Peace on earth to all men of good will
for the ChristMass of 2006

December 2006

NONE SO BLIND - THE CHRISTIAN AND MAMMON

by Jeremy Lee

"When money is lent on a contract to receive not only the principal sum again, but also an increase by way of compensation for the use, the interest is called interest by those who think it lawful, and usury by those who do not …"
-- "Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England," p. 1336

"The modern banking system manufactures money out of nothing. The process is, perhaps, the most astounding piece of sleight of hand that was ever invented. Banking was conceived in iniquity and born in sin. Bankers own the earth. Take it away from them but leave them the power to create money, and with a flick of a pen, they will create enough money to buy it back again. Take this great power away from them and all great fortunes like mine will disappear; for then this would be a better and happier world to live in. But if you want to be the slaves of bankers and pay the cost of your own slavery, then let bankers continue to create money and control credit,"
- Sir Josiah Stamp, one-time President of the Bank of England, at the University of Texas, 1927

"No man can serve two masters …. You cannot worship God and mammon (money") - The words of Christ, (Matt: 6:24)

"And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors …"
- The words of Christ on how to pray. (Matt: 6:12) (NAS Version)

* * * * *

Where was the Gospel of Peace, sung in the heavens over a lowly Bethlehem cattle stall?

The 1914-18 World War, in which over 50 million people died, was believed at the time to be "the war that would end all war". It proved instead to be the start of a succession of wars that has escalated and traversed the globe in almost a century since then. Man's capacity to murder and mutilate his fellow-man now makes women and children involuntary combatants. The radiation from Depleted Uranium now threatens victor and vanquished alike. In truth, there are no victors.

In 1900 the Christian church dominated the ethos of the West, which was not ashamed to bear the name "Western Christian Civilisation". Its missionary work believed that salvation also included the quest for a kingdom "on earth as it is in heaven".

Among those with this ethos was a Melbourne engineer, Leslie Hollins, who had believed the end of the Great War heralded a new time when 'swords would be hammered into ploughshares' and nations would no longer prepare for war. Worldwide, broken and haunted men and women had limped home from the trenches, bomb-craters and hospitals with this hope.

Fifteen years later, these hopes were dashed in bitter ashes. The Great Depression was at its peak. Unemployment in Australia reached 29%, with over 1 million, including many returned servicemen, trudging the roads looking for work.

Yet there was more than enough for everybody. Nations were feverishly re-arming. Where was the Gospel of Peace, sung in the heavens over a lowly Bethlehem cattle stall?

Leslie Hollins was amongst thousands who grappled with this question. What had gone wrong? Where was the key? He was astute enough to reject Communism, postulated by many during the Depression as the answer to 'the evils of Capitalism'. From the end of the Great War the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia had merely extended the bloodshed to the purges of Stalin's Soviet Union then prevailing.

Hollins did not know at that stage that there was a third and greater power - the Money Power - which financed Communism and Capitalism, War and Peace, Industry and Employment through the Creation of Debt and Interest in perpetuity.

It was not revealed until later that the Peace Conference, which determined the outcome between victor and vanquished at the end of World War I - and laid the foundations for World War II - saw two brothers from the same banking firm, each representing opposing sides at the negotiating table in Versailles! But Leslie Hollins had heard of a fellow engineer from Scotland, Clifford Douglas, who had asked the same questions, and had put forward some ideas in keeping with the enhancement of individual freedom and the Gospel of Peace which had shaped the world until then.
Douglas reiterated the questions in 1945:
"… We rarely devote any attention to the question which transcends in importance any other with which we have to deal on this earth. Why is it becoming more difficult to bring peace upon earth. and to make effective goodwill between men? What is the dynamism which will encourage the conquest of the earth, the sea and the air, but will only permit the substitution of poverty by slavery?…." (Preface to the 1945 edition of "The Brief For The Prosecution".)

The Great Depression focused enormous attention on Clifford Hugh Douglas and what he was saying. His ideas were so radically different that they challenged convention at every turn. Extrapolated to the present they postulated:
The Industrial Revolution, which started 200 years earlier, had changed the world from one of scarcity to one of abundance. There was more than enough for all. This was in keeping with Isaiah's prophecy that the Messiah would come to bring the gospel to the poor, and "set the captives free". The "Curse of Adam" could be progressively lifted from the backs of men, giving way to universal peace, freedom, choice and self-employment. Leisure would become intensely creative and productive.

The avalanche of new technology was exactly what it was often called - "Labour-Saving". But it was forcing more people with only their labour to sell into poverty, and creating bitter conflict between wage-earners and wage-payers or, as sometimes described, Capital and Labour. This was because the advancement of industrial process could not deliver its benefits unless the old wage system was also changed to sever the connection between hand labour and income.

