Canupa Gluha Mani – Ithanchan of the Free Lakota Bank on monetary sovereignty

Posted on May 16, 2012 by David Mint

5/16/2012 Portland, Oregon - Pop in your mints…

We first heard about the Free Lakota Bank back in 2008.  From what we understood at the time, it was a bank in the free sense, in that they coined, circulated, and accepted precious metals for deposits.  At the time, it was hard to imagine the importance of the Free Lakota Bank, both from a monetary standpoint and, as we will explore today at The Mint, the standpoint of sovereignty.

We had heard nothing more of the Free Lakota Bank until we received an update yesterday from the Ithanchan (Director) of the Bank, Canupa Gluha Mani.  It gave us some valuable insight into the origins of the Bank and the broader struggle for sovereignty which is occurring in the background as the financial debacle which passes for an economy in the West circa 2012 continues to erode the sovereignty of the nation state.

Before we share the Ithanchan’s words with you, we wish to interject our own analysis of the current state of national sovereignty.  The nation state, as many have come to know it over the past several hundred years, is disintegrating. 

Rather than work to change or hasten the destruction of the failed nation state system, which are the tactics of choice for the majority, we at The Mint advocate that the best course of action is to simply get the heck out of the way.

It is easy enough to recognize that one should leave a burning building when the alarm sounds, and that one should run clear of large structures when the earth begins to shake.  However, when an economy and financial system are simultaneously burning and collapsing, a different course of action is called for.  The action involves declaring your individual and family sovereignty and then seeking to align with other sovereign individuals and family units which hold a similar set of values.

Doug Casey, the famed investor, believes that the world is in the process of aligning itself in “phyles,” which is a Greek word which roughly translates into clans.

Given this hypothesis, events such as the one described by the Ithanchan may become more commonplace as events such as the Greek Euro exit and the MF Global and JPMorgan billion dollar mistakes become the norm.

Now, the communication from the Ithanchan:

“May 15th, 2012

An Important Update from Director Canupa Gluha Mani:

Hoka hey!

My name is Canupa Gluha Mani, and I am the Ithanchan of the Free Lakota Bank, whip-man of the Black Hills Treaty Council, warrior of the Strong Heart Society and a proud member of the Lakota Oyate.

In 2007, my colleagues and I traveled from the Pine Ridge reservation to Washington DC, declaring our sovereignty and independence from the tyranny of your government and more than a century of abuse and ignoring the treaty of Fort Laramie.

Since then, we have undertaken many tasks to gain the support and recognition of the international community. We sent ambassadors across the globe, established our own monetary system, our own bank, we began issuing our own travel documents and most importantly, started generating our very own profit. The Lakota people are no longer slaves to your government.

In 2008 the Lakota people launched the Free Lakota Bank, in accordance with the demands of the treaty council, in partnership with the American Open Currency Standard and with protection from the Strong Heart Warrior Society. The bank quickly became an international sensation. Support poured in from across the globe, and our project was instantly overwhelmed. It has taken more than three years to catch up on the backlog of interest in our groundbreaking financial institution. Though we still have a long way to go, our founding depositors have helped us accomplish amazing results since inception.

Though we are still in the development stage, we can no longer operate quietly. As your governments march steadily toward their own destruction, they cannibalize the citizenry through taxation and regulation.

For example, those of you paying attention may have noticed that, through the work of your government’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, private banking is now effectively dead. In the past, US authorities required foreign banks to report directly, and most international banking centers simply ignored the requests. Now, all banks that wish to participate in the Federal Reserve banking system must report account data to their own governments, and with a few remote exceptions, governments simply swap data with each other. Moreover, popular US peer-to-peer payment systems now issue 1099′s for payments received, creating a tax liability for those who wish to transact online. As the government fails, look for the squeeze to continue.

We known how it feels to be treated like this. The basic rights of indigenous people across our lands have been trampled on for years. We were stolen from, forced into colonialism, massacred, cheated and abused in just about every form imaginable. I know first-hand what it’s like to stand up to the federal government. I was there at wounded knee in 1973, firing shots in defense of my people. I wish the people of this country never have to personally witness such an atrocity, but I believe that day may come for you too to draw your line in the sand.

We do not intend to do nothing while your government implodes. In fact, there is great profit to be made providing tools and access for people like you to live a sovereign life. There are many components to sovereignty, but one that I believe to be most important is economic independence. You must have the ability to earn your own profit in an objective form of value, like silver or gold. You must have the ability to easily do business with others that demand payment in the same form. You must have the ability to use objective forms of value to satisfy the needs and desires of your life. The Free Lakota Bank is working diligently to create the network for access to the new economy, built of the mutual exchange of value. 

