“And they’re still willing to go along with your plan?”
“I think most people in the banking industry realize that if the world enters into an economic downturn, nobody benefits. Economies are only as strong as the speed through which money is exchanging hands. If someone doesn’t understand that, they are being intellectually dishonest. And unfortunately, our current system allows those charlatans to prosper. But not anymore under this new proposal.”
Janet nodded and eased back in her seat, glancing at her notes before she asked her next question.
“You have an impressive lineup of nations who have publicly stated they will adopt your plan for a one world currency. But what about the United States? It seemed like they remain hesitant for whatever reason. How do you plan to win them over?”
“I don’t,” Petrov said flatly. “It’s their choice, not mine. If they want to be the lone outlier in the global market, that decision is to their detriment. They will be forced to accept what the new market says in relation to exchange rates. I can promise you that resisting will result in painful upheaval in the U.S. economy.”
Janet nodded and smiled. “Well, we will all be sure to keep an eye on those developments as the plan to adopt a one world currency continues to move forward.”
Petrov watched as Janet turned directly toward the camera and wrapped up the interview with a few pithy comments and a prediction about how a one world economy would make the world a safer place as well as reduce poverty, which she reminded her viewers was the ultimate mission of The Chamber. It was unscripted television, but Petrov smiled knowing she couldn’t have chosen better questions to help further her agenda.
It’s only a matter of time now.
CHAPTER 15
Washington, D.C.
MOMENTS AFTER JANET HUBBARD’S INTERVIEW with Katarina Petrov hit the airwaves, snippets of their conversation were condensed and posted on social media. Less than an hour later, every live talk show on radio and television, was discussing the fallout of Petrov’s one world currency plan and her dire forecast about the U.S. economy should it maintain its isolationist economic policy. Hosts whipped their audiences up into a frenzy over the issue, leading to angry rants by callers who demanded wholesale changes in Washington. The internet was ablaze with opinions about the government leaders who were willfully walking Americans down a metaphoric plank.
The furor across the country was just the kind of fuel President Michaels needed to get his way. And he didn’t have to wait long to get it either.
By 1:00 p.m. on the East Coast, the Supreme Court made an unprecedented announcement that it would hear a case about the constitutionality of the Federal Reserve Act. And talk shows turned a raging fire into a wildfire powered by crosswinds. Anything else that happened that day would be forgotten in the annals of history.
At 3:00 p.m., President Michaels climbed onto the podium and stepped behind the lectern. He remained stoic, trying to hide his pleasure regarding the Supreme Court’s announcement.
“For years, this great country has relied upon trusted harbingers of the Federal Reserve to keep our financial institutions secure and trustworthy. But that time might be coming to an end.”
Michaels straightened his tie and cleared his throat before continuing.
“No country’s economic market can exist in a bubble, no matter how much we might wish it did. The truth is many of the jobs so many hardworking Americans rely upon to feed their families are the direct result of consumer purchases and businesses thriving beyond our borders. We cannot ignore those people, those same people who might be our neighbors across the street. And even if we did, we’d be fools to think we wouldn’t be negatively impacted in one way or another.”
He paused to drink a glass of water and quickly survey the press corps eyeing him carefully. Assessing a crowd’s mood was a vital tool in delivering a successful speech, and Michaels excelled at it. From the looks on the faces of the reporters scattered in front of him, he could tell they were eating up his rhetoric and itching to share their thoughts with viewers.
Just keep it simple.
“As a country, we owe a great debt to those Americans who’ve served admirably on the Federal Reserve’s board. For over a century, the Federal Reserve has provided the stability necessary to help this country get through several trying economic periods and usher us into prosperous times again. But times have changed and it’s time for the Federal Reserve to change with it. A private body that is unwilling to change puts us all at risk and we can’t afford this type of leadership anymore. At some point, leadership that was once helpful often grows stale, fixated more on its power than its ability to guide others through unprecedented challenges. What we are facing now both as citizens of this country as well as wayfarers on planet earth is something no one has ever experienced before—and what worked in the past isn’t guaranteed to work in the future. In short, the future is happening now, and the Federal Reserve stands for a bygone era. It’s time for new economic leadership in this country.”
He paused and took a deep breath, satisfied that he’d won over the vast majority of the reporters present.
“Now I’ll take your questions,” he said.
A cacophony of voices erupted as hands shot skyward. Michaels surveyed the eager inquirers for a friendly face. He settled on Tegan Volker from The New York Times.
“Ms. Volker,” Michaels said, silencing the chorus of competing voices.
She smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Mr. President. If this situation is as dire as you’ve painted it, why not let the legislative branch rescind the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 and strip the board of its power? Wouldn’t that make more sense?”
“If we had the time, it would,” Michaels answered. “But I’ve come to the conclusion through the sage advice of many
