IMF - GET OUT OF CHINA!Wherever you have been, you have left a trail of looting and destruction. China is strong now and will not stand for your bullying and plundering. Here is a summary excerpt exposing how you, the IMF (and its Director - Mme Christine Lagarde - Destructor in Chief) have devastated countless countries and have plundered and impoverished citizens of every country you have set foot in:The Real IMF (International Monetary Fund) Backgrounder:According to its website, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was created in 1945 and is an organization of 189 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world[1]. What we will see, however, is that the IMF has actually contributed the exact opposite of what they claim in the purpose statement above. One can easily research the history of the IMF’s interventions in countries around the world only to find a trail of disaster and looting which have left the countries with poorer economic growth, higher unemployment rates, and increased poverty. The main modus operandi (the way of operating) of the IMF is to target and lend very large sums of money to countries – most often underdeveloped ones – that are experiencing serious financial difficulties. The IMF’s lending terms will frequently require the borrowing country’s government to impose harsh austerity measures. Austerity measures include things the government does to cut costs and save money such as reducing benefits, pensions, and the like. At first glance, this seems like a sound thing to do; however, economic history has shown time and time again that austerity simply doesn’t work, as it reduces the amount of employment and economic activity which is essential to stimulate growth. Most often, unfortunately, the capital and interest from these loans end up being much too large for these countries to ever pay back. Yet once these loans have been dispensed, there is no turning back. As will be demonstrated with the Greece example below, the IMF will sometimes partner with another lender organization (such as the World Bank or European Central Bank for instance) as to exert even more influence to the borrowing country to repay. Think of the IMF as really big loan shark. Later on, when the borrowing country is no longer deemed solvent enough to repay back the loan, the IMF and its bully partners are quick to demand a further restructuring of its policies and even the seizure or privatization of its assets and resources. Such actions will further exacerbate the country’s ills and impoverish its citizens. While all this may appear quite conspiratorial in nature, it is exactly what is occurring and has been occurring at the IMF for a very long time. To give credibility to this claim, we need to consider the perspective of an insider – someone who has worked at various levels with the IMF, World Bank, and other key players. The American John Perkins is one such insider; as Chief Economist at a major international consulting firm, John Perkins advised the World Bank, United Nations, IMF, U.S. Treasury Department, Fortune 500 corporations, and leaders of countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East[2]. John Perkins is a best-selling author known for his highly acclaimed 2004 book entitled ‘Confessions of an Economic Hit Man’. The book was originally published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers in 2004 but has been updated in 2016 as ‘The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man’. In an abstract for his book, Perkins says that as an "Economic Hit Man" his job was to convince countries that are strategically important to the United States to accept enormous loans for infrastructure development and to make sure that the lucrative projects were contracted to U.S. corporations. In describing what Economic Hit Men are and what they actually do, he says: “They funnel money from the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and other foreign “aid” organizations into the coffers of huge corporations and the pockets of a few wealthy families who control the planet’s natural resources. Their tools include fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex, and murder. They play a game as old as empire, but one that has taken on new and terrifying dimensions during this time of globalization. I should know; I was an EHM.” [3] Although the quote from above was from 2004, he recently stated that the Economic Hit Man “model” was very much still in effect today and is even more sophisticated[4]. When Perkins was hired as an economist for the firm of Chas. T. Main his primary objectives were to produce economic growth projections that would make the case for a variety of major projects and, accordingly, justify huge loans for countries. He was supposed to help bankrupt the countries that received these loans after the U.S. companies involved had been paid. This would make sure that these countries would remain in debt to their creditors and would then be easy targets when the U.S. needed favors such as military bases, UN votes and access to natural resources like oil. All of these projects were meant to make huge profits for the contractors. The problem is that these countries simply cannot handle the debt of these loans and their poorest citizens are deprived of health, education and other social services for several decades as these countries struggle economically to overcome their huge debts[5]. The previous paragraph outlines the main duties Perkins followed along with their underlying objectives from which the source also provides instances of countries – Indonesia, Panama, Saudi Arabia – in which he was operating. In a 2014 article and interview[6], Perkins demonstrates how Greece has fallen victim to “Economic Hit Men”. In the fascinating interview, Perkins describes how the IMF and EU (European Union) operates in much the same way as he did in the past: “…they were left holding a huge debt, very much like what Greece has today, a phenomenal debt…And once [they were] bound by that debt, we would go back, usually in the form of the IMF - and in the case of Greece today, it's the IMF and the EU [European Union] - and make tremendous demands on the country: increase taxes, cut back on spending, sell public sector utilities to private companies, things like power companies and water systems, transportation systems, privatize those, and basically become a slave to us, to the corporations, to the IMF, in your case to the EU, and basically, organizations like the World Bank, the IMF, the EU, are tools of the big corporations, what I call the "corporatocracy."” The excerpt above is extremely revealing to say the least. The selling of public sector utilities to private foreign corporations basically amounts to the financial raping of a country’s most precious assets. It’s also interesting to note that he also includes the European Union in the mix of thugs which is not all that surprising given that it is also a supranational organization that is extremely powerful and is headed by appointed (rather than elected) officials. When asked how these international organizations go back in to get their “pound of flesh” (i.e., what must be paid back), he goes on to reply: “By insisting that the countries adopt policies that will sell their publicly owned utility companies, water and sewage systems, maybe schools, transportation systems, even jails, to the big corporations. Privatize, privatize. Allow us to build military bases on their soil. Many things can be done, but basically, they become servants to what I call the corporatocracy. You have to remember that today we have a global empire, and it's not an American empire. It's not a national empire. It doesn't help the American people very much. It's a corporate empire, and the big corporations rule. They control the politics of the United States, and to a large degree they control a great deal of the policies of countries like China, around the world.” He thus now outlines that it is not just American corporations who do the looting, but rather a global corporate empire which he refers to as a “corporatocracy”. Interestingly, Perkins now devotes much of his time to help inform the public as well as foreign governments and institutions about these nefarious activities. As a case in point, he mentions that he appeared on Greek television during the time in which a Greek film company did a documentary entitled “Apology of an Economic Hit Man” in which he elaborates: “…and I also spent a lot of time in Iceland and in Ireland. I was invited to Iceland to help encourage the people there to vote on a referendum not to repay their debts, and I did that and encouraged them not to, and they did vote no, and as a result, Iceland is doing quite well now economically compared to the rest of Europe.” Iceland, as Perkins describes as a “not-to-be-bullied” nation which chose to not repay their debts is an interesting case indeed. Moreover, following the Financial Crisis of 2007-2008 Iceland was perhaps the only country that actually stood up to the bankers (or shall I call them “banksters”?) by prosecuting and jailing them since they were the main contributors that lead to the crisis. So, hopefully, the lesson here is that even smaller countries can stand up to these criminal organizations. But, sadly, that is more the exception than the rule, as these supranational organizations like the IMF and World Bank don’t really accept defeat. In his book, Perkins notes that back in his day, countries such as Ecuador and Panama had leaders that actually cared for their people and wanted to make sure that their citizens could benefit from such loans and projects. But, as Perkins states, these particular leaders who didn’t “go along with the program” or “play the game” so to speak would get a visit from CIA-sanctioned “jackals” (as Perkins refers to them) who would take them out either by a coup or by assassination. One needn’t look any further than in the Articles of Agreement[7] of the IMF itself, to notice how secretive and nefarious the organization is. Similar to the BIS, the IMF has its own dirty little secrets which they also make difficult to find, but can nonetheless be consulted from their own website. Just have a look at the following sections from Article IX – Status, Immunities, and Privileges