FREEDOM

dear family and friends

free·dom

Pronunciation:

\ˈfrē-dəm\

Function:

noun

Date:

before 12th century

1: the quality or state of being free: as a: the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action b: liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : independence c: the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous <freedom from care> d: ease , facility freedom> e: the quality of being frank, open, or outspoken freedom> f: improper familiarity g: boldness of conception or execution h: unrestricted use freedom of their home> 2 a: a political right.

much talk in this country centers around freedom. our country was founded on the principle of individual freedom. the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. we speak about the wars we have fought and the sacrifices made in the name of freedom. we have freedom of speech, freedom to assemble, freedom to worship in any way we see fit, and the freedom to own guns.

these are all freedoms guaranteed by our constitution.

i would like to take a slightly different look at freedom. i would like to consider two types; one spiritual freedom and the other economic freedom.
in my own life i find spiritual freedom to be the more important. by spiritual freedom i do not mean freedom of religion. humans are the synthesis of the material world and the spiritual world. a human being is a physical entity enlivened by a soul or spirit.
the soul is a captive of the body, it is trapped and is restricted in its true expression.

human beings are always looking for something more. humans look for happiness in material possessions and comforts, perhaps in a new car or a nice house or a fine meal ..........whatever it is that is perceived to provide happiness. there is unhappiness in the mind unless the object pursued is attained. even when it is attained it is then discovered that the happiness is fleeting, it is not permanent. the mind creates a new idea of what will then bring happiness and the new object is then sought.

all the time what is really being sought is the freedom of the soul, the freedom from want.

"there is enough for all man's needs but not all his wants"
m.k. gandhi

"there is no end to wants"
meher baba

the end of wants comes when the soul discovers its true freedom; when it discovers that it is not the body. the soul is free when the mind comes to the realization that there is not one thing in this world that will satisfy the need for freedom. therefore true spiritual freedom is freedom from wanting. many spiritual traditions espouse a form of renunciation. there are many practices from meditation to prayer and fasting. it is the inner prompting of the soul to be free that causes the mind to pursue these activities. these are forms of external renunciation.

when a soul has matured and tired of the endless searching for freedom then a subtle shift takes place. in the east it is known as dying before dying. it is internal renunciation. it is dying to the world yet living in the world. there is an absence of want. it is a state of desirelessness when even the external forms of renunciation are seen as bindings which keep the soul a captive and ignorant of its true nature of freedom.

it is in this state of freedom that it becomes possible to possess whatever it is you wish yet not be possessed by it. it is at this point that a human being realizes that this is nothing but a play and she is nothing but an actor on the stage. the human being in this position is in complete control of its actions and behaves from its true spiritual center. the person who has attained to this state is said by the sufis to have attained to the state of "fana" annihilation. it is the annihilation of the false self, the wanting self and the realization of the true self.

when one knows that the reason one has taken a body is to realize that in truth it is not the body, then one is guided by that knowledge in all its actions. these actions will be those which lead to freedom of the soul.

"the inner life helps a soul to grow up; when the soul evolves from subjection to mastery then it makes rules for itself. in the east therefore no one tries to criticize a spiritual person; no one stands up to judge his actions or to accuse him of something the accuser himself calls wrong."
inayat khan

until one is aware of spiritual freedom the most important freedom in the world is economic freedom. in the world one is considered free when one is free from the constraints of economic pressures.

when one has moved beyond the bottom of maslow's pyramid one's view of the world changes radically. if one is no longer tied to a job then one is has attained to a new mode of freedom.

" all animals are equal............of course some are more equal than others"
george orwell

for those of us who live in america " the land of the free" this quote is no more obvious than in the comparison between bill gates and joe the plumber. the freedoms guaranteed in the constitution give us a certain amount of freedom. but the freedom bill gates experiences is very different than joe the plumber. bill gates has the freedom to go anywhere in the world any time he wishes. he can eat any food, drink any drink he wishes regardless of cost.

politically bill gates has access to any politician he wishes at any time he wants. there are doors in this country that are closed to the average citizen which bill gates can walk through at any time.

people in bill gate's position are admired by many people in this country because it is recognized that they have attained to the highest level of economic freedom in this country. people speak of warren buffet in the most worshipful terms. the heroes of our culture are those who have transcended the captivity of economic disadvantage.

"greed is good"...........gordon gecko

it is this creed which has led us to this current economic " crisis". unrestrained greed has brought about the creation of a society which gives the highest reward to those who are guided by nothing but pure unadulterated self-interest.

our business leaders, the ceo's of our biggest corporations have become robber barons rather than the stewards of companies. corporations are seen by upper management as nothing more than goldmines to be mined for personal gain. no thought is given to the joe the plumbers of the world who have given their lives to the company. no thought is really even given to the shareholders.

when business and government are enlivened by spiritual truth we have a vastly different outcome. when one realizes that all souls are one then economies will be inspired by the life of the spirit. gandhi freed a nation non-violently and inspired generations of indian citizens. he lived a simple life. his worldly possessions when he was assassinated would barely fill a corner of a ceo's desk. he was a champion of the poor. his vision was not fulfilled but he none the less shined a light for others.

martin luther king shared the same dream in this country. he recognized that yes in some ways african americans had some of the trappings of freedom; they did not share in the economic freedom that most americans enjoyed. he dedicated his life to leading his people to that dream.

“True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.”
- Franklin D. Roosevelt


i believe that when we finally ..........and one day i believe we will, as a nation come to the realization that we are all one, that each of us is really a soul trapped in a body; that we are indeed all in this together, then we will realize the promise of america. i believe that unless those who have more do not help those who have less to achieve economic freedom then their own freedom will be diminished. unless those at the highest levels of our business community operate with the highest levels of honesty and integrity it will be impossible for america to claim itself to be the land of the free. unless our businesses and government operate in a transparent way so that all are informed of the true state of our country we will be divided against ourselves.

i am not in any way suggesting a welfare state. i am proposing that all children be given a good education. that they be given the opportunity to live up to their highest potential, that they may achieve economic freedom. when all citizens are on a level playing field the contributions to the greater good will multiply exponentially. because someone is poor does not mean that person is stupid. given the opportunity that person might make a contribution to medical science or alternative energy. we will never know if we keep a permanent underclass that is uneducated, and dispossessed.

i believe that economic freedom for all will not be achieved until a critical mass of our people reach spiritual freedom. once that happens we will experience peace, prosperity, happiness and true freedom. it is up to those who have realized the spiritual goal to take the lead in our society
to express the inner life of freedom of the soul in the world. those who have realized the true purpose of their lives will be guided by love. it is this experience of love which will guide humanity to its true destiny.

"true love is unconquerable and irresistible. it goes on gathering power and spreading itself until it transforms everyone it touches. when it is recognized that there are no claims greater than the claims of divine life which without exception includes everyone and everything love will not only establish peace, harmony and happiness in social , national and international spheres but it will shine in its own purity and beauty......................................through divine love the new humanity will learn the art of co-operative and harmonious life; it will free itself from the tyranny of dead forms and release the creative life of divine wisdom; it will shed all illusions and get established in the truth; it will enjoy peace and abiding happiness; it will be initiated in the life of eternity"
meher baba

your loyal info serf
om shanti
joe

dear family and friends

just found this and if anyone has any illusions about what it is we are facing, this should dispel those illusions. "ah yu rike 1 frum caumm a and 2 frum caumm b.
you rike msg or no msg. never you no mine you take we give you"

it is good to remember that this is the way the inscrutable chinese communicate the internal dialog that goes on inside the power structure. it is never spoken directly.
it is always transmitted through third parties in articles in the official newspaper.

the direct communication which you will never hear but will feel the effects of go directly to the white house. any one know a good mandarin language course?

Before Saving the US
November 11,2008





by Xiang Songzuo


The nature of the current global financial crisis is the biggest debt
crisis in America's history. The issuer of the world's reserve
currency, the US has been borrowing for quite a long time without any
limit. America's trade, international payment and fiscal deficits have
existed for over 40 years (a fiscal dividend once occurred during
Clinton's administration but deficit soon returned). Statistics show
that America's internal and external debt exceeds $60 trillion, over
400% of the country's annual GDP of a bit over $14 trillion. Of that
total, family debt (including mortgages), financial and non-financial
firms' debt, and municipal and national debt come to about $15
trillion, $17 trillion, $22 trillion, $3.5 trillion, and $11 trillion,
respectively, though it is hard to tell how these debts have been
split up among foreign governments, financial firms, companies, and
individuals.

