Tag Archives: government debt

Webinar — Money, Power, Democracy, and War

My webinar, Money, Power, Democracy, and War, that was aired on Humanity Rising last Tuesday, July 16, was recorded. In case you missed it, you can view it on YouTube. During the first 16 minutes or so, our host Jim Garrison expressed his thoughts on current national and world events; that was followed by his introduction, our presentation, and some further conversation.  A few of the questions addressed were:

  • Why are nations continually at war when people want peace?
  • What do wars produce, and what do they destroy?
  • Who gains and who loses in war?
  • Where do governments get the money they need to finance war?
  • Is there a link between the monetary system and the political system?

In the process, I delved into some pertinent history and events that set the stage for our present deepening crisis, then began to describe the pathways towards re-empowerment of the people through decentralized initiatives involving independent means for measuring and exchanging value, beginning at the community level. Toward the end of the discussion, I offered my views on Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, and blockchain technology. I’d be happy to have your comments.
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David Stockman on Donald Trump’s Demagoguery—The Dangers And Digressions Of It

David Stockman, who was Budget Director under President Ronal Reagan, makes a great deal of sense in this essay which is about much more than Donald Trump’s “domineering and authoritarian personality” and his scary authoritarian inclinations (he accuses Trump of being and “incipient police statist.)” Stockman also presents facts that belie the justifications for insane government policies like monetization of government debts, the war on drugs, and foreign interventions, as well as the illusions created by the sensationalist media. I recommend reading the entire article but here are a few excerpts.—t.h.g.

Donald Trump’s Demagoguery—–The Dangers And Digressions Of It
By David Stockman

“…both parties are fully onboard, of course, with the massive fraud that has become central bank policy both here and around the world.”

“The Fed has actually purchased $4 trillion of Treasury debt and GSE securities since the year 2000 and funded it with credits conjured from thin air. This has been a monumental act of “something for nothing” economics in which the trillions Congress has wasted on war and peace have been financed with digital money magic.”

“The purported crime and terrorism wave, in fact, is essentially a figment of cable news version of reality TV, and most especially the CNN War Channel and its perennial Black versus Blue &White race narrative. …According to the FBI data there has been an astonishing 50% reduction in the U.S. violent crime rate since the early 1990s.”

And regarding the supposed increase in targeting of police officers by criminals, Stockman points out that, “In fact, the actual rate of intentional, felonious killings per 100,000 officers has been plummeting for decades. During 2014 it was actually 71% lower than the year Ronald Reagan left office.”

“At the end of the day, the overwhelming message of the data is that there is no crime wave nor an eruption of police violence on either the giving or receiving end.” —More