want to sell you junk investments so you can be t he last person holding the corrupt investments. The treasury secretary and the chairman of the Federal Reserve up till a few months ago said that the economy was in good shape and now it requires a massive bailout in order to stave off a complete collapse? These are the same people who said that there was no subprime problem and that the free market takes care of everything and go out and buy things at the store and all will be well –that is-for them, not for you. Now what they are selling is the bailout and the crumbling US dollar. While it is possible that the dollar may go up temporarily in reference to other currencies, it’s value remains low, in reference to what it can purchase, and its trend is down and has been so for decades. Critics of the economic crisis and the prevailing philosophy that led to the current situation have charged that deregulation and free markets led to irresponsible conduct of business and commerce. During the campaign for President of the United States candidate John McCain took to the strategy of calling Barack Obama a “socialist” for his pointing out that the prevailing philosophy of deregulation, espoused by Reaganomics and especially during the administration of George W. Bush hurt the middle class and made the top .05% of the population richer and he wanted to change tax policy t o “spread the wealth”. Socialism is not t o be conflated with communism. Socialism or a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of pro duction and distribution, [138] , is not what Obama is proposing but rather a reinstitution of the protections (New of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole
Deal) for society that were introduced by President F. D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression and the “Great Society” programs [139] introduced by president L. B. Johnson in the 1960’s. So the ideas of Ayn Rand and Milton Freedman, and others, such as Alan Greenspan, who believed in their ideas, that led to the prevailing ideology for the relationship between government and business, allowin businesses and commercial markets to “self-regulate” and be free of any restrictions, and requiring no civic resp onsibility, would seem to have been proven erroneous. So much so that the former head of the U.S.A. Federal Reserve said recently that he was “shocked” by how the financial sy stem failed. In Congressional testimony on October 23, 2008, Greenspan acknowledged that he was "partially" wrong in opposing regulation and stated, "Those of us who have looked to the self-interest of lending institutions to protect shareholder's equity -- myself especially -- are in a state of shocked [140] disbelief." Referring to hi s free-market ideolo gy, Greenspan said : “ I have found a flaw. I don’t know h ow si gnificant or permanent it is. But I have been very dis tres sed by th at fact.” Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Cal if.) then press ed hi m to cl arify his w ords . “ In ot her wo rds, yo u found t hat y our v iew o f th e world , your ideology, was not right, it was no t workin g,” Waxman said. “ Abso lutel y, precisely,” Greenspan replied. “ You know, that’ s precisely the [141] reason I was shocked, because I have been going for 40 years or more with very considerable evidence that it was working exceptionally well.” Greenspan admitted fault in opposing regulation of derivatives and acknowledged that financial institutions didn't protect shareholders and invest ments as wel l as he expected.
Many have characterized the present collapse of the financial system as the death of the laissez-faire (hands off –no regulation) capitalism. Yet, there are many who still say that too much regulation will stifle business. Regardless of how t hings p lay out reinvestment in the USA, with reasonable security of returns on investments, will not come again for years. The bailout will produce temporary stability before the decline continues. Use t his brief period of stability to stabilize y our finances and develop a plan to meet the challenges that may come in the future. Read the books for the detailed suggested plans. Now, what is t he spiritual lesson from all of this?
In Ancient Egypt the form of economics was more akin to what would be referred to today as socialism in that the Pharaoh or the royal figurehead, owns all in trust for God but realizing that the council of priests and priestesses controlled the actions of the Pharaoh under the regulations of Maat philosophy which dictated that the basic needs of all human beings should be taken care of. After that, enterprises were allowed but to this extent the social safety net was maintained. This level of socialism or elements of it are practiced successfully today in several countries. Some examples are England and Sweden. The fulfillment of the basic human needs fulfils a fundamental spiritual duty o sharing wealth and providing a base for all to have opportunity to prosper and discover the meaning of life. Yet even in Ancient Egypt there were periods of struggle. The following excerpts tell of a time when there was a breakdown of social order in the distant past. Behold , the fire has g one up on high, and i ts b urning g oes fo rth a gai nst t he enemies o f the land . Behold , things ha ve been done which have not hap pened for a long t ime pas t; the ki ng has been dep osed b y the rab ble. Behold , he who was bur ied a s a fal con [is d evoid ] of bier s, and what t he pyramid conceal ed has b ecome empt y. Behold , it has b efall en that t he land has b een depri ved of the ki ngshi p by a few lawl ess men. Behold , men have fallen i nto r ebell ion ag ains t the Uraeus, the [. . .] of Re, even she who makes t he Two Lands cont ent. Behold , the secret o f the land whos e limits wer e unknown is di vulged , and the Resid ence is thr own down in a moment.
-Ancient Egyptian Legend of the Fall of society [Admonitions of Impuwer]
Impuwer admonishes us about a t ime of strife in Ancient Egypt where the order of society broke down. We are living in what the Chinese sarcastically refer to as “interesting times”. If you have advanced in the teaching you should have begun to simplify your life and otherwise you should have begun to develop detachment and dispassion for the world and it’s ups and downs; what is coming is a down but that does not mean that you need to be down. It means that you should have been developing mental freedom so you could meet the challenges ahead without emotional instability, fear and sentimental attachments. This is the kind of time you have been training for, the adversity of life. But for a follower of the teaching adversity can be turned to prosperity both from a spiritual perspective and a material perspective. Such fortit ude comes from the advancement of spiritual evolution. If you have not advanced in the teaching you need to app ly yourself to the disciplines now more than ever. The problem has occurred because people have forgotten their divine essence and that allows the extremes of delusion, unrighteous desires and unet hical behavior. "An immoderate desire of ri ches is a pois on lodged in the mind. It contaminates and destroys everything that was go od in it. It is no sooner rooted there, than all virtue, all honesty, all natural a ff ection, fly before the face of it." "Passi ons and i rrational desires are il ls exceedingly great; and over these GOD hath set up the Mind to pla y the part of judge and executioner."
-Ancient Egyptian Proverbs
There are two forms of deficit spending and unrighteous economics; the first relates to material possessions and physical money, the second is deficit spending of desires –peop le desire what is not desirable but also what is beyond their needs – this is unrighteous economics of mental assets that should be avoided by a spiritual aspirant. What is required to make it through in life and succeed on the spiritual path? Remember t o [. . . . . .]. . . shri ne, to fumiga te wit h incense and to offer wat er in a ja r in the ear ly morni ng. Remember [t o br ing] fa t r-g eese, trp -geese, and d ucks and t o offer g od' s offer ings to t he gods . Remember t o chew natro n and to p repa re white b read ; a man [shoul d do i t] on the da y of wetti ng the head. Remember t o erect fl ags taffs and t o carve o ffering s tones , the pri est cl eansi ng the chapel s and t he temple b eing pl ast ered (whit e) lik e mil k; to make plea sant the odo r of the hor iz on and t o pr ovid e bread -offeri ngs. Remember t o ob serve reg ulat io ns, to fix dat es cor rectl y, and to remove him who enters o n the pri estl y office in i mpuri ty of bo dy, for tha t is doi ng it wrongfully, it i s dest ruction o f the heart [. . .] the day which precedes eternity, the months [. . .] years a re known.
-Ancient Egyptian Legend of the Fall of society [Admonitions of Impuwer]
To remember the Spirit rearrange your life in such a way t hat y ou do not need the excesses o deficit spending and unrighteous economics. Having educated yourself on the financial issues, continue your philosophical studies and spiritual practices so as to develop spiritual insight { remembrance} into the soul nature of the problem that has allowed human beings to corrupt themselves and their environment. It is also to remember your own soul nature and how you are free from the schemes of the world so as t o thereby live on a higher plane. From a relative persp ective there may be some good that can come from an economic downfall –if the society returns to sound economic policies and sustainable industries, as was done in Ancient Egypt; then such a society could spread peace and relieve want in all corners of the world. However, with the population of the society caught up in spiritual ignorance, egoistic exuberant desires and corrupt leadership, that is unlikely. Nevertheless, the world is not meant to be a paradise but rather a place for those who are ready to learn the lessons of life that lead to wisdom and immortality and also for those who, due to their ariu, are slated to experience suffering and strife. If there are those who learn the lesson then the purpose of the downfall has been fulfilled. Those who live by love and necessity discover freedom from the clutches of worldly ignorance and slavery to worldly enticements that only lead to unrest and sufferings. They are led to HTP – the peace of union of the lower and higher Self. So let this momentous period in history be prosperity o Spirit and be thankful for the opportunity to think about divine things as opposed to being lulled into a false sense of security through worldly values of endless acquired wealth and the illusory ideal of happiness through objects of desire. Remember, Remember, Remember…
“O Heru, then the Great God decreed that Love and N ecessity should be the lords of l ife.
-Ancient Egyptian Teaching of Aset to Heru
SEMA INSTITUTE Cruzian Mystic P.O.Box 570459, Miami, Florida. 33257 (305) 378-6253, Fax. (305) 378-6253
Other Books By the Author Go to www.Egyptianyoga.com/catalog P.O.Box 570459 Miami, Florida, 33257 (305) 378-6253 Fax: (305) 378-6253 36.
The Death of American Empire: Neo-conservatism , Theocracy, Economic Imperial ism, Environmental Disas ter and the Collapse of Civilization
This work is a collection of essays relating to social and economic, leadership, and ethics, ecological and religious issues that are facing the world today in order to nderstand the course of history th at has led humanity t o its present condition and t hen arrive at posit ive solut ions th at will lead to better outcomes for all humanity. It surveys he development and decline of major empires throughout history and focuses on the creation of American Empire along with the social, political and economic policies that led o the prominence of the United States of America as a Superpower including the rise of the political control of the neo-con political philosophy including militarism and the ilitary industrial complex in American politics and the rise of the religious right into and American Theocracy movement. This volume details, through historical and current events, the psychology behind the dominance of western culture in world politics through the "Superpower Syndrome Mandatory Conflict Complex" that drives the Superpower culture to establish itself above all others and then act hubristically to dominate world culture through legitimate influences as well as coercion, media censorship and isinformation leading to international hegemony and world conflict. This volume also details the financial policies that gave rise to American prominence in the global economy, especially after World War II, and promoted American preeminence over the world economy through Globalization as well as the environmental policies, including the oil economy, that are promoting degradati on of the world ecolo gy and cont ribut e to the decli ne of America as an Empire cult ure. This vo lume finall y explores the factors p oint ing o th e decline of the American Empire economy and imperial po wer and wh at to expect in the aftermath of American prominence and h ow t o surv ive th e decline wh ile at t he same ime promoti ng pol icies and social -economic-religio us-pol iti cal changes that are needed in order to promote the emergence of a beneficial and sus tainabl e culture. $ 25.95soft 1-884564-25-9, Hard Cover $ 29.95soft 1-884564-45-3
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EGYP TIAN YOG A: THE P HILOS OPH Y OF ENLIG HTE NMENT An origi nal, fully illustrated work, including hieroglyphs, detailing th e meaning 1. of the Egyptian mysteries, tantric yoga, psycho-spiritual and physical exercises. Egyptian Yoga i s a guid e to t he practice of the highest spiritual philosophy which leads to abso lute freedom from human misery and to i mmortalit y. It is well k nown b y scholars th at Egyp tian phi loso phy is t he basis of Western and Middl e East ern religious philosophi es such as Christianit y, Islam , Juda ism , the Kaba la , and Greek philosophy, but w hat about Indian phil osophy, Yoga and Taoism? What were the original teachings? How can they be practiced today? What is t he source of pain and suffering in the world and what is the soluti on? Discover the deepest mysteries of the mind and uni verse withi n and outs ide of your self. 8.5” X 11” ISBN: 1-884 564-01 -1 Soft $19.95
EG YPTIAN YOGA : A fri can Rel igi on Volum e 2 - Theban Theology U.S. In thi s long awaited sequel to Eg ypti an Yoga : Th e P hil oso phy of 2. En li ght enmen t you will take a fascinating and enlightening journey back in time and dis cover the teachings which const ituted the epito me of Ancient Egypti an
spiri tual wi sdom. What are the discipl ines whi ch lead to the fulfillment of all desi res? Delve int o the three states of conscio usness (w aking, dream and deep sleep) and the fourth state wh ich transcends them all, Neberdjer, “ The Absolut e.” These teachings of the city of Waset (Thebes) were the crowning achievement of the Sages of Ancient Egypt. They establish the standard mystical keys for understanding the profound mystical symbolism of the Triad of human consciousness. ISBN 1884564-39-9 $23.95
3.
