Excerpt:
Solari North American Video ServerFull Length Interview:
https://vimeo.com/video/328129995
“Food for the body is not enough. There must be food for the soul.” ~ Dorothy Day
By Catherine Austin Fitts
This week on The Solari Report, Nina Heyn and I take a deep dive into Food for the Soul—Nina’s bimonthly column on films and art for The Solari Report—and into her goals as our roving “culture scout.”
Nina’s interest in art and film developed in her role as a film publicist, an international marketing executive, and an entertainment writer in the United States, as well as England, France, and Poland.
Nina is the founder of Torus International, a marketing strategy solutions consultancy that specializes in entertainment marketing and film acquisition, particularly in international markets. Her recent activities in international markets included service as head of marketing at a leading Polish independent film distributor, and as acquisitions consultant at a European exhibition and distribution company. In the United States, she served as an executive in global publicity for a major film studio—giving her a strong understanding of the worldwide economic and political impact of entertainment and culture.
Every year, Nina watches hundreds of movies and TV shows and spends an inordinate amount of time in museums. This keeps her soul happy and keeps The Solari Report full of fascinating coverage. If you have not discovered the Food for the Soul column, just click on the Food for the Soul icon on the right side of our home page—here.
I joined Nina this March on the next leg of our celebration of Leonardo da Vinci’s 500th Anniversary and Rembrandt’s 350th Anniversary. Check out Nina’s first column on Leonardo da Vinci—The Year of da Vinci.
After several days in Milan and an inspiring day seeing the All the Rembrandts exhibit at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, our videographer Robert Dupper decided we should film our discussion traveling the canals of Amsterdam. Both da Vinci and Rembrandt lived in cities crisscrossed with canals.
In Let’s Go to the Movies, I recommend a documentary on Dutch history—When The Dutch Ruled The World.
As we discuss privatization, the use of FASAB 56 to facilitate secret government and corporate finances, and the changing roles of corporations, it is worth revisiting the history of the Dutch East India Company. Like its British competitor, the East India Company, it was authorized by charter to wage war, conquer and occupy territory, and tax.
When we read of mercenary companies lobbying for the power to replace the U.S. army in Afghanistan, it helps to understand the history of such operations. In its day, the Dutch East India Company was highly profitable for investors—a process that created the first stock exchange. It was said to have 50,000 employees, an army of 30,000 men, and a fleet of 200 ships, giving its shareholders an annual dividend of 40% on their investments. See: The Nutmeg Wars.
A significant portion of the Dutch spice trade and global conquest profits were reinvested in land reclamation in the Netherlands. The history of Dutch engineering of the ocean and waterways is one of the great infrastructure stories of the world—and a reason for the beautiful canals of Amsterdam and the Netherlands’ success as one of the top food exporters of the world. To learn more, check out these two videos:
- Dutch War Against the Sea: The Afsluitdijk – Longest Dam in Europe
- How the Dutch Dug Up Their Country From the Sea
Look for my Money & Markets commentary on Thursday night. There is a lot happening, so we have a lot to cover. I will be back in Switzerland before returning to the United States on Friday. You can post questions for Ask Catherine here.
Talk to you Thursday!
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