“Us versus Them” The Money Party (5) Michael Collins

[autorank]

Link: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0803/S00402.htm

M. Collins: The Money Party (5)

"Us versus Them"

Michael Collins
"Scoop" Independent News
Washington, D.C.

We have been warned again and again that seeing the world as an "us versus them" proposition is a fatal error. It's polarizing. It leads to "class warfare." It absolves "us" of the collective responsibility we all have in a democracy. Can't have it, not allowed.

Well, here's some news for "them". It is precisely an "us versus them" world. We live in a nation where tremendous wealth calls the shots without respect or regard for the public will, fails miserably again and again, and then hides behind "collective responsibility." We're supposed to believe that somehow "we all allowed this to happen."

This point is critical: If "we" all allowed it to happen then "they" aren't responsible, ever. They have the ultimate "Get out of jail free" card. Kill, maim, steal, lie, cheat, etc. etc. and all they have to do is say everyone was in on it; therefore, they are not responsible. Starting a war based on lies that breaks the bank of the federal budget while the richest 1% get tax cuts is just one example of the fraud perpetrated by our "public servants." Did you have anything to do with that?

Now the "D" word is being used – we're on the verge of a major depression or, at least, a calamitous recession, take your pick. How did this happen? See if you can identify your role. How will they blame us in order to survive and do it all over again?

In 2001 the loser won. We had a president selected by the U.S. Supreme Court. The prevailing justices stopped a state recount, defying their long-held bias in favor of states' rights, a position they'd held before and returned to following their presidential intervention.

Then the looting began with a stunningly consistent display of greed and avarice bringing us to these perilous times.

SNIP

--Banks can write mortgages that are so risky they're referred to as "subprime" and Wall Street can bundle them up and sell the lot of them as premium investments. Home buyers are suckered at the front end and holders of retirement funds (401K, etc.) get to subsidize the flawed scheme at the other end. Top economists warned against these huge risks to citizens and the nation, but were ignored. Did you have anything to do with these decisions?

--"Derivatives"are a risk filled stock market product allowing investors to "bet" on the future value of a commodities, interest and exchange rates. The face value of over the counter derivatives went from $100 trillion in 2002 to $516 trillion in 2007. As a point of comparison, the gross domestic product (GDP) of the United States was $14 trillion in 2007. Investment genius Warren Buffett characterized their risk when he called derivatives a "financial weapon of mass destruction." Despite an early warning of real risk in 1995, by Buffett in 2002, and others like bond expert Bill Gross, nothing was done to regulate their sales which are widely held by retirement funds.

The subprime crisis is destroying your home value. Will derivatives and other risky stock market schemes wipe out your retirement? Did you have anything to do with these decisions?

SNIP

--Iraq War veterans are committing suicide at a rate of 120 per week. Sixty thousand have post traumatic stress disorder, and tens of thousands have permanent disabilities. More than one million Iraqi civilians are dead as a result of violence and civil strife predicted by experts in our government and elsewhere to follow the U.S. invasion. There are now five million orphans in Iraq. Our country's reputation in the rest of the world is at its worst ever. The war was based on lies. Did you have anything to do with these decisions? (Also see these links.)

So gear up, get in shape, and be ready to hear that we are to blame for this worst of all possible worlds created by The Money Party and its minions. They'll soon be blaming us for this on a regular basis at a major media outlet near you. As the economy continues its collapse and the truth about Iraq and other national "security" lies emerges, you'll hear stories about a great national soul searching and reflection on how "we" got where we are.

But consider this: People can't make rational decisions on major matters without a free flow of information on the topic at hand. We have had nearly zero accurate information on vital issues and events since 9/11 and we had very little during prior decades.

Those of "us" who supported this war did so based on wildly misleading information. Those who opposed the war, without a full understanding of the lies and carnage, did so at a level which was also based on limited information.

Those who face foreclosure after buying homes with an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) did so with bad information. Those who invested in a financial structure riddled with "a weapon of mass destruction" called "derivatives", did so while information was withheld about the exceptional risks involved.