THE KEMETIC DIET: GUIDE TO HEALTH, DIET AND FASTING Health iss ues have always been important to human beings si nce the beginning
of time. The earliest records of histo ry show that th e art of healing w as held in h igh est eem since th e time of Ancient E gypt . In the early 20 th century, medical d octors had almost attained the s tatus of sainthood by the promotion o f the idea that they alone were “s cientists” while ot her healing modalities and traditional healers who did not follow t he “ scientific method’ were nothing but superstitious, ignorant charlatans who at best would take the money of their clients and at worst kill them with th e unscientific “ snake oils” and “ irrational theories”. In the late 20 th century, the failure of the modern medical establishment’s ability to lead the general pub li c to goo d heal th, p romoted t he move by many i n s ociet y to wards “ altern ativ e medici ne”. Al ternat ive medici ne di sci pli nes are t hos e heali ng modal it ies whi ch do not adhere to the philosophy of allopathic medicine. Allopathic medicine is what medical doctors practice by an large. It is the theory that disease is caused by agencies outs ide the bod y such as bacteria, viruses or phys ical means which affect the body. These can therefore be treated by medicines and t herapies The natural healing method began in the absence of extensive technologies with the idea that all the answers for health may be found in nature or rather, the deviation from nature. Therefore, the health of the body can be restored by correcting the aberration and thereby restoring balance. This is the area that will be covered in this volume. Allopathic techniques have their place in the art of healing. However, we should not forget that the body is a grand achievement of the spirit and built into it is the capacity to maintain its elf and heal its elf. Ashb y, Muata ISBN: 1-8845 64-49-6 $28.95
4. INITIATION INTO EGYP TIAN YOG A Shedy: Spiritu al disci plin e or program, to go deeply int o the mysteries , to stud y the myst ery teachings and lit erature profoundl y, to penetrate the mysteries. You wi ll learn about t he mysteries o f init iatio n int o the teaching s and practice of Yoga and how t o become an Initiate of the mystical sciences. This insightful manual is the first in a series which introduces you to the goals of daily spiritual and yoga practices: Meditation, Diet, Words of Po wer and the ancient wis dom teachings . 8.5” X 11” ISBN 1-884564-02-X Soft Cover $24.95 U.S.
THE AFRICAN ORIGINS OF CIVILIZATION, RELIGION AND YOGA SPIRITUALITY AND ETHICS PHILOSOPHY HARD COVER EDITION Part 5. 1, Part 2, Part 3 in one volume 683 Pages Hard Cover First Edition Three volumes in one. Over the past several years I have been asked to put together in one volume the most important evidences showing the correlations and common teachings between Kamitan (Ancient Egyptian) culture and religion and that of India. The questions of the history of Ancient Egypt, and the latest archeological evidences showing civilization and cultu re in Ancient Egypt and its spread to oth er countries, has int rigued many scholars as well as mystics over the years. Also, the poss ibility that Ancient Egy ptian P riests and Priestesses migrated to Greece, India and other countries to carry on the traditions of the Ancient Egyptian Mysteries, has been speculated over the years as well. In chapter 1 of the book Eg ypti an Yoga The Philosophy of Enlightenment, 1995, I first int roduced the deepest comparison between Ancient Egypt and India that had been brought forth up to th at time. Now, in the year 2001 this new book, THE AFRICAN ORIGINS OF CIVILIZATION, MYSTICAL RELIGION AND YOGA PHILOSOPHY, more fully explores the motifs, symbols and philosophi cal correlations between Ancient Egypt ian and Indian mysticism and clearly sho ws not only t hat Ancient Egy pt and India w ere connected culturally but also spi ritually. How do es this knowledge help t he spiritual aspirant? This discovery has great importance for the Yogis and mystics wh o follow the philos ophy of Ancient Egypt and the mysticism of India. It means that India has a longer history and heritage than was previously understood. It shows that the mysteries of Ancient Egypt were essentially a y oga tradition wh ich did not di e but rather developed into t he modern day systems of Yoga technology of India. It further shows that African culture developed Yoga Mysticism earlier than any other civilization in history. All of this expands our understanding of the unity o f culture and the deep legacy of Yoga, which stretches into the distant past, beyond the Indus Valley civilization, the earliest known high culture in India as well as t he Vedic tradit ion of Aryan culture. Therefore, Yoga culture and mysticism is the old est kno wn tradi tio n of spi ritual d evelopment and Indian mysticism is an extension o f the Ancient Egyptian mysticism. By understanding the legacy which Ancient Eg ypt gave to India the mysticism of India is better understood and by comprehending the heritage of Indian Yoga, which is rooted in Ancient Egypt the Mysticism of Ancient Egypt is also better understood. This expanded understanding allows us to prove the underlying kinship of humanity, through t he common sy mbols, motifs and philosop hies which are not disparate and confusing teachings b ut in reality expression s of the same study of truth throug h metaphys ics and mysti cal realizati on of Self. (HARD COVER) ISBN: 1-884 564-50 -X $45.00 U.S. 81/2 ” X 11” AF RICA N ORIG INS BO OK 1 PA RT 1 African Origins of African Civilization, Religion, Yoga Mysticism and Ethics Philosophy-Soft Cover $24.95 6. ISBN: 1-884564-55-0
7. 884564-56-9
AF RICA N OR IGINS BOO K 2 PART 2 African Origin s of Western Civi lizatio n , Religi on and P hilo soph y (Soft) -Soft Cover $24.95 ISBN: 1-
8. 884564-57-7
EG YPT AND IND IA A FR ICAN O RIG INS O F Ea ster n Civi li zat ion , Relig ion , Yoga Mys ti cis m a nd Phi lo sop hy -Soft Cover $29 .95 (Soft) ISBN: 1-
THE MYSTERIES OF ISIS: The Ancient Egypti an Philos ophy of Self-Realizat ion - There are several paths to discover the Divine and the mysteries 9. of the high er Self. This vo lume details t he mystery teachin gs of the goddess As et (Isis) from Ancient E gypt - the path of wisdo m. It includes t he teachings o f her temple and the disciplines that are enjoined for the initiates of the temple of Aset as they were given in ancient times. Also, this book includes the teachings of the main myths o f Aset that lead a human being to spi ritual enli ghtenment and immortalit y. Through the stu dy of ancient myth and th e illumination of initi atic understanding the idea of God is expanded from the mythological comprehension to the metaphysical. Then this metaphysical understanding is related to you, the student, so as to begin understanding your true divine nature. ISBN 1-884564-24-0 $22.99
EG YPTIAN PR OV ER BS : collection of —Ancient Egyptian Proverbs and Wisdom Teachings -How t o live according to MAAT Philo sophy. 10. Beginning Meditation. All proverbs are indexed for easy searches. For the first time in one volume, ——Ancient Egyptian Proverbs, wisdom teachings and meditations, fully illustrated wit h hieroglyphic text and symbols. EGYPTIAN PROVERBS is a unique collection of knowledge and w isdom which you can put int o practice today and transform your life. $14.95 U.S ISBN: 1-8845 64-00-3
GOD OF LOVE: THE PATH OF DIVINE LOVE The Process of Mystical Transformation and The Path of Divine Love This Vol ume focus es on 11. the ancient wi sdom teaching s of “ Neter Merri” –the Ancient Egyp tian phi los ophy of Divine Lo ve and how to us e them in a scientific process for self-transformation. Love is one of the most powerful human emotions. It is also the source of Divine feeling that unifies God and the individual human being. When love is fragmented and diminished by egoism the Divi ne connection is lost. The Ancient tradition of Neter Merri leads h uman beings back to th eir Divine connection, allowing them to discover their innate glorious self that is actually Divine and immortal. This volume will detail the process of transformation from ordinary consciousness to cosmic consciou sness throu gh the integrated practice of the teachings and the path of Devoti onal Love toward the Divine. 5.5"x 8.5" ISBN 1-884564-11 -9 $22.95
INTROD UCTION TO M AA T PH ILOSO PH Y: Spi ri tua l E nl igh ten ment Thro ugh th e P ath of Virt ue 12. Know n commonly as Karma in India, the teachings of MAAT contain an extensive philosophy based on ariu (deeds) and their fructification in the form of shai and renenet (fortune and destiny, leading to Meskhenet (fate in a future birt h) for livi ng virtu ousl y and wit h orderly wi sdom are explain ed and the stud ent is to b egin practicin g the precepts of Maat in dai ly li fe so as to promote the process of purification of the heart in preparation for the judgment of the soul. This judgment will be understood not as an event that will occur at the ti me of death but as an event that o ccurs contin uous ly, at every moment in t he life of the ind ivid ual. The student wi ll l earn how to become alli ed with the forces of the High er Self and to thereby begin cleansi ng the mind (heart) of impurities so as to attain a higher visi on of reality. ISBN 1-884564-20-8 $22.99
ME DITATION The A ncien t E gypt ian Pat h t o E nli ght enmen t Many people do not know about the rich history of meditation practice in Ancient 13. Egypt. This volume outlines the theory of meditation and presents the Ancient E gyptian Hieroglyphic t ext whi ch give inst ruction as to the nature of the mind and its three modes of expression. It also presents the texts which give instruction on the practice of meditation for spiritual Enlightenment and unity with the Divine. This volume allows the reader to begin practicing meditation by explaining, in easy to understand terms, the simplest form of meditation and working up to the most advanced form which was practiced in ancient ti mes and which is sti ll practiced by yogi s around the world in modern times. ISBN 1-884564-2 7-7 $22.99
14.
THE GLORIOUS LIGHT MEDITATION TECHNIQUE OF ANCIENT EGYPT New for the year 2000. This volume is based on the earliest known
inst ruction in hi story g iven for the practice of formal meditati on. Discov ered by Dr. Muata Ashby, it i s ins cribed on th e walls of the Tomb of Seti I in Thebes E gypt . This volume details t he philoso phy and practice of this unique system of meditation originated in Ancient Egypt and the earliest practice of meditation kn own i n the world which occurred in the most advanced African Culture. ISBN: 1-884564-15-1 $16.95 (PB)
THE SERPENT POW ER: The Ancient Egyptian Mystical W isdom of t he Inner Life Force. 15. This Volume specifically deals wit h the latent life Force energy of the universe and in the human body, its control and sublimation. How to develop the Life Force energy of the subtle body. This Volume will introduce the esoteric wisdom of the science of how virtuous living acts in a subt le and mysterious way to cleanse the latent psy chic energy conduits and vortices of the spiritual body. ISBN 1-884564-19-4 $22.95
EG YPTIAN YO GA The Postures of The Gods and Goddesses Discover the physical postures and exercises practiced thousands of years ago in 16. Ancient Egypt which are today known as Yoga exercises. Discover the history of the postures and how they were transferred from Ancient Egypt in Africa to India through Buddhis t Tantrism. Then practice the postures as yo u discover the mythic teaching that origi nally gave birth to t he postures and was practiced by the Ancient Egyptian priests and priestesses. This work is based on the pictures and teachings from the Creation story of Ra, The Asarian Resurrection Myth and the carvings and reliefs from various Temples in Ancient Egyp t 8.5” X 11” ISBN 1-8845 64-10-0 Soft Cover $21.95 Exercise video $20
SACRED SE XUALITY: ANCIENT EGYPTIAN TANTRA YOGA: The Art of Sex Sublimation and Universal Consciousness This Volume will expand 17. on the male and female principles within the human body and in the universe and further detail the sublimation of sexual energy into spiritual energy. The student will study the deities Min and H athor, Asar and Aset, Geb and Nut and discover the mystical implications for a practical spiritual discipline. This Volume will also focus on the Tantric aspects of Ancient Egyptian and Indian mysticism, the purpose of sex and the mystical teachings of sexual sublimation which lead to selfknowledge and Enlightenment. ISBN 1-884564-03-8 $24.95
18.
