Corruption

Björk’s Open Letter to the Members of Parliament

” MEMBERS OF THE PARLIAMENT! WE ICELANDERS ASK YOU FOR A
TRANSPARENT, OPEN DISCUSSION AND RECONSIDERATION
CONCERNING THE SELLING OF THE ACCESS TO OUR NATURAL
RESOURCES !

In two weeks Magma Energy Sweden AB could become the biggest shareholder of HS Orka. The company would then have access to some of our most important natural resources for the next 65 years, with an optional extension for another 65 years. 130 years! Is this in accordance with the laws that state only the Icelandic government should have the right to harness and govern the natural resources of Iceland?

Shouldn’t we ask for an investigation of this deal and get a report on the business exchange concerning our resources, as we got a report on the banks?

Shouldn’t the nation be able to decide for itself if it is willing to sell off it’s natural resources, by means of a law change to enable a national referendum?

One of the IMF’s suggestions is that Iceland should open up access to it’s natural resources to foreigners. According to the letter of intent signed by the government last April, it seems that those suggestions will be followed. Are we thus going to use our nature in this way to pay off the Icesave-debts of those few Icelandic venture capitalists?
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Allegedly the Magma deal is about the benefits of foreign investment. How does that compute with the fact that 70% of the purchase price is financed with a local bullet-loan with collateral in the shares?
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Is there anything that guarantees jobs will be created in Iceland through this deal?
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In the future, water will probably be the most valuable resource in the world. Will the deal with Magma Energy possibly set a legal precedent, and be used in the future to enforce the sale of more natural resources?

What will our grandchildren think of the deals we’re making now? “

Bjork.com

Open Letter to the Members of Parliament (full text)

Petition to the Government
” I urge the authorities to stop the sale of HS Orka and for Alþingi to hold a national referendum on the ownership and the utilisation of our energy resources. ”
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It’s Oh (Not) So Quiet. More than 16,000 people have already signed.
Mapping this onto the UK and US census, this would mean more than 3.3 and 16 million signatures respectively.
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Denial-of-service attack?
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Public Services International -Privatisation in the energy sector (pdf)

Freedom of establishment for companies and abuse of rights in EU/EEA law – Energy policy
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Oh my God, the holy trinity of “free” market economics: growth, (foreign) investment and job creation (lol) is at risk!
By the way, we are living and paying for a disgraced profession (one of many), bought and payed for by the likes of the current vulture.
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What we are seeing now is an “operation” of suppressing the truth and splitting hairs.
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” Who owns Magma Energy? Have MPs and Ministers seen and studied the list of shareholders? If not – how dare they sell valuable assets and rights of usage of the Nations natural resources to complete strangers, men without any reference at all? ” – Lara Hanna

Taming the Monster

Five Ways to Tame the Financial Market Monster:

  1. Control the Banks! (Glass-Steagall)
  2. More Equity Capital! (Bad loans – high yields, Extraordinary leverage, No meaningful loss reserves)
  3. Quality Controls for Financial Products! (Bubbles)
  4. Monitor the Hedge Funds! (Derivatives Time Bomb)
  5. Control the Ratings Agencies! (Paid Escorts)

Five Ways to Tame the Financial Market Monster
Emry – Billions for Bankers – Debts for the People (1982)
Martenson – The Crash Course
Money as Debt
Renaissance 2.0

Stripping national assets

First the fish stocks, then the banks, now the natural energy resources. These are the actual accomplishments of our business people and their political servants. In the days up to elections, political parties claim to have public welfare as their highest priority. For the rest of the time theft and financial terrorism is the norm.

This happens when the Left-freaking-Greens and Social Democrats are in power, and some say that this is a part of the IMF’s deal with the government, which of course is not available to the public.

We need a national referendum to stop this insanity.

Blatantly corrupt tale (or the second coming of Christ).
The Big Sellout
Puppets of private bankers (and he is a nut?)
The Quislings among us
“Drop Dead Economics”
Lying children and fraudulent markets

Can’t Top That, and Then They Do

After all this time and endless stream of unbelievable news of bankers fraud we are told, that even after the fall, “they” stole the rescue-package (the best part of the Central-banks reserves) and transferred the moneys to tax-havens (Luxembourg and British-Virgin Islands).

Now, the news read “engaged in a sweeping conspiracy”, obviously not to the liking of the “conspiracy phobics“.

