[ivox3]

Dyarza is moving to France.... IMO.

Dr.Ron Paul wrote:

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies twice every year before the congressional Financial Services committee, and I look forward to these opportunities to raise questions about monetary policy. I believe monetary policy is critically important yet overlooked in Washington. Money is the lifeblood of any economy, and control over a nation's currency means control over its economic well being. Fed bankers quite literally determine the value of our money, by controlling the supply of dollars and establishing interest rates. Their actions can make you richer or poorer overnight, in terms of the value of your savings and the buying power of your paycheck. So I urge all Americans to educate themselves about monetary policy, and better understand how a small group of unelected individuals at the Federal Reserve and Treasury department wield tremendous power over our lives.

The following are some excerpted comments from my opening remarks at the hearing with Mr. Bernanke:

Transparency in monetary policy is a goal we should all support. I've often wondered why Congress so willingly has given up its prerogative over monetary policy. Astonishingly, Congress in essence has ceded total control over the value of our money to a secretive central bank.

Congress, although not by law, essentially has given up all its oversight responsibility over the Federal Reserve. There are no true audits, and Congress knows nothing of the conversations, plans, and actions taken in concert with other central banks. We get less and less information regarding the money supply each year, especially now that M3 is no longer reported.

The role the Fed plays in the President's secretive Working Group on Financial Markets goes unnoticed by members of Congress. The Federal Reserve shows no willingness to inform Congress voluntarily about how often the Working Group meets, what actions it takes that affect the financial markets, or why it takes those actions.

But these actions, directed by the Federal Reserve, alter the purchasing power of our money. And that purchasing power is always reduced. The dollar today is worth only four cents compared to the dollar in 1913, when the Federal Reserve started. This has profound consequences for our economy and our political stability. All paper currencies are vulnerable to collapse, and history is replete with examples of great suffering caused by such collapses, especially to a nation's poor and middle class. This leads to political turmoil.

Government officials consistently claim that inflation is in check at barely 2%, but middle class Americans know that their purchasing power--especially when it comes to housing, energy, medical care, and school tuition-- is shrinking much faster than 2% each year.

We look at GDP numbers to reassure ourselves that all is well, yet a growing number of Americans still do not enjoy the higher standard of living that monetary inflation brings to the privileged few. Those few have access to the newly created money first, before its value is diluted.

For example: Before the breakdown of the Bretton Woods system, CEO income was about 30 times the average worker's pay. Today, it's closer to 500 times. It's hard to explain this simply by market forces and increases in productivity. One Wall Street firm last year gave out bonuses totaling $16.5 billion. There's little evidence that this represents free market capitalism.

In 2006 dollars, the minimum wage was $9.50 before the 1971 breakdown of Bretton Woods. Today that dollar is worth $5.15. Congress congratulates itself for raising the minimum wage by mandate, but in reality it has lowered the minimum wage by allowing the Fed to devalue the dollar. We must consider how the growing inequalities created by our monetary system will lead to social discord.

How can a policy of steadily debasing our currency be defended morally, knowing what harm it causes to those who still believe in saving money and assuming responsibility for themselves in their retirement years? Is it any wonder we are a nation of debtors rather than savers?

We need more transparency in how the Federal Reserve carries out monetary policy, and we need it soon.

[-Adrian]

The CFR has me more concerned. Big countries, centralization, and big government just don't work out well. All these nifty little northern European countries are doing so well, i really don't see any point in forcing a EU agenda on them.

And to me nothing appears more dangerous than the idea of having a one-world government, because if that turns Orwellian, nobody gonna be there to bail us out.
You could argue that the CFR is simply about peaceful unification, but i'd pick diversity over "unity" any time.

[Hervé]

on a note... this "sub-primes" problem in US is going to affect the entire world...

Now in France they're accusing a trader for stealing/gambling/loosing 5 billions euros... sure.. a single back office guy... sure... hehe

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/francebanki ... eralecrime

[leoA4D]

The concept of smaller government here is to cede what should be government acting on behalf of the people to big business to convert the needs of the people to money. The CEO of one of the key participants in the sub-prime debacle, a p.i.a. for the world, has given up $37 million of his $77 million severance package, a.k.a., golden parachute. Proof smaller government worked – for him. And the two million people that lost their homes to foreclosure? Revenge; a bank bought out the company the CEO headed up for $4 billion, fired him and gave him $40 million.

[Hybaj]

Adrian, you're not the only one who's getting the creeps from all of these globalisation efforts. People on average will feel much worse under big goverments than small ones because of a factor that is called the human nature. The makers of the US constitution warned us long time ago about the circumstances under which the human nature will be a big problem. Orwell did the same thing. But still our beloved goverment officials throughout the world don't get it. Atleast some of them do. Hi Ron!!

