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Do you really own that?
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"The Idiot Cycle, a French-Canadian documentary, alleges six major chemical companies are responsible for decades of cancer causing chemicals and pollution, while also developing cancer treatments and drugs."
"We're all raised..."
Today's Message
The Most Important Meetings You’ll Ever Attend Are the Meetings You Have With Yourself
by Denis Waitley
by Denis Waitley
You are your most important critic. There is no opinion so vitally important to your well being as the opinion you have of yourself. As you read this you’re talking to yourself right now. “Let’s see if I understand what he means by that… How does that compare with my experiences? – I’ll make note of that – try that tomorrow – I already knew that…I already do that.” I believe this self-talk, this psycholinguistics or language of the mind can be controlled to work for us, especially in the building of self-confidence and creativity. We’re all talking to ourselves every moment of our lives, except during certain portions of our sleeping cycle. We’re seldom even aware that we’re doing it. We all have a running commentary in our heads on events and our reactions to them.
• Be aware of the silent conversation you have with yourself. Are you a nurturing coach or a critic? Do you reinforce your own success or negate it? Are you comfortable saying to yourself, “That’s more like it”. “Now we’re in the groove.” “Things are working out well.” “I am reaching my financial goals.” “I’ll do it better next time.”
• When winners fail, they view it as a temporary inconvenience, a learning experience, an isolated event, and a stepping-stone instead of a stumbling block.
• When winners succeed, they reinforce that success, by feeling rewarded rather than guilty about the achievement and the applause.
• When winners are paid a compliment, they simply respond: “Thank you.” They accept value graciously when it is paid. They pay value in their conversations with themselves and with other people.
A mark of an individual with healthy self-esteem is the ability to spend time alone, without constantly needing other people around. Being comfortable and enjoying solitary time reveals inner peace and centering. People who constantly need stimulation or conversation with others are often a bit insecure and thus need to be propped up by the company of others.
Always greet the people you meet with a smile. When introducing yourself in any new association, take the initiative to volunteer your own name first, clearly; and always extend your hand first, looking the person in the eyes when you speak.
In your telephone communications at work or at home, answer the telephone pleasantly, immediately giving your own name to the caller, before you ask who’s calling. Whenever you initiate a call, always give your own name up front, before you ask for the party you want and before you state your business. Leading with your own name underscores that a person of value is making the call.
Don’t brag. People who trumpet their exploits and shout for service are actually calling for help. The showoffs, braggarts and blowhards are desperate for attention.
Don’t tell your problems to people, unless they’re directly involved with the solutions. And don’t make excuses. Successful people seek those who look and sound like success. Always talk affirmatively about the progress you are trying to make.
As we said earlier, find successful role models after whom you can pattern yourself. When you meet a mastermind, become a master mime, and learn all you can about how he or she succeeded. This is especially true with things you fear. Find someone who has conquered what you fear and learn from him or her.
When you make a mistake in life, or get ridiculed or rejected, look at mistakes as detours on the road to success, and view ridicule as ignorance. After a rejection, take a look at your BAG. B is for Blessings. Things you are endowed with that you often take for granted like life itself, health, living in an abundant country, family, friends, career. A is for accomplishments. Think of the many things you are proud of that you have done so far. And G is for Goals. Think of your big dreams and plans for the future that motivate you. If you took your BAG – blessings, accomplishments and goals – to a party, and spread them on the floor, in comparison to all your friends and the people you admire, you’d take your own bag home, realizing that you have as much going for yourself as anyone else. Always view rejection as part of one performance, not as a turndown of the performer.
And, enjoy those special meetings with yourself. Spend this Saturday doing something you really want to do. I don’t mean next month or someday. This Saturday enjoy being alive and being able to do it. You deserve it. There will never be another you. This Saturday will be spent. Why not spend at least one day a week on You!
Action Idea: Go for one entire day and night without saying anything negative to yourself or to others. Make a game of it. If a friend or colleague catches you saying something negative, you must put fifty cents in a drawer or container toward a dinner or evening out with that person. Do this for one month and see who has had to pay the most money toward the evening.
• Be aware of the silent conversation you have with yourself. Are you a nurturing coach or a critic? Do you reinforce your own success or negate it? Are you comfortable saying to yourself, “That’s more like it”. “Now we’re in the groove.” “Things are working out well.” “I am reaching my financial goals.” “I’ll do it better next time.”
• When winners fail, they view it as a temporary inconvenience, a learning experience, an isolated event, and a stepping-stone instead of a stumbling block.
• When winners succeed, they reinforce that success, by feeling rewarded rather than guilty about the achievement and the applause.
• When winners are paid a compliment, they simply respond: “Thank you.” They accept value graciously when it is paid. They pay value in their conversations with themselves and with other people.
A mark of an individual with healthy self-esteem is the ability to spend time alone, without constantly needing other people around. Being comfortable and enjoying solitary time reveals inner peace and centering. People who constantly need stimulation or conversation with others are often a bit insecure and thus need to be propped up by the company of others.
Always greet the people you meet with a smile. When introducing yourself in any new association, take the initiative to volunteer your own name first, clearly; and always extend your hand first, looking the person in the eyes when you speak.
In your telephone communications at work or at home, answer the telephone pleasantly, immediately giving your own name to the caller, before you ask who’s calling. Whenever you initiate a call, always give your own name up front, before you ask for the party you want and before you state your business. Leading with your own name underscores that a person of value is making the call.
Don’t brag. People who trumpet their exploits and shout for service are actually calling for help. The showoffs, braggarts and blowhards are desperate for attention.
Don’t tell your problems to people, unless they’re directly involved with the solutions. And don’t make excuses. Successful people seek those who look and sound like success. Always talk affirmatively about the progress you are trying to make.
As we said earlier, find successful role models after whom you can pattern yourself. When you meet a mastermind, become a master mime, and learn all you can about how he or she succeeded. This is especially true with things you fear. Find someone who has conquered what you fear and learn from him or her.
When you make a mistake in life, or get ridiculed or rejected, look at mistakes as detours on the road to success, and view ridicule as ignorance. After a rejection, take a look at your BAG. B is for Blessings. Things you are endowed with that you often take for granted like life itself, health, living in an abundant country, family, friends, career. A is for accomplishments. Think of the many things you are proud of that you have done so far. And G is for Goals. Think of your big dreams and plans for the future that motivate you. If you took your BAG – blessings, accomplishments and goals – to a party, and spread them on the floor, in comparison to all your friends and the people you admire, you’d take your own bag home, realizing that you have as much going for yourself as anyone else. Always view rejection as part of one performance, not as a turndown of the performer.
And, enjoy those special meetings with yourself. Spend this Saturday doing something you really want to do. I don’t mean next month or someday. This Saturday enjoy being alive and being able to do it. You deserve it. There will never be another you. This Saturday will be spent. Why not spend at least one day a week on You!
Action Idea: Go for one entire day and night without saying anything negative to yourself or to others. Make a game of it. If a friend or colleague catches you saying something negative, you must put fifty cents in a drawer or container toward a dinner or evening out with that person. Do this for one month and see who has had to pay the most money toward the evening.
Knowledge
Symbols.com
"Symbols.com contains more than 1,600 articles about 2,500 Western signs, arranged into 54 groups according to their graphic characteristics." The histories, uses, and meanings of all the most important signs that range from ideograms carved in mammoth teeth by Cro-Magnon men, to hobo signs and subway graffiti are thoroughly discussed. There is also an interesting search feature if you're not quite sure what symbol you would like to research. BTW, the symbol for Jesus Christ is the combination of the diagonal cross with a vertical line from the initials of the Lord's name in Greek: I and X (similar to an asterisk). Here's your chance to check out some of these symbols that have baffled you in the past; you might be surprised at what you find!'
"Symbols.com contains more than 1,600 articles about 2,500 Western signs, arranged into 54 groups according to their graphic characteristics." The histories, uses, and meanings of all the most important signs that range from ideograms carved in mammoth teeth by Cro-Magnon men, to hobo signs and subway graffiti are thoroughly discussed. There is also an interesting search feature if you're not quite sure what symbol you would like to research. BTW, the symbol for Jesus Christ is the combination of the diagonal cross with a vertical line from the initials of the Lord's name in Greek: I and X (similar to an asterisk). Here's your chance to check out some of these symbols that have baffled you in the past; you might be surprised at what you find!'
ScienceBase
David Bradley, a science writer, has developed this site titled ScienceBase.com. The visitor enters a 'portal to science articles in astronomy biology, chemistry, physics and other areas of scientific discovery.' It 'features external newsfeeds and educational help sections for science fair projects and chemistry assignments and other related science education matters, including science lesson plans and free science magazines' in addition to search tools and links. Here's a portal that can be used by both students for research projects and by the general public to get educated on the latest on the science front!
David Bradley, a science writer, has developed this site titled ScienceBase.com. The visitor enters a 'portal to science articles in astronomy biology, chemistry, physics and other areas of scientific discovery.' It 'features external newsfeeds and educational help sections for science fair projects and chemistry assignments and other related science education matters, including science lesson plans and free science magazines' in addition to search tools and links. Here's a portal that can be used by both students for research projects and by the general public to get educated on the latest on the science front!
 |  | Explore: Historical Maps X Gmaps Check how things really looked back in the day with this crafty mash-up of historical maps and Google Earth; old-school maps're scanned in, then laid over with current street names/landmark labels, revealing what's changed and what's stayed the same, like that box factory that used to be a park, a former Catholic cemetery that turned into an outdoor basketball court, and Ohio, which is still phenomenally boring. Nerd out cartographic-style at Rumsey.Geogarage.com |
Learnable
Take your electives online
Internet schools are generally a rip-off, as anyone who wants to spend all day in their room, take class in their pajamas, and never interact with an attractive girl could just go to Amherst. For the less NESCAC-y side of Web knowledge, check out Learnable.
Should you feel compelled to do the teaching, there's even a dead-simple custom course builder, though if you wanted to surround yourself with a bunch of experimental learners who felt like doing whatever they wanted, you could've just gone to Wesleyan. |
Boost Your Metabolism, Curb Cancer, and Slash Blood Sugar with this Easy Culinary Trick
Posted By Dr. Mercola | April 04 2011
Herbs are not only great in meals for spice and added flavor but are key to the nutritional density in the foods you eat. Herbs can protect you against diseases, clear toxins from your body, and provide you with vitamins and minerals. Here are some examples of such, from a list of nine assembled by Planet Green:
Basil
Basil provides Vitamins A, C, and K, along with iron, manganese, magnesium, and potassium. Loaded with flavonoids, basil helps prevent cell damage from radiation and oxygen.
Ginger
Treat nausea and an upset stomach with ginger; prevent and treat the common cold with its antiviral components.
Fenugreek
This Mediterranean herb is good for menstrual cramps, menopause symptoms, cholesterol, and diabetes.
Flat Leaf Parsley
Parsley is renowned for containing high levels of antioxidants and is full of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber that help balance cholesterol and ward off constipation.
Turmeric
The Cork Cancer Research Centre's test results show that turmeric can kill gullet cancer cells in 24 hours!
Sources:
Dr. Mercola's Comments: |
Believe it or not, but common herbs and spices are actually some of the healthiest foods on the planet—topping the list of high ORAC value foods—so you can easily boost the nutritional value of your meal simply by spicing it up a bit. ORAC is a standardized method of measuring the antioxidant capacity of different foods and supplements. The higher the ORAC score, the more effective a food is at neutralizing harmful free radicals.
So, every time you flavor your meals with herbs or spices you are literally "upgrading" your food without adding a single calorie.
The Secret Powers of Herbs and Spices
But scoring high on the ORAC isn't the only reason why herbs and spices pack such a powerful punch. They're also very dense in other nutrients such as vitamins and minerals, and because of their nutrient density, they're also thermogenic, meaning they naturally increase your metabolism.* Cloves
Additionally, herbs and spices have medicinal properties. This should come as no surprise considering they've been used as medicine for thousands of years prior to the advent of modern medicine that focuses on synthetic drugs in lieu of these natural counterparts.
Lastly, spices can "upgrade" your meal by reducing toxic compounds created during the cooking process. A study published last year discovered that adding an antioxidant-rich spice blend to meat prior to cooking reduced the level of malondialdehyde (a chemical marker for oxidation) in the meat by 71 percent and levels in participants' urine by 49 percent.
The researchers used a blend of:
* Cinnamon
* Oregano
* Rosemary
* Ginger
* Black pepper
* Paprika
* Garlic powder
You can easily recreate this simply by mixing the dry spices together and rubbing them onto the meat before you quickly sear it, or add them to your marinade.
You can also help prevent the formation of toxic heterocyclic amines (HCAs) by adding blueberries or cherries to your burgers. HCAs form when food is cooked at high temperatures, and they're linked to cancer. In terms of HCA, the worst part of the meat is the blackened section, which is why you should always avoid charring your meat, and never eat blackened sections.
Which Herbs and Spices are the Most Potent Disease Preventers?
Each spice has a unique set of health benefits to offer, but one study, published in the Journal of Medicinal Foods, found a direct correlation between the antioxidant phenol content of many extracts of spices and herbs, and their ability to inhibit glycation and the formation of AGE compounds, making them potent preventers of heart disease and premature aging.1. Cloves (ground)
According to this study, the top 10 most potent herbs and spices are:
2. Cinnamon (ground)
3. Jamaican allspice (ground)
4. Apple pie spice (mixture)
5. Oregano (ground)
6. Pumpkin pie spice (mixture)
7. Marjoram
8. Sage
9. Thyme
10. Gourmet Italian spice
Selecting Spices for Their Medicinal Benefits
As a general rule, you really can't go wrong when using herbs and spices and I recommend allowing your taste buds to dictate your choices when cooking. However, you can also choose spices based on their medicinal benefits.Licorice: Buffers the inflammatory response by increasing steroid output by your adrenal glands; a good buffer if your immune system is over responding to the flu.
Here are some examples of herbs and spices that you may want to consider incorporating more of into your diet to achieve a certain aim:
To boost your immune system:
Turmeric: a general immune system booster due to its high antioxidant capacity. Turmeric is 5 to 8 times stronger than vitamins C and E, and even strong enough to scavenge the hydroxyl radical, which is considered by some to be the most reactive of all oxidants.
Black Pepper: Increases the bioavailability of just about all other foods -- herbs and other compounds.
Oregano: The active agent is rosmarinic acid, a strong antioxidant.
Turmeric: Its potent anti-inflammatory properties come from curcumin -- the pigment that gives turmeric its yellow-orange color, and which is thought to be responsible for many of its medicinal effects. There are an estimated three to five grams of curcumin in 100 grams of turmeric. Curcumin has been shown to influence more than 700 genes, and it can inhibit both the activity and the synthesis of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) and 5-lipooxygenase (5-LOX), as well as other enzymes that have been implicated in inflammation.To reduce inflammation, and treat inflammatory and infectious conditions:
Cloves: One of the most potent anti-inflammatories with anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties. Beneficial against muscle pains from injuries, arthritis and rheumatism. It also contains eugenol and its mild anesthetic benefits are useful for toothaches, gum pain and sore throats. Also offers relief from respiratory ailments such as asthma and bronchitis, and eliminates intestinal parasites, fungi and bacteria.
Nutmeg: A study in the Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering found that nutmeg extract has antibacterial activity that can significantly reduce certain strains of E. coli. Nutmeg is also beneficial for joint pain and gout, and nutmeg oil has been traditionally used to treat toothaches. ** Please note that nutmeg contains volatile oils comprised of alkyl benzene derivatives, terpenes and myristic acid. The spice has a long history of abuse; taking too much nutmeg (one to three nuts; in some cases less) can cause side effects such as nausea, hallucinations, swelling and shock.
Ginger: Has anti-inflammatory properties and helps protect against bacteria and fungi. Also eliminates intestinal gas and relaxes and soothes your intestinal tract, while boosting your immune system. Can also protect against atherosclerosis by lowering cholesterol levels and preventing the oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL).
Peppermint: Traditionally used to sooth the digestive tract; a study published in the journal BMJ in 2008 found peppermint oil may even be beneficial in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Also known to inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi, and can help relieve symptoms of allergies and asthma.
Cinnamon: A powerful antimicrobial agent that also enhances your antioxidant defenses. It's been found to kill E. coli and many other bacteria. Its anti-inflammatory compounds help relieve pain and stiffness of muscles and joints due to arthritis. Also helps prevent urinary tract infections, tooth decay and gum disease.
Nutmeg: According to a study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, an extract of nutmeg seeds elicited a significant antidepressant-like effect in mice; in some doses comparable in potency to the antidepressants imipramine and fluoxetine. In fact, reducing anxiety and treating insomnia are two ailments that nutmeg has been traditionally used for.To boost mental health and/or reduce anxiety:
Natural salt: According to a 2008 study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior, salt may be a natural mood-elevating substance. Sodium deficiency can induce behavioral changes such as reduced motivation, fatigue, and feelings of depression. However, it's important to understand that common table salt and the salt used in processed foods is the highly processed variety, and NOT at all the same as the natural salt your body needs to perform its vital functions, including the maintenance of proper brain function. So when adding salt to your meal, make sure you're using a natural unprocessed salt, such as Himalayan salt.
Turmeric—A Potent Cancer-Fighter!
A couple of spices deserve further review; one of which is turmeric. It was already mentioned twice above, both as an immune booster and potent anti-inflammatory. But perhaps its greatest value lies in its anti-cancer potential.Inhibit the transformation of cells from normal to tumor, as well as inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells already existing
In India where turmeric is widely used, the prevalence of four common U.S. cancers -- colon, breast, prostate and lung -- is 10 times lower. In fact, prostate cancer, which is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in U.S. men, is rare in India and this is attributed, in part, to the curcumin in turmeric.
Dr. William LaValley from Austin Texas is one of the top natural medicine cancer physicians I know and he recently shared this important information with me. Interestingly, curcumin—the active ingredient in turmeric—actually has the most evidence based literature backing up its anti-cancer claims of any other nutrient!
Numerous studies have looked into this potential cancer-fighting link, with promising results. For instance, curcumin has been found to:
Help your body destroy mutated cancer cells so they cannot spread throughout your body
Decrease inflammation
Enhance liver function
Inhibit the synthesis of a protein thought to be instrumental in tumor formation
Prevent the development of additional blood supply necessary for cancer cell growth (known as anti-angiogenesis)
Curcumin affects over 100 different pathways once it gets into a cell. Interestingly, this also applies to the metabolite of curcumin and its derivatives, which also have anti-cancer properties. According to researchers from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, curcumin blocks a key biological pathway needed for development of melanoma and other cancers.
The spice actually stops laboratory strains of melanoma from proliferating and pushes the cancer cells to commit suicide by shutting down nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB), a powerful protein known to induce abnormal inflammatory response that leads to an assortment of disorders such as arthritis and cancer.
Best of all, curcumin appears to be safe in the treatment of all cancers!
To get the full benefits that curcumin has to offer, you will want to look for a turmeric extract with at least 95 percent curcuminoids that contains only 100 percent certified organic ingredients.
The formula should be free of fillers, additives and excipients (a substance added to the supplement as a processing or stability aid), and the manufacturer should use safe production practices at all stages: planting, cultivation, selective harvesting, and then producing and packaging the final product.
For further details on how to use curcumin, please see this previous article.
Cinnamon—An Excellent Choice for Diabetics
The other spice I want to review further is cinnamon, simply because of its potential benefits against diabetes, which is a problem of epidemic proportions in the US.
Researchers have investigated the "insulin-like" effects of cinnamon for a number of years now, and it keeps proving it's a viable contender in the fight against diabetes.
Among this spice's most impressive health benefits is its impact on blood sugar and ability to improve glucose control. For example, just half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day has been shown to significantly reduce blood sugar levels, triglycerides, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels in people with type 2 diabetes. In another earlier study, cinnamon was found to increase glucose metabolism 20-fold!
Interestingly, cinnamon lowers your blood sugar by acting on several different levels, including:
Researchers have suggested people with diabetes may see improvements by adding 1/4 - 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to their food, and I see no reason not to give this a try if you enjoy cinnamon (along with doing the other essentials to improve diabetes, including eliminating fructose and grains from your diet and exercising daily).
- Slowing the emptying of your stomach to reduce sharp rises in blood sugar following meals
- Improving the effectiveness, or sensitivity, of insulin
- Enhancing your antioxidant defenses. A study published in 2009 stated that "polyphenols from cinnamon could be of special interest in people that are overweight with impaired fasting glucose since they might act both as insulin sensitizers and antioxidants." Yet another bioflavanoid compound called proanthocyanidin may alter the activity of insulin signaling in your fat cells.
Clearly, adding ample amounts of cinnamon to your diet is an incredibly inexpensive and great tasting tool for diabetics, and the likelihood of this food causing any long-term complications is very small.
Go Ahead, Spice Up Your Life!
All these benefits give you ample reasons to be adventurous in adding spices to your meals, and to be generous in the amounts you use. It will be worth it for the flavor enhancement alone, and the boost it will give your health is the icing on the cake!
THE VOICE OF THE SHADOW PEOPLE ...
...DANGER: LIAR AT WORK
by David Icke
I saw another America in Los Angeles last week – an intelligent America, insightful, aware and determined not to hide in the face of challenge to the most basic of freedoms, both their own and other people’s. It was one of those moments when you saw a glimpse of humanity as we were meant to be, as we once were and will be again. You saw what life on earth could be like if only the manipulators of human perception were removed from power ...... But this other American was dark of eye and soul – slavishly repeating the words of others from his Teleprompter mind. What he said was such a work of fiction, such a classic of its type, that it is worthy of some analysis for future reference.
Obama:
‘For generations, the United States of America has played a unique role as an anchor of global security and advocate for human freedom. Mindful of the risks and costs of military action, we are naturally reluctant to use force to solve the world's many challenges.’
Background:
The government and military of the United States has played a unique role in destroying human freedom around the world, funding and arming despots to suppress their own people – including some that it now condemns in the Middle East – so long as it suits the agenda of the Global Cabal that imposes its will via the government and military of the United States, as well as others like Britain.
It is not ‘mindful’ of the risks and costs of military action. Money is never an object when it comes to war, only for people in need within its own borders. It is not reluctant to use force – but it is reluctant, yes, to solve the world’s many challenges. Creating them is its prime mission.
It is truly extraordinary to see the number of wars, military campaigns and interventions by the United States government and military since 1776. They are, demonstrably, with Britain in their slipstream, the bullies of the world.
Oops, sorry … they have ‘played a unique role as an anchor of global security and advocate for human freedom’ and been ‘naturally reluctant to use force to solve the world's many challenges.’
The American military protects children in Vietnam.
Whiskey and Gunpowder
By Gary North
April 4, 2011
Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
The U.S. Constitution: Tool of Centralization and Debt, 1788-Today
On a conservative site last week, the editor wrote this:
While the Constitution has been largely ignored over the last 80 years, the document is very real, and its purpose is clear: to limit greatly the powers of the federal government.Having said this, he went on to a conclusion:
If Congress proves unwilling to force indiscriminate cost reductions on government then it should apply constitutional principles to the budget whereby government functions not enumerated in the Constitution are abolished, privatized, or passed to the states.When we begin with a myth, we have a tendency to expect miracles. Let me explain.
The Constitution was established in order to strengthen the powers of the Federal government. It strengthened them vastly beyond what the British had attempted to impose on the colonies in the early 1770s.
Before the American Revolution, the British level of taxation on the colonies was in the range of 1%. There were sales taxes on imported goods, but most people, then as now, bought domestically produced goods. There were taxes on paper after 1765. This affected mainly lawyers and newspaper publishers. By alienating these two influential groups, the Parliament stirred up a hornets' nest. When professional talkers and writers get squeezed by the government, the public gets an earful. "The end of liberty is nigh!" On the contrary, the end of a debt-free colonial governments was drawing nigh.
Revolutions must be financed. They are always financed with debt and fiat money. Creditors buy the IOUs with good money, then weaker money, and then -- at the end of the revolt -- worthless money. Then they have a supreme political goal: to get the new government to pay off the worthless IOUs at face value in gold or silver. In the 1780s, it was silver.
The Constitution was deliberately designed to centralize power vastly beyond what the legitimate constitution -- the Articles of Confederation -- allowed. The Federal government in 1787 was weak. In 1788, it was vastly stronger.
The newly created Federal government immediately did two things. It accepted responsibility to pay off state debts. This was Alexander Hamilton's proposal. He proposed it specifically to centralize the government by granting enormous profits to the investment class that had bought state debts for practically nothing.
The Wikipedia article on this consolidation of Federal debt is accurate in its discussion of Hamilton's motives.
Hamilton's economic plan had multiple goals. First, the debts and honor of the nation would be secured. Hamilton felt that the Federal government would not be able to borrow money from anyone in the future if these debts were not paid. By selling bonds to pay the debt, bondholders would have a direct financial interest to help the new United States government survive and thrive. Creditors who purchased the bonds could use them as collateral for loans, stimulating the economy even more.Hamilton's statements at the time were quite frank about all this.
The plan would also create a bureaucracy of agents across the country who would be tied to the Federal government instead of the individual states. Assuming the debts of the states would likewise couple financial elites in those states to the national government and less so to state governments, thereby reducing the risk of secession. Hamilton's scheme was called "debt assumption plan," and it was a radical idea in 1790.
Hamilton's Report supported ideas of war debt assumption, redemption of Confederate securities at face value, and funding of new national securities as a permanent national debt. Hamilton reasoned that creating a large financial structure, which wealthy citizens would support and belong to, would enhance the revenue and fiscal system of the national government and bring prosperity to the Federal government. He also reckoned that failure to establish the creditworthiness of the Federal government would weaken the United States, and called a permanent, reasonably-sized public debt "the powerful cement of our Union."
When Madison and Jefferson opposed the plan, Hamilton bought them off by promising to support the swamp today known as Washington D.C. as the nation's Capitol. This was done at a private dinner with only the three in attendance. Jefferson later wrote about it.
Here was the outcome:
The Treasury Department quickly grew in stature and personnel, encompassing the United States Customs Service, the United States Revenue Cutter Service, and the network of Treasury agents Hamilton had foreseen. Hamilton immediately followed up his success with the Second Report on Public Credit, containing his plan for the Bank of the United States --- a national, privately-operated bank owned in part by the government, which became the forerunner of the Federal Reserve System. In 1791 Hamilton released a third report, the Report on Manufactures, which encouraged the growth and protection of manufacturing.By 1791, Hamilton had created a vast Federal debt and the nation's first central bank, owned privately.
He had planned it from the beginning. That was why he promoted the Constitution. This was why he wrote most of The Federalist Papers.
The anti-Federalists predicted accurately what was coming in 1787. It came.
There was a conspiracy in Philadelphia in 1787. It was successful. I have written a book on this: Conspiracy in Philadelphia, which you can download for free.
To understand the expansion of Federal power in 1788, consider this. In 1786, the Federal government's total army was 1,200 men. It was too small come to the rescue of the state of Massachusetts in putting down Shay's rebellion. This was a rebellion by rural counties against the state government's decision in 1786 to pay off state debts in silver, collected from the counties. The governor and most of the members of the legislature had bought these debts for pennies in fiat currency. Now they were about to get very rich at the expense of rural taxpayers, who had little silver. A lot of counties revolted.
That was the trigger that got George Washington to attend the Convention, which he had previously refused to agree to attend. He had been completely misinformed about the motives of the protest. A former general of his sent him letters that concealed the politics of the revolt. [See Dr. North's article on this revolt: "John Hancock's Big Toe." –ed.]
In 1794, Washington personally led an army of 13,000 to crush a tax revolt in Western Pennsylvania. This was the first and last time a President ever led troops into action. Because so few men volunteered, the Federal government imposed a draft. This was the Whiskey Rebellion.
The revolt was against Hamilton's 1791 tax on whiskey -- a tax used to raise revenues to pay off Federal debts at face value -- debts that the holders had purchased for pennies. If this sounds like a replay of Shays' rebellion and its outcome, that's because it was, but on a far larger scale.
Centralized power? I guess so.
What Hamilton didn't do, Federalist Party Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshal did do, 1801-1836. Among other things, he wrote the opinion for McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), which authorized the privately owned Second Bank of the United States to exercise a government-granted monopoly over the monetary system.
In only one fiscal year, 1836, has the U.S. government ever been debt-free.
The Constitution was from day one an instrument to consolidate Federal power and expand it. The Constitution has proven to be a weak reed in every attempt to slow down the expansion of Federal power. It has proven utterly impotent to roll Federal power back as little as a decade, ever.
Therefore, the following is just plain silly, politically speaking:
If Congress proves unwilling to force indiscriminate cost reductions on government then it should apply constitutional principles to the budget whereby government functions not enumerated in the Constitution are abolished, privatized, or passed to the states.I would of course love to see this. But I am unaware of any fiscal year since 1790 in which such a rollback of Federal employment and Federal spending took place, other than after a major war, when the soldiers were de-commissioned and taxes were cut. If we are talking about civilian employment by the Federal government, I am unaware of any permanent reduction, ever.
There should come a time when the victims of a myth should figure out that they are the victims of a rich and powerful ruling class, which hires the teachers and screens the textbooks to keep the voters docile. But this dawning of enlightenment has yet to come.
When Washington's checks finally bounce, the day of enlightenment will come of necessity, not principle. Then we will have a shot at abandoning the myth of the Constitution as a restraint on Washington's power.
| The Daily Reckoning Presents | ||
| When Gold Becomes Money Again | ||
At one point, the question was asked: Might America's trading partners one day sell off their US Treasury holdings? Impossible, said Warren Buffett. In fact, he insisted, they couldn't...because they'd need to convert it into some other currency, which would be little better than the dollar. No one else chimed in to challenge the assertion. "Buffett's answer assumes that there is no alternative," author, friend and local Baltimore resident Bill Baker writes in his 2009 book Endless Money: The Moral Hazards of Socialism, "because for generations, all the world's currencies have been backed only by the promise that governments would accept them in payment of taxes. "But that ignores a currency that has been used effectively by man for thousands of years: gold. China and other countries might exchange their US dollars for it now." Indeed, China is quietly building its gold reserves. They totaled 600 metric tons in 2004. Then in April 2009 came an announcement they'd grown to 1,054 metric tons. And the buzz from Beijing is that the central bankers want to grow that stash another tenfold. Meanwhile, China has trimmed its US Treasury holdings for three months in a row. The January total was $1.15 trillion - down 1.75% from October. These are the first steps toward what Baker sees as the "remonetization" of gold - coming soon to a country near you. History is a pendulum. "Once gold and silver had been written into the Constitution," Baker says, "no one might have thought that it would be replaced by paper within 60 years." But the pendulum swung, the Union issuing its infamous greenbacks during the Civil War. Then the pendulum swung back, the greenbacks' critics were "able to successfully push for an agenda of gold resumption. But before the London Economic Conference of 1933, the world would be shocked by Roosevelt's rejection of the gold standard." The pendulum swung again. Now, "a series of crises such as was the case in Rome might ultimately bring the pendulum back toward gold," Baker writes. In other words, we're approaching the end of the Great Dollar Standard we wrote about in The Demise of the Dollar. The only world anyone below the age of 40 has ever known - in which all the world's currencies float freely against each other - is nearly over. And Baker is investing accordingly. In late 2010, he began accumulating shares of a tiny gold miner called Orezone. "Our cost basis is 78 cents, and now it's $3.61," Baker tells us on a wintry afternoon in his office on the outskirts of Baltimore. "I've sold off two-thirds of the shares that I own, and it's still one of our largest positions. I can't keep it down!" It's a good problem to have. And Baker has it because he's willing to go further afield than your typical money manager...as far afield as Burkina Faso. We'll pause here to place it on a map, so you can get your bearings. (If you were a geography geek growing up, you might remember it as Upper Volta.) "I read these other quarterlies from these hedge fund managers," Baker tells us, surrounded by family pictures, CDs of composers like Brahms and rafts of company research. "They'll get really absorbed in the macroeconomic picture, but they don't really know what they're doing, so they just buy GLD [the gold ETF]. "Or they'll hire two all-star Canadian analysts. Then I look at what they own, and they own Gabriel Resources because John Paulson owns it. It's safe. Or they bought some big South African company because it's cheap based on reserves in the ground when they ran it through their stock screener. "They don't have a coherent philosophy about really kicking the tires and really finding these companies that people don't know about." Baker does. His firm, Gaineswood Investment Management, has taken sizeable positions in tiny gold miners working well off the beaten paths of the Americas, Australia and South Africa. Burkina Faso is smack in the middle of a geological formation called the Birimian Trend...the richest source of growth for gold miners in recent years. Even better is how many miners in West Africa have consolidated their holdings. "In Canada, you might have a district filled up with 12 companies. One company might have each block, or half a block. But in West Africa, these guys own all of it. They've got a lot of time, a lot of land, and now they've raised a lot more money, so they can keep going after it...and we'll keep getting these upside surprises. "That's our philosophy, to find opportunity where, for example, this one outfit has found 1.2 million ounces of gold. But with all the new discoveries they're making, they'll probably come out and say we have 2, 2.5, and next year they'll say, well, we have 3, 3.5, 4... and it isn't over yet, because of this whole giant region that's been unexplored." Before we go any further, we'd better make something clear: Bill Baker isn't your typical gold bug. Nor is he your typical stock market bear. "The timing or eventuality of financial calamity is unable to be forecast," Baker writes in Endless Money. "At best, it might be like a hurricane warning: The tempest may strike here, it may hit there, it may be downgraded to a tropical storm or it may go elsewhere entirely." But that doesn't mean investors should fail to prepare for financial calamities...or the demise of paper currencies. Financial calamities are becoming increasingly likely in this overly indebted world of ours...and the death of paper currencies is becoming increasingly certain. The best time to prepare is ahead of time. |
Today's Quotes
POSITIVE vs. NEGATIVE"If you look at what you have in life, you'll always have more. If you look at what you don't have in life, you'll never have enough." -Oprah Winfrey
“Make a game of finding something positive in every situation. Ninety-five percent of your emotions are determined by how you interpret events to yourself.” -Brian Tracy
“Loving people live in a loving world. Hostile people live in a hostile world... Same world.” -Wayne Dyer
"Regret for time wasted can become a power for good in the time that remains, if we will only stop the waste and the idle, useless regretting." -- Arthur Brisbane
Peace, love, and happiness...until next time...
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