Draft

USP Document #53

Urgent Need for Comprehensive Reform and a Movement and Strategic Plan for a Permanently Peaceful, Prosperous, Just, Sustainable World

(Updated November 19, 2017

Although we should be optimistic about the future and despite the fact that we have thousands of organization and millions of organizations working on change and reform we must realize that we are clearly getting further behind in almost all areas. Our country and more so most of the world, are experiencing massive unemployment, poverty, ethical, diplomatic, political, constitutional, health care, climate change, wealth inequalities, ethical and other crises.

Our public and private sector officials have articulated no real solutions to these crises and many of are not telling us the truth and show little if any empathy for their fellow human beings.

According to the United Nations 836 billion people:

     ○    subsists below the international extreme-poverty line of $1.25 a day.”

     ○    live lives that are poor, nasty, brutish and short

     ○    lack education, health care, proper clothing, shelter and enough food for physical and mental health”

The Washington Post

Front Page

Friday March 3, 2014

The problems and challenges we face are unimaginable and shameful

Over 1500 very destructive nuclear warheads on hair-trigger alert would kill billions of people and destroy civilization if used17 thousand children in the world needlessly dying each day from starvation, malnutrition and preventable diseases

836 million people living in extreme poverty—less than $1.25 a day. Billions of people living on less than $4.00 dollars a day800 million are without access to water

2.5 billion without sanitation/sewage systems

1.2 billion without electricity

In the richest country in the world, at least the one with the most millionaires, we have many children being born homeless thanks to these bankers and businessmen and our politicians. The total number living in poverty increased to 49.7 million,1 in 6 Americans according to U. S. Census data. Using the living wage of $40,000 annual income for a family of four, the number is closer to 1 in 3

The very complicated and poorly organized $787 billion Stimulus Act mainly went to corporations created much less than two million new jobs. If done properly, the $787 billion could have been used to employ 10 million people with average annual salaries of $40,000, for two years and the recession would have disappeared.

Homeless shelters are overwhelmed by need. Many more mothers with daughters are homeless for the first time. States are implementing deep cuts to shelter funding. Rising numbers of families are unable to pay funeral costs. Food bank are recording double-digit increases in clients year after year. A high percentage of recent graduates cannot find decent jobs and are moving back into their parents’ homes. Hundreds of schools are threatened with closure, rent subsidies to homeless families are being eliminated, food stamp allowances being decreased etc.

Some executives from large corporations, some extremely rich individuals, neocons, radical religious fundamentalists and others - not, we the people, - are exercising excessive control over many of our federal, state and local governments. They control most of the media, public sector resources, environmental laws, judicial institutions, political parties, etc. They tweak the tax code, manipulate the regulatory agencies, and funnel campaign contributions to their favorite politicians who

Senior U.S. government officials used false pretenses to justify the invasion of Iraq. The ensuing occupation paved the way for U.S. oil company executives to illegally take control of much of Iraq's oil industries and reserves benefitting only themselves.

It is a crime that the people of the United States are paying with their tax dollars and lives for the invasion and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. Gas, oil, munitions makers and defense contractors pay millions in lobbying ensure billions are paid to them. In turn, senior corporate executives are rewarded with lavish compensation and bonuses and politicians with lavish campaign contributions and other favors.

The world is facing many tough challenges which are not being adequately addressed. These include global warming, poverty, stagnant wages, lack of affordable housing, chronic worldwide unemployment, malnutrition, poor physical, dental, mental, and emotional health, failing ecological systems, continuing wars, conflicts, nuclear proliferation and many uncaring and unethical government officials. These and other challenges are outlined in Problems of the Strategic Plan.

Our governments, institutions and systems are failing us not because they are basically unsound, but because of the actions or lack of actions of individuals in and out of the government. Not enough of us take the time to understand our constitution, our rights and the underlying causes of our problems. The people who do pay attention tend to be misled by corrupt politicians and the “in-bedded” industrial-media complex who willingly publish misinformation because much of the media's revenue comes from these same companies through advertisements..

Our Government has the U.S. involved in illegal wars and occupations even though as outlined in the Proof of the Illegality of U.S. Wars and Use of Force, the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928 outlawed all wars and requires that the settlement or solution of all disputes or conflicts of whatever nature or of whatever origin they may be, which may arise among them, shall never be sought except by pacific means.

We have ingrained criminality in our financial sector described by Charles Ferguson in his book Predator Nation:

It is no exaggeration to say that since the 1980s, much of the American (and global) financial sector has become criminalized, creating an industry culture that tolerates or even encourages systematic fraud. The behavior that caused the mortgage bubble and financial crisis was a natural outcome and continuation of this pattern, rather than some kind of economic accident.

Our Department of Justice and legal systems are ignoring these crimes and refusing to indict high level public and private sector officials who have and are breaking the law.

Large corporations are paying very little taxes, receiving massive bailouts, exploiting their workers by not paying them enough to buy the goods that they produce and are accumulating massive resource.

Since 2007, the Federal Reserve, FDIC and the U. S. Treasury have provided, loaned or bover $37 trillion of taxpayers money to banks and financial institutions to supposedly stimulate the economy with loans to small businesses. Banks are obtaining these funds at very low (0 to .75) interest rates and charging exorbitant interest rates on the very small amounts of money that they are willing to lend to small businesses. These banks and financial institutions are foreclosing on homes, small farms and businesses and paying their executives hundreds of millions in salaries and bonuses.

Properly applied a few trillions of $37 trillion could have prevented the recession, paid for single payer health care for all, and eliminated the need for income and sales tax on the poor and middle class for years. Instead it has been to pay massive bonuses and salaries to their owners and executives and acquire more assests.

According to Forbes.com, in 2013, the world's 2,000 leading companies/corporations had total assets of $159 trillion, which is over twice the gross domestic product of the world. These assets are increased by over $94 trillion since 2003 The Forbes 2000, leading/largest companies included 543 U.S. corporations-companies with a total of over $35.8 trillion of assets including several trillion in cash.

In her August 26, 2013 article -- The Leveraged Buyout of America, Ellen Brown reports that

“Giant bank holding companies are systematically buying up or gaining control of the essential lifelines of the economy and now own or control airports, toll roads, ports, power plants; and store and hoard vast quantities of commodities of all sorts.” They have gotten the money by laundering Federal Reserve Funds and depositors’ funds.

In his February 12, 2013 article -- The Vampire Squid Strikes Again: The Mega Banks' Most Devious Scam Yet, Matt Taibbi, backs up Ellen Brown’s reporting and tells how banks are using hidden parts of the infamous Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to develop new forms of monopoly, allowing banks to merge with heavy industry and buying whole industrial processes, oil that's still in the ground, the tankers that move it across the sea, the refineries that turn it into fuel, and the pipelines that bring it to your home. ... they're also betting on the timing and efficiency of these same industrial processes in the financial markets - buying and selling oil stocks on the stock exchange, oil futures on the futures market, swaps on the swaps market, etc. Allowing one company to control the supply of crucial physical commodities, and also trade in the financial products that might be related to those markets, is an open invitation to commit mass manipulation. It's something akin to letting casino owners who take book on NFL games during the week also coach all the teams on Sundays.

John Williams, on his website Shadow Government Statistics, states and shows in a series of charts “that much of the official data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is biased and manipulated and runs counter to personal and business experiences.” Following are examples of Williams’ charts.

Actual Unemployment is Much Higher Than What

the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Reports Show

Courtesy of ShadowStats.com

Above chart shows that in August, 2017, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported the unemployment rate, in red above, as 4.4% while the actual unemployment rate, in blue, was 22.2% according to John Williams, ShadowStats

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Government Keeps Social Security Payments Low by

Under Reporting Inflation Rates

Above chart shows that Government is keeping Social Security Payments low by under- reporting inflation rates. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) official CPI rate, shown, in red, is currently about 2% compared to the actual inflation rate, shown in blue, of almost 10%.

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Williams also states and shows on Shadow Government Statistics that:

●    There is no economic recovery now and no recovery is in sight.

●    A hyper inflationary great depression is moving closer.

●    Without the income or credit to expand consumption, the consumer remains in a structural bind that will inhibit any sustainable, near-term recovery in economic activity. Those same factors have been in play for some time and mean that the U.S. consumer could not have driven or supported the purported post-2009 economic recovery. The recovery remains an illusion (again, see above-linked No. 536).

●    Systemic -solvency and economic crises have not abated.

●    Precursors to ultimate dollar disaster are in place.

●    2014 remains the outside timing for same.

According to Barry Grey , and Rob Sewell , the world is "lurching toward a full-scale depression"

According to Martin Wolf, chief economic strategist of the Financial Times, September 2, 2011, “The conventional view is that nothing much can be done [by the current financial institutions to end the recession and prevent a depression]”.

From the Blog of Stephen Lendman, author of "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity":

“Poverty, unemployment, homelessness and hunger approach record levels. Millions struggle to get by. Credit cards are maxed out to do it. Retirement savings are tapped.

Inequality is institutionalized. Around 100 million working age Americans are jobless. Most others are underemployed. Millions struggle to pay rent, service mortgages, cover medical bills, heat homes, and manage other daily expenses.

America's 1% has more wealth than the bottom 95%. Income inequality is greater than in almost all other developed countries. Chile, Mexico and Turkey alone rank higher.”

If we continue with the current failed monetary system and capitalism, do not work together and have comprehensive change and reform, we will have:

•    A massive perhaps endless depression and worldwide unemployment

•    Increasing poverty, malnutrition, hunger, preventable and curable diseases & homelessness

•    Endless wars, occupations, militarism and empire building

•    More torture, abuse, extraordinary rendition, false arrests and non judicial murders

•    Chronic water, energy shortages, environment degradation and natural resource depletion

•    The 0.01% assets will continue to increase until they own everything of significant value in the world.

There are no excuses for the extent of these problems. The people of the world deserve better.