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================================================================
>> "Offshore & Privacy Secrets, May 31, 1999" <<
Published by the Offshore Profit Center
http://offshorehaven.nu
================================================================
CONTENTS
[1] Welcome!
[2] The New Frontier
[3] The Money-Go-Round
[4] Friend or Foe - Joe Banister Revisited
[5] A Greek Perspective
================================================================
[1] Welcome!
================================================================
Welcome to the last edition for May. And a special welcome if you
are a new subscriber!
Well, last week's edition got a lot of feedback - and I'm pleased
to say it was good! One of our subscribers had this to say:
"Congratulations for your excellent e-newsletter. I find it better
than similar ones, like the Monitor (by Scope International). It
is quite amazing to see the amount and scope of interesting and
useful material you are able to gather each and every week.
Besides, it's FREE. I sincerely hope you can keep that going for
a long, long time. I just don't want to miss a single issue."
It is certainly our mission to be the best darned offshore/freedom
newsletter on the net - so don't forget to tell your friends and
acquaintances about us. Just forward the whole newsletter to those
who you think may be interested - and then they can subscribe if
they so choose.
It seems many of you are interested in the subject of "private"
or alternate money systems - so we'll dig a little deeper in
this and future issues. [see "The Money-Go-Round"]
One subscriber forwarded an interesting comment about the
government's monopoly on education and money:
"I believe the best books on how we lost control of both are
Creature From Jekyll Island ['94] and World Without Cancer ['74]
by G. Edward Griffin. Both include citations from public records.
I refer to them as part 1 and part 2. I met Ed shortly after the
1st one came out. As a college instructor, for several years I
had my students research one or more citations which I kept for
my files. That made a believer out of me. You might want to check
out his web site, Reality Zone Home Page at:"
http://www.realityzone.com/
We also got some feedback on the article "Who is the Real Culprit",
with the following pertinent comment being forwarded by a
subscriber.
"Real Nuclear bombs are pointed at us that were developed with
tax money extorted from us to supposedly protect us from danger.
Now the danger is more real than ever from China since Clinton and
his cronies sold them our secrets for making nuclear bombs. Won't
we all sleep better tonight knowing that? Treason is treason.
Let's find the responsible parties, build some High gallows and
drop the floor on the lot of them. Clinton, Reno, Gore, etc."
We couldn't have said it better ourselves!
Read and enjoy.
Kind regards
Paul Richards
Offshore Profit Center
http://offshorehaven.nu
================================================================
[2] The New Frontier
================================================================
All of you reading this are in the "vanguard" - the first wave of
troops in the world's next major battle arena. You are on the net.
You are one of the "early adopters" - adopting new technologies
and new ideas ahead of the majority. Your thinking is being
changed and your world view is being radically altered. You may
not know this - but it is happening all the same.
In the "old" world - politics rules. The politics of envy. The
politics of power for power's sake. The politics of right and left;
Republican and Democrat; Conservative and Labor. The politics
of the old world. The world of dinosaurs.
But the Internet represents a "new" world. A self-organizing
world without government - a world that poses a real threat to
the "old" world. In this world, people do as they please. They
organize themselves (without being told what to do); they police
themselves - to maintain the order required for things to work;
they read what they like; they form opinions outside those
proscribed by the mainstream; they say what they like; they trade;
they exchange goods, services and ideas - without bureaucratic
interference.
That's why the conventional media is obsessed with linking the
Internet (in the old world's public mind) to such things as
pornography, violence, bomb making, death cults, drug trafficking
and money laundering. They want to discredit it.
To them, the Internet represents anarchy. And that is true, for
anarchy means "no government". It doesn't necessarily mean
lawlessness - although that is how it is always defined.
This anarchy of the Internet is a major threat to the old world.
Just think back a few years - to before the Berlin Wall came down.
Back then, in the days of the Cold War, information was something
that governments had tight control over. Most countries had
nationalized media services (like TV and even newspapers). The
totalitarian ones (Soviet Union, China etc), had sealed borders
as far as information and news was concerned.
The Internet has abolished such controls. Information is in free
flow - and the powers-that-be don't like it.
