Future thrills

The word global is presented as the final solution – when things become global our worries are over, the good world is near. But it is not so, and never will be!

The investors and financiers of the world are having a fine time. Money can be accumulated, moved around the world, invested in facilities, services, crops, minerals – all you can think of. Speculation is producing large profits, some few times huge losses, the chase for profit is the name of the game. Money are lent to governments, municipalities, public bodies who are good borrowers. They always pay back their debts so it is safe to let them have your money.

The problems of this method are becoming evident: 1%, 99%, joblessness, hunger, defaults.

The money system – global money system – is the system we live by. But nobody controls this system – it is out of control. There are no global political entities, no global financials – there is a bit of problemsolving when things go very wrong. There is the World Bank, the IMF that are not connected to the democratic systems of the world – they do things by some sort of negotiation and their authority is unclear.

The lenders lend without or with scant risk control – in the US lots of people lost their homes, in many countries public financial overextension is found in many places. For some reason the lenders shall not take their losses. We must all come together and help pay up. The lenders are let off when they make mistakes, the borrowers do not take responsibility for what they do, they just go on increasing their debts. Coupled with QE quantitative easing there is a balloon being filled with hot financial air. Add the system of fractional reserve banking and we are set up for failure.

Global systems leads to lack of understanding and transparency, and coupled wit advanced financial schemes we end up with deep problems.

Global solutions will never work, and there is no need for global solutions. Business should be about making a fair living where you are. The growth syndrome of states and businesses is clearly not sustainable. The modern system with huge production being sent back and forth here and there all over the world is clearly unsustainable – the thinking that everybody must export and import is silly.

We are ruled increasingly by a money system that is said to be global, but is full of confusing issues – the main one being that nobody is accountable for what happens, the size and extent of the problems are so large that everybody can be pulled down.

Financial globalism is bad in principle – it will never work: Will you let yourself be governed by somebody you did not elect, or even worse by somebody who has not been elected by anybody?

Other kinds of globalism might be a good idea – health, ethics, human rights, fair share and many others.

The lending and borrowing is out of control, and the only way back to sanity is to make lenders and borrowers take responsibility for what they do. If you fail to pay what you have borrowed, you suffer. If the lenders don’t  get paid they suffer. They have to straighten things out between them. This must be done on the local level, and the transactions must be small, under good risk control, you should know where the money comes from and what it is used for, who the lenders and borrowers are.

So this is simplistic? Yes, and it should be – financial acrobatics are not what it all is about – it is about making a decent living where you are. So local, national, regional is good, split it up into units that we can handle, let politics do its job, let the financials follow, let the people responsible take resposibility – in a transparent environment.

It is all so easy – if we pull it down to basics which is where it belongs.

It is safe to say that world opinion – if there is such a thing – is US and Western opinion. Is this about to change?

Xi Jinping, the presumed next president of The People’s Republic of China PRC, is visting the US at the moment. He has been there before, so this is a wide visit, full of good intentions. Mr. Obama did not smile broadly when they met, judging from pictures in the media. Why not is not clear. Perhaps his head is full of thoughts about the coming years – things are going to change for both coutries. One is going up, the other is going down – relatively speaking. Time will show what happens, the future is not always fully predictable. Obama is a president in times of transition, and there is little he can do about it. Maybe he is still president in 2013.

Xi Jinping (习近平) is an interesting man, both personally and also when looking into the background of his father. Xi Jinping is an engineer with a doctorate in law, wide practice in the Chinese system of government and politics. His father was both a friend and a foe of Mao Tse Tung, living in political darkness for a long time, being called a liberal. We will know more about what Xi Jinping stands for in the coming years. Xi Jinping is clearly well versed in many kinds of human affairs.

We must, being wise and with reasonable foresight, prepare us for the  changes that will come. First we must learn to understand the thinking of the Chinese, the politics, the culture, the business methods, the philosophy. Perhaps learn a bit of the Chinese language too – some Mandarin?

Viewed from China the US is a strange nation. Many things going on there can not and will not take place anywhere else on the globe. The Chinese have just celebrated the new year with age old customs – food ceremonies, festivities, seeing your family, thinking. Differences are huge.

The Super Bowl, the biggest TV event in the US, happened a few weeks ago and we may wonder what the Chinese think of this most American of spectacles. Think about how the Chinese TV viewers respond to sports and other big “global” events piped into their homes via satellite, being a long-closed-off society with its own deep and rich historical culture.

Americans think of their spectacles as world events, but the truth is that a large number of nations in the world is barely interested in these strange goings-on. It is only in the American imagination that these events are perceived as  world events.

The world of news is dominated today by American news – sport, electioneering, health questions, business, wars, politics, deaths of popstars – the Americans are everywhere. They have put high pressure on their publishings – remember they are only 5% of the worlds population.

