Many Victims of Racism Get Deceived in MLM "Pyramid" Schemes

I myself have been victimized  and a witness to many other Victims of Racism (non-white people) being victimized by Multilevel Marketing (M.L.M.) Schemes. I suspect that most M.L.M.'s are created these days by Racists who take advantage of the lack of business knowledge and the fear of poverty that huge numbers of Victims of Racism have, by promising us outrageous profits.

Groups like "Quickstar (Amway)", "Pre-paid Legal","Primemerica", "Ameriplan", "Access", etc. Such groups may have a real service or product to offer, but the deception is in getting you to be a "business owner" and build your "bottom line". Most of these organizations make millions of dollars..............off of their "business owners", from the seminars, tapes, or CD's, web pages, and books that teach you "how to be a business owner" for your "investment" dollars.

When these schemes first start out they probably enlist a few other Racist suspects to be at the top and then, go out and get huge numbers of "non-white" people to join in to keep the "investments" flowing. I've witnessed "non-white" people miss out on paying their rent to go on a trip to Las Vegas to attend a two day seminar and come back with books and tapes produced by the MLM, with the promise that if they stay persistent with increasing their "bottom-line", that one day they too will be millionaires.

I think that MLM schemes originally started out as a way for "white" people to take advantage of other "white" people, (not that they were doing "non-white" people a favor), more like they just weren't thinking about us. But what generally happens is that under the system of Racism (White Supremacy), "white" people collectively generally have access to and learn more constructive information about things before we do. I suspect that these days so many "white" people know that most MLM's are scams that, its hard for the founders of such schemes to gain any income from selling these ideas to other "white" people, so these days, they focus on "non-white" people.

Here is some constructive information to follow when you are propositioned to become a "business owner" for one of these schemes:

Multilevel or “network” marketing plans are ways to sell goods or services through distributors. Typically, these plans promise that if you sign up as a distributor, you’ll get commissions not only from the sales you make, but also from the sales of the people you recruit to become distributors. These recruits sometimes are called your “downline.”

Not all multilevel marketing plans are legitimate. Some are pyramid schemes. It’s best not to get involved in plans where the money you make is based primarily on the number of distributors you recruit and your sales to them, rather than on your sales to people outside the plan who intend to use the products.

Joining a pyramid is risky because the vast majority of participants lose money to pay for the rewards of a few people at the top.

How can you tell the difference between a bona fide multilevel marketing plan and a pyramid scheme? According to the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, it takes research, some business sense and a healthy share of skepticism.
Evaluating a Plan

What’s involved in doing research? Asking your sponsor and other distributors tough questions, and digging for details. Don’t consider it nosy or intrusive: you are on a mission to check out a potential opportunity that will require your money and your time.

1. Find — and study — the company’s track record. Look for newspaper or magazine articles about the company. Do an internet search. Look through several pages of search results to get a good idea of the information available about the company.

* How long has the company been in business? Does it have a positive reputation for customer satisfaction?
* What can you find out about the product and the service?
* What’s the buzz about the company and the product on blogs and websites?
* Has anyone sued the company for deceptive business practices? Checking with your local Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce and state Attorney General for complaints about any company you’re considering investing in is a prudent thing to do. But remember that a lack of complaints doesn’t guarantee a company’s legitimacy.

2. Learn about the product. What will you be selling? Are similar products on the market? Is the product priced competitively? Is it safe? Can your sponsor — the distributor who is recruiting you — support claims about the product’s performance?

3. Ask questions. Ask your sponsor for the terms and conditions of the plan: the compensation structure, your potential expenses, support for claims about how much money you can make and the name and contact information of someone at the company who has details about the terms and conditions and can tell you how much the average distributor makes before and after expenses. Get this information in writing. Avoid any plan where the reward for recruiting new distributors is more than it is for selling products to the public. That’s a time tested tip-off to a pyramid scheme.

Multilevel marketing plans usually base at least part of your monthly income and bonuses on the sales of the distributors you recruit. Keep in mind that if you solicit new distributors, you are responsible for the claims you make about how much money they can earn. Be honest, and avoid making unrealistic promises. If the promises fall through, you could be held liable, even if you are simply repeating claims you read in a company brochure or advertising flyer, or heard from another distributor.

