photo credit: jesheekah

Much has been said and debated in the public arena during the last few months regarding the economy. As with any catastrophe, people are looking to point fingers in order to be able to channel frustration and demand recourse. Sadly, the majority of the public has been deceived into believing that “unrestrained capitalism” and speculative, greedy investors were the major factors behind our current economic troubles.

Make no mistake: this accusation was not accidental, nor is it in the slightest bit truthful. In this instance we see a perfect example of the art form that is the shifting of accountability. This is done by getting the public to place the blame on the wrong people, much like a third grader suspected of causing mischief in class feigns innocence, shrugs his shoulders, and suggestively points to the kid next to him.

By diverting attention from themselves, those who are truly culpable free themselves from the consequences of their own actions, thus allowing them to continue pursuing their destructive course. In this case, the Federal Reserve has repeatedly and frequently avoided the attention they justly deserve through orchestrated media campaigns designed to misplace the blame and prevent any and all discussion related to the organization’s history, mission, agenda, and policies.

This campaign to quell public interest in the matter can be easily seen by asking a random person on the street what they know about Federal Reserve. For all the noise people make about losing their life savings, high food prices, and the housing bubble, few Americans attempt to truly understand the root of the problem.

A nationwide rally was held yesterday in 39 cities to raise awareness about the Federal Reserve and support the campaign for its abolition. As I stood with my sign in front of the Salt Lake City branch building, I amused myself by watching the reactions of people in the cars that drove by. The vast majority were visibly perplexed as to what the “Fed” is, or why people might be upset about its existence.

The fact that very few individuals understand the role of the Federal Reserve illustrates its successful strategy to deflect attention and place blame for its destructive policies onto individuals, organizations, policies, and market forces outside its sphere of influence. By so misplacing blame for what the Federal Reserve does, Americans are wasting their time and energy, and further supporting policies and laws that penalize and restrict individuals and practices that did nothing to create the environment used to bring the economy to its proverbial knees.


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