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Issue 234 =E2=80=A2 Sunday, March 22, = 2009

"Free-market=20 capitalism is a network of free and voluntary exchanges in = which=20 producers work, produce, and exchange their products for the = products of others through prices voluntarily arrived at."=20

- Murray N. Rothbard =

Special Guest Interview: G. Edward Griffin discusses the = Federal=20 Reserve, Bernanke's bailouts, Obama's stimulus plans and = much=20 more...

G.=20 Edward Griffin/Reality Zone

Introduction: = The editors=20 of Appenzeller Business Press (ARBP) have been avid readers = of Mr.=20 Griffin's tremendous literary contributions on free markets = and=20 personal liberty. Mr. Griffin is an American film producer, = author=20 and political lecturer.

The focus of today's interview will be the relevance, = perhaps=20 even more so today than when it was first published, of G. = Edward=20 Griffin's business bestseller, The=20 Creature from Jekyll Island.

First released in 1994, The=20 Creature from Jekyll Island is a no-holds-barred look = into=20 the inner workings of the Federal Reserve banking system, or = cartel=20 if you will. Mr. Griffin peels back the layers of = obstruction to=20 rational analysis and leads the reader on a wonderfully = researched,=20 although disturbing, journey from the very beginning, when = the Fed=20 was still in the planning stages, up to the present, where = it is now=20 struggling to survive.

Daily Bell: We'd = like to=20 begin by thanking you for taking the time out of your very = busy=20 schedule to grant Appenzeller Business Press and readers of=20 TheDailyBell.com this exclusive interview.

G. Edward = Griffin: Thanks=20 for inviting me. I am honored to be invited to share my = thoughts=20 with your prestigious readership.

Daily Bell: For = those of=20 our readers unfamiliar with the fact that the US Federal = Reserve is=20 not a government agency, but a privately controlled = corporation, how=20 would you best describe this creature and how did it = come into=20 being?

G. Edward = Griffin: Many=20 people are shocked to discover that The Federal Reserve = System is a=20 cartel, no different than a banana cartel, a sugar cartel, = or an oil=20 cartel. It is a banking cartel composed of the largest and = most=20 powerful American banking institutions. This group wrote a = cartel=20 agreement in 1913 and then persuaded Congress to give it the = status=20 of law. In that way, the cartel can be sure that all the = banks will=20 conform to the agreement or be subject to criminal = prosecution, a=20 benefit that many cartels do not enjoy.

The first draft of the cartel agreement was prepared at a = highly=20 secret meeting held on Jekyll Island in November of 1910. = The=20 participants of that meeting represented the most powerful = banks in=20 the nation and also had financial roots to the largest banks = of=20 Europe as well. Those American institutions included the = J.P. Morgan=20 companies; the banking conglomerate of William Rockefeller; = and=20 Kuhn, Loeb and Company. The European connection included the = Rothschild banks of England and France and the Warburg = banking=20 consortium of Germany and the Netherlands.

The irony in this is that the Federal Reserve Act was = sold to the=20 American public as a bill to control the banks when, in = truth, it=20 was drafted by the very banking interests it supposedly = would=20 control. The banking cartel decided to be its own regulator = while=20 making it appear that it was being regulated by Congress. = That was=20 the reason for the secrecy surrounding the Jekyll Island = meeting. If=20 the public had realized that the Federal Reserve Act was = parented by=20 the same industry it was supposed to control, there would = have been=20 great opposition to it, and it never would have been enacted = into=20 law.

Daily Bell: In = your best=20 selling book, The = Creature from=20 Jekyll Island, you refer to fractional reserve = banking as the=20 Mandrake Mechanism. It really isn't much of a trick and = certainly=20 not a very funny one considering it's a trick used to = redistribute=20 the wealth and savings of the majority to a few - leaving a = path of=20 destruction in its wake. How does this rather sick trick = work?

G. Edward Griffin: = I named=20 this after a comic book character from the 1940s called = Mandrake the=20 Magician. Mandrake could wave his large, black cape and make = anything appear out of thin air and, with another wave, make = it=20 disappear again. He was quite a guy and, when I finally came = to=20 understand how the Federal Reserve System creates money out = of=20 nothing and causes the money supply to shrink as well, I = knew that=20 it was The Mandrake Mechanism.