And now even Ahmadinejad said this thing at the inauguration ceremony of new head of National Center for Globalization Studies "mankind's gravest need today is a global government."

Now if even Ahmadinejad says this then it's really getting out of control. We're facing complete ignorants who naively believe in these pathetic fantasies of a world united in peace under one big goverment. Just try to remember how many sci-fi novels had single planet goverments. Just think of how naive and stupid is the thinking that we can conquer terrorism by using an army against it.

If we don't acknowledge our own very weak human nature then say goodbye to any progress we had up till now.

If you still don't believe that there are kooks who beleive that large global goverments are the future of humanity just look at this http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 8705279626

[codygo]

It's nice to see that there are others interested in economic policy, and to that end, Ron Paul. He is the only sane choice we have in this time when both our economy and our civil liberties are in jeopardy. No other candidate is truly addressing the issues behind our falling economy, inflation, Patriot Act.

How many people out there even know that the Federal Reserve is run by private investors? How many people will vote for McCain despite his obvious ignorance on how our economy works (see the Florida GOP debates where he fumbled Ron Paul's question regarding the President's Working Group)? It might not be surprising, but it doesn't make it any less sad or frustrating.

[ivox3]

The movement is much larger than it would appear, ..aside from the very present and obvious internet support.

Just talking with friends, .. many feel RP is the man, but feel it's pointless to support someone whom they feel has no real chance.

So, .. the playing field isn't exactly level, but somehow the movement is still gaining momentum.

My personal stance is that, .. railing against the establishment isn't the way to victory -- it only fortifies the existing resistance within the opposition and then irritation in the minds of fence sitters. Gentle awareness seems to be the key, ... an easing in to the believing of new possibilities for a completely new paradigm.

[ivox3]

Here's another perspective .....

I call it , ..Land of the Sodomite Damned. LOL.

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?doc ... 44686470&q

[JDHill]

...feel the love.



btw...check it out...best image ever @ 2:24 - http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?doc ... 3536875238

[killian2828]

You just have to learn to laugh about what the Westboro "church" is preaching about these days.


You do have to give them credit for the video editing skills though. JDHill, I believe this is the original picture http://cs-people.bu.edu/nrusso/yankeesSuckKid.jpg
It's a bit more fitting like this.

Go Sox

[ivox3]

That there is some irrefraggable proof it's all gone to hell.

[Hervé]

small countries are indeed much better for their citizens...

[Hybaj]

Tell it to the globalisation nuts. They're wrapping the whole idea as the only logical way to not have wars on this planet. To preserve peace. To stop evil people.

Those nuts will then start saying: You're not for globalisation so you don't care about the peace. You don't care that people die.

What I personally do care about is that it's freaking stupid to impose such a stupid plan on everyone which will never work even in a thousand years. People are and always will be imperfect beings. There's such a large chance that a centralized big goverment will start abusing their power even imidiately and will turn everything into a much bigger misery than a few wars would have been.

But yeah it's the peace that counts. Just because some nations with their cultures cannot live a peacefull life we must turn the whole world into one big mess to preserve the peace.

[ivox3]

Your only problem is that your projecting your good intent/ideals onto ones who are drunk with power. They're just playing one big game of Risk with real continents, real people, real army's. Think about it .... and then think about this, ....by our collective lack of critical thinking, we essentially co-create it. But that's understandable, ...you know? There's just so much else to give attention to, ..... Britney, American Idol, Ms. Lohan's chemical problems, 8 trillion new movies that we need to see, smoke and mirror trivial news stories, PS3's and every video game that ever came out, iPhones, Greta van Sustern, Larry King, Cops and Porn are all so much more important.

So , ... it's all good. ...rock on America. Who do you love ?

[Hervé]

100%right Christo !

btw, globalisation has nothing to do with peace ..... as a matter of fact, the more wars... the happier they are... they sell guns , tanks, missiles...

a good example of this is the Mr. Mittal... evil man !

http://www.arcelormittal.com/
http://www.mittalsteel.com/index.htm
http://www.mittal.com/home.html

he is the biggest steel producer of the world..

recently he bought Arcelor group.. a european steel consortium... saying together we'll be so strong.. blah blah blah... stupid share holders said.. ok.. hu huhu;... more money in perspective.. huh huh..

Now one year later he starts to close down the european factories... he started with France a couple weeks ago... I fear even the bling bling Nicolas Sarkzy cannot do anything..

the site he wants to close down in France is called Gandrange (20 miles from here..) workers cannot understand, because they make special High quality steel...

Now why is he doing that..? because he needs more money to piss away.. his son got married a couple years ago... he rented "The chateau of Versailles, and shipped all the people invited from India to Paris, renting an entire Palace (the Ritz)... cost..? about 200 millions euros... ahaa...

I just want to cry... man...