Over the years, many have asked why Lakota elders chose to start the Free Lakota Bank. The Lakota people are warriors. Warriors can achieve victory. Like Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Rain in Your Face and other warriors before them, my elders wish to leave a legacy, a positive impact on turtle island, which you call North America, and the people that inhabit Her.  The Lakota legacy will be to emancipate the people of this land from financial slavery.

I encourage you to join our economic system. Bank with us or other commodity banks and be a part of our success while you create your own. The Free Lakota Bank is the first bank in the world to offer deposits and investment opportunities exclusively in silver, and even pays interest on contract deposits in ounces of metal.

Over the next few months, stay tuned for several important announcements from the Free Lakota Bank. Thank you for your continued support and remember, as the great warrior Crazy Horse said, Hoka Hey! Today is a good day to die!

Canupa Gluha Mani

Free Lakota Bank

While we may never hunt and use every part of the bison, we at The Mint do share the vision of free banking as the key to sovereignty and congratulate the Lakota on the steps they have taken to reclaim their sovereignty.

This also reminds us that we must write a letter to Evo Morales, Bolivia’s President, regarding free banking and its link to sovereignty.  Perhaps holding the Lakota out as an example to him will finally get his attention.

Stay tuned for further sections and Trust Jesus.

Stay Fresh and Hoka Hey!

David Mint

Email: davidminteconomics@gmail.com

Key Indicators for May 16, 2012

Copper Price per Lb: $3.48

Oil Price per Barrel:  $92.83

Corn Price per Bushel:  $6.20

10 Yr US Treasury Bond:  1.77%

FED Target Rate:  0.16%  ON AUTOPILOT, THE FED IS DEAD!

Gold Price Per Ounce:  $1,540

MINT Perceived Target Rate*:  0.25% AWAY WE GO!

Unemployment Rate:  8.1%

Inflation Rate (CPI):  0.0%

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 12,599

M1 Monetary Base:  $2,335,600,000,000

M2 Monetary Base:  $9,783,500,000,000

Posted in Freedom, Gold, Silver | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Subtle Change from Principles to Rules Part IV of IV – What does it all mean?

Posted on May 14, 2012 by David Mint

5/14/2012 Portland, Oregon - Pop in your mints…

Today we will conclude our brief trip back to one of the origins of the agitation which is The Mint:  The Subtle Change from Principles to Rules. 

The following is the final excerpt from our soon to be released free ebook.  It will be offered  for free through Smashbooks.com in all common ebook formats in the coming months.  What does it all mean?  Read on and let us know what you think!

What does it all mean?

At this point, we are forced to step back from the mud and ponder the events unfolding in the meadow and ask the questions that are raised in the parable, for they are of the utmost importance.

The parable highlights the subtle yet important difference between principles and rules.  In the meadow parable, the activities and projects referred to as meadow improvement represent rules.  Rules are made by those who either do not fully understand or do not desire to adhere to the principles of an activity and are generally imposed with the stated purpose of maintaining or “improving” the status quo. 

Once a human institution, as the meadow was to represent, makes the subtle change from being guided by principles to being governed by rules, these rules fill the meadow with “cordoned off areas” and “canals” until no one can freely move about within them.

A glance at the following definitions will help us to better understand the conceptual difference between principles and rules.  A principle, according to the Encyclopedia, “signifies a point (or points) of probability on a subject (i.e. the principle of creativity), which allows for the formation of rule or norm or law by (human) interpration of the phenomena (events) that can be created.”  By contrast, a rule, according to dictionary.com, is “a principle or regulation governing conduct, action, procedure, arrangement, etc.”  Making a clear distinction between principles and rules is confusing because the terms are often used interchangeably to define two concepts that could not be more different.  This is why the change is subtle.

We must then attempt to compare and contrast these concepts in the following manner:  Principles make things possible.  Principles create.  Rules govern conduct or regulate.  Rules destroy.  With this understanding, we can now postulate that, while principles tend to create rules, rules tend to destroy principles once the propagation of rules dwarfs the principle that created them.  It is as if an invisible prison is constructed by the growing threat of going to a real one.

Does this mean that principles are bad because they create rules?  By no means, in the same way, rules are not bad either, but principles must be held above the rules that they create in order for the principles to maintain their power to create and make things possible.  Once rules are allowed to dominate, they thrust aside principles and a prison begins to quickly construct itself.

