THE SECOND WORLD

It is interesting to observe evolutions in modern society. A long period of initial shocks (economic and wars) at the beginning of last century gave place to a new deal, creating economic prosperity in the western world. Although much of this increase in wealth was due to exploitation of many 3rd world and developing countries, it kind of gave an equilibrium to the world and allowed the first world to prosper in many ways.

Actually, the first world never had such a long period of prosperity which can be better measured in the increase of life expectancy. 

The fall of the iron curtain, however shifted this equilibrium into the victory of capitalism. The winning doctrine of competition and liberalism was the way to go. However, time has shown us that like in sports no victory lasts forever if the winner does not keep in shape. 

The problem of capitalism are not the values of competition and innovation, the problem of capitalism that emerged after defeating communism was the lack of these values. Capitalism that emerged after the fall of the iron curtain was almighty and nobody dared to question its imposition, no matter which captain was steering it. 

However, we were fooled to believe that capital was money and not the production of wealth. The moment this illusion became mainstream, problems started. Especially the fact that the US could keep printing endless money and always found buyers perpetrated the illusion and added to the mirage. 

The problem is that Real Capital is not money or the accumulation of money but something completely different.

- Capital is not money, Capital is the creation of wealth.

- Capital is when innovation and creativity contribute to solution problems in society. 

- Capital is not the accumulation of money, especially if the latest is fake.

However, the mainstream ideology was that money was capital. Well, then let's examine this fact.

I guess most of people would agree with the statement: Money is power!

Well, imagine you would have the power to create money out of nothing, whenever you liked or needed it. I guess you would be a powerful person and could do what you would like without taking others into consideration. That is  what is happening now, creation of a fake capital that does not take into account economic reality. The root of our problems!  We have entities that have that power and are accountable to no one except their own interests. This kind of capitalism is unfortunately the capitalism that has reigned for the past 40 years and like everything artificial, eventually reality is going to catch up.

Anyway, now that we are seeing the consequences of what this well engineered illusion has brought us to, we can start to see an interesting consequence:

The emergence of the Second World

What is the Second World? The second world are the countries that used to make part of the first world but were relegated to second division. However they still have the infrastructures acquired while in the first world. Transportation, Education, Political System. Societies in quick decay.

These could be the countries in the periphery of Europe which are slowly but surely going into serfdom mode. Serfdom to the stronger countries of Europe who will use these Second World countries for their leisure and food supply.

It is actually interesting to see how the political leaders of the Second World countries are dealing with the situation; exactly the same way they were pulled into the first division, following the dictatorship of the first world countries. It is becoming more and more obvious that all the PIIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, Spain) countries have been for a long time run by Germany and France. Just see how the Second World politicians keep going back to Europe to ask for guidance! 

Should we punish our citizens more? Starvation could get rid of a bunch of them! Please, IMF (International Mafia Federation), EU (Enforcement Unit), ECB (European Counterfeit Board) tell us what to do. We have fared well all these years pretending being politicians, (following your orders) don't let us down now.

An interesting additional phenomenon is that the Second World is formed by 2 groups:

THE WANNABES

THE FALLEN

The Wannabes are the countries that always wanted to be part of the first world and have tried to emulate them. In this group we have Portugal and Greece that all of a sudden thought they could join the first world faking reality. Cooking the books was no problem as long as they could join the select group.

The Fallen are Spain and Italy that deep down feel they make part of the first world but somehow do not seem to get accepted. They know they have a great history but don’t understand why that alone is not enough to join the First World.

I think it is important these PIIGS countries understand their strengths and start working on gaining back their dignity. Forget the fake capital system imposed by the first world. The faster you understand what real capital (wealth) is, you guys will teach everybody a lesson. Your countries used to be at the forefront of civilization. You got there not because you had paper money. You got there because you were at the forefront of innovation, creation, discovery. Your countries are blessed by nature and your culture a landmark for all civilizations. Think about all the Greek great thinkers and their contribution to the development of a civilized society, the roman empire, the spanish and portuguese conquerors. 

