Elephants In The Room

Two Elephants In The Room

Most analysis fail to mention, detect (or is it mislead) the role of slavery and colonies - the twin-elephants in the Western history room. The very basis of post-medieval West has been slavery and colonialism.

Western propaganda has made slavery, an invisible factor in their ‘success.’ And they are on the half way mark, on the erasure in popular memory, about the use of colonies for Western enrichment.

On the other hand, there are those who allege, that Westernization has progressed the world. Take Theodore Von Laue’s essay (author of The World Revolution Of Westernization) which is inspired

“by a humane and compassionate vision which most academic studies lack. Indeed, his study was motivated by his concern about contemporary sectarian strife, interstate conflicts, ecological disasters, superpower rivalry, and anti Western movements mired in nostalgia and resentment”.

The Mystery of the Dying Detective

Between 1800-1950, Western powers killed (directly or otherwise) more than 50 million people in America (the Red Indians), Africa (the Blacks), Asia (Indians, Chinese, Arabs). This led to a situation that every other person in the West had participated in murder or massacre.

Western ambiguity towards Soviet Russia on one side, Hitler on the other - and to that add, Gandhiji’s resolute opposition to colonialism - and you have a inflammable moral situation. This moral anxiety was directly reflected in popular fiction as the detective fiction genre.

The deluge of blood and murder caused moral anxiety and was a matter of ethical dilemma amongst common folks. The pressure valve for this was popular fiction. Identifying murderers became a form of proxy, vicarious entertainment for ordinary folks.

Enter the super detectives, who pick out the murderer from a room full of ordinary people. Enter detectives like Auguste Dupin, of ‘The Purloined Letter’ fame, who “investigates an apparently motiveless and unsolvable double murder in the Rue Morgue.”

From 1900-1950, the most popular form of fiction was the private detective genre. Most critics and commentators write about the phenomenon of detective fiction devoid of context - and the detective fiction as entertainment or literary device only.

After de-colonisation, as mass murder went underground, the detective-murder mystery books genre faded. This category was replaced by a new theme - the axis of corporation-government international conspiracies.

Conspiracy Theory - Full Steam Ahead

The new category of popular fiction are represented by Ian Fleming, Arthur Hailey, Frederick Forsyth, Irving Wallace, Robert Ludlum, Graham Greene, John Le Carre, et al. More and more contrived, each conspiracy theory writer has been ‘inspired’ by real life incidents.

International-conspiracy-plot-CIA-FBI-KGB series of Robert Ludlum have worn thin, the spookiness of Le Carre’s Absolute Friends and Constant Gardner still work as novels representing the West.

Media and Academia

For instance, this nearly 20-page analysis about Westernization and Modernization, mentions slave once and colonialism (related words included) twice.

H.E.Professor Dr.Kishore Mahbubani, of the National University of Singapore, Dean, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy has recently written a book where he talks about the seven pillars of western wisdom – a cloyingly subservient and ignorant view of the modern history. This ‘respected’ commentator, Kishore Mahbubani, fatuously, talks about the seven pillars of Western success - without once mentioning slavery and colonialism.

One writer, Franco Moretti did half the job in book Signs Taken for Wonders: On the Sociology of Literary Forms By Franco Moretti. He writes,

“The perfect crime - the nightmare of detective fiction - is the feature-less, deindividualized crime that anyone could have committed because at this point everyone is the same.” He further writes,“Yet, if we turn to Agatha Christie, the situation is reversed.Her hundred-odd books have only one message: the criminal can be anyone …”

In his entire book he does not use the words like slavery, racism, genocide, bigotry even once. The 19th century, which was based on Western bigotry, White racism, Black slavery, and assorted genocides is unrecognised in Moretti’s books.

Running or hiding? Or it a case of feeling squeamish? Perhaps, a case of queasy stomach, Franco?

Another book, The Detective as Historian: History and Art in Historical Crime Fiction, by Ray Broadus Browne, Lawrence A. Kreiser does a better job. This book examines, the detective fiction genre, with some references to slavery and child prostitution.

Jerome Delamater, Ruth Prigozy, in an essay compilation, ‘Theory and Practice of Classic Detective Fiction’, observe that Jane Marple, along with Hercule “Poirot becomes an equal opportunity detective who really believes that anyone might commit murder”.

Dismissing the "jaundiced view of human nature,” the writers of this book, while commenting about the detective fiction genre, do not mention slavery at all - and mention colonialism and racism once each.

End Of Slavery

Western media today glosses over Western record of slavery and colonialism. This 'collective amnesia' about the past is widespread and blatant. Other writers forget about the causes leading to abolition of slavery. Seminal events in Haiti, Cuba, Caribbean are ignored, white-washed or brushed under the carpet.

Black emancipation in the USA is a 1970s phenomenon, 30+ years ago event - and not 200 years ago as this article in New York Times seems to make out.

One is from a member of the US Conservative Right, part of the Republican propaganda team - aapla, our own Dinesh DeSouza. He tries, speciously and very hard, to show how it is the White, Christian, Americans who actually freed the slaves - after the slaves were sold into slave by their Black Brothers. Of course, he cannot see the long history of trade in slaves, the laws and might of the state which enforced this trade, the continuing attempts (under disenfranchisement laws) to deny Blacks, their voting rights. Dinesh does a fabulous hatchet job on how the West can make me a colonial subject of the Raj again.