AF RICA N RE LIGION Vol ume 4 : ASA RIA N THEO LOGY: RES UR RE CTING OS IRIS The path of Mysti cal Awakening and the Keys to Immortalit y
NE W REVISED A ND E XPAN DED EDITIO N! The Ancien t Sages creat ed st ories based o n human and su perhu man bein gs w hos e stru ggl es, aspi rati ons , needs and desires ultimately lead them to discover their true Self. The myth of Aset, Asar and Heru is no exception in this area. While there is no one source where the entire story may be found , pieces of it are ins cribed in v arious ancient Temples w alls, to mbs, steles and papyri . For the first ti me available, th e complete myth of Asar, Aset and Heru has b een compil ed from origi nal Anci ent Egy ptian, Greek and Copt ic Texts. This epic myth has been ri chly i llus trated wi th reli efs from the Temple of Heru at Edfu, the Temple of Aset at Phi lae, the Temple of Asar at Abydos, the Temple of Hathor at Denderah and various p apyri, inscript ions and reliefs. Discov er the myth which inspired the teachings of the Shetaut Neter (Egyptian Mystery System - Egyptian Yoga) and the Egyptian Book of Coming Forth By Day. Also, discover the three levels of Ancient Egyptian Religion, how to understand the mysteries of the Duat or Astral World and how to discover the abode of the Supreme in t he Amenta, The Other World The ancient religion of Asar, Aset and Heru, if properly understood, contains all of the elements necessary to lead the sincere aspirant to att ain immortalit y through i nner self-discovery. This volu me presents the enti re myth and explores the main mystical themes and ritual s associat ed with the myth for underst ating h uman existence, creation and t he way to achi eve spirit ual emancipatio n - Res urr ectio n. The Asarian myth is so powerful that it influenced and is still having an effect on the major world religions. Discover the origins and mystical meaning of the Christian Trinity, the Eucharist ritual and the ancient origi n of the birthd ay of Jesus Christ. Soft Cover ISBN: 1-8845 64-27-5 $24.95
19. THE EGYPTIAN BOOK OF THE DEAD MYSTICIS M OF THE P ER T EM H ER U " I Know myself, I know myself, I am One Wi th G od!–From the P ert Em Heru “ The Ru Pert em Heru” or “ Ancient E gypt ian Book of The Dead,” or “ Book of Coming Forth By Day” as it i s more popu larly kn own, has fascinated the world since the successful translation of Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic scripture over 150 years ago. The astonishing writings in it reveal that the Ancient Egyptians believed in life after death and in an ultimate destiny to discover the Divine. The elegance and aesthetic beauty of the hieroglyphic text itself has inspired many see it as an art form in and of itself. But is t here more to it th an that? Did t he Ancient E gypt ian wis dom contai n more than jus t aphoris ms and hopes o f eternal life beyond death? In this volume Dr. Muata Ashby, the author of over 25 books on Ancient E gypt ian Yoga Philoso phy has produced a new translation of the original texts which uncovers a mystical teaching underlying the sayings and rituals i nstitut ed by the Ancient Egypt ian Sages and Saints. “ Once the philosophy of Ancient Egypt is understood as a mystical tradition i nstead of as a religion or primitive mythology, it reveals its secrets which if practiced today will lead anyone to discov er the glory of spiritual s elf-discov ery. The Pert em Heru i s in every way comparable to th e Indian Upani shads or th e Tibetan Book of the Dead.” $28.95 ISBN# 1-884564 -28-3 Size: 8½" X 11
Af ri can R eli gio n V OL. 1- ANU NIAN TH EO LOGY THE MYSTE RIE S O F R A The Philosophy of Anu and The Mystical Teachings of The Ancient 20. Egyptian Creation Myth Discover the mystical teachings contained in the Creation Myth and t he gods and goddesses who brought creation and human beings int o existence. The Creation myth of Anu is the source of Anunian Theology but also of the other main theological systems of Ancient Egypt that also influenced other world religions including Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism. The Creation Myth holds the key to understanding the universe and for attaining spiritual Enlightenment. ISBN: 1-884564-38-0 $19.95
Af ri can R eli gio n VO L 3: M emph it e Theol ogy: M YSTER IES OF MIND Mystical Psychology & Mental Health for Enlightenment and Immortality 21. based on th e An cient Egy pti an P hil oso phy of Menefer -Mys ti cis m of Pt ah, Eg ypt ian Ph ysi cs an d Yoga Metaph ysi cs an d the Hi dden prop erti es of Matter. This volume uncovers the mystical psychology of the Ancient Egyptian wisdom teachings centering on the philosophy of the Ancient Egyptian city of Menefer (Memphite Theology). How to understand the mind and how to control the senses and lead the mind to health, clarity and mystical self-discovery. This Volume will also go deeper into the philosophy of God as creation and will explore the concepts of modern science and how they correlate with ancient teachings. This Volume will lay the ground work for the understanding of the philosophy of universal consciousness and the initiatic/yogic insight into who or what is God? ISBN 1884564-07-0 $22.95
AF RICA N RE LIGION VO LUME 5: THE GO DDE SS AND THE EGYP TIAN M YSTER IES THE PATH O F TH E G ODD ESS THE GOD DE SS PATH 22. The Secret Forms of the Go ddess and the Rit uals o f Resurrection The Supreme Being may be wo rshipp ed as father or as mother. Ushet Rekhat or Mot her Wor shi p , i s the spiritual process of worshipping the Divine in the form of the Divine Goddess. It celebrates the most important forms of the Goddess including Nath or , Maa t, As et, Ara t, Amen tet a nd H ath or and explores their mystical meaning as well as the rising of Sirius, the star of Aset (As et) and the new b irth o f Hor (Heru). The end of the year is a time of reckoning, reflection and engendering a new or renewed positive movement toward attaining spiritual Enlightenment. The Mother Worship devotional meditation ritual, performed on five days during the month of December and on New Year’s Eve, is based on the Ushet Rekhit. During the ceremony, the cosmic forces, symbolized by Sirius - and the constellation of Orion ---, are harnessed through the understanding and devotional attitude of the participant. This prop it iat io n draws th e lig ht o f wi sdo m and heal th t o all t hos e who s hare in t he rit ual , leadin g to p rosp erit y and w is dom. $14 .95 ISBN 1-8 845 64-1 8-6
THE MYSTICAL JOURNEY FROM JESUS TO CHRIST Discover the ancient Egyptian origins of Christianity before the Catholic Church and learn 23. the mystical teachings given by Jesus to assist all humanity in becoming Christlike. Discover the secret meaning of the Gospels that were discovered in Egypt. Also discover how and why s o many Christian churches came into being. Discover that the Bible sti ll hol ds the keys to mystical realization even though its o riginal writi ngs were changed by the church. Dis cover how to practice the origi nal teachings of Christi anity which leads to the Kin gdom of Heaven. $24.95 ISBN# 18845 64-05-4 s ize: 8½" X 11"
THE STORY OF ASAR, ASET AND HERU: An Ancient Egy ptian Legend (For Children) Now for the first time, the most ancient myth of Ancient 24. Egypt comes alive for children. Inspired by the books The Asarian Resurrection: The Ancient Egyptian Bible and The Mystical Teachings of The Asarian Res urr ecti on, The S tor y of A sar , Aset a nd H eru is an easy to understand and thrilling tale which inspired the children of Ancient Egypt to aspire to greatness and righteousness. If you and your child have enjoyed stories like The Lion King and Star Wars you will l ove The Story of Asar , Aset and Heru. Also, if you know the story of Jesus and Krishna you will discover than Ancient Egypt had a similar myth and that this myth carries important spiritual teachings for living a fruitful and fulfillin g life. This b ook may be used along wi th The Parents Guide To The Asarian Resurrection Myth: How to Teach Yourself and Your Child the Principl es of Universal Mystical Religion. The guide provides some background to the As arian Resurrection myth and it also gives insi ght in to the mystical teachings contained in it which you may introduce to your child. It is design ed for parents who wish t o grow spiritually with t heir children and it serves as an introduction for those who would like to study the Asarian Resurrection Myth in depth and to practice its teachings. 8.5" X 11" ISBN: 1-884564-31-3 $12.95
THE PARENTS GUIDE TO THE AUSARIAN RESURRECTION MYTH: How to Teach Yourself and Your Child the Principl es of Univ ersal 25. Mysti cal Religi on. This insig htful manual brings for the timeless wisdom of the ancient through the Ancient Eg ypti an myth of Asar, Aset and Heru and the mystical teachings contained in it for parents who want to guide their children to understand and practice the teachings of mystical spirituality. This manual may be used with the children's storybook The Story of Asar, Aset and Heru by D r. Muata Abh aya Ash by. ISBN: 1 -884 564 -30-5 $16 .95
HE ALING THE CRIMINA L HE AR T. Introduction to Maat Philo sophy, Yoga and Spiritual Redemption Through the Path of Virtue 26. Who is a criminal? Is there such a thing as a criminal heart? What is the source of evil and sinfulness and is there any way to rise above it? Is there redemption for those who have committed sins, even the worst crimes? Ancient Egyptian mystical psychology holds important answers to these questions. Over ten thousand years ago mystical psychologist s, the Sages of Ancient Egypt, studied and charted the human mind and spirit and laid out a path which w ill l ead to spiritu al redemption, pros perit y and E nli ght enment. This in trod ucto ry vo lume brin gs forth th e teachi ngs of the A sarian Resurrect ion , the most importan t myth of Anci ent Egy pt , wi th relation to the faults of human existence: anger, hatred, greed, lust, animosity, discontent, ignorance, egoism jealousy, bitterness, and a myriad of psycho-spiritual ailments which keep a human being in a state of negativi ty and adversit y ISBN: 1-8845 64-17-8 $15.95
TEMPLE RITUAL OF THE A NCIENT EGYPTIAN MYSTERIES--THEATER & DRAMA OF THE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN MYSTERIES : Details the 27. practi ce o f the mys teries and rit ual prog ram of the temple and th e p hil oso phy an practi ce o f the rit ual of th e myst eries , i ts purp os e an d executio n. Featuri ng th e Ancient Egyp tian s tage play-"The Enligh tenment of Hathor' Based on an Ancient Egyp tian D rama, The origi nal Theater -Mysticism of the Temple of Hetheru 1884564-14-3 $19.95 By Dr. Muata Ashby
GUIDE TO PRINT ON DEMAND: SELF-PUBLISH FOR PROFIT, SPIRITUAL FULFILLMENT AND SERVICE TO HUMANITY Everyone 28. asks us ho w we produced so many books in such a sh ort time. Here are the secrets to w riting and producing books th at uplift humanity and how to get t hem printed for a fraction of the regular cost. Anyone can become an author even if they have limited funds. All that is necessary is the willingness to learn how the printing and boo k bu si ness work and t he des ire to follo w th e speci al in st ructi ons giv en here for prepari ng y our manuscri pt format. Then y ou t ake yo ur wo rk di rectly to t he no ntraditional companies who can produce your books for less than the traditional book printer can. ISBN: 1-884564-40-2 $16.95 U. S.
