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NESARA is an acronym for the proposed National Economic Stabilization and Recovery Act, a set of economic reforms suggested during the 1990s by Dr. Harvey Barnard. Barnard claimed that the proposals, which included replacing the income tax with a national sales tax (see also FairTax), 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, and the only congressman known to have commented on the bill is Ron Paul, dismissively, and through a spokesman.^[1] NESARA has since become better known as the subject of a cult-like conspiracy theory promoted by Shaini Goodwin, who claims 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. Other people have adopted and embellished Goodwin's ideas.

Origins

Dr. Harvey Barnard, a Louisiana graduate in systems philosophy, and an engineering consultant and teacher, created the NESARA proposal during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He printed 1000 copies of his proposal in 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 also established the NESARA Institute in 2001.^[2][3]

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" has since been identified as Shaini Goodwin, a former student of The Ramtha School Of Enlightenment.^[2] According to Goodwin's web site, the NESARA bill languished in Congress before finally being passed by a secret session in March 2000 and signed by President Bill Clinton. The website further claimed that the new law was to be announced in 2001, but that a gag order issued by the Supreme Court had prohibited any official or private source from discussing it, under penalty of death.^[4][5] Goodwin refers 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, 2001 attacks and the Iraq War as distractions from NESARA.^[6][7] 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 claims that Bush officials are attempting to hack into and bring down her web site to prevent her from publicizing the law.^[8]

Investigators who have researched Goodwin's claims found that she 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.^[2][9] Goodwin repeatedly predicted that the NESARA announcement would occur in the very near future,^[10][11][12] although in recent years she has been more reserved in these predictions.^[13]

Further development

Since Goodwin began commenting on NESARA, other internet-based conspiracy theorists have latched onto it. One supporter, Sheldan Nidle, ties the imminent NESARA announcement into his years-old prophesy of an imminent UFO invasion by benevolent aliens (occasionally on his website reports, but more prominently in his videos,^[14] seminars^[15] and public appearances^[16]). Jennifer Lee, who used to publish internet NESARA status reports almost daily^[17] 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.^[18]

NESARA groups are known for certain to exist and to have attracted press attention in Utah,^[19][20] and The Netherlands.^[21] 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,^[22][23] 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 DC bearing the words "NESARA Announcement Now!"), and found that they were part of a $40,000 advertising campaign allegedly paid for an elderly San Francisco resident who had made donations to Goodwin.^[21]

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.^[24] Goodwin, for her part, dismisses the NESARA Institute as a disinformation front for the Bush family.

Some NESARA detractors claim that NESARA is a cult designed primarily to provide an income to Goodwin and others. They point to the fact that Goodwin, Lee, and Nidle frequently ask their readers to donate money.^[25][26][27] Goodwin, who also asks readers to donate their frequent flyer miles,^[28] claims that she needs and has used the funds to travel to various locations around the world to secretly meet with high-level government officials about getting NESARA announced.^[29][28]

Some NESARA supporters also make the claim that otherworldly beings are working to get NESARA announced. These include a "channeled spirit" called "Hatonn",^[30] and another called "Sananda" (claiming to be Jesus)^[31] along with Saint Germain, a deity borrowed from The I AM Movement and the Church Universal and Triumphant. Benevolent aliens are also frequently mentioned, most prominently by Nidle, as working towards the NESARA announcement. The designation of George W. Bush as a reptilian often co-occurs with this claim.^[32] Goodwin has claimed that Saint Germain has come down from heaven to physically meet with heads of banks and world leaders regarding the NESARA announcement.^[33][34]

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.^[19]

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.^[21]

NESARA documentary

The documentary film Waiting For NESARA studies a NESARA group in Salt Lake City, Utah, whose members are excommunicated Mormons and hold weekly meetings in a local Kentucky Fried Chicken to discuss NESARA.

Notes and references

External links and references

• Big Daddy. "The Nesara Hoax". http://www.thenesarahoax.bravehost.com/. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
• NESARA.org Dr. Barnard's proposed bill
• NESARA.us Goodwin's NESARA site (alleged to be a hoax)