Sure, some of the information is maybe be worse than useless -
thereby putting more responsibility on the reader to assess its
truth or falsehood. But this is a good thing.
But what is happening on the Internet has never happened before.
We are seeing the birth of a completely new "world-view", a new
culture. We are seeing the true globalization of the planet - not
according to "one-world-government" views, but according to the
self-interested actions of millions of independent human beings -
all going about their business, and creating a revolution while
they are at it.
Last week we talked about the coming of "private" money. Well, it
will be the Internet that makes this possible. We talked about
the demise of government education. It is already happening and
the Internet will be playing a big part. Just this week, I was
emailed by a colleague who is starting an Internet-based school.
The possibilities are endless.
But the real battle arena will be in the area of privacy - the
right to keep your personal (and financial) affairs private.
For the first time in history, technology is making it possible
for the ordinary person to outwit the government, to use the
latest technology to enhance his own life - on his own terms.
It appears that George Orwell ("1984") may have been wrong, when
he envisaged a future world where technology gave governments the
absolute power they craved - and allowed them to completely
enslave the masses. [Read the book if you haven't already]
Instead, it appears technology is providing the necessary tools of
liberation. But the powers-that-be will not give up their position
easily. There will be a real battle. They do not want you to be
free. They do not want you to keep your affairs private. They do
not want you to get to a point of view where you see THEIR function
as not only unnecessary, but also dangerous.
The "old" world is right now up to its old tricks - with "wars
and the rumors of wars" - the oldest tactic of diversion ever
known. And its interesting that the opposition to such tactics is
coming from the Internet "world". The free world.
Whether you realize it or not - YOU are part of this drama. You
are caught up in history's writing. Get smart. Be part of the
solution. Move now to protect yourself and prepare yourself
intellectually - for we live in perhaps the most exciting period
in human history.
P.S. For a great starting point in personal financial privacy
take a look at our "Millennium Freedom Package":
http://offshorehaven.nu/banking/freedom.html
================================================================
[3] The Money-Go-Round
================================================================
Money is fascinating. The history of money is even more fascinating.
The future of money is perhaps the ultimate fascination!
Last week we proclaimed the soon-to-be arrival of truly private
digital money. This will happen. All the various ingredients are
in place.
As of now, the Internet-based digital money systems are really
only a substitute for "hard" dollars. In other words, you can
change your real dollars for this digital dollars and have them
held on account. You can then spend them with other account
holders. Trouble is, of course, you are limited in your spending
choices to those goods and services provided by the other members
of the "digital money exchange".
Don't get me wrong, these are all good developments - but they
are not the real thing - in that they are still based on the
existence of some fiat currency or other.
A good example of a secure digital money system can be found at:
http://www.cybank.net Here you can open an account and put funds
into it. You can then spend these funds at the web sites of
participating Cybank account holders. Naturally, you can also earn
funds in the same way - and spend them "internally" with other
members.
However, if you need to buy something not available from within
the Cybank "community" - you will need to convert your Cybank
currency back into dollars. And here lies the rub. All these
similar systems still require you to convert back to dollars
(read "real" money).
It's a worthwhile exercise to look at the possible money
alternatives - in order to get a clearer understanding of how
money works - and how it could work in the future.
There are essentially three types of money systems that can be
operated - and all three can be found in existence right now.
1. FIAT MONEY
This is "legal tender" as issued by governments the world over.
Fiat money is "money by decree". In other words you are obliged
by law to accept this money as legal payment of debts. Fiat money
comes into existence as a debt when someone (or the government)
borrows it. This creates a money cycle where issuance as debt
starts a cycle which ends in cancellation, or repayment.
Fiat money has some disadvantages of course - as unscrupulous
politicians can create more of it to finance their campaign
promises - thereby guaranteeing their own reelection (and the
countries slide into further debt). Inflation is a by-product of
such gerrymandering.
2. BACKED MONEY
This is where the money issued is backed or redeemable for some
commodity, goods or service. The obvious example is currency on
a gold or silver standard.
The early history of paper money is the history of gold receipts.