Another blog, by an academic, celebrates a pseudo-anniversary. This post, ‘a professor at a large state university,’ abandons academic integrity to promote propaganda, instead of academic excellence. At least, he published dissenting comments. Bro.Dinesh DeSouza does not publish dissenting comments.

Or for this matter this book review in The Times (from London) about slavery - which doesn’t once mention the one reason, why slavery was abolished - Haiti and slave revolts in the Caribbean.

What most of this coverage of mainline and popular press fail to mention is the determined Black struggle for overthrow of slavery. Between 1789-1833, more than 20 slave rebellions occurred in the Caribbean - one every 2 years. It were these slave revolts that ‘persuaded’ the West to abolish slavery. In the USA, about 200 slave uprising and revolts occurred in the USA before the Civil War.

Another aspect which is not mentioned is the significant reason for unpopularity of slavery in the US North. The reason was the depressing effect of slavery on wages and employment. Poor (free) whites had to compete with slave labour for employment - and that was a non-starter.

Birth Of Freedom - Haiti

The USA and the West has been at war (or by proxy) with the Black Republics of Haiti, Cuba, Greneda for the last 200 years. Fuelled by a desperate desire to show White superiority. By a need to white wash history. To hide the origins of their misbegotten wealth - built on the foundation of the skeletons of dead and surviving slaves.

Haiti gave the world freedom. Not America - which claims itself to be a land of the free (as long as you are white). For this reason, Haiti must now be protected - by the rest of the world. Make Haiti a UN protectorate. All the superpowers to be forced to declare Haiti as off limits.

Haiti must succeed.

Similar campaigns by paid Western hacks have distorted analysis on population studies and environment.

The Importance Of Being Earnest

With nearly 190 sovereign nations in the world, with large income disparities, political disequilibrium, there is a crying need for an objective analysis of what works, successful national models, productive economic modelling which can serve as templates.

Western intellectual and military aggression, at times distorts this analysis - and raises questions regarding intentions and objectives.

India's Pakistan Fixation

September 11th, 2008. US President George Bush permitted US troops to take offensive actions against its ally, Pakistan - in the US War against terror! Indian news channels were elated - and it must have taken Arnab Goswami (of Times Now) a lot of self-restraint not to do a gig. It took 4 generations of Indian (and now part of Pakistan) leaders to throw out the West from the sub-continent. 60 years later, India is celebrating the return of the West, to the sub-continent. The most potent symbol of this is India's Pakistan Fixation.

The Pakistan Fixation is a a cover-up of India’s laziness or lack of resolve. I don’t really believe that Pakistan has the focus or the persistence to do half the things that India imagines Pakistan is doing. In the last 20 years, India has lowered its guard - and has become further fixated on the Pakistan bogey. The Pakistan Fixation hides Indian ineptness at confronting the root of Pakistani problem - USA.

The Detritus

As Britain (and the West) was forced out of various colonies, left behind was the garbage of colonialism. This post-colonial debris has become the ballast, that is dragging down many newly de-colonized countries.

Vietnam suffered from a prolonged war (1956-1976) - and finally peace had a chance after 20 years of war. Korea remains divided. The Cyprus problem between Turkey, Greece and the Cypriots has been simmering for nearly 100 years. The role of the Anglo Saxon Bloc, in Indonesia, the overthrow of Sukarno, installation of Suharto and finally the secession of East Timor is another excellent example. The many issues in the West Asia and Africa are living testimony to the British gift to the modern world. The entire Arab-Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a creation of the Anglo-French-American axis.

Closer home is the Kashmir problem. After 60 years of negotiations, India-Pakistan relations have remained hostage to the Kashmir issue. India and Pakistan must remember that the Pakistani armies and the Indian armies at the time of the 1948 Indo-Pak War, were under the command of British Generals. India's Governor General , in 1948 was Mountbatten, who was removed after this mischief was done.

Things become more difficult when leaders like Asif Ali Zardari dismiss written agreements with his coalition partners, PML (N) headed by Nawaz Sharf, claiming agreements were not”holy like the holy Koran.”

India and Islamic Demonization

In 1990, an ‘orientalist’ writer from Belgium, Koenraad Elst, waded into India. His books on Hinduism, Aryan culture, Islamic history in India were avidly lapped up by a section which was eager for Western approval. Elst’s blatant anti-Islamic agenda warmed the cockles of many hearts. LK Advani released Elst’s book in India. BJP’s proximity has given Elst’s ideas high visibility which imbalances the discussion.

In the siege mentality during 1989-1995, one fine day, a US Senator, Larry Pressler, announced at a press conference in New Delhi, that India was encircled by an Islamic coalition of 9 countries. The proxy war against India by Pakistan was at its height. This ‘Islamic Crescent’ (as Larry Pressler called it) first stunned India - and then stampeded its foreign policy.

Larry Pressler was seen as a friend of India - by Indians. He got some well-paying corporate board room positions - and he has kept himself in the back ground after that. But his 1992 press conference still rings in Indian ears. And Pressler’s proximity to Indian liberal establishment (which is close to both the BJP and the Congress), flanks India’s movement towards Western paranoia from the opposite direction. (Strangely, Google search, Yahoo search, Indiatimes search, websites of newspapers like The Hindu, cannot find any newspaper coverage for that press conference.)

