TheNational Economic Security and Recovery Act (NESARA) is a set of proposed economic reforms for theUnited States suggested by private citizen Harvey Francis Barnard during the 1990s. Barnard claimed that the proposals, which included replacingthe income tax with anational sales tax, abolishingcompound interest onsecured loans, and returning to abimetallic currency, would result in 0%inflation and a morestable economy. The proposals were never introduced inCongress.
Since the early 2000s, NESARA has become better known as the subject of acult-likeconspiracy theory whose original promoter wasInternet personality Shaini Candace Goodwin, better known as "Dove of Oneness". Goodwin, who appropriated NESARA without Barnard's consent, claimed that the act was actually passed with additional provisions as theNational Economic Security and Reformation Act, and then suppressed by theGeorge W. Bush administration and theSupreme Court. Goodwin's conspiracy emails were translated into several languages and had a large following online.[1] Adherents of the theory have also used the termGESARA (standing for eitherGlobal Economic Security and Recovery Act[2] orGlobal Economic Security and Reformation Act[3]) in order to extend the proposed NESARA reforms outside the US and to the rest of the world.[3]
Harvey Francis Barnard (1941–2005), anengineering consultant and teacher with a PhD insystems theory, created the NESARA proposal during the late 1980s and early 1990s.[4] Barnard printed 1,000 copies of his proposal, titledDraining the Swamp: Monetary and Fiscal Policy Reform (1996), and sent copies to members of Congress, believing it would pass quickly on its merits. Based on a theory thatdebt is the number one economic factor inhibiting the growth of the economy, and compound interest the number one "moral evil" and reason for debt, Barnard made several other attempts during the 1990s to draw political attention to the problems he saw in theUS economy, and his suggested economic recovery proposal based on the root causes he determined. After Barnard's efforts to gain political support did not succeed, he decided in 2000 to release his proposal to thepublic domain and publish it on the Internet. Barnard established the NESARA Institute in 2001, and published the second edition of his book in 2005, retitling itDraining the Swamp: The NESARA Story – Monetary and Fiscal Policy Reform.[1][5]
Soon after Barnard released NESARA on the Internet, a user known as "Dove of Oneness" began posting about it inforums and eventually created awebsite devoted to it. "Dove of Oneness" was later identified as Shaini Candace Goodwin, a former student ofRamtha's School of Enlightenment.[1] Goodwin claimed that the NESARA bill languished in Congress before finally being passed by a secret session in March 2000 and signed by PresidentBill Clinton. Her theory held that the new law was to be implemented at 10 a.m. on September 11, 2001, but that the computers, and data of the beneficiaries of the trillions of dollars of "Prosperity funds", were destroyed on the second floor of one of theWorld Trade Center towers inNew York City duringthe terrorist attacks. Supposedly an earliergag order issued by theSupreme Court had prohibited any official or private source from discussing it, under penalty of death.[1] Goodwin referred to "White Knights," most of them high-rankingmilitary officials, who have since been struggling to have the law implemented despite opposition by PresidentGeorge W. Bush. Goodwin purported thatBush orchestrated the September 11 attacks and theIraq War as distractions from NESARA.[6][7]
Goodwin's description of NESARA goes far beyond Barnard's proposal by cancelling all personal debts, abolishing theInternal Revenue Service, declaringworld peace, and requiring new presidential and congressional elections. Goodwin often claimed that the Bush administration was attempting to hack into and bring down her web site to prevent her from publicizing the law.[8] She would purport to be connected with powerful officials and used authoritative language, publishing messages in which she "ordered" the "White Knights" to enforce NESARA.[9]
Goodwin began commenting on NESARA in connection withOmega Trust, a fraudulent investment scheme whose creator, Clyde Hood, was on trial at the time. According to Goodwin, Omega Trust investors would receive their returns after NESARA was announced.[1][10] Goodwin repeatedly predicted that the NESARA announcement would occur in the very near future,[11][12][13] although in later years she became more reserved in these predictions.[14]
Barnard became aware of Goodwin's description of NESARA before his death in 2005. He denied that NESARA had been enacted into law or even assigned atracking number, and condemned Goodwin's allegations as adisinformation campaign.[15]
Goodwin promoted the NESARA theory until her death in 2010.[16]
