tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762286463497378104.post4249976847404421635..comments2024-03-27T23:11:38.102+01:00Comments on 'MLM' The American Dream Made Nightmare: Robert FitzPatrick explains HR 5230David Brearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11122471861776758998noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762286463497378104.post-50107307666770292332017-05-02T12:20:13.453+02:002017-05-02T12:20:13.453+02:00Anonymous - I think the word 'corruption' ...Anonymous - I think the word 'corruption' only appears briefly in the Blakey Report, and not in respect of 'Amway.'<br /><br />https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Amway/blakey_report.pdf<br /><br />That said, years after the Blakey report was compiled, President George W. Bush appointed one of 'Amway's' own attorneys, Timothy Muris, to the position of Chairman of the FTC. Muris brought an 'MLM' pseudo-scientist (masquerading as an economist) into a position of influence at the FTC. All prosecutions of 'MLM' rackets were suspended and the damaging effect these jaw-dropping appointments had on the regulation of 'MLM' racketeering in the USA is still being felt today.<br /><br />George W. Bush had various worrying connections with 'Amway' racketeers; particularly, with Doug Wead - a 'Consultant on the Religious Right' who recorded embarrassing private telephone conversations with Bush and who then leaked some of their content to the press.<br /><br />http://mlmtheamericandreammadenightmare.blogspot.fr/2014/03/doug-wead-patrick-buisson-blackmailers.htmlDavid Brearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122471861776758998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762286463497378104.post-68288654477679193522017-05-02T12:00:00.231+02:002017-05-02T12:00:00.231+02:00Are you certain Blakey never metioned corruption i...Are you certain Blakey never metioned corruption in his report?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762286463497378104.post-18694830042848262572017-05-01T11:23:11.877+02:002017-05-01T11:23:11.877+02:00Rogier - Robert Blakey's stunningly accurate a...Rogier - Robert Blakey's stunningly accurate analysis of 'Amway' as a classic organised crime group structurally comparable to the Italian-American Mafia, was based on very limited data supplied to him by P&G's attorneys.<br /><br />Although he's now elderly, it would be interesting to hear what Blakey's analysis would now be if he was given access to the mountain of information currently available on the Net, and in the public record, concerning the wider 'MLM' phenomenon.<br /><br />Despite the ritualised fairy story still recited by 'MLM' racketeers and their propagandists, no one now seriously disputes that virtually no over-priced/hyped 'MLM' commodities have ever been directly sold to the general public based on value and demand; or that the overwhelming majority of claimed 'MLM sales' have, in fact, been unlawful losing investment payments made by never-ending chains of constantly churning adherents of these groups, based on their false expectation of future reward, and which have been laundered as 'lawful sales'<br /><br />In my opinion, Blakey's own undertanding of 'Amway' was pretty elementary, but nonetheless interesting. He merely deduced that the mystifying labyrinth of legally-registered, hermetic corporate structures (comprising 'Amway' and its Networks and motivational organisations, etc.) has been the front for a criminal racket, and that this labyrinth was set up to prevent, and/or divert, investigatiuon and 'insulate' its beneficiaries (ie the members of just a few wealthy crime families) from liability.<br /><br /> Blakey also worked out that the bosses and under-bosses, of the 'Amway' racket, had been maintaining an absolute monopoly of information about their activities.<br /><br />http://cultcharacteristics.blogspot.fr/<br /><br />In his report, Blakey never even touched on the corrupting aspect of 'MLM' racketeering.<br /><br />When I contacted Blakey several years ago hoping to enter into a elevated discussion with him concerning the wider 'MLM' phenomenon, and the ongoing threat it poses to liberty and the rule of law, he absolutely refused to offer any opinion.<br /><br />Instead, he stated that his previous opinion as contained in the 'Amway' report remained the property of his client, P&G. He also said that this report had been stolen from his office by an assistant and posted on the Net without his permission. Consequently, if I posted any part of Blakey's report, he implied that he, and/or P&G, would sue me.