V prostorechii eto nazyvaetsya finansovoj piramidoj ili MMM. I xotya v Germanii eto razresheno, no v armenii ty za eto syadesh tochno (esli vo vremya ne uspeesh udrat' s den'gami
)
regards
Karen
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http://www.etee2k.net/scc/scc_slovak.html
Ponzi's $$$pirit Alive & Well in Eastern Europe
Since the fall of Soviet-style Communism in the early-90's, the nations of the former Soviet bloc have been travelling a long, painful road toward market-based, capitalist economies. Unfortunately, several of these nations have tried to take a short cut on this road, and have ended up in even worse shape as the economy was caught up in pyramid schemes.
The ancient pyramids were built by the Egyptian rulers as their own personal monument and tomb - a fitting memorial to their reign. The present day _pyramid schemes_ are created and run by "e-Gip-shun" Phoolish, and all too often become a tomb for the hopes and dreams of families, friendships, communities, nations - a memorial to unbridled greed run amok.
The Power of the Pyramid is alluring, it's message a siren's song promising fast easy riches, but hiding the reality of rocky shoals and financial shipwreck. Pyramid schemes are designed to prey on those in need. Their promoters promise us all that if we just "invest" a small amount, we will make lots of $$$$MONEY$$$$$ in just a short period of time. Of course, if we invest a lot, then we will make mountains of $$$$MONEY$$$$$ !
Of course, if we look at the pyramid scheme objectively, we will see very quickly that is is a Bad Idea. First of all, the numbers just don't add up. Pyramid schemes base their income projections on an exponential rate of growth that is unsustainable over the long term. For example, a current scheme called "Golden Circle(TM)" uses a method where you sell 3 certificates, and each of the people who buy these sell 3 certificates, etc. etc. etc. Each certificate has 7 numbers on it, and as the certificates are sold through the levels, your number climbs toward the top. When the certificate has gone through 7 generations, your number is now at the top, and you start receiving $$$$MONEY$$$$$ ! According to simple laws of math, you will receive 2,187 (3^7) times your investment. Well, if you follow the math here, by the time the scheme has completed 3 cycles (21 generations or levels), the total number of certificates sold will exceed 10 BILLION - that is several certificates for every man, woman, and child in existence on the entire planet. Second, the shape of a pyramid gives a clue as to what is happening. Success (rising to the top) depends on a lot of people below you - in effect, this is "reverse-trickle down" economics. Third, dubious claims about the legality of the scheme are made. For example, in the FAQ for the "Golden Circle(TM)" scheme, the following statement is made:
Is this system legal in the USA?
In Germany this system has been declared entirely legal by the Supreme Court on 2 occasions, 1986 in KARLSRUHE, SE 4 STR 1488/86, and 1990 in MUNICH, SE 4 STR 226/89. After a scrutiny of the system in the USA, lawyers have made the following statement: "It is not possible to prevent American people from taking part in a German system which is legal in Germany. The scheme may not be marketed through advertising, but may be spread from person to person, provided that the persons in question are personally acquainted, i.e. family and friends." You can compare Golden Circle(TM) to all the numerous casino games available on the Internet. They may not be legal in the USA, but they are legal in the country which is offering the service. No one can stop you from participating and playing those games. It is the same with Golden Circle(TM).
So, can someone tell me how a ruling of the German Supreme Court is binding on the courts in the USA?
The latest Eastern Eupopean to fall under the Power of the Pyramid is the Slovakian Republic (formerly part of Czechoslovakia.) Interestingly enough, this nation has enjoyed a period of relative freedom and democracy in the past century (between the end of WWI and the late 1930's when it was taken over by Hitler's Germany.) The other nations to have a severe problem with pyramid schemes, Russia and Albania, did not enjoy this breathing-space, passing from the despotism of monarchy to the despotism of a Marxist state ("Do not pass 'GO', do not collect $200".) Sadly, a lot of folks - especially in the eastern regions of the nation - lost their entire life savings to these schemes, and there is now a debate going on as to whether or not the government should step in and "bail out" the investors. The vehicle of choice for the schemes in Slovakia, just as in Russia and Albania, appear to have been a group of rogue (unlicensed and unregulated) investment funds called "non-banks" which promised very high rates of return, which didn't arouse suspicion during a period of 30% inflation.
Lest we get too smug about the goings-on in Slovakia and elsewhere, we have a "log in our own eye" to worry about. Anyone remember the "dot-coms"? Does the name "Enron" ring a bell? Our captial markets have taken quite a beating the last few years, and the unrealistic expectations and "out of the box" business plans of a "new generation" of business turned out to be just another "set of the Emporer's new clothes", resulting in some rather spectacular corporate implosions. Unfortunately, these implosions have included their fair share of collateral damage, people who watched their retirement funds disappear. In the Enron case, at the same time the rank and file investors watched their nest eggs disappear, the senior management profited to the tune of over 1 BILLION dollars. That's a lot of scratch, and has prompted calls for extreme sanctions to be imposed - and a rash of lawsuits that promise to keep the courts bogged down for DECADES to come. And remember, the Enron case isn't the only example of "Corporate MMF, American Style" - just the biggest.
So, how can we tell a scam from a legit opportunity? There are many resources that can help you out there, but if you remember one thing, you stand much less of a chance of becoming prey:
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
Golden Circle certificates!