So what is to be expected from the Chinese – what reactions do we see? Will it matter to the rest of us what they think? Remember that Chinese culture is strong, going back thousands of years, it is not easily shifted.

Quoting from Chinese Pod, a Chinese Language service in Shanghai:
“The biggest TV draws for foreign events in China tend to have an element of “Chinese-ness” to them. The NBA has always had fans in China and their game broadcasts have long been popular, but ratings exploded when Shanghai-born 姚明 (Yáo Míng) joined the Houston Rockets in 2002. An estimated 200 million Chinese in the Mainland tuned in to see 姚 play  against another Chinese-born big man, 易建联 (Yì Jiànlián) in 2007, so the drawing power of a home-grown element in a foreign event is not to be discounted.
Long before Beijing hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 2008 millions closely followed how their homegrown athletes were doing on the world stage. Indeed, competing in sports, as well as using them to prove and strengthen national identity, is a notable part of Chinese cultural identity, so an event like the Olympic games in which the results can be seen to represent strengths and weaknesses of particular countries seems made to be a hit in China.
The Chinese – and the rest of the world – tend to look at US presidential elections with a mix of confusion and bemusement. Contrary to popular belief, elections are not a foreign concept in China, with People’s congress deputies and officials at the local level standing for election regularly. US elections elicit puzzled looks. The scale and amount of money spent on American elections strike many as ridiculous and unnecessary, and many are inclined to dismiss the circus-like proceedings; “People think the capitalist way of campaigning is all about making up fake stories to slander your opponent, that it’s just a political show,” as one prominent academic in China put it. Interestingly enough, former President Bill Clinton enjoys substantial popularity here in the PRC, and there are even Clinton-brand condoms to be found (draw your own conclusions). Known in Chinese as 比尔·克林顿 (Bǐ’ěr·Kèlíndùn) or simply 克林顿, Clinton’s second inauguration, in 1997, was the first to be broadcast over the internet, giving those in China with internet connections the chance to see one of their favorite American leaders take office again.
This year even the Super Bowl, the championship of a sport very few Chinese follow, was broadcast live on a handful of stations in China. One of the biggest global stories of the last few years, however, was the death of pop star Michael Jackson, who was widely-mourned in China. Jackson was one of the most popular Western stars in the PRC (”MJ, you are our god!” one netizen wrote), and his death was a constant topic of discussion both on and offline in China. Whitney Houston’s death last week elicited similar if smaller-scale reactions.”

So what is it the other way around – do the Americans intend to pipe Chinese TV into their homes – the Chinese events often attract far larger audiences than the American ones – and how is American media treating Chinese activities, presenting Chinese news – fairly or with a spin?

Opinions come and go – we are all subjective people, we do not always get the full truth, it is sometimes made up for us, so beware. Go there, talk to the Chinese, get to know them, then we shall all benefit.

Heavier stuff is coming up to in matters of world opinion – economics, politics, environmental issues – the contest in on.

How is the new world opinion made? True, informative or with a spin? We shall see.

To learn some Chinese try Chinese Pod

The money are not coming to all the way they should.

This is not because you are lazy, careless, or other, but may be because you are hit by global forces, the cold winds from the investors are blowing your way. The factories in your neighbourhood are closing, the markets are disappearing, the smallholding food growers go away, the small shops and makers of stuff of many kinds are closing down, there is little for you to do where you live. Everything is done elsewhere – in the big factories, in the huge malls, on the huge farms, efficiency is increasing, the need for people is dwindling, diversity of  offerings is being reduced, what you get is cheap and good. The economics of scale is the chief factor to consider, some say the only one, as this is best for investors. The social consequences are dire, but not a theme to consider right now, perhaps later.

And the investors are a restless bunch, and never satisfied, they roam the world for growth, for profit, constantly innovating in their creative destruction – whether it is chicken farming or PC-production. Their focus is constant, unwavering. Locals outside the production units are just so much biomass.

You are left behind and destitute – with a family to support. Your neighbours are hit too – your community is in a bad state. You barely scrape by. This illness is slowly spreading to several parts of the world, and it will accelerate as the years go by. Youths are hardest hit – they have nothing and little chance of getting any. For many places this is a huge exaggeration, it is not like this at all. But beware, the trend is scary!

This can not go on, the tide must be turned.

And little things are happening – new ways are found. one of the most interesting one is Equal Dollars.

Quote:  ”Equal Dollars is a thriving community currency program run by Resources for Human Development, a national human services nonprofit with headquarters in Philadelphia. This currency promotes the exchange of goods, services and labor through a membership network and adds vitality to local economies where U.S. Dollars are scarce and expensive while local labor and goods are abundant but not fully used. Local businesses that accept the currency build stronger relationships and greater affinity within the community. People and businesses that join and use the currency make a conscious commitment to support their local economy by buying within the community.”