Soon after Pressler's press conference, India upgraded its relationship with Israel, (practically) abandoned the Palestinians (not to ignore West Asia’s own desire to cosy with the West) - and started getting closer to the US. The Vajpayee Government (with a historic tendency) continued with this rush to embrace the US.

The Islamic Crescent

While the activities of these Western ‘friends’, sensitised India to the Islamic ‘threat’, it more importantly, has lowered the Indian guard against the resurgent Western encirclement.

American forces are based in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Diego Garcia - and of course Iraq. The wolf pack behaviour of pursuit of quarry does not allow co-operation between packs - but within the pack itself. So, while the Islamic crescent perception has some validity, the threat of The Star and The Cross is equal, if not greater.

Sometimes, ‘friends’ are more dangerous than a recognised opposition.

India’s Record - And the Reversal

India was in the vanguard of opposition to Apartheid, neo-colonialism, (especially in the Middle East). Especially, when you consider the Khilafat Movement by Gandhiji. However, in the last 15 years, under the garb of ‘geo-strategic interests /initiatives /imperatives’, changed ‘super power equations,’ ‘uni-polar world,’ India is losing its moral initiative - and equally importantly its long term interests. It is getting sucked into uni-directional relationships - which are going down.

Equally, India should not acquire the practices or memberships that have made recent history bloody and exploitative. While many civilizations have stumbled (Greeks, Romans, Egypt) and fallen by the wayside, India’s many comebacks, have been based on never losing moral stature - and it is late in the day to start down that path. Manmohan Singh's desperate desire to 'sit at at the high table in the comity of nations' is both repugnant and undesirable.

Islamic Demonization

There is too much tradition and culture for India to go down the demonization path, but recent developments do call for consciousness on this account. Is India falling prey to Western case-building and logic for Islamic demonization? Is the ‘Islamic demonisation’ an attempt by the ‘wolf pack’ to separate a member of the herd and then go for the kill - like Iraq. Is India getting co-opted in this ‘wolf pack hunt’?

India's intellectual vacuity is best demonstrated in this post by Gurcharan Das, an ex-MNC CEO, who started writing in various newspapers. His latest post in The Times Of India, plumbs the depth of misdirected warmth towards Western democracies. He writes,

“thanks to the treaty, which paved the way for closer ties with the Western democracies. The West stood by India during its times of trouble and eventually India went on to balance power in Asia and the world”.

Gurcharan Das’ gullibility on matters of international relations is worth a bucketful of tears. Why would any country (let us keep Western powers aside for a minute) support India (or any other country) - except if it in their self interest? After 300 years of pillage, loot, murder, genocide, slavery are Western nations going to suddenly change become Good Samaritans, Mr.Das?

Your naivete, Shrimaan Das, makes me squirm.

Indo-Pak Cricket - Use The Experts

This India Pakistan Cricketing relationship is very healthy - and has been managed by four people. Of course, there has been no case study, or a book or even a news report on this partnership. So some of this is my perception based on media interaction.

The four people in this complex relationship have been Jagmohan Dalmiya and Shahriyar Khan at the administration level. Between these two, they have managed a consensus between the Asian cricketing countries and South Africa. Jagmohan Dalmiya has a business background - and a career in cricket administration. Shahriyar Khan is a career diplomat and also a cricket administrator.

The other two are Sunil Gavaskar and Imran Khan - two well known and respected players in each of the countries. Between, these four, they have managed this complex cricketing relationship. Some of it is visible - but mostly, below the line. Especially, significant is the management of agreements.

Another cricketer showed us the way of getting over the Pakistan Fixation. For decades, India had a mental block while playing cricket against Pakistan. It took a Sourav Ganguly to break that fixation in the Indo-Pak Test Series in 2004.

The Learning

Now, if these four can overcome the complex political situation and the minefield of history, is there a learning for others? Especially, for those who manage the India-Pakistan political relationship.

Hidden in this cricketing relationship, is the solution to the sub-continental peace.

Western Adventurism - The Imperative

Without slavery, the West does not enjoy the manpower edge that it had till 1900. The loss of colonies from 1900-1950 has taken away the resource base and captive markets for Western dominance.

Now with the collapse of Bretton Woods, the opacity in financial systems is diminished. The welfare state has put a significant burden on an aging Western population.

With fading prowess on one side, and a resurgent Asia on the other, the US and EU are now at the cross roads. Is the West prepared to quietly fade away in the sunset?

Unlikely.

What Have We Achieved

60 years on, there is nothing to show for these border disputes. Dutifully, the Indians, Pakistanis and the Chinese glare at each other - over colonial border issues. These border issues are less than peripheral to our nations. We have allowed the past to hold our future as a hostage.

The past is extracting a ransom that we cannot afford to pay. Let us recognize our past for what it is - empty ballast that is dragging us down. Having achieved nothing on this front for the last 60 years, why do we wish to continue down that path? We need to see that going downhill is always easier than climbing the Himalayas.

Post Script

As I write this, comes news that New Delhi has been the latest in the series of Bomb blasts. Is it following a clockwise pattern? Bangalore, Ahmedabad, New Delhi - and then Kolkatta or is it Patna or Bhubneshwar? On August 15th, I was in New Delhi. Large parts of New Delhi were paralysed. Traffic did not move for more than 4 hours. More than 100,000 vehicles were out on New Delhi roads - packed likes sardines. Was that dry run?