If you don’t understand something, ask for more information until it is absolutely clear to you. Your sponsor and other distributors should be willing to answer your questions. Be skeptical and carefully evaluate the information you get. Remember that your sponsor and other distributors above you likely will make money if you join the program. So take your time, and don’t yield to pressure to join.

4. Understand any restrictions. Get the company’s refund policy in writing. Make sure it includes the process for returns as well as restrictions on — or penalties for — returning unused products if you choose to leave the plan. It may seem like you’re minimizing your risk if you can return products for a reimbursement, but policies vary on getting full refunds — and how long it could take. Many plans require you to buy training or marketing materials or pay for seminars if you want to get product discounts or create your own network of distributors. Find out how much time and money other distributors spent on training, marketing materials and seminars when they joined the plan, and whether the plan requires you to participate in periodic training. What happens if you opt out of the training?

5. Talk to other distributors. Ask your sponsor for the names and contact information for distributors at all levels of the plan. Get in touch with them to ask the same questions you asked your sponsor. In most plans, “upline” distributors stand to benefit when you buy into the system, so they should be willing to answer your questions with specifics. If you get vague answers or guesses, ask follow-up questions until you hear — and understand — the information you need to make your decision. Be aware that there may be shills — “decoy” references paid by the company or distributor to pretend they had success earning money through the plan.

6. Consider using a friend or adviser as a neutral sounding board or for a gut check. You may want to consult with an accountant, a lawyer or another person you trust who is not affiliated with the plan to review the terms of compensation, determine whether the plan can back up any claims about the amount of money you can make, and analyze the information you’ve gathered and the answers to your questions.

7. Take your time. Don’t pay or sign any contracts in an “opportunity meeting.” Take your time to think over your decision. Your investment requires real money, so talk to the distributors in settings that make you comfortable and when there’s the opportunity to take your time.

8. Think about whether this plan suits your talents and goals. Ask yourself whether you would enjoy selling products to the public. Find out how many hours a week your sponsor and other distributors spent on the business when they joined the plan and how much time they spend now. Remember that no matter how good a product and how solid a multilevel marketing plan may be, you’ll need to invest sweat equity and money for your investment to pay off. Consider the other demands of the business — for example, training, recruiting new distributors, managing paperwork, inventory and shipping — and factor how much time it could take to achieve the amount of money you anticipate.


Asking Questions

Here are some important questions to ask your sponsor and distributors at different levels of the organization. Their responses can help you detect false claims about the amount of money you may make and whether the business is a pyramid scheme.

1. What are your annual sales of the product? How much product did you sell to distributors? What percentage of your sales were made to distributors?

One sign of a pyramid scheme is if distributors sell more product to other distributors than they do to the public.

2. What were your expenses last year, including money you spent on training and purchasing products? How much money did you make last year — that is, your income and bonuses minus your expenses? How much time did you spend last year on the business? How long have you been in the business? How many people are in your downline?

It’s important to get a complete picture of how the plan works: not just how much money distributors make, but also how much time and money they spend on the plan, how long it takes to make money and how big a downline is needed to make money.

3. What percentage of the money you made — income and bonuses minus your expenses — came from recruiting other distributors and selling them inventory or other items to get started?

Another sign of a pyramid scheme is if the money you make depends more on recruiting — getting new distributors to pay for the right to participate in the plan — than on sales to the public.

When you find yourself being mistreated directly or indirectly by the Racists (White Supremacists), I think that its correct to get other "white" people involved in helping you to fight your battles.

The FTC works to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. Watch a new video, How to File a Complaint, at ftc.gov/video to learn more. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

The truth is revealed..............

This "white" person revealed the truth about how she viewed the "non-white" speaker (General Yahanna) whom I was told (by "white" person) took pleasure in being discourteous towards "white" people as they walked past him in this video. I did not care whether he was or he was not discourteous. What he said and did was what he said and did. He has the Victim's Guaranteed Qualifications (VGQ) to resist Racism (White Supremacy) they way that he thinks that he should resist it. I do not control him.

Would he have done what he said and did if there where not a system of Racism that victimized him?

It does appear to me that being courteous is more constructive towards having a real dialog about and towards solving the "race" issue. But, that's me, I have VGQ too.