to notice the similarities with those of the BIS: Section 3. Immunity from judicial process The Fund, its property and its assets, wherever located and by whomsoever held, shall enjoy immunity from every form of judicial process except to the extent that it expressly waives its immunity for the purpose of any proceedings or by the terms of any contract. Here, the Fund refers to the IMF. The section declares their immunity from the “judicial process”. To clarify the precise meaning of this term, we can consult its definition from Merriam-Webster dictionary which states: “the series of steps in the course of the administration of justice through the established system of courts”. The term “immunity” means protection from legal action, such as in “diplomatic immunity” whereby country officials conducting business in another country would be exempt from its laws. In other words, the IMF and its property and assets are untouchable by a country’s courts and even if they commit any wrongdoing, justice may never be administered. The following two sections serve as added layers of protection: Section 4. Immunity from other action Property and assets of the Fund, wherever located and by whomsoever held, shall be immune from search, requisition, confiscation, expropriation, or any other form of seizure by executive or legislative action. Section 5. Immunity of archives The archives of the Fund shall be inviolable. Section 5 shows that the archives of the IMF are “inviolable” which basically means impregnable, or which cannot be consulted. Now, one would have to ask why the IMF would deny anyone access to its archives. After all, for an organization which states as its mission: “to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world”, why couldn’t we see their data and information related to these aspects to indeed verify if they are accomplishing what they purportedly set out to do. One can easily ask: What do they have to hide? Section 8 grants all officers and employees of the IMF legal immunity from any form of prosecution in addition to special privileges: Section 8. Immunities and privileges of officers and employees All Governors, Executive Directors, Alternates, members of committees, representatives appointed under Article XII, Section 3(j), advisors of any of the foregoing persons, officers, and employees of the Fund: (i) shall be immune from legal process with respect to acts performed by them in their official capacity except when the Fund waives this immunity; (ii) not being local nationals, shall be granted the same immunities from immigration restrictions, alien registration requirements, and national service obligations and the same facilities as regards exchange restrictions as are accorded by members to the representatives, officials, and employees of comparable rank of other members; and (iii) shall be granted the same treatment in respect of traveling facilities as is accorded by members to representatives, officials, and employees of comparable rank of other members. Briefly put, any employee or officer (no matter where they are conducting their business) of the IMF is untouchable and basically enjoys diplomatic immunity and can never be apprehended during travel. Including such clauses into their Articles of Agreement makes it quite clear and obvious that they consider themselves above the law of any nation, no matter what they do, how they do it, who they harm, or what they steal. Are those the ideals or principles of an organization that is supposed to do good in the world? But wait, it gets even more heinous: Section 9. Immunities from taxation (a) The Fund, its assets, property, income, and its operations and transactions authorized by this Agreement shall be immune from all taxation and from all customs duties. The Fund shall also be immune from liability for the collection or payment of any tax or duty. (b) No tax shall be levied on or in respect of salaries and emoluments paid by the Fund to Executive Directors, Alternates, officers, or employees of the Fund who are not local citizens, local subjects, or other local nationals. (c) No taxation of any kind shall be levied on any obligation or security issued by the Fund, including any dividend or interest thereon, by whomsoever held: All of the IMFs income proceeds, assets, property are free from taxation, interest expense, as well as customs and duties regardless of which countries they operate in. Moreover, not a single IMF employee pays income tax from salaries received no matter where they work. How an organization that makes huge loans and charges monumental amounts of interest (apart from all the other assets they steal and plunder) which usually ends up being paid by the poorest of the poor can conduct itself with such an inequitable manner is beyond the scope of human comprehension. Perhaps worst, however, is how countries and citizens can stand idly by and watch and accept this. Web Resources: [1] About the IMF, URL: http://www.imf.org/en/About, accessed: 2017-06-28 [2] About John Perkins, URL: http://johnperkins.org/about, accessed: 2017-06-28 [3] Wikiquote – John Perkins, URL: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Perkins, accessed: 2017-07-04 [4] How Economic Hitmen Gained World Domination for Deep State w/ John Perkins (YouTube channel: Sarah Westall), URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSq8TXAN2Zc, accessed: 2017-07-04 [5] Confessions of An Economic Hitman (Concise Summary), URL: http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica/sociopol_globalbanking14.htm, accessed: 2017-07-04 [6] An Economic Hit Man Speaks Out: John Perkins on How Greece Has Fallen Victim to "Economic Hit Men" by Michael Nevradakis, URL: http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/26112-an-economic-hit-man-speaks-out-john-perkins-on-how-greece-has-fallen-victim-to-economic-hit-men, accessed: 2017-07-04 [7] IMF Articles of Agreement (2016 Amended version), URL: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/aa/pdf/aa.pdf, retrieved: 2017-07-05

Mr. Lin Jeng-yi (林正儀), Director of the National Palace Museum No.221, Sec. 2, Zhishan Rd., Shilin Dist., Taipei City 11143, Taiwan (R.O.C.)AN OPEN LETTER TO Mr. Lin Jeng-yi of the NATIONAL PALACE MUSEUM in Taipei Dear Mr. Lin, Congratulations on your recent appointment as Director of The National Palace Museum in Taipei. I can only imagine the tremendous sense of duty and responsibility you must feel in caring for the immense trove of Chinese cultural relics (encompassing over 5,000 years of history) and masterpieces along with balancing the needs of both administrative staff and, most importantly, the millions of visitors your museum receives every year – many of which being from mainland China. After many years of waiting and anticipating the day in which I would get the opportunity to lay my eyes upon some of its most outstanding Chinese cultural relics, I recently (August 31, 2016) got a chance to visit the museum as I had a short holiday stay in Taipei. Unfortunately, I must say, I was extremely disappointed in the visit itself as it certainly did not live up to the hype boasted on your own website as well as on countless tourist portals dedicated to Taiwan and Taipei.For me personally, I was hoping to see one particular artifact I find to be of great historical significance, namely a Ming dynasty painting [entitled ‘Ch'i-lin (Giraffe) Painting Eulogized by Shen Tu’ (畫麒麟沈度頌)] of a giraffe that was offered as tribute to the Emperor at the Ming court in 1414. This painting was a magnificent record about one of the many foreign tributes bestowed upon China and its emperor through the travels of the great Chinese admiral Zheng He (鄭和) during the early years of trade and maritime splendor of the Ming dynasty. Please take a moment to ponder about the millions of other visitors who have missed an opportunity to view their own “must-see” relic. Most likely, they did not get a chance to see it at the museum due to the fact that the majority of these precious relics are not on display. Just think of the sadness and disappointment felt by each of these unique visitors. I hope you can genuinely and empathetically place yourself in their shoes. How would you feel if your favorite was not on display? I was also eager to see the picturesque beauty of Song dynasty era paintings. But sadly, not a single one was on display during my visit.Accordingly, I feel compelled to bring forth my concerns to you personally, as I am sure they are felt by countless others – including millions of compatriots here in the mainland. I have lived in mainland China since 2008 and have visited dozens of museums across the country due to my love and passion for Chinese history. Moreover, both as an avid amateur historian of Chinese history as well as a discerning collector of related artifacts – I have appeared twice on CCTV’s Xunbao (寻宝) television program once with my Warring States bronze sword and another time with my Qing dynasty rubbing copy of Zheng He’s (鄭和) Tianfei Tablet, both of which were authenticated by the Palace Museum experts in Beijing (and both of which I will donate to select museums in the near future) – I can say that I know a thing or two about Chinese artifacts, their aesthetic and functional qualities, as well as their inherent beauty. Getting back to my previous point, I must say that I have visited several museums in the mainland (such as the provincial-level Shaanxi History Museum for instance) which have comparatively placed much more care and diligence in both the selection and presentation of their collection than that for which I have witnessed in the National Palace Museum in Taipei. On your museum’s website you state that: “The holdings from the Palace Museum included 46,100 antiquities, 5,526 paintings and calligraphies, and 545,797 rare books and documents.”, and more specifically that your entire collection is composed of 696,414 objects. But unfortunately, not to mention tragically, less than 1% of the collection can be exhibited in your museum’s facilities at one time leaving 99% of this magnificent collection stored in boxes unavailable for public viewing and appreciation.Even though your museum states that it makes an effort to “rotate” the artifacts to be displayed every three months, it would still take a decade or more for the