This still does not change my thesis. Behind Pakistan ...

Terrorism And Counterfeit Currency

Operation Bernhard

The year - 1959. Country -Austria. Place - Lake Toplitz. Publication - German magazine, Stern - and an intrepid journalist, Wolfgang Löhde. The article, 'Geld wie Heu' (Tons of gold) unveiled a hitherto rumored top secret Nazi operation - code named 'Operation Bernhard.' For years, stories had been floating around how, Nazi Germany, facing imminent defeat, sunk its fabled loot in Lake Toplitz. The sunken treasures supposedly include the Russian Tsar's Amber Room, paintings, gold looted from various countries.

After, the press report, a search by divers was organized. Crates were fished out from the deep waters, containing sunken loot.

The most shocking find was counterfeit British currency. A film, The Counterfeiters, has been made on the German operation to flood Britain with fake currency. In 2000, Oceaneering, a search-and-salvage firm (which salvaged the Titanic wreck) also decided to try and recover some of this Nazi loot.

The North Korean 'Fake' Dollar Racket

In 2005, the USA ratcheted up a campaign against North Korea - accusing them of counterfeiting and distributing US dollars. Dubbed as 'Supernote' and 'Superdollar', these were reputedly of a very high quality. These fakes were first detected in 1989 - and were separately classified as PN-14342, a code that the US uses to classify fake notes. Initially, the US charged Iran with this counterfeiting, in June 1992.

On 26th July, 2006, the Interpol was co-opted in this campaign - and an Orange Notice was issued, 'which warn about threats from weapons or dangerous objects'. The 'Free Press' in America asked no questions andd they were told no truth. Even Korean press fell in line with this propaganda.

The first to blow a whistle on this whole 'Supernote' shebang thing was the Swiss police. The Swiss police claimed that the North Koreans did not have the wherewithal to do it. On January 7th, 2007, Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, the German newspaper ran a story alleging that these fakes were in fact printed in the USA itself - to fund covert CIA operations. And not North Korea, as alleged by the USA.

Based on this report, an internet portal, the Democratic Underground speculated

I was even wondering myself if the kid gloves treatment that was afforded to money launderer Thomas Kontogiannis who was tied into Duke Cunningham, Brent Wilkes, and the intelligence agencies might have known more about this than he ought to and that was why he was "allowed" to travel to Europe after being sentenced for his crimes here under the "guidance" of some unnamed governmental agency unbeknownst to the sentencing judge.

There's an article that recently came up through the McClatchy Bureau that would appear to support Deutche Allemaigne's conclusions, talking about a new rash of fake $100 bills that are floating around:

Interestingly, another accused was Sean Garland of the Official Irish Republican Army or Old IRA. Irish banks stopped accepting US$100 notes floating in Ireland - some 8000 km from North Korea. This came soon after the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, between the Irish and the British Government. Soon after this agreement, the arrest of Sean Garland, (and his subsequent escape), a peace accord was signed between the Irish and the UK Government.

And 'Ronin', the movie, ran on a story of the mysterious briefcase, (whose contents, we never et to see), wanted by the Russian Mafia and the IRA - and a host of other secret service agencies. The closing lines in the movie mention how the Irish problem was solved soon after the 'briefcase operation'.

Zimbabwe Currency Problem

Germany's development minister, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, wrote a letter to a publicly unknown company, Giesecke & Devrient - to stop trading with Zimbabwe. Printweek, a trade journal reported,

The Wall Street Journal reported that Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany’s foreign minister, ordered the company to halt deliveries.

This was a part of Western campaign to throttle Zimbabwe regime of Robert Mugabe - a step was something that the Germans had not suggested against the apartheid regime of Ian Smith - which was thrown out by Mugabe - and Joshua Nkomo. Earlier, the Giesecke & Devrient, worked around the the anti-apartheid sanctions and 'secretly shipped three machines to set up a printing press in the bowels of the Reserve Bank' of Zimbabwe. Nazi Germany's currency, was of course, as was Weimar Republic's currency printed by the same company.

Giesecke & Devrient's ties with Zimbabwe go way back. It supplied Ian Smith's white minority regime with bank notes and money-printing machines when the country unilaterally declared independence from Britain in 1965. Britain tried to stop the deliveries by suing Giesecke & Devrient in German courts, arguing unsuccessfully that since the world didn't recognize the Smith regime, the bank notes were forgeries.

White-minority rule ended, Rhodesia became Zimbabwe, Mr. Mugabe became its leader in 1980, and Giesecke & Devrient carried on selling to the central bank. In the late 1980s, Mr. Mugabe publicly praised the company for its loyalty to Zimbabwe, according to Klaus Bender, author of the book "Moneymakers: The Secret World of Banknote Printing."

How The 'Free Press' Fell In Line

In case of the 'Supernotes' case, the South Korean press advised its Government to quietly fall in line - and press gang North Korea. Similarly, in case of Zimbabwe currency too, the 'Free Press' did not see any contradiction in this step by Giesecke & Devrient.