Egyp ti an M yster ies: V ol. 1, Shetaut Neter What are the Mysteries? For thous ands of years the spi ritual tradition of Ancient E gypt, S hetaut Neter, 29. “ The Egypti an Mysteries,” “ The Secret Teachings,” have fascinated, tantali zed and amazed the world. At on e time exalted and recogni zed as the high est cult ure of the world, by Africans, Europeans, Asiatics, Hindus, Buddhists and other cultures of the ancient world, in time it was shunned by the emerging orthodox world religions. Its t emples desecrated, its philosophy maligned, its t radition spu rned, its phil osophy dormant in the mystical Medu Net er , the mysterious hieroglyphic texts which hol d the secret symboli c meaning that h as scarcely been discerned up to no w. What are the secrets of Nehas t {spiritual awakening and emancipation, resurrection}. More than just a literal translation, this volume is for awakening to the secret code Shetitu of the teaching which was not deciphered by Egyptologists, nor could be understood by ordinary spiritualists. This book is a reinstatement of the original science made available for our times, to the reincarnated follo wers of Ancient Egyp tian cul ture and the pros pect of spiritual freedom to break the bonds o f Khemn , “ igno rance,” and slavery to evil forces: Såaa . ISBN: 1-884564-41-0 $19.99
EG YPTIAN M YSTER IES VOL 2 : Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses This book is about the mystery of neteru, the gods and goddesses of Ancient 30. Egyp t (Kamit, Kemet). Neteru means “ Gods and Godd esses.” But the Neterian teaching o f Neteru represents more than th e usual li mited modern day concept of “ divi niti es” or “ spiri ts.” The Neteru of Kamit are also metaphors , cosmic principles and vehicles for the enligh tenin g teachings of Shetaut Neter (Ancient Egyp tianAfrican Religi on). Actually they are the elements for one of the most advanced syst ems of spirituali ty ever conceived in h uman hist ory. Understand ing the concept of neteru provides a firm basis for spi ritual evolu tio n and the pathway for viable culture, peace on earth and a healthy human society. Why is it important to have gods and goddesses in our lives? In order for spiritual evolution to be possible, once a human being has accepted that there is existence after death and there is a transcendental being who exists beyond time and space knowledge, human beings need a connection to that which transcends the ordinary experience of human life in time and space and a means to understand the transcendental reality beyon d the mundane reality. ISBN: 1-8845 64-23-2 $21.95
EG YPTIAN MYSTE RIE S V OL. 3 The Priests and Priestesses of Ancient Egypt This volume details th e path of Neterian priesthood, the j oys, 31. challenges and rewards of advanced Neterian life, the teachings that allowed the priests and priestesses to manage the most long lived civilization in human history and how that path can be adopted today; for those who want to tread the path of the Clergy of Shetaut Neter. ISBN: 1-884564-53-4 $24.95
The W ar of Heru and Set: The Struggl e of Good and Ev il for Control of the World and The Human Soul This vol ume contains a no velized versio n 32. of the Asarian Resurrection myth that is based on the actual scriptures presented in the Book Asarian Religion (old name –Resurrecting Osiris). This volume is prepared in the form of a screenpl ay and can b e easi ly adapt ed t o b e us ed as a st age p lay. Spiri tual seeki ng is a mythi c jo urney that has many emot ion al h ig hs and lows, ecstasies and depressions, victories and frustrations. This is the War of Life that is played out in the myth as the struggle of Heru and Set and those are mythic characters that represent the human Higher and Lower self. How to understand the war and emerge victorious in the journey o life? The ultimate victory and
fulfillment can be experienced, which is not changeable or lost in time. The purpose of myth is to convey the wisdom of life through the story of divinities who show the way to overcome the challenges and foibles of life. In this volume the feelings and emotions of the characters of the myth have been highlighted to show the deeply rich t exture of the Ancient Egy ptian myth. This myth con tains d eep spirit ual teaching s and ins ight s int o the nature of self, of God and t he mysteries o f life and the means to d iscover th e true meaning o f life and thereby achieve the true pu rpose of life. To become victo rious i n the bat tle of life means to b ecome the Kin g (or Queen) of Egypt.Have you seen movies like The Lion King, Hamlet, The Odyssey, or The Little Buddha? These have been some of the most popular movies in modern ti mes. The Sema Instit ute of Yoga is dedi cated to researching and p resenting the wi sdom and culture of ancient Africa. The Script i s desi gned to be produced as a motio n picture but may be addapted for the theater as well. $21.95 copyrigh t 1998 By Dr. Muata Ashby ISBN 1-88405 64-44-5
AF RICA N DIONYS US: F RO M EG YPT TO G RE ECE : The Kamitan Origi ns of Greek Culture and Religion ISBN: 1-884564 -47-X FROM EGYP T 33. TO GREECE This insig htful manual is a reference to Ancient Eg ypti an mytho logy and phi loso phy and its correlatio n to what later became known as Greek and Rome mythology and philosophy. It outlines the basic tenets of the mythologies and shoes the ancient origins of Greek culture in Ancient Egypt. This volume also documents the origins of the Greek alphabet in Egypt as well as Greek religion, myth and philosophy of the gods and goddesses from Egypt from the myth of Atlantis and archaic period wit h the Minoans to the Classical period. This v olume also acts as a resource for Colleges students who wo uld l ike to set up fraternities and sororities based on t he original Ancient Eg yptian principles of Sheti and Maat phil osophy. ISBN: 1-884564-47-X $22.95 U.S.
34.
THE FORTY TWO PRECEPTS OF MAAT, THE PHILOSOPHY OF RIGHTEOUS ACTION AND THE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN W ISDOM TEXTS
ADVANCED STUDIES This manual is desi gned for use with t he 1998 Maat Ph ilos ophy Clas s conducted b y Dr. Muata Ashby. This is a detailed st udy of Maat Phil osophy. It contains a compilation of the 42 laws o r precepts of Maat and the corresponding principles wh ich they represent along wit h the teachings of the ancient Egyptian Sages relating to each. Maat philoso phy was the basis o f Ancient Egypt ian society and government as w ell as t he heart of Ancient Egyptian myth and spirituality. Maat is at once a goddess, a cosmic force and a living social doctrine, which promotes social harmony and thereby paves the way for spiritual evolution in all levels of society. ISBN: 1-884564-48-8 $16.95 U.S.
35.
THE SECRET LOTUS: Poetry of Enlightenment
Discov er the myst ical senti ment of the Kemetic teaching as expressed throu gh th e poetry of Sebai Muata Ashby . The teaching of spiritu al awakening i s uni quely experienced hen the poetic sensibil ity i s present. This first volume contains the p oems written b etween 1996 and 2003. 1-884564--16 -X $16.99
37.
The Ancient Egyptian B uddha: The Ancient Egyptian Origins of Buddhism
This book is a compilation of several sections of a larger work, a book by the name of African Origins of Civilization, Religion, Yoga Mysticism and Ethics Philosophy. It also contains s ome additional evidences not contained in the l arger work that demonstrate the correlation between Ancient Eg yptian Religion and Buddhism. This book is one of several compiled short volumes that has been compiled so as to facilitate access to specific subjects contained in the larger work which is over 680 pages long. These short and small volumes have been specifically designed to cover one subject in a brief and low cost format. This present volume, The Ancient Egyptian Buddha: The Ancient Egyptian Origins of Buddhism, formed one subject in the larger work; actually it was one chapter of the larger work. However, this volume has some new additional evidences and comparisons of Buddhist and N eterian (Ancient Eg yptian) philos ophies not previously dis cussed. It was felt that this subject needed to be discussed because even in the early 21st century, the idea persists that Buddhism originated only in India independently. Yet there is ample evidence from ancient writings and perhaps more importantly, iconographical evidences from the Ancient E gyptians and early Buddhis ts t hemselves that p rove otherwise. This h andy volume has been designed to be accessible to you ng adults and all others who would like to have an easy reference with documentation on this important subject. This is an important subject because the frame of reference with hich we look at a culture depends strongly on our conceptions about its origins. in this case, if we look at the Buddhism as an Asiatic religion we would treat it and it's culture in one way. If we id as African [Ancient Egyptian] we not only would see it in a different light but we also must ascribe Africa with a glorious legacy that matches any other culture in human history and gave rise to one of the present day most i mportant religious p hilosophi es. We would also look at the culture and phi losophies of the Ancient Egyptians as having African insight s th at offer us greater depth into the Buddhist philosophi es. Those insi ghts i nform our knowledge about other African traditions and we can also begin to understand in a deeper way the effect of Ancient Egyptian culture on African culture and also on the Asiatic as well. We would also be able to discover the glorious and wondrous teaching of mystical philosophy that Ancient Egyptian Shetaut Neter religion offers, that is as powerful as any other mystic system of spiritual hilosophy in the world today. ISBN: 1-884564-61-5 $28.95
38.
The Death of American Empire: Neo-conservatism, Theocracy, Economic Imperiali sm, Environmental Disaster and the Coll apse of Civilization
This work is a collection of essays relating to social and economic, leadership, and ethics, ecological and religious issues that are facing the world today in order to nderstand the course of history th at has led humanity t o its present condition and t hen arrive at posit ive solut ions th at will lead to better outcomes for all humanity. It surveys he development and decline of major empires throughout history and focuses on the creation of American Empire along with the social, political and economic policies that led o the prominence of the United States of America as a Superpower including the rise of the political control of the neo-con political philosophy including militarism and the ilitary industrial complex in American politics and the rise of the religious right into and American Theocracy movement. This volume details, through historical and current events, the psychology behind the dominance of western culture in world politics through the "Superpower Syndrome Mandatory Conflict Complex" that drives the Superpower culture to establish itself above all others and then act hubristically to dominate world culture through legitimate influences as well as coercion, media censorship and isinformation leading to international hegemony and world conflict. This volume also details the financial policies that gave rise to American prominence in the global economy, especially after World War II, and promoted American preeminence over the world economy through Globalization as well as the environmental policies, including the oil economy, that are promoting degradati on of the world ecolo gy and cont ribut e to the decli ne of America as an Empire cult ure. This vo lume finall y explores the factors p oint ing o th e decline of the American Empire economy and imperial po wer and wh at to expect in the aftermath of American prominence and h ow t o surv ive th e decline wh ile at t he same ime promoting pol icies and social -economic-religio us-pol iti cal changes that are needed in order to promote the emergence of a beneficial and sus tainabl e culture. $ 25.95soft 1884564-25-9, Hard Cover $ 29.95 1-884564-45-3
39.
