Monthly Archives: February 2009

New Organization: Committees of Safety

From CommitteesofSafety.org:

“Though we may come from a different political party, race or religion, we set these differences aside, and we stand united on the founding principles of freedom, set forth in our Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and the original intent of the Constitution for the united States of America.

The Committees are focusing on the things that will provide freedom and “Security of a free State” –

1. “Security of our money” – Hardly anyone will deny that the present fiat monetary system (the Federal Reserve System) is unstable, unsound and unsustainable as well as unConstitutional. . . .

2. “Security from natural and man-made disasters” – Most everyone will agree the way the Department of Homeland Security (using Blackwater, Army and National Guard troops) and FEMA handle a disaster (such as hurricane Katrina) was an absolute failure. . . .

3. “Security of our vote count”- Most Americans are aware now of the massive vote fraud taking place in our country today. According to the New York Times and L.A Times articles, as well as a HBO documentary “Hacking democracy” optical scan and touch screen voting machines can be remotely hacked into and the vote totals altered. . . .

4. “Security of our food and water” – . . . .

These security issues, and others can and should be dealt with at the Local community and State level, not the federal level.”

What the Heck is “Predatory” Lending?

by Wilt Alston: “Given all the press that ‘predatory lending’ has gotten recently, in light of the fact that legislation � specifically laws like the Community Reinvestment Act � resulted in many of the supposedly sub-prime mortgages and given that the percentage of people receiving these loans who were black, the issue interests me. The pejorative term “predatory lending” and how such scary descriptions are used to justify statist protection of black folk also sparked my interest.

According to the more-than-occasionally-correct Wikipedia: Predatory lending is a pejorative term used to describe practices of some lenders. There are no legal definitions in the United States for predatory lending, though there are laws against many of the specific practices commonly identified as predatory, and various federal agencies use the term as a catch-all term for many specific illegal activities in the loan industry.

One less contentious definition of the term is ‘the practice of a lender deceptively convincing borrowers to agree to unfair and abusive loan terms, or systematically violating those terms in ways that make it difficult for the borrower to defend against.’ . . .

I have no real dispute with much of this. What troubles me, however, is the presumption that the State must protect certain people from taking out a loan that they themselves are seeking in the first place! I rather think predatory lending is when the taxpayer lends the government money to finance the clean-up of a malady that government policy caused. (Actually, in that case lending is a bogus description. That scenario sounds more like theft.)

. . . .

While the [Community Reinvestment Act] (and related statist meddling) did result in many people, some of them minorities, obtaining mortgages for which they otherwise could not have qualified, the meltdown included a bunch of homes bought by people who were not the target of the government’s market meddling. Ain’t that always the case? The State starts passing out free lunches and people who aren’t really hungry get to eat too. . . . Everyone pays for it.

. . . People who bought more home than they could afford, or with a much lower down payment than a truly free market would likely have warranted, are just as much to blame as speculators for the mortgage meltdown. However, both they and the speculators simply responded to incentives as any Austrian [economist] worth his salt would predict. . . . When the government seeks to circumvent the market with noble goals financed with other people’s money, the result is always a trail of tears. . . .

So-called predatory lending practices cannot bring the market to foreclosure. Economically, this is specious, nearing idiotic, political rhetoric. If a bank preys on people who cannot pay by, for instance, originating loans to them at higher-than-reasonable rates or with unfavorable terms, only one of two outcomes is possible. One, those people will pay that interest, making the bank a healthy profit. Two, those people will not be able to pay and the bank will lose money. In the case of outcome one, other banks will seek to woo those customers to them, and (you guessed it) competition will drive the loan rates, and the related components of the loan packages in a direction that benefits the people seeking the loans. . . .

Even a “predatory lender” can’t make money when people fail to perform. . . . Without [government] guarantees, banks have to take care of business while they take care of the prospective borrower. Ergo, so-called predatory lending is primarily a result of way too much government involvement in the lending market, plain and simple.” (Read more from campaignforliberty.com)

Eight States Declaring Sovereignty Under 10th Amendment!