The Secret World Of Currency Printing

The high-security currency printing and technology business is dominated by a few Western companies. A book review on one of the few books giving details of this business says

“Moneymakers ” by offering a detailed view of the banknote industry and its modus operandi, removes the industry’s carefully imposed shroud of secrecy The only previous attempt to reveal this story was published in 1983 by an American author, Terry Bloom, (“The Brotherhood of Money. The Secret World of Banknote Printers”). The entire edition of that book was bought up - straight from the printing presses - by two prominent representatives of the industry to prevent the public from getting an inside view of the business. Bloom's book is impossible to find today.

Most of the established companies, less than 12, in this business operate from the EU. Companies like Arjo Wiggns, Giesecke & Devrient, Hologram.Industries, Hueck Folien, KBA-Giori S.A., Leonhard Kurz GmbH & Co. KG, Orell Füssli, founded in 1519, are based out of Europe. The four major segments in the currency business are paper (Arjo Wiggins, Crane & Co.etc.), printing presses (KBA-Giori S.A., Giesecke & Devrient,) note accessories (like the security thread, holograms, etc.) and lastly inks (e.g. SICPA). Then there integrators (like Orell Füssli, etc.) who provide total, end-to-end currency printing services.

Association Goznak is a Russia based company. In January of 2002, Crane & Co., USA, acquired AB Tumba Bruk, Tumba, Sweden, paper maker and printer of bank notes and high security documents since 1755. Crane & Co. and SICPA are major players in the USA. Asia and Africa completely depend on these Western companies for their currency printing and technology. This poses a significant threat like the North Korean 'Supernote' scam shows.

Hijacking Of IC 814

1997 - One day, a gentleman called up a courier office in Hyderabad (India) and introduced himself as HK Advani (brother of LK Advani). He was (supposed) to be representing the Swiss company De La Rue (before it was merged to become KBA Giori). He was checking with the status of a quotation from De La Rue for the Hyderabad Mint modernization.

In 1997, one of India's non-British mints, the Hyderabad Mint was moved from the old premises to a new complex. Tenders were floated for equipment for the modernization of this mint. Some two years later, on 24th December, 1999, IC 814 was hijacked by Kashmiri terrorists to Taliban Afghanistan - demanding US$200 million.

Time-Asia reported

... one of the hostages sitting in economy class could have effortlessly written them a check for that amount. Roberto Giori, owner of the Lausanne-based company De La Rue Giori, boarded Flight 814 after a holiday in Katmandu with his companion Cristina Calabresi. De La Rue Giori, which Giori inherited from his father, happens to control 90% of the world's currency-printing business. The 50-year-old Giori, who holds dual Swiss and Italian nationality, is one of Switzerland's richest men.

Switzerland sent a special envoy to the airport to deal with the abduction of its "currency king," his companion and two other Swiss nationals. It also put pressure on New Delhi to come to a solution that ensured their safe release.

The week-long ordeal had an unexpected impact on the currency tycoon. "What I experienced on the plane has changed me forever," said Giori. "I don't know what it is: Hinduism, the so-called fatalism of Indians. But the way the passengers stayed so calm throughout, even the children, was exemplary. I told myself, if the plane had been full of Italians or French, it would have been very different."

One year later, Roberto Giori's company, De La Rue was bought out - and became KBA-Giori.

Fake Currency Circulation Estimates In India

The Hindu reports,

“Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director U.S. Misra on Thursday said the Naik Committee had estimated the number of fake currency notes in circulation in the country at 61,000 million pieces valued at Rs. 1,69,000 crores till the year 2000.

A think tank report estimates, “Till 2006, FICN worth INR 50 to 80 million was pumped into the country from Pakistan per annum. From 2007, however, the amount has increased to INR 120 to 130 million.” Total seizures by the police and reported interceptions in the circulatory system (banks, etc) of fake Indian currency notes (FICN) in India now exceed Rs.10 crores.

The DNA and this Nagaland’s Morung Express also bring in the alternate estimate by the RBI. DNA refers to 0.0004% of India’s currency /economy and the Morung Express refers to an RBI estimate of US$51 billion estimate.

My feeling is that the 0.0004% estimate by the RBI (DNA report) is way too conservative - and the CBI figure of Rs. 1,69,000 crores and the US$51 billion (Morung Express reports) is way to high. Looking at CBI statistics for seizures and using a multiple of that, my estimate is about INR200-300 crores is in circulation. There may be another INR500-1200 crores which is used in the underground economy, which is not in circulation. Thus a total of INR 700-1500 crores of counterfeit currency has been created. Anecdotal evidence from other countries also suggest a median figure of 700-1500 crores.

Terror Funding In India

In India, impacted by the largest number of terrorism incidents for many years running now, FICN has long been seen as the source of terror funding. Kashmir Valley, supposedly stricken by terrorism, has one of the highest per capita car population in India. Land prices and construction in the Kashmir valley is at an all time high.

The usual suspect is Pakistan. Where in Pakistan is this getting printed? Security press at Malir Cantonment in Karachi, printing facilities in Quetta, Baluchistan and also security presses in Lahore and Peshawar are mentioned.

Reports suggest that the currency paper is being sourced from London - but who is this London-based currency paper provider? However, news report from DNA, correctly points out Europe - where most of the security press companies are located - and not London.

Now, this small clutch of currency businesses makes it simple to track the source of inks, paper, dies, plates - which can be identified by a simple spectroscopic examination. The cost of this entire examination will be far lesser than the amount of money (not fake FICN) that the Indian Government spends on fighting terror.