entire collection to be displayed.While the majority of the collection is comprised of rare books and documents, the other artifacts (which would arguably be of more significant interest to museum goers) are still largely unavailable for viewing. This is an absolute tragedy, not to mention a colossal waste and outright cultural theft. The cultural heritage of millions of Chinese – both in mainland and Taiwan – has been taken from them. As a teacher to both middle and high school students here in mainland China, I always try to promote the dutiful value and virtue of ‘accountability’. In this sense, I both request and expect that you will find it in your heart and be bound by your duty as Director of the museum and curator of this vast Chinese cultural heritage to make this matter your utmost priority and thus demonstrate personal accountability for it. Only then shall you demonstrate a sincere and visionary effort to make the collection of the National Palace Museum more accessible to its real owners – the greater public. In order to be fair and demonstrate to you my own accountability in the matter, I will also do my part by offering you a few practical suggestions which, in my opinion, could greatly improve the visibility and accessibility of the National Palace Museum collection to your viewing public. Firstly, it is inconceivable to me or any common person that with a site as large in acreage as where the National Palace Museum sits on there is no room for additional buildings or more optimal use of space in the existing buildings or adjacent land. Therefore, I would strongly recommend that you set up a team or committee to make more effective use of existing space (or to add more buildings with exhibit halls). Secondly, since we live in this internet age why not make more optimal use of your website and list the entire collection on it (possibly, or initially, excluding most of the numerous objects from the ‘rare books and documents’ category) with background information and photographs and poll users (not only in Chinese language but also in English and possibly other languages) as to which artifacts they would prefer to have on ‘permanent display’ in the museum? The results could be updated automatically and displayed in real time on your website. Given the amount of limited exhibition space the museum has to display pieces, you could limit the number of items for each category (jades, bronzes, paintings, etc.) according to the results of the online poll. Although preparing such web pages may initially be time-consuming, it would render two distinct benefits: items and their corresponding characteristics would at least be visible to the public, and the museum staff would gain a much better understanding about which artifacts are of more significant interest and value to the viewing public. I am sure that other suggestions for improvement could prove beneficial as well. And perhaps you could even add an online ‘Suggestion Box’ on your website for this purpose. As Chinese civilization continues its journey into the future, we collectively have a moral duty and obligation to not only better document and make accessible the relics of the past (along with their respective tales, messages, and lessons), but also to pave the way for an even brighter tomorrow by virtue of a greater sense of sharing which, inevitably, leads to veritable enlightenment for all of humanity. For this, I solicit your genuine commitment – preferably demonstrated through verifiable actions rather than hollow words. I, and the peoples from the greater Chinese nation and beyond, look forward to your gracious reply in the very near future. Most Thankfully, Dan FournierShenzhen, People's Republic of ChinaSeptember 9, 2016

My FINAL post on ChinaDaily Blog YOU have won. YOU have finally broken me. Congratulations. YOUR death by a thousand cuts has finally laid its final lash upon my spirit. There is no more fire in the flame, no more gas left in the tank, no more hope to cling onto. Having once arrived to this great country almost eight long years ago with an open heart filled with enthusiasm, curiosity, and eagerness to make a difference, my outlook has now irreversibly changed. As a long time educator, I was filled with joy and hope that I could come teach in China and make a difference in the lives of less fortunate souls than those ungrateful ones from my home country. Although this chapter of my life has been both gratifying and fulfilling, all good things must come to an end they say. It’s not easy to leave one’s home country and to come to settle in a land that is as diverse, complex, and dynamic as China. Both victories and pitfalls have been an integral part in this leg of my journey through life. But eight long years of endless daily struggles in battling to connect to the online world that lay outside China’s borders has finally taken its toll. Any foreigner living in China can certainly relate to this struggle. YOU have succeeded in your endeavor. Congratulations. Needless to say it is quite difficult, if not at times impossible, for a foreigner (and many Chinese mind you) without the use of a VPN to keep in touch with the outside world. And yes, in 2016 there is a world that lay outside of the Middle Kingdom. For me, I need a VPN to access my personal email account on Gmail to keep in touch with my family and friends, keep current with world news, do my online banking, study my online courses, and connect with my peeps on Western social media. In my past several years here I have also made extensive use of foreign websites for the preparation of my classes. The wealth and breadth of material that is available for educational purposes is infinite and incredible. There has never been a time in history that is as rich in information as today. Moreover, I have used online platforms such as epals.com (where my students could make pen pals from around the world and communicate with them both practicing their English and learning about their pals’ own cultures) and Wikispaces – an online discussion portal – in which my students were able to have written discussions with each other about topics ranging from the happenings in the Middle East to the Common Traits Shared by Successful People. Such tools were not only exciting, enlightening and refreshing to students, but also offered them an unparalleled means by which they could expand their intellectual horizons whilst having an avenue in which they could improve their written English. Sadly, most of these kinds of educational websites such as Wikispaces.com and Schoology.com are currently inaccessible in China. It deeply saddens me to see yet another set of educational tools (among hundreds of others) being robbed from a youth thirsty for knowledge, cultural exchange, and a means by which they can truly, honestly and openly express themselves. It’s a deprivation and theft of their ability and right to explore and grow. It’s a suppression of their inner light and spirits, not to mention their wonderful personalities. The same tragedy rings true about the hundreds of thousands of websites that could be used for research and learning. Moreover, the scarcity of Western books, magazines, and newspapers printed in English are quite scarce in the mainland. After eight years here, I have yet to see a single English book in any airport bookstore around the country. The opportunity cost is immeasurable, not to mention tragic. But what can we do? That’s just the way it is! I’ve been told over and over. The fight was once in me because I stubbornly and unswervingly held the future of my beloved students at heart and wished to help nourish not only their minds, but also their beautiful souls and tireless spirits. But now, it has gotten the best of me; I’m exhausted! Thanks to YOU, I am now too old, too tired, too discouraged, too bitter, and too pessimistic. I am now with lack of courage and void of faith in the future of this once great country which I once greatly admired and passionately embraced as my second home. YOU cast the spell. YOU deprive and silence the souls and spirits of the youth in this country. YOU show no faith in your own people – the future generation. YOU have altered the path towards where I and many others can no longer see a glimmer of hope on the horizon. My only remaining hope is to leave the endeavor to younger, more vigorous and dedicated teachers and parents; and also to the students who, unlike me, never give up. For this, I offer my sincerest apology for my lack of courage, my hypocrisy, and, most importantly, for letting you down and giving up. At this point it is time for me to just let go and move on, for if I don’t I will have to relinquish my sanity. As I am nearing the last leg of my journey in China, I will continue to teach for a while but will, along with my students, unwillingly and unfortunately, be limited to the confines of Chinese cyberspace with all the limitations that this implies. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the fine people at ChinaDaily Blog who have both the generosity and courage to give foreigners like myself as well as many Chinese citizens an outlet in which they can have a voice and be heard. Thank you. We doubt that any of YOU are reading or listening, but at least we can try to be heard. As with nearly all of my posts, I won’t expect any comments (as I have elicited and encouraged them in the past to no avail); like you, I will join the masses of silent and beaten souls. On a final note, I leave YOU with a forgotten lesson of YOUR history. I am a collector of ancient Chinese Prints and the following engraving from 1788 is perhaps my favorite of all, as it depicts one of the earliest founding principles of this once great nation. On it appears several figures but two of them in particular stand out: the Yao尧Emperor (the mythical emperor who was one of the successors to the infamous Yellow Emperor) who is seated on the top left portion of the image and a Concerned Citizen standing assertive and unafraid with his head held high on the bottom right. We can see the Concerned Citizen beating on the drum affirming that his voice must be heard. At that time, everyone had access to Yao’s court and could freely offer a suggestion or even make a criticism. Once we forget our past, we compromise our future. Farewell.

Is Nationalism killing Education in China? According to (somewhat outdated) UNESCO 2006 figures, China’s student population (from primary school to university level) amounts to over 236 million. If China’s student population were a country, it would rank 5th in the world above Brazil. Think about that for a second; that’s a lot of people to educate! Of course with so many students, it’s needless to say that competition is extremely fierce. We all know parents go to extremes to provide the best possible education for their kids. I am a foreign teacher living and working in Shenzhen since 2008. Every school day, tens of thousands of tiny kindergarten and primary school pupils march their way across the three main border checkpoints in the city for their daily commute to a “nearby” school in Hong Kong. Parents returning from HK always make sure to bring expensive cans of foreign baby milk powder from there too. Anything to give their kids an edge! While not everyone can afford to send their kids to (very expensive) private schools across the border or within mainland itself, most have to send their kids to public schools. We needn’t examine the public schooling system in China, as we all know what it’s really about – producing an army of “test machines” who will make their parents proud on the ZhongKao and GaoKao exams (the direct descendants of the Chinese Imperial Examination System). If they are lucky, they will make it in a “top” university in China most likely to study in a major of their parents, teacher, or someone else’s choosing. It’s no wonder why so many parents and students wish the alternative of sending their kids to study abroad, as it carries many advantages. Unfortunately, as will be explained below, the possibility of Chinese students being able to study abroad is rapidly (and sadly) deteriorating. Why is education in China deteriorating? There are a slew of reasons but the main ones are: increased nationalism; the degradation of English and “western” curriculum in public schools; and the repulsion and alienation of foreign teachers. 1. Increased Nationalism Last year, certain reforms were introduced and ordered to be implemented regarding a plethora of areas ranging from commerce, to anti-corruption, to education all in the sake of a renewed nationalistic spirit and path for the future. While some reforms such as the One Belt, One Road, and the AIIB (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank) will undoubtedly be extremely beneficial to China for many decades ahead, others may prove to not only be detrimental, but will also impede such reforms from effectively bearing fruit. For example, the One Belt, One Road project to reestablish the Silk Road will see China, its enterprises, and citizens seek business and cultural relationships with countries who share it. With this will come the need for social and cultural understanding and integration, not to mention a greater need for language training for improved communication between concerned parties. English is still the language of choice for business around the globe, even in Asia. Without proper use of English, both companies and individuals will struggle when wishing to form partnerships that will be fruitful for China. This is the main point I am trying to convey. A nationalistic mindset whereby the focus is to make Chinese values and customs the pervasive and prevailing norm will most likely not prove effective because we live in a world that is more and more multi-cultural. Everything begins with education; it is the root of all social, cultural, and commercial development. With such a prevailing nationalistic mindset the future of Chinese nation, in my opinion, is highly compromised if not doomed. Maybe there is something I am not getting or understanding. How will an increase in Nationalism help China move forward in this highly integrated and multicultural world? If it is currently part of the multi-year plans, why are its reasons and benefits not communicated to the masses? What would such reasons and benefits be? One has to wonder. 2. Degradation of English and “western” curriculum in public schools Having taught in China since 2008, I’ve seen a gradual deterioration of English in schools. My last two years were spent both teaching and implementing an “International Program” in one of the top two public schools in Shenzhen; the program was highly successful and effective in integrating Western style curriculum and teaching methods complementing middle school students’ skill set. This program was to follow the successful implementation of an “International Program” in the high school division of the same school whereby 100% of its graduates got admitted to reputable and famous universities in America, Britain, and other countries. Unfortunately, due to last year’s nationalistic reforms, both programs are being scrapped. Instead, the school (and most likely all public schools in China) prefers to focus on producing “testing machines” (i.e., getting students ready for the ZhongKao and GaoKao). Not only do I find this backward-looking mentality extremely depressing, but my heart goes out to the students because, ultimately, they are the ones who will pay the price and be cheated out of a more holistic educational experience. The net effect of such kind of policies and reforms will be that it not only decreases students’ English ability (a crucial skill which will be needed even if they practice their careers within China in the future) but also forsakes other skills and cultural knowledge that Western style curriculum offers. Skills such as Creativity and Innovation – which are essential to China’s future development in a very competitive world – will likely be forgotten. As a long time educator, I find this to be an utmost and utter tragedy, as I am sure many parents would also concur. Last week, a former student of mine from that middle school told me that with the “new system” his English was deteriorating so much this school year and he no longer enjoys nor has an interest in learning English. This just breaks my heart. I can see first-hand how the implementation of a nationalistic policy is negatively affecting the quality of education whilst compromising China’s future. After all, it is their future. Are those who have decided on such policies and reforms even aware of such effects? Another strong contributor to the deterioration of English (and other) learning in Chinese public schools stems from the repulsion and alienation of not only foreign teachers, but of how foreigners are treated in general in this country; I will elaborate on this in the next section. 3. Repulsion and alienation of foreign teachers With the educational reforms discussed previously, I have witnessed a drastic deterioration in the way foreign teachers (for English as well as other educational subjects) are regarded and treated in the sphere of public education. A basic value us Westerners hold dear is one of respect. I have to say that, even as a very experienced teacher and educator, I was seldom shown a level of respect that I would deem even very basic from my fellow Chinese educators – especially the ones in administrative positions. I basically received zero support from any of them when I was setting up the International Program (for which I had poured my heart and soul into, not to mention hundreds of hours of my own personal time and energy). Near the completion of my second year in this “supposed” top school in the city, I demanded a measly 10 minute meeting with the headmaster of the school (the one who had decided to hire me to set up the program in the first place) to discuss the future of the program. It was not granted. This clearly showed to me two things: first, they have no respect and don’t understand foreign culture at all, and secondly, they had no interest in the continuation or further development of a program which would have beneficial to their students. Now, while I can understand that they were simply following orders from the “commanders” above, I still find it highly hypocritical that it was (and still is) mostly the children of those same people who were actually in such programs and being sent to study abroad (a trend that is still noticeable nationwide). I’ve also spoken to many other educators here in Shenzhen and have read a lot online suggesting to me that our place here in China is numbered in its days. Moreover, there is a new by-law here in Shenzhen that requires any foreign English teacher to have worked at least two years here otherwise they cannot apply for a teaching position. Think about the ramifications of that for a moment. That means that from this point on, educational institutions – whether public or private – will not be able to recruit talented teachers from abroad but only those that are currently in the country. This tells me clearly that the new Chinese Education System is weeding us out of the country like unwanted rats. This could easily be called a “war of attrition” – a modus operandi that is quite prevalent in this country. Sadly, this phenomenon is not only to be observed in the field of education, but also in other circles such as in business. I’ve also observed that fewer and fewer foreign companies are desiring to establish operations in mainland; this can be attributable to the reasons enumerated in this post and the nationalistic mindset in particular. And this paradox is also exacerbated by the fact that internet accessibility is slowly being destroyed in China. Internet accessibility is crucial not only for business enterprise, but also for education for, without it, how can one learn about and do business with their international counterparts? Moreover, limited access to mostly Chinese website hinders students’ ability and opportunity to learn more about the culture and practices of those from other countries. Will this be a tremendous opportunity cost for China and its economy in the future? Will it forsake the possible employment of countless job seekers in the Chinese workforce in the future? Time will tell. To conclude this part: If you can’t attract quality educators to China, what do you think the net effect will be on the quality of education for the current student population? Will English even be a part of public school curriculum in the future? Conclusion I came to China to try to make a difference. For the most part it’s been quite gratifying and I have found Chinese students to be far more clever, passionate, and enthusiastic than those from my home country. The potential – that is the keyword P-O-T-E-N-T-I-A-L – is absolutely amazing and astounding here. There are so many bright minds here that are just starving for knowledge. But after having taught in China for almost eight years now, my faith has greatly waned and faded for I don’t see a reversal of course on the horizon any time soon. Perhaps only in private schools there still is hope which, for the moment, is where I chose to spend my remaining time in this country. I end with a few questions to think about: - Will educational reforms prove effective for China in the 21st century? - Will English even be part of the educational landscape in public schools five years from now? - Will the mass production of “test machines” really help produce capable citizens? - Will the next generation of Chinese workers be adequately prepared to thrive in a very competitive and multicultural global environment? Time will tell. Your thoughts on this extremely important topic are welcome. I would love to hear from both Chinese and foreigners and also from students. Please post your thoughts below.

Why the PBOC is dead wrong on devaluating the YuanAfter a few years of letting the Yuan slide to a more normal level, the PBOC has decided to completely reverse course and set a path to devalue the Yuan since late last year. Why the sudden change in monetary policy? As with most economic and financial decisions, this one seems to be yet another “reactionary” one. We saw such reactionary measures with all the stock market madness which occurred in the summer of 2015. Reactionary measures tend not to work; and we have definitely seen proof of this with the stock market debacle. But back to the question of “why?”. It would seem that the intent to devalue the Yuan is a traditional one; namely, to devalue the currency would, in theory, mean that exports would become “cheaper” to other countries and thus China could export more goods which would help its stagnating economy. The conundrum, however, is that this is a flawed and unrealistic expectation. Let me explain. The world now is so economically and financially integrated. It’s not just China that is slowing down; everywhere is, and most particularly in Western Europe and the United States. The US is China’s biggest trading partner. But the US economy is now experiencing a very severe recession, or depression many would say. The US Consumer – the main driver of the world’s largest economy – is broke! With almost 95 million out of the workforce and over 40% of the country’s citizens receiving food stamps and other government aid, do you think that Americans actually have a lot of disposable income to purchase its goods? Just look at recent store closings for many retail chains such as Macy’s, JC Penny, and even Wal Mart. Americans simply won’t be buying more goods from China because they are broke and can barely pay their month-to-month bills! If people aren’t buying goods at Wal Mart (80% of which are made in China) do you really think that a devaluation of the Yuan against the US dollar will make a difference? In my opinion, China and the PBOC should be pursuing the opposite policy which would be a much more beneficial one. That is, they should be letting the Yuan strengthen against other currencies as is the natural tendency anyhow. China’s currency was just admitted to the IMF’s SDR basket of currencies. And during his visit to the US last year, President Xi mentioned that although there was a recent slowdown in the appreciation of the Yuan, China would indeed let it “float” soon and be priced according to market forces. For China to keep the Yuan devalued it needs to burn a lot of its FX Currency Reserves (which are currently at just over 3.5 Trillion US dollars). In fact, they have just spent nearly US$500 million in the last several weeks just to debase the Yuan. There is also the Offshore Yuan that they need to debase in order to close the gap between CNY and CNH which is also extremely costly not to mention an unwinnable fight against the Hedge Fund community. Why choose to let the Yuan strengthen instead of weakening it? A few reasons: 1) This would be in line with what they’ve been telling the world about letting its currency free float. 2) The Yuan could rival or even replace the US dollar as the trade currency of choice. This could further increase China’s power and influence in the world. 3) The currency is currently grossly undervalued. By how much? The Chinese Yuan is 42% undervalued according to the Big Mac Index (see http://bigmacindex.org/2015-big-mac-index.html). 4) Most importantly: China is transitioning into a Consumer-based Economy while waning its out-of-date and no-longer-realistic Export-Led Model. What this means is that what will drive the Chinese economy in the next several decades will be consumers buying goods. If the Yuan is stronger, Chinese consumers can get more purchasing power – especially when buying foreign made goods. Chinese consumers can also strongly benefit from a stronger Yuan when travelling abroad. With a strong Yuan, vacations and shopping will become a lot cheaper. Moreover, Chinese love gold. And a stronger Yuan could mean that shoppers could by and accumulate gold more cheaply. In conclusion, I think that the PBOC trying to reverse course and force its way back is a completely flawed policy to undertake at this particular point in time given the economic circumstances and other reasons stated above. Unfortunately, I (and most of you) will not hold my breath for a shift in policy. China could be in a position to let the Yuan strengthen rather than join the club of other fiat currencies which are racing towards the bottom. But hey, such a “reactionary” measure seems to fit with what they know rather than taking a “proactive” one in which they could become the leader. Time will tell.