To relieve the crisis, the US must repay its debts, and to do that it
needs to live a more frugal life instead of asking others to continue
lending it the money to maintain its over-consumption.

The first thing the government needs to do is reduce spending and the
deficit. Correspondingly, the US needs to cut military disbursement,
stop its global expansion and the robbing of oil resources from other
countries. Companies should also become thrifty and avoid highly
leveraged operation. Families and individuals should stop anticipating
their income to buy houses and travel globally. Instead, they should
warmly welcome foreigners to travel to and spend money in the US.

China Should Raise Conditions

But if the US must ask China to buy some portion of its national debt,
what kind of conditions and principles should China we raise?

The principle should be the same as the basic principle upheld by the
US and IMF when "saving" other countries in crisis: cut fiscal
disbursement and both the government and the people should save money.
Besides that, there are six points: first, the US should cancel the
limits on high-tech exports to China, and allow China to acquire
advanced technology and high-tech companies from the US; secondly, the
US needs to open its financial system to Chinese financial
institutions, allowing all Chinese financial firms to open branches
and develop business in the US; third, the US should not prevent
Europe from canceling the ban against selling weapons to China;
fourth, the US should stop selling military weapons to Taiwan; fifth,
the US should loosen its limits on numbers of Chinese tourists and
allow them to travel freely to the US; and sixth, the US should never
restrain China's exports to the US and force RMB appreciation in the
name of domestic protectionism and employment pressure.

If the US should refuse to agree to the six principals, that only
means it doesn't really need China to save its market and buy its
national debt. Then China's choice is quite simple: rationally adjust
the structure of its foreign exchange reserve assets and avoid the
risk of the US national debt according to market rules.

What is worth special attention is that the prerequisite for China's
purchase of US national debt is that China has enough foreign currency
to meet the exchange demand when hot money is flowing out in large
scale. Otherwise China will have to sell US debt to relieve its lack
of foreign exchange currency, which will lead to sharp depreciation of
China's dollar assets. What is even worse, China may immediately
suffer a financial crisis led by the lack of foreign currency.

So if the US wants China to help save its market, the US government
and the IMF must admit China's right to manage its foreign exchange
independently. Once large scale hot money outflows occurs, China has
the right to take effective measures to restrain the speed and amount
of hot money outflow, and the US and IMF can't blame China for it.
This is the most important prerequisite, even more important than the
six principles mentioned above. If the US can't agree to it, China may
trap itself when saving the US. When exchange crisis happens in China,
who can promise the US and the IMF won't hit China when it's down?

(The author is a professor at Central China University of Science and
Technology. The piece is translated from his article on China Business
News)


so good night america you have had a very busy 219 years. you desreve a rest
now someone else can run things.

your loyal info serf

om shanti
joe

CONGRESSMAN RON PAUL

dear family and friends

below you will find a speech given by ron paul when he introduced the bill to do away with the federal reserve. unless and until we do away with the federal reserve system we will be serfs tilling the king's fields and mining the king's mines. we can pat off the national debt in about 10-20 years if we get rid of the fed. we will give our children and their children a future. i think for that reason alone we should start now to demand of our legislators the repeal of the federal reserve act (glass, owen)

your loyal info serf
om shanti
joe

Congressman Ron Paul
U.S. House of Representatives
September 10, 2002

ABOLISH THE FEDERAL RESERVE

Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce legislation to restore financial stability to America's economy by abolishing the Federal Reserve. I also ask unanimous consent to insert the attached article by Lew Rockwell, president of the Ludwig Von Mises Institute, which explains the benefits of abolishing the Fed and restoring the gold standard, into the record. (see below)

Since the creation of the Federal Reserve, middle and working-class Americans have been victimized by a boom-and-bust monetary policy. In addition, most Americans have suffered a steadily eroding purchasing power because of the Federal Reserve's inflationary policies. This represents a real, if hidden, tax imposed on the American people.

