What Large Banks Don’t Want You to Know

There are many topics and ideas corporate America would rather you not know anything about, for fear you might want change which would hurt their interests.  One well-kept secret in this country is the emergence of a movement to bring you public banks. Many probably do not know they exist or what they are, however most of us know that we are controlled by the large corporate banks and financial interests who dictate policy to the US government, who then dictate what the banks want, to citizens.  The power of the financial world over the US government and our lives is enormous. They brought the entire world to its knees in 2008, but because of their enormous power no one was held accountable for the economic destruction of millions around the world.  The US government argued that banks were too big to fail, then turned around and took 12 trillion dollars from the economy without even asking your permission, and bailed out the banks. You were not even consulted.  The 12 trillion was simply taken and given, with no strings attached.  This is the perfect example of “corporate welfare”; taking from the poor and giving to the rich. No outcry from those who usually whine about the illegal immigrant getting $10 from the US government for food stamps, because you have been trained and conditioned to scapegoat the little defenseless guy, while not saying a word about a 12 trillion dollar transfer of wealth to banks.

The 12 trillion was given unconditionally with no demands for reforms of any kind.  Indeed many of the banks took the money and one of their first acts was to give their CEO’s gargantuan increases in salaries. Nothing has changed since 2008 and the banks are set to collapse again. Large banks currently hold about 280 trillion dollars in derivatives.  You will pay again, but the rules have been changed since 2008, and now when a bank needs a bailout, depositors will pay. How come you did not know this?

Other countries do things differently, but you are not allowed to hear about Iceland and how they handled the banks. They refused to pay off the loans to large banks saying it was not the fault of the people or the country.  Banks were irresponsible and therefore should not expect the public of Iceland to bail them out. Probably never heard this huh? The people of Iceland had a national referendum and voted not to pay back the banks.  The financial establishment of Europe came down on Iceland with all kinds of threats and dire warnings, saying they would not survive and their economy would collapse if they refused to pay back loans to banks.  The people persisted, did not pay off banks, and despite all the predictions of doom and gloom by financial experts, not only survived but has the strongest economy in Europe.

The people of Iceland however were not done; they wanted the bank leaders prosecuted for fraud and financial misconduct. Bet you never heard that either huh?  The executives of the three largest banks were taken to court and found guilty, and the decision was upheld by the Supreme Court of Iceland.  At some point they will be sentenced! Bank executives doing jail time is another well-kept secret in this country.

Syriza in Greece, also is blaming banks for their economic disaster and is proposing an alternative.  They want the banks to be owned by the public and will move to do so in the near future, which explains the attempt by the financial interests of Europe to smear Syriza by calling it “radical” and “extremist”.

A little known phenomena in this country is the growing movement to have public banks. Public banks are owned by the people through their respective states or cities. They do not try to show a profit, and do not take risks or speculate in derivatives; they just give out loans, usually to other state agencies, and the money spent by those agencies improves the lives of the community. A novel concept. Public banks have no high paying CEO’s, take no risks, and insure that loans stay in state to help the economy and the lives of the people.  Can it work?  Already does! North Dakota has had a state public bank for years. It outperforms everyone, including Goldman Sachs.  Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, China, Brazil, India, Greece, and states such as New Mexico and Colorado are exploring public banks, but you may not be aware of it.  They do not want you to know, for knowledge is power! If the public really knew about public banks, they would want them! Not good for those who control you.

Syriza Offers Hope for America

Not since the Occupy Movement has the financial world and corporate interests, led by their mouthpiece the corporate media, been so frightened.  The Occupy Movement shed much light on the darkness of the financial world, and was beginning to resonate with the public, when the financial world and the corporate interests used their power to have the US government launch a concentrated crackdown on protests around the nation. The financial world had begun to get nervous with the adverse publicity, because the Occupy Movement was making clear the disparity of both wealth and power.  The message the Occupy Movement was driving home, was that you, the public, are powerless and unrepresented by your government, with government serving as a tool of the 1%. The public was beginning to get the message and at that point the 1% said enough; and had their puppet government crackdown with force and dissolve the protests nationwide. Did you notice how coordinated and simultaneously the brutal crackdowns around the country occurred?  Do you really believe that just happened as a matter of coincidence?