Because of an intensifying conflict between the new work-force - the machine, electronics, 'workerless' robotic factories and the computerised information super-highway - against the insistence that all human beings should be fully employed economic theory developed the 'growth' economy as the only model, and exports as the only means of sustaining it. Boom-and-Bust was an inevitable part of the process. Conflict between nations for markets was the main cause of war. Production was often destroyed to keep the process going, while those without incomes starved in their millions A few of the most cynical argued that a "jolly good war' was the best way to stimulate stagnant economies. We are now close to destroying the earth and those who live on it.

A global coalition of banks and money-lenders
In the face of resulting human misery, governments took upon themselves the task of 'job-creation' - a recipe for the 'nanny-welfare" state, with more and more compulsion and regulation. Caesar, in thrall to Mammon, has become the new god, deciding human purpose.
Financing the whole of this frenetic activity the Money Power - a global coalition of banks and money-lenders - has annexed the power to create all money as an interest-bearing debt, compounding enough power to dispossess people and nations, ultimately delivering in a banker-controlled World Government. That this is a conscious objective has been documented and exposed by America's leading historian, the late Dr Carroll Quigley.

C.H. Douglas showed how the wage and salary system needed to give way to a dividend system, in which all citizens, by birthright, would receive income-supplementation in the form of a debt-free dividend, like shareholders in a commercial company. This would be available to young and old, men and women, employed and unemployed alike. Douglas showed precisely how this could be costed, accounted and distributed.
A very limited example of an alternative distribution mechanism can be seen in Alaska, where all oil royalties are distributed annually direct to citizens by way of a dividend cheque, without means testing. For these immense changes to be made, capable of releasing the full potential of every individual, the power of money-creation would need to be withdrawn from private oligarchies and vested in a constitutionally-protected instrumentality with the sole function of placing the financial system at the service of all individuals making up the community.

Leslie Hollins, brought up in a conservative society still dominated by the puritan work-ethic, wrestled with Douglas, recoiling and advancing, until he was finally convinced this was the only way through to a "life more abundant" for the people on earth. And he arrived at the obvious question: "Where was the Church?" One can only echo "Where indeed?"

In 1934, at the height of the Depression, Hollins published his own book, "Democracy at the Crossroads". It is a gripping account of one man's struggle to gain an accurate picture of a diseased world, and the remedy put forward by a fellow engineer. He asked: "…. The Church of God did save the common people in the twelfth century against the tyranny of princes. Can she? - will she - in the 20th century, save them from the tyranny of pence?"

But a deep silence prevailed from both Catholic and Protestant sides of the church, with a few brilliant exceptions. In 1891 Pope Leo XIII issued the encyclical Rerum Novarum establishing the correct principles of the relationship between workers and employers. In practice, such principles were incapable of operation while both were financed under the usury/debt system. Forty years later Pope Pius XI issued a commemorative Encyclical Quadragesimo Anno in which he praised Leo's earlier Encyclical, but added that those who controlled credit were accumulating so much power that "none dared breath against their will."

But it was left to a small protestant church, the Congregational Union of Scotland, to undertake the most exhaustive examination of the money question. It took evidence from experts, holding 17 meetings, presenting its final report on May 10, 1962. It concluded: "We believe that the existing system of debt-finance, whereby practically all money comes into circulation as interest-bearing debt, is prejudicial to human well-being ….."

The Empire of Mammon
And so, through each decade of the 20th Century the Empire, of Mammon has expanded, through war and depression, while the Church has retreated. In the main the Christian church has become an archipelago of comfort-zone denominational ghettos. It seldom takes a stand, and retreats when attacked. It joins the queue at the Banker's door for interest-bearing loans to finance lavish halls and buildings, repaid from the tithes of the faithful. There is no sense of responsibility for degeneracy and corruption in national affairs,, no sense of responsibility for the social order. Indeed some claim it "is not the Church's business".
We have reached a stage, for example, where in the worst drought in 100 years there is no strong voice to call the nation to repentance and prayer for rain! Many Christians cannot bring themselves to go to churches who behave thus.

Still over a tonne for every living Australian!
Today, in the opening decade of the 21st Century, it is almost too late! The contrast between God's abundant provision and mammon's debt system has never been so pronounced. In 1995 a survey by the World Bank of 192 countries showed Australia to be the richest per capita nation in the world, with an asset value per head of over one million Australian dollars.
This year (2006) in the biggest drought Australia has suffered, our estimated wheat crop will be 26 million tonnes - over a tonne for every living Australian! Do we express our gratitude to God when we pray "Give us this day our daily bread?"
Latest figures in my own State of Queensland show 400,000 people homeless, many sleeping on the streets or in their cars! Each State has figures that vary only slightly. Altogether, over 2 million Australians live on or below the poverty line!

The global debt system is horrendous! Professor Laurence Kotlikoff, in research commissioned by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (June 2006) submitted: "…
To paraphrase the Oxford English Dictionary, is the United States at the end of its resources, exhausted, stripped bare, destitute, bereft, wanting in property, or wrecked in consequence of failure to pay its creditors? The US government is, indeed, bankrupt, insofar as it will be unable to pay its creditors, who, in this context, are current and future generations to whom it has explicitly or implicitly, promised future net payments of various kinds …"

The combined public, -private, foreign and unfunded liabilities of the United States now total $US105.9 TRILLION - over $US 22,000 for every living man, woman and child on the planet! The deceptive bubble of prosperity is now collapsing.
In Britain, the average borrower now spends 51% of income on mortgage repayments. In Australia, the Foreign Debt has now topped HALF A TRILLION DOLLARS with an annual interest-bill costing $1,300 per man, woman and child ($5,200 for the average family of 4)

Social Debt in Australia
Household debt in Australia has now topped $1 TRILLION. Debt-to-income ratio has risen from 75% in 1986 to 160% in 2006. Our household debt position is worse than Britain, Canada and the US. A worldwide Depression is almost on us.

To conclude:
How long before we insist on a financial system that reflects God's true abundance? Or do we wait until it's too late? The Church should put its best brains to studying and reporting on Social Credit ~ and then take up arms against Social Debt.

MISLEADING AND MISCHIEVIOUS CLAIMS

Hands up those readers who have received the email titled:
"Forget your mortgage lender, it's the Queen who has first claim on your home".

That is the misleading and mischievous claim made by 'investigative journalist' and 'financial writer' Kevin Cahill in a forthcoming book "Who Owns the World: The Hidden Facts Behind Landownership".

Excerpts from the book are being circulated via email and the claim is: 'The Queen owns the ground beneath everyone's feet.'
The Daily Mail (25/11/06 published an article, based on such claims as: "Forget your mortgage lender, it's the Queen who has first claim on your home".

The Misleading and Mishcievious Daily Mail article commenced:
"It may come as a surprise to many but the Queen today presides over an empire on which the sun never sets with as much certainty as your great-great-grandmother Victoria.
Queen Elizabeth II is the Earth's largest landowner with legal title to more than one-sixth of the planets surface - including every square inch of Britain, Canada, Australia and N.Z, South Africa to name a few.

That is the startling claim made by investigative journalist and financial writer Kevin Cahill in his forthcoming book Who Owns the World: The Hidden Facts Behind Landownership.
In it Mr Cahill concludes: 'The Queen owns the ground beneath everyone's feet.' He says: "A lot of people will be amazed to know they do not own the land they inhabit. The Queen is the sole legal owner of land for instance in Britain.'

Mr. Cahill claims: His book is the first ever published on land ownership world-wide, and, he claims, is the result of five years' research, studying government documents across the globe. He claims that the Queen's property portfolio - which includes the 32 Countries and territories over which she reigns and the 53 Commonwealth nations - adds up to a dizzying 9,910 million acres.

He writes: In Britain, the notion of the Monarch's legal ownership dates back to William the Conqueror but can be found enshrined in current law - it formed part of the explanatory notes to the Land Registration Act 2002.
The laws state: "The Crown is the only absolute owner of land in England and Wales: all others hold an estate in land. Estates, which derive from feudal terms of tenure, originally took many forms but were reduced by the Law of Property Act 1925 to two, an estate in fee simple - "freehold" - and an estate for a term of years - "leasehold."

He claims:
Fee simple is a medieval term for the sum paid to represent the fact that freehold is a tenancy, with the Monarch the ultimate landowner.
The last time a Monarch exercised ownership rights was during the Second World War, when 11 million acres of British farmland was seconded for the Armed Forces. But the Queen cannot sell off the land beneath her subjects' feet without an Act of Parliament."
End of Daily Mail article.

DR. DAVID MITCHELL, constitutional authority clarifies the misleading and mischievious claims:

"Like much of the nonsense currently being circulated regarding alleged inapplicability of law, this claim sounds as if it might be right.
Indeed, there is a sense in which there are elements of truth behind the claim but these elements are so mispresented that they are completely misleading and mischievous.

In our constitutional system the term Crown or Queen can be confusing because it usually has no reference to the person of the monarch. Both these words are generic terms meaning "the government". It is nonsense to say that the Queen has any claim, let alone first claim, on your home. By legislation, the government does have some rights, but the Queen in person has none.

The law protected Freeholder's rights:
Historically, the idea was that the monarch "owned" the land and could deal with it however he chose. When the monarch was strong enough to defend his "ownership" by physical force the historical theory worked in practice. However, when a stronger claimed the land, the monarch no longer "owned" it. As English law and its enforcement developed, the technical "ownership" by the king was recognised but the concept of "freehold" was also recognised as ownership. "Freehold" existed when the king granted land, for whatever reason, to another person without retaining any right to recover the land. Such land was referred to as being "alienated" because it was no longer "owned" by the king. The law protected the freeholder's right to his land against everyone, including against the king. The freeholder could himself assign his ownership, or rights in the land, to another person. Of course, assignments from the king or from a freeholder could be conditional. If land is assigned for a limited period the assignment is called a lease.

Lender and borrower and 'his' land
When land is offered as security for money lent, historically the title actually passed to the lender. The loan document was called a "dead hand (or dead glove)" (mortgage) because the borrower was no longer in control of "his" land. The "owner" retained only "an equity of redemption" (a right to demand the return of the land on repayment of principal and interest).

Since the passing of the Land Titles Acts in every State of Australia the term "mortgage" is still used but the freeholder retains title. If the borrower fails to fulfil his contract to repay principal and interest the lender has power to sell the land for the purpose of recovering what is owing to him under the loan contract. The way in which land is held or owned is called "tenure". The owner is called a "tenant" (e.g. tenant in fee simple, joint tenant, tenant in common), not because he pays rent but because "tenant" means "holder".

Unalienated 'Crown' land and Native Title claims
The "unalienated" land of Australia (or Great Britain or Canada or New Zealand) is referred to as Crown land, not because it is owned by the Queen but because it is controlled by the government. In Australia all unalienated Crown land is now subject to possible claims for Native Title.

The Queen in person does own land in freehold, as do other members of the Royal Family, (particularly in U.K., perhaps in other countries also) but unalienated Crown land is not hers.

"Crown" land is government land of the country concerned. The Queen has no power to resume land from a freeholder for her own benefit. Resumption can only take place if there is government legislation authorising it. In the Commonwealth and in every State there is legislation authorising the government to resume land for public purposes, but the payment of "just compensation" to the landowner is required.

Compulsory acquisition is common, particularly for road making or widening. Acquired land does not become the property of the Queen, even in war time. If the acquisition is stated to be in the name of the Queen or the Crown, this still means the acquisition is by and for the government." (emphasis added throughout)

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BOOKS - FOR THE CHRISTMAS SEASON

Jeremy Lee has reminded us:
If you are wondering where we can find the vision which will carry us through the multitude of family, community, national and international crises to a world of safety, harmony and peace, you can do no better than start with:
Anthony Cooney's latest little gem, 'Social Credit: Economics'.
"To those who have never grappled with Social Credit, such aspects as the A + B theorem, the Increment of Association, the Dividend and the Just Price - plus many more - are so simply explained that the booklet is a joy to read. 60 pages of infinite value." $12 posted from all League Book Services.

"Future Fastforward: The Zionist Anglo-American Empire Meltdown," by Matthias Chang, former political secretary to Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. This is an interesting book because it is a critique of Zionism from an Asian nationalist. Further, the book does more than merely describe "Zionist power" - it predicts an end to the "Zionist-Anglo American Empire" through a type of imperialist overshoot or meltdown with inevitable nuclear wars:
"The 21st Century will be the most violent century in the history of mankind." (p.7) The entire map of the world will be redrawn."
No doubt the reader will not agree with everything in the book, but one cannot fail to be stimulated.
Also well researched and referenced, which should appeal to students. Price: $48.00 posted.

"The High Priests of War," by Michael Collins Piper:
The Secret History of How America's "Neo Conservative" Trotskyites Came to Power and Orchestrated the War Against Iraq as the First Step in Their Drive for Global Empire: Softcover. Price: $37.95 Posted.

"The New Jerusalem - Zionist Power in America," by Michael Collins Piper:
America's most controversial author has now come forth with perhaps his most provocative work yet …an un-censored and fully documented forthright examination - based on midstream "mainstream" sources - of the immense power and influence assembled by the Zionist community in America today.
Piper names names, cites facts and figures based upon careful study and research. Piper demonstrates without question that Zionist power in America has reached a pinnacle - unlike anything yet seen anywhere in recorded history. Softcover. Price: $37.95 posted.

"Facts are Facts" by Benjamin Freedman:
Who are the Kazaars? Benjamin Freedman provides historic evidence in this 'must read' book which leads on to the realisation that the continued suppression will prove inimical to the security of the nation, the peace of the world, the welfare of humanity and the progress of civilisation. Essential reading. Softcover. Price: $14.95 posted.

"A Race Against Time: Racial Heresies for the 21st Century" Edited by George McDaniel - Foreword by Jared Taylor.
What does the future hold for the West? Must our civilizations give way before waves of Third-World newcomers? It is increasingly clear that race and civilization cannot be separated, that only the people who created a culture can sustain it. If immigration changes the face of America - and of Europe - nothing else will remain unchanged. This collection of articles from American Renaissance explains why Western man can save himself and his heritage only by returning to a better understanding of race - an understanding now reviled as heresy: Softcover. Price: $49.00 posted. Available from all League Book Services.