The early goldsmiths soon found that they could simply issue a
receipt for gold on deposit - which could then be transferable to
other parties as money. The receipts were always redeemable for
actual gold - and hence universally acceptable.
The practice of fractional reserves started with gold backed
currency, when goldsmiths realized that they could make loans of
gold receipts in excess of the actual gold on deposit. This allowed
for an "expansion" of the money supply via credit - and as long
as such expansion was kept within certain limits, then there was
never a rush to redeem all outstanding receipts at one time.
Of course, history is replete with examples of issuers getting
caught out when all depositors wanted their money at the same
time. It simply wasn't there!
Fiat money also operates on the fractional reserve principle.
If everyone who has money on deposit wants it the same day, then
the funds are not there.
Gold or silver is not the only "commodity" that can back a currency.
It could also be based on a "basket" of global commodities, or
even corporate "scrip". One example of such scrip is "mileage
points" as issued by airlines. This is scrip redeemable for actual
flights (with real value). Earn enough of this scrip and you can
exchange it for a flight. Merchant scrip has a long history. There
is also now an alternative money backed by silver as issued by
NORFED. See: http://www.norfed.com/ for more info.
3. MUTUAL CREDIT MONEY
This is where two or more people accept or provide goods or
services on "credit" - where such credit is recorded and repaid
at some future date.
Various communities have instigated these mutual credit systems
(often called LETS - Local Exchange Trading System). One of the
more successful of them in the USA is the "Ithaca Hours" as
issued in Ithaca, Tomkins County, New York.
Basically the system operates best in a a small community of like
interest. People will become members of the exchange - and offer
to provide goods or services in exchange for this "local" currency.
It's a variation of bartering - using a different unit of account.
You can find out more about Ithaca Hours at their web site:
http://www.lightlink.com/hours/ithacahours/
You can also have a more sophisticated mutual credit exchange.
One very successful system operating in Australia and New Zealand
- and now Canada, UK, Hong Kong, Thailand and Sri Lanka - is
BarterCard.
This is targeted exclusively at business people and the self-
employed. In other words, people who have goods and services to
trade. BarterCard acts as a clearinghouse. Members are signed up
and given a "credit card" type of card which can be used with a
manual credit card reading machine. The vouchers so created are
send to BarterCard HO and credited and debited accordingly.
BarterCard makes its money by charging a commission on transactions
as do Credit Card companies. For further info to:
http://www.bartercard.co.nz [New Zealand]
http://www.barterplus.com [Canada]
http://www.bartercardpsth.com.au [Australia]
These systems work well - except for ONE glaring downside - all
such transactions are considered as taxable activities by the
governments concerned. In other words, one of the greatest potential
advantages of a mutual credit system (not having to pay tax) is
disallowed by the authorities.
As far as your local tax man is concerned - if you mow your
neighbor's lawn in exchange for him fixing your car - then a
taxable exchange has taken place - and it should be reported on
your tax return! Getting angry now???
>From the above background it is obvious that private digital money
could take two forms. It could be a completely private (encrypted)
and non-reported mutual credit system on a global scale - using
the Internet. Or, it could be a backed currency of some sort - as
issued by some major private "player" - able to gain the trust of
a large number of people (as would be necessary to make such a
system function as an true alternative money). It could grow
out of an existing "corporate scrip" system or be something
entirely new.
But to give you an example (just an idea out of my head!), imagine
Microsoft, or American Express, or Netscape issuing their own money.
Let's say it's called "BinaryCash" - or Bins for short.
The company concerned could start issuing this money as a reward
to purchasers of its goods or services - and they could enter
major negotiations with airlines, rental car companies, hotels,
telecommunication companies, entertainment etc to accept these
"bins" in exchange for goods and services. The more people who
got on board, the more acceptable the alternative money would be.
The issuing company could make them transferable, so you could
even trade "bins" for goods and services with private persons or
your local merchants - as they would see the value to them in
owning this "currency". The bins could be stored on smart cards
which could be credited or debited using a simple reader and your
home computer.
Acceptability is what is important. Once that is achieved, then
you have a useful fiat money alternative.
More on this in future issues.