A new threat to the big banks, Wall Street, and the powerful corporations, is emerging in Europe, and most likely will make its way to this country soon. So far the establishment powers have not recognized the potential threat that has arisen in Greece, for they assumed using their awesome power, tiny Greece would be forced to capitulate and thus crush the threat on the horizon.   Greece has been economically destroyed by the financial interests and big banks who encouraged the Greek government to go on spending sprees.  Loan packages were thrown at the Greek government and as predicted, they did acquire great debt much to the joy of the powerful European and US banks. But their plan backfired because Greece has gotten to the point where they cannot  pay back the loans; it would be impossible.  All along, the European banks and financial interests around the world have demanded that Greeks pay off loans to international bankers by cutting every social program in Greece and raising taxes to pay off the huge loans. The financial world had a cash cow and were not going to let it off the hook. Greeks were severely punished for loans which should have never been granted by the banks, but banks demanded that the Greek public should have to pay for the sins of their government and international banks. Greece was brought to its knees, yet banks still demand full repayment of the impossible loans.  Neither of the two major political parties worked on behalf of the Greek people, but instead carried the water of the banks and financial interests and continued to pay back the loans by depriving and punishing the Greek people with austerity. The money saved by cutting the social net of the Greek people was used to pay off big banks.  Both parties promised in meaningless rhetoric to work for the people, but in fact were prostitutes of the banks and did their bidding. The Greek people gave up on the major parties and suddenly flocked in mass to a third party who has promised to be “their” party. Syriza shocked the world by coming from obscurity to capture the government in the recent election, and has demanded in negotiations with namely Germany and the financial world, a series of loans on more favorable terms.  Germany has been unwilling to budge and steadfastly holds to their contention that every cent must be repaid as per the original loan terms, even though it was Germany who begged Europe at the end of WWII to be allowed to renegotiate their massive loans at more favorable terms. Europeans consented, but the Germans are now unwilling to do the same for Greece.

Syriza’s popularity has given great hope to others throughout Europe who are in a similar situation.  Podemos, a third party modeled after Syriza in Spain, now leads in polls and may well capture the Spanish government in their election this spring. Portugal, Italy, and others are watching this new people’s movement carefully.

The establishment is shocked, for this party and movement represents a threat to the complete domination by the financial world over the lives of the European public. Europeans have finally realized they have no representation in their government, and governments simply do the bidding of the financial interests. The people are voiceless and powerless, and they finally see it, and are leaving the establishment parties in droves, to the party of the people, whether it be Syriza or Podemos. This is dangerous for the establishment, and they will use all their power to crush this movement.  Already the corporate media is attempting to smear the movement by baseless accusations of it being controlled by “extremists” and “communists”.  Hopefully the public will see through this attempt to discredit the movement, a tactic quite successful against the Occupy Movement. 

In the near future, Syriza or a Syriza like party will emerge in this country, as citizens here are beginning to see that neither of the two major parties represents them. The people in the US have no voice or party, as both major parties have been captured by the Wall Street, large banks, and powerful corporations. At this point, your choice of leaders in the next election will be Jeb Bush vs Hillary Clinton, both of whom have sold their souls long ago. Both are owned by corporations and special interests. Neither candidate will help you; neither works for you! What a pathetic choice you are being offered, but it gives you the illusion that you have some say. In the most recent election 60 % of the public refused to participate, so when a Syriza like party emerges they will be well received. The time is right; the public is totally unrepresented.  When the corporate media begins to attack the Syriza like party, do not be fooled. They are your hope; leave the major parties and get on the peoples bandwagon, and take back your government.