At first, the mechanism can appear to be very complicated = - and,=20 in fact, one has to be a diligent student to follow the = twists and=20 turns, the banking terminology, and the accounting concepts; = but,=20 when one stands back and observes the operation as a whole, = the=20 mechanism is simple. The problem most people have with = understanding=20 it is that they try to make sense out of it. They try to = understand=20 how it is fair and how everyone is benefitted by it. The = fact is=20 that it does not = make sense=20 insofar as fairness is concerned, and the administrators are = benefitted far more than the participants. In fact, at the = end of=20 the game, the participants (meaning the general public) = actually are=20 plundered by it while the administrators are greatly = enriched.

Here is how it = works: The=20 first step happens when the government needs to borrow more = money=20 than the public is willing to lend at the interest rate = offered. At=20 that point, the government turns to its partner, The Federal = Reserve=20 System, and goes through the motions of borrowing the = shortfall. I=20 say "goes through the motions" because the Fed has no money = to loan.=20 The government, however, gives it permission to create the = money t=20 needs out of thin air, a move that, if done by anyone else, = would=20 send them to prison for counterfeiting. The Fed can do it, = however,=20 because the government authorized it to do so when it passed = the=20 Federal Reserve Act. So the Fed creates whatever amount of = money is=20 needed and then gives it to the government, calling it a = loan. In=20 truth, the government essentially printed its own money but, = instead=20 of using printing presses, it used the banking system which = entered=20 numbers into an accounting ledger and called it checkbook = money. The=20 end result is the same except that the public doesn't = understand it=20 (a great advantage to the politicians) and the banks earn = interest=20 on so-called loans of money it never had (a great advantage = to the=20 banks).

That's just the starting point. When the government = spends the=20 money it receives from the Fed, it goes to individuals and=20 corporations that immediately deposit it into their private = banking=20 accounts. This is where the action really becomes = interesting. The=20 banks (under the protection of the Federal Reserve Act) are = allowed=20 to create out of thin air up to ten times the amount of = those=20 deposits and then go through the appearance of lending it to = their=20 customers. Once again, I use the phrase "go through the = appearance"=20 to emphasize that most of the money they loan does not exist = until=20 borrowers request it. At that point, the money is created = out of=20 thin air and advanced to the borrower - at interest, of = course.=20 Think about that. Banks collect interest on nothing.

When the loans are paid back, the money disappears back = into the=20 vaults or ink wells, or computer chips from which it came. = That's=20 the Mandrake Mechanism.

Daily Bell: The = Federal=20 Reserve states that one of its primary objectives is to = protect us=20 from inflation. It doesn't sound like the guys running the = Fed=20 really care about doing that? In fact, it seems as if they = are=20 purposefully doing the exact opposite.

G. Edward = Griffin:=20 Remember, the Fed is a banking cartel. It was not created to = serve=20 the public or the nation or the economy or any of the other = myths we=20 are taught in school. All cartels have but one mission, and = that is=20 to serve the best interests of the members of the cartel.=20 Period.

When Greenspan or Bernanke tell Congress that the Fed is = trying=20 to fight inflation or promote employment or help industry or = help=20 homeowners, don't believe any of it. That is what they have = to say=20 to keep the gullible public asleep and content with the = system. It=20 wouldn't go over well if they were to say, "Who cares about=20 inflation? We are bankers, and our mission is to keep the = banks=20 afloat. Our mission is to get the stupid voters to cough up = enough=20 money through taxes and inflation to reimburse us for all = those bad=20 loans we have made - and to pay our exorbitant salaries. = That's our=20 mission and, by God, don't think for an instant we're going = to let=20 anyone stand in our way."

Daily Bell: Why = do you=20 suppose more media outlets don't question such an obviously=20 destructive monetary structure? Do you think there is a = coordinated=20 relationship between those in control of the mainstream = media=20 outlets and those in control of the Federal Reserve?

G. Edward = Griffin: I think=20 the answer is obvious just by studying performance. However, = an=20 examination of the people on the boards of directors and the = companies they represent confirms that Media companies are=20 controlled by the same financial matrix we are discussing. = Any=20 editor or reporter in a major media company knows = instinctively that=20 it would be career suicide to speak the whole truth about = the=20 Federal Reserve.

