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Free Program Series at the Mt. Lebanon Library
A facilitated program series planned and moderated by John Hemington, on The History and Impact of Financial Power –1868 to 2008, will be held at the Mt. Lebanon Library. It will examine, evaluate and draw conclusions from the historical, political and economic roots of both the Great Depression and the Great Financial Crisis of 2008 (GFC). We will try to determine whether the same processes, problems and ideas which led to the Great Depression are related to the events which triggered the GFC. We will also critique the contribution of mainstream economic ideas, models and policies and whether they may have contributed to the ongoing turmoil in the world’s economies today and what this bodes for the future?
The group will meet twice a month to discuss readings from the three books and the cumulative issues raised by these readings. The program will last for a year, beginning on the first Tuesday of March, the 5th, from 7:00 p.m. until 8:45 p.m. and subsequent 1st Tuesdays (except for July which will be the 9th). The 2nd monthly meeting day will be determined at the initial meeting. The program is free but will involve a commitment of time and a willingness to read the three books over the course of the year – listed below – on which the program is based. Clearly, not everyone will be able to attend every session, but a good faith effort should be made to attend as many as possible and to read the material assigned.
Even for those with a good background in history this should be a fresh and revealing experience. Our goal is to demonstrate conclusively that there is not just one history connecting events over time, but perhaps as many different histories as there are historians; and that critical study and evaluation is required to come to meaningful conclusions. Participants will be encouraged to carefully evaluate the facts behind issues before arriving at judgments about the nature of current events. There is no interest in furthering any particular political agenda, view or ideology in this program, therefore, three non-mainstream – but highly credible – authors have been selected for the core reading material. Because the material is primarily historical and minimally technical any reasonable literate individual should be able to participate fully. The discussions will be moderated to minimize argumentative speeches and debates. The idea is for conclusions to be focused on the factual substance covered in the materials – not on personal political or cultural prejudices. An extensive list of optional readings will be provided.
Carroll Quigley, whose book Tragedy and Hope is central to this project, is one of the very few historians whose studies focused on the activities and operations of the world’s “power elite” in the twentieth century and is reputed to have been the only historian ever given unfettered access to the Archives of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Rockefeller Archives. Prior to his death in 1977 Quigley taught at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, where one of his students was Bill Clinton. Earlier in his career he taught at both Princeton and Harvard.
Reading Material
Tragedy and Hope – A History of the World in Our Time (1966), by Carroll Quigley (through page 1083)
The Gods of Money – Wall Street and the Death of the American Century (2009), by F. William Engdahl
Debunking Economics – The Naked Emperor Dethroned (Revised Edition, 2011), by Prof. Steve Keen
If Interested Contact John Hemington at: jehemington -at- verizon -dot- net or show up at the initial meeting.
“We were taught by Dr. Quigley that mankind's greatest tragedies were the consequence of man’s adherence to mistaken or outmoded ideas. The most pernicious of these false ideas are the belief in the perfection of knowledge and that the truth is ours to possess. The belief in the infallibility of human knowledge destroyed classical civilization and threatens to destroy our own. It was faith in the false god of perfect knowledge that led to the silencing of Galileo by the Inquisition, the Reign of Terror in France, the slaughter of a whole generation at the River Somme and the burning of Wilhelm Reich’s books by the U.S. government. It was this same sort of intellectual intransigence that deluded our leaders into believing that strategic bombing could crush the Vietnamese Revolution and has led our civilization closer and closer to ecological disaster.”
William Erickson (Georgetown SFS ‘75)
Veterans Event
The Eastside Neighborhood Employment Center (ENEC) is proud to sponsor a veterans' event featuring Karen Payne, career advisor and case manager at the Veterans Leadership Program (VLP) of Western PA.
She will present on the following opportunities to support veterans' needs:
· Overview of what services VLP provides to veterans and their families.
· Housing – Seven individual housing programs ranging from 12 months stay up to 36 month.
· Three rental assistance housing programs
· Life skills training, individualized goal setting leading to self-sufficiency, referrals for supportive services.
· Eligibility: Veterans status, low income, proof of homelessness, must have some income.
· Employment program for homeless and non-homeless veterans and their families
· Vocational counseling, resume preparation, job development, workshops, and job fairs.
· Individualized assessment and one-on-one assistance in supporting veterans in their job search.
· Helping veterans remove barriers to employment.
· Some supportive services for transportation, clothing and tools.
· How the Eastside Neighborhood Employment Center will help you with employment.
· Contacts and referrals with many employers.
The event will be held at:
The Eastside Neighborhood Employment Center
5321 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224
On Wednesday, February 13th at 11 AM
To register for the event please call (412) 362-8580
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Sponsoring agencies:
Eastside Neighborhood Employment Center, Neighborhood Learning Alliance, Pittsburgh CONNECTS, and Bloomfield Garfield Corporation
On Monday, I introduced Audit the Fed (S. 209) in the U.S. Senate to put an end to the Fed's "print-now, ask-questions-later" policies that are bankrupting every man, woman, and child in the United States. Of course, Ben Bernanke's puppets in Congress are doing everything they can to stop folks like you from blowing the lid off the Federal Reserve. Don't let them get away with the plundering any longer. Read the email below from my father about how you can fight back - and be sure to sign your Audit the Fed petition to C4L IMMEDIATELY. In Liberty, Rand Paul, MD U.S. Senator (R-KY) Dear Mark , Our fragile economy is speeding toward a collision with economic ruin. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has jammed his foot down on the gas pedal. And now statist economists are even discussing hyperinflationary "minting" out of thin air - arguing the Fed should create a trillion-dollar coin to pay our rapidly expanding debt! Without your action today, I'm afraid members of BOTH parties will continue to just look the other way while the Fed's "print-now, ask-questions-later" policies bankrupt every man, woman, and child in the United States. That's why I'm counting on you to fill out your Audit the Fed petition to Campaign for Liberty to make YOUR voice heard IMMEDIATELY. I'll give you the link in just a moment. But first let me explain exactly why this is so important. I know the Fed banksters believe they've wined and dined and bought off enough politicians to keep up their iron grip on our economy. But while the Fed may have cash and connections, you and C4L have the numbers. And politics is a numbers game. Five years ago, few dared talk about sound money or the role of the Federal Reserve. But now, between 70-80% of Americans believe the Fed should be audited. And as any politician worth his salt knows, standing in the way of nearly three quarters of the American people when they're activated and mobilized on an issue is like standing in the way of an oncoming freight train. But none of that matters if good folks like you don't take action. You see, after Harry Reid recently praised Bernanke - and said he'd have to "talk to" the Fed Chairman before allowing a vote on Audit the Fed - there's no doubt he's in the Fed's back pocket. And ever since the GOP's 2012 election debacle, House Republican leadership has been in disarray. Their willingness to allow President Obama to set the agenda on taxes and spending has me worried Audit the Fed will be swept under the rug. This would be a DISASTER. With passage of Audit the Fed, the American people will be able to see the evidence proving the Federal Reserve System leads to: *** Constant economic crises. The housing crisis and the resulting chaos is just one example of an economic bubble created by centrally planned interest rates and money manipulation; *** The destruction of the middle class. As fuel, food, housing, medical care, and education costs soar, everyone who is NOT on the government dole is forced to make do with less as the value of their money slowly decreases; *** Currency destruction. History shows us that riots, violence, and full-scale police states can result when people finally realize our money isn't worth the paper it's printed on and REFUSE to accept it. So won't you please sign your Audit the Fed petition and make a generous contribution to Campaign for Liberty TODAY? I hope you'll act IMMEDIATELY. Even after 2012's "QE3" - which was dubbed "QE-infinity" for its never-ending inflationary printing spree - news is the Fed is "considering" another $870 BILLION QE4! On top of that, powerful players in Washington are DEMANDING the President be handed the unilateral ability to raise the debt ceiling at will! So the solution to our economic problems is infinite dollar devaluation to pay for infinite spending? Any sane person can see the answer is "NO!" Now, countries around the globe - after spending years enabling the statists' lavish boondoggles by buying U.S. debt - are saying "enough is enough" and are preparing to cut the last thread preserving the dollar. But the banksters and Washington, D.C.'s politically connected corporate cronies couldn't care less. They're happy so long as their coffers are flush with Fed cash, taxpayer bailouts, and special government "perks" designed to destroy capitalism's name and usher in even more government control over our lives. But if Campaign for Liberty can turn up the heat on Congress once again, every politician - including Harry Reid - will have a choice to make: Vote to pass Audit the Fed... or find a new job. Ultimately, it's their call. All I know is, I can think of several politicians off the top of my head that I wouldn't mind joining me in retirement! That's why it's so critical you sign your Audit the Fed petition to Campaign for Liberty TODAY! Thanks to the support of good folks like you, Campaign for Liberty has a "reputation" in Washington, D.C. Last year, thanks to their efforts, Audit the Fed passed the House by an overwhelming three-fourths majority. In fact, C4L has quickly become the big spending, Big Government statists' number-one enemy. And I think that's a good thing. Today, I'm asking you to join their efforts by signing your Audit the Fed petition to C4L and - if possible - agreeing to a generous contribution. With your support, C4L will launch an all-out drive to give the American people a voice in calling for Audit the Fed by: 1) Contacting up to 12 million Americans via hard-hitting mail and email to alert them to the Fed's shady dealings; 2) Running web ads on heavily trafficked websites, working the blogs, and launching a state-of-the-art Facebook campaign to reach and mobilize up to four million more supporters; 3) Work the talk radio lines, write op-eds, and continue to take the fight to the statists' phony intellectual machine, which got us into this economic mess in the first place; 4) In the days before the vote, launch hard-hitting radio, newspaper, and Internet ads calling on Representatives and Senators by name to support Audit the Fed; 5) And finally, if funds permit, C4L will launch an excoriating TV ad campaign - to be unveiled in key states in massive press conferences - ensuring every targeted Senator knows his reelection could ride on his or her Audit the Fed vote. This is an ambitious plan, I know. But it's what it will take to win. Sadly, not everyone understands the damage the Fed routinely causes with its inflationary policies. Some - especially those who leech off government and have wedded themselves to Big Government's big handouts - just won't "get it" until catastrophe hits them in the face. That's why these times call for true patriots. I know you understand doing nothing is not an option. So won't you please agree to sign your Audit the Fed petition to C4L and make your most generous contribution today? Whatever you can afford will make a tremendous difference - $250, $100, $50, or even $35. Even if all you can do right now is chip in $10 or $20, every dollar counts. You have the ability to make a difference. I've seen it. My former colleagues in Washington, D.C. have seen it, too. So please sign your Audit the Fed petition to C4L and agree to your most generous contribution TODAY. For Liberty, Dr. Ron Paul Chairman P.S. I'm counting on you to sign your Audit the Fed petition to C4L right away. With your signed petition and generous support, C4L members and thousands of other Americans can finally EXPOSE the Federal Reserve's corruption and rampant cronyism. So if you can, please make your most generous contribution of $250, $100, $50, or even $35 TODAY. Even if all you can do right now is chip in $10 or $20, every dollar counts!
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Its been a busy week since we launched our Kickstarter campaign to take the platform open source. The response has been overwhelmingly positive so far. We've had lots of 
