May 2010 — P.1
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AMERICANS PREPARE TO LOSE THEIR
HEALTH, WEALTH, AND FREEDOM
“Those who understand Austrian economic theory
know that this new model of healthcare will cause major
problems down the road, as it has in every nation that ignores
economic realities. The more government involves
itself in medicine, the worse healthcare will get: quality of
care will diminish as the system struggles to contain rising
costs, while shortages and long waiting times for treatment
will become more and more commonplace.” – Rep.
Ron Paul (R-TX), Texas Straight Talk, 3/29/10
“The Constitution does not authorize the Congress to
regulate the state governments. Nevertheless, in this piece
of legislation, the Congress has told the state governments
that they must modify their regulation of certain areas of
healthcare, they must surrender their regulation of other
areas of healthcare, and they must spend state taxpayergenerated
dollars in a way that the Congress wants it
done.” – Andrew P. Napolitano, author, judicial analyst
for Fox News, and former judge
“This system will almost certainly prove to be much
more costly than now projected. Pressure will be created
to increase the prices of care and the amount of insurance
premiums needed to cover the costs of care. The government
will respond by measures that amount to price controls
and by selective subsidies to lower-income people
and to those with the most political clout. Shortages will
increase; waiting times for care will increase; the quality
of services will decrease. The overall health care system
will cost more and more while delivering worse and worse
care. Ultimately, the government will probably throw up
its hands and nationalize the entire system because it will
have become such a terrible mess.” – Robert Higgs, The
Beacon, publication of The Independent Institute
“Who gains control under the president’s proposal?
The people in Washington, who will oversee what services
are covered by your insurance and at what price, who will
‘guide’ clinical decisions through a Medicare panel for
!
IN THIS ISSUE MAY 2010
I. AMERICANS PREPARE TO LOSE THEIR
HEALTH, WEALTH, AND FREEDOM··································································PG. 2
II. A VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF KILLER·····························································PG. 7
V. THE WORLD IN BRIEF ·····························································································PG. 10
VI. PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS···········································································PG. 11
VII. FINAL THOUGHT: LIVING AS PART OF “THE REMNANT”······················PG. 11
Donald S. McAlvany
Editor
May 2010 — P.2
your doctor and who will regulate countless other aspects
of health care with, literally, dozens of new committees
and agencies.” – David Glazer, in Investor’s Business
Daily, 3/11/10
I. AMERICANS PREPARE TO
LOSE THEIR HEALTH, WEALTH,
AND FREEDOM
We’ve known for some time that America was on a
very slippery slope away from freedom and toward tyranny.
In March 2010, that slope just got a lot steeper.
That’s when President Barack Obama signed into law a
massive overhaul of America’s health care system. While
the new law does not provide a “public option,” which
would ensure a complete government takeover of the system,
it does take a giant step in that direction. President
Obama, upon signing the bill into law, declared that the
overhaul takes a huge step toward universal coverage.
You’ve probably heard a lot of horror stories about
what this new law will mean to health coverage in the
U.S. What you’re about to see, however, is that it’s much,
much worse than anyone is telling you. In 2,700+ pages,
the new law will strip you of your health, your wealth,
and your freedom faster than any previous government
maneuver. Not only are you about to lose your access to
the best health care in the world, but you’re also about to
see our country become a total police state, with armed
agents swarming hospitals and breaking down the doors
of your favorite clinic.
You’re also going to see massive bankruptcies
around the country. One by one, states will declare bankruptcy,
handing over any remaining states’ rights to the
federal government. Major corporations will fall to their
knees, as the new law increases their spending on health
care coverage for their employees. Major government
takeovers, like we saw with GM and the banks, will be
common place. Our government will soon own more
businesses than any other entity in the world. And the
ones it doesn’t own, it will completely control – we’ll be
living with a peculiarly American mix of pragmatic authoritarian
economic systems.
The word “socialism” is thrown around a lot lately.
While an economic system based on government ownership
of business is definitely growing and playing a huge
role in our new system, what we’re headed for is far
worse. American government officials don’t hold to one
ideological system. They’re far too pragmatic and greedy
for that. They use whatever system plays to their
strengths and gives them the best leverage for increasing
power. When socialism works, they use it. But we’ll also
face a revitalization of fascism – government control and
cooperation with, but not ownership of, businesses. The
new health care bill fits this description.
However, the new bill does more than control businesses,
it controls state governments and it controls individuals
in ways this country has never seen. It sets the stage
for economic destruction and coordinated moves toward
international health care standards.
A. LOSS OF FREEDOM IN HEALTH
CARE AND ACROSS THE BOARD
Perhaps the biggest concern most Americans have regarding
the new health care law regards their ability to access
medical care. We’ve all heard the stories from Canada,
where the average doctor spends about three minutes with a
patient before writing a prescription. While it’s not much
better here, in Canada, it’s a numbers game. They have to
turn over scores of patients each day just to make ends meet
because of the low government reimbursement. Doctors
know the government doesn’t pay much.
It also takes months just to get necessary surgeries. If
you need knee surgery, it could take 10 months to two
years. Any doctor who does your surgery outside of the
system will lose his license, sustain a huge fine, and potentially
go to jail. And you could see fines or prison time too,
as it’s a crime to contract privately and use your own funds
for medical care.
That’s why thousands of Canadians cross the border
every year and pay for medical care out of their own pockets.
The surgery is done quickly and skillfully.
While the U.S. doesn’t have the same free medical system
Canada does, even with this new law, every intervention
step the government takes brings us one step closer to
this type of system – and this type of inefficiency. Amazingly,
the Canadian government fears the U.S. moving to
this type of public health system. As more Canadians stop
coming across the border for their medical care, Canada’s
government will have to pay for all of those surgeries it
now avoids.
As you’ll read shortly, this policy of implementing universal
medical coverage under government control will
cause massive financial troubles. But it’s not just the U.S.
that will feel the devastation. It also will impact all of North
America – and the rest of the globe.