From the Great Depression, to the stagflation of the seventies, to the burst of the dotcom bubble last year, every economic downturn suffered by the country over the last 80 years can be traced to Federal Reserve policy. The Fed has followed a consistent policy of flooding the economy with easy money, leading to a misallocation of resources and an artificial "boom" followed by a recession or depression when the Fed-created bubble bursts.

With a stable currency, American exporters will no longer be held hostage to an erratic monetary policy. Stabilizing the currency will also give Americans new incentives to save as they will no longer have to fear inflation eroding their savings. Those members concerned about increasing America's exports or the low rate of savings should be enthusiastic supporters of this legislation.

Though the Federal Reserve policy harms the average American, it benefits those in a position to take advantage of the cycles in monetary policy. The main beneficiaries are those who receive access to artificially inflated money and/or credit before the inflationary effects of the policy impact the entire economy. Federal Reserve policies also benefit big spending politicians who use the inflated currency created by the Fed to hide the true costs of the welfare-warfare state. It is time for Congress to put the interests of the American people ahead of the special interests and their own appetite for big government.

Abolishing the Federal Reserve will allow Congress to reassert its constitutional authority over monetary policy. The United States Constitution grants to Congress the authority to coin money and regulate the value of the currency. The Constitution does not give Congress the authority to delegate control over monetary policy to a central bank. Furthermore, the Constitution certainly does not empower the federal government to erode the American standard of living via an inflationary monetary policy.

In fact, Congress' constitutional mandate regarding monetary policy should only permit currency backed by stable commodities such as silver and gold to be used as legal tender. Therefore, abolishing the Federal Reserve and returning to a constitutional system will enable America to return to the type of monetary system envisioned by our nation's founders: one where the value of money is consistent because it is tied to a commodity such as gold. Such a monetary system is the basis of a true free-market economy.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stand up for working Americans by putting an end to the manipulation of the money supply which erodes Americans' standard of living, enlarges big government, and enriches well-connected elites, by cosponsoring my legislation to abolish the Federal Reserve.

the ghost of christmas past

dear family and friends
what follows is a christmas story. it is a christmas story from the past that echoes through our lives one hundred years later. some might think it a little early for a christmas story but i was just in wal mart and all the christmas decorations got me into a little bit of a nostalgic mood. so what follows is what i think of when i get the christmas spirit. so light the fire in the fireplace, pour a little of your favorite beverage and let yourself be transported to a simpler time.

the scene is the morgan resort on jekyll island. it is a small island off the coast of america, georgia to be specific. it is christmas eve 1908. the weather this time of year in the south can be just about anything but this evening it is rather cold, as the "hawk" is flying low over the coast.

dinner has just ended and the women have retired to the sitting room and the men have adjourned to the library. brandy is poured by the son of a slave and cigars are broken out of the humidor. the host passes out his favorite cigars to his guests.

the well oiled walnut paneled walls glow warm in the light of the fire. the flawless argentine leather easy chairs are soft and inviting. the surf pounds in the distance. life is good ..........it is very good.

the host is jp morgan , pierpont to his friends.......... death to his enemies.
the cigars are "Hercules clubs" from Havana. these were heady days when cuba knew how to behave itself. morgan was able to avoid military service in the civil war by paying three hundred dollars for a substitute. no one knows if the substitute survived.

the guests this christmas were nelson aldrich senator and senate whip. also father in law of jd rockefeller jr.. which made him the grandfather of the future governor of n.y. and vice president of the u.s., nelson aldrich rockefeller.

abraham andrew, assistant secretary of the treasury.

benjamin strong who was head of jp morgan and the first chairman of the federal reserve.

and finally paul warburg of the warburg banking family of germany.

pierpont: well gentleman merry christmas and now for dessert.

aldrich: pierpont now that you have brought on the panic in the banks in new york with your brilliant manipulation of the monetary system. i think we can now proceed with the next phase of our plan. the selection of the next president.

