Unless you read Naomi Klein's "Shock Doctrine - The Rise of Disaster Capialism", you would be hard pressed to believe the recurring disasters around the world are doing nothing more than advancing a shrewd and calculated plan for economic domination of multi-nationals, whose hands are in the pocket of government, and vise-versa.
In the wake of today's unparalleled financial unravelling of a highly loaded credit bomb, we are going to be left in a position not dissimilar to being in a monetary straight jacket, completely controlled by the very entities who set up, and triggering the major implosion.
The general philosophy behind "shock and awe economics" is to cause, or take rapid advantage of a cataclysmic disaster (natural, financial or otherwise), before the general public has a chance to even think about recovery. Before anything or anyone gets organised, or before any smarty gets bright ideas, the powers that be swoop in for the kill, implementing vast new laws and policy change designed specifically to transfer power and wealth from the hands of many, into the hands of a very few.
We have, literally overnight, put Disaster Capitalism to bed, and woken up to Disaster Socialism.
Weeks ago, the Fannie and Freddie rescue was referred to as "the mother of all bailouts". Well, Father has arrived with the latest $700 billion dollar scheme.
While the government spins a smooth story, the harsh reality is this - the executives and persons in power who caused a global decimation of wealth are getting off the hook, flying away on thier golden parachutes, while the rest of us are left with our heads spinning, and brand new laws in place giving these very people power to do whatever they please with our money, whenever they please - above the rule of any court of law. Don't believe me?
Posted by Yves Smith at
www.nakedcapitalism.com,
But here is the truly offensive section of an overreaching piece of legislation:
Decisionsby the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act arenon-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not bereviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency.
Thisputs the Treasury's actions beyond the rule of law. This is a financialcoup d'etat, with the only limitation the $700 billion balance sheetfigure. The measure already gives the Treasury the authority not simplyto buy dud mortgage paper but other assets as it deems fit. There is noaccountability beyond a report (contents undefined) to Congress threemonths into the program and semiannually thereafter. The Treasury couldvia incompetence or venality grossly overpay for assets and advisoryservices, and fail to exclude consultants with conflicts of interest,and there would be no recourse. Given the truly appalling track recordof this Administration in its outsourcing, this is not an idle worry.
Butfar worse is the precedent it sets. This Administration has worked hardto escape any constraints on its actions, not to pursue noble causes,but to curtail civil liberties: Guantanamo, rendition, torture,warrantless wiretaps. It has used the threat of unseen terrorists and aseemingly perpetual war on radical Muslim to justify gutting theConstitution. The Supreme Court, which has been supine on many fronts,has finally started to push back, but would it challenge a bill thatsweeps aside judicial review? Informed readers are encouraged to speakup.
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www.nakedcapitalism.com excerpt ]
Velkom to Amerika.
As unbelieveable as it may seem, the masses are worshiping the new gods who are seemingly saving our race from further disaster. Those of us who see through the facade and into the calculated manouver of swift and complete control, have very few options left.
Some see the outlawing of short-selling of financial stocks as being good. I see it as letting greedy criminals off the hook, allowing their stock to project a valuaion not worth the rotten foundation it's built upon. Short selling is one of the few mechanisms designed to keep markets in check, ensuring poorly managed companies do not get manipulated into nose-bleed territory. Now that Uncle Sam has tied those hands, banks once again walk away scott free.
Some see the latest $700 billion Salvation Package as a necessary move to attack the heart of the problem. However, beneath the "awe" of this package is the "shock" of its underlying fine print. Paulson mentioned in an on air interview, "We have a
global financial system and we are talking veryaggressively with other countries around the world, andencouraging them to do similar things, and I believe a numberof them will," He goes on to say ""The fact that the taxpayer is in this position is painfulto me." Right. If one listens carefully enough, one can hear the boys in suits laughing behind their heavy mohagony doors.
In another interview, Paulson, innocent sad face and all, bemoans "But this is ahumbling experience to see so much fragility in our capitalmarkets, and ask how did we ever get here."
Duh.
Of course there is gold as an alternative to give us some semblance of control and stability in our portfolio (and in our lives). However.
The U.S. government, decades ago, outlawed the holding of gold by citizens. Why? Because gold, they knew, was the only real currency, and those that hold it have options to buy and sell with it as they please. By taking even this out of the average citizen's hands, power is moved back to paper - an overinflated currency, printed at will, used to keep the globe marching to the beat of Uncle Sam and his horned minions.
The hippies of the 60's and 70's were laughed at with thier chants of "power to the people." They saw. They understood.
I wonder today, who will have the last laugh? Because the people have no more power. And the hippies, as always, are just happy people who are poking their heads out of the forest and watching, from a safe distance, the domino line of banks crashing into each other; the final domino being the tax-payer.
The Land of the Free is no more. The American Dream was an illusion, built on a house of credit cards, and never existed. The Constitution is a worthless peice of paper.
Maybe Che Guevara knew something we didn't. Perhaps that is why the CIA in conjunction with the Bolivian army murdered him. People like him just get in the way of a much grander machination.
I am not socialist, nor am I capitalist, or communist. I don't march to the beat of any political philosophy, but I do recognize danger when I see it. Any these, reader, are dangerous times.
Be prepared to see further controls put in place, more taxes (taxed trading, perhaps, to keep speculators at bay?), less freedom of choice, less healthy competition.
In the meantime, it would not hurt to own some hard physical gold tucked safely away. The final shoe is yet to drop.