Daily Bell: So, = is it safe=20 to say that the general public is not supposed to know the = truth=20 about the Federal Reserve and the intentions of those who = control=20 it?

G. Edward = Griffin: Your=20 phrasing is significant. "The general public is not supposed = to know=20 ..." My reply is: Who is doing the supposing? Of course, I=20 understand the implication that the financial elite say the = public=20 is not supposed to know, and I agree. If the public = understood, the=20 scam would end. But, from my point of view, and from the = view of=20 members of Freedom Force International who are working to = rebuild=20 financial security and political freedom, the public = definitely is=20 supposed to know the truth. It is on this very point that = the future=20 of mankind is hinged.

Daily Bell: Do = you think=20 the liberating power of the Internet is something the = banking elite=20 is not prepared for and that the awareness spawning around = the globe=20 about their deceitful banking practices has them scrambling = for=20 solutions?

G. Edward Griffin: = There=20 is no doubt that the ruling elite do not like the Internet's = present=20 ability to bypass the controlled media and reach the people=20 directly. However, I do not think it is correct to say they = are not=20 prepared. They have known almost from its inception that the = Internet will need to be controlled by them if they are to = keep the=20 masses dumbed down. That is why we constantly have been = conditioned=20 to accept Internet content regulation supposedly as a means = of=20 preventing terrorism, crime, child pornography, drug = traffic, and=20 just about anything else that the public dreads. The real = objective=20 is control for its own sake. They already have this = censorship of=20 the Internet in China and numerous other Asian countries. = The next=20 step in this evolution is to put the UN in ultimate control = of the=20 Internet. If we allow this type of control to be = established, the=20 Internet will no longer be a tool of enlightenment but one = of=20 suppression.

Daily Bell: Dr. = Ron Paul,=20 the popular free-market Congressman from Texas, has = suggested that=20 if the US does not make changes now, albeit painful ones, = towards an=20 honest money system that the country faces an inflationary = financial=20 crisis that makes the inflationary period of the Carter era = look=20 like a warm up act. Do you agree with that and that rampant=20 inflation will undoubtedly revisit America's shores as a = result of=20 all of these bailouts and stimulus programs?

G. Edward = Griffin: Yes I=20 do. The collectivists who run the Fed and dominate our = government do=20 not believe in free-market solutions to any problem, least = of all,=20 those of such magnitude as money and banking. They know only = one=20 trick: inflate the money supply. So, as long as = collectivists=20 dominate our power centers, I see no way to avoid inflation. = However, I must add that we need to look at more than the = money=20 issue. The freedom issue is just as important, if not more = so. While=20 inflation ramps up and while the government is pushing more = and more=20 newly created money into the system, parallel to that we are = witnessing a tremendous loss of personal freedom. If the = government=20 funds a bank, eventually the government will own the bank. = If the=20 government funds a manufacturing company, eventually the = government=20 will own the company. If the government funds a homeowner's=20 mortgage, eventually the government will own the house. If = the=20 government funds a person's food, shelter, health care,=20 transportation, and education, eventually the government = will own=20 that person.

My biggest concern is that, in the name of purchasing = financial=20 security, people are paying with their freedom - and they're = not=20 getting security either.

Daily Bell: = We've heard it=20 argued that 40% of the world's wealth has been wiped out in = the=20 deleveraging phase of this economic collapse and that = inflation is=20 unlikely to happen as a result. How do you answer those = folks?

G. Edward Griffin: = We need=20 to define terms. Fiat money (the kind without precious-metal = backing) is not wealth. It can be called wealth or capital = or=20 whatever you want to call it; but, true wealth is measured = in terms=20 of tangible assets with intrinsic value, which means they = have=20 characteristics that give them value even if they were not = used as=20 money. Gold or silver as money, therefore, has the advantage = of=20 being money and wealth at the same time.

Money with only the promise and threat of governments to = back=20 them up is not wealth. This means that the 40% of the = economy that=20 has disappeared never existed as wealth in the first place. = It was=20 only fools wealth. = People=20 who had all those digits in their banking accounts thought = they were=20 wealthy when they were not. True, during the boom cycle, = they could=20 have spent those digits for houses, cars, boats, and = airplanes (or=20 gold) and could have acquired wealth in that fashion. Those = things=20 did not disappear in the last 6 months. The only things that = disappeared were digits in a computer, which represented = fiat=20 money.