The African Origins of Hatha Yoga: And its Ancient Mystical Teaching
The subject of this present volume, The Ancient Egyptian Origins of Yoga Postures, formed one subject in the larger works, African Origins of Civilization Religion, Yoga Mysticism and Ethi cs Phi losophy and the Book Egy pt and India is the section of the book African Origins o f Civilization. Those works contain the collection of all correlations etween Ancient Egypt and India. This vo lume also contains some additional information not contained in the previous work. It was felt that t his sub ject needed to be discussed ore directly, being treated in one volume, as opposed to being contained in the larger work along with other subjects, because even in the early 21st century, the idea persists hat the Yoga and specifically, Yoga Pos tures, were invent ed and developed onl y in India. The Ancient E gypt ians were peoples orig inall y from Africa who were, in ancient imes, colonists in India. Therefore it is no surprise that many Indian traditions including religious and Yogic, would be found earlier in Ancient Egypt. Yet there is ample evidence from ancient writings and perhaps more importantly, iconographical evidences from the Ancient Egyptians themselves and the Indians themselves that prove the connection between Ancient Egypt and India as well as the existence of a discipline of Yoga Postures in Ancient Egypt long before its practice in India. This handy volume has een designed to be accessible to young adults and all others who wo uld li ke to have an easy reference with documentation on this important subject. This is an important subject because the frame of reference with which we look at a culture depends strongly on our conceptions about its origins. In this case, if we look at the Ancient Egyptians as Asiatic peoples we would treat them and their culture in one way. If we see them as Africans we not only see them in a different light but we also must ascribe Africa with a glorious l egacy that matches any other culture in human history. We would also look at t he culture and philosoph ies of the Ancient Egyptians as h aving African insights instead of Asiatic ones. Those insights inform our knowledge bout other African traditions and we can also begin to understand in a deeper way the effect of Ancient Egyptian culture on African culture and also on the Asiatic as well. When we discover the deeper and more ancient practice of the postures system in Ancient Egypt that was called "Hatha Yoga" in India, we are able to find a new and expanded understanding of the practice that constitutes a discipline of spiritual practice that informs and revitalizes the Indian ractices as well as all spiritual dis ciplines. $19.99 ISBN 1-884564-60-7
40.
The Bla ck Ancient Egyptians
This present volume, The Black Ancient Egyptians: The Black African Ancestry of the Ancient Egyptians, formed one subject in the larger work: The African Origins of Civilization, Religion, Yoga Mysticism and Ethics P hilosophy . It was felt t hat this subject needed to be di scussed because even in the early 21st century, the idea persists t hat he Ancient Egyptians were peoples originally from Asia Minor who came into North-East Africa. Yet there is ample evidence from ancient writings and perhaps more importantly, iconographical evidences from the Ancient Egyptians themselves that proves otherwise. This handy volume has been designed to be accessible to young adults and all others who would like to have an easy reference with documentation on this important subject. This is an important subject because the frame of reference with which we look at a culture depends strongly on our conceptions about it s origins. in this case, if we look at th e Ancient Egyptians as A siatic peoples we would treat them and their culture in one way. If we see them as Africans we not only see them in a different light but we also must ascribe Africa with a glorious legacy that matches any other culture in human istory. We would also look at the culture and phi losophies o f the Ancient Eg yptians as h aving African insights instead of Asiatic ones. Those insig hts in form our knowledge out other African traditions and we can also begin to understand in a deeper way the effect of Ancient Egyptian culture on African culture and also on the Asiatic as well. ISBN 1-884564-21-6 $19.99
41.
The Limi ts of Faith: The Fail ure of Faith-based Religions and the Solution to the Meaning of Life
Is faith belief in something without proof? And if so is there never to be any proof or discovery? If so what is the need of intellect? If faith is trust in something that is real is hat reality histo rical, literal or metaphorical or phil osophical? If knowledge is an essential element in faith why should there by so much emphasis on believing and not on nderstanding in the modern practice of religion? This volume is a compilation of essays related to the nature of religious faith in the context of its inception in human history as ell as its meaning for religious practice and relations between religions in modern times. Faith has come to be regarded as a virtuous goal in life. However, many people have asked how can it be that an endeavor that is supposed to be dedicated to spiritual upliftment has led to more conflict in human history than any other social factor? ISBN 1884564631 SOFT COVER - $19.99, ISBN 1884564623 HARD COVER -$28.95
41. Redemption of The Criminal Heart Through Kemetic Spirituality and Maat Philos ophy Special book dedicated t o in mates, their famili es and members of the Law Enforcement communit y. ISBN: 1-884 564-70 -4 $5.00
42. COMPARATI VE MYTHOLOGY
What are Myth and Culture and what is their importance for understanding the development of societies, human evolution and the search for meaning? What is the purpose of culture and how do cultures evolve? What are the elements of a culture and how can those elements be broken down and the constituent parts of a culture understood and compared? H ow do cult ures interact? How does enculturation occur and how do people interact with oth er cultures? How do the processes of acculturation and cooptation occur and what does this mean for the development of a society? How can the study of myths and the elements of culture help in understanding the meaning of life and the means o promote understanding and peace in the world of human activity? This volume is the exposition of a method for studying and comparing cultures, myths and other social aspects of a society. It is an expansion on the Cultural Category Factor Correlation method for studying and comparing myths, cultures, religions and other aspects of human culture. It was originally introduced in the year 2002. This volume contains an expanded treatment as well as several refinements along with examples of the application of the ethod. the apparent. I hope you enjoy th ese art rendit ions as s erene reflection s of the mysteries of life. ISBN: 1-8845 64-72-0 Book price $21.95
43. CONVERSATION WITH GOD: Revelations o f the Important Questio ns of Life $24.99 U.S.
This vol ume contains a groupin g of some of the quest ions that h ave been submitted to Sebai D r. Muata Ash by. They are efforts by many aspi rants to better und erstand and ractice the teaching s of mysti cal spiritu ality. It is said that when sages are asked spiritu al questi ons th ey are relaying th e wisdom of God , the Godd ess, the Higher Self, etc. There is a very special quality about the Q & A process that does not occur during a regular lecture session. Certain points come out that would not come out ot herwise due to he nature of the process which ideally occurs after a lecture. Having been to a certain degree enlightened by a lecture certain new questions arise and the answers to these have he effect of elevatin g the teachin g of the lecture to even hig her levels. Therefore, enjoy these exchanges and may they l ead you to enligh tenment, peace and prosperity. Avail able Late Summer 2007 ISBN: 1 -88456 4-68-2
44. MYSTIC ART PAINTINGS (with Full Color images) This book contains a collection of the small number of paintings that I have created over the years. Some were used as early book covers and others ere done simply to express certain spiritual feelings; some were created for no purpose except to express the joy of color and the feeling of relaxed freedom. All are to elicit ystical awakening in the viewer. Writing a book on philosophy is like sculpture, the more the work is rewritten the reflections and ideas become honed and take form and ecome clearer and imbued with intellectual beauty. Mystic music is like meditation, a world of its own that exists about 1 inch above ground wherein the musician does not ouch the ground. Mystic Graphic Art is meditation in form, color, image and reflected image which opens the door to the reality behind the apparent. I hope you enjoy these art enditions and my reflections on them as serene reflections of the mysteries of life, as visual renditions of the philosophy I have written about over the years. ISBN 1-884564-690 $19.95
45. ANCIENT EGYPTIAN HIEROGLYPHS FOR BEGINNERS This brief guide was prepared for those inquiring about how to enter into Hi eroglyphic studies on their own at home or in s tudy groups. First of all you s hould kn ow that here are a few institutions around the world which teach how to read the Hieroglyphic text but due to the nature of the study there are perhaps only a handful of people who can ead fluently. It is possible for anyone with average intelligence to achieve a high level of proficiency in reading inscriptions on temples and artifacts; however, reading extensive texts is another issue entirely. However, this in troduction will give you entry into those texts if assisted by diction aries and other aids. Most Egyptologis ts have a asic knowledge and keep di ctionaries and notes handy when it comes to dealing with more difficult texts. Medtu N eter or the Ancient E gyptian hi eroglyphic language has been considered as a "Dead Language." However, dead languages have always been studied by individuals who for the most part have taught themselves through various means. This ook will discuss those means and how to use them most efficiently. ISBN 1884564429 $28.95
46. ON THE MYSTERIES: Wisdom of An Ancient Egyptian Sage -with Foreword by Muata Ashby
This volume, On the Mysteries, by Iamblichus (Abamun) is a unique form or scripture out of the Ancient Egyptian religious tradition. It is written in a form that is not usual or which is not usually found in the remnants of Ancient Egyptian scriptures. It is in the form of teacher and disciple, much like the Eastern scriptures such as Bhagavad Gita or he Upanishads. This form of writing may not have been necessary in Ancient times, because the format of teaching in Egypt was different prior to the conquest period by the Persians, Assyrians, Greeks and later the Romans. The question and answer format can be found but such extensive discourses and corrections of misunderstandings within the context of a teacher - disciple relationship is not usual. It therefore provides extensive insights into the times when it was written and the state of practice of Ancient Egyptian and oth er myst ery religion s. This has i mportant i mpli cations for our times because we are today, as in th e Greco-Roman p eriod, also besi eged with varied religi ons and n ew age hilosophies as well as social strife and war. How can we understand our times and also make sense of the forest of spiritual traditions? How can we cut through the cacophony of religious fanaticism, and ignorance as well as misconceptions about the mysteries on the other in order to discover the true purpose of religion and the secret teachings that open up the mysteries of life and the way to enlightenment and immortality? This book, which comes to us from so long ago, offers us transcendental wisdom that applied to the orld two thousand years ago as well as our world today. ISBN 1-884564-64-X $25.95
47. The Ancient Egyptian Wis dom Texts -Compil ed by Muata As hby
The Ancient Egy ptian W isdo m Texts are a genre of writi ngs from the ancient cul ture that h ave surviv ed to th e present and prov ide a vibrant record of the practice of spiritu al evolution otherwise known as religion or yoga philosophy in Ancient Egypt. The principle focus of the Wisdom Texts is the cultivation of understanding, peace, harmony, selfless service, self-control, Inner fulfillment and spiritual realization. When these factors are cultivated in human life, the virtuous qualities in a human being begin to manifest and sinfulness, ignorance and negativity di minish until a person is able t o enter into higher consciousness, the coveted goal of all civilizations. It is this virtuous mode of life hich opens the door to self-discovery and spiritual enlightenment. Therefore, the Wisdom Texts are important scriptures on the subject of human nature, spiritual psychology and myst ical phil osop hy. The teachings p resented in the Wi sdom Texts form the foundatio n of religion as well as the gu ideli nes for conductin g the affairs of every area of social int eraction in cludi ng commerce, education , the army, marriage, and especially t he legal s ystem. These texts were sou rces for the famous 4 2 P recepts of Maat of the Pert M Heru (Book of the Dead), essenti al regulation s of good cond uct to develop vi rtue and purity in order to attain hi gher conscious ness and immortalit y after death. ISBN1-884564 -658 $18.95
48. THE KEMETIC TREE OF LIFE THE KEMETIC TREE OF LIFE: Newly Revealed Ancient Egyptian Cosmology and Metaphysics for Higher Consciousness The Tree of Life is a roadmap of a journey
hich explains how Creation came into being and how it will end. It also explains what Creation is composed of and also what human beings are and what they are composed of. It also explains the process of Creation, how Creation develops, as well as who created Creation and where that entity may be found. It also explains how a human being may discover that entity and in so doing also discover the secrets of Creation, the meaning of life and the means to break free from the pathetic condition of human limitation and
ortalit y in order to d iscover the hi gher realms of being by dis covering t he principl es, the levels of exist ence that are beyond the si mple phy sical and material aspects of life. This ook contains color plates ISBN: 1-884564-74-7 $27.95 U.S.