We're all in the same theater of illusion created by The Money Party "Imagineers."

SNIP

The subprime loan scheme was a loser from the start and the investments offered in the form of aggregated subprime loans were almost laughable. Yet the regulators and press said very little to question this practice despite ample evidence of danger.

You don't sell garbage and call it a great investment. You don't create a financial house of cards that benefits the few and call it an expanding economy. The lack of reporting on this wasn't a matter of "errors of omission." We were told a series lies which were repeated again and again.

Financial schemes that benefit the very few are a common theme in most modern wars. Yet as it relates to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, this issue was barely covered or discussed. The profit motive behind the new endless war rarely if ever made the OpEd pages.

Those who claim that average Americans bear responsibility for this array of tragic mistakes fail to acknowledge the massive lock down of accurate information which was replaced by false story lines which deliberately mislead and deceive.

SNIP

Despite the many lies told again and again, without any alternative sources of information to reveal the truth, the "us" segment of the population has lost almost all faith in the current political rulers. That's why a recent poll showed the president with a 77 percent disapproval rating. The people have done their homework and their decision is in: The Money Party has reached its lowest point ever. It is a miserable failure.

It's time to speak up and state the truth – the massive failure of this government, at home and abroad, is a man-made national tragedy. All of those involved in the planning, execution, and continued funding of these activities must step down. We need truly fair, open elections under citizen control and without private money (i.e. corporate and other contributions). This will allow citizens to determine their own fate. Nothing less will work. We can no longer pretend to cast meaningful votes and they can no longer pretend to get elected.

No more masquerades, no more financial bubbles, no more self-serving schemes, wars, or staged events designed to distract the people. To those responsible: Admit your errors, correct them, and leave. There are nearly 300 million who would stand in your place and honestly serve the needs of the country and respect the will of the people.

END

See: Links annotated from original sources.
See: "They" Knew the truth well before the Iraq War

Special thanks to Mike for clarifying a key point in this article and to Jill Hayroot and Susannah Pitt for their input.

This article may be reproduced in whole or in part with attribution of authorship and a link to the original article.



Link: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0803/S00402.htm

[panader0]

1. What's with the Russian writing?

Cyrillic or whatever? I've seen it here a lot lately. I thought it was only for spam! I can't even concentrate on the post when I see it.

[cbayer]

2. It's not Russian

I do a lot of work with European websites. Their keyboards are different because some countries use different letters than we do. When our browsers see one of these, they insert all of those weird symbols. Mostly from Scandinavia and Iceland.

[Two Americas]

3. Microsoft

I think what we are seeing is proprietary and non-standard characters from the new versions of some MS programs. I mentioned this to autorank before, but he can't "see it" and I am not sure if he gets what I am talking about.

Great essay, auto. K and R.

You still have that character problem in the essays you are composing in a MS program. We peasants can't see some of the characters correctly.

[autorank]

5. Nope, I listened, just forgot to get them out & thanks.

I change it and then it changes back to those damn curley quotes.

Do you see the difference now? PM me, I only have a few minutes left if I didn't do it right.

I remember you teling me that a good while ago and I've tried to be dilligent. It does not show up
on Firefox.

Cheers, Mike

[Swamp Rat]

8. Shows up for me.

:hi:

What are you, Swedish or sumthin'? :D

[autorank]

4. Take a look now. It's the default quotation/apostrophes in Word

that the systems can't hendle. I replaced them all. Thought I'd done it already.

Dos Vidanya

[Kurovski]

17. It is time to admit to the world...that autorank...is...

an alien from another planet.

“s, ��...^-�~�?

Thank you, Mike! K�R.

[autorank]

30. So when they say, take me to your leader...

...you'll know.

[troubleinwinter]

10. I never read scoop because of the the garbage characters. ??

I figure if they don't care enough to make it intelligeable, I don't care to read their posts. It seems careless to me.

[althecat]

11. Oy Vey!

:bounce:

Hi Troubleallthroughtheyear :)

[Me.]

6. K

& R

[autorank]

7. :hi: I thought you were referring to another "K" who has his own "Party"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdcDvEg4mSw

[Me.]

9. Kruschev?

Who had his own party?

[Kurovski]

18. The Hard Party!

I'm all for it! :hi:

[autorank]

29. I'm not touching that with a 10 foot poll!

I think you mean the Party HardY ... no?

[Kurovski]

33. Take me to its leader...

and I'll let you know in the morning.

[autorank]

41. .

?:grouphug:?

[Kurovski]

42. Sure, sure...

everyone's invited to come! :-)

[bleever]

12. Stunning

how well you've connected the dots we aren't really supposed to see.

This is one of the very best pieces you've ever written.

Recommended, with pride.


ed: is this the first post to really appreciate the intelligence in the OP? Intelligence denotes the capacity for thought and reason, and while I'd like consistent orthography from everyone (including the people who advertise "fresh" fish to those who CAPITALIZE when its Not Appropriate to those who add a superfluous apostrophe to the possessive form of "it" and omit one when meaning the contraction of the words "it" and "is"), the OP is beyond being merely intelligible.

[autorank]

28. "...that depends on what the meaning of is is..."

Thanks for your very kind words. The author of all this is, of course, the Bush wrecking crew, that relentless band of pranksters who are so thorough in their destruction of our nation and the planet.
Their efforts almost make plausible the notion that this is a precognitive documentary of our times.

What an example these folks are to high school and college students. One illegal action after another
and nothing happens to them.

Hang in there and when you guys form your own nation, recommend me for dual citizenship. I'm a
little to close to the flame.

[stellanoir]

13. "So. . .?"

You don't recall volunteering for eternal serfdom. . .?

Maybe it's time to check your karmic contractual agreement with the "Cosmic Parole Board."

Well on the upshot as mr landshark likes to say, "it's unsustainable" really.

Not to be a stickler but the coup took place on 12/12/00.

Otherwise, you've nailed it.

:hi:

[autorank]

32. Thousands protest Bush's Inauguration Jan. 20, 2001

Thousands protest Bush's Inauguration
Demonstrators lining the parade route give the new presidential limo an unwelcome splash on its way to the White House.
http://tinyurl.com/2b2gr5
- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Daryl Lindsey

Jan. 20, 2001 | WASHINGTON -- Not since Richard Nixon paraded down Pennsylvania Avenue in 1973 has a presidential Inauguration drawn so many protesters -- and last time, people were out to protest the Vietnam War.
-------------------

I didn't volunteer for that but you did. Can you make me a really nice desert;)

:hi::hug:

[mod mom]

14. "The Money Party" is exactly what a political reporter friend of mine refers to them-

he/she said it's way beyond a Republican/Democratic issue. When you add resource depletion to the mix you start to understand the desperation we see in attempts to control the power.

Thanks auto-another winner! :hi:

BTW I use safari w my macs and I always see the funny letters as well. I always though you where computer talking in tongues. ;)

[autorank]

26. Good for that reporter!

Gore Vidal, who else, outlined the concept clearly. Then I interviewed John Russel, Dem candidate for Congress, FL 2006. He modified it with "the money party" instead of "peoperty." David Sirota did a fairly detailed analysis of that using "the money party." The phrase is better than an obscenity;) and allows all of us to talk about it in public;)

"But then, I say very mildly, we have only one political party in the United States, the Property Party, with two right wings, Republican and Democrat." Gore Vidal http://www.thenation.com/doc/20040913/vidal

:hi:

[bleever]

15. Kick

:kick:

[donkeyotay]

16. "See if you can identify your role."

Worked hard.
Played by the rules.
Informed myself and voted.

Got screwed, we did.

[autorank]

23. Yes but we're "the little people" to them.

And we do know how they feel about rules. But the last shall be first, as the saying goes so get ready to lead!;)

[Kurovski]

19. Kick. (nt)

[althecat]

20. And another

:kick:

[Kurovski]

34. Hi Al!

:hi:

[MissWaverly]

21. It's amazing how little representation we have had

Nothing seems to have been for the common good, the war policies were decided by
a few w/o the consent of the many, the epa, fda, the treasury, the DOJ, you name it,
everywhere you look; it is the same, policy pushed by a few to the detriment of the
many with no oversight and no accountability.