This is what our brilliant local CPA was alluding to in the GAAP Update seminar when he mentioned that the word “should” in of some of the pronouncements had been changed to “must.”  For this careful choice of words is perhaps the clearest manifestation of this subtle shift in American society, circa 2012.

The word “should” bestows some glimmer of freedom of choice upon the hearer.  As in “You should wear a jacket, its cold.”  While the word should implies a strong suggestion that would do well to heed, it is understood that one is free to ignore it, albeit at their peril.  Once the word “must” is placed in the same sentence, this freedom is removed and the only thing that remains is the expectation of punishment for non-compliance.  It describes this subtle change from principles to rules that is happening in not only in GAAP but in many other areas of society as well.

This choice of words will only lead to resentment and violence in the meadow, where those guilty of stealing water rations for their parched fellow meadow dwellers and for crossing into a cordoned off area are either incarcerated, banished, or exterminated in an increasingly futile attempt to keep the meadow clean.  While those dwelling in the meadow may gradually adjust to this dire state of affairs, it will be clear to all external observers that the once vibrant meadow has turned into a gruesome cross between a pig sty and a slaughter house.

Such is the fate of a society in which rules are employed to remove all semblance of freedom of its inhabitants.  It is not a question of if, but when.

It is abundantly clear that the principles of liberty and self-determination are the only antidote to the poison of rules once they have overwhelmed the principles that gave rise to them.

And what of the deer who began all of the bounding in the meadow in the first place?  Wouldn’t they have stayed around to ensure the freedom of bounding?  It is perhaps the greatest of ironies that these deer, who so fervently loved bounding and whose activities attracted the very people who would stifle and destroy it, would simply bound to another meadow as the first restrictions on bounding were drafted.

For it is the very nature of true freedom to respect the right to freedom of others.  Even if they choose to destroy the very freedom that has been accorded to them.

If you have enjoyed these musings, please share them with your friends and family via any means you deem appropriate. 

In the case that you and feel mysteriously led to contribute financially to this author’s work.  Please visit click on the “Donate” button on the upper right hand side of this page.  All donations are accepted by The Wilcox Trading Company via Paypal, are considered sales of the book and, while given and accepted in a charitable spirit, may not be considered charitable donations by the IRS.

Thanks again and we wish you all the best, deer reader!

Stay Fresh!

David Mint

Email: davidminteconomics@gmail.com

Posted in Mint Classics, Politics, Subtle Change from Principles to Rules | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Two tips to help plan for your child’s college education

Posted on May 13, 2012 by brenda18

{Editor’s Note:  Our recent “Healthy Habits” series has inspired one of our readers, Brenda Lyttle, to share a couple of money saving tips.  Brenda is a stay at home mom and a lover of the frugal life.  A brief disclaimer, we do not offer individual tax advice and encourage you to speak with a qualified tax professional to determine whether or not these tips are right for you.}

Are you losing sleep planning for your child’s college education?  You are not alone in living in fear that you may not be able to finance your child’s college education.  You may even have earned some bad credit scores, but if you’re determined and plan early, you can still pull it off.

You will need articulate planning in order to successfully fund you kid’s college education during these times when the college fees are rising exponentially.  Here are two tips to help you get started:

1.      Choose the Right Tax Saving Schemes

Why not save on some tax payments while planning to fund your child’s college education all at the same time?  There are numerous plans available in the market which offer a tax shelter if you decide to invest with them.  Here are two of the most popular and rewarding ones:

a.    529 Plans

You can invest with these plans while not needing to pay tax on the invested amount.  You can then withdraw the investment for paying tuition fees when your child enters college and the amount will still remain untaxed upon withdrawal!  This plan offers its tax saving options to all accrued earnings which are used for qualified educational expenses. You will be exempted from all the federal taxes.

You will be required to pay the state taxes, however, though some of the states are known to waiver a part of the state taxes if you invest your earnings in the 529 plans.  You can also use the 529 plans to prepay the tuition fees at your preferred college at the present, presumably lower, tuition rates.  This way you are saving on taxes today and protecting yourself from inflated college fees tomorrow.

b.      Coverdell Education Savings Accounts

This account is not as popular as the 529 plans but has seen some popularity owing to the fact that your contribution limit is determined by your gross income which is adjusted to future rates.  The contributions in this account are non-deductible and will be allowed to grow tax-free.  You can’t use the funds of this account for any other purpose apart from an education from a qualified educational institution.

