Who's the enemy?

[BO]

I think we can all agree that US democracy has been successfully extinguished. And it's probable that other western countries will follow suit as more conservative leaders are placed in office globally.

Chris Hedges and Sheldon Wolin call the resulting new form of government, "Inverted Totalitarianism."

Considering that voting has become meaningless and the rule of law in the US has become nothing but a joke, how does a concerned citizen fight back?

In the past, totalitarian governments were lead by individuals who espoused a particular political ideology, now we have a entire system of corruption and subversion designed to enrich the ruling class. And considering its success, the system has worked well for its intended benefactors.

The question is: who's really behind the subversion of our democracy? What is their ultimate goal? Conspiracy theories abound--many espoused by the lunatic fringe. But many seem to warrant further investigation.

I started this thread in the interest of ferreting out who the primary players behind our enslavement are. What are their goals, and how do we expose them? Imagining you could do something, what should be done with them?

BO wants to know.

[BO]

Well looky here. Could I have answered my own question so easily? A little research and everything I read seems to point to these guys...

The Bank for International Settlements.

"The Power of financial capitalism had another far reaching plan, nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in private hands able to dominate the political system of each country and the economy of the world as a whole. This system was to be controlled in a feudalistic fashion by the central banks of the world acting in concert, by secret agreements arrived at in frequent meetings and conferences. The apex of the system was to be the Bank for International Settlements in Basle, Switzerland, a private bank owned and controlled by the world's central banks, which were themselves private corporations. Each central bank, in the hands of men like Montagu Norman of the Bank of England, Benjamin Strong of the New York Federal Reserve Bank, Charles Rist of the Bank of France, and Hjalmar Schacht of the Reichsbank, sought to dominate its government by its ability to control treasury loans, to manipulate foreign exchanges, to influence the level of economic activity in the country, and to influence co-operative politicians by subsequent rewards in the business world." ~Dr. Carroll Quigley

From Wall Street and the Rise of Hitler:
B.I.S. — The Apex of Control

This interplay of ideas and cooperation between Hjalmar Sehacht in Germany and, through Owen Young, the J.P. Morgan interests in New York, was only one facet of a vast and ambitious system of cooperation and international alliance for world control. As described by Carroll Quigley, this system was "... nothing less than to create a world system of financial control, in private hands, able to dominate the political system of each country and the economy of the world as a whole.12

This feudal system worked in the 1920s, as it works today, through the medium of the private central bankers in each country who control the national money supply of individual economies. In the 1920s and 1930s, the New York Federal Reserve System, the Bank of England, the Reichs-bank in Germany, and the Banque de France also more or less influenced the political apparatus of their respective countries indirectly through control of the money supply and creation of the monetary environment. More direct influence was realized by supplying political funds to, or withdrawing support from, politicians and political parties. In the United States, for example, President Herbert Hoover blamed his 1932 defeat on withdrawal of support by Wall Street and the switch of Wall Street finance and influence to Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Politicians amenable to the objectives of financial capitalism, and academies prolific with ideas for world control useful to the international bankers, are kept in line with a system of rewards and penalties. In the early 1930s the guiding vehicle for this international system of financial and political control, called by Quigley the "apex of the system," was the Bank for International Settlements in Basle, Switzerland. The B.I.S. apex continued its work during World War II as the medium through which the bankers — who apparently were not at war with each other — continued a mutually beneficial exchange of ideas, information, and planning for the post-war world. As one writer has observed, war made no difference to the international bankers:

The fact that the Bank possessed a truly international staff did, of course, present a highly anomalous situation in time of war. An American President was transacting the daily business of the Bank through a French General Manager, who had a German Assistant General Manager, while the Secretary-General was an Italian subject. Other nationals occupied other posts. These men were, of course, in daily personal contact with each other. Except for Mr. McKittrick [see infra] theft were of course situated permanently in Switzerland during this period and were not supposed to be subject to orders of their government at any time. However, the directors of the Bank remained, of course, in their respective countries and had no direct contact with the personnel of the Bank. It is alleged, however, that H. Schacht, president of the Reichsbank, kept a personal representative in Basle during most of this time.

It was such secret meetings, "... meetings more secret than any ever held by Royal Ark Masons or by any Rosicrucian Order..." between the central bankers at the "apex" of control that so intrigued contemporary journalists, although they only rarely and briefly penetrated behind the mask of secrecy.

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Next step...what does this conglomerate of bankers have in store for us? Are they just trying to enrich themselves (stay enriched), or is their really a plan for a "New World Order?"

[BO]

Has the US decided to start a currency war to pay for--and cover up--its fraudulent activities? Or, has the G-20 already agreed to a plan to bail us out? Whatever the case, it would seem that the rest of the world is none too happy with US. So, where are the US protests? hell, even the Koreans get it (of course their education system is far better than ours). But, why do Americans continue to sleep while their own house is being robbed and their families are taken out and shot. Makes no difference whether it be by a gun or a predatory loan--the result is the same. Say good night, Beav. Nice to have known you.

[pan]

Reminding us that the US Academic system is in service of the Industrial/Military Complex:

Napolitano to head University of California

[BO]

Hey, UC already has Dr. Torture himself -- John Yoo. UC Berkley needs to build a new Dick Cheney wing for all the war criminals they're hiring. 

