Friday Humor - Banco de Portugal "Wink Wink" Edition

From zero hedge By Tyler Durden

Rarely do we have two Friday Humor pieces in a row, but the following seminar announcement from the Banco de Portugal, of all places, is truly priceless...

Source: Banco de Portugal
h/t Harold

Greek Archbishop: Troika's Policies Are Destroying Greek Nation

February 3, 2012 

In an extraordinary move, Archbishop Ieronymos, Greece's highest religious authority, today issued an impassioned denunciation of the austerity policies being forced on Greece by the EU-ECB-IMF Troika. The Archbishop, who up until now has only issued guarded statements in an attempt to avoid controversy, openly stated that these policies are destroying the Greek nation and Greek people.

"Homelessness and even hunger — phenomena seen during the [Second World] war — have reached nightmare levels. ... A sense of patience among Greeks is running out, giving way to a sense of anger, and the danger of a social explosion can no longer be ignored," Ieronymos wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Lucas Papademos. The Archbishop went on, today, that "pensions were cut, while day laborers are in despair and insecurity has found a nest inside every single Greek household....

"It seems clear now that our homeland's drama will not finish here but may take on new, uncontrollable dimensions," he wrote. "We must all understand the feeling of insecurity, desperation and depression in every Greek home. This, unfortunately, is continuing to cause suicide among those who can no longer stand the drama in their family and the suffering of their children.

"There are, at the moment, demands for even tougher, more painful, and even more unfair measures along the same ineffective and unsuccessful lines as in our recent past. There are demands for even bigger doses of a medicine which is proving deadly. ... And what is likely to follow are more painful, more unjust measures in the same hopeless and unsuccessful course of our recent past.

"There are demands for commitments that do not solve the problem but only put off temporarily the foretold death of our economy. Meanwhile, they put our national sovereignty up for collateral. They mortgage our wealth, but also the wealth we could obtain from our land and seas. They mortgage freedom, democracy, and national dignity."
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Markets and society

The current financial crisis is not confined to economies, writes former Romanian finance minister Daniel Daianu. The erosion of the middle class, the spread of extremism and the threat to democracy are some of the more obvious social effects demanding attention

War in Europe? Not so impossible

The dark warnings of the Polish finance minister about the prospect of war in Europe if the crisis deepens were met with scepticism. But there is no call for complacency about where current, nationalist tendencies might lead, writes the editor of "Adevarul Europa".

US States seek currencies made of silver and gold

From GATA:

By Blake Ellis
CNNMoney, Thursday, February 3, 2012

http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/03/pf/states_currencies/

NEW YORK -- A growing number of states are seeking shiny new currencies made of silver and gold.

Worried that the Federal Reserve and the U.S. dollar are on the brink of collapse, lawmakers from 13 states, including Minnesota, Tennessee, Iowa, South Carolina and Georgia, are seeking approval from their state governments to either issue their own alternative currency or explore it as an option. Just three years ago, only three states had similar proposals in place.

"In the event of hyperinflation, depression, or other economic calamity related to the breakdown of the Federal Reserve System ... the State's governmental finances and private economy will be thrown into chaos," said North Carolina Republican Representative Glen Bradley in a currency bill he introduced last year.

Unlike individual communities, which are allowed to create their own currency -- as long as it is easily distinguishable from U.S. dollars -- the Constitution bans states from printing their own paper money or issuing their own currency. But it allows the states to make "gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts."

To the state legislators who are proposing state-issued currencies, that means gold and silver are fair game, said Edwin Vieira, an alternative currency proponent and attorney specializing in Constitutional law. And since gold has grown exponentially more valuable, while the U.S. dollar continues to lose ground, the notion has become increasingly appealing to state governments, he said.

The state gold rush: Utah became the first state to introduce its own alternative currency when Governor Gary Herbert signed a bill into law last March that recognized gold and silver coins issued by the U.S. Mint as an acceptable form of payment. Under the law, the coins -- which include American Gold and Silver Eagles -- are treated the same as U.S. dollars for tax purposes, thereby eliminating capital gains taxes.