Our other North American neighbor, Mexico, will have
more freedoms in this area than we do. We already see
many medical clinics moving south of the border so they
May 2010 — P.3
can operate with limited government intervention. Soon,
Americans will act like Canadians and go south of the
border for their medical care.
1. THE FUTURE IS NOW
Even though the U.S. still has insurance companies
paying for coverage, our access is still set to dwindle.
Doctors are already overwhelmed by bureaucracy, red
tape, and regulation. With the new law, a survey from the
Medicus Firm (a physician recruiting firm) says, “46.3%
of primary care physicians (family medicine and internal
medicine) feel that the passing of health reform will either
force them out of medicine or make them want to leave
medicine.” Losing nearly half of our physicians will substantially
reduce the supply of quality medical treatment.
We’ve already seen an uptick in the number of doctors
retiring early.
Add to this a drop in the number of students who will
become doctors. Money is a major motivator for upcoming
medical students. The same Medicus survey says,
“41% of physicians feel that income and practice revenue
will ‘decline or worsen dramatically’” with the new law,
especially if we see a public option down the road.
The survey, which was done prior to the new law, also
said, “36% of physicians would not recommend medicine
as a career, regardless of health reform.” And another
“27% would recommend medicine as a career but not if
health reform passes.” Over half of the doctors currently
in practice would not recommend their profession to upcoming
students. Combine lower incomes with little encouragement,
and we’ll see the number of doctors fall dramatically
in the years to come.
In essence, you’re already losing your access to the
health care you’ve enjoyed your entire life – even before
the government implements a single-payer system.
2. NO FREEDOM FROM INSURANCE
The Democrats like to cite the 47 million people in
America who don’t have insurance as one of their primary
reasons for passing the new law. Everyone assumes those
47 million are poor people who can’t afford insurance.
But over nine million of those without insurance make
over $75,000 per year. And 11 million of the 47 million
refused coverage offered by their employers. Another percentage
consists of those who are so wealthy, they don’t
need coverage. They can pay for their health care needs
out of pocket.
For all of these millions of people, the government
says, “Too bad.” The new law requires them to buy insurance
or face stiff fines ($1,000 or more) or prison time.
You’re now a criminal in this country if you don’t pay for
insurance. You no longer have the freedom to determine if
you want insurance or not – regardless of whether you
can afford it or not.
3. NO FREEDOM TO CHOOSE
While the new law still gives you the ability to chose
your insurance carrier and even most of your doctors
(according to the plan you purchase), it does remove other
freedoms. Judge Andrew P. Napolitano of Fox News gave
the following example: In February, “Sen. Frank Lautenberg
(D-N.J.) collapsed in his apartment in Cliffside Park,
N.J., a few miles south of the George Washington Bridge.
When he called an ambulance and it arrived, he directed
the driver to bring him to Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York
City. That direction is today perfectly lawful. Under [the
new law], such a direction would be unlawful; as an ambulance
would be forced to take a patient to the hospital
closest to the patient; in Sen. Lautenberg’s case, a small
community hospital a few blocks from his apartment. Sen.
Lautenberg voted [for a law] that would deny him the free
choice that probably saved his life.”
4. INSURERS LOSE THEIR FREEDOM
Insurance companies run their businesses by statistics.
They know what it takes to make a profit. One of the least
popular policies that has ensured big profits for insurance
companies is their exclusion of people with pre-existing
conditions. The policy limited people’s options for policies,
created expensive premiums for those with previously
existing health conditions, and prevented people
from avoiding insurance only to sign up when their health
deteriorated.
The new law bans insurers from denying coverage on
the basis of pre-existing medical conditions. If you’ll remember,
though, many of the insurance companies supported
the new law. Why? Doesn’t this eliminate a substantial
portion of their profits? It would, but remember,
the new law doesn’t allow people to avoid insurance until
their health deteriorates. Everyone must be covered. So
the insurance companies are protected – for now.
The compulsory coverage clause in the new law is
one of the most vulnerable to Constitutional challenge.
Judge Napolitano believes the federal government doesn’t
have the legal authority to order citizens to buy insurance.
“The Congress [is] ordering human beings to purchase
something that they might not want, might not need,
might not be able to afford … that’s never happened in
our history before,” Napolitano says. “My gut tells me
that too is unconstitutional, because the Congress doesn’t
have that kind of power under the Constitution.”
May 2010 — P.4
If the courts strike down that part of the law, it will
leave the insurance companies unprotected. It’s hard to
feel sorry for them when they’ve been in bed with the
devil all along, but their destruction will only open the
door for greater government control, including price controls
and potential government takeovers – much like it
did with AIG.
5. GREATER DEPENDENCE ON THE
GOVERNMENT
One of the dirty secrets of the American health care
system is the incestuous relationship between the Food
and Drug Administration and the pharmaceutical companies.
Most of the lawyers in the FDA have worked for the
drug companies. And most of the drug company lawyers
got their start in the FDA. There’s a revolving door of
lawyers between them.
Another dirty secret of the health care industry is that
drugs don’t cure disease. Other than antibiotics, drugs just
treat symptoms. In some cases, they really can help. But
drugs kill nearly 800,000 people every year (that’s like
265 terrorist attacks the size of 9/11 every year). Many of
those drugs were allowed into the market by the FDA
without a glance. The drugs didn’t have the proven safety
record required by law, but the FDA turned a blind eye.
Vioxx, the supposedly safe pain drug, caused heart attacks
and killed hundreds. And the FDA knew it. The latest potentially
fatal drug, Avandia, has killed hundreds as well.
And the FDA knew it wasn’t safe.
Since drugs don’t cure disease, you have to take them
indefinitely to keep the symptoms at bay. Modern medicine
doesn’t know how to cure much of anything – unless
it’s an infection. And thanks to doctors over-prescribing
antibiotics, many bugs are now antibiotic resistant. So we
now have an industry that’s more about disease maintenance
than cure.
