Whose Money is it Anyway?

ט"ו לחודש החמישי תשע"ד
Tu b'Av 5774

Yahoo!News: Woman, 78, caught with cash in girdle at airport

ROMULUS, Michigan (AP) — A 78-year-old Florida woman tried to fly on an international trip to the Philippines from Detroit Metropolitan Airport with almost $41,000 in cash hidden inside her girdle, bra and carry-on bag, federal authorities said.

A complaint filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Detroit said the Clearwater woman was trying to board a flight April 2 to the Philippines with her daughter. She initially said she had $200 in cash but submitted a form declaring she had $1,200, prompting questions.

During a search, Customs and Border Protection officers found $8,000 in wallets in her carry-on bag, $4,000 sewn into a cloth pouch and nearly $1,000 in envelopes, according to the complaint. She then told them she had $3,000 in her blouse and $2,000 sewn into the strap of her bra.

Officers continued to search and said they found about $21,000 in her girdle. The woman told authorities that she had recently sold her home for $120,000, wired some money to the Philippines and had planned to carry a portion of the money with her.

"She stated that she did not wire the proceeds to the Philippines this time because she thought it was safer to carry the money," according to the complaint.

Federal law requires travelers to declare if they are carrying more than $10,000. The woman hasn't been charged, but the government in the forfeiture complaint said it wants to keep the money. The Detroit News reported details of the request Friday.

Federal court records don't list a lawyer for the woman. The Associated Press left a message Saturday seeking comment from her at a telephone listing in Florida.

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
This report raises several questions. I have to tell you, though, that none of these questions are new. However, these questions may seem new to some of you. And it never hurts for us to remind each other about the power being asserted over us, either with the illusion of our consent, or without our consent entirely.

Are U. S. paper dollars and coins the property of those who bear them?

Or are they actually the property of the U. S. Government, which "graciously" affords us the opportunity to use them for our convenience?

If these material items with supposed value do belong to us, then why is there a limitation placed on how much of "our" money can be moved out of the U. S., without declaration?

I remember when this limit was only $5,000. It now appears to be $10,000. What business is it of the U. S. Government's? I suppose it is just for our "own safety and security," a common reason doled out to the populace.

What is the U. S. Government worried about? It can always just print more, and continue on its path of artificially manipulating the value of this colored paper anyway. In Israel, the 20 sheqqel note is now being produced with synthetic materials.

The dollar and other currencies have value, because we give them value, and the various governments of the world do everything the can to reinforce this.

From where I sit, I see only one option to keep my head above the ebb and flow and probable fall in currency values. Invest in things which have intrinsic value.

For some of us that means precious metals and stones. They may maintain their value into the distant future; they may not. Even government-produced coins have value, based on their metallic content. But, my rule of thumb is always to keep in mind that I cannot eat precious metals and stones.

You be the judge. But, whatever you decide, I suggest that you accept that the "money" being sold to us by the powers that be, has value only because we assign value to it, and because others do the same and thus, still desire it.

But, at the end of the day, it is still all just paper, synthetics, or number on a display screen or print out.

And so, all currencies are equal in this sense, yet it appears that some currencies are going to be increasingly less equal than others.

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