Since the face value of some U.S.-minted gold and silver coins -- like the one-ounce, $50 American Gold Eagle coin -- is so much less than the metal value (one ounce of gold is now worth more than $1,700), the new law allows the coins to be exchanged at their market value, based on weight and fineness.

... Local currencies: In the U.S., we don't trust

"A Utah citizen, for example, could contract with another to sell his car for 10 one-ounce gold coins (approximately $17,000), or an independent contractor could arrange to be compensated in gold coins," said Rich Danker, a project director at the American Principles Project, a conservative public policy group in Washington, D.C.

South Carolina Republican Representative Mike Pitts proposed a currency system that would allow people to use any kind of silver or gold coin -- whether it's a Philippine Peso or a South African Krugerrand -- based on weight and fineness. Pitts said in the bill, which currently has 12 co-sponsors, that the state is facing "an economic crisis of severe magnitude."

Republican representatives from Washington State recently followed suit, introducing a bill in January that would also allow any gold and silver coins to be considered legal tender based on metal values. Minnesota, Iowa, Georgia, Idaho and Indiana are also considering similar proposals.

Many of the bills would make it possible for residents to exchange the physical coins for goods and services, so you could use coins to buy anything from groceries to a car as long as the store chooses to accept them.

But most people aren't going to walk around with such valuable coins clinking around in their pockets, said Vieira. Plus, calculating the value of the coins -- especially if they come from different parts of the globe and are of different sizes and shapes -- will get tricky, said Vieira.

It's more likely that the states will create electronic depositories and accounts for the coins to make transactions easier, when and if the initial bills are passed, he said.

Utah Gold & Silver Depository is already developing a system where customers could use debit cards linked to their gold holdings. When customers swipe their debit cards to make transactions, physical gold and silver coins would be transferred between accounts in privately-owned depositories (or vaults) based on the market value of the metals. Deposits would be made by taking your gold or silver to the depository.

Before deciding on a specific form of currency, some states -- including Minnesota, Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina -- are considering proposals that would first require a committee to review their alternative currency plan.

The future of U.S. currency: The states' proposals have been gaining steam among Tea Partyers and Republicans, many of whom also endorse a nationwide return to the gold standard, which would require the U.S. dollar to be backed by gold reserves.

Tea Party father Ron Paul is sponsoring the "Free Competition in Currency Act," which would allow states to introduce their own currencies, and rival Newt Gingrich is calling for a commission to look at how the country can get back to the gold standard.

But it will be the individual states that could really get the ball rolling, said Vieira. Even if several of the current proposals get killed, the introduction of so many bills at the state level is drawing national attention to the issue, he said.

... Funny money: 11 local currencies

Of all the state proposals circulating right now, Republican-controlled states including South Carolina, Georgia, Idaho, and Indiana have the best chance of passing their proposed bills this year, said American Principles Project's Danker. If just one or two states implement an alternative currency, it could have a domino effect, he said.

"I think we could get a couple passed in this legislative session, and that would show this is mainstream, popular and it would be a justification for more of the risk-averse states for doing this," said Danker.

There are, of course, many people who think the recent push for alternative state currencies should be stopped in its tracks. David Parsley, a professor of economics and finance at Vanderbilt University, said he thinks state-issued currencies are a "terrible" idea.

"Having 50 Feds" could debase the U.S. dollar and even potentially lead the country into default, he said. "The single currency in the United States is working just fine," said Parsley. "I have no idea why anyone would want to destroy something so successful -- unless they actually wanted to destroy the country."

* * *
Related:

Bernanke Is Gold's Best Friend

In a Focus on Gold, History Repeats Itself.

