Intro: "The rancorous debate over the debt belies a fundamental truth of our economy - that it is run for the few at the expense of the many, that our entire government has been turned into a machine which takes the wealth of a mass of Americans and accelerates it into the hands of the few."
Congressman Dennis Kucinich says American's wealth has been stolen. (photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Americans' Wealth Is Stolen
16 July 11
Debt political theater diverts attention while Americans' wealth is stolen.
he rancorous debate over the debt belies a fundamental truth of our economy - that it is run for the few at the expense of the many, that our entire government has been turned into a machine which takes the wealth of a mass of Americans and accelerates it into the hands of the few. Let me give you some examples.
Take war. War takes the money from the American people and puts it into the hands of arms manufacturers, war profiteers, and private armies. The war in Iraq, based on lies: $3 trillion will be the cost of that war. The war in Afghanistan; based on a misreading of history; half a trillion dollars in expenses already. The war against Libya will be $1 billion by September.
Fifty percent of our discretionary spending goes for the Pentagon. A massive transfer of wealth into the hands of a few while the American people lack sufficient jobs, health care, housing, retirement security.
Our energy policies take the wealth from the American people and put it into the hands of the oil companies. We could be looking at $150 a barrel for oil in the near future.
Our environmental policy takes the wealth of the people - clean air, clean water - and puts it in the hands of the polluters. It's a transfer of wealth, not only from the present but from future generations as our environment is ruined.
Insurance companies, what do they do? They take the wealth from the American people in terms of what they charge people for health insurance and they put it into the hands of the few.
We have to realize what this country's economy has become. Our monetary policy, through the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, privatized the money supply, gathers the wealth, puts it in the hands of the few while the Federal Reserve can create money out of nothing, give it to banks to park at the Fed while our small businesses are starving for capital.
Mark my words - Wall Street cashes in whether we have a default or not. And the same type of thinking that created billions in bailouts for Wall Street and more than $1 trillion in giveaways by the Federal Reserve today leaves 26 million Americans either underemployed or unemployed. And nine out of ten Americans over the age of 65 are facing cuts in their Social Security in order to pay for a debt which grew from tax cuts for the rich and for endless wars.
There is a massive transfer of wealth from the American people to the hands of a few and it's going on right now as America's eyes are misdirected to the political theater of these histrionic debt negotiations, threats to shut down the government, and willingness to make the most Americans pay dearly for debts they did not create.
These are symptoms of a government which has lost its way, and they are a challenge to the legitimacy of the two-party system.
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"I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country. A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated governments in the civilized world. No longer a government by free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominant men." Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Jefferson has this to say about the central bank. A private central bank issuing the public currency is a greater menace to the liberties of the people than a standing army... We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt.
"Give me control of a nation's money and I care not who makes the laws." Mayer Amschel Rothschild/Banker
The plan has probably been in the works for at least 100 yrs. ("Federal" Reserve centeniary in 2014). We (3rd Estaters) should have some plan for what comes next (after the current "capitalism=monopolism" 'endgame'), that is if we don't want to get stuck with 'the program's' default margin of still more Marxism (more of the same)... which, as many have noted, is not exactly why our founding fathers toiled & risked their lives. They did so, for the most part, in order to set up a democratic Republic where freedom & logical, orderly enterprise would flourish; and freedom not just from the imperialists of Great Britain, but also from the the less direct, 'corporate' forms of imperialism. Its rather obvious now that they built a better design for the 1st part of this than for the 2nd.
I applaud Kucinich for having the courage & responsibility to admit that "50% of discret. spending goes for the Pentagon." Guess where the other half goes?
I think the other half of it is- answ. my own question above- usurious Interest Payments on servicing the national debt, which (in known history at least) have only been the product of a PRIVATE central bank [i.e. a phony "National" Bank or perhaps even the absence any 'sovereign' fn. institution altogether], controlling the overall quantity of money & credit in circulation, with they in turn mostly controlled (or at least coordinated) by an international cartel (of opaque int'l bank interlocking boards & directors; and yes, too, all the CFRs, RIIAs, Bilderbergers, Trilatt Commissions, & university-credentialed think-tanks that all the money in the world can 'buy'). 'Buy' is perhaps too strong a word in most cases; 'seducing', 'acquiescing', or perhaps simply 'persuading' most ambitious types with a burning desire to please their parents and/or 'experience the top' by going with the #1 team or winning program (horse-race or 'ad baculum' fallacy) is surely more typical. Most grownups- at least according to Lao Tzu, Rogers, Maslow, and other 'humanists'- are supposed to outgrow this phase, but with so many billions of people on the planet there's never a shortage of exceptions to choose from. Bill Still & Ellen Brown are way ahead of the parade.
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/108xx/doc10871/Chapter3.shtml
Having been fed a steady diet of fear of communism and Islam for decades now and spent trillions of dollars and thousands of American lives to "secure" ourselves from these "threats", the American people are ill-prepared for the truth: that the real threats to their security are internal, that their liberty, health, and prosperity have all been jeopardized by their acceptance of the fear-mongering corporate-controlled media. Any voices raised with viewpoints that vary from the orthodox views of the media are silenced by lack of attention.
REVOLUTION IN THE STREETS!!!!! NOWWW!!!!!
The Eric Holder who successfully defended Chiquita Banana against the charges that they funded right wing paramilitary military groups which killed thousands of civilians(OK - a slap on the wrist $25 million settlement with the Columbia government) - that justice department?
Our justice department is more interested in going after Arizona immigration enforcement bills that a full 70% of the citizens of the US strongly support.
Eric Holder is beholden to nobody but himself.
the rest of the political theater, alongside the theatrics and histrionics of the debt debate, is that of the drama queens trying to gain the attention of the right wing political stage. we have been reduced to cheap theatrics and a script that is getting tired and over-acted..over and over and over again.
Cutting the Mil Bud. only 5% is baseless - it is insignificant. Why the anit education and Energy - we need focus there to advance our competitiveness in the world market.
Latest studies show that the southernborder is seeing a net reverse migration - that is not a good sign -somthing must be wrong with the economy!
We are in for a battle and one organization that is putting together the movement for the progressives is MoveOn with the American Dream Movement, also named Rebuild the Dream Movement. Look it up, join it, and work your buns off for the next 15 months! The Tea Party did it and so can we!
If I were to write an essay as he has above, i do not believe I would alter one single word.
Time for me to open my eyes & broaden my views.
The U.S. Supremes decided to give big corporations "person" hood as requested by the Koch brothers in 2010 -- A corporation cannot be sued but now has privilege to "buy" elections.
Impeachment of a Supreme Justice begins in the House - therefore we need a MAJORITY of non TP/GOP --
Thomas has taken $$ and presents and these are published. Scalia has been to some of the Koch brother hosted "meetings" -- before the 2010 decision. These 2 must be impeached. The 5 conservatives have ruled FOR big corporations consistently.
Thank you Dennis for standing up for "we" --- Bernie Sanders and a few others are also "good guys" --
VOTE 2012 and get all old/young you know registered NOW (sooner than later)
Speaking of 911 - this act was done before by Hitler to stir up a frenzy so he could attack Poland. (search Gleiwitz Incident). And if anyone thinks 911 wasn't staged, please explain to me about what happened to Building #7.....
The bottom line is not to win the war - its to be in 1 or 2 or 3... It makes a lot of $$ for General Dynamics, Halliburton, Citigroup, Carlyle Group, etc.. but it sends us into a spiraling vortex of debt.
All of this is moot anyway as we have proven we are the inferior species of this planet. We cant stop poisoning ourselves with our own food, we cant get along with other species of plant & animal life or even each other. We create disastrous things we cant control (Nuclear Reactors) and we destroy the land, air & water we depend on for survival. Its all about the stockholders bottom line - right ?
Forget stupid game of Republicans and Democrats.
We do NOT have a choice - we can NOT continue militarism - that is death to ALL.
Who talks, really, about a government that has lost it's way and the legitimacy of the two party system? We desperately need to create an alternative to this fetid quadmire. I honestly don't see how we can reform the present system.
Perhaps the time has come for serious action with people demanding change. In the 1960's it was only when people took to the streets that we saw sudden changes in civil rights and war policies. Have the people become so blindly docile that they will continue to allow the country to be sapped of every dollar and continue to lose American lives in needless wars?
Hopefully, that is no so.
A large rally is in the planning for October 6 and worth considering. Info can be found at http://october2011.org/frontpage
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