03.11.2013 Views

Healthy Money Healthy Planet - library.uniteddiversity.coop

Healthy Money Healthy Planet - library.uniteddiversity.coop

Healthy Money Healthy Planet - library.uniteddiversity.coop

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

6<br />

result, the FTAA has the power to destroy local economies, depress wages and<br />

impoverish millions. The agreement, entrenched in international law, annuls or<br />

invalidates national laws. As the US dollar has been imposed on Ecuador,<br />

Argentina, Panama, El Salvador and Guatemala, the FTAA is essentially an<br />

economic conquest by the US to form an empire embracing the entire<br />

continent. 9<br />

Increasing trade is to reduce indebtedness says that since every nation allows<br />

banks to create the bulk of their money supply parallel with debt, it is no<br />

surprise that all nations are in debt. This debt is mostly to the commercial<br />

banks and lending institutions of the world. In 1998 he said: It is normal and<br />

beneficial to trade in goods, but it makes no sense to trade in identical goods –<br />

furniture, clothing, cars, matches, toys, strawberries, wine, apples, cooking<br />

utensils and pencils.<br />

Who’s in Charge?<br />

In 1991 I spent some time studying the interlocking directorships of companies<br />

in this country, and discovered that just 40 or so people ruled corporate New<br />

Zealand. They were the directors of companies involved in liquor, food and<br />

vehicle sales; in the media and telecommunications; in electricity and<br />

aluminium production; and in merchant banking, transport, and insurance.<br />

Two or three tax lawyers from big law firms appeared on several key boards,<br />

and the most powerful players also appeared to be directors of banks.<br />

I began to sense that big companies don’t have to lobby government. In a way,<br />

they are the government – the government in the shadows. In effect,<br />

government has to go to the corporations, not vice versa.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!