The problem (at least from what I have observed so far) is that when I speak with a "white" person about Racism (White Supremacy), act as though it doesn't exist.

Here is a situation where one "white" person reveals the truth about Racism (White Supremacy), in anger, but, to me it was better than acting as though it didn't exist. Her words revealed the truth about how General Yahanna is functioning and will continue to function in a system of Racism (White Supremacy).

She said:  

"The sixties was not that long ago....." 

TRANSLATION: Look here. "black" folks collectively just recently (what? 40+ years ago? in comparison to "white" folks who've been practicing Racism for centuries? ) got a little bit of freedom to be able to say what you are saying and not be killed for it, so what you are saying doesn't mean shit.

"and you will never be like the upper class white man..."

TRANSLATION: what you are saying and doing right now, will never compare to what the smart and powerful "white" man has done. It will not ever compare to what he is still doing.

 "you will never be accepted..."

TRANSLATION: You are in a inferior position and will remain in that position no matter what you say and/or do.

"you will never get that job..."

TRANSLATION: You will never have that superior position. It is reserved for smart and powerful "white" people.

"and you will just always be looked at as a fucking nigger !"

TRANSLATION: All of the smart and powerful "white" people who have the will and the ability to keep you in that inferior position are going to.



If more "white" people were as honest as she was and if more "non-white" people paid attention to these kind of words, we could be closer to eliminating Racism. Why? because today it thrives from the belief that it no longer has any power to affect us anymore. I mean today Racism (White Supremacy) is so refined and sophisticated that you would not ever catch "the upper class white man" slippin' like she did. More "non-white" people need  to understand that our inferior position in this system has not yet changed and it ain't going to until effective numbers of us start thinking, speaking, and acting in a manner that will. At least that is the theory of it. If we get to that point and it doesn't work then we still have a huge problem to solve. Let's try though.

Let me add that, I don't think that she would have said her true belief about him, if she were not angry. She cracked under pressure. The more sophisticated Racist suspect (the kind that she was comparing him to) wouldn't have walked on the same sidewalk as the general, let alone acknowledged that he were there.

Omar Thornton: A Victim of Racism / White Supremacy

I do not support Mr. Thornton's behavior, but I understand it.

Victim of Racism

It is a most unfortunate situation, when a Victim of Racism (White Supremacy) is experiencing so much mistreatment that he or she has been driven to the point that their only choice in finding relief of that mistreatment is to take Maximum Action to stop it. This is why Racism / White Supremacy is dangerous to every person on the planet and therefore, must be eliminated.

Many of us can say that Thornton's actions were unnecessary. But the only one involved that believed it was necessary was Thornton and that is important, because once an individual believes an action to be necessary (and they have the immediate power to do it), they're going to make it happen.

According to reports from Thornton himself, his friends, and his relatives, he was mistreated on the basis of color at his place of work. Listen below to Thornton in his own words to the 911 operator:




Representatives of his former employer and his union, have said that is not the case and there is no record of Omar filing any reports of discrimination with either entity.

Many Victims of Racism know exactly what he went through, and for any of you whom are currently experiencing similar mistreatment in the workplace please consider (Countering Racism in the Workplace) to deal with Racism (White Supremacy) in the Workplace. According to those who have used it, it does work, when practiced correctly.

Unfortunately for me when I had such problems (some of them being mistreated on the basis of my skin color) with my past places of work, the union nor the employer, helped me stop the mistreatment, nor did they tell me how to file a grievance. On many occasions both parties denied the mistreatment, and I was made to look like my allegations were insane by both the employer and the union. The relationship between the reps of both sides could lead one to believe that these guys played golf together. If it ever came up, they would all say that there were no records of any discrimination and it would be the truth, because I did not KNOW HOW and they would not SHOW or TELL me HOW, to create such records. But, now I know how thanks to Mr. Edward Williams. Thanks Ed.

Now here is what I transcribed from the video, because it is more constructive when you SEE the words that you hear.

Dispatcher: State police.

Thornton: Is this 911?

Dispatcher: Yeah, can I help you?

Thornton: This is Omar Thornton, the uh, the shooter over in Manchester.

Dispatcher: Yes, where are you, sir?

Thornton: I'm in the building. Uh, you probably want to know the reason why I shot this place up. This place right here is a racist place.

Dispatcher: Yup, I understand that.

Thornton: They're treating me bad over here. And treat all other black employees bad over here, too. So I took it to my own hands and handled the problem. I wish I could have got more of the people.

Dispatcher: Yeah. Are you armed, sir? Do you have a weapon with you?

Thornton: Oh yeah, I'm armed.

Dispatcher: How many guns do have with you?

Thornton: I got one now. There's one out, one out in the uh, in the uh, factory there.

Dispatcher: Yep. OK, sir.

Thornton: I'm not going to kill nobody else though.

Dispatcher: Yeah. We're going to have to have you surrender yourself somehow here and not make the situation any worse. You know what I mean?

Thornton: These cops are going to kill me.

Dispatcher: No, they're not. We're just going to have to get you to relax ...

Thornton: I'm relaxed. I'm calmed down.

Dispatcher: ... to have you, you know, turn yourself over.

Thornton: (distorted sound) I hear the cops are already in there. Make sure you say the right thing. Hey, the SWAT team just rolled by in Army gear. They don't know where I'm at. But I don't know, maybe you can trace this from this phone call. But yeah, these people here are crazy. And they treat me bad from when I started here. Racist company. Treat me bad. I'm the only black they've already got here. They treat me bad over here, treat me bad all the time.

Dispatcher: It's a horrible situation, I understand that.

Thornton: Hey don't try to calm me down. I'm already calmed down. I'm not going to kill nobody else. I just want to tell my story to you, so you can play it back anyway.

Dispatcher: OK. You're going to help me get you out of the building, OK?

Thornton: Alright. I'm good. (distorted sound) I got that taken care of. I don't need anyone to talk me into getting out of the building.

Dispatcher: Where in the building are you?

Thornton: I'm not going to tell you that. When they find me that's when everything is going to be over.

Dispatcher: Yeah. Where are you located? Are you up in the offices?

Thornton: When they find me everything will be alright. Fucking Manchester is a racist place.

Dispatcher: Yeah. Now, um, what time did you get there today?

Thornton: About 7 o'clock.

Dispatcher: This morning?

Thornton: Yeah, about 7 a.m. Yeah, they told me to come early today.

Dispatcher: What kind of weapon do you have?

Thornton: I got a Ruger SR9.

Dispatcher: A Ruger? SR9?

Thornton: Automatic, yeah.

Dispatcher: Is it a rifle?

Thornton: Nah, it's a pistol. (distorted sound) are two of my favorites.

Dispatcher: Now, uh, you're going to make, uh, the troopers and the people come in and, uh, catch you? You're not going to surrender yourself?

Thornton: Well, I guess maybe on Thursday. Nah! They're coming to get me. They gotta come get me.

Dispatcher: Yeah, we wouldn't want to do it like that, Omar. You know, it's already been a bad enough scene this morning. We want you to relax.

Thornton: I'm relaxed. I'm calmed down.

Dispatcher: We don't want any more, any more, uh, people, you know, to lose their life here.

Thornton: I'm not going to kill nobody else.

Dispatcher: OK.

Thornton: I'm not coming out of where I'm at. I'm not coming out. They have to find me. Probably bring some dogs, or whatever, I don't know what they do.

Dispatcher: How much ammunition do you have with you?

Thornton: I got, uh, a lot of shots left. Uh-oh.

Dispatcher: What's that?

Thornton: It's alright. I guess this is (distorted sound) where I have to take care of business. Tell my people I love them and I got to go now.

Dispatcher: Omar, I really want you to help me stop this situation, OK?

Thornton: OK.

Dispatcher: If you work with me we'll get this to stop, OK? Omar. Ooh! Omar. Omar. OK, he's still alive.

R.W.S.W.J.

Make a Major Effort To Avoid Being Put into Greater Confinement

I have observed that huge numbers of "non-white" people are in "Greater Confinement". I have observed that small numbers of "white" people are in "Greater Confinement". "White" people collectively do more things to keep themselves out of  "Greater Confinement", than "non-white" people do. My observations are backed by these stats produced by the largest and most experienced collectors of statistics in the known universe.

