helloooo!!!
It has been ages since i posted and my excuse is rather boring, didn't really feel I had anything to say. So, MBA has officially started and feels like i've been going for months, even though its only been a couple of weeks. It is exactly as everyone says, lots and lots of work :) soo much reading to do every day, although it is made easier when you can phone up one of the authors in your reader for the inside fast track, yes, Dr Phil is writing articles that are to be read by the MBA class of 80 or so ernest individuals! We have some influencial and smart friends it would seem (not that we were unaware of this previously). Still not really sure I understood all the fine detail phil, but next time you are down I am hoping for a brief summation :)
Imagine a class of 80 A types and me sitting there thinking "am I one of these people?", the irony of me being considered a hippy in the class is too hysterical for Gary to contemplate :) We're both waiting for the day he shows up on campus :D But there are some very interesting people, like Frans in my group. Lovely, classic sweet afrikaans boy from durbanville... until you ask him about his work experience and find out that he has been working on oil rigs in Siberia for the last 3 years! Lots of international students which is great and even a fellow glasto 07 reveller :) Will keep you posted on the characters. Took my group (6 total stangers who are still trying to find the common thread) up liions head last week as a bonding moment, not sure it was as successful as I had hoped, but nice to do the sunset/moonrise thing again.
Anyway, the other thing I wanted to ask my collection of bright, independant-thinking friends was if anyone else has seen Zeitgeist (http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/? Really would like to talk more about it. There is a lot proposed that is not news to us (9/11 conspiracies etc) but one thing that stood out is the notion that the law that says you have to pay income tax in the US doesn't actually exist as the ammendment to the constitution was never ratified or formalised legally. I am trying to find out more information on this and thought perhpas the lawyers knew something? Also the film emphasised that the federal reserve bank is a private entity and has nothing really to do with the US government, loaning money to US banks at interest and ensuring that there is a continual debt... Phil? Any ideas? How does this fit in with all the World Bank and IMF dealings around the world and the current IMF plan to sell of 8% of its gold to finance its operations? Lots of questions in my head and no way of making sense of them at this point. Need to do some more research clearly, but it has defineitely got me thinking more about things people have been chatting about more and more recently. The sources listed by the film are varied.
OK, gotta go back to my "self analysis" assignment for a course that is all about looking inward to become a better communicator, learner and leader. Very interesting even if it is taught by a self important prick. Going to be sending out evaluations soon as I have to get friends and family to supply "feedback" (drum roll please). Ok, hope you are all well!! Missing friends and become far too familiar with my flat. lots of love!! kx
1 comment:
Lol zeitgeist sounds like a rippa.
No idea about income tax, but i imagine you don't need it in your constitution before a law may be promulgated.
the Fed Reserve is not a private company at all, but is independent of the federal government. Same goes for all state-level feds. Lots of very good reasons for this; main one being it stops wayward governments just printing money (like in Zim).
As a lender of last resort all central banks are critical to a sound financial system, warts and all. They keep it liquid, allowing the extension of credit, which in turn is a major contributor to increased investment spending. So yes the system (including commercial banks, which in fact drive the process and are supported by the Fed) keeps everyone in debt, but if two thirds of that is for investment spending, which grows economies, incomes, wealth, etc, it isn't a bad thing. Being in debt for pure consumption purposes isn't necessarily a bad thing either. But the whole debate on interest and usury and the ethics and consequences thereof is massive. You'll have to ask Noam Chomsky for the long list of reasons why it's all bad and will kill us, the planet, and maybe the universe too.
All of this has little to do with the Bank and Fund.
The debate on the Fund's gold sales is a separate issue, and is obviously still ongoing. It also dates back a long way. I think it would be irresponsible to just dump the gold on the market. I also think the Fund would be acting in a very shortsighted manner if it thought doing so would solve it's revenue problems. It faces a more fundamental problem of having to change its role, as few countries really need the IMF anymore.
Ok i need to get back to work.
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