After Goodwin began commenting on NESARA, other Internet-based conspiracy theorists latched onto it. One supporter, Sheldan Nidle, ties the imminent NESARA announcement into his years-old prophecy of an imminent large scaleUFO visitation by benevolentaliens (occasionally on his website reports, but more prominently in his videos,[17] seminars and public appearances). Jennifer Lee, who used to publish internet NESARA status reports almost daily[18] on her now defunct site, discussed a host of other-worldly and "interdimensional" beings who are helping behind the scenes to get NESARA announced. Late Internet conspiracy theorist Sherry Shriner, who operated multiple websites, saw NESARA as linked to malevolentreptiloid aliens she asserted long controlled the U.S. government.[19]
Some NESARA supporters also make the claim that otherworldly beings are working to get NESARA announced. These include a "channeled"cosmic being called "Hatonn"[20] (anandroidPleiadean), and another named "Sananda". According to some proponents ofAscended Master Teachings, such as Joshua David Stone, Sheldan Nidle, and Luis Prada, "Sananda" is the "galactic name" of Ascended Master Jesus, which he uses in his role as Commander-in-Chief of theAshtar Command flying saucer fleet. "Pallas Athena" is regarded as being the Vice-Commander of the saucer fleet.Ashtar (Ashtar Sheran) is regarded in these teachings as being third-in-command.[21] The designation of George W. Bush as a disguisedreptilian often co-occurred with this claim.[22] Goodwin has claimed thatAscended Master Saint Germain came down from theetheric plane to physically meet with heads of banks and world leaders regarding the NESARA announcement.[23][24]
Followers of the NESARA conspiracy theory began using the name "GESARA" in the mid-2010s, by referencing the set of reforms as a "Global" - and not "National" - Economic Security and Reformation Act. They notably claimed that severalEast Asian groups were involved in enforcing the reforms worldwide, including the purported "White Dragon Society" which would benefit from fundings by "the successors of the last Chinese Emperor,Pu Yi". One prominent advocate of "GESARA" has been a blogger based in the UK and going by the name "Alcuin Bramerton". In 2020, "Bramerton" asserted that the "NESARA global prosperity programmes" were about to be announced and activated through an entity called the "Saint Germain World Trust" which would provide "one quattuordecillion US dollars" to "zero out (permanently cancel) all personal, corporate and national debts worldwide" and that further money would be provided to the "White Dragon Society" by the "Manchu family syndicate".[3]
NESARA groups are known for certain to exist and to have attracted press attention inUtah,[25][26] and theNetherlands.[27] Members of these groups get together to discuss the status of NESARA, read the various reports, holdprotests, and pass outfliers about NESARA to the public. Goodwin claimed that NESARA groups exist throughout several nations and US states includingCalifornia,Washington,Arizona, andTexas, and provides hundreds of pieces of photographic evidence of people in public protests holding NESARA banners,[28][29] but it is not clear to what degree the people holding the banners are aware of what NESARA is, or for how long these groups were active.The News Tribune has traced the story behind at least some of these photos (photos of trucks driving aroundWashington, D.C. bearing the words "NESARA Announcement Now!"), and found that they were part of a $40,000 advertising campaign allegedly paid for by an elderlySan Francisco resident who had made donations to Goodwin.[27]
NESARA's concepts have also been incorporated by other conspiracy theories. In 2022,Bellingcat compared NESARA/GESARA to a "grandfather" ofQAnon and reported that as QAnon's iconography and concepts were declining in popularity, its adherents were becoming more and more invested in NESARA concepts and reviving that older movement.[2] People involved with thesovereign citizen movement have also subscribed to NESARA-related theories.[30]
Critics consider NESARA to be acult. Pointing to the fact that Goodwin, Lee, and Nidle frequently solicited donations from their readers, they accuse these leaders of being primarily interested in securing a steady stream of income for themselves.[31][32][33] Goodwin, who also asked readers to donate theirfrequent flyer miles,[34] claimed that she needed and had used the funds to travel to various locations around the world to secretly meet with high-level government officials about getting NESARA announced.[34][35] In 2004,The News Tribune published an article which called Goodwin a "cybercult queen" and described the NESARA phenomenon as ascam.[1]
A June 2006 complaint to the Washington consumer protection division accused Goodwin of using the NESARA story to defraud a 64-year-old San Francisco woman of at least $10,000. The woman's daughter said the actual amount is much larger, in the hundreds of thousands.[27]
The prominence offailed prophecy also lends support to the cult theory. NESARA supporters often tell their readers that the NESARA announcement is going to happen in a matter of days. According to the documentaryWaiting For NESARA, the claim was also made prior to March 2003 that George Bush was planning thewar with Iraq only to further delay the NESARA announcement. It was prophesied thatspiritual beings and UFOs would intervene with Bush's plans and prevent the war.[25]