The Stats:

"According to the US Census Bureau, the US population in 2000 was 281,421,906. Of that, 194,552,774 (69.1%) were white; 33,947,837 (12.1%) were black;"


"Across all age categories, black males were incarcerated at higher rates than white males." "Black males ages 30 to 34 had the highest custody incarceration rate of any [other] group at midyear 2007."


"Over a third (33.8%) of the total male custody population was ages 20 to 29. The largest percentage of black (35.5%) and Hispanic (39.9%) males held in custody were ages 20 to 29."

Such observations have lead to the following Counter Racist Compensatory Logical Conclusions.

1) Make a major effort to avoid being put into "Greater Confinement" [jail, prison, small and inadequate areas, etc.] Avoid doing anything that you have reason to believe may result in your being put into "Greater Confinement". Click here for more details on this.
See page 99 of the U.I.C.C./S./C.


2) Pay attention to white people. Pay attention to what they do. Listen to what they say. Look at all that they do. See page 71 of the U.I.C.C./S./C.

This is a video of  smart "white" people telling a room full of what I suspect are other "white" people, to exercise the use of the US Constitution (the 5th Amendment) when they encounter Enforcement Officials (Cops). They say "don't talk to the cops". This first video is of a lawyer telling them this.




This second video is a cop telling them this. Pay close attention to his use of words.



Catch how he said "We lovingly refer to as Hood Rats"? I suspect that he is talking about "non-white" people.


SUGGESTION: Find an experienced lawyer who specializes in Criminal Law and obtain their business card before any incidents occur. Do not worry about affording them. Think about that after they get you out of trouble.

REASON/EXPLANATION: Under the system of Racism (White Supremacy), vast numbers of "non-white" people have been placed in Greater Confinement, because of what they said and did, in the presence of Enforcement Officials. An experienced lawyer, who specializes in Criminal Law, can tell you how to behave in a manner that will keep you out of Greater Confinement.


These next videos are about what you should be doing when stopped by the Enforcement Officials. Which includes searching your property. They call it "10 Rules for Dealing with the Police"- very constructive information.

Shirley Sherrod: The latest blast with Racist Propaganda

Below I am attempting to demonstrate the use of Racist Propaganda and it affects. I will point out the various tactics that I see being used here. I am using my own term to describe these tactics to eliminate confusion.

Even though Mrs. Sherrod has been "cleared" of being a so-called "Black Racist", the over all message that appeals to the subconscious minds of millions of people is that it is possible for a "non-white" person to have the ability to mistreat a "white" person on the basis of skin color.

The Objective of the Racist Propagandist:

BLACK RACISM EXISTS (they tried using "Reverse Racism" over the years but it has since, been refined into "Black Racism".)

Following Counter Racist Compensatory Logic, number two of the Four Types of Power Among the People of the Known Universe (see pages 27-29 U.I.C.C.S.C. for details) comes to my mind.

SUPERIOR POWER means the collective power and the ability of the Racists (White Supremacists), to cause "non-white" people to think, speak, and /or act according to the dictates of "white" people in general.

A Black Racist

The Reverse of SUPERIOR POWER, is the one I suspect is implied here. I say this because many Racist Conservatives are attempting to convince the people that the U.S. Government is ruled by a Victim of Racism. Anyone who knows (not many) that all Victims of Racism are subjects of the Racists can see that this is not true. The problem is that there are huge numbers of people (especially "white" people) who are being convinced by the smart and powerful amongst them that having a "Black" president has opened the doors for "Black Supremacy".

RACIST PROPAGANDA TACTIC #1:

Positive / Negative word association associating the target with a word that draws negative emotions is used to make people reject and condemn that person without examining the evidence.

Shirley Sherrod

Having Sherrod presented as a "Black Racist" working in the so-called Obama Administration would solidify the idea by making it appear that she is backed by the power and the ability of the "Racists(Black Supremacists)" and their "white" followers to cause "white" people to think, speak, and /or act according to their dictates.

Who was affected by this tactic?

Anyone that does not apply logic to think critically (most "non-white" people) about what they see and hear in regards to the existence of the system of Racism (White Supremacy).