pierpont: thank you nelson it was really quite simple. once you get the public in a panic they will go along with just about anything to restore what they think is stability.
our greatest gains have come from this very simple strategy.

strong: you are the master.

pierpont: i learned it a long time ago from the real masters. i owe them everything.

warburg: quite pierpont, it is a tactic as old as banking itself. the goldsmiths of long ago developed these strategies to a high art. it can be accomplished in the same way over and over again in broad daylight and no one can fathom how or why it happens.

pierpont: gentleman i have given it much thought and i believe that wilson is our man in 1912. he is mild mannered and easily led. we have been educating him as to how the banking industry needs to be regulated so that these monetary panics will no longer be a problem..........they will be opportunities that he will be completely unaware of. he is currently governor of new jersey and has an impeccable record.

strong: yes i quite agree we have had many meetings with him at the bank on wall street and he is now quite convinced that we simply must do something. he believes that we have the answers to the monetary problem.

andrew: i have spoken with him many times and i agree he is our man. he really is quite gullible and is too much the academic to admit that money is well over his head.

warburg: we are over his head and he will suit our purposes very well. he will be very easily controlled.

andrew: but taft is a very strong candidate how will we be able to defeat him?

pierpont: good point abraham. how indeed?

strong: if i may sir offer a suggestion, why not divide and conquer? why not bring on another candidate who can split the vote on the republican side and leave the way clear for wilson?

aldrich: excellent idea ben. i think i know just the man............t.r.

pierpont: why yes he would be perfect. the public will love it. we can offer him some support but not too much just enough to split the vote and draw enough votes away from taft for wilson to win. teddy boy's ego will be so inflated with the idea it should be no problem to get him to run.

warburg: it is a brilliant strategy.......the next phase begins. gentleman a toast.
to the control of the united states of america.

they all raise their glasses and congratulate each other. a light snow begins to fall and the son of a slave refills the glasses and puts another log on the fire. he is grateful that on this night he is warm and employed and his children will have a christmas turkey.

fast forward to christmas eve 1913. the astor hotel in new york. the suite on the top floor has been reserved for this very special occasion. this is the celebration of the creation of the federal reserve act which was passed on the evening of the 23rd of december when 27 members of the senate were gone for christmas recess. they had been told there would be no votes until they returned to session again.

the men present were the same men who had been at jekyll island in 1908, except for jp morgan who had died in march at the age of 75. in his honor the "Hercules clubs" from Havana his favorites of which he smoked 12 a day are passed out.

aldrich: gentleman the plan has been implemented. we are now in total control of the entire money supply of this country. we will control congress and every president from here forward.

warburg: yes nelson it is too bad that pierpont could not be here to witness the birth of his child.

strong: i know as he looks down from heaven he is quite pleased. may he rest not only in peace but in happiness. this is the crowning achievement of his life.

andrew: gentleman i propose a toast to john pierpont morgan and the federal reserve bank which will create a new order in this country.

all as one: cheers !

aldrich: and gentleman a very merry christmas indeed.

fast forward once again. this time it is christmas eve 2008 one hundred years to the day of that fateful meeting on jekyll island. the scene is the "playhouse" at the opulent family estate pocantico in westchester, new york.

david rockefeller is the host. he is the patriarch of the rockefeller family. his estimated wealth is 3 billion dollars. his political and business connections are too numerous to list. to get a glimmer of the way he sees the world we only need to read his own words from his memoir.

" some even believe we are part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the united states, characterising my family and me as internationalists and of conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure-one world, if you will. if that is the charge, i stand guilty and i am proud of it."

the guests this christmas eve are henry kissinger former secretary of state under richard nixon and gerald ford.

riley bechtel chairman of bechtel corporation, a primary beneficiary of the war in iraq.

and finally last but not least george schultz former secretary of labor, former secretary of the treasury, and former secretary of state. he was also a professor at the university of chicago in the business school. he became dean of the business school in 1962. the university of chicago was founded by the rockefeller family. milton friedman also taught at the university of chicago.

rockefeller: gentleman welcome and merry christmas.

all in unison wish the patriarch a merry christmas.

