Know your BFEE: CARLYLE Group 'bound by the thread of turning government secrets into profits'

[Octafish]

31. Not even Ian Fleming dared dream S.P.E.C.T.R.E. would hijack the US Government

Yet, that is exactly what has happened, through the confluence of secret agencies, secret agents, secret agendas, the Klan, NAZIs, the Mafia, Wall Street, and the Military Industrial Complex. And while Original Blofeld Number One may be a committee, it's obvious who benefits most from wars without end, a top-down surveillance state, and welfare for banksters.

MEET THE CARLYLE GROUP

A vast interlocking global network.

—Carlyle marketing material, circa 2001

EXCERPT...

Some critics charge that the company practices nothing more than “access capitalism,” trotting out big names that bring in big money. Some call it “The Ex-Presidents Club.” Some worry that it is influencing domestic and foreign policy. And some, including former Georgia congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, even implied that President Bush allowed the events of September 11 to take place to enable him to dictate policy that would benefit the Carlyle Group. But no matter how deep your suspicions run, the Carlyle Group warrants close examination. That a company like the Carlyle Group even exists is testament to the irresistible temptation for expoliticians to cash in on their time as public servants, in ways that to some seem less than scrupulous.

The Carlyle Group has established a number of firsts in America, including:

• It is the first time a former president has toiled on behalf of a defense contractor.

• It is the first time that a former president advised his son, while holding office, on foreign policy decisions that directly impacted both of their financial fortunes.

• It is the first private-equity firm of its kind to be based in Washington, DC, rather than the traditional haunts of New York, or even Chicago.

• It is the first company to assemble a cast of characters that even X-Fileswriters couldn’t have dreamed up. Besides the impressive domestic roster of political heavyweights, Fidel Ramos, former president of the Philippines is a senior advisor. Park Tae-joon, former prime minister of South Korea was also a senior advisor. Former Thai Premier Anan Panyarachun also worked for the company.

CONTINUED...

http://www.fahrenheit911.com/library/book/carlyle/

Ah. Cynthia McKinney. One of the few, from any party in Congress, to hold Donald Rumsfeld accountable.

Also important: You are most welcome, rhett o rick.