Barack Obama

Because it appears that the US Government is incompetent when a "non-white" person appears to be in charge. How could all of those smart and powerful "white" people "serving under" Obama have overlooked this? CIA, NSA, and Military Intel advisers, of the most sophisticated government on the planet fell for this? The person who should be fired next, is the one in charge of getting the facts straight. Maybe they were the same person who told the Bush Administration that there was W.M.D.'s in "Iraq".

Benjamin Jealous

Superior Advisor of the NAACP which is often made to appear as though it's the number one and only "black" organization that "counters racism" in a manner that is viewed as acceptable, made the same mistake that Obama made. There is a plethora of smart and powerful "white" people in the NAACP as well. Could they have checked out the facts too?


RACIST PROPAGANDA TACTIC #2

Accept / Reject Testimony using the words of someone viewed as important to influence how you think about a person or an idea.

The Racist Propagandists used Obama and Jealous to solidify the claim that BLACK RACISM exists, by broadcasting their statements of "outrage".

Andrew Breitbart

Okay. Now that it has all come out that she was taken out of context (I say severely mistreated on the basis of her skin color) by the Racist Suspect Conservative blogger named Andrew Breitbart, and "cleared" of her charges of being a current "black racist", does it now APPEAR that it is even more possible for a "black" person to be a "Racist (Black Supremacist)"?

Yes! In fact it now looks more possible that a "black" person can be one, because the message now appears as though she once was a "black racist", but at some point in her existence she learned that it is no longer about Racism (Black Supremacy).

I quote Counter Racist Evolving Engineer (CREE) who said it best on her blog:

"The key term of this cunningly crafted controversy is being hammered, by repetition, into common use: “black racist.” Even though the ONLY functional form of racism in the known universe is white supremacy, we’re speaking—with serious, stern faces– about a non-functional entity called “black racism.”…. This is how deceitful definitions that serve the global system of white supremacy (racism) become “commonly accepted” —- no matter how inaccurate and illogical."

We were all attacked with an act of indirect violence of massive proportion. Like a Trojan Virus going into a computer that has no anti-virus program, it entered into the minds of the people in a subtle way.

Evidence:

Shirley Sherrod herself:

When asked by Racist Suspect Anderson Cooper, if she thinks that she has now gotten past black vs white, Sherrod replied "I know I've gotten past black vs white!"

The damage to the minds of the people has been done. This is no fault on her part.

Key words "BLACK VERSES WHITE." black / offense and white / defense. Wow.

There's more....

I read the transcript to Mrs.Sherrod's speech in question and I like it.

She really sounds like a person who reveals truth in a manner that promotes Justice and helps the person who needs help, get the most constructive help that they need.

SOMEONE knew exactly how this thing was going to play out.


I think that this whole thing was designed to get Ms. Sherrod out of the position that she had anyway. It appears that she was offered a different job at the USDA, instead of the one that she had, why?

Do you know that Black Farmers had filed a $2 billion dollar lawsuit against the USDA? I remember reading about this like over a decade ago. I thought it was settled. Well, it's been settled but they have been waiting for the money for over a decade.

I suspect that some Racists (White Supremacists) thought that Mrs. Sherrod was in a position to help these farmers get that settlement or get help while they wait for it. When you read her speech you will see what I am talking about.

"Black" Farmer

"Jerry Pennick, director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance Fund, where Sherrod worked before joining the USDA. The government's poor treatment of her has resonated loudly and badly among farmers who have faced discrimination."

"The government stands to pay out over $2 billion for discrimination against African Americans and not one person in the department has been fired because of that, yet the first African American woman to [oversee rural development] in Georgia was fired for alleged racism," Pennick said.

"And nobody has been fired for proven discrimination."

Mrs. Sherrod said on the "Today" show last week that:

"Discrimination happens in the USDA. . . . And it's there because the agency never did deal with the people who caused it,"

"No one lost their job because they discriminated against black farmers, Hispanic farmers, Native American farmers, women farmers. . . . Those individuals . . . some have retired, but many of them are still there."

Read more here

THE USDA says on there website that:

"Rural Development is committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America by providing financial programs to support essential public facilities and services as water and sewer systems, housing, health clinics, emergency service facilities and electric and telephone service. Rural Development promotes economic development by providing loans to businesses through banks and community-managed lending pools, while also assisting communities to participate in community empowerment programs."