If you had $1 million in gold a year ago, you would have = had $1=20 million in wealth a year ago and about the same amount = today.=20 However, if you had $1 million in fiat money a year ago, you = would=20 have had no wealth a year ago and the same amount today: = zero. Only=20 when you possess tangible assets do you have wealth. That's = one of=20 the beauties of a gold or silver-backed currency. When you = hold that=20 type of currency you actually do have wealth. Unless we are = talking=20 about assets that are subject to destruction (such as timber = that=20 can be destroyed by fire) wealth never just disappears.

Regardless of this definition, I feel that deflation will = continue for a little while longer as most of the fiat = bubbles are=20 wiped out and prices return to a fair-market balance between = price=20 and value but, what will follow will be a new, even larger = bubble=20 based on the incredible amounts of fiat money now being = pumped into=20 the system. As long as collectivists are running the show, = we will=20 have inflation and will continue to build totalitarian = governments=20 everywhere.

Daily Bell: How = about the=20 pundits who tell us that General Motors, AIG, Citigroup and = others=20 are too big to fail? Do you agree with that?

G. Edward = Griffin: This=20 may begin to sound like a broken record, but as long as=20 collectivists are in charge of governments and monetary = systems, we=20 will continue down exactly the same track we have been = following.=20 That means the corporations will be maintained at the = expense of=20 taxpayers. Are they too big to fail? Of course not. That is = merely a=20 slogan to end the debate. However, I might rephrase the = statement.=20 Corporations, with their present influence over Congressmen, = are too=20 corrupt to fail.

Daily Bell: What = about the=20 over-leveraged American home-owners who can no longer afford = to make=20 their mortgage payments? Shouldn't US taxpayers be expected = to help=20 them out? Don't people have a right to own their own = home?

G. Edward = Griffin: It=20 would take more time to adequately answer that question than = we=20 have; so, at the risk of sounding too harsh and = inconsiderate of my=20 fellow humans, I must give the short answer. The proper = function of=20 government is to protect the lives, liberty, and property of = its=20 citizens. Nothing more. Acts of charity are very important = but must=20 be kept away from government. Otherwise every scheme and = scam would=20 be perpetuated through under the guise of helping some = unfortunate=20 individual or class of citizens. The class of citizens = called=20 taxpayers should not be=20 expected to help the class of citizens called homebuyers = with=20 distressed mortgages. People do not=20 have a right to force me or anyone else through = taxation to=20 give them a home.

If anyone finds that to be uncharitable, I urge them to = examine=20 the more complete defense of this point of view as posted to = the=20 Freedom Force web site: http://www.freedomforceinternational.org/freedom.cfm?fuse= action=3Dcreed.

Daily Bell: It = seems safe=20 to say that you do not think any of the current bailout and = stimulus=20 solutions being offered by Bernanke, Geithner or Obama have = any hope=20 of stabilizing the banking industry and that they are they = simply=20 ignoring the problem and pouring more fuel on a burning = victim?

G. Edward = Griffin: I like=20 your analogy of pouring more fuel on a burning victim. = That's it=20 exactly.

Daily Bell: = Would you=20 agree that the only way to get out of this current crisis = and to=20 prevent future ones is to abolish the central banking cartel = and=20 privatize the issuance of currency? And further to that = point, do=20 you think an Honest Money system, one anchored by gold or = silver, or=20 both, would be the best way to anchor confidence in the US=20 dollar?

G. Edward = Griffin: I=20 definitely think the banking cartel called the Federal = Reserve=20 System should be abolished, but I will take that one step = further.=20 Some critics of the Fed are calling for its abolishment as a = private=20 institution but that it be empowered to continue performing = its=20 function as an agency of the government. They want to take = this=20 power away from those big, bad bankers and give it to those = nice,=20 trustworthy politicians. That is such a foolish concept. The = problem=20 is not who creates = money out=20 of nothing but that anyone=20 does it. The politicians and bankers have a tight=20 partnership. It would continue exactly the same whether = operated as=20 is or under the theoretical supervision of the Treasury. = Does anyone=20 really think that any of the last ten Secretaries of the = Treasury=20 would change anything?

