The Paper Chains That Bind You

Have you ever felt that you are being exploited? Do you think you are really free? Do you worry that it's getting harder to get by .... and that it will be even harder for your kids? Do you have a feeling that there is something wrong with our political system? Do you think it is not really working to make life better? Do you think politicians: don't care; don't listen; don't represent you? I have these concerns too. That is why I am ramping up the Bank Reform Now campaign ... and that is why today I'm - nearly - going to show you a solution.

Decades of political treachery have led us here and we have a small window of opportunity to save our country and people from increasing exploitation and abuses. My feeling is that it starts with bank reform because an unfair finance system is the key control and exploitation mechanism. However it does not end with bank reform.

How is it possible that a banker can make a fortune abusing contracts and legal procedures? Often these crimes appear "legal." Forged signatures. Falsified documents. All sorts of paperwork abuses leading to big profits (and GDP growth) ..... and yet in our "justice" system the courts and judges wave it through - simply allowing the bank to crucify the client.

On the other hand if you make a mess with paperwork - forge a cheque - delay a couple of payments etc you will lose out financially and could possibly see the inside of a jail cell. And .... this is not just in your dealings with banks and bankers. Look at what has happened now with Cenrelink. You get a few dollars extra because you didn't jump through the paperwork hoops on time or properly and you are at risk of a financial hit ..... if you did it on purpose you could even be jailed. There are other examples. If you run a small business or farm have you noticed the paperwork burden you are "obliged" to trek through and comply with? The government thinks you are not stressed and busy enough trying to keep your business running and family housed & fed. If you make a mistake you face fines and jail.

What is this about? It's about your rights and freedoms. We are controlled and exploited with paper chains. We are not really free if a government, court or policeman can harass you, fine you and jail you because some sort of paperwork has been mucked up or around with. We are suppressed by paperwork. The paperwork involved in the lands title system makes sure that you never really own your home. Just recently the Federal government was on track to confiscate prime Queensland farmland to increase troop training facilities with Singapore. Another example - if you are offside with your local council one way or another the paperwork can give the council the power to kick you out of "your" home and sell it. And ... the worst paper chain of all? Debt based dollar bills. But even the chains of never to be repaid debt are not enough. The elite want to do away with cash altogether and tie you down with digital chains.

Now - I'm not saying that you should be free to ignore legitimate bills and other responsibilities. The issue is that the regulations are extremely unbalanced favouring governments and big business ... particularly banks.

When we hear talk of deregulation it's really about allowing corporations to get away with more abuses. When I talk about deregulation it is about reclaiming and increasing freedoms & rights for the people. Regulations should be designed to stop corporations from ripping you off and/or harming you .... not to actually assist them in the task.

On the world stage - phony free trade deals are the method of choice to limit and gradually abolish our freedoms & rights ..... and enrich the 0.1%. Trump seems to have knocked back the Trans-Pacific-Partnership (TPP) but don't celebrate just yet - we are still at risk of it re-emerging in an even more dangerous way. Plus there is still an elite push regarding the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA). These mechanisms are not about trade. They are designed to steal your democratic rights and national sovereignty. The elite think of us as serfs. We work to serve their interests and they just hate the fact that if we happened to choose a government that actually supported us we could have systems in place that limit their ability to exploit us. If you want clean air, water and food look into it. If you want your kids to afford a home of their own look into it. If you want to experience a better way of life you'll need to do more than just look into it.

In my view there are two key things to be concerned about:

The first must be clearly understood, cherished, respected and protected. Do you know what that is? It is our fundamental rights, freedoms and responsibilities. I was very fortunate to have been involved in helping to draft an updated document which spells it out pretty well. This happened back in 2009 at the very first Citizens' Parliament. The New Democracy crew held this event over four days at Old Parliament House Canberra. They randomly selected 150 people from all walks of life to participate in their experiment investigating "deliberative democracy." In addition to the constitutionally guaranteed Bill of Rights and Responsibilities I also worked on a mechanism for Citizens Initiated Referendum and Recall. You can see the results of this work here - link also below.

What's the second key issue? It's the BRN three point plan. We are nearly ready to release it. You will likely love it but it will take a bit of work to see it come to fruition. Let me know when you are ready. Thanks once again for all your support. It is very much appreciated. The BRN team is growing and when we have the needed momentum you will know exactly what needs to be done and when.