NESARA
National Economic Security and Recovery Act (NESARA) was a set of proposed economic reforms for the United States suggested during the 1990s by Harvey Francis Barnard. Barnard claimed that the proposals, which included replacing the income tax with a national sales tax, abolishing compound interest on secured loans, and returning to a bimetallic currency, would result in 0% inflation and a more stable economy. The proposals were never introduced before Congress.
NESARA has since become better known as the subject of a cult-like conspiracy theory promoted by Shaini Candace Goodwin, doing business as "Dove of Oneness", who claimed that the act was actually passed with additional provisions as the National Economic Security and Reformation Act, and then suppressed by the George W. Bush administration and the Supreme Court. Goodwin's conspiracy emails have been translated into several languages and have a large following online.[1]
Monetary reform proposal
Harvey Francis Barnard (1941–2005), a Louisiana State University graduate in systems philosophy, and an engineering consultant and teacher, created the NESARA proposal during the late 1980s and early 1990s.[2] He printed 1,000 copies of his proposal, titled Draining the Swamp: Monetary and Fiscal Policy Reform (1996), and sent copies to members of Congress, believing it would pass quickly on its merits. Based on a theory that debt is the number one economic factor inhibiting the growth of the economy, and compound interest the number one "moral evil" and reason for debt, Barnard made several other attempts during the 1990s to draw political attention to the problems he saw in the US economy, and his suggested economic recovery proposal based on the root causes he determined. After these did not succeed, he decided in 2000 to release the proposal to the public domain and publish it on the internet. Barnard established the NESARA Institute in 2001, and published the second edition of his book in 2005, retitling it Draining the Swamp: The NESARA Story – Monetary and Fiscal Policy Reform.[1][3]
Dove of Oneness
Soon after Barnard released NESARA on the internet, a user known as "Dove of Oneness" began posting about it in internet forums. "Dove of Oneness" was later identified as Shaini Candace Goodwin, a former student of The Ramtha School Of Enlightenment, referred to in the media as a "cybercult queen."[1] According to Goodwin's website, the NESARA bill languished in Congress before finally being passed by a secret session in March 2000 and signed by President Bill Clinton. It is claimed that the new law was to be implemented at 10 a.m. on September 11, 2001, but that the computers, and data (of the beneficiaries of the trillions of dollars of "Prosperity funds") were destroyed on the second floor of one of the World Trade Center towers in New York City during the terrorist attacks. Supposedly an earlier gag order issued by the Supreme Court had prohibited any official or private source from discussing it, under penalty of death.[1] Goodwin referred to "White Knights," most of them high-ranking military officials, who have since been struggling to have the law implemented despite opposition by President George W. Bush. Goodwin allegedly believes and purports that Bush orchestrated the September 11 attacks and the Iraq War as distractions from NESARA.[4][5] Goodwin's description of NESARA goes far beyond Barnard's proposal by cancelling all personal debts, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, declaring world peace, and requiring new presidential and congressional elections. Goodwin often claimed that Bush officials were attempting to hack into and bring down her web site to prevent her from publicizing the law.[6]
Goodwin began commenting on NESARA in connection with Omega Trust, a fraudulent investment scheme whose creator, Clyde Hood, was on trial at the time. According to Goodwin, Omega Trust investors would receive their returns after NESARA was announced.[1][7] Goodwin repeatedly predicted that the NESARA announcement would occur in the very near future,[8][9][10] although in later years she became more reserved in these predictions.[11]
Other developments
After Goodwin began commenting on NESARA, other internet-based conspiracy theorists latched onto it. One supporter, Sheldan Nidle, ties the imminent NESARA announcement into his years-old prophecy of an imminent large scale UFO visitation by benevolent aliens (occasionally on his website reports, but more prominently in his videos,[12] seminars and public appearances). Jennifer Lee, who used to publish internet NESARA status reports almost daily[13] on her now defunct site, discussed a host of other-worldly and "interdimensional" beings who are helping behind the scenes to get NESARA announced. Internet evangelist Sherry Shriner, who operates many websites, sees NESARA as linked to malevolent reptiloid aliens she feels have long controlled the U.S. government.[14]
NESARA groups are known for certain to exist and to have attracted press attention in Utah,[15][16] and the Netherlands.[17] Members of these groups get together to discuss the status of NESARA, read the various reports, hold protests, and pass out fliers about NESARA to the public. Goodwin claims that NESARA groups exist throughout several nations and US states including California, Washington, Arizona, and Texas, and provides hundreds of pieces of photographic evidence of people in public protests holding NESARA banners,[18][19] but it is not clear to what degree the people holding the banners are aware of what NESARA is, or for how long these groups were active. The News Tribune has traced the story behind at least some of these photos (photos of trucks driving around Washington, D.C. bearing the words "NESARA Announcement Now!"), and found that they were part of a $40,000 advertising campaign allegedly paid for by an elderly San Francisco resident who had made donations to Goodwin.[17]
Criticism and comparison to a cult
Barnard became aware of Goodwin's description of NESARA before his death in 2005. He denied that NESARA had been enacted into law or even assigned a tracking number, and condemned Goodwin's allegations as a disinformation campaign.[20] Goodwin, for her part, dismisses the NESARA Institute as a disinformation front for the Bush family.
Critics consider NESARA to be a cult. Pointing to the fact that Goodwin, Lee, and Nidle frequently solicited donations from their readers, they accuse these leaders of being primarily interested in securing a steady stream of income for themselves.[21][22][23] Goodwin, who also asked readers to donate their frequent flyer miles,[24] claimed that she needed and had used the funds to travel to various locations around the world to secretly meet with high-level government officials about getting NESARA announced.[24][25]
Some NESARA supporters also make the claim that otherworldly beings are working to get NESARA announced. These include a "channeled" cosmic being called "Hatonn"[26] (an android Pleiadean), and another named Sananda. According to some proponents of Ascended Master Teachings, such as Joshua David Stone, Sheldan Nidle, and Luis Prada, Sananda is the "galactic name" of Ascended Master Jesus, which he uses in his role as Commander-in-Chief of the Ashtar Command flying saucer fleet. Pallas Athena is regarded as being the Vice-Commander of the saucer fleet. Ashtar (Ashtar Sheran) is regarded in these teachings as being third-in-command.[27] The designation of George W. Bush as a disguised reptilian often co-occurs with this claim.[28] Goodwin has claimed that Ascended Master Saint Germain has come down from the etheric plane to physically meet with heads of banks and world leaders regarding the NESARA announcement.[29][30]
The prominence of failed prophecy also lends support to the cult theory. NESARA supporters often tell their readers that the NESARA announcement is going to happen in a matter of days. These claims have been made too many times to enumerate, without ever coming to fruition. According to the documentary Waiting For NESARA, the claim was also made prior to March 2003 that George Bush was planning the war with Iraq only to further delay the NESARA announcement. It was prophesied that spiritual beings and UFOs would intervene with Bush's plans and prevent the war.[15]
A June 2006 complaint to the Washington consumer protection division accused Goodwin of using the NESARA story to defraud a 64-year-old San Francisco woman of at least $10,000. The woman's daughter said the actual amount is much larger, in the hundreds of thousands.[17]
See also
Notes and references
- Robinson, Sean (18 July 2004). "Snared by a Cybercult Queen, Dove of Oneness: First of Two Parts". The News Tribune. Retrieved 21 April 2020. Also reproduced here by the Cult Education Institute. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- "Harvey Francis Barnard obituary". The Advocate. Legacy.com. 24–26 May 2005. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- "The National Economic Stabilization and Recovery Act". Archived from the original on 1 December 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- Goodwin, Shaini (11 September 2006). "NESARA's Announcement Brings Truth about 9-11 Attacks". Archived from the original on 3 July 2009. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- Goodwin, Shaini. "Announcement this Week?—NESARA Update #21". Archived from the original on 16 April 2003. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- Robinson, Sean (19 July 2004). "Up against 'the dark agenda'". Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- "NESARA Scam". Quatloos!. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- Goodwin, Shaini (4 May 2002). "NESARA: Gov. and U.S. Treasury Currency Info; Pros. Prg Deliveries". Archived from the original on 18 June 2004. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- Goodwin, Shaini (8 March 2004). "NESARA Debt Relief in U.S.; Income Taxes End; NESARA Editorial & Confirmations". Archived from the original on 11 April 2004. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- Goodwin, Shaini (13 October 2003). "NESARA; Dove Reports Email Improvements; Wild-eyed Currency Stories". Archived from the original on 27 August 2004. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- Goodwin, Shaini (23 June 2006). "NESARA Chronicles Parts 4 and 5". Archived from the original on 25 September 2006. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- "PAO Products". Planetary Activation Organization. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- "Jennifer Lee NESARA Reports". Quatloos!. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- Shriner, Sherry. "NESARA Sucks: The Beast Economic Program". Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- Haradon, Zeb and Elisa. "Waiting for NESARA". Archived from the original on 2 January 2006. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- Robinson, Sean (6 August 2004). "Documentary spotlights NESARA cult; Dove's followers". The News Tribune. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- Sean, Robinson (18 June 2006). "Some lucrative 'New Age hooey'". The News Tribune. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- "NESARA— Also called the Reformation Act". Archived from the original on 10 February 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2020. includes several photo galleries: NTAT in action - July 4th 2005;
- Goodwin, Shaini (2 October 2005). "NESARA Finishes Farm Claims Actions; NTAT Report; Canadians Sue Banks". Archived from the original on 3 July 2009. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- "Rabbits: Rumors – The "Real" NESARA". The NESARA Institute. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- Goodwin, Shaini (February 6, 2007). "NESARA Lights Carry NESARA Forward". Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- Nidle, Sheldan. "Sheldan Nidle Updates". Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- Lee, Jennifer (October 7, 2003). "Jennifer Lee NESARA Reports". Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- Goodwin, Shaini (October 24, 2004). "NESARA; Bush Regime Stalls 9-11 Report by CIA Group; NTAT Reports". Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- Goodwin, Shaini (July 18, 2004). "The Truth About Dove of Oneness: Her Life & Activities". Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- Ward, Suzy (July 18, 2005). "Special NESARA Edition". The Matthew Books. Retrieved 2007-09-25. Ward claims to write books that are "channeled" from her son, Matthew, who died in April, 1980 at the age of 17. The message cited is claimed to be channeled through a higher level cosmic being named Hatonn
- Peterson, Ken. "Sananda on NESARA and Compassion". Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- Icke, David. "The Windsor-Bush Bloodline". Archived from the original on 2007-03-31. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- Goodwin, Shaini (April 28, 2007). "Peace Ordered; Corp. Eviction; Ascended Masters Working On Our Behalf". Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- Goodwin, Shaini (July 28, 2002). "Support NESARA Fully to Receive Full Prosperity". Retrieved 2007-09-25.