Feb 2nd: New Hampshire Legislature Takes On Federal Gov’t
“The New Hampshire state legislature took an unbelievably bold step today by introducing a resolution to declare certain actions by the federal government to completely totally void and warning that certain future acts will be viewed as a “breach of peace” with the states themselves that risks “nullifying the Constitution. ” This act by New Hampshire is a clear warning to the federal government that they could face being stripped of their power by the States (presumably through civil war!) The remarkable document outlines with perfect clarity, some basics long forgotten. For instance, it reminds Congress “That the Constitution of the United States, having delegated to Congress a power to punish treason, counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States, piracies, and felonies committed on the high seas, and offences against the law of nations, slavery, and no other crimes whatsoever;. . . . . therefore all acts of Congress which assume to create, define, or punish crimes, other than those so enumerated in the Constitution are altogether void, and of no force;” Federal gun crime laws? Void. Federal drug crime laws? Void. The gazzillion other federal criminal laws that deal with anything other than the specific enumerated crimes? ALL VOID.” (Read more from dailypaul.com)

Me: Live Free or Die, baby!!! I ought to move to New Hampshire.

Feb 5th: Eight States Declare Sovereignty
“Several states have recently appealed to the 10th and/or the 9th Amendments to assert their state rights over federal government. These amendments state:

Amendment 9 – Construction of Constitution. Ratified 12/15/1791. The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment 10 – Powers of the States and People. Ratified 12/15/1791. The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

1. Washington (click here)

2. New Hampshire (click here)

3. Arizona (click here)

4. Montana (click here)

5. Michigan (click here)

6. Missouri (click here)

7. Oklahoma (click here)

8. Hawaii (click here)

Are we seeing a trend?” (Read more from taxtruth4u.com)

Book: Taxpayers in Revolt: Tax Resistance During the Great Depression

“Many taxpayers just couldn’t pay at the depth of the depression and others wouldn’t pay for ideological reasons, believing that government should suffer along with taxpayers. The tax revolt movement attracted 30,000 members in Chicago alone and the Windy City’s government was faced with financial collapse as property owners stopped paying.

The movement had such momentum that the federal government resorted to a national “pay your taxes campaign.” Chicago teachers were even enlisted to chant “Pay Your Taxes!” at rallies around the city. Municipal and government workers, along with academics tried to sell the virtues of a more active state on the radio in a nationwide series called “You and Your Government” that ran from 1932 to 1936.” (Read more from nalert.blogspot.com)

Free Book: The Lie Behind the Lie Detector

“Every year, thousands of law-abiding Americans submit to polygraphic interrogation. And every year, hundreds – if not thousands – are falsely accused based on polygraph chart readings and are routinely denied due process.”

“We wrote this short book to call public attention to the dangers of polygraphy and to protect the innocent from polygraph abuse. Because of our government’s reliance on this pseudoscientific procedure, thousands of truthful persons have been falsely accused of deception and suffered serious adverse consequences. On the other hand, deceptive persons can easily defeat polygraph ‘tests’ through countermeasures, as did convicted spy Aldrich H. Ames.

In this book, you will learn the little-known truth about polygraphy. You will learn:
– that polygraphy is not science (p. 18 ff.);
– that polygraphy, like phrenology and graphology, is without scientific validity (p. 18 ff.);
– that our Government’s reliance on unreliable polygraphy serves to protect spies, undermining – not enhancing – our national security (p. 35 ff.);
– that polygraph “tests” are actually interrogations (pp. 20, 129 ff.);
– that polygraphy depends on your polygrapher lying to and deceiving you (p. 86 ff.);
– the simplistic method by which your polygrapher decides whether you are truthful or deceptive (p. 98 ff.);
– that polygraphy is biased against the truthful (p. 99);
– that polygraph “testing” can be (and has been) easily defeated through countermeasures (p. 22);
– how to protect yourself against a false positive outcome (p. 121 ff);
– how to recognize interrogation tactics and not be fooled by them (p. 112 and p. 129 ff.);
– what to do if you have been falsely accused (p. 164 ff.);
– how you can help put an end to polygraph abuse (p. 171 ff.);
– where to learn more about polygraphy (p. 200 ff.).

If you face an upcoming polygraph “test” and need to learn what to expect as quickly as possible, you may wish to proceed directly to Chapters 3 and 4 (p. 86 ff.) and come back to Chapters 1, 2 and 5 later.”

Get the FREE book here: The Lie Behind the Lie Detector 4th ed. (.pdf), or visit antipolygraph.org.

Google cranks up the Consensus Engine

“Google this week admitted that its staff will pick and choose what appears in its search results. It’s a historic statement – and nobody has yet grasped its significance.

Not so very long ago, Google disclaimed responsibility for its search results by explaining that these were chosen by a computer algorithm. The disclaimer lives on at Google News, where we are assured that:

The selection and placement of stories on this page were determined automatically by a computer program.

