Attempts to Replace Confetti Currency Federal Reserve Notes with Precious Metals Are, ‘A Unique Form of Domestic Terrorism’
March 20th, 2011The source for all the quotes in this post is a U.S. Department of Justice Press Release that appears on the web site of the Charlotte field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
http://charlotte.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel11/ce031811.htm
I didn’t link directly to this because my guess is that you wouldn’t be doing yourself any favors by clicking through to it from my website. For your reference, I’ve posted the full text at the bottom of this piece.
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Bernard von NotHaus has been convicted of of, “Making, possessing, and selling,” Liberty Dollar coins.
Let’s look at the statements made by U.S. Attorney Anne M. Tompkins with regard to this matter:
“Attempts to undermine the legitimate currency of this country are simply a unique form of domestic terrorism,” U.S. Attorney Tompkins said in announcing the verdict. “While these forms of anti-government activities do not involve violence, they are every bit as insidious and represent a clear and present danger to the economic stability of this country,” she added. “We are determined to meet these threats through infiltration, disruption, and dismantling of organizations which seek to challenge the legitimacy of our democratic form of government.”
Now, I’d like you to keep Anne Thomkins’ above statements in mind as you consider the following chart:
The Greenback's Purchasing Power
That chart only goes to 2004. As of June 2009, the value was down to 4.6 cents.
Yet, the response of the Federal Government to an individual who offered people an alternative to the horror depicted above?
Von NotHaus, who remains free on bond, faces a sentence of up to 15 years’ imprisonment on count two of the indictment and a fine of not more than $250,000. Von NotHaus faces a prison sentence of five years and fines of $250,000 on both counts one and three.
But the real moral of the story is this, and never forget it:
In addition, the United States is seeking the forfeiture of approximately 16,000 pounds of Liberty Dollar coins and precious metals, currently valued at nearly $7 million.
Eventually, maniac fascists will come for your precious metals. Why? Because this is the how all fiat currencies wind up:
Three Eggs Priced in Zimbabwean Dollars
Toilet Paper Only; No Zim Dollars
As regimes fail, their currencies lose fungibility. Regimes that lack fungible currencies can’t maintain and perpetuate themselves. Therefore, anything that stores value, anything that’s fungible, will be in the crosshairs of the desperate vampire state and the maniac fascists who serve it.
If Anne Tompkins is genuinely interested in infiltrating, disrupting and dismantling organizations which threaten, “Our democratic form of government” [sic.], here are a couple of books, (out of many dozens) that describe the enemy in detail:
The Creature from Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin
Web of Debt by Ellen Hodgson Brown
Full text of DOJ Press Release:
http://charlotte.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel11/ce031811.htm
For Immediate Release
March 18, 2011 United States Attorney’s Office
Western District of North Carolina
Contact: (704) 344-6222
Defendant Convicted of Minting His Own Currency
STATESVILLE, NC—Bernard von NotHaus, 67, was convicted today by a federal jury of making, possessing, and selling his own coins, announced Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Following an eight-day trial and less than two hours of deliberation, von NotHaus, the founder and monetary architect of a currency known as the Liberty Dollar, was found guilty by a jury in Statesville, North Carolina, of making coins resembling and similar to United States coins; of issuing, passing, selling, and possessing Liberty Dollar coins; of issuing and passing Liberty Dollar coins intended for use as current money; and of conspiracy against the United States. The guilty verdict concluded an investigation which began in 2005 and involved the minting of Liberty Dollar coins with a current value of approximately $7 million. Joining the U.S. Attorney Anne M. Tompkins in making today’s announcement are Edward J. Montooth, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, Charlotte Division; Russell F. Nelson, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Division; and Sheriff Van Duncan of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the evidence introduced during the trial, von NotHaus was the founder of an organization called the National Organization for the Repeal of the Federal Reserve and Internal Revenue Code, commonly known as NORFED and also known as Liberty Services. Von NotHaus was the president of NORFED and the executive director of Liberty Dollar Services, Inc. until on or about September 30, 2008.
Von NotHaus designed the Liberty Dollar currency in 1998 and the Liberty coins were marked with the dollar sign ($); the words dollar, USA, Liberty, Trust in God (instead of In God We Trust); and other features associated with legitimate U.S. coinage. Since 1998, NORFED has been issuing, disseminating, and placing into circulation the Liberty Dollar in all its forms throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. NORFED’s purpose was to mix Liberty Dollars into the current money of the United States. NORFED intended for the Liberty Dollar to be used as current money in order to limit reliance on, and to compete with, United States currency.
In coordination with the Department of Justice, on September 14, 2006, the United States Mint issued a press release and warning to American citizens that the Liberty Dollar was “not legal tender.” The U.S. Mint press release and public service announcement stated that the Department of Justice had determined that the use of Liberty Dollars as circulating money was a federal crime.
Article I, section 8, clause 5 of the United States Constitution delegates to Congress the power to coin money and to regulate the value thereof. This power was delegated to Congress in order to establish and preserve a uniform standard of value and to insure a singular monetary system for all purchases and debts in the United States, public and private. Along with the power to coin money, Congress has the concurrent power to restrain the circulation of money which is not issued under its own authority in order to protect and preserve the constitutional currency for the benefit of all citizens of the nation. It is a violation of federal law for individuals, such as von NotHaus, or organizations, such as NORFED, to create private coin or currency systems to compete with the official coinage and currency of the United States.
Von NotHaus, who remains free on bond, faces a sentence of up to 15 years’ imprisonment on count two of the indictment and a fine of not more than $250,000. Von NotHaus faces a prison sentence of five years and fines of $250,000 on both counts one and three. In addition, the United States is seeking the forfeiture of approximately 16,000 pounds of Liberty Dollar coins and precious metals, currently valued at nearly $7 million. The forfeiture trial, which began today before United States District Court Judge Richard Voorhees, will resume on April 4, 2011 in the federal courthouse in Statesville. Judge Voorhees has not yet set a date for the sentencing of von NotHaus.
“Attempts to undermine the legitimate currency of this country are simply a unique form of domestic terrorism,” U.S. Attorney Tompkins said in announcing the verdict. “While these forms of anti-government activities do not involve violence, they are every bit as insidious and represent a clear and present danger to the economic stability of this country,” she added. “We are determined to meet these threats through infiltration, disruption, and dismantling of organizations which seek to challenge the legitimacy of our democratic form of government.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department, and the U.S. Secret Service, in cooperation with and invaluable assistance of the United States Mint. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jill Westmoreland Rose and Craig D. Randall, and the forfeiture trial is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tom Ascik and Ben Bain Creed.
Postal would be oxymoronic in a way.
🙁
Not sure about a lot of things these days, and..
it’s been getting worse, lately.
One thing I didn’t ever expect to see was
Ellen Brown’s work being favorably
mentioned on Cryptogon.
Here’s why:
http://www.garynorth.com/public/7070.cfm
Of course, I did say, “I am not sure” about
a lot of things these days, and probably
it’s best if I leave it at that.
Ah yes, Ellen Brown, “Hitler’s Cheerleader,” is it? And *gasp* I’ve linked to it on Cryptogon. For fuck’s sake…
Well, one thing I didn’t expect was for any Cryptogon reader (and supporter, as you are) to favorably mention the work of a Christian dominionist in comments. But, as you say, “It’s been getting worse, lately.” I’ll drink to that.
National and system level prescriptions sound universally nuts to me, that’s why my personal advocacy is geared toward what people can accomplish on their own (dealing with personal debt, spending habits, food, living well on less, etc). Anyone who deals with transformation of the state and system is going to, at some stage, be pushing rat poison. Take any of it. Descriptions: May be Accurate. Prescriptions: Usually rat poison.
Are Americans going to pay for their ChinaMart crap with a gold backed currency, as North would want? No way. Is the U.S. going to create a nationalized fiat currency? No way.
I linked to books from both camps because they both identify the enemy. As for the prescriptions, we’re so far from anything like looking at options that getting nuts about it (like North) makes about as much sense as two bums fighting over a bunch of cigarette butts and bottle caps. I think that both the gold bugs and the “green backer” camps are deluding themselves if they think that either of their models have more than a snowball’s chance in Hell of seeing the light of day at the national level. (The state level may be a different story.)
Maybe after the mushroom clouds and fallout settle down, this citystate or that citystate may have a go with these ideas, and many others. Until then, look for the ascension of the corporate state’s machine world, clone burgers, SWAT teams for whole food advocates and the long goodbye of the dollar to continue apace.
As for dealing with Gary North’s obsession with Ellen Brown: I spent two hours trying to wade through his conflation of Ellen Brown’s advocacy for a sovereign currency with Hitler and it’s just batshit nuts. It’s as silly as: You read books. The Nazis read books. Therefore, you’re a Nazi. Come on.
Anyway, look to the editorial commentary and reader comments on this Daily Bell piece for a more sane discussion of Ellen Brown’s work:
http://www.thedailybell.com/496/Ellen-Brown-Web-of-Debt.html
This is also a good piece:
http://www.activistpost.com/2010/10/after-fed-solutions-debate-begins.html
Thanks for the reply in detail.
Although I am a solid agnostic, I don’t mind
reading words from Christians. Or Jews. Or
Muslims. Or Buddhists or Hindus or Taoists. Or,
heck, even atheists. So, I don’t see how
introducing North’s religion is necessary or
relevant to his economic views on greenbacking.
There’s more than a bit of venom, here,
(“batshit”, “nuts”, and the like) and I am
not sure why. Most of us properly deride zealots
(religious fundies, neocons, and so on) but this
seemed over the top to me. Just my opinion.
Chacun a son gout.
North correctly points out that Brown supports
State Control of Currency. Seeing this as Brown
“identifying the enemy” is inaccurate and an
unhelpful conflation.
You mention “gold bugs” and “greenbackers”. Brown
is assuredly a greenbacker — she backs the
Fed, and the State Creation of Fiat Currency.
Not sure how — or even IF — State Creation of
Fiat Currency fits into the Cryptogon Worldview,
but it doesn’t fit into mine. I’ll keep reading
to see if there’s a dispassionate answer to
this.
As for “goldbugs”. I know they are out there,
but I don’t know many. If this isn’t simply more
ad hominem argumentation, let me point out that
most of those you call “gold bugs” want simply
— as North does — a stable currency backed by
something other than a gun and a badge.
Gold, silver, whatever. You pick it. It’s not
about “gold religion”, but locking out the
State’s ability to steal via counterfeiting.
For those who don’t want to read material
from “batshit” Christians (“dominationalist”
or otherwise) on currency, there’s always
Mises.org. I haven’t yet read the dailybell
or other link you provided, so cannot comment.
Remember how you felt when one of your favorite
guiding sites moved to trademark “Urban
Homesteading”? Your shock, and feeling of
“can’t be” and being too stung to discuss?
After reading the mischaracterization and attack
on North, snickering at “gold bugs” (after
recommending BullionVault), assertion of Ellen
Brown’s goodness, and some fairly venomous ad
hominem attacks, I am standing right at the edge
of feeling the same about Cryptogon.
Thank you very much for all your work and
clear-eyed advocacy. For now, I’ll keep
reading and react by simply echoing your words:
“for fuck’s sake”.
Mischaracterizing of North? How Have I mischaracterized him? He’s the one who referred to Ellen Brown as “Hitler’s Cheerleader,” which is ridiculous.
I’ve always snickered about gold bugs. Being one, I feel that I have the right.
As for:
You mention “gold bugs” and “greenbackers”. Brown
is assuredly a greenbacker — she backs the
Fed, and the State Creation of Fiat Currency.
Not sure how — or even IF — State Creation of
Fiat Currency fits into the Cryptogon Worldview,
but it doesn’t fit into mine. I’ll keep reading
to see if there’s a dispassionate answer to
this.
—
Brown doesn’t back the Fed as it exists now. Her prescriptions, “Would mean either abolishing the Federal Reserve or making it what most people think it now is – a truly federal agency… banking is the government’s business, by Constitutional mandate. At least, that part of banking is the government’s business that involves creating new money.” (Web of Debt, page 394)
But, am I advocating her prescriptions, or anyone’s prescriptions? No. See my first response above.
—
Re:
Remember how you felt when one of your favorite
guiding sites moved to trademark “Urban
Homesteading”? Your shock, and feeling of
“can’t be” and being too stung to discuss?
After reading the mischaracterization and attack
on North, snickering at “gold bugs” (after
recommending BullionVault), assertion of Ellen
Brown’s goodness, and some fairly venomous ad
hominem attacks, I am standing right at the edge
of feeling the same about Cryptogon.
—
Take it or leave it, I don’t care. Just make sure that your comments stay on topic going forward.
kevin wrote:
Take it or leave it, I don’t care. Just make sure that your comments stay on topic going forward.
that’s just the problem, in a nutshell: you DO care … else, you wouldn’t do what you do for the trouble you go through, for the peanuts you make for the bother.
rmohanx: Please just be grateful for what kevin provides, imagine for a few minutes just what it means to run a site like this … you are die Weiße Rose … and you never really know if you are doing any good, but you DO know for certain that you are taking one hell of a risk for doing it.
as for the argument at hand:
North has an obvious agenda … could you expect any less ? he is Rushdoony’s son-in-law, after all: In Rushdoony’s thought, knowledge becomes a matter of disputed sovereignty. Every thought that does not begin with God and the Bible is rebellious: “Man seeks to think creatively rather than think God’s thoughts after Him. Evil is the result of man’s rebellion against God…. Man’s fall was his attempt to become the original interpreter rather than the re-interpreter, to be the ultimate instead of the proximate source of knowledge. Accordingly, humanity’s pretense to independent knowledge becomes a matter of rebellion against God’s Kingdom because “any attempt to know and control the future outside of God is to set up another god in contempt of the LORD. Rushdoony made thinking an explicitly religious activity, a shift in focus with political implications: thinking becomes a matter of kingship, power, rebellion, and, in the final analysis, warfare. Either human thought recognizes God’s sovereignty, or it doesn’t. There is no middle ground, no compromise. It is a war between those who, like Rushdoony, think God’s thoughts after Him and those who do not.
or worse, dare to think for themselves. like brown.
-cybele
I just don’t comprehend how we can return to the Gold Standard.
I don’t think that there is enough of the metal being mined.
“The world gold mines produces 2500 tonnes per year, which is about 80 million ounces.
The silver market is a lot smaller. Way smaller than the $69 billion in gold produced. World silver mines produce about 600 million ounces,
The platinum and palladium world gold production figures are each about 8 million ounces.”
–Jason Hommel, April 17, 2009–
http://news.silverseek.com/GoldIsMoney/1239997367.php
It would be my guess that China and India would grab this in a nano-second.
Calm