Create your own league, a league based on common sense, reality, innovation, creativity and quality of life. Create capital, real capital and let the First World be the leaders of fake capitalism.

James Tector

Egalité, Liberté, Fraternité

POLITICIANS OR "FEAR PROPHETS"

Words are important for communication. We use words to communicate a message thinking that the other party (the receiver of the message) will give it the same interpretation we were trying to render. However, here lies a fundamental problem of communication, the receiver oftentimes interprets the message in a different way or gives words a different meaning than what the sender was trying to transmit.

Therefore we normally have dictionaries that try to give unified sense to words. Wikipedia has been challenging the scientific society and generated a popular enciclopedia that many times has excellent descriptions of words. So let's give it a try and let's see what wikipedia means by the term politician before I go deeper into my understanding of politicians:

A politician, political leader, or political figure (from Greek "polis"="city") is someone who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making. This includes people who hold decision-making positions in government, and people who seek those positions, whether by means of election, inheritance, coup d'état, appointment, electoral fraud, conquest, divine right, or other means. Politics is not limited to governance through public office. Political offices may also be held in corporations, and other entities that are governed by self-defined political processes. (Source Wikipedia)

Browsing through the definitions in different languages they all seem to agree with the english definition.

"A politician is somebody who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making or who makes part or wants to make part of the political system."

This could accurately define actual politicians although I would call the first part, politicians and the second part a better definition for bureaucrats.

Anyway, this is our reality and we can agree that the definition responds to the perception of the contemporary politicians...... and that is my problem.

We don't need politicians/administrators we need visionary leaders that influence public policy and decision making. We don't need politicians that influence public opinion and decision making enforcing what they have been trained to.

Our politicians have been "kidnapped" by corporations and financial institutions. We live in a fascist system where the politicians impose pain, austerity and fear on populations. Our politicians are "Fear Prophets" blackmailing populations with disaster and armageddon if they stop voting for them, or don't support the system at any cost.

What happened? Where have we gone wrong? Where are the leaders that used to be respected and guide folks for a better tomorrow?

It is actually a good question and I don't have enough space on this blog to deepen into the question but have to accept that mediocrity has invaded politics. Today's politicians are the ones that always wanted to be the class spokesperson and never made it. The followers that sheeply followed the cool guy in class or the hottest chick. The losers of your youth.

They found in politics their perfect playground where flip-flopping and asskissing is rewarded with a rising career.

How can we expect these people to lead us? How can we expect these people to develop a vision for the future of their people? Simple: WE CAN'T.

That is why the best thing these elected citizens can give us is falling in alarming and disaster rhetoric, injecting fear in the population for the breakdown of the system. Some of their favorite prophecies:

"The end of the Euro would have disastrous consequences"

"Either you vote for me or we are out of the Euro"

"Austerity is the only way out of the crisis"

"Either you vote for me or the IMF is not going to keep giving us money"

"We have to save the banks otherwise the economy will collapse"

"The new parties are anarchists, communists, socialists"

These are their projects, these are their arguments to influence decision making?

Well, I might be naive but I had a different opinion about the objective of a politician. 

I confess: I was mistaken in my idea that politicians were visionaries, had plans and motivated those ideas to people. I was under the wrong impression that they had ideologies. I was wrong when I thought they had an idea about economy. They don't.

Today's politicians are nothing more than "Fear Prophets".

Politicians have become puppets paid by the system to keep the system going.

Politicians, don't you feel ashamed? Don't you have any dignity at all? Don't you dare give an audacious opinion, or just your very own humble opinion? Of course you don't you never had one in the first place. We should ban teleprompters or even better, turn off television, stop reading or listening to your propaganda and like minded media.

Conclusion: 

Don't expect politicians to lead us out of the situation or guide us into the future. People your are the only one that can do that.

James Tector

Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité