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A little more from THE CRASH COURSE at the top of the page. From Financial Sense University comes a short and straight- shooting piece by Dr. Chris Martenson called
This is hot. He's clear and upfront.
HOW YOU HANDLE THIS INFORMATION IS UP TO YOU !
You can take information from either "camp", maneuvering between them using both worldviews to enhance your success in our complex world.
Most people want to stay in the system and find a way to live in a roomy house, have multiple cars and attain a modifiing version of the"American Dream". At the same time, a growing number of people want out of the system. They want simplicity, a tiny house, an energy- saving vehicle and a tiny footprint in as many ways as possible. Both camps are represented in DownSize to Thrive. If you want to learn to work WITHIN this socio/economic system OR go off-grid and live OUTSIDE the matrix, we can help you get there.We have created a split screen effect. You can improve your life from either position.
Some people want to stay within the system and try to find a "safe" way to navigate in a market-oriented world. They want to figure out how to maneuver through the "hoops" that allow them to keep their dream of owning their own home, sending their children to college, owning a boat or a camper and taking vacations with these toys. This track is increasingly difficult for the average wage earner or small business owner to navigate. Wages, credit, interest payments, healthcare... they are all minefields.
Other people want to deal with the worst case scenario of economic collapse and get ready for that possibility. They want to downsize drastically so they won't be blindsided if we don't emerge from this crises in a timely fashion or if it gets as bad as the "Armaggedon" predictions.
We have included information for both camps. It's impossible to convince anyone to change their ways until they are ready, so why not work from wherever you are and feel more comfortable learning to make "CHANGE" your own way of life by doing what you can... and not what someone else tells you is "the way". Learn. Inform Yourself. Then do what feels right . Follow your own path once you are informed. So let yourself feel your fear and don't run away from the uncomfortableness of it all. This can help motivate you to do something NOW.
Even with the world economy in tatters, there are many people who don't want to deal with reality. They believe in a few years that things will go back to the fast cash flow world to which we have become accustomed. But Thomas Jefferson knew better, declaring: "If the American people ever allow private banks (The Federal Reserve is a PRIVATE BANK) to control the issue of their money, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them, will deprive the people of their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."
In Nov of 1910 under the guise of a duck hunting trip, 6 men took a secret train ride to an exclusive private club on Jeckly Island, Georgia to write a central banking act. The classified gathering read like a who's who of American banking. They spent a week drafting the concepts of the Federal Reserve System. President Wilson who signed the Act, was soon devastated when he realized what he had done. Here is an ebook on the details of the FRS .
Key Excerpts From Carroll Quigley's Tragedy and Hope
Carroll Quigley was a professor of history at Georgetown University from 1941 to 1976. He also taught at Princeton and at Harvard, and lectured at the Brookings Institution. He was a frequent lecturer at the U.S. Naval Weapons Laboratory, the Foreign Service Institute, and the Naval College at Norfolk, Virginia.
"There does exist ... an international Anglophile network ... which we may identify as the Round Table Groups. I know of the operations of this network because I have studied it for twenty years and was permitted for two years, in the early 1960's, to examine its papers and secret records. I have no aversion to it or to most of its aims and have, for much of my life, been close to it and to many of its instruments. I have objected ... to a few of its policies ... but in general my chief difference of opinion is that it wishes to remain unknown, and I believe its role in history is significant enough to be known."
-- Quote from Caroll Quigley's Tragedy and Hope, Chapter 65
Read the 10 page summarry of this book here. Click here to read the 10 page summary.
There is also a 40 page summary and the whole book of over 1000 pages is also available on line for free.
We have pulled together experts who, for many years, have been warning about the root causes of the present problems from which none of us can escape. They delve into issues that our media does not address. These economic wizards deeply and clearly explain the vital elements of our economic lives. So dealing with these often hidden and unexplained aspect of YOUR MONEY means you can move forward from your present philosophy and perception because you now know why we are in this mess.
To move wisely you have to know what is really going on in the system and DO something to change your situation. None of our holdings are "safe" and secure. Regardless of whether or not you want to stay in the system or get as far out as possible, this level of understanding is vital.
"HOW TO THRIVE MONETARILY"
is the question on everyone's minds.
is about how to create a really functioning BUDGETING SYSTEM. It does not teach how to get out of debt, but "Mr. (Howard) Moe explains how to stay out of debt in the first place....and shows you how to do everything, unlike some other authors who leave you hanging, and wondering." The Cheapskate monthly, Nolo Press
This is a lesser known book but it has great reviews... and the same name as another one... so check the authors carefully.
What is "The Crash Course"?
The Crash Course is a condensed online version of Chris Martenson's "End of Money" seminar. "The Crash Course seeks to provide you with a (compilation from many peoples' work and his own) baseline understanding of the nature of some of the extremely serious challenges and risks to our economy and your future prosperity. The Crash Course weaves together a number of seemingly disparate topics into a single story about the "economy" so that you can better appreciate the risks that we all face. (Chris) will discuss the economy, energy and the environment... helping you clarify what is, for many people, a deeply confusing subject. Chris Martenson You can do this free video course all at once or in stages. It's only 3 hours of your time and it's FREE.
Regardless of which direction you believe will serve you best... ...or how much you think you know about our economic situation..... You will be surprised when you get a "visual" about the value of your money. (The charts are real jaw droppers)
This is a truly intense program for transforming your relationship with money and achieving financial intelligence, financial integrity and financial independence. It is full of details, and has taken years to create. The program is a tried and true method for understanding what money is, how it works and what you can do to adjust your lifestyle so that you are comfortable, living within your means and living in alignment with your values.
But, don't worry.
You don't have to think in terms of having less than you need..
We must reframe the game.
Let’s talk about what we’re gaining, not what we’re losing. Instead of talking about cutting back
and doing without, lets talk about having more time, getting out of debt, building savings and having
financial security so that if you were to lose your job you wouldn’t also lose your house and car.
Talk about how the best things in life aren’t things. Make overconsumption sound uncreative and frugality smart. It’s easy, because it’s true.
Here is the "GUMP" EXPLANATION:
Forrest Gump Explaining Mortgage Backed Securities
Their criminal buddie at Standard & Poor rated these boxes AAA Investment Grade chocolates. These boxes were then sold all over the world to investors. Eventually somebody bit into a turd and discovered the crime. Suddenly nobody trusts American chocolates anymore worldwide.
Hank Paulson now wants the American taxpayers to buy up and hold all these boxes of turd-infested chocolates for $700 billion dollars until the market for turds returns to normal. Meanwhile, Hank's buddies, the Wall Street criminals who stole all the good chocolates are not being investigated, arrested, or indicted!
Mama always said: "Sniff the chocolates first, Forrest."
WHEW! If you really read and watched those fascinating videos, I bet there was lots of interesting info you didn't know about.
Let's go back to our own selves and our own lives for a moment....
SAVING MONEY ...
STAY HOME MORE!
‘Your Apartment/Home is your Castle”
Stay Home to Save Money
My oldest son loved it when he realized how efficient it is to conserve lots of money by staying home and having his musician friends play there. Home is no longer a “pit stop”. It is now a necessity to use our homes for living our lives. We simply don’t have the money to spend that we used to so that’s it. PUNT. The psychological shift will effect your whole family because now you are together. That could be a challenge. Learning to get along takes priority status. This will effect everyone because the system has changed.
Psychological Shifts
Many years ago I realized that when you go out, you spend money. When you stay home, you don’t. (Except for those computer shoppers and if you are one of those, call me at once so we can set up your FREE session immediately. )
Life with less money to spare means your home just rose in value. You will be spending more time there, so if you aren’t smiling, DOWNSIZE to THRIVE to the rescue.
Staying home means you have to feel cozy and grounded in your own home. You have to be able to relax there. And you have to have something to do there that amuses you. Most importantly, the people in your home have to get along and like to be around each other. Being happy to be home is essential for health and happiness.
Helping you create a home which suits your desires and supports your growth is part of the DOWNSIZE to THRIVE model. Home is not just a place to slam through to change your clothes or catch some zzzzz’s. Home is your base, your safespot and a reflection of who you are. Let’s make it so.
We’re here to help in all ways and that means talking about the real issues. The Elephants in the room don’t scare us. We’re riding our own for all to see. No secrets here. And we can help you address what’s blocking your flow regardless of the subject. We know how to Cozify your dwelling space. On a physical level, we help you REDESIGN, cut your house costs, evaluate your stuff and help you get rid of what no longer serves you. We also have associates who will help you clean out your attics and basements and junk drawers. If you haven’t done it so far, it’s more than likely you aren’t going to do it alone. So call us.
Make your House your Castle
Rearrange the house for a completely new look and feel. Don’t even think about buying furniture you can’t afford. Of course you can go thrift shopping or even trade furniture with your friends. Make use of the new websites popping up in all communities where people want to get rid of stuff for free if only you will haul it away.
Think about fixing everything you have been avoiding. Pretend someone is coming to visit (you know how busy we get cleaning up for visitors). YOU are your own new friend, a new visitor in your life, so you deserve the best surroundings possible. That means dealing with things you have been tripping over or bumping into. Consider putting up window treatments that keep the oil bills down. If you rent, put plastic over the windows. It reduces oil use by about 20%. Create a more cozy space for all your personal activities. Make your cooking space a delight. Food increases in importance in a more simple life because we are used to pleasure and must get it wherever we can. Learn to cook well. It's FUN.
The real psychological shift here is to figure out, if you don’t want to be home, why. If it’s dread you feel when you think of spending more time at home, check out your emotional reaction. Do you need to learn to spend time alone with your own self? Do you need a hobby, could you start your own business, watch the Iron Chef and surprise the family with a totally amazing dinner once a month? Commit to finding out why your own home, on which you spend a giant chunk of your income, is not your favorite place to be and change things one small issue at a time.
USE CASH Spending cash makes your economics real. Creative solutions come when the blinders are removed. Get unstuck through the Cash-way.
STOP BUYING BRAND NAMES and buy generic. Check the ingredients until you find the ones that are the same... and they do exist. And don't buy cheap mayonnaise. Hellmann's is still it.
CO-OP and BULK Purchases. Share and shop in bulk with other families or join groups to purchase directly from distributors. Co-ops have been around forever. Join one.
"Understand and Maneuver
WITHIN the System"
"Understand and Maneuver OUTSIDE the System"
4 Smart Moves for Getting A Great Deal on a House
by By Alex Markels
Check out the Steps:
You can get a deal
if you know what to do.
Step by step info....
.
A most detailed money saving helper if you take the time to use it. It's paid by the companies themselves. You don't pay to get their information.
BillShrink Helps consumers save money (and time) by finding tailored deals on cellphone plans and credit cards based on their individual needs. They help you make better purchase decisions and have developed a powerful, free service that does all the hard work for you. The site analyzes a consumer's spending patterns, credit score and any existing credit-card balances, & suggests the best credit card to maximize rewards or lower fees and interest rates. To find a lower-cost cellphone plan, Bill-Shrink searches through plans from all the major carriers and returns the best matches, based on how many minutes you use each month and where you live and work.
Mortgage Loan Process - The Steps to Buying a Home
written by GetPreQualified.com's editorial staff
Want to Know When
Housing Has Bottomed?
by Charles Hugh Smith
Here's How to Tell:
The "bottom" will be close when buying real estate makes sense as a sound business proposition. The numbers have to work !
Is there really such a thing as
Economic Health
IN the System?
In the world we are bowing to as it ushers in relentless insecurities and a never ending stream of questions, the foundation of money is being challenged. Now we know money is created from borrowing, that its value is subjective and its worth is determined by forces that are out of control. If you have watched The Crash Course and are ready to cast your line back into the BIG POND, check out there varied resources to see if you are doing your best job possible.
Make sure you know what to do if you are in debt and trying to get some peace from debt collectors .
This is from the website called the CREDIT GURU. He helps you get away from sleazy debt collectors. He knows the dance and even includes the Cease Communication Letter. .
For a list of details......
The Federal Trade Commission explains your rights if collection agencies come calling. Like the CREDIT GURU above, they tell you that you can promptly send the collector a letter requesting verification of the debt. Then, the collector can't resume collection activities until it sends you confirmation of the debt. You can also write collectors a letter telling them to stop contacting you, though this doesn't mean your debt has gone away. The Federal Trade Commission explains your rights:
Here is the FACTUAL EXPLANATION:
THE ECONOMIC CRISIS: CAPITALIST FOOLS
Here's a point by point superbly defined explanation of why we have been inexorably plunged into this economic train wreck. Professor Joseph Stiglitz will clear up the details of who, how and why the chocolates were turd-infested. Stiglitz says in this article: "Was there any single decision which, had it been reversed, would have changed the course of history? Every decision—including decisions not to do something, as many of our bad economic decisions have been—is a consequence of prior decisions, an interlinked web stretching from the distant past into the future. "
bY: Alex Wong/Getty Images for Meet the Press ; Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images (Paulson head)
THIS IS FOR BOTH CAMPS.
We all need to know this one.
MONEY AS DEBT
MONEY AS DEBT uncovers the many myths and concepts regarding money's history
Behold, one of the biggest myths of the American Dream.
Mark Monford, SF Gate Columnist 11/21/08
Have you ever seriously considered that your house was a money pit? ....costing far more than the 1/4 of your monthly income (which is the preferred formula for a balanced budget). Do you ever marvel at how much money it takes to keep a house going... (need I detail unexpected happenings?) Well, answer "yes" even if you haven't thought of it before, and read this article
Recently named most inspiring money blog by Money
magazine — is devoted to sensible personal finance. It's jam packed with details.
His site says: "You will not find any get-rich-quick schemes here. Nor will you find multi-level marketing fads or hot stock tips. I am not pitching any product or book. Instead, you’ll find daily information about personal finance and related topics.
I share stories about debt elimination, saving money, and practical investing. I also post occasional reviews of books, magazines, and software. And, of course, I scour the web for the latest personal finance tools and articles."
IFREMEMBER: IF YOU WANT TO MAKE IT IN THE SYSTEM YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO
GO BEYOND "BELIEF"
Survival and learning to thrive during adversity isn't about "belief". "Belief" is your personal business. If you want to survive these changes, you need to do some intelligent preparation. You can "believe" whatever you want, but getting your life in order transcends your personal opinions. Survival when there is no food is not a religious experience.
by Jim Kunstler
There are two realities "out there" now competing for verification among those who think about national affairs and make things happen. The dominant one (let's call it the Status Quo) is that our problems of finance and economy will self-correct and allow the project of a "consumer" economy to resume in "growth" mode. This view includes the idea that technology will rescue us from our fossil fuel predicament -- through "innovation," through the discovery of new techno rescue remedy fuels, and via "drill, baby, drill" policy. This view assumes an orderly transition through the current "rough patch" into a vibrant re-energized era of "green" Happy Motoring and resumed Blue Light Special shopping.
The minority reality (let's call it The Long Emergency) says that it is necessary to make radically new arrangements for daily life and rather soon. It says that a campaign to sustain the unsustainable will amount to a tragic squandering of our dwindling resources. It says that the "consumer" era of economics is over, that suburbia will lose its value, that the automobile will be a diminishing presence in daily life, that the major systems we've come to rely on will founder, and that the transition between where we are now and where we are going is apt to be tumultuous.
My own view is obviously the one called The Long Emergency.
(As is mine...S)
Read more....
Michael Knight is the author of the ebook “How To Survive Earth Changes, Economic Depression and Martial Law.” Far out, but why not go there?
Here's the FREE NEXUS ebooks to get you started.
The National Endowment for Financial Education is a nonprofit foundation that has helped people for 30 years to get smart about their money.
They provide sound advice and practical information for everything from understanding the keys to financial planning to getting out of debt to managing money wisely to saving for your future...
The shares of income and wealth of the bottom two quintiles (fifths) and the top three quintiles of households in 2004 (the most recent year for which wealth data are available). The calculations are by Edward Wolff (READ MORE HERE), using data from the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances. The bottom two fifths of households have just 0.2% of the total household wealth. The top fifth have 85%. This article was published Feb 12, 2008. Look at the last 10 months of 2008 to see how much worse the inequality has become. That's why this information is in the LET'S GET OUT OF THE SYSTEM section! More reason to get as clear of it as we can.
A Personal Thought:
You know, the French Revolution had the same elements as this present day economic tsunami. The rich didn't pay taxes. The poor were taxed to the max. The people were scammed, oppressed and ignored. No one in government or the "royalty" listened to them. Then one day, the proletariat rose up and the energy was unstoppable. They revolted because they have nothing to lose.
Think about it. In other places and in other times, the masses would have gotten off their duffs, raced forward with weapons in hand and dragged the lying, cheating CEO's and the governmental flunkeys to the town square to watch them publicly flogged or guillotined. Retribution is policy in a revolutionary environment. But our world has created generations of docile, cowed and lifeless slaves........ we are robotized, so we take it. We are so brainwashed by reality shows, exposes, persistent violence, electronic games and more, that our economy and life styles will have to greatly worsen before most people really feel the truth of what has happened. Doing something about it will be in the history books..
We will have to hit a communal "bottom" before we finally admit that we are screwed. Like the classic alcoholic/codependant tale, we have to be near death before we decide if we want to live or die. Which will it be for you, I wonder?
10 things that won't survive the recession
Economic downturns have a way of accelerating the demise of the obsolete and inefficient...
From COMPUTERWORLD, here are 10 Things Mike Elgan believes won't survive the recession. Seems right on, especially the retail stores.
d
George got it. He told us for 40 years! Now that everything he said is here, it's lonely without him.
“Traditional American Values” : Aggression, conformity, emotional repression, hypocrisy and the worship of comfort and consumer goods.
"Consumption—it's the new national pastime"... The only true lasting American value that's left—buying things... People spending money they don't have on things they don't need...so they can max out their credit cards and spend the rest of their lives paying 18 percent interest on something that cost $12.50. And they didn't like it when they got home anyway".
LISTEN TO GEORGE CARLIN
(Double click the icon to listen on You Tube.)
From the Wall Street Journal, Dec. 31, 2008. Life & Style Section
I included this article because the WSJ tried to give some hints about how to thrive in the system. Only a few of these suggestions were of any unique value. I included this so you can check up on your own knowledge of the easy stuff.
The article begins:
Whew! Last year at this time, we were wondering if it could get any worse. It did.
Mighty institutions fell. Recession took hold. Layoffs began to mount just as the holiday season got under way. Trouble in the subprime market exploded into an across-the-board rout. The credit crunch evolved into a global financial crisis. Markets tanked.
Few people have been left untouched. And still, we don't know if we're through the worst of it.
If you're living in a house worth less than you owe on it, you aren't alone. Ditto if your retirement savings are down by double digits. Or if you're earning nearly zero interest on your savings, and yet unable to borrow at historically low rates. Or if you're looking for a job or worried about keeping the one you have.
All of which has given rise to the newest new normal. Exuberance and excess have made way for prudence and pragmatism. Frugality is, once again, a virtue. To help you settle into this strange new world, our reporters have dug deep into their beats. Modeled on Personal Journal's regular Quick Fix feature, the advice here covers a lot of ground, but shares a common theme: helping you make your dollars work harder.
This is very interesting. Rate Surfer will alert you when rates change on your credit-card accounts. It even has tbe ability to move your balances between accounts so you can take advantage of paying the smallest interest rate. From the site: Rate Surfer utilizes a patent pending algorithm to find you low APR Balance Transfers you can make with the push of a button! Think that's great? We'll email/SMS you before that low teaser rate expires or when your payments due; never pay another late charge! That's far from all, with a click, receive current balances, interest rates etc.
Money, Banking and the Federal Reserve
The Creature from Jekyll Island
You want to make it in the system as things get tighter.....Well, here's a good article on the
THE ARCHETYPES OF MONEY with BRENT KESSEL
Is money the root of all evil or a path to enlightenment? Brent Kessel is a financial planner by day and a yogi by dawn, and his answer may surprise you. He says, "Money and spirituality really are partners, and can be used to aid each other and create more spiritual awareness for ourselves as well as more financial abundance." As part of his own spiritual quest, and through interviews with such spiritual luminaries as Thich Nhat Hanh, Gangaji, Mother Teresa, and the Dalai Lama, Mr. Kessel has examined the ways money is an expression of who we are—and how who we are determines our financial condition. He explains, "Whatever financial life you have is a direct manifestation of your unconscious conditioned expectations. The nervous system is attuned to a certain relationship to money, and that attunement creates that relationship to money in the outside world." In this provocative interview he describes eight archetypes that express the ways we relate to money, and how understanding your own money type can help you bring your finances and your inner life into greater balance.
Brent Kessel is co-founder and president of Abacus Wealth Partners, named one of the top 250 wealth management firms by Bloomberg Wealth Manager. Mr. Kessel was named one of the top 250 financial advisors by Worth magazine, and has been quoted in national financial publications including Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and many more. He has also studied with such luminaries as the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Eckhart Tolle, and Jon Kabat-Zinn. He is the author of It's Not About the Money: Unlocking Your Money Type to Achieve Spiritual and Financial Abundance (HarperOne 2008). To learn more about the work of Brent Kessel go to www.brentkessel.com
Topics explored in this dialogue include:
Why a four-year-old may be managing your finances
How money—whether you have it or not—can block your creativity
Why your relationship with money is like a marriage
How you can use yoga to improve your finances
Who really owns your money...
is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world.
SAME NAME, #2....DIFFERENT VIDEO.....
The Greed that Men Do -
Sub Prime Bailout Blues
A quicky 7 minute video also featured with the same name but this offering is about GREED and LIES. The sub-prime debaucle. From Greenspan to Bush to Paulson to the people who sold these knowing they were destroying millions of people. Note Ron Paul..... we can't thank him enough for all his efforts.
MONEY BOOKS TO HELP YOU
STAY FOCUSED IN THE SYSTEM
These first two books are basic helpers for getting your finances in order. They are both very popular. In my estimation, the third book, is the best one in my estimation, for getting your "I can make it in the system" vision about money nailed down.
Your Money or Your Life: by Vicki Robin
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kyosaki; (and old standard in the market).
Money, What Financial "Experts" Will Never Tell You by Alan Williams, Peter Jeppson, and Sanford Botkins.
Oprah promotes the book “The Difference” by Jean Chatzky. This financial book gives you tips on how to thrive during tough times, strategies for finding a new job and more.
Beth Kobliner wrote "Get a Financial Life"
Rescue Your Money by Edelman is all about LONG TERM PLANNING. See how much fun this is because none of the "experts" agree with each other.
That's why you have to do what you CAN do and SUITS WHO YOU ARE. That's the only way to be successful. BE YOURSELF still works.
Watch this Youtube video by Dr. Albert Bartlett.
THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT VIDEO.
I would watch it if I were you. It drives home the foundation of our societal dilemma: ENERGY.We can't make it without it.
"Arithmetic, Population, and Energy."
Dr. Bartlett is a great professor, a pleasure to listen to.
You can watch Dr. Bartlett in a real classroom in the 8 sections on You Tube or you can watch him in a suit in one video on Youtube The lectures are fairly similar. I liked the classroom on YouTube because he seemed more engaged, at ease and you could see the faces of the college students once in a while. I couldn't tell if they were scared, bored or shocked..... most didn't look like they were absorbing the implications.
BTW, he's been talking about this since the 1970's. We just haven't been listening.
"During the Bush administration, the UN reported that there was a possibility of "resource collapse" when the population hits 10 billion. Jack Kemp, HUD Secretary at the time said, "Nonsense. People are not a drain on the resources of the planet."
If you have gotten this far, this will be of interest to you.
HOW I CLOBBERED EVERY
BUREAUCRATIC CASH-CONFISCATORY AGENCY
KNOWN TO MAN
... a Spiritual Economics Book
on $$$ and
Remembering Who You Are
THIS IS A MUST READ:
"A debt-based monetary system has a lifespan-limiting Achilles heel: as debt is created through loan origination, an obligation above and beyond this sum is also created in the form of interest. As a result, there can never be enough money to repay principal and pay interest unless debt is continually expanded. Debt-based monetary systems do not work in reverse, nor can they stand still without a liquidity buffer in the form of savings or a current account surplus.
When interest charges exceed debt growth, debtors at the margin are unable to service their debt. They must begin liquidating."
Remember to read:
by Steven Lachance Dec. 12, 2005
NOTE THE DATE. Would you have listened four years ago or did it take coming to the end for us to listen?
Lines from the article...
"The US is, thus, at or close to a situation whereby the percentage of debt financed by domestic savings is zero and the percentage of non-self-liquating debt is one hundred........When interest charges exceed debt growth, debtors at the margin are unable to service their debt. They must begin liquidating............Once started, cascading cross-defaults consume all debt within an economy. The Fed has only two options: institute a new monetary system with a new currency or return monetary authority to the market and shut down."
OK, if you don't have time to watch Dr. Bartlett right now, come back later.... but at least take a second and watch this short, single graph showing the reality of EXPONENTIALGROWTH of the FEDERAL RESERVE's money printing fiasco. I want to be egalitarian so I broke down and put Glenn Beck on my website. Sure, I could have found this info elsewhere, but I am practicing "reaching across the aisle".
Glenn Beck is not knowledgeable about much of anything. In fact, he's a nasty little shit. But this 2 minute video is a graph showing how much money has been printed in the past few years by the Federal Reserve. He seems to believe that this has never happened before, What?. Hyperinflation hasn't happened before? But then, it's Glenn Beck.
So if this info is coming out on shallow FOX News, then it should be a bigger wake-up call than just "believing" that the correction will happen in a timely fashion. Actually, this should go under the GET OUT OF THE SYSTEM column. Exponential growth is eye-popping. Watch AN INCONVENIENT DEBT.
This is this very detailed site for saving money on all things in our daily lives. It's designed cleanly and has cute graphics and tons of info....sort of like a 1950's book on saving money. I like it as a breather from learning about money. Manage the details. Let me know if you appreciate it..
The Reality of the Federal Income Tax and other forms of controlling your life. Needless to say, if you haven't watched it, it's time to catch up. John Turner IRS Agent admits that there is no law to make a person liable for income tax. Joe Banister as well, an IRS Criminal Investigator, left the agency as well when he cound out the IRS was illegal. Sherry Jackson Former IRS Agent has a lot to say. 67 million people don't file. Hum.
HOW to"Understand
and Maneuver
OUTSIDE "the System"
BILL MOYERS SPEAKS with SIMON JOHNSON (read his blog here) about the BANKERS and their domination. Simon Johnson was with the International Monetary Fund.... so he gets it.
Johnson says: "A lot of people seem to be worrying about American bank oligarchs and how to break their political power. Without drastic action, he argues, taxpayers are merely subsidizing a wealthy powerful industry without forcing necessary systemic changes. He also talks more about how we got into this situation and how we might - if we are very lucky - get out with our economy more or less intact." WATCH THIS VIDEO. whether you are IN OR OUT OF THE SYSTEM. Click anywhere; pictures too!
er
e to add text.
MOYERS INTERVIEW WILLIAM K. BLACK
On April 3, 2009, Moyers interviewed William K Black, The financial industry brought the economy to its knees, but how did they get away with it? With the nation wondering how to hold the bankers accountable, Bill Moyers sits down with William K. Black, the former senior regulator who cracked down on banks during the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s. Black offers his analysis of what went wrong and his critique of the bailout . It's a MUST SEE.
HOW to"Understand
and Maneuver
WITHIN the System"
ECONOMIC COLLAPSE
of 2009
Gerald Celente is a United States trend forecaster and author, and CEO of The Trends Research Institute founded in 1980. He is noted for predicting the 1987 stock market crash and the fall of the Soviet Union. He is a self-described "political atheist" and "citizen of the world"
Aaron Russo
Zeitgeist, the Movie is a 2007 documentary film released online for free and on DVD, presenting Christianity, the September 11 attacks, and the US Federal Reserve Bank as being instrumental for social control and world domination. Link above is the complete movie. Also on Youtube.
MONEY and how we have used it to enslave humanity. John Perkins and his role as Economic Hitman (EHM) is the main theme in part II of the movie Zeitgeist: Addendum. The entire movie is shown by clicking on the link above.
THE VENUS PROJECT - Designing the Future.....is featured i the two Zeitgeist films .The VENUS PROJECT clearly states our possibilities. Sounds dream-oriented, but we will have to do some of these changes if we want to survive.
A must see!!!
IN OR OUT OF THE SYSTEM, everyone needs to understand why Exponential Growth
is the KEY to our survival or demise.
George Carlin
On Our Consumer Economy
The Federal Reserve
Created as a "Lender of Last Resort"
(Watch the 2 great videos below)
Books
SAVING MONEY INFO from New Zealand
Let's start at the worst case scenario and deal with it right up front. Then you can choose more clearly after facing the most dire possibilities....at least in your mind.
Here are two articles that say all you need to hear to make a decision if you are going to be interested in this mode of thinking and acting or not. It's your choice.
First is a comparative article written by Dmitry Orlov in 2006 entitled "Closing the Collapse Gap". Orlov was an eye-witness to the collapse of the Soviet Union and his observations come from experience. He compares our two countries simply, efficiently and clearly. The last few paragraphs address the heart of the issue.
Orlov says:" Certain types of mainstream economic behavior are not prudent on a personal level, and are also counterproductive to bridging the Collapse Gap. Any behavior that might result in continued economic growth and prosperity is counterproductive: the higher you jump, the harder you land. It is traumatic to go from a high income to little or no income. If, on top of that, you have kept yourself incredibly busy, and suddenly have nothing to do, then you will really be in rough shape.
Economic collapse is about the worst possible time for someone to suffer a nervous breakdown, yet this is what often happens..... If the economy, and your p lace within it, is really important to you, you wil be really hurt when it goes away. You can cultivate an attitude of studied indifference, but it has to be more than just a conceit. You have to develop the lifestyle and the habits and the physical stamina to back it up. It takes a lot of creativity and effort to put together a fulfilling existence o the margins of society. After the collapse, these margins may turn out to be some of the best places to live."
Orlof is an engineer and as he says in his latest speech:
Sometimes the picture is clearer than we would like. In January of 2008, I published an article on "The Five Stages of Collapse," in which I defined the five stages, and then bravely stated that we are in the midst of a financial collapse. And ten months later it doesn't seem that I went too far out on a limb this time. If the US government has to lend banks over 200 billion dollars a day just to keep the whole system from imploding, then the term "crisis" probably doesn't do justice to the situation. To keep this game going, the US government has to be able to sell the debt it is taking on, and what do you think the chances are that the world at large will be snapping up trillions of dollars of new debt, knowing that it is being used to prop up a shrinking economy? And if the debt can't be sold, then it has to be monetized, by printing money. And that will trigger hyperinflation. So, let's not quibble, and let us call what's happening what it looks like: "financial collapse.
Clark Howard helps you protect yourself against costly financial mistakes and potential scams. In addition to listener calls from his syndicated radio show, Clark helps HLN viewers in his "Money Coach" series and answers viewer e-mail. During these tough economic times, Clark wants to help you save more, spend less and avoid getting ripped off. The show airs Saturday and Sunday at 6 a.m., noon and 4 p.m. ET on HLN.
Sat & Sun - 6am 12 and 4 pm ET
HEAVILY IN DEBT and TRYING TO GET BACK INTO THE SYSTEM and KEEP YOUR CREDIT RATING etc.?
Debt Advice from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. If you really want to play the game and care about your credit scores in this crazy environment, here is a traditional helper for your debt.
Alan Russo's
The Reality of the Federal Income Tax and other forms of controlling your life. Needless to say, if you haven't watched it, it's time to catch up. John Turner IRS Agent admits that there is no law to make a person liable for income tax. Joe Banister as well, an IRS Criminal Investigator, left the agency as well when he cound out the IRS was illegal. Sherry Jackson Former IRS Agent has a lot to say. 67 million people don't file. Hum.
"OUT"
"IN"
So, you really want to
know what's going on?
Click on the book
Secretive Plans for the Issuing of a Global Currency
Do we really want the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) issuing our global currency? by Ellen Hodgson Brown, Global Research, April 18, 2009
SAVING MONEY Information
What's Here?
MissingMoney.com is a database of governmental unclaimed property records.The governmental safeguard your money and return your lost funds. Common types of unclaimed property include:
* Bank accounts and safe deposit box contents
* Stocks, mutual funds, bonds, and dividends
* Uncashed checks and wages
* Insurance policies, CD's, trust funds
* Utility deposits, escrow accounts
There are millions of dollars waiting for millions of Americans. Go to the website and put your name in and see if something is there for you.
LEGAL DISCLAIMERS
Views, opinions, endorsements & recommendations expressed herein are not necessarily those of DownSize to Thrive nor its editor, and neither DownSize to Thrive nor its editor can accept responsibility for listings and comments. DownSize to Thrive and its editor are not responsible for the content of external links or recommended books and other listed media sources. No material in DownSize to Thrive should be used to justify or condone illegal activity. They are for informational purposes only.
Medical Disclaimer: Information herein relating to health & medical issues and products has not been medically evaluated by government health agencies (such as the FDA) nor by DownSize to Thrive and/or its editor, and therefore should not be used to diagnose, treat or cure disease. If you are unwell, please check with a qualified health practitioner before undergoing any treatment program or changing any medication program.
Political & Religious Affiliations: Neither DownSize to Thrive nor its editor is affiliated with any political or religious organization. DownSize to Thrive receives no third party funding and no contribution involved an exchange of money.
ORLOFF'S NEXT ARTICLE:
What is the Possibility of Economic Collapse?
The Story of FINANCIAL GLOBALIZATION
Five excellent sections on YouTube called The Ascent of Money. Let these explanations drive home the reality of what we are dealing with. FABULOUS
Information to fill you in on this most important understanding. For once you will understand about, for example, the Medici Family who started "banking" and who they were, what they did and how they got away with it.
The world’s most important gathering of monetary reformers takes place each year in Chicago at the American Monetary Institute’s annual conference. A paper will be presented this year (Sept. 09) written by Richard C. Cook. "The key", as Richard Cook has been writing for the past several years, "is to treat credit as a public utility, not the private property of the world’s financial elite".
Here are his 6 videos with this focus “Credit as a Public Utility: The Solution to the Economic Crisis.”
Visit the AMI website HERE .
"Defend Your Dollars is the website of the Consumers Union Financial Services Campaign, where we support reforms to the financial marketplace to curb bad practices by banks and lenders.
“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.” –John Kenneth Galbraith
"MONEY" IS NOT AS IT SEEMS.
Comprehending the underlying
reality can give you a valuable edge.
by Arrianna Huffington
Usury:
Credit Card Companies Get Bail Out Money From U.S. Taxpayers, then gouge them with unconscionable interest rates. This is simply Wrong.
The American Dream
2008
"STUFF"
1986
BOOKS
Les Leopold is the author of The Looting of America: How Wall Street’s Game of Fantasy Finance destroyed our Jobs, Pensions and Prosperity, and What We Can Do
"Truths About Money" (Websites)
Naked Capitalism Tons of articles, info about money, and investments and blogs from all over the rebellion.
Credit Writedowns Credit Writedowns is a news and opinion site dedicated to bringing a well-informed view of finance, economics, markets, and foreign policy into the mainstream consciousness.
Dollar Collapse Your ringside seat for the global financial crisis.
Zero Hedge Read ABOUT them. Interesting take.
THE END OF AMERICA
LISTEN TO THIS ONE, dammit.
Porter Stansberry's prediction for "The End of America." His recent video was the culmination of years of research and observation, which led him to this conclusion… The U.S. dollar and economy are doomed. The U.S. government has printed more money and taken on more debt than it can ever repay.
To see how Porter recommends protecting yourself from the global food shortage – and every other "End of America" scenario CLICK HERE.
Click HERE to watch Metanoia's film "LIFTING THE VEIL".
Also watch 97% Owned- Ecoomic Truth Documentary
Then you choose how you want to try to survive in this system that is sinking.
FORT KNOX is a Link To Our Understanding of the Delusional Money Game
Fort Know, an Impregnable Monument to Security Theater - from Bloomberg.
Building it created illusions on many levels, resulted in a masterful example of politics as theater.
Fort Knox: Secrets Revealed (the History Channel 2012)
United States Gold Depository, Fort Knox, Kentucky. Source: Univerrsity of Kentucky Digital Library Postcard Collection.
DownSize to Thrive
OUTSIDE the System
WITHIN the System
Mortgage Backed Securities are like boxes of chocolates.
Criminals on Wall Street stole a few chocolates from the boxes and replaced them with turds.
This page was created years ago
but it is continuously updated.
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"Just look at us. Everything is backwards; everything is upside down. Doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy knowledge, governments destroy freedom, the major media destroy information and religions destroy spirituality." M. Ellne
There are TWO Camps
in the Money Game
YOUR MONEY
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A "DISAPPEARED BOOK" on Wall Street History delivers a profound warning.