So people are there, they can and will work, but is not being used. But a bit of wise organisation is helping.

A new way has been found where people can sign up, get a basic number og Equal Dollars, use them to buy from the local firms that are part of the program, then they can sign up for volunteer work and earn more Equal Dollars, so they can buy more. A beneficial circle has been started, people are using their work power, they exchange that with others, people are starting to exchange services, stretching their money.

There are also community enrichment workshops,where persons come together to learn from each other, there are flea markets and farmers markets where you can pay with equal dollars or equal amounts of volunteer dollars, and work exchanges where you can give an have work in return. Coupon swaps are also being organised where you can put food or other coupons into the system and have them exchanged for coupons for items you would like to have.

There is also a business to business side to this as businesses are starting to exchange labour or barter goods.

There  is a very crucial side to this – when you have little money you can give your time, receive other people’s time, you build relationships, they will gradually widen as more people are going into the system, you create good dependencies, you build community, we are back at our roots where people helped each other out and social relations are widening in a positive way. The local local labor and goods are there and more can be found!

This is a solution in the making, indicating good will and illustrating good principles. How much can you do locally and how much do you have to get from elsewhere, from the big businesses? How much money do you really need? the thinking is not new, but it goes against global tendencies where everything is soon to be made elsewhere on a huge scale. But life is surely much more than large scale production and consumption?

Local is good, local is where you start and do your living – local could be all you need really. Will the future bring us back ro our roots – where the good life is?

“Equalizing the economic playing field in our communities. ” Yeah – we need that.

see: Equal Dollars

You live in a world that was given to you. Everything is locked up in organizations, structures and systems of many kinds. The fixed thinking of others and yourself is a foundation for everything as you think and do exactly the same as everybody else. You were taught many lessons and you have accepted it all. There is not a single independent thought in you – not one iota, not a fig.

You have never thought about it, because you have become a witless and scared little person sitting quite still in your opulent environment. You think you are content, all your material needs are met.

This is all very sad. It is, however, never too late to become a real person – to see what it is all about.

The first thing to check out is what do you really want? First find out about yourself and your relation to others – do you interact with others at all, except professionally and with family, does anybody depend upon you and do you depend upon anybody – especially in your near community? Do you help each other in any way? You buy everything you need, and you work like mad to get money to manage that? You have money so you don’t really need anybody? Right, but not fine. You could make life better for both yourself and others if you change that into more interactivity – more moneyless activity.

So check out about yourself, in your own place. How do you spend your time? Is your life really good, are your choices independent and serves you well or do you just follow what others do? Are you a must-have, follow-others person?

There is huge scope for change and increased consciousness – make sure you know what your life is really about, what you really want to do, what you really need to have – do a bit of deep thinking to find out.

You must see who you are now, what you want to be, what your relation to others are, what your relations to cosmos are – the totality of it all.

The ideal world for you to live in is the one you make yourself. After you have established your wish for being here, you can start creating your own – independent of all and everything – world, and start a fantastic and deeply satisfying journey – your own life. The possibilities for a human are boundless.

Do not interest yourself in irrelevant matters, do not follow or identify with matters of no or marginal interest to what you want. Do not be disturbed by your emotions, instincts, do not let your feelings or intellect play havoc with you. The noise from other people, the media, events, distractions of many kinds must not be allowed to disturb you.

Make sure there are facts and science to guide you, avoid myths and spin. Do not believe anything until you have checked it out for yourself – most stories are about other peoples’ need to make money or gather influence, they are seldom of relevance to you.

You must learn to use your hands so you can see the creative side of yourself and be able to develop that side of your personality. Participation in food production on some level is essential so that you understand what you are fed, where food comes from, the impact of food on yourself, society and the cosmos.

The activity that you choose to engage in is about your own life and what you love to do. It is also about what you can do for others. So keeping your aims clear and visible you must decide what activities are best.

It is required of you to see if you really need the things we are accustomed to and must have: goods of all kinds, entertainment, rich living spaces, world wide travel, foods? The work you do must not take most of your time as there are so many interesting things to engage in. A good solution is to set yourself up to see life and work as a whole – integrate everything you do into your life, get rid of the concept of work.  Are you spending enough time on what you love to do? Well…

The need for money is exaggerated – you do not need enormous amounts of the stuff. Do not try to be rich, but rather be content, and finding your own inner happiness is what it is all about.

So think a lot – be independent, realitybased, supporting your own wish for being, then do your own stuff that you love to do, do not be pressured by outside and inside forces.

You will gradually find that there is not so much you need, you can give of your time to others, receive from others, share, engage the cosmos – the greatness of what you do will amaze you.

The real needs you have will be apparent when you have established your aims, your wish for being here and started inner work. It is all about a foundation called inner work – try it!