” (Read more from andreworlowski.com)

See Also:
Google ready to pursue its agenda in Washington Its employees supported Obama, and four Googlers served on his transition team. Now the Internet giant hopes to win support for network neutrality and expanding high-speed Internet access. (Read more from latimes.com)

The Goldman Sachs “secret handshake”

“My antennas first started twitching when Timothy Geithner was first nominated for the position of Secretary of Treasury. Those of you who have read my previous posts may remember Tim as the former President of the New York Fed, and also as a member of the Group of Thirty (G-30). I wrote an article that detailed the power of the New York Fed, and noted that the Chairman of the Board, Stephen Friedman, is a GS capo. I failed to mention in that article the name of the President of the NY Fed, but by now everyone is familiar with Mr. Geithner. I made the point that the NY Fed was effectively under the control of the GS gangstas.

As if to prove my point, no sooner does Tiny Tim [Notice the resemblance? I wonder if he can play “Tiptoe through the Tulips” on the ukelele?] become Treas-Sec of the US than he appoints a GS insider to be his Chief of Staff. This might have gone unnoticed outside Washington circles except that the person in question, Mark Patterson, was not just any GS lackey. No, he was a high-profile lobbyist for GS. Which led to questions about the Obama pledge to reduce the influence of lobbyists in his administration. Not to worry because Tim has got this one covered.” (Read more from futurenewstoday.blogspot.com)

Israel ‘hides settlements data’

“The Israeli defence ministry has concealed information about the extent of illegal settlement-building in the West Bank, a leading newspaper reports.

A classified database of construction compiled by the ministry was leaked to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

It suggests most construction took place without the right permits, and more than 30 settlements were built in part on land owned by Palestinians” (Read more from news.bbc.co.uk)

Dennis Ross Chairmanship of Israeli Government Funded Think Tank Could Torpedo Iran Envoy Job

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Former Clinton Administration Middle East diplomat Dennis Ross is under consideration as US State Department envoy to Iran. Ross is currently the chairman of the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute (JPPPI) in Jerusalem, established by the Jewish Agency in 2002. Ross could face legal challenges under the 1938 Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA, if he enters US government service.

FARA protects the American people and Congress from stealth propaganda and foreign lobbying through strict public disclosure filings. The Jewish Agency has repeatedly surfaced during investigations in the US. In the 1960s the Senate Foreign Relations Committee uncovered a network of stealth Jewish Agency “conduits” financing grassroots Israel lobby startup groups through the American Zionist Council (AZC). During 1963 hearings the Senate revealed the equivalent of $35 million went toward US lobbying, including $38,000 to American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) founder Isaiah Kenen between 1960-1961.

Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy ordered the AZC to register as the Jewish Agency’s foreign agent in November of 1962. The AZC shifted lobbying activities over to AIPAC and shut down. In 1969 the Department of Justice ordered the Jewish Agency to file its secret 1953 Covenant Agreement with the Israeli government. The Covenant agreement reveals the Jewish Agency’s ongoing receipt of Israeli government funds for operations and powers such as executive review of legislative matters before they go to the Knesset. The Jewish Agency New York office, like the AZC, quickly shut down only to reorganize under a new US shell corporation in 1971. (Read more from news.yahoo.com)

Bailout Blues

It is our duty as patriots to ridicule and expose this crime. The last act of any government is to loot the treasury. They are robbing us blind!

Getting Theirs Cuts Both Ways on Wall Street
“Executives and rank-and-file workers argue that lawmakers and others who complain about bonuses do not understand how this industry works. Bonuses, Wall Streeters say, are a crucial part of total compensation . . . . “Bonuses are down, and the salaries are not enough for these people. They can’t live on $150 to $180,000, so they haven’t saved any money. They put it on credit lines and at bonus time, they thought they’d pay it off.”” (Read more from nytimes.com)

AP: 9 in 10 execs at bailout banks remain on job
“Bosses whose banks made risky loans are now counted on to save system. . . . Even top executives whose banks made such risky loans they imperiled the economy have been largely spared any threat to their jobs, as Washington pumped billions in taxpayer money into the companies.” (Read more from msnbc.msn.com)

UN crime chief: Was the bailout the largest drug money laundering operation in history?
“United Nations’ crime and drug watchdog has indications that money made in illicit drug trade has been used to keep banks afloat in the global financial crisis, its head was quoted as saying on Sunday.” (Read more from correntewire.com)

U.N. crime chief says drug money flowed into banks (Read more from iht.com)

General Motors to Invest $1 Billion in Brazil Operations — Money to Come from U.S. Rescue Program (Read more from laht.com)

Citi Field or Bailout Ballpark?
“Two Congressmen are urging Treasury to force Citigroup to pull out of its $400 million naming rights deal for the Mets’ new stadium.” (Read more from money.cnn.com)