With the danger inherent in drugs, we’re trading
symptoms for side effects. And we’re becoming dependent
on an industry that’s even more in bed with the government
than the insurance companies. Remember, always
follow the money trail on whatever government
forces upon you to learn what’s really behind it. And with
this law, the money flows straight to the drug companies.
It’s no wonder their stocks went up when it passed.
B. A GROWING POLICE STATE
Another clear threat to our liberty is the new authority
granted to the IRS. According to Devin Dwyer of ABC
News, “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
authorizes the IRS ... to collect penalties imposed on indi
viduals for not having health insurance, and on companies
for not offering it when the mandates take effect in
2014....
“Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee
warn that as many as 16,500 new IRS auditors and
investigators – or 17% of the agency's current work force
– could be needed to administer and enforce new health
insurance rules under the law.
“That could mean more audits, confiscated refunds,
and incursions into details of individuals’ health insurance
plans – all at a cost of up to $10 billion over 10 years, they
said in a report published last week.”
The IRS, of course, tries to downplay its role. IRS
Commissioner Douglas Shulman said, “I think there have
been some misconceptions out there,” and that taxpayers
have nothing to fear. But Americans already fear the IRS.
According to the GOP, “The bill gives the IRS many new
powers and tasks the IRS with the responsibility to enforce
the mandates on individuals to purchase insurance
the government deems acceptable as well as employer
mandates to provide insurance the government deems affordable.
In short, the Democrats’ bill will give the IRS
sweeping new powers and require the IRS to become a
much more intrusive force in every American’s life.”
Just how intrusive will the IRS be? An IRS collections
officer with 25 years of experience testified anonymously
at a Senate hearing. He said the Taxpayer Bill of
Rights, which is supposed to give you rights before the
IRS – and tame IRS abuses, “had very little effect on the
conduct of the IRS. The Taxpayer Bill of Rights is very
positive ... but who is going to enforce this for the taxpayer?
If you’re going to sue the IRS it’ll take thirty,
forty, fifty thousand dollars.”
And Phoenix tax lawyer Bob Kamman told James
Bovard of The Freeman, “The taxpayer rights provisions
of the Internal Revenue Code are like the civil rights provisions
of the former Soviet Union’s constitution. On paper,
they tell a wonderful story. In practice, for many taxpayers
there is no effective protection against government
abuse.”
So you have nothing to fear ... nothing but a growing
police state in the presence of an ever-expanding fascist
government.
C. FINANCIAL MELTDOWN STARTS
WITH NEW TAXES
The IRS role in the new health bill doesn’t stop with
enforcement of the insurance coverage mandate. The Na
May 2010 — P.5
tional Review got its hands on a House GOP memo that
said the new law “just doesn’t tax individuals and employers
if they don’t comply with the complex mandates in the
bill. The bill sends the IRS out to tax the very products
Americans use to maintain and restore their own health.
New taxes on medical devices, on prescription drugs, and
on health insurance itself are all targets of the bill. And,
with $10 billion in new enforcement resources, you can bet
the IRS will be taking its full share out of the pockets of
every American who uses any of these products or services.”
In other words, the new health care law is a classic
“Read my lips, no new taxes” moment. During his campaign,
then-Senator Obama said, “I can make a firm
pledge. Under my plan, no family making less than
$250,000 a year will see any form of tax increases. Not
your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital
gains taxes, not any of your taxes.”
Fred Lucas, staff writer for CNSNews.com, said, “As
many as a dozen taxes in the new health care law violate
President Barack Obama’s campaign pledge not to raise
taxes on families earning less than $250,000 and on individuals
earning less than $200,000.”
The one that will undoubtedly affect the most people is
the new level for medical deductions. Right now, you can
deduct medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted
gross income. The new law raises that threshold to 10% of
adjusted gross income. You’ll find this huge new tax in
Section 9013 of the new law. The government estimates
that this change alone will raise $15.2 billion in revenue.
But there are several other provisions in the new law that
will increase taxes for Americans making less than
$200,000 per year.
Higher taxes during a financial crisis will be the first
steps toward a complete financial meltdown. Productivity
is already down. Taxes will stifle it further. More importantly,
new taxes will increase the government’s control
over individuals and corporations. In a fiat money system,
where the government can print all the money it needs, the
only purpose for taxes is control and wealth redistribution.
These higher taxes will rob you of your wealth – and damage
your health at the same time.
D. FINANCIAL MELTDOWN –
UNFUNDED MANDATES
A few months ago, we showed you how unfunded
mandates from the federal government on state governments
is wreaking havoc on state budgets. California is one
of several states about to declare bankruptcy, partly due to
unfunded mandates.
Unfunded mandates are requirements placed on state
governments to fund new programs without any financial
assistance from the federal government. In other words, the
feds force the government to pay for the fed’s new programs.
Of course, the states have to raise taxes to pay for
the new mandates. But the federal government doesn’t take
the blame for the new taxes. The states do. This allows
President Obama to raise taxes even more without taking
responsibility for them.
The repercussions, though, are far greater than broken
campaign promises. With 48 of the 50 states already showing
budget deficits for 2010, the financial burden on state
governments is untenable. For some of these states, the
new health care law will be the straw that breaks the
camel’s back. California is already on the brink. Illinois
and New York are close behind. Many others are right on
their heels.
1. FED’S GOAL: TOTAL CONTROL
As states begin to default, the feds will be there to rescue
them. When states can’t make their budgets, cuts come
from education, corrections, and other services. The federal
government is already stepping in with education
“assistance.” But it’s really a complete takeover.
The new Race to the Top federal grant program provides
money for education for “winning” states. This year,
Delaware and Tennessee were the first to win. The states
are excited about the new cash coming in. It means they
don’t have to lay off teachers and other staff. But at what
price?