[autorank]

24. Excellent!

And we made a real statement in 2006 - out, period, do not pass go, do not collect $200. But somehow
the memo got lost in the mail.

:hi:

[MissWaverly]

40. discussion on Supreme Court ruling yesterday

Bush used Executive Privilege to interfere in a Texas court case, he was told unequivocally that he had no right to claim executive privilege. The problem is that he is always claiming it to ignore all rules, constitutional guidelines, established laws, acts of congress, international treaties, etc. The problem is how do we address every issue, every signing statement, every thumbing the nose at Congress while ignoring legislation. How do we return to normalcy?

[Raksha]

22. K&R, K&R, K&R...

This is one of the very best essays I've ever seen on DU, and that's saying a lot! I wish I could recommend it a hundred times.

[autorank]

25. You are too kind. The ideas are expressed here and at other citizen

gathering places, electronic and otherwise, on a regular basis.

:hi:

[HCE SuiGeneris]

27. An excellent OP.

Depressing as all hell -- but spot on.

K & R

[autorank]

31. Knowledge is power...

...and so forth, but it's depressing and remarkable. What a ride these characters have had.
I remember hearing somewhere that the the "crew" was stunned that they weren't thrown out after 911.
Something about how they couldn't believe it.

But what goes around comes around and it's headed their way, I suspect. There's too much pre-emptive
911 debunking going on. Something in the works that they fear. Probably a lost lap top or film/video.
Didn't we just send some weapons to China by mistake. Maybe they'll water baloon Iran instead of their
other plans, by mistake.

:hi:

[puebloknot]

35. For 60 years, we've heard about the character deficiencies of...

...the German people, the Japanese people, the Italian people. Their glorious leaders, who wrought destruction on their countries and the world, were merely the representatives who happened to be acting out the psychotic tenencies of their people. Or so the story goes.

Thanks for saying it about We the People of the United States of America. We have done what we can, most of us, to stop the plunder of our nation, to tell the world that We are not They, the monied interests who are selling a lie to the world that says it is only the inevitability of America's true character coming to light that has led to this tragedy in Iraq.

To hell with that. I see, many of us see, but there's precious little we can do about what we see. The ballot box has been our major tool for correcting malfeasance, and now our elections are *the* perfect representation of malfeasance raised to powers of ten.

"We" are a pretty decent lot. And we have to keep giving voice, in our small way, each of us, to the truth about our country. We have been invaded from within. We were caught off guard. A thief in the night took us down when we were occupied with life itself. But there's a rage bubbling within us, and there will be a reckoning.

[truedelphi]

45. Wonderful post. We have indeed been invaded from within. n/t

[Echo In Light]

36. "..massive lock down of accurate information which was replaced by false story lines"

Disinformatiom is their tool.

[DemReadingDU]

37. "You don't sell garbage and call it a great investment."

"You don't create a financial house of cards that benefits the few and call it an expanding economy."

"The Money Party has reached its lowest point ever. It is a miserable failure."



But is the Money Party dead? I think it is on life support, only waiting for new lies to emerge for gullible people to believe them. Whatever happened to some people's critical thinking skills to determine truth from fiction?


:hi:

[truedelphi]

44. Thinking skills? Part of the problem is that many in the USA depend fervently on

The news media to tell them what stories are worth considering.

For most in America, this means that the only concern brought to mind when you say "Current Fiscal Crisis" is the crisis resulting from the sub prime mortgage affair.

Meanwhile, the RW is still talking abt Reverend Wright and his anger and divisiveness. And how Obama is part of it.

From the talking heads over at Big Media, you would never know abt the derivatives market.

[Kurovski]

38. Kick. (nt)

[Kurovski]

39. Kick. (nt)

[blindpig]

43. kick

past time to flip this sucker

[KoKo]

46. Kick..