================================================================
[4] Friend or Foe - Joe Banister Revisited
================================================================
It seems cracks are starting to appear in the "white knight"
image of Joseph Banister - ex IRS investigator who has changed
sides - and is now offering advice to tax non-filers.
Information coming to hand is worth repeating here - and if you
have a personal stake in this issue, then it's certainly worth
investigating further.
[from Anonymous]
"In his book Banister makes three allegations:
1. Federal Income Tax is voluntary not mandatory
2. The 16th Amendment was never ratified
3. Fiat money finances the US government
Has anyone ever won a trial using any of these defenses? Hell no!
Why doesn't he use the 5th Amendment? I won using that in 1973.
Why doesn't he use the "Reliance" defense? Several have won using
it.
Anyone in the tax protest movement knows that these (the 3 above)
are the worst defenses available, and that everyone who has ever
used any one of these three defenses has gone to jail for a long
time.
Show me one win. You can't.
Don't be a sucker. Investigate this man fully. He could be a snitch."
[From Otto Skinner: skinner@deltanet.com]
"There is a lot of ballyhoo about the Special Agent from the IRS
Criminal Investigation Division who quit working for the IRS and
who has supposedly come over to the side of the non-filing patriots.
All of this ballyhoo might be summarized as follows. "Oh goodie,
goodie! Joe Banister, CID Agent, has left the IRS to come over to
our side! Oh goodie, goodie!" But has he, really? Is he really on
your side? Watch out!
What has he really done? For one thing, he has written a book
about his supposed investigation into the income tax issues. I
not only question his motives and integrity, but I also question
how well he actually "investigated" the issues.
Two of the issues his book promotes, as if they are legally valid,
are: An individual is not required to file tax returns because by
doing so, the individual waives his Fifth Amendment rights. An
individual is not required to file tax returns because the
Sixteenth Amendment was never properly ratified. It is my firm
belief that any CID agent knows, or at least should know, that
these arguments are legally flawed and that they have failed non-
filers in criminal cases over and over again for many, many years.
As far back as 1986, in my first book, The Best Kept Secret,
"Taxpayer" v. Non taxpayer, I explained in very simple terms just
why these arguments should not be used as an excuse for not filing
tax returns. See http://www.goodbiz.com/tbks
Yet, various promoters have continued to promote such arguments
and now Banister has essentially "teamed up" with these promoters.
What are Banister's real motives? Are they to entrap more and more
non-filers into believing legally flawed arguments in order to set
them up as easy targets for government prosecutors?"
Comment:
I stand by what I said last week. Do not put your faith in so-
called constitutional means of tax avoidance - by claiming you
don't have to file. In taking up that strategy you are putting
yourself in the firing line if anything should go wrong. And if
you must fight the fight this way - then be prudent and also
have an alternative "offshore" strategy you can fall back on.
================================================================
[5] A Greek Perspective
================================================================
A majority of Greeks want President Clinton to face war crimes
charges for his role in the Kosovo conflict, while just 14 per
cent want President Slobodan Milosevic tried, an opinion poll
showed yesterday.
The poll showed 69.7 per cent of Greeks want Mr Clinton tried and
35.2 per cent want the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, also
charged over NATO's campaign of air strikes against Yugoslavia.
But only 14 per cent believe Mr Milosevic should face international
sanctions for his role in the repression and expulsion of Kosovo's
ethnic Albanian population.
The poll was carried out by the ICAP Institute, which questioned
a representative sample of 1,000 Greeks between April 29th and
May 5th.
The poll confirmed the overwhelming opposition of Greeks - 99.5
per cent - to the NATO action in Yugoslavia.
================================================================
"The State claims and exercises the monopoly of crime. It forbids
private murder, but itself organizes murder on a colossal scale.
It punishes private theft, but itself lays unscrupulous hands on
anything it wants, whether the property of citizens or aliens."
Albert Jay Nock: "On Doing The Right Thing" and other essays (1928)
================================================================
See you next week! Please spread the message and forward this
newsletter in its entirety to related mailing lists, friends,
associates, and Webmasters. !! THANK YOU !!
======================================================================
True Freedom CAN be yours at http://offshorehaven.nu
Copyright 1999, Offshore Profit Center, Inc.
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