49-MATRIX OF AFRICAN PROVERBS: The Ethical and Spiritual B lueprint
This volume sets forth the fundamental principles of African ethics and their practical applications for use by individuals and organizations seeking to model their ethical olici es usin g the Traditio nal African values and concepts of ethical human behavior for the proper sus tenance and management of society. Furthermore, this boo k wil l provi de guidance as to how the Traditional African Ethics may be viewed and applied, taking into consideration the technological and social advancements in the present. This volume also p resents t he princip les of ethical cult ure, and references for each to sp ecific inj uncti ons from Tradit ional A frican Prov erbial Wis dom Teachings. These teachings are compiled rom varied Pre-colon ial African societies in cludin g Yoruba, Ash anti, Kemet, Malawi, Nigeria, Ethiop ia, Galla, Ghana and many more. ISBN 1-88456 4-77-1
50- Growing B eyond Hate: Keys to Freedom f rom Discord, Racism, Sexism, Political Conf lict, Clas s Warf are, Violence, and How to Achieve Peace and Enlightenment---INTRODUCTION: WH Y DO WE HATE? Hatred is on e of the fundamental motivatin g aspects of human life; the other is des ire. Desire can be of a worldly ature or of a spirit ual, elevating n ature. Worldly d esire and hatred are like two s ides of the same coin in t hat human life is us ually s waying from one to t he other; bu t the question is why? And is there a way to satis fy the desiring or hating mind in such a way as to find peace in life? Why do human beings go to war? Why do human beings erpetrate violence against one another? And is there a way not just to understand the phenomena but to resolve the issues that plague humanity and could lead to a more armonious society? Hatred is perhaps the greatest scourge of humanity in that it leads to misunderstanding, conflict and untold miseries of life and clashes between individuals, societi es and natio ns. Therefore, the riddle of Hatred, that is , understandi ng th e sources of it and h ow to con front, reduce and even eradicate it so as to b ring forth the fulfillment in l ife and peace for society, should be a top priority for social scientists, spiritualist s and philosophers. This book is w ritten from the perspective of spiritual philoso phy based on t he mystical wis dom and sema or yoga philosophy of the Ancient Egypti ans. This p hilosophy, origi nated and based in the wisd om of Shetaut Neter, the Egypti an Mysteries, and Maat, ethical way of life in society and i n spi rit, contains Sema-Yogic wi sdom and understandi ng of life’s p redicaments t hat can allow a hu man being of any ethnic group to nderstand and overcome the causes of hatred, racism, sexism, viol ence and dish armony i n li fe, that plagu e human soci ety. ISBN: 1-8845 64-81-X
Arti cl e XVIII.
52.
Guide to Creating a Kemeti c Marriage Contract
This marital contract guide reflects actual Ancient Egyp tian Principles for Kemetic M arriage as they are to be applied for our t imes. The marital contract allows people to have a framework with which t o face the challenges of marital relations instead of rely ing on hopes or romantic dreams that everyt hing will workout somehow; in other words, love is not all you need. The latter is not an evolved, mature way of handling one of the most important aspects of human life. Therefore, it behooves any one who wishes t o enter into a marriage to explore the issues, express their needs and seek to avoid costly mistakes, and resolve conflicts in the normal course of life or make sure that their rights and dignity will be protected if any eventuality should occur. Marital relations in Ancient Egypt were not like those in other countries of the time and not like those of present day countries. The extreme longevity of Ancient Egyptian society, founded in Maat philosophy, allowed the social development of marriage to evolve and progress to a high level of order and balance. Maat rep resents t ruth, righteous, ustice and harmony in life. This meant that the marital partner’s rights were to be protected with equal standing before the law. So there was no disp arity between rights of men or rights of women. Therefore, anyone who wants t o enter into a marriage based on Kemetic principles must first and foremost adhere to t his standard…equality in the rights of men and women. This guide demonstrates p rocedures for following the Ancient Egyp tian practice of formalizing marriage with a contract that spells out the important concerns of each partner in the marital relationship, based on Maatian principles [of righteous, truth, harmony and justice] so that the rights and needs of each partner may be protected within the marriage. It also allows the partners to think about issues that arise out of the marital relations so that they may have a foundation to fall back on in the event that those or other unforeseen issues arise and cause conflict in the relationship. By having a document of expressed concerns, needs and steps to be taken to address them, it is less likely that issues which affect the relationship in a negative way will arise, and when t hey do, they will be better handled, in a more balanced, just and amicable way. EBOOKISBN 978-1-937016-59-3, HARDCOPYBOOKISBN: 1-884564-82-8
Arti cle XIX. Music Based on the Prt M Hru and other Kemetic Texts Available on Compact Disc $14.99 and Audio Cassette $9.99
Adorations to the Goddess- Vol. 1 Music for Worshi p of the Goddess based on the goddess teachings an d words of power of Ancient Egypt NEW Egyptian Yoga Music CD by Sehu Maa Ancient Egyptian Music CD
©1999 By Muata Ashby CD $14.99 –
MERIT’S INS PIRATION NEW Egyptian Yoga Music CD by Sehu Maa Ancient Egyptian Music CD
Instrumental M usic played on reproductions of Ancient Egypt ian Instruments– Ideal for meditation and reflection on the Divine and for the practice of sp iritual programs and Yoga exercise sessions. ©1999 By Muata Ashby CD $14.99 – UPC# 761527100429
ANORATIONS TO RA AND HETHERU NEW Egyptian Yoga Music CD By Sehu Maa (Muata Ashby) Based on the Words of Power of Ra and HetHeru play ed on reproductions of Ancient Egypt ian Instruments Ancient Egyptian Instrumen ts used: Voice, Cl apping, Ne fer Lute, Tar Drum, Si strums, Cymbals – The Chants, Devotions, Rhythms and Festive S ongs Of the Ne teru – Ideal for meditation, and devotional singi ng and dancing.
©1999 By Muata Ashby CD $14.99 – UPC# 761527100221
SONGS TO ASAR ASET AND HERU NEW Egyptian Yoga Music CD By Sehu Maa
played on reproductions of Ancient Egypt ian Instruments– The Chants, Devotions, Rhythms and Festive Songs Of the Neteru - Ideal f or meditation, and devotional singi ng and dancing. Bas ed on the Words of Power of Asar (Asa r), Aset (Aset) and Heru (Heru) Om
Asar Aset Heru is the third in a series of musical explorations of the Kemetic (Ancient Egyptian) tradition of music. Its ideas are based on the Ancient Egyptian Religion of Asar, Aset and Heru and it is designed for listening, meditation and worship. ©1999 By Muata Ashby CD $14.99 –
UPC# 761527100122
HAARI OM: ANCIENT EGYPT MEETS INDIA IN MUSIC NEW Music CD By Sehu Maa The Chants, Devotions, Rhythms and Festive Songs Of the Ancient Egypt and India, harmonized and played on reproductions o f ancient instruments along with modern instruments and beats. I deal f or editation, and devotional singing and dancing. Haari Om is the fourth in a series of musical explorations of the Kemetic (Ancient Egyptian) and Indian traditions of music, chanting and devotional spiritual practice. Its ideas are based on the Ancient Egyptian Yoga spirituality and Indian Yoga spirituality. ©1999 By Muata Ashby CD $14.99 – UPC# 761527100528
RA AKHU: THE GLORIOU S LIGHT NEW Egyptian Yoga Music CD By Sehu Maa
The fifth collection of original music compositions based on the Teachings and Words of The Trinity , the God Asar and the Goddess Nebethet, the Divinity At en, the God Heru, and the Special Meditat ion Hekau or Words of Power of Ra from the Ancient Egyptian Tomb of Seti I and more... play ed on reproductions of Ancient Egypt ian Instruments and modern instruments - Ancient Egyptian Instruments used: Voice, Clapping, Nefer Lute, Tar Drum, Sistrums, Cymbals
– The Chants, Devotions, Rhythms and Festive Songs Of the Neteru – Ideal fo r meditation, and devotional s inging and dancing. ©1999 By Muata Ashby CD $14.99 – UPC# 761527100825
GLORIES OF THE DIVINE MOTHER
Based on the hieroglyphic text of the worship of Goddess Net. The Glories of The Great Mother ©2000 Muata Ashby
CD $14.99 UPC# 761527101129`
NEW RELEASE
©2002 M usic based on the Ancient Egyp tian tradition of birt h music and sounds for the ceremony of giving birth.
NEW RELEASE
©2003 Music for Meditation and Relaxation NEW RELEASE
©2005 Dua Asar M usic based on the Asarian tradition and more Ancient Egyp tian traditions. Includes remixes and new releases M AIN VIDEOS Egyptian Yoga Exercise Class Level 1 Muata Ashby (Writer), M uata Ashby (Producer), M uata Ashby (Director)
List Price: $25.00 80 minutes, NTSC UPC: 883629024394 Discover the practice of Egyptian Yoga postures based on the posture system practiced by the Ancient Egyptian priests and priestesses of Ancient Egypt. This is a practice for physical health but also for mental mythological and spiritual journey to higher consciousness. Introduction to Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs Muata Ashby (Writer), M uata Ashby (Producer), M uata Ashby (Director)
List Price: $25.00 60 minutes, NTSC UPC: 883629113227 Introduction to Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs Class 1 Introduction to Egyptian Yoga Muata Ashby (Writer), M uata Ashby (Producer), M uata Ashby (Director)
List Price: $25.00 60 minutes, NTSC UPC: 883629113159 Introduction t o Egyptian Yoga philosop hy and its influence on other world religions as well as its imp lications for sp iritual evolution as conceived by the Ancient Egyptian sages Lecture by Dr. Muata Ashby Glorious Light Meditation System of Ancient Egypt Muata Ashby (Writer), M uata Ashby (Producer), M uata Ashby (Director)
List Price: $25.00 60 minutes, NTSC UPC: 883629113104 Glorious Light Meditation System of Ancient Egypt is the oldest practice of formal meditation before Buddhism, Hinduism and Taoism. Ra Akhu, the glorious light was commissioned by the Pharaoh Sety 1 and it was enjoined for men and women to p ractice. This DVD is an introduction to the system and a practice session. Asarian Resurrection: Myth of Asar, Aset and Heru (Osiris, Isis and Horus) Muata Ashby (Writer), M uata Ashby (Producer), M uata Ashby (Director)
List Price: $25.00 60 minutes, NTSC UPC: 883629111247 Audiovisual lecture by Dr. Muata Ashby on the most important myth of ancient Egypt based on the myth of Osiris, Isis and Horus, and its spiritual implications for att aining spiritual enlightenment
Ancient Egyp tian M usic Session Live Performances Muata Ashby (Writer), M uata Ashby (Producer), M uata Ashby (Director)
List Price: $25.00 60 minutes, NTSC UPC: 883629113241 Ancient Egyp tian M usic Session Live Performances using Ancient Egyp tian musical instrument reproductions and original lyric from ancient Egyptian hymbs and texts Introduction to M aat Philosophy Muata Ashby (Writer), M uata Ashby (Producer), M uata Ashby (Director)
List Price: $25.00 60 minutes, NTSC UPC: 883629113234 Introduction to M aat Philosophy , the Ancient Egyp tan p hilosophy of social order, justice and truth Introduction to Shetaut Neter Part 1 -Egyp tian Myst eries Muata Ashby (Writer), M uata Ashby (Producer), M uata Ashby (Director)
List Price: $25.00 60 minutes, NTSC UPC: 883629113166 Audiovisual with powerpoint presentation on Shetaut Neter philosophy, the Egyptian mysteries, the Ancient Egyptian religious principles of metap hysics and myst icism. Lecture by Dr. M uata Ashby Pan-Africanism in Light of Maat Philosophy Muata Ashby (Writer), M uata Ashby (Producer), M uata Ashby (Director)
List Price: $25.00 60 minutes, NTSC UPC: 883629113173
Pan-Africanism in Light of Maat Philosophy relates to how the concept of seein African culture in its totality relates to the promotion of African political, economic and social wellbeing under African principles of spiritual ethics Lecture by Dr. M uata Ashby Mythology of the Ancient Egyptian Yoga Postures Muata Ashby (Writer), M uata Ashby (Producer), M uata Ashby (Director)
List Price: $25.00 60 minutes, NTSC UPC: 883629113265 Lecture series by Dr. Muata Ashby-Course traces the African Origins of Civilization, Religion and Philosophy. This video traces the origins and development of the Ancient Egyptian Yoga Postures. Contains slide presentation with actual original photos of the original postures from Ancient Egypt.