Is it that Indian intelligence agencies depend too much on ‘khabris’ or ‘humint’. The Indian Government surely has enough diplomatic leverage to bring these international companies in line.

The Answer

The Pakistan Fixation is a a cover-up of India’s laziness or lack of resolve. I don’t really believe that Pakistan has the focus or the persistence to do this fake currency racket over so many years.

My feeling - the actual answers may be different. The counterfeiting of US dollars is understandable. It is the world’s largest currency - and most acceptable. The GBP or the Euro are also reasonable targets for counterfeiting activity. Even counterfeiting the Canadian dollar!

But, the most unlikely target is the Indian Rupee! India is a small, poor economy, (at least till about 5 years ago). India does not have capital convertibility either. So, this huge counterfeiting operation raises more questions. Is this counterfeiting related to India’s Gold reserves? The Pakistan Fixation hides Indian ineptness at confronting this problem.

Post Script

The really interesting 'story' is the US attempt to derail the (former) USSR economy, by flooding it with fake roubles. The man who blew the lid of this operation - Leo Wanta.

At this time, Wanta, a distinguished U5 Secret Service/Treasury officer was the primary US Financial Warfare officer engaged in operations to "collapse" the Soviet Empire through financial maneuvers to prevent the Soviet military devoting larger resources to military expenditure.

For his financial plan which destabilized the Russian currency and resulted in huge dollar profits, leading into the 27.5 trillion in trust, instead of being recognized for his service, he was set-up by the Clinton's and the Bush crime family after being released from the Swiss jail, sentenced to a 22 year jail term on bogus Wisconsin state income tax evasion charges.

Although recently released and protected in a sense by the 2003 federal court ruling in his favor, Wanta has languished much of the time since 1993 in jail and now under house arrest, the primary reason for his predicament being he audited the Illuminati's giga-financing operation of 1989-92 too accurately far the liking of certain high-level official crooks controlling the purse strings.

Alexander's Empire

Alexander’s campaign had taken the best of male youth from the Greek population and made it incapable of holding at the center. Greco-Macedonian population at the time of Alexander's campaign is estimated between 1.5 million to 2.5 million - including slaves. That gives us a number of 75,000-150,000 family units which could have contributed one soldier each.

These populations are largely backward projections from current populations. After excluding agricultural workers required for maintenance of basic economic activity, slaves who would not qualify for military duty (malnourished and /or low on motivation levels), and defense of the Macedonia and Greece itself. Add to this, most soldiers either settled in the Asian regions or perished in war or due to injury and disease. Less than 20,000 soldiers (10%) of the Alexander's soldiers finally returned home. Hence, availability of soldiers was a severe limitation.

Post Alexander

Alexander’s vast dominions and revenues were unprotected. Greco-Macedonian political leadership were engaged with Alexander abroad. Its armies were tied up in Asia. No ruler after Alexander’s death in 323 BC was in a position to consolidate the conquests or overcome Greek-Macedonian infighting. The Daidochi Wars took up all the attention of the Greeks and Macedonians.

The Rise & Blip Of Rome

Rome was sucked into the vacuum left behind by Alexander’s death. Roman generals consolidated in Asia Minor and expanded into Europe. In 306, BC, Rome allied with Carthage against the Greeks. Over the next 150 years, Carthage and Rome battled Greece, conquered Sicily - and finally, attacked each other. After three Macedonian wars and the war with Antiochus the Great of Syria, Rome established itself as a prime power.

Carthage was left as the sole challenger to Roman authority. Finally, the Roman senate sent a descendant of Scipio Africanus (of the Second Punic War), Scipio Aemilianus - and in 146BC, Carthage was defeated. Carthage city was destroyed, its fields plowed and salted, so that the city would never come up again. 50,000 residents of Carthage were enslaved. In parallel, in 146BC, Corinth suffered a similar fate.

50 BC. Alexander passed into mythology. Romans had taken complete hold of the Alexandrian Empire. Millions (men, women and children) were enslaved. Swollen by revenues from the inherited Alexandrian territories of Asia Minor; by loot and conquests from Europe, Roman society was rolling in wealth. Nearly a million slaves toiled to keep Roman population well fed and in luxury.

Greek Re-emergence

The Balkan and the Mediterranean kingdoms (the roots of Alexander) took 500-600 years to recover their populations and youth to mount a challenge to the Roman usurpers and the Western Roman Empire.

The split started between the Western Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire on linguistic lines. Western Roman Empire using Latin, operating from Rome - and the Eastern Roman Empire, using Greek, with Constantinople as its capital.

A major step in this Eastern challenge was to declare Constantinople as the second capital of the Roman Empire. Thereafter, deprived of revenues from the prosperous Eastern Empire, the Western Roman Empire collapsed.

The Roman Empire lasted all of 500 years - from the fall of Carthage and Corinth (146 BC) till the invasion of Alaric, The Goth (410AD). This 500-year blip in human history, called the Roman Empire, could not hold onto the Macedonian Empire they had usurped.

The split of the Eastern Roman Empire from the Western Roman Empire happened, though initially on linguistic lines, around 400 AD - later, on religious and other political lines. Over the next 200-400 years, Greek language became the official language of the Byzantine Empire. The Balkans, the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe followed the lead of the Byzantine Empire and used Greek extensively - at a cost to their own language.