<br /><br /> David Brearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122471861776758998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762286463497378104.post-45025848864966970612017-04-27T15:40:09.089+02:002017-04-27T15:40:09.089+02:00There is a different way of looking at this: the l...There is a different way of looking at this: the law and/or regulations serve to prevent or limit damage, and David Braer is right that the FTC in practice has been more part of the problem or the solution. For by it's ineffective attempts to regulate, or enforce the law, it has inadvertently created an appearance that MLM is a business that needs regulation. The fact is that it is a scam masquerading as a business.<br />It should have been treated, along the suggestions of Prof. Robert Blakey in the Amway/P&G case as a criminal issue, and prosecuted under the RICO statutes. The half-assed attempts by the FTC have not prevented the problem, but allowed it to fester. If indeed MLM forces now are victorious in if the Trump administration does get HR5230 to pass, what that will do is the problem will become that much bigger. Most likely that resulting burn out will be spectacular, and the public is way ahead of the lawmakers and regulators, as the popularity of the John Oliver piece, as well as Betting on Zero shows. So let the fun begin, and a correction will inevitably follow, and it can only be hoped that at that point it becomes a very far reaching RICO case, for corruption of government is increasingly blatant and clearly part of the issue.RogierFvVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06620302882101332152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762286463497378104.post-7347085139098643262017-04-23T10:04:07.275+02:002017-04-23T10:04:07.275+02:00ShakeOilSalesman - There are several important que...ShakeOilSalesman - There are several important questions here:<br /><br />- Given its hidden results, why has the 'MLM' phenomenon never been identified and dealt with as being criminogenic and totalitarian, and therefore, a serious threat to liberty and the rule of law?<br /><br />- Why are the corrupt agents of 'MLM' racketeers being allowed to propose dumb legislation contrary to the interests of the American public and which they obviously did not formulate by themselves, because it has clearly been designed to enable their wealthy paymasters to continue to commit mass-fraud and obstruct justice without being held to account?<br /><br />- Why hasn't this proposed dumb legislation been recognised as itself being yet another piece of an overall pattern of ongoing major racketeering activity (as defined by the US federal RICO Act, 1970)?<br /><br />- Why have influential interested parties with access to the mainstream media (like Bill Ackman and his advisers) so-far refused to speak up and confront the wider criminogenic/totalitarian reality of the 'MLM' phenomenon and publicly support truthful independent commentators like Robert FitzPatrick and me? <br /><br />Sadly, the answer to the above important questions lies in the following bleak analysis:<br /><br />In truth, the infiltration and corruption of traditional culture in the USA by the wealthy bosses of the 'MLM' crime syndicate, has long since reached a depth which makes the activites of the Mafia look pretty amateur. In 1930s Europe, the analogy of termites steadily gnawing their way into the fabric of an old building, was used to describe the rise of fascism. At this time, even though it was also observed that it had already become impossible to irradicate this particular variety of camouflaged infestation without also destroying the old building, many people were unable to face the truth, because they had too much to lose.David Brearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122471861776758998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762286463497378104.post-79751826203909919432017-04-22T14:52:56.305+02:002017-04-22T14:52:56.305+02:00these people make me sick. even more so because ...these people make me sick. even more so because they seem like a strong majority actually believe in it..... cannot think of another reason HR5230 would get even to this point. its not written by 1 person, its an entire team , and that team is supported by a large constituency ShakeOilSalesmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09180022066545048268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762286463497378104.post-86487301521982646282017-04-20T09:40:59.488+02:002017-04-20T09:40:59.488+02:00Anonymous - As Robert pointed out, fraud cannot be...Anonymous - As Robert pointed out, fraud cannot be judged on the motive of its victims, because (by definition) the victims of fraud have been deceived. However, fraud can be judged by the harmful quantifiable results it inflicts on its victims.<br /><br />In the case of 'Herbalife,' only after being kicked up the arse, US federal governement agents finally discovered that effectively every person who has signed a contract with the company since its instigation, has failed to generate an overall net-profit lawfully via the regular direct retailing of products to the general public based on value and demand. <br /><br />Furthermore, 'Herbalife' was found to have been fronting a classic closed-market in which participants were deceived into handing over their time and money by an illusary offer of escalating commission payments on their own purchases, and on those of their recruits' purchases, etc., ad infinitum.<br /><br />Now (based purely on this quantifiable evidence rather than on the testimony of deluded participants) it doesn't take a genius to work out that the so-called 'Herbalife business opportunity' has been the front for a dissimulated closed-market swindle in which billions of dollars of losing investment payments (based on the false expectation of future reward) have been laundered as 'sales' (based on value and demand).David Brearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122471861776758998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762286463497378104.post-88484211898305466112017-04-20T09:06:51.888+02:002017-04-20T09:06:51.888+02:00'The final transformation into legality would ...'The final transformation into legality would be achieved with one key word in the HR5230, “solely”. The government henceforth would have to prove not only that the MLM is designed as a pyramid scheme, which is actually easy to do, but that those who were duped into joining had only one “sole” motive for making purchases – to gain pyramid recruiting rewards. Anything less than “sole”, such as maybe trying the product, or being led to think the product is good, or maybe hoping the product is worth the price as well as providing “unlimited income” — those ambiguous and multiple motives would convert the recruiting-reward-endless-chain plan into innocent “direct selling.” Even if the person purchased “unreasonable” amounts of product, still all is okay unless the government can prove a “sole” motive for the purchases of money-making. Of course, proving a “sole” motive, (especially inside a fraud) is impossible. Hence, an alternative “legality” is established for MLMs.'<br /><br />Hell!!! surely this crazy law won't get passed. It would mean another Bernie Madoff could operate if he gives his victims a $10 000 automobile with every $100 000 they lose?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762286463497378104.post-59864419281420477012017-04-14T20:41:22.136+02:002017-04-14T20:41:22.136+02:00John - I been looking at the 'MLM' tragico...John - I been looking at the 'MLM' tragicomedy for too long now to become disheartened by outrageous plot twists like HR5230. For most of this period, I have been of the strangely satisfying, common-sense opinion that the FTC has been a major part of the 'MLM' problem, and not the solution to it. Despite their legal qualifications, even the non-corrupted US Trade regulators have not been equipped to investigate cults dressed up as 'businesses,' let alone hold their bosses to account.<br /><br />That said, to date, no one at the FTC has openly told the truth by publicly declaring that he/she has not been able to understand how 'MLM' cults function. Yet, if an army of highly-qualified attorneys haven't been able to understand what lurks behind the 'MLM' fairy story, then what chance have the poor bloody victims had? <br /><br />David Brearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122471861776758998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762286463497378104.post-8709329627965600362017-04-14T15:49:54.196+02:002017-04-14T15:49:54.196+02:00Between the recent slew of MLM propagandists that ...Between the recent slew of MLM propagandists that have been popping up on anti-Amway blogs and this debacle of a document, it would appear there is a lot more work coming in the future. <br /><br />With one swish of the pen on this piece of toilet paper posing as a bill, the hard work of the many fine people at the FTC will vanish and all that will be left in its wake is a receipt for previous refunds to "end users" that were lucky enough to see Herbalife be slightly held accountable for its actions. I'm truly awe stricken by this situation, even though it is quite predictable, and have never wished for a bigger change in our global political system. The corrupt have become brazen with their powers and have enslaved the masses to give them their money, their time, and their cognitive abilities to discern scams from opportunities. <br /><br />My generation has turned into mindless slaves and drones seeking BS degrees and are content with living a life of poverty. The elites have secured so much power at this point that the middle class has been all but wiped out and there is little to hope to regain a more equal distribution of resources and power.John Doehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05186871105223753934noreply@blogger.com