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Williamson, John (1990) "What Washington Means by Policy Reform" in John Williamson, ed. Lati n Am eri can Ad jus tm ent: Ho w Mu ch H as Hap pened ? (Washington, DC: Institute for International Economics [2] http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/31/business/31wanniski.html Jude Wanniski, 69, Journalist Who Coined the Term 'Supply-Side Economics,' Dies [3] http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voodoo_Economics [4] Modern History Sourcebook: Benito Mussolini: What is Fascism, 1932, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/mussolini-fascism.html [5] Case, K. E. & Fair, R. C. (2007). Pr in cipl es of E cono mi cs: 8 Ed it io n . Upper Saddle Rive, NJ: P rentice Hall. [6] Paul Robin Krugman (born February 28, 195 3) is an A merican economist, colu mnist , author, and int ellectual. He is professor of economics and i nternatio nal affairs at Princeton Uni versity, and is also a columnist for The New York Times , writing a twice-weekly op-ed for the newspaper since 2000. [7] Malabre, Jr., Alfred L. (1994). Lost P rop hets : An Ins id er's H is to ry of t he Mo dern E cono mi st s , p. 182. Harvard Business School Press. ISBN 0-87584-441-3. [8] see Pi ketty, Thomas and E mmanuel Saez (2003) "Income Inequalit y in the Un ited States " Quarterly Journal of Economics, 118(1): 1-38 [9] government by corporations (industry) [10] American Heritage Dicti onary [11] ibid [12] National Debt clock, http:// www.brillig.com/debt_clock/ [13] American Heritage Dicti onary [14]Confessi ons of an Economic Hit Man By John P erkins [15] Patholog ical Consumption by Addison Wi ggin. Addison Wi ggin is editorial director and publisher of The Daily Reckoning. He is also the co-author, along with Bill Bonner, of the recently released N ew York Times bestsell er, Empire of Debt: The Rise of an Epic Financial Cri sis. [16] 2005 China Revaluation. All rights reserved. http://www.chinarevaluation.com/impact_on_other_markets_euro.shtml [17] theconservativevoice.com http://www.theconservativevoice.com/article/13186.html [18] http:// www.innworldreport.net/# [19] Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 [20] Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 [21] ibid [22] ibid [23] http://engli sh.pravda.ru/world/americas/31-01-2006/75027-dollar-0 [24] The Standard and Poor's Corporation (S&P), a subsidiary of McGraw-Hill, is a company that performs financial research and analysis on stocks and debt instruments. It is one of the top three players in this business. The other two are Moody's and A. M. Best. It is best known for its US-based S&P 500 and the Australian S&P 200 stock market index. Wikipedi a, the free encyclop edia © 2001-20 06 [25] Robinson, Joan Violet, 1903–83, British economist, b. Surrey, England. A socialist, she worked with Keynes and taught at Cambridge Univ. (1931–71). Her treatise, The Economics of Imperfect Competition (1933), analyzes the debates over monopolistic competition and microeconomic theory. Robinson was outspoken in her criticism of social an d economic injus tices again st t he developi ng nat ions ; sh e came under fire from some Cambridge col leagues, particul arly because of her criti cism of neoclassi cal economic heory. Other works by Robinson include An Essay on Marxian Economics (1942), and The Accumulation of Capital (1956, 3d. ed. 1985). Source: The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004, Columbia University Press. [26] An alysis of President's Budget Table 1-3 P age 6 ht tp://ww w.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/78xx/doc7878/03-21-PresidentsBudget.pdf [27] CBO Study Grey Box Page 1 [28] Why Invest in Gold Now? By Dr David Evans [29] U.S. Trade Deficit H its A ll-Time High February 10, 2006 7:2 5AM http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=41546 [30] Psych ol ogy . a person of borderline in telli gence in a former classification of mental retardatio n, having an in telli gence quoti ent of 50 to 69.
[31] This was taken from a speech at his alma mater Georgetown U niversi ty in 2 006 [32] The U.S. Housing Market Collapse of 2005 By Dan Denn ing [33] CNN money.com http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/21/news/economy/bernanke.reut/index.htm [34] Japan's P M sees end to deflation –BBC Friday, 3 March 2006 , [35] the central bank of the Unit ed States; in corporates 12 Federal Reserve branch banks and all n ational banks and state charted commercial banks and s ome trust companies; "the Fed seeks to control the United States economy by raising and lowering short-term interest rates and the money supply" [36] The Undervalued Asset Looking For A Catalyst by Jim Puplava July 2, 2003 [37]The U.S. Housing Market Collapse of 2005 By Dan Denning [38] Article: Why Invest in Gold Now? By Dr David Evans [39] The U.S. Housing Market Collapse of 2005 By Dan Denn ing [40] ibid [41] Gretchen Morgenson is assistant business and financial editor and a columnist at the New York Times. She has covered the world financial markets for the Times since May 1998 and w on th e Puli tzer Prize in 20 02 for her "trenchant and incisi ve" coverage of Wall Street. [42] NEWS AND ANALYSIS; The Envelopes, Please, January 2, 2005, Sunday By GRETCHEN MORGENSON (NYT); SundayBusiness. [43] SHAKE-UP AT FANNIE MAE : THE OVERVIEW; Assess ing What Wi ll Now Happ en to Fannie Mae, December 17, 2004, Friday, By STEPHE N LA BATON; GRETCHEN MORGENSON CONTRIBUTED, REPORTING FOR THIS ARTICLE. (NYT); Business/Financial Desk Late Edition - Final, Section C, Page 1, Column 2, 1235 words [44] the material wealth of the 20 th century allo wed peopl e to eat more meat and turn t o a meat based diet inst ead of the pl ant based d iet of the 19 th century and prior and that led to the highest increase of cancer and heart disease in human history that have killed more people than al l of the wars of the 20 th century, al l natural disasters and al l automobile accidents COMBINED. From The Rave Diet [45] Article: Why Invest in Gold Now? By Dr David Evans [46] http://www.edmunds.com/new/2006/toyota/corolla/index.html?mktcat=makemodel-toyota&kw=toyota+corolla&mktid=ga11328159 [47] Third World is a term originally used to dist inguish those nations that neither aligned with the West nor with the East during t he Cold War. These countries are also nown as the Global South, developing countries, and least developed countries in academic circles. Development workers also call them the two-thirds world and The South. Some dislike the term developing countries as it implies that industrialization is the only way forward, while they believe it is not necessarily the most beneficial. Many "third orld" countries are located in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. They are often nations that were colonized by another nation in the past. The populations of third world countries are generally very poor but with high birth rates. In general they are not as industrialized or technologically advanced as the first world. The majority of the countries in the world fit this classification. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 [48] From Wikipedia Encyclopedia [49] GOLD -INVESTMENT.INFO,http://www.gold-investment.info/why_invest_in_gold_1.htm [50] “ Baby Boomer” generatio n [51] government estimates put the shortfalls at 11 trillion however, private studies have put the Medicare and Social Security deficit at over 45 trillion [52] ibid [53] February 3, 2006, Shared Responsibilities: Solving the Problem of Global Imbalances University of California, Berkley [54] Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 [55] De jure (in Classical L atin d e iure) is an expression that means "based on l aw", as contrast ed wit h de facto, which means "in fact". The terms de jure and d e facto are used inst ead of "in principl e" and "in practice", respectively, when one is describin g pol iti cal situ ation s. Wiki pedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 [56] Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 [57] The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004, Columbia University Press. [58] Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 [59] ibid [60] Why Invest in Gold Now? By Dr David Evans [61] Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 [62] INN World Report –Dish TV March. 8 2006 [INNWorldReport.net] [63] http://w ww.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/16/AR200603160 2019_pf.html [64] http://news.goldseek.com/JamesTurk/1142438460.php [65] Democracy Now.org Fmr. GOP Strategist Kevin Phillips on American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century 3-21-06 [66] Defunct Econ omist s by Wi lli am Greider post ed December 2, 2004 (December 20, 2004 is sue) The Nation [67] The signato ries of the Declaration o f Independence are often referred to as "Founders". George Washi ngto n was als o dominant perso n. [68] African Religion Vol 4 : As arian Theology by Muata Ashby [69] The 42 P recepts of Maat and the Phil osop hy of Right eous Acti on of the Wis dom Sages, by Muata Ashb y (Ancient Eg ypti an Wisdo m Texts) [70] see the book African Origins by Muata Ashby [71] see the book Introduction to Maat Phi losophy by Muata Ashby [72] deben: about 92 grammes, ten kit equal led one deben. [73] seniu: or shat, was used u nti l the New K ingd om, one twel fth of a deben, about 7 .6 grammes, was replaced by the kit . [74] Coins s truck in Ancient E gypt exhibit the Athenian owl , but the Greek olive branch was substi tuted for a papyrus plant and the inscriptions were in Aramaic or Demotic. [75] Wangst edt, Sten V. Ausg ewählte demotische Ost raka aus der Sammlung d es Victoria-Museums zu Upp sala und der Staatli chen Papyru ssammlung zu Berlin [76] Origins of Money and of Banking by Roy Davie [77] a British financial sys tem in wh ich a bank or a post office transfers money fromone account to another when t hey receive authorizatio n to do so
[78] Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 [79] see the books Eg ypti an B ook of the D ead and Intr odu cti on t o Ma at P hil oso phy by Muata Ashby [80] The Great Bust Ahead by Daniel A. Arnold [81] July 21, 2004 - A merica's erica's Protestant majority majority i s about to di sappear, sappear, according according to a new stud y by researc researchers hers at the Uni versity of Chicago. Chicago. According to s urvey results rom more than 43,000 Americans gathered over the last 30 years, the percentage of Protestants in the national population has shrunk from 63 percent in 1993 to 52 percent in 2002. [82] From Wikipedia, th e free free encyclopedia. [83] Exploring Social Change by Harper and and Leicht pp 332 [84] Exploring Social Change by Harper and and Leicht pp 335 [85] Glen "Rodney" King (born April 2, 1965 in Sacramento, California) was an African-American motorist who, while videotaped by a bystander (George Holliday), was orcibly subdued and arrested by Los Angeles police officers (LAPD) during a police traffic stop on March 3, 1991. The incident raised an outcry in the African-American comm communit y, which b elieved th e incident was racially motivated. The subsequ ent acquit tal in a st ate court of four four officers officers charged with usin g excessive excessive force in subdui ng Ki ng led o the 1992 Los Angeles riots and mass mass protest around the country. [86] Farenheight 911 by Michael Moore [87] The Party of Davos by Jeff Faux [88] Paul Adol ph Volcker Volcker (born September 5 in Cape May, May, New Jersey, Jersey, 1927 ), economist, economist, is b est-kno wn as t he Chairman Chairman of the Federal Federal Reserve under U nited States Presi dents Jimmy Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan (from (from Augu st 197 9 to Au gust 1 987). From Wiki pedia ancyclopedi a. [89] Daily Reckoning Reckoning Financial Financial Newsletter http:// www.dailyreckoning.com www.dailyreckoning.com/LP/ /LP/ OutstandingInvestments.htm OutstandingInvestments.htmll [90] Documentary: Deadly Arrogance: Nu clear Nightmare [91] Fmr. Fmr. Democratic Democratic Senator and President ial Candidat e Gary Hart: “ Both Ho uses of Congress Congress Belon g to the P resident ’s P arty” Tuesday, Tuesday, March March 28th, 2006 Democracynow.org [92] Egyptian P roverbs by Muata Muata Ashby [93] Arundhat i Roy Abrig ed version o f speech given at the World Social Forum in Mumbai Mumbai , 16. January January 2004 INDIA: `We have to b ecome ecome the glo bal resist ance -January -January 16, author and activist Arundhati Roy [94] Democracy Democracy now transcript Anto nia Juhasz on The Bush Agenda- Invadi ng th e World, One Econo my at a Time Time Tuesday, April 25th , 2006 [95] Senate Report: Bush Deliberately Distorted Pre-War Intelligence
In other Iraq Iraq news, a newly released released Senate report report has concluded President George Bush and his top p olicymaker olicymakerss deliberately disto rted Saddam Saddam Hussein’s links to alQaeda and igno red dou bts among among int ellig ence agencies abou t Iraq’s arms arms prog rams rams as th ey made made a case for for war. Sen. John John Ro ckefeller, ckefeller, the chair of the Senate Intell igence Comm Committ ee said the report shows the admini admini stratio n “ led the nation to war on false false premises.” premises.” http: //ww w.democracynow.org/20 w.democracynow.org/20 08/6 /6/ headlin es#2
Article rtic le I.