New report reveals Federal Reserve president owns millions in gold and platinum

WW3 news of the day

Panetta believes Israel just months from striking Iran

US Warns Iran Not To Fight Back Against Israeli Attack

Fear and loathing in the American Gulf - By Pepe Escobar

These New Developments Could Be Paving The Way For Military Action In Iran

Israeli Minister Says Military Action May Be Needed Against Iran

Dempsey Told Israelis U.S. Won’t Join Their War on Iran

US intelligence: Iran could launch terror attacks on America

Prepare For False Flag Blamed on Iran

Israel’s Vice PM advocates supporting terrorism against Iran

Iran’s leader warns U.S. on war

Iran Defiant, Threatens Retaliation over Oil Sanctions

War Against Iran To Provoke Regional Catastrophe: Analyst

UK 'is in range of Iran's missiles' as Clegg says he is 'worried' that war could break out

Russia Blocking UNSC Resolution on Syria

SYRIA: TEXT OF LEAKED ARAB LEAGUE MISSION REPORT Report Reveals Media Lies Regarding Syria

Less than One-Fifth of All Americans Favor Military or Covert Action Against Iran … Less than Half of Israelis Want to Attack Iran, and 65% Want the Entire Middle East – Including Israel – to be a Nuclear-Free Zone

NATO runs up against Russia and China

South Asia: The Cost Of NATO’s Adventurism

Violence Rages in Libya

Rights group says Libya's ex-envoy to France died after torture

Jim Rogers: Its Cheap For China to Buy Influence And Power In Europe

Back from Davos (many thanks to the numerous SD readers who volunteered to stand guard at her door) Capital Account's Lauren Lyster interviewed Jim Rogers today.  Rogers talked to Lyster about The Bernank, Europe, and China- who is finding it inexpensive to flex their muscle and greatly increase their influence in Europe thanks to the Euro crisis.

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Related:

China's Wen Tamps Down Concerns Over Europe Aid

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao sought to assuage concerns over Chinese investment in Europe, saying China has no intention to "buy" the continent.

China Considers Offering Aid in Europe’s Debt Crisis


Why Are the Chinese Buying Record Quantities of Gold?

Triple Lutz Report: Credit Default Swaps Are Toast

Before the BIS redefined simple addition arithmetic, outstanding derivatives exceeded $1.26 QUADRILLION.  Should any Euro nation, or even moderately sized Western bank for that matter, ever be allowed to literally default (think Bear, Lehman), this $1.26 QUADRILLION house of cards would vaporize the financial system within 10 seconds.  This is why QE will Continue TO INFINITY...AND BEYOND!!

Today's Triple Lutz Report discusses Credit Default Swaps, and why they are toast!

FASCISM, TOP FAMILIES, FALSE FLAG OPS

From aangirfan: 

Website for this image

Former spy Annie Machon describes how the security services represent certain families.

She describes how the spooks carry out false flag operations.

The people who founded the European Union have fascist origins.

Fascists are not always easy to spot.

Support for fascism in the 1930s came from Liberals like Lloyd George, Conservatives like Samuel Hoare and Socialists like Ramsay Macdonald and Arnold Toynbee. (Why the European Union is fundamentally fascist)

"Hitler joined the German Labour Party, and just as Tony Blair rid Britain in the 1990’s of its nationalisation policies, so did Hitler in pre war Germany.

"Whereas the much vilified Le Pen joined the Resistance against Fascism, former French President François Mitterand, later the leader of the French Socialist Party, was a hero of the Fascist Vichy regime.

"The wartime leader of British Fascism, Oswald Mosley was a Labour minister and became the leader of the British Union of Fascists.

"His wife Lady Diana Mosley recently declared in a BBC interview her opposition to Le Pen and her support for the European Union!" (Why the European Union is fundamentally fascist)


Separa

The top families often form alliances.

Semites and anti-semites sometimes share a common right-wing racist ideology. (FACTIONS WITHIN THE ELITE)

In the early 1930s, the Zionists supported Hitler. (The Zionists in bed with the Nazis)

Lenni Brenner related how Kurt Tuchler, a member of the German Zionist Federation Executive, "persuaded Baron Leopold Itz Edler von Mildenstein of the SS to write a pro-Zionist piece for the Nazi press.

"Goebbels had a medal struck: on one side the swastika, on the other the Zionist star." Website

Google demonstrates that democracy is being replaced by fascism.

Google changes enable 'per country' blog takedowns

Google joins Twitter in censorship storm: Site will now block blog posts.