And just think...Berkley was THE hotbed for revolution in the sixties. Now, they can't seem to hire Nazis fast enough. What the fuck happened? 

Complete moral collapse.

[pan]

It was the students who led the Free Speech Movement against the UC Administration in 1964 - the only thing that has changed is that the students aren't paying attention anymore.

[pan]

When I lived there in the early 80s there was some uproar (at least the alternative weekly covered it) that the Gap had taken over a store front on Telegraph Ave. near Sather Gate.  I shudder to imagine how corporate sanitation has Disneyfied the area since.

But I do have my memories....the first time I stepped onto Telegraph Ave the Slits were playing during a street festival.   It seemed so perfect and lived up to all my expectations.

[pan]

The lifeblood of the Livermore Lab always was military money.  Now there just won't need any reason to keep up any pretense of it being otherwise.

Sheesh....I thought Ward Connerly as a Regent was bad.

[waldopaper]

To be honest... I'm kinda feelin for myself right now.  So I'm going to go to the Northwooods and brood for a while.  Yeah, I could call it "extensive meditation" or some kinda shit... but the Truth is... Yam was kinda my doppelganger.  The kids called him "the Old Man."  He had nicked ears, a scraggly tail, and plenty of scars.  None of the other kritters ever fucked with Yam... at least not where we could see/hear it.  I DID see Yam dispense with some of Sid's early-puppy gnawings wid a quickness... and Kismet (at the time) was amused. 

Kinda reminds me of this guy.  Anyway, I'll be gone for a week or so to read more books and shit.  But good choice of threads BO... because hope to address the very question... "who's the enemy?"  Today my GP doc and I agreed on one thing... the "healthcare system" is more fucked up than I am... and that's saying a lot.  Sure, it was the Southrons... and they are still trying to articulate their "Lost Cause" bullshit... and today, it's "socialism."  That;s right... the Southrons now are trying to prop their "Lost Cause" with that red-baiting bullshit. 

To be simplistic... it was the "robber barons."  That's who "won."  But they were already "winning" going in... and in a lot of ways-- that's what the "war" was all about... one group of (agrarian) robber barons vs. another (industrial).  The US Civil War was no less then an a preemptive counter-revolution by reactionary forces against the Industrial Revolution.  Now I am speculating that Marx was trying to answer the question that all hack-ass editors (and readers) ask... "...yeah we all know what the PROBLEM is... but what's your SOLUTION?"  

Sort of like Monsanto  vs. GE.  Well, maybe back then, but since then they have jumped under the covers together to fuck us all.  Few people could conceive of such a thing back then.  The idea of "monoculture" was just as alien as "globalization."  Even if the words had not been invented yet, both were happening... big time... for thousands of years.  "Localization?"  Always happens the larger infrastructure breaks down.  And "globalization?"  Always happens when "technology" manages to cross physical "boundaries." 

Who's the enemy?  In my opinion-- the "social Darwinists."  The ones who see no difference between natural and social systems... because apologists for Darwinism (sorry Herr Dawkins) believe them one and the same.  That's crap... because ,monkeys have "technology."  Too global.  Too monoculture.  Not accurate, in my opinion, because it diminishes the importance of the "random element," and yeah... would agree that the "random element" is not so random when you think about it. 

And coming on-line right now:  "Machine Intelligence."   Not "natural?"  What's the difference? 

[BO]

and with that excellent post, enjoy your time away.

Speaking of crappy health care...Been hold up at Harborview hospital in Seattle the last couple of days. Wife just had back surgery. Incompetency galore. Seems everything here has been managed down to the least common denominator. The 'invisible hand' is everywhere...

[pan]

My parents are paying about $10K a month at a retirement/assisted living center.  At 92 my dad spends his days down with my mom in the Assisted LIving area making sure that she is getting proper care - it is a full time job for him - and this is a "top of the line" health care facility.

Same held true for my hip surgeries - J had to make sure that I was getting proper care.  One morning, fortunately, I was clear enough through the painkiller induced haze to challenge the nurse's insistence that I take the (wrong) drugs she was giving me.

[BO]

$10K a month? They musta been movie stars. Who has that kinda money?

My neighbors up the street (wife and husband) took their own lives just before they turned eighty. She, with sleeping pills, and he, with a rifle (same night). That seems like the better health-care plan. I'd rather my son got our meager savings instead of the death-care industry.

[pan]

My dad's retirement package as a full professor (with only a MS degree) was based upon a percentage of his highest income.  With guaranteed cost of living increases every year for around three decades he is making more from his retirement than J and I ever hope to earn together.  That, plus the inflated value of land that they got from selling Grandpa's farm, makes them financially secure.  Right now his retirement/investment income is covering their expenses without touching the principal.  However, as he points out, if he has to move into the much more expensive Assisted Living center along with my mom and both of them don't die soon, the Old Age Center will get all of their children's inheritance....

Even if Dad's health/death isn't too spendy and leaves me and my four siblings large portions of his investments, it still won't be enough to give us the option of ho$pice for the terminally old.  J & I have already talked about killing each other when we become too much of a burden.