When a state accepts the Race to the Top grant funds,
it must forever give up its sovereign right to educate its
children the way it wants. The rules for the grants are very
clear. The winning state MUST accept 100% of the national
core standards. This includes acceptance of the national
core standards and the national curriculum and tests.
Eventually it will mean acceptance of national textbooks
and their rewritten history.
The states, ever burdened by unfunded mandates, consider
the funds “must haves” just to remain solvent. The
federal government obviously has plans for takeover as it
places further burdens on the states. Soon, the state governments
will be nothing more than arms of the federal government.
States rights will be gone. And any remaining
ability to reign in the federal government will evaporate.
2. HEALTH CARE LAW MOVES TO TAKE
OVER STATE LEGISLATURES
The goal of the Obama Administration is obviously
complete control over every aspect of the country. They
May 2010 — P.6
have no respect for liberty, whatsoever. And the biggest
threat to the federal government’s power is the states,
which gave the federal government its charter and actually
hold Constitutional authority over it. If the federal government
can overtake the state governments, it eliminates any
potential threats to its authority. Judge Napolitano, in an
interview with NewsMax.com, says the new health care
law essentially commandeers the state legislatures for federal
purposes. “The Constitution does not authorize the
Congress to regulate the state governments,” Napolitano
says. “Nevertheless, in this piece of legislation, the Congress
has told the state governments that they must modify
their regulation of certain areas of healthcare, they
must surrender their regulation of other areas of health-
care, and they must spend state taxpayer-generated dollars
in a way that the Congress wants it done.”
He continues: “The Supreme Court has ruled that in
areas of human behavior that are not delegated to the Congress
in the Constitution, and that have been traditionally
regulated by the states, the Congress can’t simply move in
there. And the states for 230 years have had near exclusive
regulation over the delivery of healthcare. The states
license hospitals. The states license medications. The
states license healthcare providers whether they're doctors,
nurses, or pharmacists. The feds have had nothing to
do with it.” But this new law changes all that.
Napolitano believes this part of the law won’t stand
up to court scrutiny. He says: “The Congress can’t simply
wake up one day and decide that it wants to regulate this. I
predict that the Supreme Court will invalidate major portions
of what the president just signed into law....” We
hope he’s right. But we suspect by the time this makes it
to the Supreme Court, the makeup of the court will be significantly
different (thanks to new Obama appointments)
and will lean more toward federal control.
E. FINAL GOAL: A MOVE TOWARD
WORLD HEALTH CARE STANDARDS
As with all of the federal government’s plans, the goal
is not just to control the United States. America’s elite
have bigger plans, in concert with the international establishment,
to build control globally. Along with such
schemes as global warming, globalization, and uncontrolled
immigration that we’ve also detailed in these
pages, the new health care law fits right into elite plans to
bring the U.S. into an ever-more-powerful and intrusive
world government.
According to a CNN.com article, Senator John Kerry,
Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
remarked that “A strong global public health system is not
merely a favor we do for other countries. It is the right
thing to do morally and strategically, and it protects our
own citizens.”
The Democrats assert that a global public health system,
apparently administered by a world government, will
help prevent wars. Former President Bill Clinton said in
remarks to the Committee, “We have to build a world
with more partners and fewer adversaries. That’s what
foreign policy’s about. If people think you care whether
their children live or die, you don’t have to send our
young people off to war as often.”
However, more than just Democrats will be involved.
Kerry said, “U.S. work on global health issues should be
strongly bi-partisan, such as President George W. Bush’s
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the reauthorization
of the measure in 2008.”
During these meetings, Kerry disclosed plans by the
Obama Administration to take the global health care system
one step further than Bush. The CNN.com article continued,
“Kerry also said that an Obama administration
proposed global health initiative has identified principles
that should guide U.S. thinking on the matter: Looking
beyond the ‘vertical silo’ of any one disease; focusing on
women and girls, who are at the ‘center of each family’s
health’; and empowering other countries to eventually
assume full responsibility for their citizens’ care. Kerry
said the administration is ‘finalizing’ the initiative.”
Obama’s plans are not altruistic. They are clearly focused
on government control of health care. This initiative
starts with individual countries taking control of health
care, then moves it to the international government, as
Kerry outlined.
We’ve detailed the plans of the World Health Organization
to globalize health standards through CODEX Alimentarius
in previous issues. The new health care law
takes the U.S. one step closer to adopting the international
treaties of the WHO – and showing other countries how to
follow our lead.
F. IT’S ALL A CHARADE WITH A VERY
REAL IMPACT
If you think there was a real battle on Capitol Hill
over health care, think again. Butler Shaffer recently made
it clear on his LewRockwell.com article: “The recently
enacted government health-care grab was accompanied by
the kind of legerdemain that would make Harry Houdini
smile. While congressmen met behind closed doors to
rehearse their scripts – not unlike professional wrestlers or
magicians practicing their routines – a few would ascend
their media perches to assure their constituencies that they
May 2010 — P.7
would not allow some trivial measures to become part of
the legislation. Government-funded abortions was settled
upon as the detractor, thus allowing the public to lose
sight of the greater wrong of state-defined and state-
controlled medical practice. If the abortion question had
not been available as a substitute for colored scarves, the
issue of government-funded breast augmentation, or tattoo
removal, would have sufficed. (Can’t you envision Wolf
Blitzer turning his ‘Situation Room’ into a debating platform
for either of these alternatives; or of Glenn Beck
bloviating on the anti-patriotic implications of allowing a
man to have an American flag tattoo removed from his
chest at government expense?)
“How many times have you sat in front of your TV
set to watch one of these ‘too-close-to-call’ state-powerexpanding
measures being voted upon by Congress, only
to have the proposed legislation sneak through by five or
six votes? Did you truly expect otherwise? Do you think
this charade was not carefully orchestrated long before CSPAN
arrived on the scene? Did you really expect ‘Attilathe-
Great’ to lose his bout to ‘Jack Armstrong: The All-
American Boy,’ an outcome that would likely have precluded
you from attending next week’s re-match?”
Just how orchestrated was the health care debate? As
soon as the law passed, President Obama made a clear and
deliberate step to the right by overturning the executive
order to ban off-shore drilling. Obama has about six
months to make the country think he’s really governing
from the middle. So far, he’s been far left on every move
he’s made. To avoid a massacre in the November elections,
expect to see him throw the right a few more bones,
with bipartisan support. The real reason Obama had to
rush the health care vote is that he needed enough time to
sell the new law and to make enough center-right moves
that people will forget how far left he really is. Americans
have short memories. By the time November rolls around,
all they’ll see is a moderate Obama. If he can’t stop the
massacre this year, he’ll do everything he can to save his
own job in 2012.
It’s orchestrated as well as a premier symphony. And
the music you’re hearing is the march of total control.
Judge Napolitano said it well: “I believe we have a one
party system in this country, called the big-government
party. There is a Republican branch that likes war and
deficits and assaulting civil liberties. There is a Democratic
branch that likes welfare and taxes and assaulting
commercial liberties.” And both parties conspire to build
government into a massive, power-grabbing, liberty hating,
war-mongering behemoth. Each party’s losses are
largely illusory; the real loser is you.
CONCLUSION
America has been edging closer and closer to the
precipice of government takeover for decades. Since the
progressive income tax passed over a hundred years ago,
each president and Congress takes us one step closer.
Even “conservative stalwarts” like Reagan took us closer
to the edge. But in the last two years, your representatives
have pushed us over the edge. We are now diving headfirst
into the pit of socialism and fascism.
To ensure there is no safety net, a massive police state
is growing in the halls of the IRS. No one is exempt from
the totalitarian control. Individuals, corporations, and even
local and state governments are about to come under the
arm of the federal government. What our Founding Fathers’
feared most is occurring before our eyes.
What can you do about it? Continue to fight this monstrosity.
There’s a short window of opportunity to repeal
the health care law. Tensions are high and it’s fresh on
everyone’s mind. Once the law settles in and people get
used to it, our opportunity to repeal it will go away. So the
election this November is very important. The only way
the massive move toward global government control will
stop is for people around the world to stand up and demand
liberty. And Americans need to lead this fight –
against our own government. If you live in a district with
a traitor to the Constitution – vote him out. Run for office
if you have to. But fight for candidates who will stand up
for the Constitution – for our inalienable rights granted to
us by our Creator. Unless government understands where
our rights come from, they won’t respect them.
As Judge Napolitano indicated, even a Republican
landslide doesn’t guarantee the law will be repealed. So
you have to look out for your own health – and find ways
to provide health care for your family in the future. We
still have good health care here. But that won’t last forever.
Start looking for clinics outside the U.S., especially
in Latin America and the Caribbean. While the health care
systems as a whole in these countries aren’t up to U.S.
standards, many individual facilities are, and the rest will
likely begin to improve quickly. Don't wait until the
changes occur. Take action now. It could save your life –
or the life of your child or grandchild.
II. A VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF
KILLER
Say the term “hit man,” and images of cement shoes
and ruthless goons come to mind. But even such a real-life
contract killer may be a humanitarian compared to an economic
hit man.
May 2010 — P.8
The concept of someone “rubbing out” an economy is
mind boggling. Is it really possible to financially bust the
kneecaps of or utterly destroy a nation in a planned, cold-
blooded fashion? Who would benefit from such a cynical
and manipulative scheme? It’s safe to say that those who
actually plot such conspiracies are the ultimate insiders
with positions of great power and influence.
Arranging economic hits is a much more complex –
and lucrative – occupation than knocking off mob rivals
or stuffing bodies in car trunks. Technically speaking,
there is no blood on the hands of the perpetrator(s), although
his actions may result in much indirect suffering
and chaos.
As outrageous as it may sound, such agents exist and
spread their poison as opportunities arise. Since their work
is shadowy, unscrupulous, and pays extremely well, those
in the field tend to keep a low public profile.
A. REAL LIFE THAT READS LIKE A
NOVEL
John Perkins was among the leading moles in the
world of international finance. Although he was talented
at setting up one-sided loans and other deals, Perkins
eventually found that his conscience – a rarity in this line
of work – led him to get out of the business.
As a former member in good standing of the international
economic Mafia, Perkins knew that silence about
his past dealings was the wise and safe course of action.
After much internal struggle, his conscience – that pesky
word again – led to Perkins to reveal his past and how
mostly Third World nations as well as countries higher on
the affluence scale can be ensnared in a web of debt.
It’s hard to sum up Confessions of an Economic Hit
Man in a few words. Although it’s nonfiction, the book
has some of the elements of a tightly written suspense
novel. Confessions also provides a thorough, well-
documented script on international high finance and promoting
debt to the obvious disadvantage of the borrower.
Most importantly, Perkins provides plenty of proof to
refute naysayers who label those who acknowledge that
people work together secretly to perform evil as
“conspiracy nuts.” His own introduction to this little-
known field was cloaked in mystery.
B. FLAWED IN ALL THE RIGHT
PLACES
The son of New England prep school teachers, Perkins
graduated from Boston University in 1968 with
rather ordinary credentials. Thanks to the intervention and
influence of a mysterious “Uncle Frank” (not a family
member), he was also interviewed by the National Security
Administration (NSA), an organization Perkins described
as “the country’s least known – and by most accounts
largest – spy organization.”
By his account, Perkins went through a grueling day-
long series of polygraph tests. He spilled his guts and admitted
to a strong desire for wealth and to jealousy towards
the affluent preppies his parents taught, as well as
an incident where he lied to the police.
The author felt such negatives were a sure disqualification
for the NSA and went on with his life. To the contrary,
however, those exploitable weaknesses made a candidate
more desirable in the eyes of the NSA, and Perkins
was offered a job. He declined the offer, and instead
served three years as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Ecuador.
But the NSA and/or those close to the agency hadn’t
forgotten about the young applicant. A man in a business
suit landed on a remote air strip near where Perkins and
his wife were living. Einar Greve was a vice president at
Chas. T. Main, Inc. (also referred to as MAIN by Perkins).
MAIN was “an international consulting firm that kept a
very low profile and that was in charge of studies to determine
whether the World Bank should lend Ecuador and its
neighboring countries billions of dollars to build hydroelectric
dams and other infrastructure projects.”
Greve admitted to a connection with the NSA and
spent several days with Perkins, pitching the young Peace
Corps volunteer on the benefits of working with the firm.
He also asked Perkins to provide MAIN with regular reports
on Ecuador’s economic prospects and other related
information. Perkins honored Greve’s request, diligently
writing 15 letters in a year.
That led to an interview and a job offer. Even though
he was a business administration major, Perkins was hired
as an economist. During the interview and in his early
months on the job, Perkins discovered that MAIN – ostensibly
an engineering firm – had close connections with the
World Bank and other quasi-government organizations.
C. THE POWER OF ROSE-TINTED
GLASSES
Three staff economists were fired shortly after Perkins
joined MAIN. According to management, they were let go
because of a lack of ability to adapt to and deal with
working in situations with little or no reliable statistical
data. Perhaps it was ethical concerns that caused the
May 2010 — P.9
economists to balk at making off-the-cuff predictions, as
Perkins soon discovered.
Perkins was trained by a mysterious and beautiful
woman who worked under an assumed name. Even with
the cloak-and-dagger secrecy, the trainer bluntly told Perkins
that he was going to be an economic hit man. In
something straight out of a Mafia initiation, Perkins was
told that he was in the organization for life.
The newly minted hit man was assigned to Indonesia
to assess the potential for building a nationwide electrical
system. Perkins met a crusty old American electrical engineer
who was also on the MAIN payroll. Under orders to
deliberately inflate the potential of the project, Perkins
found that his estimates for growth in electricity usage and
demand were more than double what his co-worker predicted.
The older man berated Perkins for giving in to the
hype and systemic lies. The experienced engineer was
soon fired, and Perkins presented his glowing projections
to the Indonesian government. Why would Perkins and
MAIN engage in such dishonesty?
MAIN and other firms such as the very politically
connected and notorious Bechtel engaged in the same
game. They created cheery, unrealistic scenarios of how
large-scale infrastructure and construction projects would
turn impoverished nations into bastions of prosperity.
D. ECONOMICALLY ENSLAVING
ENTIRE NATIONS
So where would a poor nation get the funds to spend
hundreds of millions or even billions with MAIN? The
money could be borrowed from the World Bank or similar
sources. Minus graft and corruption (part of MAIN’s
game plan, as they knew the opportunity for politicians to
grab some loot helped sell the project), MAIN would end
up with handsome profits for their work. What about the
poor nation that was deeply in debt for an expensive
boondoggle that never lived up to MAIN’s promises?
The end result was sometimes a default that cost
American and European taxpayers dearly. In most cases,
the World Bank imposed strict controls on the debtor, destroying
its independence and national sovereignty.
Poor countries in search of an ego-boosting project
weren’t MAIN’s only source of income. Oil-rich Saudi
Arabia and other Arab states were in serious need of infrastructure
upgrades during the 1970s and 1980s, and
MAIN, along with its competitors, was quite willing to
work with a cash customer.
His experience in the Peace Corps meant Perkins was
somewhat different than the typical economic hit man. He
enjoyed mingling with local people and often wandered
away from the plush hotels and country clubs where well-
connected foreigners hung together. Those first-hand experiences
of how the impoverished masses lived, combined
with his ever-growing salary and status, contributed
to his doubts and growing inner turmoil about this sinister
line of work.
Even as such doubts grew, however, Perkins did
whatever it took to close the sale. Among other favors, he
lined up western prostitutes for Saudi clients. To further
illustrate the strong big government/big business connection
(properly known as fascism, or Mussolini’s
“corporate state”) of MAIN, Bechtel, and other multinationals,
the Saudis were urged to put their ever-growing
oil revenues into U.S. Treasury bonds.
What could beat having a wealthy client who could be
easily dazzled by phony numbers? As Perkins explained,
“From our perspective, the prospects for immense profits
seemed limitless ... and to make the deal even sweeter, no
one had to obtain congressional approval – a process
loathed by corporations, particularly privately owned ones
like Bechtel and MAIN, who prefer not to open their
books or share their secrets with anyone.”
E. THE DOWNSIDE OF DESTROYING
COUNTRIES
Life as an economic hit man has some risks. Perkins
found himself in Iran just before the overthrow of the
Shah. An old college friend – an Iranian foreign exchange
student – and several other locals warned Perkins to get
out just before the Ayatollah Khomeini took over, and he
boarded a plane on the eve of the revolution. MAIN took
a rare loss that time.
It was on to Panama and Ecuador for Perkins. According
to the author, Panamanian president Omar Torrijos
was a staunch nationalist who wouldn’t take the bait of
millions in graft and kickbacks. The general wasn’t a
stereotypical Central American caricature. Perkins described
Torrijos as a canny leader who had a sophisticated
understanding of geopolitics; his negotiations with Jimmy
Carter to regain control of the Panama Canal were shrewd
and effective.
Torrijos let Perkins know in no uncertain terms that
he was well aware of the possibility of being assassinated
by the CIA or traitors in his own circle. While he was
willing to do business with MAIN, Torrijos insisted that
any project benefit all economic classes in Panama.
May 2010 — P.10
Ecuadoran college professor Jaime Roldos won election
as a populist candidate for president in 1978. Part of
his platform included regaining oil fields from Standard
Oil (the Rockefellers) and Texaco, or at least getting a
larger share of the proceeds.
Perkins wrote, “Roldos was the rare modern politican
who was not afraid to oppose the status quo.... Roldos
struck me as a man who blazed the path struck by Torrijos.
Both stood up to the world’s strongest superpower….
Like Torrijos, Roldos was not a Communist, but rather
stood for the rights of his country to determine its own
destiny. And as they had with Torrijos, pundits predicted
that big business and Washington would never tolerate
Roldos as president.”
That last sentence says it all. Where does “big business
and Washington” – fascism defined – get the right to
run other nations? It’s certainly not in the Constitution,
nor was it ever advocated by the founding fathers. In
sharp contrast to Perkins’ assessment, the American mainstream
media declared Torrijos and Roldos to be Marxist
dictators. Both men died in mysterious aircraft crashes.
F. SUBMITTING TO CONSCIENCE AT
LAST
The inner turmoil continued to grow. It wasn’t just the
nature of the work that ate at Perkins. Where else could he
earn the kind of lucrative salary and many perks that came
with being a high-level manipulator? It’s probably hard
for the average person to understand just how enslaving
such golden handcuffs can be.
Perkins finally made the break, but kept silent about
his work. His initial reluctance to talk paid off when Perkins
went into the alternate energy field, as funding and
investors came easily. It was no coincidence, but a reward
for being a good soldier.
His conscience still nagged and tugged. Perkins knew
what could happen if he exposed this elitist oligarchy, but
truth won out in the end. The result is a tightly written
story that grabs and holds the reader’s attention.
Reading Confessions of an Economic Hit Man raises
another question. As Perkins describes how small nations
and their leaders are sold on lies that lead to debt, a loss of
independence and control by a cartel of financial tricksters,
it makes one ponder if tens of millions of Americans
bought the exact same pitch over the past 20 years.
How many people bought cars, vacations, and especially
homes they couldn’t afford? Aside from a lack of
thinking and impulsive behavior, how did this happen?
Like Perkins’ victims, a willingness to ignore reality
and believe fantasies and propaganda led to taking on excessive,
unsustainable debt and fiscal disaster. Maybe the
economic hit men turned their attention to American consumers
after milking Third World nations dry. But the
question now is, will Americans stand for this kind of
abusive, exploitative treatment, or will they wake up and
re-institute just and Constitutional government?
III. THE WORLD IN BRIEF
ECONOMIC
Real personal income for Americans – excluding government
payouts such as Social Security – has fallen by
3.2 percent since President Obama took office in January
2009, according to the Commerce Department's Bureau of
Economic Analysis.
Three weeks after Congress passed its new national
health care plan, support for repeal of the measure has
risen four points to 58%. That includes 50% of U.S. voters
who strongly favor repeal.
GEO-POLITICAL
The vast majority of Russians believe “order” is more
important than “democracy,” an opinion poll published on
Monday by the Russia Public Opinion Research Center
(VTsIOM) showed. Fully 72% of respondents preferred
order to democracy, which was backed by just 16%. The
figures have changed only slightly in 10 years.
SOCIAL
A third of female British students would happily top
up their funds by stripping, while four percent would consider
escort work as a way to make ends meet. The findings,
which will strike fear into the hearts of parents
across the UK, come from a survey of 1,022 female students
by temp work webwise Studentgems.
Barely a mile from the Georgia Capitol building, Metropolitan
Parkway provides a straight thoroughfare for
motorists traveling from downtown Atlanta to the airport.
Metropolitan Parkway has garnered another odious
distinction – it is widely considered to be the epicenter of
child prostitution in the United States.
A review of filings in the Thomson Reuters Westlaw
legal database shows foreclosure proceedings against U.S.
churches have nearly tripled since December 2007, when
the recession began, compared with the previous seven
years, which included the dot.com bust and economic
downturn.
May 2010 — P.11
IV. PRACTICAL
CONSIDERATIONS
A. A TALE OF TURKEYS, AND EAGLES – Have
you noticed how few real estate agents there are now,
relative to the height of the real estate boom in 2005?
Only the good ones can make it in slow times – and the
same is true of any sales-related profession.
There’s a saying that, in a hurricane, even turkeys can
fly. In a strong bull market, even substandard salespeople
can sell a given product. Think about that in relation to
the current bull market in gold. The field is full of rank
amateurs, fly-by-nighters, and outright crooks.
How can you tell the good gold sellers from the bad
ones? Well, one way is to find those that survived the
long bear market in gold from 1980 to 2002. Anyone who
survived a 22-year bear market did so on the basis of
reputation and fair dealing.
ICA has been in business for 38 years, including
every one of those lean, hard years. If you look long
enough, you might find someone who sells their gold
products cheaper than ICA (most sell at higher cost). But
you won’t find anyone who grades their coins more meticulously
(allowing for maximum liquidity in the coins),
provides you more information pertaining to your investment
in gold, or who has a greater commitment to being
there when you need them.
Despite the rosy forecast from the government and the
media about our economy, it is still in grave danger. People
in the know realize this, and are still investing heavily
in gold. In fact, many gold coins are becoming extremely
hard to find, and many companies can’t get any to sell.
ICA’s solid reputation for integrity and professionalism
has resulted in far deeper and more reliable supply
lines than most gold companies can ever hope for. But
even ICA is affected by supply shortages. The availability
of gold may be limited. That will certainly be true
once the already-hyperinflated U.S. money supply makes
its way into the general economy.
So don’t wait. This is a crucial time for you to reduce
your exposure to volatile and vulnerable stocks, bonds,
and dollars. For your own safety and that of your family,
call 800-525-9556 today and talk to an expert at ICA.
And don’t forget: eagles fly in good times and bad. Deal
with someone who will be there when you need them.
B. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PLENTY OF
DRINKABLE WATER – Be sure to read the flyer on
Berkey water filters in this issue of MIA. Berkey filters are
excellent products that do what they’re supposed to do.
Whether for everyday drinking water or emergency water
purification, you just can’t do any better. Company owner
Jim Shepherd is a man of great integrity, and you’ll be
glad to do business with him. His products are highly recommended.
V. FINAL THOUGHT – LIVING AS
PART OF “THE REMNANT”
For many years MIA has written how the great majority
throughout history have always been wrong. Albert Jay
Nock, in his essay “The Remnant” describes the majority
(he called them “the masses”) as “those who neither have
the force of intellect to understand the important principles
of life nor the force of character to adhere steadily to
those principles as laws of conduct.... [B]ecause such people
make up the great and overwhelming majority of mankind,
they are collectively called the ‘masses.’”
By way of contrast, Nock says that in every civilization
there is also a small minority of right thinking and
behaving people “who by force of intellect are able to
apprehend the important principles of life, and by force of
character are able to cleave to (to live by) those principles.”
He calls them the “remnant.” This writer first came
to understand this differentiation between the great majority
(the masses) and the remnant about 40 years ago when
a friend gave me a copy of Nock’s essay.
If you become an observer of the human scene, you
can certainly see the propensity of the great majority to do
the wrong thing at the wrong time in most (or at least
many) areas of life. This is especially true in our day, as
seen in Americans’ blind faith in the stock market and
Wall Street; in the politicians of the day and what they are
telling us; in the television news commentators and the
managed news they continually serve up to us; in our
failed medical system which is primarily based on money
and making huge profits for the medical establishment;
etc., etc., etc.
Over the years, Nock’s essay has been of great help to
this writer in understanding why the great majority simply
cannot understand or act upon the truth in most instances.
It has also been very encouraging over the years to know
that, even in our day, when America is in decline in almost
every way (morally, spiritually, financially, and politically),
there is still a remnant of right thinking, discerning
individuals who do understand and care about truth;
who do grieve over the decline of our nation; our loss of
freedom; our descent into the MTV/Hollywood/Washington/
Wall Street-type immorality; and who will oppose
these trends as best they can – wherever they can.
May 2010 — P.12
This writer has long debated with friends about the
actual size of the “remnant,” wondering if it is 1% of the
population, one-tenth or one-hundredth of a percent of the
population, or whatever. We will never know – as Nock
says – it is sufficient to know that they are there (a fact
that seems to bring this writer great comfort). We have
also debated why the “remnant” seem to have wisdom and
discernment, while the great majority clearly do not.
One of the things that this writer has concluded (over
the years) that differentiates the “remnant” from the majority
in our day is a knowledge of, and adherence to (as
best as they can), the principles laid out in the Holy Scriptures
(the Bible). The Bible is (in this writer’s opinion) a
blueprint for successful living for those who adhere to its
rules and principles.
The wisest, most discerning people this writer has
personally known over the past 40 years or so have had an
in-depth knowledge of the Bible; have followed its principles
as a ruling passion of their lives; and have had a close
personal relationship with the God of the Bible, and His
Son, Jesus Christ.
Albert Nock says the “remnant” is differentiated from
the masses by “quality,” not “quantity.” The people I have
known over the years who were the highest quality, the
wisest and most discerning were such Christians. Not just
the “nod to God” crowd on Sundays in church, but those
whose lives were immersed in the God of the Bible and
His scriptures as the top priority in their lives.
These people grieve over the decline of America; they
recognize, hate, and oppose where possible the evils of
our day; they recognize the difference between good and
evil, which the great majority cannot discern; and for the
most part, their lives seem to work. And where does their
wisdom come from? James 1:5 says: “If any of you lack
wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all
without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” Paul
writes in Philippians 1:9-11: “And this is my prayer: that
your love may abound more and more in knowledge and
depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what
is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of
Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes
through Jesus Christ.”
In I Kings 3 (in the Old Testament) Solomon had become
king after his father, David, died. Verse 6 says: “At
Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in
a dream and God said, ‘Ask for whatever you want me to
give you.’” Solomon replied in verse 9: “Give your servant
a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish
between right and wrong.”
Verses 10-13 say: “The Lord was pleased that Solomon
had asked for this. So God said to him, ‘Since you
have asked for this and not long life or wealth for yourself,
nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for
discernment in administering justice, I will do what you
have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so
that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will
there ever be. Moreover I will give you what you have not
asked for both riches and honor…’”
Proverbs 14: 6 says: “Knowledge comes easily to the
discerning.” Proverbs 16:21 says: “The wise in heart are
called discerning.” Proverbs 28:7 says: “He who keeps
the law is a discerning son.” Throughout Proverbs and
indeed the entire Bible, we are told that wisdom and discernment
come from God.
This writer believes that it is just such wisdom and
discernment that differentiates the “remnant” from the
“masses” (the majority) and that such wisdom and discernment
comes from the God of the Bible. Job 32:8
says: “But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty,
that gives him understanding.” Psalm 111:10
says: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all
who follow his precepts have good understanding.”
So it would seem that what sets apart the “remnant”
from the “masses” is wisdom, discernment, and understanding
that comes from the God of the Bible. That being
said, it seems that if we want to be wise, discerning, understanding
members of the “remnant,” we need to spend
time with the God of the Bible every day; reading His
Scriptures; talking to Him; and living by His principles as
best we can.
And that is the bottom line!
Subscription Information, Mail Problems
The McAlvany Intelligence Advisor
P.O. Box 84904
Phoenix, AZ 85071
877-622-5826
Email: mcalvany@publishers-mgmt.com
Editor Offices
The McAlvany Intelligence Advisor
P.O. Box 84904
Phoenix, AZ 85071
Internet: www.MIAtoday.com
The McAlvany Intelligence Advisor (reflecting its editor, Don
McAlvany) is pro-U.S. Constitution; pro-Biblical, traditional,
and family values; diametrically opposed to all forms of racism,
violence, hate, or violation of any U.S. laws (local, state, or
federal): and in no way involved in the tax resistance, militia, or
sovereign citizens movement in the U.S. Selling of this newsletter is
in violation of all copyright laws and is strictly forbidden.
Gold, Silver, and Rare Coin Brokerage & Consultation – International Collectors Associates – 800-525-9556
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