935 Lies (and Counting): Study Documents Documents Bush A dmin’s False Statements Preceding Preceding Iraq War
A new stud y from from the Center for for Publ ic Integrity has revealed Presi dent Bush and t op admini admini stratio n off officials made a total of 935 false false publ ic statements statements abou t Iraq’s alleged ational security threat in the two years following the 9/11 attacks. President Bush made the most false statements—260. Colin Powell, his then-secretary of state, made 254 false statements. statements. We sp eak with the founder of the Center for for P ublic Integrity, Charles Charles L ewis. http: //www.democra //www.democracynow.or cynow.org/2008/1/ g/2008/1/ 24/935_lies_and_counting_s tudy_counts [96] Hersh: Nukes Unlikely Vs. Iran WASHINGTON, April 10, 2006 (CBS) Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Seymour Hersh writes in the latest issue of The New Yorker agazine agazine that t he use of tactical tactical nuclear weapons weapons is one option being considered by the administration administration if Tehran ehran doesn't abandon what Washington and other nations suspect are eff efforts b y Iran to devel op nu clear weapons. http:// www.cbsnews.com www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/04/ /stories/2006/04/ 10/earlyshow/main1483568.shtm 10/earlyshow/main1483568.shtmll [97] Democra Democracy cy now transcript Pentagon Papers Whistleblower Daniel Ell sberg to Government Government Insiders: Risk Prison to L eak Inform Information ation Exposing Illegal Government Government Actions Wednesday, April 26th, 2006 [98] The The Real Real Reasons Reasons Why Iran is the Next Next Target: Target: The The Emerging Emerging Euro -denominated International Oil Marker by William Clark www.globalresearch.ca www.globalresearch.ca The URL of this article is: http://globalresearch.ca/articles/CLA410A.html [99] Wikipedia Encyclopedia
27 October 2004
[100] Petrodollar or Petroeuro? A new source of global conflict The current political and economic rift between the US and the European Union has been called a clash of civilizations. Its major cause is a struggle over the gains to be had from producing the world's leading currency -by Cóilín Nunan [101] Target Target Iran: Former Former UN Weapons Ins pector Scott Rit ter and Investi gativ e Journali Journali st Seymour Hersh on Whit e House P lans for Regime Regime Change Change December December 21, 2006 http:// www.democra www.democracynow.org/2006/12/21/target_iran_f cynow.org/2006/12/21/target_iran_form ormer_un_wea er_un_weapons_inspector pons_inspector [102] What Did Bush Know on Iran, Iran, and When Did He Know It? Decem December 05, 2007
Arti cle cl e II. II. http://www.democracynow.org/2007/12/5/what_did_bush_know_on_iran [103]
Democracynow.org, Democracynow.org, April 28 , 2008 ttp://w ww.democra ww.democracynow.org/2008/4/28/un_nuclear_watc cynow.org/2008/4/28/un_nuclear_watchdog_chief hdog_chief_blasts_us _blasts_us
[104] Is Israel Preparin g to Bo mb Iran? The New York Tim es reported Friday that Israel recently carried out a major mili tary exercise that Pent agon officials say appeared to b e a rehearsal for a pot ential b ombing attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. More than 100 Israeli F-16 and F-15 fighter planes took part in the maneuvers over the eastern Mediterranean and Greece. June 23, 2008 ttp://w ww.democracynow.org/2008/6/23/is_is rael_preparing_to_bomb_iran
Arti cle III.
[105] Despite Intelligence Assess ment, Bush Defends Iran Threats
President Bush continues t o insi st Iran threatens the Uni ted States despite the new N ational Intelligence Estimate refuting most o f his key claims. This week’s consensus eport from all sixteen U.S. intelligence agencies concludes Iran shut down its nuclear weapons program more than four years ago. In his first public comments, President Bush said his positi on is unchanged. President B ush: “I believed before the NIE that Iran was dangerous and I believe after the NIE that Iran is dangerous. And I believe now it is time for the world to do the hard work necessary to convince the Iranians t here is a better way forward.”
Presid ent Bush w as also asked i f he was aware of the assess ment when h e warned of a “ World War Three” less th an two months ago. Bush admitted he was first informed of ew information in August, but says he didn’t find out the specifics—until last week. Democratic Senator Joseph Biden responded: "If that’s true he has the most incompetent staff in modern American history.” [106] http://w ww.dollarcollapse.com/faq/default.asp?CATE=0#4 [107] Williamson, John (1989). "What Washington Means by Policy Reform", in Williamson, John (ed.): Lati n Am erica n Read ju stm ent: How Much has Hap pened . Washington: Institute for International Economics. [108] Mason, Mike (1997). Develo pmen t an d Di sor der: A H is tor y of th e Third W orl d si nce 194 5 . Hanover: University Press of New England, 428. ISBN 0874518296. [109] See the book Deat h of A meri can E mpi re by Muata Ashby [110]Zbigniew Brzezinsk i, The Grand Chessb oard: American Pri macy and Its Geost rategic Imperatives (New Y ork: Basic Book s, 1997), 24-25. [111] Ibid., 212; cf. 35-36. [112] [113]
7/1/2008 - http://www.barackobama.com/issues/foreignpolicy/ http://www.primaryplace.org/node/394
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Ar ti cles of Impeachment Against George W. Bush by Cent er for Con sti tu ti onal Righ ts (Mar 1, 200 6), The Case f o r Im peach ment : The Legal A rgu ment for Rem ovin g Pr esid ent G eorg e W . Bush fr om O ff ice by D ave Li ndo rff and Barbara Ol sh ansk y (May 2, 200 6) The Constitut ion in Crisis: The High Crimes of the Bush Administr ation and a Blueprint for Impeachment by John C. Conyers an d El izabet h Ho lt zman (Ap ril 2 007 ) Impea ch th e Pr e sident: The Case Against Bu sh and Cheney by D enni s Lo o, Pet er Ph il li ps, and H ow ard Zinn (O ct 1, 200 6) The Impeachme nt of George W . Bush: A Practical Guide for Concerned Citizens by E li zabeth H ol tzman and Cynt hia L . Cooper (Au g 22, 20 06)
[115] Headlines for June 12 , 2008, http://www.democracynow.org/2008/6/12/headlines#8 [116] see the book Deat h of A mer ican Emp ir e by Muat a Ash by, 20 06 [117] Democracy Now.org Fmr. GOP Strategist Kevin Phillips on American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century 3-21-06 [118] ibid [119] Ancient Egyptian word for Karma, one’s fate due to one’s actions, thoughts and feelings of the past [120] http:// www.solarcookers.org/basics/how.html http://www.sunoven.com/usa.asp [121] http:// www.compactappliance.com [122] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Oil_Bourse [123] March 12, 2008 Headlines for March 12, 2008, http://www.democracynow.org/2008/3/12/headlines#1 [124] June 23, 2008 http://www.democracynow.org/2008/6/23/is_i srael_preparing_to_bomb_iran [125] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/06/18/cnrbs118.xml [126] http:// www.democracynow.org/2008/6/ 30/hersh_congress_agreed_to_bush_request [127] http:// www.democracynow.org/2008/6/ 30/headlines#2 [128] http:// www.democracynow.org/2008/3/ 6/headlines#14 [129] http://www.democracynow.org/2008/6/ 13/headlines#6 [130] http:// www.democracynow.org/2008/6/ 27/as_oil_hit s_another_record_high [131] http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/30/markets/markets_newyork/ind ex.htm?cnn=yes [132] http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2008-04-15-foreclosure-filings-march_N.htm [133] Continuity of government (COG ) is the principle of establishing defined procedures th at allow a government to continue its essential operations in case of nuclear ar or other catastrophic event. [134] The National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive (National Security P residential Directive NSPD-51/Homeland Security Presidential Directive HSPD-20, sometimes called simply "Executive Directive 51" for short), signed by United States President George W. Bush on May 4, 2007, is a Presidential Directive which specifies the pro cedures for conti nuit y of the federal gov ernment i n th e event of a "catastroph ic emergency". Such an emergency is constru ed as "any incid ent, regardless o f locatio n, that resul ts i n extraordinary levels o f mass casualti es, damage, or disrupt ion s everely affecting t he U.S. populati on, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government unctions." [HSU, S. S. (2007) Bush Changes Continuity Plan: Administration, Not DHS, Would Run Shadow Government. Washington Post. Washington.] The unclassified ortion of the directive was pos ted on the White House website on May 9, 2007, wi thout any further announcement or press b riefings, [White Hous e Revises Post -Disaster Protocol - CommonDreams.org] although Special Assistant to George W. Bush Gordon Johndroe answered several questions on the matter when asked about it by members of he press in early June 2007. [White House Revises Post-Disaster Protocol - CommonDreams.org] [135] Pu bli shed on Tues day, Ap ri l 18 , 2006 b y The Pro gres sive Halliburton's I mmig rant Detention Centers by Ruth Connif
Whil e thous ands of people were celebrating the cont ribut ion A merica's undo cumented immigrants make to our economy, and demanding just ice and recogniti on for workers ho are denied b asic right s, the gov ernment was making p lans for large-scale detentio n centers in case of an "emergency influx" of immigrants . KBR, the Hallib urton subs idi ary ecently reprimanded for gross ov ercharging in its military contracts in Iraq, won a $385 million contract to build the centers. According to the Halliburton website -ww.Hall iburt on.com -- "the contract, which i s effective immediately , provides for establish ing t emporary detenti on and process ing capabil iti es to augment existi ng ICE Detenti on and Removal Operation s P rogram facilit ies in the event o f an emergency influx of immigrants into the U.S., or to supp ort th e rapid develo pment of new programs." [136] D emocracynow .org Headlin es for September 22, 2008 Army Unit to Deploy in October for Domestic Operations Beginni ng in O ctober, the Army plans to st ation an acti ve unit insi de the Uni ted States for the first t ime to serve as an on-call federal respons e in times of emergency. The 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team has spent thirty-five of the last sixty months in Iraq, but now the unit is training for domestic operations. The unit will soon be nder the d ay-to-day con trol of US Army No rth, the A rmy service component o f Northern Command. The Ar my Tim es reports th is new missio n marks the first time an active uni t