Global Illicit Financial Structures:

  • Tax havens
  • Secrecy jurisdictions
  • Disguised corporations
  • Redomiciliation provisions
  • Anonymous trust accounts
  • Fake foundations
  • Falsified pricing
  • Money laundering techniques

Interpol – Wanted EINARSSON, Sigurdur
Ounce of Gold for information leading to arrest
Iceland’s Glitnir sues ex-officials for $2 bln
Icelandic leaders accused of ‘negligence’
Dunning–Kruger effect

The Whore of Babylon

After hours of listening to the audio-version of “The Report”, I’m struck by how apparently easy it is to corrupt people. However, first “they” (we do not refer to them as criminals) needed to buy a Bank (with the banks own money) to become ?fit and proper Bankers, and then they “enticed” the: President, Government, “our” representatives, civil servants, lawyers, accountants, auditors, academics, journalists, public relations people, artists, do-gooders, and school children. If I have left anyone out I apologize.

Sorry, I forgot about (us) programmers, using supercomputers for High Frequency Trading, bankrupting not only one measly country but taking down economic unions, for thirty pieces of silver.

Krishnamurti is quoted to have said, – It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.

Quotes from “The Truth Report”

National Newspapers Editor:

” I’ve been monitoring this for 50 years. It’s a disgusting society, it’s all disgusting. There are no principles, there are no ideals, there is nothing. It is just opportunism and power struggle.”

Kaupthing Bank HQ:

“Hi Magnus, We didn’t finalize our bonuses for last year. I suggest 1 million euros. What say you. Bye. Se. ”

Sigurdur Einarsson email to Magnus Gudmundsson, date. 9th July 2008.

Kaupthing Bank Luxembourg:

“Thank you more than enough :-).”

Responses to Magnus Gudmundsson, date. 9th July 2008, to the above Email from Sigurdur Einarsson.
. . .
” The largest owners of all the big banks had abnormally easy access to credit at the banks they owned, apparently in their capacity as owners.”

” Unfortunately, it seems to be unavoidable to conclude that the state’s budget policy increased in fact the imbalance.”

” The Board of Governors of the CBI was more often in favour of less restraint than the chief economist of the Bank had proposed.”

” All the banks purchased their own shares on a large scale in automatically matched trades in the Stock Exchange.”

” During the meetings of the Board of Governors of the CBI with ministers, the bank would not be in the habit of handing out documents with summarised information, along with the bank’s review of that information and proposals for actions, where applicable.”

” In statements by ministers and representatives of the governmental institutions before the SIC, each pointed a finger at the other concerning positive obligation and no one assumed responsibility.”

” On 15 April 2008 Mr. David Oddsson sent a formal request for a currency swap agreement to the Bank of England. Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England, replied to Mr. Oddsson’s letter on 23 April and rejected the request by the CBI. However, he declared that foreign central banks could help Iceland find an effective way to reduce the size of its banking system. In his opinion, this was the only practical solution to the problem. In closing, King said that he offered all the help he could provide to tackle the issue at hand. The CBI did not accept this offer.”

” The aforementioned procedures by the authorities with regard to contingency plans for protecting the financial system of the country, and other fundamental interests of state and the nation, were unacceptable. These methods were not in keeping with the manner in which nations with developed financial markets and administration operate in general.”

” In its supervisory duties the FME was lacking in firmness and assertiveness, as regards the resolution of and the follow-up of cases. The Authority did not sufficiently ensure that formal procedures were followed in cases where it had been discovered that regulated entities did not comply with the laws and regulations applicable to their operations.”

” However, when the size of the financial system of a country is nine times its gross domestic product the roles are reversed. This was the case in Iceland. It appears that both the parliament and the government lacked both the power and the courage to set reasonable limits to the financial system.”

” … the Commission was not expected to address possible criminal conduct of the directors of the banks in their operations. …
the SIC is of the opinion that Mr. Geir H. Haarde, then Prime Minister, Mr. Árni M. Mathiesen, then Minister of Finance, and Mr. Björgvin G. Sigurðsson, then Minister of Business Affairs, showed negligence, within the meaning of Article 1(1) of Act No 142/2008, during the time leading up to the collapse of the Icelandic banks, by omitting to respond in an appropriate fashion to the impending danger for the Icelandic economy that was caused by the deteriorating situation of the banks.
The SIC is also of the opinion that Mr. Jónas Fr. Jónsson, then Director General of the FME, and Mr. Davíð Oddsson, Mr. Eiríkur Guðnason and Mr. Ingimundur Friðriksson, then Governors of the CBI, showed negligence, within the meaning of Article 1(1) of Act No 142/2008, in the course of particular work during the administration of laws and rules on financial activities, and monitoring thereof.” …

The Truth Report
Press conference 12.04.2010 in English

Vulture Capitalism

After a successful spell of Shock Doctrine, the Vultures flock to our shores in all shapes, forms and disguises.

Our own Vultures either attack or welcome them according to their own Vulture interests. Foreign investment in a “free” market system is paramount. To hell with the fact that we can’t pay “our” current debt, lets borrow some more money. We can’t save our selfs without more, without more “stuff” we suffer from irritability, insomnia, depression, anorexia, you name it.

What can we sell, how can we prostitute our selfs, we must satisfy our addiction for more, more, yes for the golden sustainable and endless growth.

Yes, our next fix will come from: casinos, money laundering, destroying our natural resources, and inviting “Blackwater” to use our airspace to prepare for the next war. Sure, our daughters could do with some money.

Vultures are, in spite of their image problem, really marked by humanistic values and devotion to human welfare. This is apparent in their classic promise that “Job creation” is an inevitable result of their actions, and to their dedication to human progress and survival.

Vulture Capitalism
Keiser Report:
No.23 Greg Palast @gregpalast.com
No.28 Helen Skopis @Athens International

The School of Lies

The Bankster School of Lies has a tried and tested technique, “give them something repugnant to deny”,  thus displacing any blame, works every time and while psychopaths have no difficulty with this, normal people do.

Liar(s) could be distinguished by these traits: 1.) Consistent destructive, scapegoating behavior, which may often be quite subtle. 2.) Excessive, albeit usually covert, intolerance to criticism and other forms of narcissistic injury. 3.) Pronounced concern with a public image and self-image of respectability, contributing to a stability of lifestyle but also to pretentiousness and denial of hateful feelings or vengeful motives. 4.) Intellectual deviousness, with an increased likelihood of a mild schizophrenic-like disturbance of thinking at times of stress.

The mass-media owned by the “Temple” drums the message, “You Owe Us Money!” (equivalent to the older, “You Are a Sinner!”) not specifying the: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. If we are stupid enough to ask for specifics, they respond with broad generalities. It appears that the “extortionists” have conveniently forgotten the insolvency law which states that recourse can only be made to the estate of the bankrupt and not to unrelated parties.

In The Battle For Our Minds we have been treated to the standard diet of: threats of isolation, fatigue, tension, uncertainty, financial jargon (econo-speak) of unintelligible terms, and of course no humor (debt is deadly serious).

Governments, lobbied by the finance industry, have removed all effective regulations including those for crime and fraud, all supposedly made right by the sacred and infallible market, finally shrouding it all in bank secrecy and international treaties, and still corrupt governments and private banks are our penance.

As we go up the hierarchy in organized power structures this pattern becomes even more prevalent and damaging. As the Banksters have through the ages claimed to be the “Treasurers of The Gods.” and to be “Doing God’s Work”, I can’t but include the videos from the Intelligence Squared Debate, due to the obvious parallels in hypocrisy, pride and prejudice, here are Stephen Fry and Christopher Hitchens.

People have been grappling with this curious lack of ‘humanness’ for a very long time, here is more on the subject:

The Mask of Sanity
People of the Lie: The Hope For Healing Human Evil
Snakes In Suits: When Psychopaths Go To Work
The Lost Science of Money: The Mythology of Money, The Story of Power
The story continues
People with Power Are Better Liars

For the Love of Democracy

January 6, 2010 I wrote: The “political class” is franticly trying to abort the referendum in Iceland because of the dangerous precedence it would set for other plebeians, and God save our “principal men” from Democracy.

This is now confirmed in a classified letter from the US Embassy in Reykjavik published on Wikileaks. It is easy to demonize the president and forget about the 56,089 Icelanders (23,3% of Icelandic voters), that petitioned him to refer the law to a national referendum. Will our “principal men” succeed in breaking the Constitution in these remaining days?
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May the hand wither that works against the inherent rights of the people.
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New form WikiLeaks: UK-NL “profiteering” from deal. (pdf)
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REF: REYKJAVIK 9

Classified By: CDA SAM WATSON FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)

1. (C) Summary. CDA met with Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Einar Gunnarsson and Political Advisor Kristjan Guy Burgess January 12 to discuss Icesave. After presenting a gloomy picture of Iceland’s future, the two officials asked for U.S. support. They said that public comments of support from the U.S. or assistance in getting the issue on the IMF agenda would be very much appreciated. They further said that they did not want to see the matter go to a national referendum and that they were exploring other options for resolving the issue. The British Ambassador told CDA separately that he, as well as the Ministry of Finance, were also looking at options that would forestall a referendum. End Summary.

SUBJECT: LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVES TO AN ICESAVE REFERENDUM

Financial Terrorism

The speculators are still in control. Max Keiser stated that in 2006 Bankers from Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns were planning to destroy the Icelandic financial system. He went on to say that the speculators had an agenda to bankrupt all the major economies of the world and to pocket the profits (hedge funds plot to cash in on fall of the euro).

The Keiser, estimated that the value of the ‘real’ world economy was $60 trillion and the value of the ‘derived’ or ‘speculative’ market was grater than $700 trillion, which is roughly the same ratio 1:11 to our own madness.

The successor to Orwell’s Newspeak, the Derivatives Acronyms is the new language of the private banking cartel, sounds something like this. “The FAST FOX SAFEly LEAPS over CHAPS with CHIPS on SWINGS but will DIE and ROT to the ECHO of the buddhist OM.” Understood all that? Or more importantly does your ‘representative’ or your Government?

Conspiracy theory or Bernanke’s contempt for US Congress

Stephen Zarlenga, Director of The American Monetary Institute writes “Over time, whoever controls the money system controls the nation.” – Presenting the American Monetary Act (as of July 18, 2009) (pdf)

Ellen Brown wrote It’s the Derivatives, Stupid! ““The point everyone misses,” wrote economist Robert Chapman a decade ago, “is that buying derivatives is not investing. It is gambling, insurance and high stakes bookmaking. Derivatives create nothing.” They not only create nothing, but they serve to enrich non-producers at the expense of the people who do create real goods and services. In congressional hearings in the early 1990s, derivatives trading was challenged as being an illegal form of gambling. But the practice was legitimized by Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan, who not only lent legal and regulatory support to the trade but actively promoted derivatives as a way to improve “risk management.” Partly, this was to boost the flagging profits of the banks; and at the larger banks and dealers, it worked. But the cost was an increase in risk to the financial system as a whole.”

” The few who understand the system will either be so interested in its profits or so dependent upon its favors that there will be no opposition from that class while, on the other hand, the great body of people, mentally incapable of comprehending . . . will bear its burdens without complaint.”

Rothschild Brothers of London, 1863

” I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. Corporations have been enthroned, an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until the wealth is aggregated in the hands of a few and the Republic is destroyed.”

Abraham Lincoln (attributed)

“…commands are dispatched from a computer terminal, or a cell phone. Relevant data are instantly relayed to major financial markets – often resulting in immediate disruptions in the functioning of national economies. “Financial warfare” also applies complex speculative instruments including the gamut of derivative trade, forward foreign exchange transactions, currency options, hedge funds, index funds, etc. Speculative instruments have been used with the ultimate purpose of capturing financial wealth and acquiring control over productive assets.”

Michel Chossudovsky

” “Sustainability” has to mean “for a long time,” where “long” means compared to a human lifetime. The basic exponential arithmetic shows that growth of numbers of real things can’t continue for long times. This simple observation leads to the First Law of Sustainability. “Growth of populations and / or growth in rates of consumption of resources, cannot be sustained.” It follows that the term “sustainable growth” is an oxymoron. It remains a mystery as to why all the ardent advocates of sustainability talk about everything except the First Law of Sustainability.”

Albert A. Bartlett

“No money changer who may hereafter fail, and none who has recently or in times passed failed, shall again keep a bank or hold any office under the crown. Any such shall be proclaimed bankrupt and disgraced by public crier throughout the city and also in the place he had his office. Until he shall have satisfied all demands, he shall be detained on a diet of bread and water.”

Barcelona banking laws passed in 1300

Keiser Report ?14: Markets! Finance! Scandal!
Derivative (finance)
Janet Tavakoli
Web of Debt – Ellen Brown – 1 of 5
Web of Debt: The Shocking Truth About Our Money System and How We Can Break Free by Ellen Hodgson Brown
Brooksley Born’s Nightmare Comes True
Al Bartlett: In Growth We Trust (the simple math 1 to 8 ) and The Essential Exponential!
Stephen Zarlenga: The Lost Science of Money
Carroll Quigley: Tragedy and Hope .(pdf 5.43MB )
ATTAC: ..Let’s shut down the financial casino (pdf)
Sponsor an Executive 🙂
A Pre-referendum documentary [John Zufelt]

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