The following article from ZeroHedge.com entitled ‘Inside Vladimir Putin's Multi-Billion Dollar, Triple-Decker War Room’ reveals it all. Unlike the American military, the Russians seem to genuinely want to clean up the ISIS mess. And also unlike the Americans, they’re being much more transparent about it, showing it all for the world to see. I’m glad Russia is an ally and friend to China! Video can be watched here: via YoutTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWM3fmtLT_4&feature=youtu.be Photos:

Who exactly are the attackers and where are their bodies? Where are the eyewitnesses to the attacks and why haven’t we heard from any of them? Who are the 129 victims and why haven’t their names been revealed? As I mentioned in my earlier post - Were the Paris Attacks intentionally created as a pretext for war and fending off refugees? - the French authorities were extremely quick to blame ISIS for the attacks without conducting a thorough investigation. I also raised a series of questions that are not being asked by journalists and reporters and thus not being reported in the mainstream outlets. I have yet to find any mainstream news organization such as BBC, CNN, and even some of the main French outlets such as Le Monde, TV5, and Liberation that are actually providing: - Legitimate photographs of either the alleged terrorists (or at least of what would have remained of their body parts or clothing); - Photos, videos, or names of any of the 129 alleged victims; - Videos or narrative accounts of any of the eyewitnesses of the three different attacks sites. What’s even more troublesome is that in this day and age where almost everyone has iPhone 6’s or other smart phones equipped with very good cameras and video cameras, yet NOBODY AT ALL has seem to provided any footage of either the victims or the terrorist “in action”. Doesn’t that seem extremely strange and unlikely to you? For more anomalies on this point consult the following article: Paris Attacks Day 2: More Oddities, Lack of Substantive Eyewitness Videos. Planted Passport In my previous post I also expressed strong doubts about the “Passport” found at one of the attack sites next to one of the alleged terrorists (also for which we have no photographs or proof). The French authorities had initially stated that this was a fake passport that was used by a Syrian refugee who had previously entered Europe. I mean, come on, do you really think that refugees in Syria were able to apply for passports in the first place? And do you really think a terrorist would bring and wear a passport during his mission? Are we fools? It would certainly appear to me that this passport was planted at the scene by the real terrorists - other insiders. It’s exactly like the alleged terrorist Mohamed Atta’s passport was suddenly found at the site of the Twin Tower debris after their collapse during the 9/11 attacks. Like a paper passport would miraculously survive completely intact from the burning heat of the melted towers. Do they really think that we the public are that gullible and stupid? It seems to me that this was conveniently planted at the scene to make it look like it came from a terrorist that had infiltrated himself in the EU as a refugee, as that would help substantiate the mainstream media’s false narrative for the attacks. If it looks like a pig and smells like a pig; it’s a pig! Here are a couple of articles regarding the planted passport: - Food For Thought: The Found Passport by Dr. Paul Craig Roberts - VoltaireNet.org: Passeport: le retour by Jean-Claude Paye (in French) More of what’s coming in the near future As I also mentioned previously, within 2 days of the attacks and without any formal, professional, or thorough investigation, French President Francois Hollande decided to illegally send French fighter jets to bomb an ISIS target in Syria (without any credible evidence that this site could have housed accomplices). Like, how many times have such actions in the past worked? They only make matters worse. But nonetheless, expect more French (a staunch US ally) involvement in Syria. The President has already asked for increased “PATRIOT ACT” type security measures which will only continue to strip citizens of even more privacy rights and will ensure an even greater surveillance state. Expect French President Francois Hollande to invoke Article 5 be used to put NATO boots on the ground in Syria. All this will do is complicate the only real progress that has been made against ISIS in the region by Russia. France is a US puppet state doing what it is told to do to ensure that the region remains unstable to the benefit of the American Military-Industrial Complex. That’s all it is folks. You see with oil prices at $40 and without war, the US’s Petro-dollar system is doomed. They need the war machine to inflate demand for the dollar. Without it, the American empire will soon collapse. Apart from France closing its border, the closing of European nations’ borders will also inevitably follow. As I mentioned previously, close to a million refugees, from Syria, Afghanistan, and other Middle Eastern troubled nations arrived in Europe thus far in 2015. One could easily argue this is “blowback” for EU countries following the US’s Middle East policies and involvement. With an incredible 2 million more refugees projected to take the EU route in 2016, this would be catastrophic to the European experiment. With many of these refugees being Muslims, expect an increase in nationalism and anti-Muslim sentiment to prevail. This will likely lead to nationalist and “anti-immigrant” parties - such as Marine Le Pen’s National Front party in France - to take power in upcoming elections. More such parties are gaining steam in the UK, Germany, and Greece. In other words, expect 1920-30’s Nazi-style fascism to make a big return. Expect all the above to happen. Meanwhile, the majority of the French people and others around the world will continue to be gullible and ignorant as to what is really happening by believing the mainstream media’s narrative – no questions asked. If you don’t believe me, have a look at the mainstream media websites; there is no place in which the public and users can ask real questions that should be asked, nor are there any answers. The mainstream media websites are designed to have shocking headlines and photos and any other propaganda to make the masses believe the continued lies. There are completely controlled by a handful of mega-corporations, elites, and intelligence agencies like the CIA. True Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press has been almost completely annihilated. Could such attacks happen to China or to Chinese citizens? It already has. Just today, it was reported that a Chinese national – Mr. Fan Jinghui, a 50-year-old freelance consultant from Beijing was killed. Here are a few articles on some alternative news sites: - RT.com: China vows to bring ISIS to justice as Chinese hostage confirmed killed - Firstpost: Islamic State English magazine 'Dabiq' announces killing of Chinese, Norwegian hostages - in.com: IS English magazine 'Dabiq' announces killing of Chinese, Norwegian hostages Is this being reported in the mainstream media? Are real questions being asked? Is there any attempt to locate and validate the evidence that the Chinese national was indeed killed? Who should be investigating this? Will they investigate it in a professional, unbiased, untainted, and uninfluenced manner? Don’t we have a collective duty to insist that the authorities and national media get to the bottom of things? If we are just all willing to passively read about it and do nothing, we are setting ourselves up to be the next victims. Conclusion World peace and stability will never happen until we see a true return of Freedom of the Press. As long as powerful corporations and corrupt government continue to manipulate, coerce, and control the mainstream media outlets while the general population sits idly by, we can only expect to see more of the same. We are all to blame.

While millions around the globe mourn the loss of over 140 victims of last Friday’s coordinated attacks on Paris, the mainstream media is, yet again, irresponsibly covering the tragedy in a way that is only advancing the agenda of those who are truly behind terrorism.Let’s start with a few questions that are not being asked to the French authorities by the world’s mainstream media:Why has France funded Syrian “Rebel” groups (who are known to be members of ISIS) in the past? How can you blame ISIS **within hours** of the attacks without conducting any sort of formal investigation? Is fair to the victims to place blame a group without a proper investigation?Is it a mere coincidence that on the very same morning of the attacks, a multi-site attack exercise had been planned in Paris? Regarding the Syrian passport found near one of the alleged terrorist’s body: is it really likely that a terrorist would bring his own passport to a shooting, especially if he is already in France? Could this passport have been planted on the scene? Why did you immediately close the borders if the attacks were from within the country? If there were 7 suicide bombers that blew themselves up, why haven’t any body parts been found or shown as evidence? Are we just supposed to accept the police’s word for it? How has the French determined that the city of Raqqa in Syria is all of a sudden the “capital” of ISIS and what intelligence do you have for justifying its bombing? And under which international law are you allowed to bomb a sovereign nation? But the bigger question is: why haven’t major mainstream news media reporters and journalists asked any of these very important and relevant questions? I will tell you why. But first a little background. On the heels of Xi Jinping’s visit to the US and to the UN last September, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke at the UN’s 70th General Assembly regarding the United State’s mess they had created in the Middle East, especially in Iraq and Syria – the breeding ground of ISIS. The facts are that the US, France, Turkey, and other G20 countries have funded various militant rebel groups that were against the Assad regime in Syria. Even US Intelligence agencies have provided evidence that the US funded such groups that eventually became ISIS. The day after Putin’s speech, Russia started a heavy bombing campaign (not an illegal one under international law, as it was at the request of the Syrian government) in Syria against ISIS targets. Unlike with the previous two years of American bombing campaigns, Russia was doing some real damage against ISIS. So basically the Russians were there to “clean house” so to speak – something the US had willingly failed to do in the last two years in order to support the agenda of the Military-Industrial Complex. Having achieved some initial success in Syria against ISIS, the Russians became a threat to the US’s (and its NATO puppet states) war agenda. Thus, something had to be done to try to get the West involved back in the conflict. Had the US decided to do this on its own, it would have been criticized internationally, as it has had disastrous military campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Lybia. Thus, it needs to use NATO (which is 75% funded by and mostly controlled the United States by the way) to get back in the game to ensure continued war in the Middle East, persecution of Muslims, and hefty profits for the elites and bankers. So don’t be surprised to see NATO start to start getting involved in Syria very soon. And NATO most likely not be willing to coordinate efforts with Russia (who is the only sincere party that really wants to eradicate ISIS). As for more background, we have seen nearly a million refugees, including many Muslims from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Lybia, flow into Europe this year with an expected 2 million more to do the same in 2016. Thus, how convenient would it be for France, Germany, et al. to suddenly have a pretext to close their borders? Very convenient indeed. So don’t be surprised to see such kinds of measures announced by EU countries other than France very soon. So back to our question from before: why haven’t major mainstream news media reporters and journalists asked any of these very important and relevant questions? It’s because the mainstream media is controlled. You needn’t look no further than the January “Charlie Hebdo” attacks which also took place in France earlier this year. These attacks stunk of a False Flag operation like no other. Moreover, the mainstream media milked the event to propagate an even more hateful sentiment towards Muslims. Unlike with the elite-corporate-CIA controlled Western media, China’s media, including CCTV News, Xinhua, China Daily, etc., could really make a difference in the global fight on the real terrorists should it choose to do so. Xi Jinping’s team does indeed seem to want a peaceful world, as demonstrated by his various speeches given around the world in the last couple of months. But I’m afraid without such kind of actions, it’s all just wishful thinking. We are on the path to world war; there is no doubt about it. Without shining the light on the real terrorists, things will not change. They will only become much worse. Only by informing people with facts and unbiased news can you collectively empower them against the evils of darkness. I’ve left some links below for more on the subject. Many are from alternative media outlets which, unlike the mainstream media, actually do ask the hard questions and demand the truth. The ‘Paris False Flag?’ UK Column hosts panel discussion with Patrick Henningsen and Vanessa Beeley piece is particularly informative; there is a Youku video of this discussion for those in China who don’t have access to YouTube. Also, if you want to know more about how the Western media (including that in France, Germany and the rest of Western Europe) is controlled and manipulated by intelligence agencies such as the CIA, you can also watch a very revealing and interesting interview with a former German journalist Udo Ulfkotte on the matter. It’s time to wake up folks!LINKS: Putin: ‘ISIS Financing Comes From G20 Member Nations’ http://21stcenturywire.com/2015/11/16/putin-isis-financing-comes-from-g20-member-nations/ ‘Paris False Flag?’ UK Column hosts panel discussion with Patrick Henningsen and Vanessa Beeley http://21stcenturywire.com/2015/11/16/paris-false-flag-uk-column-hosts-panel-discussion-with-patrick-henningsen-and-vanessa-beeley/ And the Video (from UK Column News - http://www.ukcolumn.org/): via Youku: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTM4ODUxNjE4OA==.html via Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTSiwaT0hN8 13/11 Paris Massacre: A Qui Profite Le Crime? (in English) http://orientalreview.org/2015/11/14/1311-paris-massacre-pour-quel-profit/ Activist Post - 9 Reasons to Question the Paris Terror Attacks http://www.activistpost.com/2015/11/9-reasons-to-question-the-paris-terror-attacks.html Activist Post - Emergency Drills Took Place on Morning of Paris Terror Attacks: Report http://www.activistpost.com/2015/11/emergency-drills-took-place-on-morning-of-paris-terror-attacks-report.html Another Paris False Flag Attack? — Paul Craig Roberts http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2015/11/13/another-paris-false-flag-attack-paul-craig-roberts/ Food For Thought: The Found Passport — Paul Craig Roberts http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2015/11/15/food-for-thought-the-found-passport/ Counterpunch - After Paris You’re Meant to Hate Refugees http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/11/16/after-paris-youre-meant-to-hate-refugees/ Globalist Racketeering: Gearóid Ó Colmáin Reveals the Deep State Agenda Behind the Paris Attacks http://21stcenturywire.com/2015/11/16/globalist-racketeering-gearoid-o-colmain-reveals-the-deep-state-agenda-behind-the-paris-attacks/ French Government Actions Leading To NATO Response http://pressfortruth.ca/top-stories/french-government-actions-leading-nato-response/

WARNING: Is China getting caught in City of London’s financial web of doom?China’s President Xi Jinping is currently visiting the UK setting the stage for a new “Golden Era” as is often mentioned recently in the mainstream news. Of course numerous parties are set to benefit from such collaboration and agreements. For the most part, most deals seem legitimate and mutually beneficial to both countries. My concern however - one that I hope will become shared by many in China – is that China may be falling into a deadly financial and monetary trap which other nations have also experienced.Let me explain. What most people around the world don’t know is that the global financial capital of the world is located in The City of London, not London. There is a difference. The City of London is a tiny area (roughly one square mile) within London. The City of London is a sovereign state in itself and is actually governed by the City of London Corporation. To quote an article from The Guardian on the topic: "the Corporation exists outside many of the laws and democratic controls which govern the rest of the United Kingdom. The City of London is the only part of Britain over which parliament has no authority. " You can get a brief yet very informative overview from the following video: via Youku: The (Secret) City of London – Part 1: History via YouTube: The (Secret) City of London – Part 1: History This is the jurisdiction under which all the major banks from the UK including its central bank (The Bank of England) as well as global corporations operate. Keep in mind that these are the banks from which the British Government gets financed (at great interest and expense mind you). Although it wouldn’t appear so on its website The City of London Corporation is a highly secretive organization with its own government (dating as far back as 1066), Governing Bodies, Police and Departments, laws and regulations. The first 20 minutes of the following video gives a remarkable view of the landmarks and powerful players that are concentrated in the city center’s area. It’s definitely worth the watch as it contains lots of interesting facts and historical context. The video also explains how the banks in the city have financed both sites of numerous wars and how a small number of powerful families – such as the Rothschilds and the Rockefellers – have controlled banks and governments for centuries. via Youku: David Icke – Tour around the City of London via YouTube: David Icke – Tour around the City of London With this background information out of the way, it’s back to my concern on how China may unknowingly (and naively) get caught in The City of London’s evil web. As many financial deals are currently being signed between China and the UK, mostly in secrecy, how do we know that China, its Central Bank (the PBOC), its major corporations (including many SOEs), and its Capital Markets are not at risk of this corporation’s secret agenda? What could this agenda entail? By leaps and bounds China is opening itself up to the world. The internationalization of the Yuan and the opening up of its financial markets will see China cede a lot of control over its financial destiny. Recently, there has been a plan in the works to link the London Stock Exchange with the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The following two articles can bring you up to speed on this deal: ChinaDaily - London Financial Circles Welcome LSE-Shanghai Exchanges plan CCTV - Moving ahead on China-UK financial cooperation To repeat an earlier concern of mine: what exactly is being negotiated? The devil is in the details, they say. How do we know that China will not be taken advantaged of? You see, the British, with centuries of related experience in the financial markets, are extremely savvy. At the heart of this experience are the officials from The City of London Corporation. Moreover, the laws and rules under which they operate are mostly geared in their favor. Last summer we saw how the Chinese government and its financial institutions dealt with the Stock Market Crisis. And it wasn’t pretty at all. This proves the inexperience of China in such matters. I think that if China opens its financial markets up too much and too early (especially to those from this power base in London), it will put the country at great risk in the future. Opening up the markets too much such as with the stock market could prove catastrophic. Last summer, many domestic investors shorted Chinese stocks. Even though there is no law against that the Chinese authorities have cracked down on such practices promising to punish those that take such investment actions. Needless to say if China decides to open up its market (as proposed with the LSE- Shanghai Stock Exchange plan) it will have to permit short-selling and other practices found in Western financial markets. Many of these practices would in turn be extremely detrimental to the Chinese economy (as can currently be witnessed in the United States and Western Europe). Since the devil is indeed in the details, I sincerely hope that the Chinese leaders and delegates currently visiting the UK know what they are doing and what they are up against. Hopefully, they will be employing some of Sun Tze’s tactics which have historically proven useful for this proud nation. The rest is up to the citizenry of China (i.e., YOU) to be well informed and cautious about the inherent risks in continued efforts of opening up to the rest of the world. Spread the word. Related articles: The Guardian - The medieval, unaccountable Corporation of London is ripe for protest by George Monbiot http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/oct/31/corporation-london-city-medieval The (British) Crown Empire and the City of London Corporation http://humansarefree.com/2013/11/the-british-crown-empire-and-city-of.html Die Tempel der Macht: City of London Corporation (in German) http://www.pravda-tv.com/2015/03/die-tempel-der-macht-city-of-london-corporation-videos/ City of London Corporation – La Denuncia di Borghezio (in Italian) http://www.quieuropa.it/23069/

THE GREAT SEPTEMBER “CRESET” OF 2015Many financial experts – excluding the presstitute ones that appear on the mainstream financial media (such as Bloomberg, CNBC, and the like) – are calling for a major reset/crash (I call it a “Creset” short for Crash + Reset) this September. Some say it might occur in October, as earnings season for Q3 will kick-off and is likely to show dismal company (and economic) performance on a global scale. I would like to name a few of these experts, as they have been quite stellar in many of their previous calls. We have the likes of Martin Armstrong, Jim Sinclair, Gerald Celente (rated as the top trends forecaster in the world), David Stockman, Andy Hoffman, Gregory Mannarino, Jeff Berwick, Rob Kirby, John Williams, and Bill Fleckenstein. You may not have heard these names before, as they only seldom appear on the mainstream media; this is perhaps due to the fact that they don’t paint as pretty a picture as the networks’ more favored and “enthusiastic” guests do. Personally, I agree that a major crash/reset will occur this September. Since we are in an unprecedented period in history (i.e., never before has the world been in so much debt and central banks have printed so much money) it is an inevitable consequence of natural law. Only this time, expect a crash much worse than the ones that occurred in 1907 and 1929. As history always repeats, this one will be very similar in nature and causation to the two I just mentioned. But it will, in fact, be much worse. I foresee a 50 to 75% crash in the major stock markets of the world (especially those in Europe, the US, and Japan). This is largely supported by many technical indicators as well. But what will make this particular crash even worse is the fact that other than the current stock bubble there are two even larger bubbles ripe for popping, namely the bond market bubble (the largest bubble in history) and the derivatives bubble in which lies over 4 quadrillion dollars worth in derivatives products currently tainting the big banks’ books. I wouldn’t even be surprised to see the banking behemoths of JP Morgan Chase, Citibank, Bank of America, and Deutsche Bank collapse, as Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns did during the Financial Crisis of 2007-8. The derivatives exposure of these four banks alone is absolutely insane with each of them having over 50 trillion dollars worth (in aggregate that’s more than the entire amount of global GDP for 2014). In addition, you could also mention the currency bubble (a.k.a., currency wars) if you wanted to. They are all tied at the hip. Once the stock market falls, the others will inevitably follow. Everything is connected. Furthermore, at least 3 of the 4 major currencies – the U.S. dollar, the Japanese Yen, and the Euro will also take a tremendous hit. This being a natural consequence of the reckless money printing policies from central banks which have ensued since the last Financial Crisis (of 2007-8). In other words, the central banks have printed trillions upon trillions of their respective currencies which has done nothing for Main Street but has certainly propped up the balance sheets of Wall Street (i.e., the big banks and the corrupt elites, or the 1% of the 1%, who control them). But will it be a crash or a reset or both? And what is the difference between the two? A reset basically means that the current financial, banking, and money/currency system has become dysfunctional and unsustainable and thus must be reconfigured once again to fit the times. For instance, we saw such a reset occur after World War II when the ‘Bretton Woods Agreement’ was established; many countries fixed exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar and their central banks could exchange dollar holdings gold at the official exchange rate of $35 per ounce. But by 1970, France no longer trusted this system and decided to reduce its dollar reserves, exchanging them for gold at the official exchange rate which left President Nixon with no choice but to close this gold window. Although the U.S. “petrodollar” is still king, so to speak, we are witnessing powerhouse countries like Russia, China, and Saudi Arabia break free from the Greenback as they are ing U.S. Treasury bonds by the billions (largely to defend their respective currencies). In other words, history is being repeated once more. This is inevitable, as the petrodollar is no longer benefitting countries other than the United States. Since the current system is no longer fair, nor sustainable, it is visibly coming apart at the seams. Moreover, in order for these (and many other) countries to protect themselves against the inevitable devaluation of the dollar, they have been importing hundreds of tons (thousands in China’s case) of gold bullion in the past five years. So the question then is: in the next reset what will the new monetary/financial system look like? Will there be a global common currency? Although there has been mention that the SDR (Special Drawings Rights) basket of fiat currencies by the IMF could act as a new standard, I highly doubt it. You see, if you take a basket of junk (such as the current mix of overprinted fiat dollars, yen, and Euros) to make a new currency you still end up with junk. In other words, what would be its true intrinsic value? Basically, it would be zero, as all fiat currencies backed by nothing eventually end up becoming worthless. They only way it could work was if it were backed (fully or partially) by gold (or arguably silver). But western vaults have been largely drained of their gold in the past decade and the barbarous relic has found its way eastwardly in the coffers of India, China, and Singapore. The only possibility of a common currency I can see that could have a chance at succeeding would be one that is created by the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa); this would make a lot of sense since these countries have (although, unofficially) the lion’s share of global gold reserves. So don’t be surprised if the BRICS were to make such a move in the next year or two. Add the fact that China was recently snubbed by the IMF (i.e., by the U.S.) with regards to the inclusion of its currency in the SDR. This face-losing event is one which made China look weak and inferior – something this proud country will not easily digest nor forget. Personally, I think this will be a reset in which there will be no prevailing currency standard. For a standard to be both accepted and adopted internationally, you need trust. But trust is lacking in our credit-based, currency-wars, debt-ridden Ponzi world. We saw this first-hand during the Financial Crisis of 2007-8 when international banks stopped lending to one another due to a lack of trust (specifically with respect to each others’ liquidity and solvency). In my opinion, the only internationally-accepted monetary standard that could work would entail one that would have a currency or payment-mechanism-system that is backed by gold (and also possibly silver). For this to occur, gold (and inherently silver) would have to revalued to levels that are many multiples of their current valuations respective to fiat currencies. In other words, you may see gold and silver reboot much higher during the upcoming reset. This argument can easily be substantiated and supported with the fact that gold and silver have been aggressively manipulated downward since 2011 (to keep the U.S. dollar propped up) by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the Federal Reserve, and the Bank of England through the illegal operations of their strong-arm bullion banks via the LBMA and Comex (gold & silver paper/futures markets). This manipulation is coming very close to an end; if it doesn’t occur this fall, it will certainly happen by the end of the year when the new bullion-backed (not paper backed) futures trading platform is set to be launched by the Shanghai Gold Exchange (currently scheduled for December). I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see China re-state its official gold reserves at over 10,000 tons (likely 15,000 to 20,000 tons). This would have a tremendous impact on the valuation and price of gold making a BRICS gold-backed currency more and more likely, not to mention extremely alluring. So what to look for during September? How will the upcoming crash and reset occur? What will be the triggering event that ignites it all? Let’s play devil’s advocate and look at the WHY, WHERE, and HOW. WHY? Firstly, the world is drowning in unprecedented levels of credit and debt. Next, there are bubbles everywhere – in stocks, bonds, real estate, art, derivatives, and so on. The real economy of most countries is in doldrums unlike what is stated to us by government agencies and is evangelized in the mainstream media. There is very little growth around the globe, if at all. We are seeing hundreds of thousands of destitute refugees from Northern Africa and the Middle East fleeing to Europe in search of hope. Finally, there are cycles. We are practically at the top of the current up-cycle. Speaking of cycles, you may have heard of the Shemitah. The Shemitah is a seven-year agricultural cycle which is observed in Judaism. Basically, every seven years all debts become forgiven. It is a washing-away of debts if you will. It’s kind of like a reset or a chance for distressed people and businesses to start over with a clean slate. Although many people don’t believe in such religious tales, the fact is that many dark events have occurred end the end of Shemitah cycles: · The stock market crash of September and October of 2008 occurred at the end of the last Shemitah 7 year cycle. The Sept. 29th saw the Dow plummet 777 points – the greatest one day stock market crash in U.S. history. · The 9/11 terror attacks and the subsequent stock market crash that ensued once the markets re-opened on September 17th both occurred at the end of the Shemitah year in 2001. The Sept. 17th crash was the greatest one day stock market crash in U.S. history. · In 1994 there was a huge bond massacre. · Stock markets crashed seven years earlier on “Black Monday” in October of 1987. The list goes on and on. While many will contend these as mere chance occurrences, it would be wise not to exclude the possibility of it happening again. This year, the end of the Shemitah will take place on Sunday, September 13 of this year. It is also worth mentioning that every 7th 7-year cycle (i.e., 7 x 7, or 49 year cycle) results in what is called the ‘Jubilee year’ or ‘Super Shemitah’. Such periods are characterized by stronger, more accentuated shocks. WHERE? Before answering where this will occur, perhaps it is best to ask what will trigger the crash/reset. If you look at history, there are many events which have preceded world wars and financial crises. Such events are often referred to as “black swan” events; that is, one which is unforeseen and that has a devastating effect or a tremendous impact. Some of these events were purposely instigated such as the September 11th attacks while others such as the 2007 Tsunami that hit Japan are unforeseen. So the question is: will it be a planned or unplanned black swan which will occur next? It could be argued that the Middle East, Eastern Europe (along the Ukrainian-Russian border) or the USA are all hot spots where such a black swan type event could soon take place. The U.S. in particular is a likely candidate since many important events will take place this September: · The United Nations General Assembly will open its 70th session at the UN Headquarters in New York City on Sept. 15th. World leaders from around the world will be in attendance. Moreover, it has been reported that France plans to introduce a resolution which will give formal UN Security Council recognition to a Palestinian state shortly after the new session begins. Such a resolution has been blocked in the past but it is widely believed that President Obama could have a different stance this time going against Israel; · The Jade Helm (U.S. Military exercises) will also end on Sept. 15th; · The Federal Reserve’s FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) Meeting will reveal whether or not it will raise interest rates during its Sept. 16-17th gathering; · Pope Francis is schedule to address the U.S. Congress on Sept. 24th; · Pope Francis is schedule to give a mass at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan on Sept. 25th; · The UN will also host the ‘Sustainable Development Summit’ from Sept. 25th to 27th (where Pope Francis is also expected to make a historic speech). Other areas of interest in the U.S. could include the capital – Washington, D.C., the south (especially in Texas where many Jade Helm U.S. Military exercises have taken place), and drought-infested California. Needless to say, there are very significant events of global significance that will take place in the U.S. in September – especially in its financial hub that is New York City. If I were to fathom a guess, I would say that the Pope speech schedule for September 25th at Madison Square Garden could, unfortunately, be a place where a terrible event may occur. Think about it, they eyes of the world will be focused on the Pope during this period. If the elite are planning a one world government, there wouldn’t be a better time and place since the Pope is scheduled to push the UN’s development agenda during his speech. What better way than to get the masses to adhere to more government control? We did see something similar happen during and after 9/11 which indeed resulted in tighter government control and reduced freedoms and privacy of citizens. HOW? Apart from some “black swan” type events that were previously mentioned, there are other possible ones lurking around, namely: · An ISIS attack · A natural disaster (including a comet hit) · Cyber-attacks on key infrastructures such as power-grids, nuclear power plants, or stock markets · A “False Flag” attack It’s always difficult to predict what may set in motion a panic in the world and in the financial markets. There are many examples from history – from sinking of passenger ships to assassinations of presidents. The tendency, often, is that such kinds of events do tend to get repeated. How will we know if the next big horrible event will be one that is purposely instigated by malicious people versus one that is “accidently” or “naturally” caused? Many man-made events have been cast upon the populous in the past. A time-tested technique which has been used for this is called PROBLEM-REACTION-SOLUTION which is a mind-control technique (for the masses). In the 3rd century AD, the Roman Emperor Diocletian needed more money to support his government. So he created a new enemy to fight and used this as a way to justify tax increases on the Roman population. Here’s how this mind control technique was employed by him: 1. Problem: “We have a new enemy who wants to destroy us…” 2. Reaction (of the population): “Oh no! We can’t accept this…” 3. Solution: “We need money to supply our army to fight them!” The technique has proven particularly effective in the past, as the masses tend to be quite ignorant, uniformed and gullible. Adolf Hitler once said: “The bigger the lie, the more people believe it.” Some even argue that this PROBLEM-REACTION-SOLUTION was employed for the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in order to justify a new war on terrorism, privacy, and civil liberties. I genuinely hope that the next time around, people won’t be so quick to believe the government propaganda spewed out through their corrupt and immoral mainstream media outlets; but rather, use their brains to be more objective about who is really responsible and what their motives are. Once the next big event happens, pay close attention to how it is presented in the media. Are they trying to pin the blame on some particular culprit? Why? Also ask yourself: who controls the media? CONSEQUENCES: Unfortunately, with all dark events, crises, and crashes often come a set of undesirable consequences of political, social, economic, and financial nature. Since most everything in our world is tied to money, the financial repercussions will be enormous. Here are but a few things that are likely to happen in the short term of a financial meltdown: · Big banks will suffer huge losses due to stock market losses and other risky investment bets (such as derivatives) gone afoul. · Bonds, including sovereign/government bonds such as U.S. Treasurys, will become greatly devalued. · Bank assets will shrink considerably compared to their liabilities (what they owe others). · Bank liquidity and credit will freeze up (as we saw in 2007-8); in other words, banks will no longer trust and want to lend to each other. · Central Banks will no longer have the means to bail-out their buddies (the big banks) nor will they be able to adjust monetary policy such as lowering interest rates (since they are already at or near zero). · The U.S. dollar and other fiat currencies may be strongly devalued. · Natural market forces will dictate higher interest rates to cover the additional risk of bonds and other lending instruments. · Inventory systems for many businesses will become dysfunctional, as transportation of goods will be greatly interrupted (due to the lack of credit and payment for such goods through the banking system). · As per the previous point, goods (including foodstuffs) on store shelves can be emptied in a matter of weeks. · Poverty, despair, and civil unrest can easily follow. · Governments may impose curfews, Martial Law, Capital controls (restrictions on movement of money to and from bank accounts and at border crossings). · Banks may impose limits on daily cash withdrawals at their ATM machines (as we recently saw in Greece). · The demand for physical gold and silver is likely to skyrocket, as people will be in need of real money. · Confiscation of people’s assets (such as gold) may occur (as U.S. President Roosevelt did During The Great Depression in 1933). · Higher rates of crime, depression, and suicides may result as poverty and despair sets in. CONCLUSION: I am not trying to sound so pessimistic but rather want to convey a realistic tone. These types of events have occurred before in history. Have we learned from them? For the most part, no. If people are too blind and ignorant to face up to the mess we have allowed ourselves to get , then we what do we deserve? Fortunately, there is still time to get prepared. Get your financial affairs in order; make sure you have a lot of cash handy as well as food, water, and other necessities for at least a month or two; get organized with your family and community members. Get better informed about what is really happening in the world. For this, you can consult alternative media sources. It’s coming. Be prepared!