Let’s Emulate The Lakota People

[JRSWRITER]

From the Ramparts

Junious Ricardo Stanton

“WASHINGTON — The Lakota Indians, who gave the world legendary warriors Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, have withdrawn from treaties with the United States. ‘We are no longer citizens of the United States of America and all those who live in the five-state area that encompasses our country are free to join us,'’ long-time Indian rights activist Russell Means said. A delegation of Lakota leaders has delivered a message to the State Department, and said they were unilaterally withdrawing from treaties they signed with the federal government of the U.S., some of them more than 150 years old.

The group also visited the Bolivian, Chilean, South African and Venezuelan embassies, and would continue on their diplomatic mission and take it overseas in the coming weeks and months. Lakota country includes parts of the states of Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming.The new country would issue its own passports and driving licences, and living there would be tax-free - provided residents renounce their U.S. citizenship, Mr Means said. The treaties signed with the U.S. were merely ‘worthless words on worthless paper,’ the Lakota freedom activists said.” http://www.foxnews. com/story/ 0,2933,317548, 00.html

While perusing the Internet in search of material for my Blog and Internet radio programs I came across a piece that really resonated with me. Last year the Lakota Nation one of many indigenous people of this land decided enough was enough and elected to secede from the United States of AmeriKKKa. Based up their treatment by the original European invaders and their descendants who became the United States, the Lakota people decided it was in their best interests to conduct their affairs separate and apart from the oppressively racist US Bureau of Indian Affairs and Washington. The article that caught my eye indicated the Lakota Nation had established its own bank called the Free Lakota Bank. The banner read, “ Free Lakota Bank- Preliminary Assessment” http://www.breakthe matrix.com/ content/Free- Lakota-Bank-–-Preliminary- Assessment While I am still checking the validity of this report, the idea makes perfect sense, especially in these perilous economic times. The Lakota have taken their quest for independent sovereignly to the next level, they are creating their own financial system.

If Africans in AmeriKKKa had real leadership and a cohesive organizational structure, we would be thinking about what we need to do to ensure we don’t get crushed by the sinking US economy. The US economy (and the society as a whole) is terminally ill, having been poisoned by the very ruling elites charged with keeping it healthy and alive. Capitalism by its nature reflects the consciousness of the people who created. So it is natural capitalism is a predatory and ruthlessly exploitative system. Morality is a non issue when it comes to profits and the bottom line. Sooner or later the greedy capitalist class like the virulent parasites they are, turn inward and begin devouring their host; in this case the AmeriKKKan economy. They are now plotting stealing (via bailouts and “rescue plans”) the assets still worth anything and using them to keep themselves rich while the rest of us are destroyed by the vices of greed, covetousness and hubris inherent in the system.

According to the article, the Lakota Bank will operate this way: 1. Only Gold or Silver Holdings, but with a preliminary period where they will accept Federal Reserve Notes and convert them to metal. 2. Completely Anonymous – No names or Social Security Numbers attached to accounts. 3. Two-Tiered Security – SSL Online username, using a strong keystroke encryption program; followed by an automatic phone call for the user to enter a PIN number. 4. An incredibly inexpensive monthly fee for account maintenance (0.00005 service fee or 5 cents per thousand when calculated at present silver spot). 5. A ‘General Investment Fund;’ which allows a waiver of investors’ maintenance fees and earns a current annual rate of return for the Fund of 7.24%. 6. A lending philosophy that is a blend of classic Muslim banking and the largely unexploited market of ‘Micro-loans.’ ” http://www.breakthe matrix.com/ content/Free- Lakota-Bank-–-Preliminary- Assessment
The Lakota leadership, in addition to severing their ties with the US government and the Bureau of Indian Affairs is also getting as far away from the collapsing US economy and currency as possible. The Lakota are offering an alternative to the corrupt and sinking US financial system. They have: “visited the Bolivian, Chilean, South African and Venezuelan embassies, and would continue on their diplomatic mission and take it overseas in the coming weeks and months.” http://www.foxnews. com/story/ 0,2933,317548, 00.html The Lakota are serious. They are re-establishing their national sovereignty . We should be taking a cue from them.

Alas, following the Obama win, more black folks seem determined to go down with the AmeriKKKan ship than ever before. I’ve heard more black folks proclaim their devotion to this country since the election than ever before!? For some reason many of our people actually believe the election of Barack Obama means AmeriKKKa has been magically redeemed and transformed. Would it were that easy! Meanwhile white folks are buying guns and stockpiling ammunition like crazy.

AmeriKKKa is in deep trouble morally, fiscally and socially. We are teetering on the brink of moral and economic collapse. Black folks need to think like the Lakota. We need to be crystal clear about our future based upon our experiences here just like the Lakota. We need to seriously plan how to survive the coming hard times. How will we feed ourselves if retail food chains go belly up? How will we cope with the hyper inflation that is the result of all the money the Fed is printing to loan the banks, insurance companies, the auto industry and any other group that can grease the palms of our Congress critters. Keep in mind the Federal Reserve Bank is a privately owned banking cartel. Every dollar they print we have to pay them interest!!! Don’t forget most of the newly printed money is going to bail out Wall Street, not the beleaguered homeowners facing default and foreclosure. Remember how the government treats the Native Americans. Remember how the government responded to Katrina and the nonchalant attitude it has towards struggling working class and poor people. Now ask yourself, should I put all my faith in the government? We also should face the abysmal racial history of this country. People and societies ae creatures of habit. Helping the poor, working folks and people of color is not the top priority of the people who set government policy!

The Wall Street collapse is going to hit closer to home if it hasn’t already. If you are working and have a defined contribution retirement account (a regular pension from your job) more than likely your pension fund took a major hit recently. If you have a 401K or individual retirement account; more than likely it took a hit also. Either way, both will take further hits in the future. The US economic system is in free fall. The slumping economy will impact employment nation wide, which is decreasing.

We need to recognize this fact and come together as a community to plan how we can best ensure our survival. We are too spread out and far flung to secede into a geographical area like the Lakota. Nevertheless we still need to think from an ethnocentric perspective. For my two cents, I say we need to think in terms of being a united, cohesive, self-reliant people. We have to get back to the basics of providing our own food, shelter and economic interaction; be it by bartering or creating our own currency like the Lakota. I certainly don’t have the details but I do know we can not wait or depend solely on the government to save us.

By now it should be obvious the US government can’t save itself. The fact of the matter is, it’s broke, busted and would go into default if the Chinese, Japanese, oil rich Persian Gulf State Arabs and others didn’t lend it three billion dollars a day to keep the lights on. The deficits are huge and they are un-repayable. Nonetheless; we, the taxpayers, are still stuck with the interest payments (compound interest is a mother if you are on the owing side) and that means money out of your pocket for years to come during a protracted economic slump. There is a conference in New Orleans called the State of the Black World Conference. Hopefully those in attendance will bring up these and other pertinent issues for discussion and action.