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Great news: WikiLeaks is set to target the banks
Neil Clark: Capital runs the world, not politicians, so the next ‘megaleak’ could be a real eye-opener
So Prince Andrew is "cocky" and Silvio Berlusconi has "a penchant for partying hard". If you're disappointed by the less than earth-shattering content of WikiLeaks' diplomatic cables, don't worry. Something far more interesting is coming next.
In an interview with Forbes magazine earlier this month, WikiLeaks' editor-in-chief Julian Assange announced that his site was planning another "megaleak" for early 2011, which would be from the private sector and involve "a big US bank".
"It will give a true and representative insight into how banks behave at the executive level", Assange predicted. He added that about 50 per cent of the documents WikiLeaks is currently sitting on relate to the private sector.
A WikiLeaks' shift from focusing on government to the world of big business would be hugely welcome. For the trouble with this week's release of US diplomatic cables is that it reinforces the belief that governments are the most important actors in world affairs. They're not. Capital runs the world, not politicians.
We saw this quite clearly here in Britain at the time of the general election in May. After the inconclusive general election result, "the markets" (whoever elected them, I wonder?) made it quite clear that they did not want a Labour-led coalition, which would cut public spending at a much slower rate than they required.
Such is the power of international finance capital today that the money men can, in effect, bring down any government they wish - and exert enormous pressure on governments to do their bidding.
The people who really decide what happens in the world today are not politicians or diplomats, but bankers, hedge fund billionaires, bond holders, international 'investors' and currency speculators. If they want massive cuts in public spending, then we'll get massive cuts in public spending. If they want "regime change" in a certain part of the world, then we'll get "regime change".
In the same week that WikiLeaks' embassy cables were released we saw once again the grip that international finance capital has over democratically elected politicians.
In order to make sure foreign bond holders get paid, Ireland has effectively signed away its independence, agreeing to a EU/IMF "rescue package" that will mean years of austerity for its people. Far from "rescuing" Ireland, the "bail-out" is, as activist Brian Denny claimed at the huge public demonstration in Dublin on Saturday, "an example of monopoly finance capital effectively running the country".
In the interests of democracy, it's the "confidential" communications of the global money men we really want to be reading, not the opinions of some American diplomat on Silvio Berlusconi's party habits.
WikiLeaks has done some good work in this regard in the past. In 2009, they made public a 210-page document from the Kaupthing Bank, an Icelandic multinational, which revealed that, just prior to Iceland's banking collapse, the bank had loaned billions of euros to its major shareholders. The exposure not only led to the arrest of several leading Kaupthing bankers, but a massive public outcry.
Now, WikiLeaks needs to do more to expose the shady world of international capitalism and the negative impact it has on world affairs.
"It was the power of Business, not the deliberations of statesmen, that shaped the destiny of nations," wrote the novelist Eric Ambler. That was back in 1937. It's even more true today. Over to you, Mr Assange. ·
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Michael, the people who run the world are often the ones with the money to get themselves elected as well. So they sit on both the 'markets' side and the 'politics' side. The Bush dynasty is a good example and all of the Bush's business friends were in office with him. The two have become inseperable. That's how democracy (the people) have been replaced by big corporations.
If you want more names start with the Rothchilds and Rockefellers. Influencers such as thee have mere salaried politicians under their spell. Particularly after 1913, when the the Federal Reserve Act was invoked in the USA, government lost to the banks; the final nail in the coffin was when governments abandoned the gold reserve and adopted pure floating fiat currencies which put the banks in control of everything. The politicians are powerless in their hands.
Wikileaks, lead by Julian Assange, is worth more than a few divisions in the silly and evil wars upon Iraq and Afghanistan. It shows up who the real terrorists are in the war on terrorism, brings out more truth than is delivered by all the water-boards of Guantanamo and promises now to illuminate us on what the bankers of the world have to say in the practice of handling our money. Those spokesmen for governments who condemn him for risking « National Security» such as the CIA have tons of civilian corpses on their record and the finger of protectionism to accuse. Those who trust democratically elected Hilary Clinton have to believe in what the meaning of « is » is. I hope J.A is writing his interpretation of the undeniable evidence he publishes. After all so far nobody has suggested that he has published anything that was not put to the pen. When those with the sword chop him down for which the forces are massive and increasing, they should be forewarned that the pen is and always has been mightier than the sword. Retribution is already upon them and will fall harder if JA even trips on a pavement.
I hope I don't sound too naive but aren't WE the markets? The people who buy things. Yes we are manipulated and hoodwinked but somewhere we must be contributing to the way Capital works.
I should imagine that Assange is well aware of the possible consequences of what he is doing, of what he has set in motion. If he should be "taken out" there will be others to continue with this task. He has the courage to be the front man for a movement that has become increasingly necessary for at least a decade if not much longer, but certainly since 2008. The nature of the leaks has also shown an interesting progression - from war to diplomacy to big money and the key to it all. If Messrs Power and Finance had not been so besotted with their own importance they would have seen Wikileak's next move coming. Before we can enjoy transparency in how life on this planet is managed there has to be exposure of just how profoundly it is being mismanaged for the benefit of a self indulgent minority. Change is in the air. Ancient China came and went in around one thousand years; Rome lasted around six hundred years while Spain and England were top dogs for around two hundred years. It has taken the USA a mere fifty years to become top dog and then begin its slide down. Change is coming ever more quickly to the affairs of man. Assange is merely its agent - or rather, one of them. There will be others if he is "taken out".
Agreed, we do need to know just who the key players are and get them under the spotlight. Trust the insurance Mr Assange has put in place regarding subsequent releases in the event of say, him getting locked up, waterboarded or worse, works. Sincerely hope it doesnt come to that but Interpol is no more than a political tool now.
It is about time the truth be told on these evil people. The bankers are the Bilderbergs, and they run everything, and the US Presidents. They make money off of wars, and people's suffering. What is next? Control the food supply. What do you think the new Bill in front of congress is about? Who controls the food supply will moreso control the world, people will give in. This is how the people will be controled, and murdered!
WAKE UP PEOPLE!!
Stop it before it happens.
Thank you to Assange for making this all public.
Remember that person in charge IS YOUR ELECTED EMPLOYEE!!!
OUR EMPLOYEES ARE THE MP'S, SENATORS, REPRESENTATIVES, PRESIDENTS ETC....YOU ARE THEIR BOSS...NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!!!
I don't give much for Assange's chances if he does go after international capital. More likely an unfortunate accident than an arrest warrant if / when he does.
It would be great if someone, maybe WikiLeaks or maybe a brave journo would explain to us real people just who the 'markets' are. And I don't mean 'what', I really do mean 'who'. The 'who' who continue to get mega-rich by playing their vile games using the banks as cat's-paws.