For a long time, I've been almost alone in explaining that the global labyrinth of legally-registered companies known as, 'Herbalife,' has actually been the reality-inverting corporate-front for an unoriginal, blame-the-victim, closed-market swindle, or pyramid scam, and related advance fee frauds (a.k.a. tool scams).
I've also been almost alone in explaining that the apparently absurd, reality-inverting reactions of persons like Michael Johnson to anyone challenging the authenticity of the pernicious 'Herbalife/ Multi-Level Marketing/ income opportunity' fairy story, have been a clear attempt to continue to commit fraud, and to obstruct justice, which forms part of an overall pattern of ongoing, major, racketeering activity (as defined by the US federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, 1970).
http://www.forbes.com/sites/paulhodgson/2013/01/09/pyramid-ceo-compensation-at-herbalife/
Readers should remember that Mr. Johnson's inflexible behaviour is entirely-predictable, because it is based on the fact that, whilst a never-ending chain comprising millions of ill-informed people have lost their cash by falling for the 'Herbalife Income opportunity' lie, he's been making fortunes by peddling it and hiding its catastrophic results. In a 12 month period, Mr. Johnson personally took more than 80 millions stolen dollars out of the 'Herbalife' racket. Indeed, the idea that any inflexible 'MLM' bullshit (like that contained in the above propaganda videos) has ever had any connection with quantifiable reality, is laughable.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/balm_blows_up_68kAXRa8cZ1WpVKmg8NPgN
Recently, Michael Johnson has been in Washington DC, in an increasingly-desperate attempt to prevent investigation of the pyramid scam aspect of the 'Herbalife' racket by the Federal Trade Commission .
Mr. Johnson's recent trip to Washington and his employing of 'Olgivy Government Relations' (all of which has been paid for with stolen money) also forms part of an overall pattern of ongoing, major, racketeering activity.
http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jun/14/business/la-fi-herbalife-ftc-20130614
These classic cultic manoeuvres came in the wake of the news that sisters, Linda and Loretta Sanchez (both of whom currently sit in the US Congress where they represent California constituencies with a large proportion of Hispanic voters), have recently become involved in petitioning the FTC to launch an investigation of 'Herbalife.'
Michael Johnson and his criminal associates have already admitted that a staggering 61% of 'Herbalife's' constantly-churning following in the USA, has lately comprised Hispanics.
The targeting of ill-informed Hispanics in the USA also explains why the bosses of the 'Herbalife' racket have been so keen to co-opt Hispanic soccer clubs and soccer stars.
David Brear (copyright 2013)
Re: Mr. Johnson Goes To Washington
ReplyDeleteU.S. Congressional Hispanic Caucus seems to be displaying integrity, smarts, and resolve. Hope they succeed!
Unfortunately Judy, the sanctimonious bosses of other US-based 'MLM income Opportunity' rackets (particularly, 'Amway'), have spent decades paving the road to Washington for Mr. Johnson, with large quantities of cash which corrupt US elected-representatives, and various other assorted intellectual prostitutes (attorneys, bankers, accountants, lobbyists, academics, etc.) have helped them to steal from all over the world.
DeleteIn reality, the members of the US Congressional Hispanic Caucus have arrived as unwelcome visitors to the pay-through-the-nose-to-enter 'MLM' tragicomedy after about 60 years, and countless millions of ill-informed victims have passed through it leaving their cash behind them.
I suppose better late than never.
That said, in 1945, whilst most, contemporary mainstream commentators were unable to look beyond the ends of their noses, with a perfect sense of irony, George Orwell presented fact as fiction in an insightful 'fairy story' entitled, 'Animal Farm.' He revealed that totalitarianism is merely the oppressors' fiction mistaken for fact by the oppressed. In the same universal allegory, Orwell described how, at a time of vulnerability, almost any people's dream of a future, secure, Utopian existence can be hung over the entrance to a totalitarian deception. Indeed, the words that are always banished by totalitarian deceivers are, 'totalitarian' and 'deception.'
