John, there is no point to having money unless there is something to spend it on. Part of the problem is that there is too much money over there that can only be spent to hire assassins to kill American troops. There are billions and billions of dollars over there that can't be spent in the West for goods and services, because it's counterfeit.
For the past decade we've gone through the rigmarole of changing out our currency. We had to do that because the Bank of Iran, in its struggle against "Great Satan" churned out billions of dollars in near perfect American currency in various denominations, but mostly hundred dollar bills and twenties. Their presses were more modern than those possessed by the Bureau of Engraving, and had huge stocks of bank note paper nearly identical to that previously used by the Bureau of Engraving. The dirty little secret of central banks in the region, including Russia's, is that a large percentage (perhaps more than two-thirds) of the vault cash that forms the basis of their "reserves" can never be repatriated to the United States, because it didn't emanate from the United States in the first instance, but the Bank of Iran. Of course, when they first accepted the money they didn't know that. They now know it and know that we know it, so it is one source of American leverage in the region. At some hopefully near point we will be able to invalidate the Iranian dollars that fuel the fire sustaining the chaos. Some accommodation will no doubt be made with regional central banks that we will probably never read about. The war is being waged on many fronts. --------- Original Message --------- DATE: Thu, 6 Nov 2003 15:39:15 From: John Gelles <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Proceedings of PKT Forum <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Proceedings of the Cyberspace Society <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Sim Pol Discussion List ISPO <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "President George W. Bush" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, President Bush <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: >Is there anything wrong with the coalitions' plans for Iraq >and Afghanistan? The plans say the people of these nations >want political freedom -- and that political freedom cannot >exist with free enterprise for producers and decent shopping >for consumers. > >In other words, private property and human rights, both, are >what we offer in place of totalitarian rulers and ideology >(and hate) for breakfast, lunch and supper. > >Executing the plan, we are unable to deliver the jobs and >the shopping we're selling. Why? Because we are unable to >deliver them to a great many people at home. > >Both America and England and the rest of the UN member- >ship owe a lot more jobs and more shopping to the workers >and soldiers who make our system as good as it is. > >What is our problem? We know we can produce more and >pollute less. All it would take is more money. And we know >money is the least of our worries -- if we can insure domestic >tranquility -- including organizing a fair day's work for a fair >day's pay, all over these lands. > >The hang-up is scarce money, low wages, not a job for every >willing worker, and the absence of the freedom from want >we won in WW II. > >We now fight again for freedom from fear -- when the root >cause of the struggle is that we never delivered the freedom >from want that has been within our grasp for nearly a century >now. > >Fools say inflation will destroy production if we produce >all we can. Yet the more we produce the more people we >can pay high wages IF only we gear purchasing subsidies >to producers' output and consumers' needs. > >Why should tomorrow's purchasing power be hobbled by >money not geared to the correct variables. Money geared >to debt is only a beginning. A lot more money is needed -- >geared to the highest non-inflationary price we have to >maintain. Unmanaged commodity pricing, like what >happens to coffee and cars, puts pressure on wages that >keeps nations poor forever. But rational prices cannot >exist without extra money designed to achieve them. > >If we don't move fast to employ with decent purchasing >power the people we want to support democracy we shall >soon lose democracy first, the environment next, and the >liberty we pretend to champion -- but are afraid to >examine in the light of experience. > >John Gelles --------- End Forwarded Message --------- ____________________________________________________________ FREE ADHD DVD or CD-Rom (your choice) - click here! http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;6413623;3807821;f?http://mocda2.com/1/c/563632/131726/311392/311392 AOL users go here: http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;6413623;3807821;f?http://mocda2.com/1/c/563632/131726/311392/311392 This offer applies to U.S. Residents Only --^---------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84IaC.bcVIgP.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html --^----------------------------------------------------------------
