THE MANDRAKE MECHANISM . . . The method by which the Federal Reserve creates money out of nothing; the concept of usury as the payment of interest on pretended loans; the true cause of the hidden tax called inflation; the way in which the Fed creates boom-bust cycles. In the 1940s, there was a comic strip character called Mandrake the Magician. His specialty was creating things out of nothing and, when appropriate, to make them disappear back into that same void. It is fitting, therefore, that the process to be described in this section should be named in his honor. In the previous chapters, we examined the technique developed by the political and monetary scientists to create money out of nothing for the purpose of lending. This is not an entirely accurate description because it implies that money is created first and then waits for someone to borrow it. On the other hand, textbooks on banking often state that money is created out of debt. This also is misleading because it implies that debt exists first and then is converted into money. In truth, money is not created until the instant it is borrowed. It is the act of borrowing which causes it to spring into existence. And, incidentally, it is the act of paying off the debt that causes it to vanish. There is no short phrase that perfectly describes that process. So, until one is invented along the way, we shall continue using the phrase "create money out of nothing" and occasionally add "for the purpose of lending" where necessary to further clarify the meaning. So, let us now . . . see just how far this money/debt-creation process has been carried -- and how it works. The first fact that needs to be considered is that our money today has no gold or silver behind it whatsoever. The fraction is not 54% nor 15%. It is 0%. It has traveled the path of all previous fractional money in history and already has degenerated into pure fiat money. The fact that most of it is in the form of checkbook balances rather than paper currency is a mere technicality; and the fact that bankers speak about "reserve ratios" is eyewash. The so-called reserves to which they refer are, in fact, Treasury bonds and other certificates of debt. Our money is "pure fiat" through and through. The second fact that needs to be clearly understood is that, in spite of the technical jargon and seemingly complicated procedures, the actual mechanism by which the Federal Reserve creates money is quite simple. They do it exactly the same way the goldsmiths of old did except, of course, the goldsmiths were limited by the need to hold some precious metals in reserve, whereas the Fed has no such restriction. THE FEDERAL RESERVE IS CANDID The Federal Reserve itself is amazingly frank about this process. A booklet published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York tells us: "Currency cannot be redeemed, or exchanged, for Treasury gold or any other asset used as backing. The question of just what assets 'back' Federal Reserve notes has little but bookkeeping significance." Elsewhere in the same publication we are told: "Banks are creating money based on a borrower's promise to pay (the IOU) . . . Banks create money by 'monetizing' the private debts of businesses and individuals." In a booklet entitled Modern Money Mechanics, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says: In the United States neither paper currency nor deposits have value as commodities. Intrinsically, a dollar bill is just a piece of paper. Deposits are merely book entries. Coins do have some intrinsic value as metal, but generally far less than their face amount. What, then, makes these instruments -- checks, paper money, and coins -- acceptable at face value in payment of all debts and for other monetary uses? Mainly, it is the confidence people have that they will be able to exchange such money for other financial assets and real goods and services whenever they choose to do so. This partly is a matter of law; currency has been designated "legal tender" by the government -- that is, it must be accepted. In the fine print of a footnote in a bulletin of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, we find this surprisingly candid explanation: Modern monetary systems have a fiat base -- literally money by decree -- with depository institutions, acting as fiduciaries, creating obligations against themselves with the fiat base acting in part as reserves. The decree appears on the currency notes: "This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private." While no individual could refuse to accept such money for debt repayment, exchange contracts could easily be composed to thwart its use in everyday commerce. However, a forceful explanation as to why money is accepted is that the federal government requires it as payment for tax liabilities. Anticipation of the need to clear this debt creates a demand for the pure fiat dollars.

Author: mrchrismcphail
Keywords: Fiat Currency Banks Money Economy Swindle Rip-Off Cheat Steal Criminal Fraud Illusion Illuminati Federal Reserve America
Added: November 20, 2008

Aaron and Patrick discuss some of the up coming comic book movies and give their two cents on a few of them.

Author: DizzoMonkey
Keywords: wmul aaron patrick dizzomonkey comedy funny comic book movies ironman antman war machine violence jose consesco radio captain america ben affleck daredevil the avengers hulk thor criss angel mandrake magician magic
Added: November 12, 2008

One of our oldest and most popular comic heroes is the Phantom, created by Lee Falk as a daily newspaper strip in 1936. Falk, who also gave us Mandrake the Magician, was impressed by the success and popularity of Tarzan and sundry caped heroes, and decided to give us a strip about a costumed crimefighter who works out of a skull-shaped cave in the African jungle. The strip went on to Sunday color comics in 1939, and though Falk died in 1999, both the dailies and Sunday strips are still running. Phantom's stories have been published in all kinds of languages around the world, and also appeared in short stories, comic books, graphic novels, movies, Saturday serials, and TV. He's still extremely popular overseas. in places like Brazil, Norway, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Italy, India, Denmark, Great Britain, Australia, and Spain.

Author: bestjonbon
Keywords: art Ace Harvey Gold Key King Charlton Marvel DC Moonstone Phantom hero action
Added: November 4, 2008

The as a Middle Name by Jason Goldtrap (Not including kings or queens) 1. Joe the Plumber 2. Mack the Knife 3. Bob the Builder 4. Bozo the Clown 5. Kermit the Frog 6. Cedric the Entertainer 7. Frosty the Snowman 8. Mott the Hoople 9. Felix the Cat 10. Jack the Ladd 11. John the Baptist 12. Howard the Duck 13. Mandrake the Magician 14. Smokey the Bear 15. Billy the Kid 16. Sonic the Hedgehog 17. Eric the Red 18. Jack the Ripper 19. Jabba the Hutt 20. Pizza the Hut 21. Jimmy the Greek 21. Andre the Giant 22. Robbie the Robot 23. Krusty the Clown 24. Tony the Tiger Also... Simon the Zealot Robert the Bruce Oscar the Grouch Pliny the Elder Created by Jason Goldtrap the author of the online novel "Sarah Conrad of Eagle Creek." JasonGoldtrap.com

Author: CofCGuy
Keywords: joe plumber mccain obama bobby darrin jabba hutt mott builder bob church of christ jason goldtrap tony krusty simpsons
Added: October 24, 2008

http://www.playwithsand.com/product_info.php?products_id=6083 Pioneer Magicians in Rare Broadcasts on Three DVDs! Over five hours of footage Three DVDs for optimum viewing quality The best collection of Blackstone Sr. footage ever assembled with all his classic routines Vintage television magic shows including The Magic Lady, The Great Merlini, Mandrake, Mr. Magic, Fun with Felix, and more This fun and informative collection presents rare footage of magic in television's early years, full of great illusions to study and vintage shows to enjoy. The set opens with extensive archival videos of Blackstone Sr. with his commanding showmanship and warm humor as he presents his top pieces that made him a star for forty years. You'll see him in television and live footage in both black-and-white and rare color footage.

Author: playwithsand
Keywords: Magic DVD
Added: July 2, 2008