----- Original Message ----- From: John Hermann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: John Hermann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, 29 October 1999 7:36 PM Subject: Currency tracking scheme > Economic Reform Australia > ERA EMAIL NETWORK > > Subject: From Y2K Newswire - 2 > Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 > > From Y2K Newswire > > Fed V.P. Wants Tracking Technology Embedded in U.S.Currency > > A Senior Vice President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond > has now proposed that Americans be penalized for carrying cash, > that tracking information be recorded on every dollar, and that > perhaps the Fed should prevent Americans from withdrawing cash > altogether. Banker Paranoia has reached new heights... > > October 28, > > Y2K watchers knew this was coming: the attempt at making > cash illegal. Now the Federal Reserve has taken the first step > > towards that Police State policy by suggesting that U.S. > currency should include tracking information that would record > how long someone has been holding a particular Federal > Reserve Note (dollar bill). According to the suggestion by Marvin > Goodfriend, a Senior Vice President at the Federal Reserve Bank of > Richmond, the longer someone holds currency, the less it will be > worth. In other words, there would be a tax on holding currency. > > Y2K Newswire leaned of this through Declan McCullagh, author > of the WIRED News story covering the same topic. McCullagh, > a reporter who thrives on privacy issues, nailed the Fed on this > story. In it, he quotes Goodfriend saying, "The magnetic strip > could visibly record when a bill was last withdrawn from the > banking system. A carry tax could be deducted from each bill > upon deposit according to how long the bill was in circulation..." > > The idea behind the paranoid suggestion? This would deter > hoarding of currency. > > CONSPIRACY THEORY? GUESS AGAIN > > Right on time! As Y2K Newswire predicted fourteen months ago, > bankers are now pumping up the "hoarding" phrase and working to > outlaw cash entirely. The Y2K Deniers and Hecklers recently > called this a "conspiracy theory." Well now it's a Federal > Reserve theory, and your own personal barcode probably isn't > far behind. You can see the Fed argument now: "Why bother > with cash? Why not just brand all the cattle... er, we mean, > people, with a financial ID barcode. > > See what happens when a nation abandons its power to coin > money? With the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, the U.S. > government turned over the power to create currency to a > private company, not even owned by Americans; also not > owned by the federal government; one that doesn't pay taxes > > and answers to no one: the Federal Reserve. Perhaps this is the > kind of thing President Woodrow Wilson was referring to when > he said, after signing the Federal Reserve Act, "I am a most > unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country. A great > industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system > of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and > all our activities are in the hands of a few men. We have come to > be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled > and dominated Governments in the civilized world no longer a > Government by free opinion, no longer a Government by > conviction and the vote of the majority, but a Government by the > opinion and duress of a small group of dominant men." > > Or perhaps this was what Thomas Jefferson was talking about > when he said, well before the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, "If > the American people ever allow private banks to control the > issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the > banks...will deprive the people of all property until their children > wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.... > The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored > to the people, to whom it properly belongs. > > Author Sheldon Emry, in a recommended-reading essay titled, > "Billions for the Bankers, Debts for the People," explains both > the historical and present-day context of the Federal Reserve > system. > > WHO OPPOSES THE CURRENCY TRACKING SCHEME? > > Naturally, Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas), a Libertarian at > heart, sharply opposes this Federal Reserve scheme. The > WIRED News story quotes him as saying, "The whole idea is > preposterous. The notion that we're going to tax somebody > because they decide to be frugal and hold a couple of dollars is > economic planning at its worst. > > Certainly, many Americans will oppose the idea, too, but a far > greater number will nod accordingly, and with glazed eyes and a > zombie-like voice, they will say, "Yes, master. Yes, master. The > currency tracking is a good idea, master. > > AN EVEN MORE PARANOID IDEA > > Goodfriend, who has obviously been given the wrong last name > also suggests that banks might disallow currency withdrawals > altogether! He says, "Suspending the payment of currency for > deposits would avoid the cost of imposing a carry tax on currency. > Read that carefully: "suspending the payment of currency for > deposits" is Fed-speak for, "making cash withdrawals illegal." > > THE BIG PICTURE > > More astounding than the suggestion by itself is the fact that > Federal Reserve officials are making this suggestion. Put > another way, somebody at the Fed actually thought this was a > good enough idea that they should make a presentation about it. > Somebody is seriously backing this cash-tracking scheme. > > These people, of course, have lost all touch with any idea of > personal freedom and individual rights. This is the scary part. > Lacking these basic values, it's very easy for them to up the > ante by suggesting cash be outlawed altogether. They'll say > they are "fighting crime," of course, which will create public > support for the measure. Americans, it seems, are willing to give > up any measure of freedom when the phrase, "fighting crime," is > invoked. They think they are giving up a little bit a freedom for a > little bit of security when, in fact, as Jefferson once concluded, > they will end up with neither. > > In a few short years, we could find ourselves in a cashless > society, where all financial transactions are tracked, monitored and > profiled. It's no longer a conspiracy theory. > There are no black helicopters hovering over this editor. The plan > is now evident; it's laid out right in front of us. Cash must go. > > Will most Americans care about this? No. > Will they do anything to stop it? No. > Will Y2K change the situation? Probably not. > > Are we stuck with this? Yep. That is, as long as we keep > electing the same parties and the same families to positions of > power. Until we have a reformist President who can educate > the American people about freedom, nothing will change. And if > you think voting Bush into office will change anything, you're > kidding yourself. Next November, vote for reform. > > ----ooOoo---- > ---------------------------------------------------------------- This is the Neither public email list, open for the public and general discussion. To unsubscribe click here Mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Subject=unsubscribe To subscribe click here Mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Subject=subscribe For information on [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.neither.org/lists/public-list.htm For archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