2.      Let Them Handle Their Own College Expenses

Have you considered leaving portions of the college expenses to your child in order to save some money from the educational fund to be used for your own future?  If you haven’t, it is high time you start doing so!  Remember that your child has numerous options for financing his college education irrespective of whether or not you have a college education fund set up for them.

There are numerous grants, scholarships and fellowship programs that colleges offer in order to help students finance their college expenses.  In case your child fails to secure one of these, they can always apply for an educational loan.  The burden of repayment of this loan will rest on their shoulders when they secure a job.  If you are still willing to help them out with their educational expenses, you can do so by paying a part of the college fees from your current income flow at that point of time.

Remember that planning for your child’s college expenses is important.  It should be considered as important as securing your retirement and, using these tips, you may enjoy some tax savings in the process!

Brenda Lyttle is a work-at-home mom and lover of frugal living.  She suggests that to save money on occasions, you may want to indulge in off-season shopping, such as buying Halloween costumes for 2012 around May or June to get a bargain, instead of waiting until October.

 

Posted in Financial Advice | Leave a comment

The Subtle Change from Principles to Rules Part III – Meadow Improvement

Posted on May 11, 2012 by David Mint

5/11/2012 Portland, Oregon - Pop in your mints…

Today we continue our brief trip back to one of the origins of the agitation which is The Mint:  The Subtle Change from Principles to Rules. 

The following is another excerpt from our soon to be released ebook.  It will be offered  for free through Smashbooks.com in all common ebook formats in the coming months.  Enjoy!

Meadow Improvement

The once vibrant meadow and its subsequent demise can provide us with a metaphor from which to gain an understanding of the difference between principles and rules and what it means for us as persons as we navigate together this subtle yet incredibly important cultural change in our society.

We pick up the scene at our meadow in the aftermath ofWoodstock.  It has become obvious to everyone in the meadow, both deer and persons alike, that the meadow is no longer the utopia that they had entered.  The people become desperate to understand what went wrong and more importantly how to keep it from going wrong again in the future. 

How will they go about this?  First, they cordon off a bounding area, so that bounding may continue, albeit in a limited fashion.  Other areas are then cordoned off and efforts are made to revive the grass in these areas.  It is prohibited to enter into these areas until it has been deemed “suitable for bounding.”  Next, they decide to construct a canal system in part of the meadow and allow the stream to “revive” itself within its new found confinements.  Water from the stream and canals is then rationed, which, in turn, limits bounding.  This limitation on bounding, as envisioned, seems to rejuvenate the meadow for a time.

At this stage, something peculiar; a paradox, if you will, begins to take place.  The people in the meadow begin to see that, although bounding now has become a limited an increasingly coveted activity, and their other projects seem to have achieved their aims, the grass is growing and the stream is beginning to clear up.  Heartened by their success, they begin to dedicate themselves more and more to “meadow improvement” and less to bounding. 

There is now scarcely time or space for bounding anyhow, and “meadow improvement” is a much more worthy cause.  Why just look!  We have grass growing where no one can bound and our canal system now provides more rations of water for more people who are not bounding.  What could be better? 

The clear answer, though few people now recall, is the very reason that people began to flock to the meadow in the first place:  The freedom of bounding in a meadow!  Joyful, unadulterated bounding without water rations and cordoned off grassy areas.

Now, however, nobody dares to say these things out loud, because everyone knows that “meadow improvement” has become vital, and that bounding, while entertaining, must be done on an extremely limited and controlled basis, with a careful eye on the grass and the stream, lest the area be disturbed again and they find it in need of further improvement.

Of course the original, “genesis” deer and their principles, are now long gone, searching for another meadow in which to freely bound about.  Some who remain in the meadow are still searching for these principles and long for the days when they will bound freely again.

However, since most of those who remain were either unaware of, or in some stage of disagreement with the original principles, the “why” of the boundless joy that they once beheld; “meadow improvement” continues and the deer and their principles are idolized, but rarely sought.

Why?  A return to those principles would lead to too much bounding, of course.  And, of course, too much bounding leads to ruined meadows.

So what is the point of this tale, “deer” reader?  What can you and I learn from a humble accounting lecture, bounding deer, and “meadow improvement” projects?  In other words, what does it all mean?????

Indeed, what does it all mean?  For the answer, stay tuned for our final installment and Trust Jesus.

Stay Fresh!

David Mint

Email: davidminteconomics@gmail.com

Posted in Mint Classics, Politics, Subtle Change from Principles to Rules | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment