Guest Post: Thoughts On The Liberty Dollar Debacle (Total Overkill, but why?)

Zerhedge.com ^ | March 25, 2011 | Tyler Durden

[khnyny]

Thoughts On The Liberty Dollar Debacle

By Brandon Smith of Alt-Market.com

I was in the midst of the Save America Convention in Tampa, Florida when I heard, first, that Libya was under bombardment by the UN (led by U.S. forces), and, that Bernard von NotHaus of Liberty Dollar had been convicted of “counterfeiting”. It was a stressful day, to say the least. For those not familiar with the Liberty Dollar incident, In November of 2007, federal officials raided the group’s headquarters nestled in a strip mall and seized all documents and the gold and silver that backed up the paper certificates and digital currency being distributed through the Liberty Services website. The Justice Department asserted that Von NotHaus was placing gold and silver coins, along with precious metals currency, into circulation with the purpose of mixing them “into the current money of the United States.”

To be clear, NotHaus made some serious mistakes, including pressing his coins to look semi-similar to standard federal currency, and also using language which could be interpreted to insinuate that his currency was “legal tender”. There are many barter networks in the U.S. that use gold and silver that do not have these kinds of problems with the government simply because they are careful not to make the same blunders.

However, it wasn’t the conviction itself that struck me, so much as the language of the prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Anne Tompkins, in her post trial statement. Let me reprint my favorite parts for you here:

“Attempts to undermine the legitimate currency of this country are simply a unique form of domestic terrorism,”

“While these forms of anti-government activities do not involve violence, they are every bit as insidious and represent a clear and present danger to the economic stability of this country,”

[khnyny]

“We are determined to meet these threats through infiltration, disruption and dismantling of organizations which seek to challenge the legitimacy of our democratic form of government.”

[yldstrk]

Great article

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Confiscation of gold is on the agenda.

They can have no alternative to their scam, or it won't work.

[nkycincinnatikid]

None the less it has been a bad idea to start minting your very own brand of US $ denominated coins for quite some time now.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Yes, all US coins have an 800 number on them.

[Jim Noble]

Confiscation is unnecessary.

They will simply outlaw private sales in the G-20 countries.

[nkycincinnatikid]

Or soon will

[sport]

The government doesn’t like competition. Unless your going into politics, stay away from criminal activity. They [the government] will make an example of you.

[SunkenCiv]

http://www.galmarley.com/framesets/fs_commodity_essentials_faqs.htm

Gold : prices, facts, figures & research

Commodity Numbers FAQs

How much gold is there?

In the world there are currently somewhere between 120,000 and 140,000 tonnes of gold ‘above ground’. To visualise this imagine a single solid gold cube with edges of about 19 metres (about three metres short of the length of a tennis court). That’s all that has ever been produced.

Divided amongst the population of the world there are about 23 grams per person, about 1.2 cubic centimetres each. This equates to about $250 - $350 worth per person on Earth, depending on the current price.

[Georgia Girl 2]

I think there are a lot of convicted murderers and child molesters out there tonight thanking their lucky stars they were not convicted of counterfeiting Libery dollars. They will be out before this poor guy.

[Milhous]

People will need wheelbarrows instead of wallets by the time Bernanke gets done.

[hinckley buzzard]

So, US Attorney Anne Thompkins is a morally diseased political whore. What else is new?

[Iron Munro]

How are his coins any different than what Franklin Mint and others mint and sell?

http://www.franklinmint.com/%2FCoins-Currency-C275.aspx

[Munz]

>How are his coins any different than what Franklin Mint and others mint and sell?<

That was my question as well.

[khnyny]

I thought this part of the article was interesting:

What we see here is the not so subtle conditioning of average Americans towards categorizing certain innocuous behaviors as being related to possible criminal or terrorist motives. Owning guns is anti-social, and you are a naughty bad person for liking big boom boom stick. What’s that? A pocket Constitution!? Didn’t McVeigh or one of the 9/11 hijackers carry around something like that? You have a survival garden? Hmm, that sounds fishy. I better call the FDA and make sure everything you’re doing is on the up and up. You want to trade gold and silver? Privately?! That’s obviously “black market” barter, and you are the reason the economy is so unpleasant. I don’t get as many food stamps and free big brother goodies as I used to, and I blame you and your dastardly sense of self sufficiency! The IRS should have your head! And so it goes…

[Milhous]

How are his coins any different than what Franklin Mint and others mint and sell?

Bernard von NotHaus sells his coins too cheap, which makes the greenback look cheap.

[ConservativeByChoice]

FBI Raids Chuck E. Cheese For Undermining U.S. Currency

[TruthConquers]

BUMPS!!!

[TruthConquers]

“How are his coins any different than what Franklin Mint and others mint and sell?”

There wasn’t any difference.

They just wanted to steal his pile of silver,over $7mil of it, and make an example of him.

[Munz]

>They just wanted to steal his pile of silver,over $7mil of it, and make an example of him.<

if that is true, and there was no articulable difference i the coins he has a hell of a defense.