Pages

Showing posts with label european financial meltdown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label european financial meltdown. Show all posts

Saturday, June 30, 2012

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

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Greece, Cradle of Civilization 2.0


GREECE, CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION 2.0

Greece is many aspects an interesting country. Lately it seems to have bought a permanent spot on the daily international news, not necessarily because new archeological treasures were discovered or an Onassis family member married a celebrity. Greece has become the problem child of the European and world developed countries.

What happened to the place considered  by many the cradle of civilization? Where did they go wrong? How can we safe them?

I am sure a lot of people already answered these questions. All too often, however, their analysis happened from a Calvinistic, patronizing and demeaning thinking pattern, blaming the Greeks for their lack of discipline and seriousness.

All the Greeks were put in the same basket: "Lazy, sun loving, tax evading troubadours". Some even said Greece embraced a new political ideology: Diogonesism. 

The rest of the European partners could not tolerate such behavior. Everything had to be put into place to safeguard corporatism and the financial markets. Serfdom of the people was at stake and Greece was the weakest link in a perfectly designed serfdom system.

Power had to act. The "puppets" (Merkel, Sarkozy, EU Commission) were called in and ordered to blackmail, I mean Help, Greece with the same medicine that was killing the patient, more Debt. More debt yes but this time designed in such a way that it would cripple Greece so strong they would never dare challenge orders from their "protectors" again.

So, the helping hand acting together with their local cronies (Papandreu, Venizelos and other politicians) started taking away wealth of the Greek people. Thousands of companies closed, hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs. Infrastructure and natural resources of Greece started to be given away for pennies on the dollar to the "foreign savers".

The humiliation and punishment had to be strong and merciless. No other country should dare to follow the same path and Greece had to be taught a lesson. How dare Greece challenge the sovereignty of the ruling system? No victims were to be accepted, even when the Greek prime minister demonstrated weakness (asking for a referendum) he was immediately dismissed. The message was so clear that even Italy dare not to question the imposition of Monti. Papademos and Monti, bankers, i am sorry again, I meant technocrats knew how to administer a country at least better than democratically elected politicians. Again the actual crisis had nothing to do with the recklessness of the financial system, no, democracy, the will of the people, was the problem.

Greece has definitely contributed to the civilization of society, defining moral, ethics and common sense (logic). It has been, at least documented, one of the first civilization that experimented freedom of people and thinking. Today we still cite many of their philosophers when we talk about justice and even about a fair system. It might be true that Greece has been for many years living of the legacy of these great thinkers. Unfortunately, copyright laws did not exist back then, otherwise we would all be in debt with Greece.

After last weekend's, 6 May 2012 elections however, I think Greece is again at the forefront of civilization. Civilization 2.0.

The Greeek have understood that there is only one way to regain their sovereignty: Bring down the system. Greeks seem to have understood what the Achilles heel of the system is. Ungovernability. Although many commentators "usual suspects" might say that this is a problem for the actual situation of Greece. Actually, this is the only peaceful way to break the system. No powerful government is the best that can happen at this moment because Greeks seem to have understood that their biggest enemy is: government. Governments can enforce the directives of the powerful through their executive mechanisms, EU, IMF, ECB, laws.

A lack of enforcement power will generate a self-working society, where personal freedom will flourish and create the wealth and society that Greeks want and not a society imposed by a destructive blood-life sucking system.

Don't worry, the system will fight back. It will find ways to continue imposing harm on the Greeks but the Greeks have found the weak spot and I think the next protest of the Greeks will not be so peaceful if they feel that their sovereignty is under attack. The next step will be much more violent.

Greece, keep hanging in there. Don't let the politicians fool you. Keep atomizing power and rebuilt your own country without interference and impositions. Thank you for questioning the system, than you for asking "Why". Socrates would be proud of you.

Thank you for illuminating us again and showing us the way. Greece, cradle of civilization 2.0.

James Tector
Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité