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Idiocracy in Action

07/08/09 Great news: The Federal Reserve will retain its right to operate in secrecy.

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“Thank God for Rule 16!”

Late yesterday, the Senate majority put the kibosh on a last-hour provision in the 2010 spending bill that would audit the Fed. Not because it’s a bad idea… but because of the arcane Rule 16, which prohibits policy legislation from being added to spending bills. (The kind of “rule” that’s only evoked when the majority gets uncomfortable.)

“The Federal Reserve will create and disburse trillions of dollars in response to our current financial crisis,” said Sen. Jim DeMint, who spearheaded the failed audit addition. “Americans across the nation, regardless of their opinion on the bailout, want to know where the money has gone.” Under his proposed plan, the Government Accountability Office would take a look into the Fed’s discount window lending, various funding “facilities,” bank bailouts and agreements with foreign players. 

Shame on Mr. DeMint for such an outrageous request. Down-to-the-wire appropriations should be reserved for truly exigent causes… like protecting the makers of wooden arrows designed for use by children.   Why bother wasting the time of the GAO with a simple audit of the most unaccountable monetary body in the world? 

You can watch Mr. DeMint get what’s coming to him here.   Ron Paul’s bill — that other shameful attempt to audit the Fed — now has 249 co-sponsors in the House. Wonder what brand of parliamentary fine print Barney Frank or Nancy Pelosi might summon to quash that one.

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Ian Mathias

Ian Mathias is managing editor of The 5 Min. Forecast.  We discovered Ian working as a full time rock climbing guide and writing on the side. As it turns out, markets and global economics can be extreme too… at least enough to keep him around. Since working for Agora Financial, respected media outlets including Forbes.com, the Associated Press, Yahoo, and MSN Money have syndicated his writing. He received his BA from Loyola College in Maryland and is currently studying writing at the graduate level.

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5 Responses

  1. Morbius said

    This is like being in a nightmare and not being able to wake up! I would have hoped that the tax payers of the USA would have stood up and said “enough” to Goldman Sachs, Congress, The FED and all the rest of the crooks by now. But no, they just bend over and take another reem job. The end is near now folks. The Illuminati have won. The Luciferian team has won, only slavery is left for the rest of us.

    on July 8, 2009.
  2. Alfred said

    We hold the top position… after that, Congress and this current administration (not to mention past administrations) are our worst enemies. The only thing that will change the course of our corrupt and unworkable system would be a bloody revolution or an intellectual, peaceful evolution.

    on July 8, 2009.
  3. David said

    Who are these idiots? Why has it gotten this bad? It’s like… the Roman Empire… Part II.

    I recall what I read years ago… “Once people realize they can vote themselves money from the Treasury… the end is near”. I’m sure the Romans thought they would be THE “world power” forever. Guess not! We’re next, unless we get these clowns out of office in the next election.

    Is it too late to go back to the English system of years gone by… only land holders can vote? No? I thought so.

    on July 8, 2009.
  4. ds80 said

    Hope and Change: The Cake is a Lie.

    on July 8, 2009.
  5. Jim Evans said

    The only thing that will stop the Federal
    Reserve system (temporarily) is some well
    placed C4 charges at all twelve banks.
    Should that happen maybe they would get the message that “we the people” are tired
    of their crap. I am not an educated man but I do know right from wrong. What big
    Ben and his accomplishes are doing is
    flat out wrong.
    If I can pick up on it surely other people
    can to. How much longer till there’s out
    and out violence and blood shed? I really
    believe that’s what it’s gonna take.
    I can’t think of any revoloution that’s
    ever been accomplished without it.
    Those in power want to stay there. The only way to strip them of it is to defacto
    take it away physically.

    on July 8, 2009.

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