On the Precipice of Nuclear War

Corporate media’s misleading information on the Ukraine is bizarre, incomplete, not factual, and designed to bring about yet another war.  It’s the run-up to Iraq all over again. By their standards Putin is a monster, has invaded Kiev, and has an insatiable appetite for war. Compare the number of nations the US has bombed with that of Russia. Compared to the US they are a passive nation, which media refuses to disclose. What is truly frightening is the very distinct possibility of a nuclear confrontation between Russia and the US, a fact also completely ignored by corporate media. It is time for some relevant information on the Ukraine before the insane deciders bring us to a nuclear confrontation with Russia, which we all know no one wins.

For almost two centuries the US has insisted on enforcing the Monroe Doctrine in this hemisphere, and no major US politician would dare to suggest it is illegal or invalid.  All would say it is America’s right to maintain control of this hemisphere in order to protect ourselves.  Why then does Russia not have the right to keep foreign powers from its borders, just as the US? The US, through its puppet NATO, has forced its way to the very doorstep of Russia, even though after the fall of the Soviet Republic, we agreed not to expand into any of the former Soviet states.  We completely reneged on that promise, another unreported fact by corporate media, and encircled Russia in Eastern Europe with weapons and bases.  Remember how swiftly the US risked nuclear war with Russia over the Cuban Missile Crises?? Imagine how Russia feels with the endless NATO military bases right at Russia’s door.  In 2008 the Russians bluntly told the US they would not tolerate further expansion into their sphere of influence, but the US completely disregarded that warning. 

In an attempt to capture the Ukraine, the US poured 5 billion dollars into anti Ukraine government organizations, then picked a new leader, and when the European’s called for restraint, Victoria Nuland, the foul mouthed US ambassador eloquently insulted them with her infamous quote: “F---- the Europeans”. A coup of a democratically elected leader of the Ukraine was orchestrated and assisted by the US, and Ms. Nuland’s champion, Yatsenyuk, (“Yatz is our man”) emerged from the coup as the new US puppet. Neocons who planed this, were shocked that all Ukrainians would not accept our handpicked leader of the illegal government which is backed by neo Nazis and fascists. Seems Ukrainians believed they should have a say and were reluctant to accept Ms. Nuland’s man as their leader. A civil war occurred and the US bears much responsibility for it by meddling and orchestrating an overthrow of a democratically elected leader in Russia’s back yard. 

According to German intelligence, over 50,000 people have been killed in their civil war and now the neocon warmongers and Mr. Obama, the neocon puppet, is preparing to arm the illegal government against those who resist and want self-determination. Mr. Obama says they are facing “separatist’s aggression”, a phrase I assume he would apply to the “Minutemen” of New England and the “Sons of Liberty” who led the American Revolution fighting for our freedom.

Europe has finally realized decision makers in the US are quite willing to get us into a nuclear war, and have stepped back.  While the US most likely will send weapons to the illegal government in the Ukraine, all other sane nations have ruled that out, a fact ignored by corporate media.  Germany, France, and others have flatly said no to sending arms, and most credible experts (not politicians) have warned against arming Kiev. It remains to be seen if the US can impose its will and drag Europe into this conflict. They seemingly have realized neocons don’t care about a nuclear war with Russia, and are now independently seeking a diplomatic solution, much to the disappointment of the US.  We don’t like diplomacy, we like war. Recall recently, how disappointed we were when those pesky Russians managed to get Assad of Syria to give up all his chemical weapons (that Russian aggression yet again) when we were prepared to bomb them into oblivion. Russia frustrated the US, who prefers bombs to diplomacy. 

Former leader of the Soviet Union, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and one time media darling, Mikhail Gorbachev, recently warned in the German publication Spiegel:  “A war of this kind would unavoidably lead to a nuclear war.” “We won’t survive the coming years if someone loses their nerve in this overheated situation.” “This is not something I’m saying thoughtlessly. I am extremely concerned.”

Want a war with Russia? Want a nuclear war? Better do something. The inmates are running the asylum!