So, I am for the abolishment of the Fed, = not a=20 change in appearance.

Privatizing the currency is another issue. I do not = advocate this=20 nor do I oppose it. I believe what I preach, and I preach=20 freedom-of-choice so long as government does not give = competitive=20 advantage one way or the other and so long as all players = are=20 required to honor their contracts. Under those conditions, = it would=20 be appropriate for the government to issue its own gold or=20 silver-backed currency provided there is no legal-tender law = to=20 force citizens to accept it. If the currency is sound, = people will=20 accept it without coercion of law. If it is not sound and = there is=20 public dissatisfaction with it, privately-issued currencies = would=20 spring up and, if they were solidly backed by gold or = silver, people=20 would use them in preference to government money. If we just = remove=20 the element of coercion, the best money eventually would = become the=20 nation's money.

Daily Bell: What = are your=20 thoughts on gold backed money versus a bimetallic standard = of both=20 gold and silver. Which do you prefer and why?

G. Edward Griffin: = Anyone=20 interested in this question probably already is familiar = with the=20 history of money, particularly in the United States, where = both gold=20 and silver were simultaneously used for backing government = currency.=20 This was awkward, as one can imagine but, as long as the = free-market=20 value of gold and silver were left alone, the ratio between = the two=20 metals remained amazingly constant for long periods of time, = and the=20 system worked without hardship to anyone. Then, as the = ratios=20 between the metals began to change, the system began to = break down=20 leading to a defacto single=20 standard.

My preference would be a single-metal standard. Should it = be gold=20 or silver? My preference would be gold, but I must add that, = if the=20 public wants silver, that would be fine with me. The = important thing=20 is that one or the other must be settled on if we ever hope = to=20 return to sound money.

Daily Bell: As = an aside,=20 the press coverage of the recent Madoff scandal was focused = on the=20 issue of Wall Street greed - most media coverage anyway. But = in its=20 essence, isn't the Madoff Ponzi scheme similar to the = Federal=20 Reserve's scheme? Don't they both rely on an increasing base = of=20 demand for their obligations in order for the house of cards = to stay=20 erect?

G. Edward Griffin: = That is=20 a common view among critics of the FED. In fact, I carried a = cartoon=20 to that effect in our weekly Internet news service called = Unfiltered News. (A free = subscription is available: http://www.realityzone.com/ourcrusade.html. The=20 current edition can be viewed here: http://www.realityzone.com/current.) = While it is=20 true that the Fed constantly expands the money supply and = its=20 customer base of interest-paying customers, that is not an = intrinsic=20 characteristic. Theoretically, the system could stop = expanding or=20 actually contract to some extent and still operate as it = has. The=20 Fed could plunder the public at a constant rate without = accelerating=20 if it chose to do so. A Ponzi Scheme has no choice. It must = expand=20 or collapse. Technically, therefore, the Ponzi analogy is = not=20 entirely accurate. In practice, however, it is very = accurate.

Daily Bell: Ok, = so we've=20 established that the mainstream media and the elite who = control both=20 it and the Federal Reserve are continuing down a road that's = been=20 traveled before. One, as most Germans and Austrians will = tell you,=20 doesn't end very nicely. So what can anyone do about it?

G. Edward = Griffin:=20 Nothing!

OK, have I shocked you? What I mean is that, so long as=20 collectivists continue to control our government and our = monetary=20 system, there is nothing we can do, because they hold the = power to=20 make change, which is the same power to prevent change. It is an = exercise=20 in futility to talk about what=20 should be done when those who have the ability to do = it are=20 determined not to = do it. It=20 may be useful for those of us who are trying to mobilize = public=20 awareness to discuss and analyze the necessary components of = reform,=20 but we know well that the powers in Washington will, not = only ignore=20 our arguments, but will do everything possible to silence = our=20 voices.

The reason we formed Freedom Force International was to = address=20 this very issue. If, in addition to seeking an understanding = of the=20 problem and in addition to drafting a workable solution to = the=20 problem, we also unite to recapture control of the power = centers of=20 society (including but not limited to political parties) = only then=20 will we acquire the power to bring about reform. We have a = slogan in=20 freedom Force that sums it up: Don't fight City Hall. Become City Hall.