For the next 1000 years, the Byzantine Empire used Greek as the official language - and had some Greek Kings. The ‘Greek Miracle’ was rewritten by these 'Greek' historians - 800-to-1000 years later. Much like modern day propaganda by the West, the Greeks used their language to create a myth around the Greek civilization. Alexander, a Macedonian (from modern day Balkans), was usurped by the Greeks (from the Mediterranean region) as their own.

On the other side of the world, Alexander’s conquests had increased trade manifold. Indo-Byzantine-Roman trade flourished. Greco-Roman currency, laws started at Indian borders and led right to the heart of the world’s largest and most prosperous market.

Modern Cultural Dacoity

Their own history being a barren cupboard, the BFAG countries (Britain, France, America and Germany) raided other cultures. For their guidance, they had the Greek model in place. They just extended that.

First, they sanitized the records of books that the Greeks borrowed from other cultures - and never returned. These ‘unreturned’ books were later ascribed to the Greeks. Then they sanitized the Greeks themselves. After the fall of Corinth, the Greeks disappeared from modern Western history.

A Balkan general, from an obscure part of Eastern Europe, Macedonia, was Hellenized. Alexander, became a Greek conqueror of the world. It would be similar to the Chinese claim to Genghis Khan’s Mongolian Empire.

Quite a bit of this ‘Greek’ learning came from Babylon-to-Greek-to-Arabic-to-Latin/Greek manuscripts. Greeks, Romans, the Church major destroyers of books and learning, became voracious dacoits in the recent past - without as much as by your say so. Roman usurpers (of the Balkan Empire) were glamorized - to the point of becoming stars in the glam rock show of Anglo-French-German history.

The Spirit Of The American Constitution

Many political writers, invoke the spirit of the American Constitution – as something that is extinct. This ’spirit’ has been a matter conjecture, dispute and speculation - due to subsequent actions.

PT Barnum (The Propaganda Slayer) says

“Truth is, this spirit of the Founding Fathers is a mythical animal,” . He continues, “It never existed. Ever. To all those who claim (or feel) that America today is not what the founding fathers meant it to be, you have two options. Option one - Take a cold shower.”

PT Barnum’s second option cannot be reproduced here. But the expose by PT Barnum (the Patron Saint Of Propagandists) on the American Constitution is given below.

Regrettable Statements

Much before the American Constitution was being put to paper, an American luminary declared,

“I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!.”

His name was Patrick Henry. America then went on to give death to the Red Indians and took away the liberty of millions of Black people.

PT Barnum’s take on this - Enslaved Blacks and all the Red Indians, all marked for genocide and slavery, for the glory of the White race - conspired and claimed that Patrick Henry had included them in this declaration.

When Jefferson Dined Alone

‘All men are created,’ declared Thomas Jefferson. When confronted with the need for a solution for the Black slaves, (who, he considered, as NOT equal to Whites), he suggested that they should be sent back to Africa! Where in Africa could the slaves be sent back to? He suggested that US should create a new colony for them.

The result - Liberia. Another land of the free? Of course, the local population living in the soon-to-be-Liberia, were not consulted. They were unimportant.

Of course, he forgot to add, as long as you are White. The White Gods had decided what was best for the Black people. Benjamin Franklin’s views are illustrative of this mindset, when he said of the American Blacks, “But the majority, are of a plotting disposition, dark, sullen, malicious, revengeful and cruel in the highest degree.”

Thomas Jefferson also made some promises that all people would be allowed “pursuit of happiness” – if I remember correctly. The devil is in the details. Jefferson forgot to mention that this “pursuit of happiness” was a privilege for Whites only.

This principle of “equal in the eyes of law” was another matter of regret for Jefferson later. The US Supreme Court did decide, in the Dredd Scott case that Blacks were barred from approaching American Courts.

Jefferson had written,

“Our laws have applied the only antidote to this vice[intolerance], protecting our religions, as they do our civil rights, by putting all on equal footing.”

“Equal in the eyes of the God” created yet another problem. Women demanded the right to vote. How could women (it did not matter that they White) be allowed to vote? In yet landmark case, the US Supreme Court decided, (Myner v. Happerstett) that being a US citizen did not give women the right to vote. Finally, after more than 100 years of Women’s Suffrage Movement, the right to vote was given to the women in the US in 1924.

Land Of The Free

1798: Criticism of Government, a criminal act?

John Adams made it a crime to criticize the US Government. Fearing a French invasion, the US Congress and President John Adams passed the Alien and Sedition Acts. These gave the US Government sweeping powers to deport any person considered dangerous to the nation’s welfare, to imprison anyone found guilty of criticizing the government. Numerous people were imprisoned.

In 1800, Thomas Jefferson made this into a campaign issue - as Whites (his favorite color) were getting affected. After his election, Jefferson pardoned all those convicted under these laws. Nearly 200 years later, in 1964, the US Supreme Court found courage to declare these law as unconstitutional.

1861: Abraham Lincoln detained thousands, ignored US Supreme Court

Lincoln’s face adorns Mount Rushmore. The same President Abraham Lincoln, during the Civil War, suspended habeas corpus (a cornerstone of Western claim to liberty and freedom), allowed the Federal Government to run amok. Southern sympathizers were arrested without submitting evidence against them or giving them a trial. Hundreds of draft resisters are imprisoned, including newspaper editors, judges, lawyers, and legislators. An estimated 13,000 people were arrested. Lincoln ignored Chief Justice Roger Taney’s judgment which ruled that the President’s actions were unconstitutional. Lincoln used the might of the State against pro-South newspapers.

