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Based on that, I recommend using the author's guidelines for getting the most from the material without being overwhelmed.Bottom line: If you don't like where the economy is or your role within it, you need to read this book. This should be required reading for anyone wanting to get out of the rat race.Why only four stars then. It gives me chills to think that some of our greatest leaders could have commited the acts documented here. I read it from cover to cover, and don't regret it, however a lot of people were intimidated by the size and subject just looking at it. A very thorough explanation about how we've allowed our politicians and bankers to regularly dip into our pockets. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of how our economy developed into the state it is now as well as to plan for the future. Even as an avid reader and fascinated by the material, this book is very, very long.
The author did a great job of taking on the perplexing and intricate issue of monetary practice, and dissecting it to make comprehend able and enjoyable to read. This is by far the best book you can read on the FEDERAL RESERVE, the book goes into the history of wars, booms and busts in the economy. The Best.
Just remember this book was written over fifteen years ago. It is a really good bathroom reader. I typically hate this type of reading. If you do read this, try not to think from the left or the right. I liked it so much that I had to buy a copy to loan.
Keep in mind that this is a true story of money past, present, and future. This book really is an eye opener as to how we are manipulated by higher powers. Everyone should read this book. My father-in-law gave me this book. I have to admit that some of the writing is speculative, but most of it has never been more relevant to the current world conditions.
At times I could only stomach a few pages at a time before feeling sick.
That, however, is exactly what happened. I feel that he gets it about ninety percent right. Warfare being only the most extreme example of that but most non psychotic people would, quite naturally, recoil from the idea that someone or some group of people would deliberately engineer a tragedy such as the sinking of the Lusitania for the sole purpose of enriching themselves. This book should be read in conjunction with Naomi Kleins "The Shock Doctrine" as I believe she more accurately portrays the mechanisms by which the moneyed classes manipulate and engineer disasters to further their own ends and line their pockets. In any case, this minor criticism in no way discounts the core argument of The Creature From Jekyll Island which is that our monetary system is being deliberately manipulated for the sole benefit of the very richest people on earth. His contention that the worldwide financial system is manipulated for the sole benefit of a few well placed families and their associates is spot on. For instance, it seems obvious that the big financiers benefit from playing both sides of a conflict.
The conclusive evidence for this is lying open on the floor of the North Atlantic in boxes labeled "cheese" which in fact contain thousands of rounds of ammunition.I have made the effort to follow my own curiosity and dig a little deeper into Griffins' source material and have yet to find anything that contradicts his premise.Where I disagree with Greider is regarding his accusation that there is a long term and worldwide conspiracy to establish a "socialist" one world government. It is a sickening and enraging fact that should be a call to arms for any rational citizens who care about the future life and livelihood of themselves and their families. I highly recommend this book and Edward Griffin should be applauded for the effort he has put into the research. The physical and documentary evidence for this is incontrovertible. A fascist system of corporate neo-feudalism I could perhaps allow but it bears little resemblance to socialism.
Fractional banking should be eliminated in favor or "hard currency", such as gold. Great if you got the gold. Hardly. Supply and demand -- more stuff, same amount of money, means your money buys more of the stuff.
Not so great if you own anything else. What about lending. Google it. Does any other country in the world NOT have fractional banking in place right now, with a central bank. Or you make stuff, like in a factory, and the value of that stuff goes down because the supply of gold can't possibly keep up with the amount of goods and services being produced in the rapidly developing world (just how much gold do you think exists in the world today, and how much is it increasing, anyway.
A conspiracy with origins in the 1800s. Your wages go down, too, because they are pegged to a currency that is pegged to gold. That makes the money (i.e gold) worth more, which further drops the value of what you make or produce, as you make more of it.How do you feel about your home dropping in value every year because it certainly isn't pegged to gold. You'll be surprised). How well does that work with international trade again, let alone interstate and intrastate wise. I am sure glad I live in a country that doesn't require I believe everything I read, no matter how "scholarly" it may come across.
(Parts of the US Government, maybe, but not so much the Fed). To its credit the book does reads pretty smoothly. Today, in post September 2008 Financial Meltdown, I'd say the Fed hasn't acted very socialistic. Gold would be going up, to be sure. Certainly the Dollar has provided the country with some awesome advantages as the primary reserve currency to the world, but does that mean we speak, and everyone else jumps.
How about currencies -- so, we go back to, say, several thousand banks, each issue their own currencies, regulated at a local level. There appears to be some excellent points contained within it to add validity. But there is also quite a bit missing, and hardly any attempt to be balanced about it. Oh, wait, that goes to the "World Socialism" secret agenda. One world order, is it. Oh my goodness. So guess what. Get rid of that, too.
Granted, this book was a gift from a friend who actually fits in its target audience, while I do not, but still. So, it's world socialism, is it. Hmmm.so, given the HUGE increase in both world GDP and population over the last 120 years, that would lead the value of pretty much almost EVERYTHING -- except those who have the gold -- deflating like a stuck balloon. That's fractional.
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