Confessions of an Economic Hitman.

[52ndStreet]

As long as private property exists some form of government (monopoly of violence) is essential. Grover and some Republicans seem to prefer a corporate as opposed to an "elected" government.

I used quotation marks around elected because I believe Wall Street has captured both major political parties in this country, and it's only a minor consequence to the bankers whether Repubs or Dems control our elected government.

As corrupt and unresponsive as our current system is, a regional or world-wide corporate government seems like a return to feudal times with 21st Century surveillance technology ensuring the corporate version of private property.

You say we may be headed for a, global Corporate, "Big Brother type", global socioeconomic system. Where private property will be maintained by way of 24 hour survellence , and we will have boarders protected with high voltage electrocution type
border fences?!!!!$$$

 

[georgephillip]

If Mexico, the US, and Canada formed a North American equivalent of the European Union their citizens probably wouldn't find migration as easy a financial capital would, but they might depend on corporations for many of the services congress provides today.

This was Benito Mussolini's version of fascism, a blending of state (military/police) and corporate power.

It could be a fatal mistake to think it couldn't happen here.

 

[Neubarth]

If Mexico, the US, and Canada formed a North American equivalent of the European Union their citizens probably wouldn't find migration as easy a financial capital would, but they might depend on corporations for many of the services congress provides today.

This was Benito Mussolini's version of fascism, a blending of state (military/police) and corporate power.

It could be a fatal mistake to think it couldn't happen here.

I have always admired Franco's version of fascism. Fascism, just like socialism or communism all vary depending upon who the leader of the country is. Franco still believed in the siesta, and almost full employment. Public dissent was not tolerated, and the state police with their submachine guns and their plastic hats were everywhere. Crime was down and government always removed roadblocks to industry so that jobs would continue to grow in Spain. Now, three decades after Franco everything is screwed up and the Spanish are beginning to say, "Things were pretty good back then." They were. I loved Spain back then (in the Sixties into the Seventies.) They had a good thing going. Potential terrorists ended up dying mysteriously, so there was little terrorism. Franco believed in taking the battle to the enemy. If Islamic terrorists had attacked spain when he was El Supremo, you could bet that Radical Islamics all over the globe would be dead within a few weeks. Or as Franco used to say, "Chinga los Chingaderos." That would probably best be translated "Fug the Fugheads." or as Jesus taught, Kill the others before they kill onto you. Or something like that.

 

[georgephillip]

From the Roman Empire of about 2000 years ago when the Latin word "fasces" referred to a bundle of rods with an axe blade protruding. Fasces meant power that comes from intimidation, or on a national level, the power that comes from an endless culture of war.

Prior to the Main Event (World War II) war became a way of life among the fascists. Mussolini's Italy (Rome) invaded Ethiopia, Hitler's Germany invaded Czechoslovakia, Tojo's Japan marched in Manchuria on their way to China.

The fascists told their populations they were under attack and had to fight back, and many "patriots" believed what their governments told them.

During World War II Franco's Spain claimed neutrality; however, el Generallissimo did support his volunteer Blue Dragons who fought alongside the Nazis on the Eastern Front.

After the War, one of Hitler's top officials Hermann Goering was sentenced to death for war crimes. Goering commented on how the German people were induced to support their troops:

"Naturally the common people don't want war. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country that determine policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger.

"It works the same in any country."

 

[Douger]

perhaps one day we will officially be citizens of a corporation instead of nations.

You already are. Look at the red numbers on your birth certificate.
I know. You have no idea what they are

 

[Bfgrn]

The Secret Government: The Constitution in Crisis, by Bill Moyers

 

[editec]

Did anyone watch a show on Direct tv satellite chanelle 375, about "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" .

About how the U.S. government goes into many third world countries, and offers them loans that they know that they will not be able to repay, and then when the country defaults on the loan and can not pay it back, the U.S. government starts to direct the
internal and external political affairs of the country. Including all the economic decisions
of the country given the loan, and tells them that they will have to use what ever natural resources they have to repay the initial loan proceeds.

"Chanell 375 Link TV"--->google this info for more on the story and show.

I've seen that program.

It exposes the way our largest western banks (via the IMF) are screwing the third world, (and the western taxpayers who fund it, too).

If you want to understand how your world really works, you have GOT to understand how our economic systems work.

Wish I'd fully understood that when I was reading history thirty years ago.

It would have made my university studies ever so much more comprehensible, if I'd understood MACRO-ECON at the time.

 

[georgephillip]

That's how Robert Baer, author of two New York Times bestsellers Sleeping with the Devil and See No Evil, characterizes the 74% increase in the Department of Defense budget, "not to mention the hundreds of billions of dollars in related contracts" that occurred between 2001 and 2009.

Baer, writing about John Perkins new book Hoodwinked, begins his review by saying: "I wasn't twenty pages into Hoodwinked when I realized Perkins nailed it.

"What got us into the mess were in today, the worst recession since the Great Depression, is the same grotesque capitalism cum corruption we shoved down the throat of the Third World since the end of World War II. (Yes, the Third World's elites were cheerfully corrupted)"

Baer finishes by contrasting his pessimism with John's optimism regarding our eventual fate:

"(Perkins) says we can save the world if we green it--and of course, start telling the truth to each other.

"Otherwise we end up a banana republic like the ones we know so well how to despoil."