Daily Bell: Your = suggestion that people accept personal responsibility for = their=20 future and to employ human action to protect their family's = future=20 is one we certainly endorse. Should people who own gold be = concerned=20 we may once again see a 1933 style confiscation? After all, = Barack=20 Obama is being compared to FDR?

G. Edward = Griffin: That is=20 a real possibility. The power elite will stop at nothing to=20 perpetuate and expand their control over all of us. Our only = defense=20 is to work together, to unite, to develop a strategy, and = then work=20 like crazy to become City Hall.

Daily Bell: We = are very=20 concerned to see America moving further and further away = from a=20 freedom-loving nation to one that is rapidly looking more = and more=20 like a police state. Where does it all end?

G. Edward = Griffin: One=20 thing is certain. It will not stay as it is. It is = constantly=20 moving. Right now, the movement is in the wrong direction. = We are=20 headed directly for totalitarianism. Unless something = changes, that=20 is where we are going to be. I'll say it again, that is what = motivates us in Freedom Force. This is no idle philosophical = discussion. Our lives and those of our children are on the = line=20 right now.

Daily Bell: Tell = us a=20 little bit more about Freedom Force International, the = non-profit=20 organization you referenced earlier in this interview. When = did you=20 launch Freedom Force and how is it making a difference = today?

G. Edward Griffin: = Freedom=20 Force International was founded on December 12, 2002. I = launched the=20 organization with the vision that, someday, our members all = around=20 the world would become leaders in their respective countries = on=20 behalf of sound money and personal freedom. We have a long = way to=20 go, of course, but we are under way. Already we have members = in over=20 sixty countries.

Our members are not mere complainers. They have a plan to = do=20 something about it. They also share a common belief in The Creed of Freedom, = which is a=20 statement of principles that guide them in their mission to = build a=20 better world.

We are determined to influence the political direction of = the=20 world by becoming influential in the power centers of our = respective=20 countries. The most obvious of those are political parties, = but we=20 also know the importance of the media and the educational = system.=20 Most power centers are comprised of large numbers of people = who=20 follow small numbers of people. It is the mission of Freedom = Force=20 members to become influential within the small groups that = lead.

Another mission of Freedom Force is to provide an = ideological=20 umbrella under which many patriotic groups can unite toward = a common=20 goal. By unite, I do not mean one organization but many=20 organizations, each with their special purpose, style, and=20 leadership, but united under the ideological principles = expressed in=20 The Creed of = Freedom. It's=20 very important to know what you are for as well as what you = are=20 against.

Freedom Force already has become a significant movement. = Anyone=20 who really wants to make a difference on behalf of sound = money and=20 personal freedom will want to become part of this = international=20 brotherhood.

Daily Bell: = Where can one=20 go if they wish to find out more about Freedom Force = International=20 and to consider adding their voice to this growing movement = of=20 liberty minded people?

G. Edward = Griffin: The web=20 site is http://www.freedom-force.org/. There is = a lot of=20 information there, but it is not expected that anyone will = read it=20 all at one sitting, although that sometimes happens. It is=20 structured so that the most important information appears = first with=20 sub categories available for drilling down into many areas = of=20 interest. Freedom Force is=20 the answer.

Daily Bell: One = final=20 question, Jim Rogers, Peter Schiff and many other outspoken=20 free-market thinkers have suggested gold could rise to = $2,000 per=20 ounce or even much higher. Do you think this is likely to = happen as=20 more and more people awaken to the truth about our current = monetary=20 system and as inflation rears its ugly head? Do you have = your own=20 prediction?

G. Edward Griffin: = I think=20 $2000 per ounce is very realistic in view of the run-away = money=20 creation machine we have been discussing. However, I must = remind=20 newcomers to this topic that purchasing gold and silver = should be=20 viewed primarily as insurance, not investment. Even if the = price of=20 gold should rise to astronomical levels, the price of = everything=20 else also will be rising at about the same rate. If the = price of a=20 loaf of bread becomes twice what it is today, then the price = of gold=20 at twice what it is today will not seem to be particularly = shocking.=20 The value of holding precious metals in time of inflation is = not=20 that you will increase your purchasing power but that you = will not=20 lose purchasing = power. You=20 will hold your own while those who do not own gold or silver = or=20 other tangible assets will have their savings wiped out.

