Reading the letters in the Open Forum in the newspaper shows a deep interest and concern for the conditions of our country. Still, we talk and grumble but miss the real issue because we refuse to face the truth. It’s money. Money, greed and power. That is what controls the world.

We should never underestimate what influence the Federal Reserve has over our government. As former president Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens you can bet it was planned that way.”

When John McCain was campaigning for the presidency, he said the first act he would do was to take a hatchet to the Federal Reserve. I doubt if many people realized what he was talking about.

We should remember the Federal Reserve is not an agency of the U.S. It is privately owned banks. A personal corporation made up of ultra-wealthy money lenders from both the U.S. and foreigners from many different countries. Think about it. Do you believe they want inflated interest rates in return?

All banks insist on collateral when loaning money. Since they control our money supply, they can manipulate the entire economy. That means they can create inflations or deflations and control the stock market, up or down. It is so powerful that former congressman Wright Patman, chairman of the House Banking Committee said, and I quote:

“In the U.S. today, we have in effect two governments. We have the duly constituted government, then we have an independent, uncontrolled and uncoordinated government in the Federal Reserve, operating the money powers which are reserved to Congress by the Constitution. Neither presidents, Congress nor secretaries of the treasury direct the Federal Reserve. In the matters of money, the Federal Reserve directs them.”

Patman’s statement was quoted by Secretary of the Treasury David Kennedy in an interview for the May 5, 1969 issue of U.S. News and World Report.

John F. Kennedy knew this, but we ignored his warning. We, the people, have been deceived by our own blindness.

Betty Sumrall

Astoria