Welcome login | signup
Language en es fr
OccupyForum

Forum Post: Seeking critiques of "End the Fed"

Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 22, 2011, 8:27 a.m. EST by CitizenZed (4)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

Prior to OWS I had noticed a few people going off on the Federal Reserve in a dubious and cult-like manner. The same people had a tendency to take 9/11 conspiracy theories seriously. After OWS, I'm rather surprised and alarmed at the widespread ...urrr, epidemiology of these non-cognitive ejaculations. Some kind of virus? ....they are everywhere with their signs and clogging up the internet with trollish posts that reflect no capacity for history, analysis or argument.

I'm sure others have noticed this. Philosophers, scientists, historians out there, where have you seen the best critiques and analysis of this peculiar phenomenon?

29 Comments

29 Comments


Read the Rules
[-] 2 points by PublicCurrency (1387) 13 years ago

ae911truth.org

Architects and Engineers for 9 11 truth.

[-] 2 points by enough (587) 13 years ago

There are few critiques of "End the Fed" because there is little to criticize. People today are better educated and better informed than ever. They can see right through the Fed and the stealth plutocracy it represents. Not only can they see it, they can feel it as Main Street suffers the relentless, devastating consequences of Fed policy decisions.

[-] 2 points by Montgomery (2) 13 years ago

To answer the poster's question, I would suggest a good starting point would be researching the important and necessary functions of the FED, such as management of inflation, interest rates, and the money supply.

Those who oppose the Federal Reserve are usually alarmed that it is a private entity with minimal government oversight. This is actually a common practice, used to varying degrees by almost all central banks worldwide. This is because politicians generally have a short-term time frame in mind (the next election cycle), which encourages them to take actions to benefit only the short-term (such as printing more money). A central banker should be able to take a more long-term view.

Opponents of the FED (such as Ron Paul) also often argue for a return to the gold standard. While there is some merit to this (it discourages politicians from printing too much money), it has many disadvantages. Most importantly, it would prevent the country from being able to set its own interest rates.

Thoughts?

[-] 1 points by GeorgeMichaelBluth (402) from Arlington, VA 13 years ago

Interest rates are the cost of money, which is only correct when set by a free market demand, not a bunch of suits and the man with the beard

[-] 1 points by PublicCurrency (1387) 13 years ago

the banks create money out of thin air . . Interest is their profit.

[-] 1 points by GeorgeMichaelBluth (402) from Arlington, VA 13 years ago

I agree, but in a just society like before the fed, interest was the cost of money, which was set by the market, not the 1%. It's the way it should be today. Banks used to provide a service, now they are cogs in the machine to transfer money from us to them

[-] 2 points by PublicCurrency (1387) 13 years ago

Absolutely - I agree completely.

[-] 1 points by CitizenZed (4) 13 years ago

Yes, I am familiar with many of the basic, historical points about the Federal Reserve. Also enough to know that pure distinctions between public and private (or governmental) are becoming the stuff of ideological fixation.

It's just that I've laughed off (usually inwardly) most of the people I've run into who don't have any critical inoculation against conspiracy theories or cultish narrative. So I'm interested in reading people who have explicitly confronted this strange phenomenon..... something akin to religious fundamentalism and end of the world fantasies, and yet with ostensibly secular focus.

[-] 1 points by clarke53 (1) from New York, NY 13 years ago

The problem is not the American goverment it's the Fed (house of Rothchild) we need to take back control or our own interest rates wipe the slate clean and start again. These people have been sucking the American people from day one right back to Jackson and the banks.

[-] 1 points by PublicCurrency (1387) 13 years ago

money as debt. .

[-] 1 points by unSpy (2) 13 years ago

CitizenZed,

You want the history, google: "EXPOSED: David DeGraw Works For A Soros-CIA-Obama-Socialist Front Group That Is Secretly Controlling the #OWS 99% Movement" or follow this link: http://goo.gl/QjUOU

I first heard David DeGraw use the term "the 99%" while watching the Max Keiser's show back on March 8th of 2010, http://goo.gl/4c3eV That is a great interview, one of the best I have ever seen.

Then a year later, on Mar 12, 2011, Anonymous A99 announced their first operation by posting a video to the AmpedStatus YouTube page. The effort was called “Operation Empire State Rebellion” (#OpESR). The video “OpESR Communication #1” stated the following:

“We are a decentralized non-violent resistance movement, which seeks to restore the rule of law and fight back against the organized criminal class. One-tenth of one percent of the population has consolidated wealth in unprecedented fashion and launched an all-out economic war against 99.9% of the population. We are not affiliated with either wing of the two-party oligarchy. We seek an end to the corrupted two-party system by ending the campaign finance and lobbying racket. Above all, we aim to break up the global banking cartel centered at the Federal Reserve, International Monetary Fund, Bank of International Settlement and World Bank. We demand that the primary dealers within the Federal Reserve banking system be broken up and held accountable for rigging markets and destroying the global economy, effective immediately. As a first sign of good faith, we demand Ben Bernanke step down as Federal Reserve chairman. Until our demands are met and a rule of law is restored, we will engage in a relentless campaign of non-violent, peaceful, civil disobedience."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D6neBzTnOQ

Economic news site ZeroHedge quickly picked up the video and featured it on their site with the headline, “Hacker Group Anonymous Brings Peaceful Revolution To America: Will Engage In Civil Disobedience Until Bernanke Steps Down.”

The video then went viral and got over 225,000 views.

Please note the reference to the Federal Reserve, IMF and World Bank in that video. Clearly, these guys know who the real enemy is--and my point is that was very clear from the start of this Occupy Wall Street movement. The #ENDtheFED group are not just a bunch of johnny-come-lately opportunist as you seem to think.

A lot of people say that Ron Paul is the father of the Tea Party, and that is true, but the untold story is that (without exception) the people who first got that Tea Party train moving down the tracks were listeners of the Alex Jones' INFOWARS radio show. Jones has been called the father of the 9/11 Truth Movement and he is a huge Ron Paul supporter. Were it not for Alex Jones influence, there never would have been a Tea Party.

Then came the Occupy Movement, which is a direct result of the efforts of David DeGraw. Again, behind him were a lot of other people like the Hacker Group Anonymous, but also Max Keiser Fans and the same Alex Jones "cult" that got the Tea Party ball rolling. These people know that 9/11 was an inside job, they know the Wall Street fraud was an inside job and they are hoping that when the mantel of this populist movement falls it will be on Ron Paul--the only Presidential candidate willing to do what Andrew Jackson did, "kill the bank."

http://OccupyTheFED.tv

[-] 1 points by indivisible (89) from Leeds, England 13 years ago

Hey CitizenZed

What is the Federal Reserves function? Who is it accountable to? Is it private or public? Is it for profit or not for profit?

for all those answers you need go no further than the fed handbook. http://www.federalreserve.gov/pf/pdf/pf_complete.pdf

a great little read

[-] 1 points by reddy2 (256) 13 years ago

What you should be asking is why are so many people so determined to bring this issue into the public arena for discussion?

The best thing to do is find out for yourself instead of insulting them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPWH5TlbloU&list=PL91307B57C5914228&index=3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfmPlHsYYk0&feature=BFa&list=PL91307B57C5914228

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbp6umQT58A&feature=BFa&list=PL91307B57C5914228&lf=BFa

[-] 1 points by CitizenZed (4) 13 years ago

People were all on about burning witches once too. Mass delusional complexes are, unfortunately, facts that need attention.

[-] 1 points by readytogo (80) from Brooklyn, NY 13 years ago

Well, I'll take your question seriously, and overlook your underhanded insults and odd way of finding your own information.

Here are a couple of the most obvious concerns:

  1. The "Greatest Country in the World" does not print its own money. We pay the Federal Reserve, which charges us interest, therefore creating an eternal debt for our country. How can we ever pay that debt if each dollar made buries us deeper in debt to the Reserve?
  2. The Federal Reserve is neither federal, nor a reserve. It is private and there is no gold standard, so they just print paper.
  3. The Federal Reserve is run by the biggest banks, there has always been a revolving door between the two, and there is concern, backed by a cyclical history of these two working together to manipulate our financial system resulting in financial crises for our country and enormous profit gain for themselves. There are a couple points to get your research started.
[-] -1 points by CitizenZed (4) 13 years ago

Sorry, I'm looking for an extant array of critiques of "End the Fed" not internal "education" about this notion. It's fairly evident that we have an algae bloom of uncritical, mass hysteria over this issue. The evident nature of this defective cognition <<< well, that's clear from any cultivated scientific, historical or philosophical perspective.

[-] 0 points by readytogo (80) from Brooklyn, NY 13 years ago

Why come here then? If you are so driven by cultivated scientific, historical or philosophical analysis of the FR, wouldn't it be obvious an internet forum wouldn't be the appropriate place to turn? You won't find solid knowledge on the internet. Don't you know that? This site makes no claims of that sort. It is a space to dialogue together. I have multiple degrees and studied various thinkers independently for years to come to my every evolving world view. This is a forum for discussing how to move forward socially and politically in a way that benefits the majority of people. If you don't see that as an urgent need and you want to fixate on the one concern of some people that you don't see as valid, as an excuse to continue to do nothing, then questions arise as to your motivations.

[-] 1 points by CitizenZed (4) 13 years ago

First of all it appears as though the "End the Fed" people are opportunistically coming out of the woodwork - and that they are a loud minority in OWS. Their pet demand is not what OWS has endorsed so far though its General Assemblies.

I know it's a forum, but I figured somebody may have seen some intelligent works addressing this cult behaviour. I mean "End the Fed" specifically as opposed to Libertarianism per se.

Specifically, I'm looking at this "End the Fed" business as a pathological fixation... and wondering if anyone else has addressed this lamentable phenomenon, which would appear to threaten the very possibility of moving forward based on reason, evidence and genuine dialogue.

[-] 1 points by CitizenZed (4) 13 years ago

Looking for critiques of "End the Fed".... not advocacy thereof. Since I am sure that all proponents of "End the Fed" have investigated counter arguments and critiques in doing their due diligence, please submit the strongest criticisms you have seen to date. Thanks

[-] 1 points by nynature (2) 13 years ago

This is exactly what was said would happen when the FED was instituted 100 years ago. People need to understand what the issues are. It isn't about capitalism. It is about crony capitalism, corporatism, and the government being under the control of a corporation, that corporation is the FED. They have stolen our system and taken power away from the people. This is what our founding fathers fought for, our individual freedom. Since this government and the FED is not a constitutional government, they cannot help us. WE THE PEOPLE have to help ourselves. Attached is a book that should be handed out to everyone so that they know exactly what the core issue is. The solution is a return to constitutional government, where those in washington serve us, and not where we serve them. Our only hope is to elect someone who has been in the midst of things and has fortold what would happen. Wisdom has come home. We need to invite him in.

http://books.google.com/books?id=qSs5AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA10&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q&f=false

[-] 1 points by nynature (2) 13 years ago

This is exactly what was said would happen when the FED was instituted 100 years ago. People need to understand what the issues are. It isn't about capitalism. It is about crony capitalism, corporatism, and the government being under the control of a corporation, that corporation is the FED. They have stolen our system and taken power away from the people. This is what our founding fathers fought for, our individual freedom. Since this government and the FED is not a constitutional government, they cannot help us. WE THE PEOPLE have to help ourselves. Attached is a book that should be handed out to everyone so that they know exactly what the core issue is. The solution is a return to constitutional government, where those in washington serve us, and not where we serve them. Our only hope is to elect someone who has been in the midst of things and has fortold what would happen. Wisdom has come home. We need to invite him in.

http://books.google.com/books?id=qSs5AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA10&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q&f=false

[-] 0 points by enough (587) 13 years ago

It's no surprise at all that there is strong sentiment against the Fed. This short article may inform you as to why this is so: http://investmentwatchblog.com/triumph-of-the-plutocrats/

[-] 0 points by Scout (729) 13 years ago

end the FED and stop fractional reserve banking

[-] 0 points by demonspawn79 (186) 13 years ago

You won't find any critiques of the "End the Fed" movement because anyone who can spell their own name realizes it's all a racket to fleece the peasants.

[-] 0 points by joyryder (3) 13 years ago

How to save the Postal Service and create a National Bank in one fell swoop: Use the German model. In Germany, you can have a savings account at the Post Office. They still have private banks, too, but lots of people use the post office bank account.

[-] 0 points by kazoo55 (195) from Rijs, FR 13 years ago

http://video.google.nl/videoplay?docid=-515319560256183936

The Money Masters - all you need to know.