Posted on 11/25/2012 11:56:28 AM PST by Scooter100
While many of you have probably seen it, Ben Still's "The Secret of Oz" (The Federal Reserve and Solutions for a Broken Economy) was a shattering and unexpected eye-opener for me. I saw it for the first time yesterday, and can't stop thinking about how blind I was. If you haven't watched this documentary, I encourage you to do so. It has completely changed my view of the U.S. monetary system and the ideas surrounding monetary reform that promise to cure the current economic mess we find ourselves.
You can watch Ben's (1:57:52 long) award-winning film * Here * .
The documentary cleverly draws on various symbols of our monetary system contained within the pages and characters of L. Frank Baum's book, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz", published in 1900. Let me tell you, "Oz" will never look the same to you again, as Ben Still's conclusions ring inescapably true, in my mind. Who did the Scarecrow represent? What famous presidential candidate was "the cowardly lion"?
No doubt about it. This is a fascinating, rocky, detailed tutorial ride of the story of our Monetary System, from Ancient Rome to the present. Along the way, it exposes the corrupt cartel world of the private banks, the secretive and privately owned Federal Reserve, their elite owners, and an expose of the history, policies and processes at the core of the Federal Reserve abomination.
The two pillars of Ben's proposal are:
a. The government shall NOT be allowed to borrow money.
b. The government, as clearly stated in the Constitution, shall assume complete sovereignty for issuing currency and shall, itself, regulate the quantity of the nation's money supply.
I watched the film twice....but still have one rather large question for those who understand economics and the crux of Ben Still's proposals:
If the government (via the Treasury Department, rather than the Federal Reserve) were to assume complete, debt-less control over the "printing of money", why would there be a need for income taxes, or ANY taxes, for that matter?
Appreciate your keen insight, as always!
Your post is why i supported Ron Paul in the primary. No republican other than paul, perry, and palin even went near this issue
http://www.amazon.com/The-Creature-Jekyll-Island-Federal/dp/091298645X/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
read the reviews.
Congress does not have the authority to print money. Go back and read the Constitution.
False - they have the power to coin money correct?
Yes or no?
Coinage is supposed to be in gold or silver
sfl
Correct.
Certainly, when we watch the entire film, there has apparently been serious dispute with this concept, especially from the bankster world (who'd have guessed?). Regardless, the SCOTUS has, according to "The Heritage Guide to the Constitution" (2005), held that the federal government's monetary power was "inherent in its sovereignty". What that means is anyone's guess, but it is clear from the film that precedent was set (many times) and that the government has often printed money in the past, "greenbacks" being just one example.
I have mixed feelings on this topic. To sum up, anyway, I was just posting about a great film I saw and am recommending FP's watch it. (BTW, if you haven't, you should)
Frankly, I agree with the film on this particular point...it is madness. But it is the madness of living in an iron-fisted plutocracy, a system based on debt and indebtedness. Those to whom we owe our debt, then, call the shots. And they are being called by a very small handful of elites.
It's a sad state of affairs in the world today. The entire planet is in debt to this small group more than at any other time in history. Look at Greece, in serious debt, bereft of its sovereignty, being told by outsiders how to run its internal affairs....just as we are being told. Tow the line, or we'll shut off your money. Behave or we'll foreclose on you. Cooperate or we'll demand loans be paid back. How do we break this government control by the unelected?
And so, the film is about sovereignty and how to get it back. Hard to dispute this premise, methods not withstanding. Regards, and thanks for your input, your points are much appreciated.
A quick Google search revealed numerous links where this lecture can be downloaded as a PDF.
And thank you. We certainly do not disagree about the dangers of debt.
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