John:
My assessment is that 90% of the value of the U.S. dollar comes from the U.S. military. After we had our satellite systems in place, Cheney said “deficits don’t matter.” The US debt and deficit financing is no longer a debt system. It is a global taxation system.
Catherine
John wrote:
Could you expand on this thought just a little? This is one very sober line of reasoning.
John:
Global treasuries and sovereign wealth funds, central banks and a variety of large institutions buy Treasury securities or hold dollars not because there is economic value behind them or because these financial assets are sound fiscally or in terms of credit. They buy them because if they don’t buy them, their current holdings will drop in value faster (that is given their current holdings, they are better off with a managed fall that a precipitous one) and because they are forced to — both in terms of trade agreements — and because they have a gun at their head. If they don’t buy, they and their population will be subject to a wide variety of demonstrations of physical and financial force that will result in loss of life.
Hence, demand for U.S. dollars and government and agency bonds continues even as value falls. The losses on these holdings represents a tax paid to the “Empire.” The fundamental system is as old as the hills. It is based on force. However, this tax is not paid through the income statements, it is paid through the balance sheet. Hence, national legislators do not have to pass bills to authorize their people paying the tax. There is no disclosure.
This global taxation system can be implemented and enforced through the back door without the average global citizen understanding what is happening. Rather, it is invisible to all but the most financially sophisticated people.
What the implementation of this system means is that the household drain I describe here and the community drain I describe here are happening globally. That is, the Slow Burn (described here ) is draining everyone globally, not just in the U.S.
A recent Gallup poll published in the Wall Street Journal on June 26, shows that the American institution most respected is the military — 45% of Americans surveyed had a great deal of confidence in the American military and 26% had quite a lot of confidence in them. This compares to 6% and 6% for Congress and 7% and 13% for big business. Also in line with understanding who and what puts bread on the table, the next most respected institution after the military is small business with scores of 28% and 32%.
Abraham Lincoln was right, “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”
Howard said: “You are so brilliant I need shades!” You know this is so true. There is no doubt in my mind and heart that you were “made” for this! Everytime I listen to or re-listen to your seminars I think gosh I have to thank her again…ergo that statement by Howard is so coool!
A small pitch for your seminars, I have found that listening to them in addition to reading is a way to really understand what to us financial lay folk could be difficult otherwise, not to mention we wouldn’t get the “real deal” from most others anyway.
Your seminars are so affordable, I like to tell people, you are getting beyond what you could get in a university course for peanuts.
thanks again
Yvonne
Eric:
You want to understand how the system works to the extent it creates risk, misleads and lies to your or otherwise wastes your time and resources.
Let’s start out with the premise that free, responsible people would like to have an accurate map of their world as one of the tools that they could use to assess where they want to invest their time and attention and to set goals and proceed to move to achieve them in a productive manner. Most people want to have a happy, productive life. They are happy to help others do the same.
The reality is that life is a gauntlet with a variety of parties in the game of economic warfare trying to trick and manipulate the average person, including children.
So how to we build a good map, stay clear and avoid losing time and resources to serve other people’s agenda in a way that is detrimental to our happiness, productivity and goals?
So, I would say developing superb skills at predator evasion are invaluable. To do this it helps to “see” the matrix and how it weaves it spell upon our picture of reality.
Some books I would recommend in terms of understanding empire are:
Michael Woodiwiss, Organized Crime and American Power
Political Ponerology (see write up in this blog)
Black Money, Michael Thomas
The Shock Doctrine, Naomi Klein
Hot Money and the Politics of Debt, Naylor
The European Union Lawsuit against RJR Nabisco, see resource pages at http://www.dunwalke.com
The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis
For tactics, take a look at:
Anatomy of a Swat
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0504/S00241.htm
Also, check out tactics used in Russia, Latin America, etc.
http://markinthepark.net/blog/?p=604
You will find lots of recommended reading throughout all the audio seminars,
Hope that helps,
Catherine
Greetings Amigos:
We are setting up in Costa Rica a 2000 acre Bio-Fuel Plantation that does “Not” take food from humans or animals with a 100 home fully sustainable eco community in Costa Rica. We have 2000 acres with 500,000 plants in the ground right now. Please advise if you would like more information and may be of interest to you and your crew to work with us on such.
Namaste;
Swami John
Costa Rica
biospagroup@yahoo.com
Catherine, I just love your site and your work! I was hoping that you could give us some more information on this topic. Its quite new to me. Maybe you could author a white paper describing sovereign funds, how they work, the mechanics of US extortion, etc…to help us become more financially sophisticated. Doesn’t a lot of this tie in with the concept of the petro dollar. Lastly, maybe you could direct us to a book or two and or favorite author that expounds on this. I know that you encourage us to become economically intimate with our local community, therefore should we even study how the US Empire really works and derives its power?
Well, Howard and John, thanks for the kind words!
John, thanks also for the offer to introduce. Since we have never met, I will stick with my long standing crew and allies.
Thanks!
Catherine,
You are so brilliant I need shades! As you say it is an evil empire deal as old as the hills. Well, at least 6000 years old when the takers began their taking…by force. Thank you for explaining the current manifestation so well. I think it is a shame that Americans have such respect for the military when the military as so little respect for them. The recent revelations about their manipulation of facts, professional lying, spying etc., not to mention handing our boys and girls cancer causing toxic depleted uranium weaponry, all point to an institution that has no respect for the people it is supposed to serve and protect. I hope the guards find this as revolting as I do. Thank you for the sunshine.
This is a brilliant piece of analysis. If I’m in town on August 29, I would be honored to introduce you at your Mill Valley lecture.