Greenspan – Co-opted Randite or Clever Mole?

In yesterday’s edition of Strike the Root, I linked to a piece by Mike Whitney in which the following quote appeared:

A shrewd economist and student of history like Greenspan knew exactly what the consequences of his low interest rates would be. The trap was set to lure in unsuspecting borrowers who felt they could augment their stagnant wages by joining the housing gold rush. It was a great way to mask a deteriorating economy by expanding personal debt.

I added in my blurb on the piece, “As an aside, whatever did co-opt the former rabid free-market Randite, Greenspan?”

Apropos of this, a reader called “Max” sent me a comment:

Taran, who of us can know that Greenspan ever renounced the teachings of Rand[?] Atlas Shrugged offered as theory ONE method to bring down the state, but perhaps Greenspan found another way. If the impending economic collapse should be as damaging as some predict, we will all be forced to face reality and the result of our choices.

Perhaps the maestro should be praised? Just a thought.

Max, that’s an intriguing suggestion. It’s certainly possible – and if you have evidence to back up your thought, I’d be very interested to see it. Frankly, though, my first reaction is that not even a total economic collapse will likely bring down the thing called State.

It didn’t in 1929. On the contrary, during the ensuing Great Depression (itself brought about in large part by the credit-creating, money-supply-inflating Federal Reserve), the statists du jour seized the moment and added to their power, and the state-idolatrizing sheeple loved it. FDR is lauded yet today by the unthinking majority, for “getting the country out of the Depression.”

Today, even were the US to fail outright, there’s a whole new North American Union being put into place to supersede it. The State in some form is fully planned to endure and to mushroom.

So I suspect the reality is closer to something Harry Schultz recently wrote:

When a possible leader or competent critic emerges in the US, he/she is immediately made a member of the CFR [Council on Foreign Relations], which thereby seals his/her lips. Or else! It’s a refinement of a Mafia policy. It’s done in a few other countries too, but not as widely or ruthlessly as in the US.

At that Wikipedia link on the CFR, Alan Greenspan is listed as a current member. Coincidence? Who knows?

(BTW, I highly recommend reading the entire quoted part of Schultz’s letter, in which he admits, “We’ve lost.”)  Also BTW, Max, are you the one and same Max from TCF?  Hiya, dude!