Sadly, when it comes to examining the same enduring phenomenon, albeit with an ephemeral 'American/Capitalist' label, most contemporary, mainstream commentators have again been unable to look further than the ends of their noses. However, if the members of the US Congressional Hispanic Caucus followed Orwell's example, and did some serious thinking, what I have described on this Blog (using accurate deconstructed terms), is the reality-inverting nightmare they would find.
David Brear (copyright 2013)
From the NY Post article:
Delete"Johnson’s House call appears to have been in vain, The Post has learned.
Other caucus members are still planning to follow the lead of colleague Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), who last month wrote a letter to the Federal Trade Commission asking it to investigate whether Johnson’s Los Angeles nutritional supplements company was a pyramid scheme — and one that hurt her Hispanic constituents, a source inside the caucus told The Post."
Hope the Post's report is accurate that caucus members intend to follow the lead of Linda Sanchez, and I am just relieved to see anyone with some political leverage speaking up and asking for some action on the part of regulators.
As you wrote, better late than never.
I personally am totally on board with your assertions and agree that insidious Orwellian cancers do grow and thrive within our supposed free societies.
Cultic 'Income Opportunity' rackets like: 'Herbalife', 'Amway', Xango', 'Nu Skin', 'Forever Living Products', 'USANA,' etc., have all been set up behind mystifying labyrinths of corporate structures pursuing lawful, and/or unlawful, enterprises. These labyrinths have been deliberately designed to prevent, and/or divert, investigation and isolate their bosses from liability.
DeleteUsing this classic Mafia-style system, the bosses of the 'Amway' mob dodged rigorous investigation in the past, and managed to dupe a naive, and/or corrupt, federal judge into believing that they had voluntarily reformed their previously-fraudulent activities. This is what paved the way for countless copy-cats to follow.
In reality, the mere fact that criminogenic groups like 'Amway' and 'Herbalife' might only face limited investigation by trade regulators in the USA, is a victory in itself for their bosses; for the FTC is self-evidently not the appropriate agency to be investigating international racketeering.
Recently, as part of an overall pattern of ongoing, major, racketeering activity, various 'income opportunity' bosses invested huge quantities of stolen cash in attempting to have their man, Mitt Romney, installed as US President. However, prior to these scandalous events, Romney's paid association with 'income opportunity' racketeers had been extensive. If Romney had won the last election, then there would have been no chance of any federal investigation of a major income opportunity racket.
During the administration of George W. Bush, the FTC stopped prosecuting 'MLM' rackets, but then, attorney, Timothy Muris had been appointed by Mr. Bush as FTC Chairman, and Mr. Muris had previously been employed by the bosses of the 'Amway' mob, and they had given huge quantities of stolen cash to have Mr. Bush installed as President.
Indeed, it is my considered opinion that persons like Mr. Muris, Mr. Bush and Mr. Romney should be facing criminal investigation themselves.
That said, in the case of Mr. Bush, if he sincerely believed that demonstrably-fake 'direct selling' companies like 'Amway' and 'Herbalife' are entirely lawful enterprises (and I have no reason to believe that he did not), then he is probably too stupid to be held to account.
David Brear (copyright 2013)
Romney cant get arrested for RICO, even when we have confessions to frauds in court. Q nd (he claims) to only be wirth $250 million...How you gonna take down a billionaire
ReplyDeleteLaser Haas - If, as you say, the likes of Mr. Romney can't get arrested for racketeering, then what you are actually saying is that the USA has become a de facto kleptocracy (a.k.a. Banana Republic).
DeleteThis is a depressing, but nonetheless accurate, analysis with which I'm in full agreement.
Contrary to what many patriotic Americans prefer to accept as a matter of faith, and to what successive governments (Republican and Democrat) have told them, the USA has not been universally seen as a champion of democracy, human rights and the rule of law around the world.
Far from it!
Furthermore, a land populated by many absurdly arrogant persons pretending moral and intellectual authority, but where government of the people, by the people and for the people has actually perished from the Earth to be replaced by governement of racketeers, by racketeers and for racketeers, now has no lessons to give to anyone.