The Liberty Dollar was a private currency produced by Bernard von NotHaus and his organization NORFED (National Organization for the Repeal of the Federal Reserve and Internal Revenue Code). The Liberty Dollar served as warehouse receipts for real gold and silver until it was shut down following a raid by the FBI and Secret Service. The website for Liberty Dollars now reads “Site Removed Due to Court Order.”
According to Wikipedia, “VonNotHaus was charged with one count of conspiracy to possess and sell coins in resemblance and similitude of coins of a denomination higher than five cents, and silver coins in resemblance of genuine coins of the United States in denominations of five dollars and greater, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 485, 18 U.S.C. § 486, and 18 U.S.C. § 371; one count of mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341 and 18 U.S.C. § 2; one count of selling, and possessing with intent to defraud, coins of resemblance and similitude of United States coins in denominations of five cents and higher, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 485 and 18 U.S.C. § 2; and one count of uttering, passing, and attempting to utter and pass, silver coins in resemblance of genuine U.S. coins in denominations of five dollars or greater, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 486 and 18 U.S.C. § 2″
Based on these charges, VonNotHaus was trying to counterfeit US currency. VonNotHaus must be the stupidest counterfeiter ever. Rather than producing a replica of currency at a lower than face cost, VonNotHaus was producing a similar currency that was actually worth the face value of what he was “counterfeiting”. According to the prosecuting attorney, Bernard von NotHaus is a domestic terrorist.
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. 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.
U.S. Attorney Anne Tompkins
I’m not arguing whether the printing of Liberty Dollars is or should be legal. I’m criticizing the word choice of U.S. Attorney Anne Tompkins.
Terrorism is defined in the following ways:
- Princeton Wordnet: the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature
- Cambridge dictionary: (threats of) violent action for political purposes
- Encyclopedia Britannica: the systematic use of violence to create a general climate of fear in a population and thereby to bring about a particular political objective.
According to U.S. Attorney Anne Tompkins, this includes ‘Attempts to undermine the legitimate currency of this country’
All previous definitions share two things in common. The need for a political objective and the use or threat of violence. VonNotHaus clearly had political motivation behind the distribution of Liberty Dollars, but by no definition did he use or threaten to use violence. If Tompkins is expanding her definition to include inciting fear, then she should go after roller coaster manufactures and makers of horror movies. If she is focusing on threatening the economic stability of this country – which is not a crime – she should go after the federal reserve itself. Creating repeated recessions and destroying the value of the currency by diminishing its buying power by 96% seems to fit the bill.
NORFED has been openly and publicly issuing Liberty Dollars into circulation for 10 years. Suddenly, it’s a crime that is a ‘clear and present danger to the economic stability of this country’.
Tomkins also criticizes VonNotHaus for his ‘anti-government activities’ and his his attempt to ‘challenge the legitimacy of our democratic form of government’. Neither of these are crimes. By the nature of democracy and free speech, VonNotHaus has the right to challenge the legitimacy of our democratic form of government. It’s not against the system, it’s an inherent part of the system. Criminalizing VonNotHaus’ actions is the real crime.
Tags: Banking