Daily Bell: = Thank you so=20 much for taking the time to share you wisdom with us. We = wish you=20 all the best in your future endeavors.

G. Edward = Griffin: Thank=20 you for the opportunity. I hope this will be of value to = your=20 readers.

This interview was = conducted by=20 Scott Smith.

Meet Scott Smith: Before his = recent=20 retirement, American-born Scott Smith spent nearly 30 years = as a=20 member of the Swiss investment banking community. He spent = most of=20 his long career at legendary investment banking giant Credit = Suisse,=20 where he was an executive working in the foreign exchange = and=20 derivatives departments.

Over the course of his career, Scott became privy to the = closely=20 guarded, somewhat regimented, wealth building and = asset-protection=20 strategies that have made the Swiss among the wealthiest = people in=20 the world - wealthier than Americans, according to the World = Bank.

In addition to writing special reports, such as this = Swiss Perspective, Scott = is also a=20 contributing editor to TheDailyBell.com and the editor of a=20 membership based investment newsletter called Swiss=20 Confidential.

Subscribe &nb= sp; Submit=20 = Feedback <= A=20 = href=3D"http://www.thedailybell.com/sendtofriend.asp?nid=3D332&fl=3D"= >Send=20 to a=20 = Friend RSS

A second look at the Federal Reserve: The = Creature=20 from Jekyll Island, by G. Edward Griffin

Where does money come from? Where does it go? Who makes = it? The=20 money magician's secrets are unveiled. Here is a close look = at their=20 mirrors and smoke machines, the pulleys, cogs, and wheels = that=20 create the grand illusion called money. A boring subject? = Just wait.=20 You'll be hooked in five minutes. It reads like a detective = story -=20 which it really is, but it's all true. This book is about = the most=20 blatant scam of history. It's all here: the cause of wars, = boom-bust=20 cycles, inflation, depression, prosperity. Your world view = will=20 definitely change. Putting it quite simply, this may be the = most=20 important book on world affairs you will ever read. 608 = pages.

"A superb analysis. Be prepared for one heck of a journey = through=20 time and mind." - Ron Paul, Member of Congress, House = Banking=20 Committee, 2008 Presidential candidate.

"Scary. It's the story of the world banking system. = Enough said."=20 - Willie Nelson, Musician/Author

"A gripping adventure into the secret world of the = international=20 banking cartel." - Mark Thornton, Asst. Professor of = Economics,=20 Auburn University, Coordinator of Academic Affairs, Ludwig = von Mises=20 Institute

"This is murder mystery about the financial 'murder' of = the=20 middle class." - Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad

"A train-load of heavy history, written in such a relaxed = and=20 easy style that it captivated me. I hated to put it down." - = Dan=20 Smoot, Publisher/Editor, Dan Smoot Report

"As a career banker and president of a bank consulting = firm, I=20 thought I had a good understanding of the Federal Reserve, = but this=20 book changed the way I view our entire monetary system." - = Marilyn=20 MacGruder Barnwall, Grand Junction, Colorado

"I have just finished reading this for the FOURTH = time!!!! Each=20 time only adds another gloss of patina to the truth." - = David J.=20 Nitsche, ex banker (25 year career), Bridgeton, New = Jersey

To order a copy=20 of The Creature from Jekyll=20 Island, also=20 available in German, Japanese and Vietnamese, please click = here now=20 - www.RealityZone.com.

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Recent Daily Bells=20 click=20 below to read issues...

Issue 234 =E2=80=A2 Sunday, March 22, = 2009

Special Guest Interview: G. Edward Griffin discusses the = Federal=20 Reserve, Bernanke's bailouts, Obama's stimulus plans and = much=20 more...

A second look at the Federal Reserve: The = Creature=20 from Jekyll Island, by G. Edward Griffin

Issue 235 =E2=80=A2 March 23, 2009

Issue 234 =E2=80=A2 March 22, 2009

Issue 233 =E2=80=A2 March 21, 2009

- Elize B., = Rotterdamn,=20 Netherlands

- Don L., = Peachtree,=20 GA, USA

- Gabriel S., = New=20 Rochelle, NY, USA

- Leslie M., = Seattle,=20 WA, USA

- Karl F., = Frankfurt,=20 Germany