Iranians are proud citizens of the world, it is said that Iranians are wise, they also have a proud history going back to the start of human civilisation. Their culture is rich. They are among the biggest oil producers on Earth (6th.) The strait of Hormuz is important, lots of oil go through there.

The media are showing pictures of US warships far from home – near Iran. The USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS John C. Stennis are fearful machines with atomic reactors, 90 planes and about 6000 men each, and other classified equipment. They have been on duty in Irak, and are now ready for more missions. A war may be coming – and that would be pure idiocy.

There will be a presidential election in the US later this year, and candidates are taking their positions. All candidates are hot against Iran, so warmongering seems to be the way to become president of the US!

The West have sanctions against Iran, the latest being an oil import ban.

Iran had a prime minister Mossadegh that was engineered out of his position by US and Brit intelligence they say. The Shah was installed they say with help from same. Iran has tried to nationalize its own oil resources – surprise –  succeeded and now has about 80% of its national income from oil. Iranians have a notion – shared by many – that oil should not be burned. They want to find better uses for it.

They have had a nuclear programme since at least the 1950s trying to build nuclear power stations to produce electricity. Many nations have assisted in the building of these installations. This has clearly not been a success – it is difficult to find firm evidence of producing power stations – and now have a nuclear programme of research, uranium enrichment and say they are working to build nuclear power stations on an independent basis.

The Iranian view is that a development of nuclear weapons is not in the national interest of Iran, there would just be an escalation in the area. They will not have it – it just increases the security risk.

There is also the fact that Israel has nuclear weapons, and have not signed the NPT, along with India, Pakistan and North korea.

Recently 5 Iranian nuclear scientists were killed by “unknown attackers” without Western media saying much about that.

The IAEA have not found conclusively that Iran has a weapons programme, the information we are given through the media is coming from US sources – with a little help from Israel? – as assessments and allegations – no firm proof seems to have been found. This has been going on for a long time, and the pair of Cheney and Rumsfeld have been at it too.

Iran have many friends in the nuclear business – Argentine, France, Russia, lately Venezuela. Iran as well as many other nations – Brazil, Turkey, at least a dozen –  want to do their own nuclear programs including enriching their own uranium – without pushing and pressure from anybody – they insist on independence.

For Iran this is really about the right a nation has to do what it wants. The IAEA’s El-Baradei says that “many other nations are enriching uranium without the world making any fuss about it.”

This is clearly a complex mixture. The question of how China sees it could come up too. It should also be noted that China is a big buyer of Iranian oil.

It seems a conflict is consciously being built by the US and its allies, the real threats, the proven threats are coming from the West, piece by piece. Their ships are cruising around in a threatening manner waiting for orders to release their weapons. The US i going on regardless: “The push to boost the power of the the 30,000-pound “bunker-buster” bomb, known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator MOP is part of stepped-up contingency planning for a possible strike against Iran’s nuclear program, say U.S. officials.” (WSJ). There is an obvious US agenda showing itself!

It is not in the interest of the world to let the US continue these kind of schemes. Moving their wars from place to place? Now it is Iran – what next? There are deep changes coming, the US has less than 5% of the world’s population, many other and bigger nations can not let this activity go on much longer.

The IAEA is not allowed to do its job as there obviously are higher agendas afoot, there are many others involved with their own many faceted agendas, a dangerous situation is being created, there is media spin, intelligence workers buzzing about. The West are clearly the provocateurs – alleging and assessing, but again being unable to show proof.

What kind of nation is Iran? About 67 million people – a little more than France – oil rich, famed culture going a long way back, relative freedom, although religious control can be harsh. They are wise – they would not do what the creators of the  allegations and assessments are putting out into the world. We should talk to each other – any way.

Are we wise?

The world is rolling along, circling, revolving, seasons change, day and night come and go. There are huge processes taking place in the ecosystems we all are part of. 7 billion humans are busy doing all sort and manner of things.

An enormous spectacle unfolds continously. Seemingly random acts occur as well, throwing us all into awe or fear.

And what should your role be in this grand show? How much part of it are you really? Does it matter where you are, what you do?

Maybe the answer is no.

Should you care, think, speak up, even do something so that the mass of events can be righted or adjusted according to yourself, your group, your community, your nation, your …whatever.. globally?

The only solution is obvious and so simple. Stay away as much as you can, do not identify unnecessarily with anything, do your own thing. Be a presence now, where you are, now. Focus. Concentrate. Live in the now. Go for your aims.

The best and only thing you can do is to make sure you live in the now, that is your only task, and it is neverending, it never stops.

And that goes for everybody else to.

If we all did just that the world would be such a good place. Perhaps one day it will.  Maybe it matters after all what you do and the answer should be yes it matters what you do. Live in the system, accept it, change it by doing your own thing. Now.