-Caveat Lector- 4/15/01 Make no mistake about it. Capitalism's inherent tendencies will do us in if allowed to continue. What we most don't need is a system of human activity based on profit from turning natural resources into garbage. We have now bumped up to the limits of environmental rebound. Capitalism creates wealth from debt. This is good for those with excess money to loan, but is a form of feudalism for those who need to borrow to survive in a money based economy. Under capitalism there is direct inverse proportionality between the rich and the poor. The middle class grows the ranks of the poor at a much higher rate than it does the ranks of the rich. Under capitalism, when borrowing money to buy a house, it is somehow ok to be coerced into paying back three or four times the value of the object bought. Where is the risk that justifies this kind of extortion when the lender can repossess the house and keep the money he/she has already collected? Tony Soprano would be jailed for this kind of activity. Here are some ideas being discussed. Nurev ------------------- THE FEASTA - BARATARIA CONFERENCE ON INTEREST FREE BANKING Trinity College, Dublin, May 19th & 20th, 2001 Preliminary programme Saturday 19th May Morning session 9.00 - 9.30 Registration, coffee, name tags 9.30 - 9.45 Opening, welcome, introduction Davie Philip of Feasta and Marc van der Valk the Barataria Network: Overview of programme 9.45 - 10.00 Richard Douthwaite: Sustainability and the problem of interest. Is the need to pay interest the reason why the modern economy collapses if it cannot grow? 10.00 - 10.40 Michael Rowbotham: The Grip of Death Mr. Rowbotham will explore the consequences of allowing the commercial banks to create money as interest-bearing loans. 20 mins lecture + 20 mins discussion. 10.40 - 11.00 Coffee, tea break 11.00 - 11.40 James Robertson: Creating New Money Mr. Robertson will present an alternative way of creating money, by having the state spend it into circulation. He will examine the consequences of the radical reduction in debt service charges that such a change would bring about. 20 mins lecture + 20 mins discussion. 11.40 - 12.20 Bernard Lietaer: The Future of Money Prof. Lietaer will compare systems based on interest with those based on demurrage (negative interest or liquidity tax). 20 mins lecture + 20 mins discussion. 12.20 - 12.45 Open discussion; is there a case for interest free banking? 12.45 - 14.00 Lunch break Afternoon session 14.00 - 15.00 Oscar Kjellberg: The Swedish interest free JAK members' bank. Mr. Kjellberg, managing director of the JAK Bank, will explain how it works and the advantages it has for its members and for society. 30 minutes presentation and 30 minutes discussion. 15.00 - 15.30 Pat Conaty & Naomi Kingsley: London Rebuilding Society's Mutual Aid Fund The fund is a well-advanced plan for interest-free lending to small businesses. 15 minutes presentation and 15 minutes discussion. 15.30 - 16.00 Tea, coffee break 16.00 - 17.00 Prospects for interest free banking A general discussion about prospects, possibilities, options, opportunities, and strategies towards interest free banking. Starts with a 10 minute presentation by Hugo Wanner, Netwerk Vlaanderen about recent developments in Belgium. 17.00 - 17.30 Conclusions from day 1 A list of topics to be discussed on Sunday morning and actions to be taken after the meeting will be drawn up. 17.30 - 18.30 Drinks, snacks, talks, plans, goodbyes 18.30 - Social "programme" in Dublin Sunday 20th May Morning session Many more topics than are covered in the pre-planned sessions arise during conferences such as this. This session is for such topics and its content will be settled during the 17.00hr session on Saturday. If people agree, we would like to concentrate on concrete, realistic steps forward for interest-free banking. We are keen to hear from anyone who would like to raise a topic, make a presentation or explore an idea during this session. So far, Pat Conaty has offered to give a brief of the Aston Reinvestment Trust's ideas for interest-free loans for house repairs in the Birmingham area and Pascal van Wanrooy (Strohalm) has been invited to discuss recent developments in The Netherlands. Afternoon session Reserved for private meetings among the participants. Conference fee: 75 Euros for those whose fee will be paid by their employer. 25 Euros for those who will be paying for themselves. Tea and coffee are covered by the conference fee but the lunches on both days are extra. Advance booking is essential as numbers will be limited to allow detailed discussions. Contact Marc van der Valk at [EMAIL PROTECTED] to reserve a place. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ This system only serves the rich. They've had it long enough. We can no longer support them in the style to which they have become accustomed. We need a health care system that will serve us as we get older. Not one that produces record profits for rich investors. You can't have both. We need a much smaller military. Not one which channels hundreds of billions of dollars to needy weapons makers. And not one which needs to be in every corner of the globe protecting corporations which are stealing other people's natural resources. Capitalism is a dangerous parasitic disease. Either it goes or the the host goes. Nurev <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
