Politicians and Bankers Are Crooks

One of the great things about the Internet Age is the opportunity to discover the words and ideas of people who don’t have publishing contracts or university tenures.  Usually written anonymously or under online handles, there is genius lurking everywhere (even in the comment sections of these articles).

One such jewel caught my eye recently: “Imagine a government operated so poorly they had to import an entire nation of new voters because they lost the citizen vote.”  Another argued, “If your country has enough money to give to other countries, your taxes are too high.”  If our celebrity intellectuals were as pithy as some of the unknown writers who drop pearls across the Internet, critical thinking skills would return to America in no time.

Both those observations above masterfully capture our predicament, don’t they?  Now that the USAID scandal has pierced the public’s consciousness, people from all walks of life are admitting that the U.S. government is little more than a money laundering operation for political and financial elites.  Congress creates spending bills that award trillions of dollars to bureaucratic agencies, “non-governmental” organizations, and foreign governments.  Agency employees take their cut, promise fidelity to the federal Leviathan, and allocate the rest to well-connected private businesses and third parties.  The NGOs take their cut, bribe voters and special interest groups, and advocate on behalf of the government and wealthy political donors.  Foreign governments take their cut, hand over their countries’ natural resources to multinational conglomerates, and start or manage wars that benefit the military-industrial complex.  

Spending bills include funds for NPR, PBS, and countless other state-funded propaganda organs — both inside and outside of the U.S. — so that an army of liars exists to parrot the federal government’s preferred “narratives.”  These “narratives” are monetized to enrich corporate firms and further empower central banks.  Endless stories about “climate change” justify new carbon taxes, central bank digital currencies, and the nationalization of entire industries.  Endless stories about why Americans should fight and die for a corrupt Ukrainian dictatorship justify new defense spending.  Endless stories about emerging pandemics justify lockdowns, censorship, and billions more for Big Pharma’s gene-altering “vaccines.”  At every step of the way, the Federal Reserve is ready to leverage its power over the U.S. government by conjuring new money with its magic wand that can be used to pay for all these boondoggles, unwinnable wars, and expensive misadventures.

In turn, the companies, banks, and financial elites who most benefit from the U.S. government’s money tree never forget to tip the politicians who allow the great American money laundering operation to continue.  Whereas the rest of us go to prison for profiting from insider trading, politicians (and their families and friends) get obscenely wealthy.  They invest in defense stocks before starting wars, invest in pharmaceutical stocks before releasing Wuhan bioweapons into the world, and invest in “green energy” companies before passing laws that subsidize solar panels, wind farms, and electric vehicles.  Politicians start family foundations that attract a remarkable array of “charitable” donors from the very industries that those politicians regulate, as well as from a slew of prominent foreign officials currying favor with the United States.  When those politicians run for re-election, they find that the same multinational corporations that benefit from the federal government’s regulatory and spending priorities are first in line to write new campaign checks.  

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The PayPal Mafia

Some may have heard of the tech geniuses who compose “The PayPal Mafia.” The mainstream media glamorizes them as “tech visionaries,” a band of rebellious geniuses who disrupted finance and went on to build empires. Yet, beneath the surface of the so-called PayPal Mafia is not innovation for the public good, but the construction of a new form of oligarchy—one more dangerous than the robber barons of the 19th century. Why? Because this new class of elites doesn’t merely build companies. These men influence monetary systems, shape global narratives, and fund policy engineering through unelected channels.

PayPal emerged in the late 1990s during the dot-com bubble, which I had warned would crash by 2000. PayPal became a clever workaround to bypass the traditional banking system, cloaked under the premise of convenience. This so-called “mafia” includes Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman, Max Levchin, David Sacks, Scott Banister, Roelof Botha, Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, Jawed Karim, Premal Shah, Yu Pan, and Yishan Wong, among others who had roots in PayPal. Each went on to build their own tech empire spanning across biotech, social media, space, venture capitalism, and surveillance.

Fortune Magazine ran an article about these men in 2007, and even asked them to dress up as traditional mafia gangsters. These men are the new tech elite who wield immense power and influence. Elon Musk’s deep ties to Donald Trump shone a new light on how deeply the so-called PayPal Mafia has become embedded in politics and geopolitical affairs.

I reported how Peter Thiel provided J.D. Vance a platform to enter politics. Thiel introduced Vance to Silicon Valley and welcomed him into the scene of the tech elite. Theil’s Palantir was recently awarded a massive contract to create the first US federal centralized government database that will house every piece of data on every American citizen. Again, this is happening under the premise of convenience.

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Major bank announces end of de-banking policies on guns and political affiliation

After years of criticism from the right about unfair “de-banking” practices, a major U.S. bank announced the end of the policy as it relates to political affiliation and gun sales.

Citigroup announced that they changed their firearms policies, which had been instituted after the heinous 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

“We appreciate the concerns that are being raised regarding ‘fair access’ to banking services, and we are following regulatory developments, recent executive orders and federal legislation that impact this area,” the bank said in a statement.

The statement said Citigroup had updated its employee code of conduct to ensure that no one was discriminated against on the basis of their political affiliation.

Among those who claimed they were the targets of political de-banking were first lady Melania Trump and Eric Trump, who said the Trump Organization had been negatively affected.

In October, the first lady recalled in an interview the shock she felt on finding out a bank had “suddenly informed me they will not be able to do business with me anymore.”

She also said that a university returned her money when she tried to contribute to a philanthropic effort to fund scholarships for foster kids.

“They didn’t want to do business with me because of political affiliation, my political beliefs,” she added.

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Planning to withdraw cash in Spain? You could now face a €150,000 fine

Thinking of pulling out a large amount of cash from your bank account in Spain? A new rule is now in force — and ignoring it could cost you dearly.

New rules in Spain: cash withdrawals over €3,000 under strict control

From now on, anyone withdrawing €3,000 or more from a Spanish bank must notify the Agencia Tributaria (Spain’s tax agency) in advance. If you’re planning to take out €100,000 or more, you’ll need to give at least 72 hours’ notice. For smaller sums over €3,000, a 24-hour notification is mandatory.

The warning must be filed through the tax agency’s official website using a digital certificate, Cl@ve PIN, or electronic ID card. You’ll receive a receipt that must be shown at the bank when withdrawing your cash.

Fail to notify? You risk a fine between 1 per cent and 10 per cent of the amount withdrawn — starting at €600 and climbing up to a massive €150,000, depending on the seriousness of the violation.

Banks are now required to block withdrawals if they detect missing paperwork, and must report suspicious transactions to the authorities, even if amounts are repeatedly just under the threshold.

Spain steps up fight against tax fraud and money laundering

This tough new measure is part of a wider strategy to crack down on tax fraud, money laundering and terrorism financing.
Authorities say that cash remains a key tool for illegal activities, making tighter monitoring essential.

Interestingly, it’s not just massive withdrawals that will raise red flags.
Even frequent small withdrawals — say, €800 or €900 at a time — could draw unwanted attention if not properly justified.
The message from the Spanish government is clear: every move involving large sums of cash must now be fully traceable.

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RED FLAG: Carney called to freeze Freedom Trucker’s bank accounts, said protesters were ‘seditious’

An unearthed op-ed from February 2022 by Mark Carney provides Canadians with insight into how the new prime minister views the rights of private citizens.

In the wake of the Freedom Convoy protests that gripped Ottawa, Carney, one week into the protests and just before the use of the Emergencies Act by then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, made it clear that he was in favor of freezing the bank accounts of Canadians, cutting funding to the protest, and even calling the movement “seditious” without evidence. Carney declared that those who donated to the protest were “funding sedition” and referred to the organizers’ actions as “blatant treachery.”

One has to wonder if it was Carney who came up with the idea to freeze the accounts, as he had served as an advisor to the prime minister at this time.

He described balloon bouncy castles and a grassroots, peaceful movement as “dangerous infrastructure” that was being “reinforced” by those funding the movement.

Carney wrote: “On the first weekend, many Canadians who joined the demonstrations undoubtedly had peaceful objectives. Tired as we all are with unprecedented disruptions over the past two years, it’s understandable that many would want to come to Ottawa to protest. It’s a free country, and everyone should be able to express their opinions free of interference from the state, just as the press should be able to report without fear of harassment or intimidation.

“But now, in its second week, no one should have any doubt. This is sedition. That’s a word I never thought I’d use in Canada. It means ‘incitement of resistance to or insurrection against lawful authority.’”

Carney, perhaps drawing on his background in global finance, framed the convoy’s actions not as an expression of public dissent but as a direct attack on democracy. By writing, “You are funding sedition,” he bluntly told the public that any support—financial or otherwise—for the protests was an endorsement of an attempt to undermine the authority of a democratically elected government.

What followed was the freezing of bank accounts by the RCMP, in line with the emergency measures enacted by the Trudeau administration to quell the protests. A series of financial institutions, under pressure from government orders, complied by suspending the accounts of anyone linked to the convoy. This move caught the attention of international figures, including podcaster Joe Rogan, who cited it as an example of rights being “lost” in Canada.

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3 Shocking Truths Most People Don’t Know About Money In Bank Accounts…

Henry Ford once astutely observed that a revolution would occur overnight if people truly understood the banking and monetary system.

That’s because modern banking is an elaborate illusion—one that lulls people into a false sense of security… until it’s too late.

Large banks can fail within hours, and life savings can vanish overnight.

The US banking system is particularly vulnerable.

So, why do so many people place their confidence—and life savings—into such a fragile system?

It’s because they don’t understand three fundamental truths about modern banking:

#1. The money isn’t yours.

#2. The money isn’t actually there.

#3. The money isn’t really money.

Truth #1: The Money Isn’t Yours

Many people are shocked to learn they don’t actually own the money in their bank accounts.

Once you deposit money, it’s no longer your personal property—it legally belongs to the bank. And they can do whatever they want with it.

What you do own is simply a promise from the bank—an IOU—to pay you back.

In reality, depositing money is the same as giving the bank an unsecured loan, often with little or no interest to compensate you for the risk.

It’s a fantastic deal for the bank—and a terrible one for you.

That’s why a bank deposit is not the same as cash in hand. Yet most people wrongly treat the two as equivalent.

Worse, banks can freeze “your” money at the push of a button, often for vague or arbitrary reasons.

Maybe you bought something the bank didn’t like. Or perhaps you said something “politically incorrect” on social media. Don’t be surprised if your account gets frozen—or worse.

Take PayPal, for example. They once floated the idea of charging users $2,500 for spreading so-called “misinformation.”

Expect to see more of this behavior from banks and financial institutions in the future.

Because if your money can be frozen or seized on a whim… it was never really yours to begin with.

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House votes to overturn Biden-era rule limiting bank overdraft fees to $5, sends to Trump to sign

The House voted Wednesday to overturn a rule that would have limited bank overdraft fees to $5, following the Senate in moving to dismantle the regulation that the Biden administration had estimated would save consumers billions of dollars.

The resolution killing the rule, which passed the House 217-211, will now head to the White House for President Donald Trump’s signature. Republicans argued that the “disastrous” regulation issued in the final days of President Joe Biden’s term would have forced banks to stop offering overdraft protection altogether and made it harder for Americans to access credit.

“Competition and innovation, not government-mandated price caps, remain the best way to ensure consumers have access to affordable financial products and services,” said Arkansas Rep. French Hill, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee.

Currently, the nation’s biggest banks take in roughly $8 billion in the charges every year, according to data from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and bank public records. Right now, there is no cap on the overdraft fees that banks can legally charge.

Banks and banking groups had previously sued over the rule, arguing that it would have led to consumers leaning on worse, less-regulated services. Republicans voted to undo the regulation under the Congressional Review Act, a 1996 law that allows Congress to reverse recently adopted rules.

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Irish Government Freezes Christian Teacher’s Bank Account After He Refused to Use Gender-Neutral Pronouns

The Irish government has frozen the bank account of an Irish teacher after his continued refusal to use gender-neutral pronouns for a student at Wilson’s Hospital School. Enoch Burke, who has spent more than 500 days in jail for refusing to comply with a court order, also had his salary payments halted.

Burke attempted to withdraw funds from his Bank of Ireland account last week but found that he was unable to access his money. The account reportedly holds over €40,000—his personal savings from years of work. The Irish government and courts have frozen these funds and are set to seize them next week.

Burke was previously jailed for contempt of court after refusing to comply with an injunction barring him from entering Wilson’s Hospital School, where he had been suspended following a dispute over the use of transgender pronouns.

The freezing of his bank account marks an unprecedented escalation in the legal battle. Burke maintains that he was upholding the Christian ethos of his school and acting according to his beliefs. The Irish courts have ruled against him at multiple stages, leading to fines, jail time, and now the freezing of his assets.

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Canadian Banks Linked To Chinese Fentanyl Laundering Risk US Treasury Sanctions After Cartel Terror Designation

In an explosive interview with The Bureau’s Sam CooperDavid Asher – a former senior U.S. State Department official with close ties to the Trump administration’s financial and national security apparatus—issued a stark warningCanadian banks could soon face a “new universe” of regulatory scrutiny from the U.S. Treasury. This follows the formal designation of Mexican cartels, including the Sinaloa group, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). According to Asher, the command-and-control structure for laundering proceeds from synthetic narcotics—produced using Chinese precursor chemicals—is largely orchestrated by Chinese triads operating out of Canada.

Asher warned that these transnational crime gang nexus seriously threatens both U.S. national security and the stability of the North American financial system

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19 Reasons Why the Federal Reserve Is at the Heart of Our Economic Problems

Most Americans have absolutely no idea how we got into the mess that we are in today.  The reason why the U.S. government is 36 trillion dollars in debt and our society as a whole is 102 trillion dollars in debt is because the system is performing exactly as it was designed.  We have a system that was literally designed to create colossal amounts of debt.  But if you ask most Americans about this, they cannot tell you what the Federal Reserve is or why it is at the heart of our economic problems.  When Americans get into discussions about the economy, most of them still blame either the Democrats or the Republicans for our rapidly growing economic problems.  But the truth is that the institution with the most power over our economic system is the Federal Reserve.  So exactly what is the Federal Reserve?  Most people would say that it is an agency of the federal government.  But that is not entirely accurate.  In fact, the Federal Reserve itself has argued in court that it is not an agency of the federal government.   The truth is that the Federal Reserve is a privately-owned banking cartel that has been given a perpetual monopoly over our monetary system by the U.S. Congress.  This privately-owned central bank has been destroying the value of the U.S. dollar for decades, it has run our economy into the ground, and it has driven the U.S. government to the brink of bankruptcy.  The Federal Reserve operates in great secrecy  and it acts as if it is not accountable to the American people.  Yet the decisions that the Federal Reserve makes have a dramatic impact on the lives of every single American citizen.

If you really want to understand what is causing our economic problems, it is absolutely crucial that you understand exactly what the Federal Reserve is and how it is systematically destroying our economy.  Once you understand the truth about the Federal Reserve, you will view economic issues a whole lot differently.

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