1917-18: Under Woodrow Wilson, socialist leader imprisoned for years

Distrust reached the zenith during WW1 when American citizens were suspected of being German spies. The US Congress and President Woodrow Wilson approved the Espionage and Sedition Acts. The acts gave the government authority to censor foreign language press, restrictions against use of US Mail by antiwar publications. After this if any one did express ‘disloyal or antiwar sentiments; they could be imprisoned. Suspects were targeted by the Espionage Act (1918). In a familiar routine, all dissenters were smeared as Wobblies, legal proceedings instituted against them and imprisoned. John Reed, (writer of Ten Days That Shook The World, about the Bolshevik Revolution), captured these sham trials, reporting from the Chicago court.

An estimated 2,000 people were prosecuted. Eugene V. Debs, a socialist candidate in the Presidential race, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Charles Schenck, an author against the draft was also imprisoned. The US Supreme Court, in their long tradition of rubber-stamping many abusive laws, upheld Schenck’s conviction.

1942: 120,000 residents of Japanese Descent Interned

After the Pearl Harbor attack (1941), President Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order to set up a concentration camp for 120,000 Americans residents of Japanese descent - two thirds of these are US citizens. Their crime - their Japanese descent. They were released four years later, in 1946 - one year after the surrender of the Japanese forces. Even after enemy soldiers were released. The US Supreme Court rubber stamped this decision also. Some 40 years later, in 1988, the US Congress granted surviving internees $20,000 each. A proforma official apology from the US government was also conferred on these American citizens.

1949-54: McCarthy era - Communists imprisoned

During 1950s, American leadership fanned fears of an imminent communist takeover of the world. Eisenhower stoked the fires of anti-communism and proposed the Domino Theory. Sen. Joseph McCarthy led this crusade against ‘communist traitors’. This paranoia led to the prosecution of leaders of the Communist and Socialist Parties under the Smith Act (1940). This law, 10 years after its passage in its 10th year was used with devastating effect. This act made it a crime to advocate violence against the government. Some individuals were sentenced to prison for studying works of Marx and Lenin. The US Supreme Court rubber stamped convictions under this Act.

Most egregious was the McCarthy era. The persecution of dissidents in the world’s largest democracy was no less than in any military regime. Left leaning Hollywood personalities were implicated in fabricated cases and criminal charges foisted on them based on thin (or no) evidence. The Hollywood Ten (Alvah Bessie, Herbert Biberman, Lester Cole, Edward Dmytryk, Ring Lardner Jr., John Howard Lawton, Albert Maltz, Sam Ornitz, Adrian Scott and Dalton Trumbo) were banned by the Hollywood corporations. Under pressure from the Government, Hollywood’s production corporations, blacklisted alleged Communists. Eric Johnston released the Waldorf Statement on behalf of the Hollywood studios.

For many years, after the end of the witch hunt, these Hollywood corporations continued with the blacklist. Popular press targetted all the witnesses who co-operated with the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) Hearings and Senator Joe McCarthy - but not the perpetrators of the witch hunt. Heads of these Hollywood corporations (who could have resisted) and figures of authority like Eisenhower, Truman, McCarthy, J. Edgar Hoover and the various perpetrators went scot-free. Victims, like Elia Kazan, who collaborated, under pressure, were smeared as rats and further persecuted.

1996-2006: New laws - Secret evidence, for those on the death row

After the Oklahoma City bombing, by Timothy McVeigh, many laws were passed. The infamous Patriot Act is one such specimen on display. Congress passed other counter-terrorism laws limiting habeas corpus. But what takes the cake is the restriction on appeals for death-row inmates. Who can imagine that any law can restrict appeal against a death sentence. Any system of jurisprudence will be very circumspect about passage of such laws. But not in the land of the free.

These laws also allowed discriminatory behaviour by the US Government towards immigrants, suspected of terror activities, to be detained and deported based on ’secret’ evidence.

The American Melting Pot was another issue that the American’s did a tom-tom dance. Rightly so. They managed to melt everyone into one WASP profile. No other languages were allowed. For 200 years (nearly), Catholics (Red, White or you) could not become President in the land of the free. It took a rich Catholic man (never mind how the Kennedy clan got their money) to become the first non-WASP president. Till such time, that the Italians maintained their identity, they were kept at the fringe of American society. We are not even started on the Blacks and the Native Americans.

Americans were not allowed to learn or teach non-English languages for the best part of 200 years. All other language groups had to become American by giving up their own languages – and adopt the language of the land of the free.

America created the Monroe doctrine – supposedly an anti-colonial doctrine. But they anyway ahead and bought Philippines and Puerto Rico, illegally, removed the Queen Of Hawaii (for which they have now apologized), and have waged a war against Cuba for the last 100 years. Of course, I am not an expert on the American Constitution! Was this allowed under the American Constitution?

The new one that the Americans are now talking about is the establishment of the Federal Reserve. Some claim that the Federal Reserve was not a part of the original constitution.

After the Propaganda Slayer, PT Barnum pointed these aspects of Great American History, I am lost. Completely.

Can someone tell me what was there in the original American Constitution? Equality! Freedom! The Rule of Law?!