Friday 18 November 2011

Equal Money System: spreading the FAQ?

Ivan Rauscher

[note: Since July 2013, Desteni's Equal Money System has been superseded by Living Income Guaranteed.]

In one of his videos on 'equal money system' (EMS), called Media and spreading the message of equality - Equal Money FAQ, Bernard Poolman says Desteni don't 'use the media like television' because they can't afford it. As if they'd have to pay for advertising airtime. Social and political campaigns are given free airtime on the radio and TV every day of the week. None of it costs them any money whatsoever. And they have articles written about them in newspapers and magazines.

Sending out a press release costs nothing. If EMS can bring about 'equality for all', why aren't Desteni approaching the radio, TV and print news media to spread their message? They could hold a press conference. Members of Desteni could also promote EMS through the alternative media, for example, indymedia, Democracy Now! or AlterNet. There are hundreds more such outlets for free discussion, specifically on the issues of equality. All of them could be informed of EMS.

Why don't they try to gain support from well-known critics of social inequality, such as Max Keiser, Michael Moore or Naomi Klein? They could contact Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, co-founders of The Equality Trust and authors of The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone.

If Desteni are standing up for world equality, why don't they speak with the public face-to-face, in the street or door-to-door? Why not hold public meetings or lectures? Why not take the idea of EMS to political parties or governments to gain their support? Why don't Desteni host a book launch to promote their series of Equal Money books and get reviewed on Amazon or by political bloggers or in any other publications? All these things can be done with very little or no money.


But the Desteni core group in South Africa are not interested in getting involved in politics or changing society. They do not want to communicate with the mainstream or alternative media, the general public or with governments. They do not wish to co-operate, discuss or debate with any other groups or individuals concerned with issues of equality. They just want people to send them money.

Destonians are selling their wares, apparently as a form of online entertainment. They are v-logging and blogging about their personal lives and 'self-forgiveness'. In supposedly answering Frequently Asked Questions about EMS, they present fantasies about an imaginary future world. Any outsider who asks questions without agreeing with them is banned (they have banned well over 2000 YouTube channels). They try to discuss news items only to say: 'join Desteni'. They indulge in self-help mumbo jumbo which claims to be an antidote to the failures of capitalism, but in doing so they are only supporting the social capitalistic status quo.

They are promoting EMS to sell the Desteni I Process, which they describe as a 'lifestyle product' for 'self-development' and 'leadership'. They offer affiliate programs and commissions. That is internet sales, business as usual in capitalism. But they lack ambition. They confine themselves to a small corner of the internet, where they carry out an obscure marketing strategy which goes no further than targeting potential passive consumers on YouTube, Facebook and their own web forums.

Desteni are deliberately avoiding spreading their so-called 'message of equality'. They don't want to speak to the press. They don't want a wider audience. This is because Bernard Poolman is fully aware that the Desteni Equal Money System is an obvious scam and therefore he has to make sure it remains under the radar as much as possible.

The Desteni group has been exposed several times over as a dangerous cult by newspaper journalists, ex-Scientologists, atheists, ex-Jehovah's Witnesses, Christians, skeptics, members of the Zeitgeist Movement and the Anonymous group, comedians, Marxists, anti-Communists, anti-fascists, New Agers, YouTubers, anarchists, conspiracy theorists, free market libertarians, critics of conspiracy theories, cult experts; all kinds of social, spiritual or political commentators and the general public. They have been rejected by Wikipedia, violated copyright of Apple Inc, and banned by the web hosting company, Hetzner, as well as both YouTube and Vimeo. Any doubts or questions as to Desteni being a cult and its 'equal money system' a scam have already been resolved.

Bernard Poolman knows that if Equal Money System and the real questions surrounding it are publicised any more than at present, then his Desteni gang will risk further exposure as a money-grabbing, destructive cult, and much more than ever before, by people with far greater influence than any of their previous critics. He can't afford that.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your in depth account of this cult. Everything you say is true. If this cult wants (and needs) new members, one would think they would be advertising anywhere they could. They keep away from questions from the 'outside', because they haven't a let to stand on.
Please keep up posting the truth and hopefully Bernard will start answering some of the questions we have. (Which have no answers!)

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