rockefeller: well we have our new president and plans are proceeding very smoothly.
the current state of the economy made it a very easy campaign to manipulate. barry was as flawless as any candidate i have ever seen. the only one on a par was jack kennedy. we owed a great debt to his father so it was our pleasure to see to it he was elected.

schultz: jack was a good man it was a shame he got off track on the federal reserve. he could have been one of the greatest of our presidents. we tried to warn him but he would not listen.

rockefeller: yes that was a pity. but gentlemen we are here to celebrate our victory and discuss the next phase. we had quite a pleasant surprise this time around. that palin woman created quite a stir. she is quite a find. it got me to thinking that perhaps we let the "crisis" run a little longer maybe even ratchet up the heat a little and have barry serve one term. what do you all think of her as the next one?

bechtel: she is very raw but i think her instincts are very good and she is very ambitious. she has a natural way of connecting with the common folks.

kissinger: raw does not go far enough to describe her. when called upon to do anything more than wink she is as lost as the titanic.

rockefeller: i agree, but there is something about her i like. she has spunk and that is something the people of this country like above everything. when asked to tell why they like a candidate they never mention issues. it is nothing more than a personality contest. my only reservation about her is can we get her up to speed in time?

schultz: i think she would be willing to work hard. i think she is very shrewd and a quick study. if you think it would be in our best interests i would be happy to tutor her in economic policy-- at least enough so that she will appear to have a grasp of the economy. i really think her apparent naivete is an asset.

kissinger: david, she is raw but she just may be able learn the right things to say. we were able to get george bush up to speed enough to get elected. and as you said it is not really about issues it is about personality and she does connect with the common people. i would be willing to work with her. there are just a few little bits of international scene she will need to know..........russia bad, china not so bad, iran bad, israel good, and the saudis our friends. as we did with bush and obama we just get her to not say the wrong thing. we will have the media give her nothing but soft questions.

rockefeller: riley what do you think?

bechtel: well as i said and we are all in agreement she is raw and unsophisticated, which in my opinion makes her a perfect candidate. she is a quick study and appears to be willing to do just about anything to further her political ambitions. i can get her on board with our corporate partners and in concert with george leading the way i think two years is sufficient. i think we can have her ready by 2010. we can mobilize the talk radio people ........they love her. and i am sure rupert will approve.

rockefeller: i think we have reached a consensus gentleman. this may be a little premature but what do you think about giving her a call to wish her a very special merry christmas?

in unison all agree. a servant is summoned to bring the phone.

george schultz holds the receiver and waits patiently.

schultz: hello this is george schultz calling for sarah palin. yes george schultz former secretary of state. of course i will hold. oh she is outside.......yes i understand she is dressing a moose of course. if this is an inopportune time perhaps i can call back.......hello are you there?

he holds his hand over the phone and says "i think he went out to get her"

the others can barely contain themselves.

schultz: hello ......yes is this sarah? yes sarah this is george schultz i am here in new york with some friends and we were just discussing some possibilties. i hope i am not interrupting anything.........you do have a bit of time to talk? yes george schultz. yes well my friends and i have been discussing possibilities for the future specifically the election in 2012. we have given a fair amount of consideration to who should run in 2012 and we feel you might be a good candidate. do you think you might be interested? .................you betcha? well would you like to discuss it with your family?
...............no? well perhaps we can get together and discuss how we might proceed . .............you are ready to kick what?......... and take names?........that is nice my dear ..........we uh....... do have some things we would like to go over with you before we make a comitment to support you.............you will do whatever is necessary? well that is the frontier spirit we appreciate in you my dear................. you are sorry but you have to go ?...............the dogs are starting to get to the moose .............of course i understand. we will get in touch.............yes and a very merry christmas to you sarah.

rockefeller: well george?

schultz: she said she was happier than a deer fly in a herd of caribou, but she really needed to get back to the moose as the dogs would make short work of it. she said her and todd have always had a fresh moose for christmas dinner, and family comes first.

rockefeller: gentleman i think we have found our first woman president. first a black man and next a woman. the electorate will be besides themselves. certainly it is the promise of america that anyone can become president...............if you work hard and ..............know the right people. merry christmas my friends and to our new world order, and to all americans .....................good night the party is over.