Notre Dame

Yesterday our beloved Notre Dame Cathedral fell into flames and was consumed in a great part while over 400 firefighters struggled to save here, while billions watched her around the globe, while many came to stand around her, mibile phone cameras held high to capure her old bones crunching under black and orange licks of heat. Our hearts shrunk at the sight of that great, proper, wide Dame standing dignified while her roofs turned into smoke, collapsed and fell, while vitrals blackened, exploded, melted, fell into shards and were long gone.

I watched her from many, many miles away and felt those flames in my heart, certain that - regardless of the damage - the Great Lady would stand beautiful and proud again.

Yes, the damage is great and the loss is incalculable, but I choose to believe that this Wise, Great Dame - tall and proud and wise like a Goddess of Old - has chosen to teach her people a valuable lesson.

The world has been coming apart, ones turning against the others, fighting over imaginary grievances, giving in to pety arguments and consuming with large spoons the poisonous porridge of malicious, fake information. People has chosen to feed their own anger, resenting what others get and what other earn because they can't seem to understand why are they not getting it. Even when they don't need it and even when they don't want it. Even when none of it ever affect them. People have allowed themselves to become bitter when facing the good fortune of anyone else. They have made themselves into easy preys for those who seek to loot, rob them of their hard earned rights, and turn those into privilegdes they will no longer be able to enjoy. And blame the inmigrants, the poor or the other political party for it.

Europe is being divided, even within the greatest sign of their union. It was never a perfect union, but it's like marriage: it's never perfect, but often times it's worth fightng for it. And this comes from a consumated single, childfree woman, so you should listen to me.

Latin America is also bing divided between the ecologists and pro-Human Rights camps and the zealous religious conservatives. The United States... well, yeah. They have placed themselves as the epithome of internal and fierce division, one that goes so deep, it roots out even basic elements we have all thought there was global consensus over.

In this frame, and in the Holy Week, Notre Dame caught fire and let her roofts burn up and collapse, years of history go up in smoke, invaluable stories and art and craftsmanship be lost. Wise and Proud she stood in the middle of the day, where she could be seen, sheltered in her island, crowning the Seine with fire so that people would understand that divisions destroyed, and destruction isn't something to feed spite, to ignore, to blame on the other side, but is a brand that touch us all. She sent her roofs up in flames so people would understand what they were allowing to be lost. She called around her her brave sons and daughters to teach a lesson of preservations, and now, wrapped in her mourning raiment, she calls upon her people to stop being stupid and work diligently to recover their shared history, their shared love and pride and work shoulder by shoulder to build up a new roof, new dreams, new hopes and a new future. Ones that take inspiration of the old ones, but improve them, make them better and work as a reminder also of the slowly degrading bones of society, the pains and fragilites that will always snap at some point, and which need to be tended with love and care.

The Readings You Consume

Source: Google Images
www.twelvebooks.com

This week is dragging a little long, or so it seems. I finally finished reading "Russian Roulette" by Michael Isikoff and David Corn, and had immediately jumped into "Collusion", by Luke Harding. This would be my fourth book on the topic and my fourth book of the year. It's also curious, but after reading Russian Roulette, I feel more prepared emotionally to face the series of harrowing revelations included in this other book.

It's hard to explain what was I exactly expecting from my readings - maybe something more political and abstract - but facing texts writing about the crude manner in which Russia has apparently attacked another country's political and democratic construction has been horrifying, to say the least. Yes, of course, it is an "eye opener" and "this is how the world works" and so on, BUT I still find it deeply objectionable that anyone would think it's justifyable to toy and manipulate people into making them believe a false narrative in order to make them behave in a way that's contrary to their own objectives and best interest. Because say all you want, but what's happening to the United States, Great Britain and Europe is not, in the least, in the best interest of the population. Is it in the best interest of Russia? Honestly, I wouldn't say so. It is in the best interest of a handful of people, but not of any country or any larger, significant population on the planet.

Source Google Images
Penguin Random House

The book by Luke Harding reads so far more like a novel with romantic tones to it. I don't mean that it reads like a romance book, but more like a dreamy, rose-tinted story of a guy who finds himself in the middle of a huge, awful conspiracy, led by a deranged leader aparently trapped in the web of nearly steampunkish pipe dreams. It gives less a sense of helplessness, and more a novel-like recount of a story that's dirtier and more horrifying than what it lets the reader perceive.

So far, as I read it, it certainly feels like this book is the perfect grounding text I needed after my soul was filled with dread from Isikoff's brutal revelations.

Through the readings, though, I've also learned about RT and Sputnik, two Russian news media outlets used to pump Russian propaganda and the Russian agenda into the world. This suddenly got me thinking because I had at that point RT and Sputnik in my timeline. Except that I had clicked on them as a source for German news in German. Yes, I found the name "Sputnik" strange (I made my search with "Der Spiegel"), but the articles it brought were short and easy to read - which is a big plus for me (in spite of being about to enter the C1 level, so I should have a better German than what I currently command). After Isikoff's book, I decided I didn't want anything to do with either of those news outlets, so I clicked them off. The articles I clicked on seemed mostly harmless (again, my management of the language doesn't allow me to read extensively and in depth about politics and economics), but I started getting suspicious about what could be being fed to me, or even what could be getting planted in my computer. It might say they are "cookies" but you never know about those.

Then, in a local digital newspaper I saw the journalist refering to something about this country that had been mentioned in RT International. Well, that got me totally paranoid. How come a Russian State sponsored/controled news outlet writes about what happens in little-ole Costa Rica? Why are they even here? Are they targeting us too? What for?

My dad has discovered Facebook some months ago, and has gotten hooked on it. I've noticed that he has begun consuming large amounts of fake or adulterated news and actually believe them. He's taking sides upon reading, without practicing a minimum of cross-checking with other sources. I know, that's hard to do, but it's worth it. It might take a bit of time, but I urge you all to take everything you read with a grain of salt. Cross check, make sure other, more reliable news sources also cover the same events and pay attention to what they say. Look at the evidence by yourself and draw your own conclusions.

I'm still reading books on collusion and the Russian interference with the United States. I know no hackers, but there are things that do get me thinking, like the surge of so many anti-virus programs made in Russia, and how they are so good... but don't seem to fix things (I know, I have one). The politics now reigning in Russian, among them the medieval view about the LGTBI community. The large amount of poisonings of Russian disidents, the non-answers one hears from top government executives in the news, the Crimea thing. Things add up and not look good.

This are hard time, and we all yearn for stability and trustworthiness, but lets not let our desires be the tool with which the wool is pulled over our eyes.

Counterfeit Products

There are two places where you can find fashionable products: the expensive, designer boutiques and on the streets and certain marketplaces. On boulevards or around regular market places, but often also inside marketplaces, you can find stacks of bags, shoes, electronical devices, toys and whatnots. Either these counterfeit products show brands similar to the authentic goods, or they show the same name. People often buy the counterfeit products because they want to access the status those who buy the authentic product have - but with much less money - and others buy these because they find it pretty or simply can't find anything else to their liking. This segment of the counterfeit-buying market isn't normally considered: indeed the counterfeit products can flood the markets so much that people with limited resources have no other choice but to buy fake stuff.

To prove this point all you have to do is to take a walk to markets and stores known for selling all sorts of things at cheap prices. The products hanging from the cluttered ceiling and walls are mostly fake, but for someone who don't have enough money to buy fashion magazines and pay for cable TV, is likely to buy a counterfeit Gucci bag without having ever heard about Gucci, or get a fake iPad without having ever heard about Apple.

Big companies are hard on the fight againts counterfeit products, and often Governments also take their share in this fight. In certain countries even buying counterfeit products is a crime. Counterfeit products are always taken away upon discovery. Information is shared with the population letting them know that counterfeit products are everywhere - even in medicines, cleaning products and food - and that these can be dangerous for their health, and by buying these products they are not only favoring tax avoiding industries, but are also giving that money to terrorist and organized crime.

I'm not saying this isn't the case, but if you want to end the counterfeit market - be it conscious or unconscious - the first thing you need to kill is the need for the product, and that can be done in a way that no Government and no company will be willing to follow: by reducing the need to follow fashion. 

If you are not bombarded at every step of the way that you need to get a Prada bag unless you are not cool, or that you have to have Swarovski jewelry, then you wouldn't feel bad for not belonging to a big spending group. It would be nice if we could go back to think of our things in a more fuctional way. Yes, you want pretty things, but pretty doesn't need to mean "expensive". Currently our societies give more value to the brand than the functionality of the goods. Thanks to this we can find 500 € scarfs (really, and that's the "duty free" price!) or 2000 € bags.

I admit to have brand-addictions. My love for Benetton and Swatch is already well know among the people who know me. I'll still buy from them when I have the money (I recently bought myself a beautiful orange summerdress and a raw coloured long, Greek-Goddess-like summerdress), but as I started making my own jewelry, I started wondering about why shouldn't I try making more things on my own. This is certainly one way to see things, and if we have the skill, or are willing to practice enough to get skilled, but we don't have to retreat from commerce and make everything for ourselves. We should learn to see things for what they are, learn to recognize our real needs, recognize the extent of our resources and act accordingly. It is a hard decision, and its hard to get through with it - like leaving an addiction or trying to loose weight - but step by step, we might be able to wash the glitter out of our eyes, and learn to see a bag in a bag, and not a desired status that not even a 2000 € piece can give us.

The feat is too big to fit it in a List of 13... or maybe not, but I want to try it. Would anybody else try it out with me?

Question of Immigration

Several news sites, newspapers and magazines have published articles that one way or the other talk about the "immigration problem" either openly or just touching the subject. Somehow with time, and as Europe hits the marker of a big shit storm - otherwise known as a "crisis" - the topic flares up again and again, curiously forgetting what happened in the middle of the last century regarding similar thoughts and questions. In depressed times, people try to find the cause of the mysery in whatever evil - real or invented - around them, and make anything to ignore the fact that they might be part of the problem as well.

One of the favorite evils of all times are minorities, specially when it's perceived that those minorities have grown out of a nicely contained ghetto. Xenophobia and all sorts of versions of racism step in and take away the clear view, the open understanding of things. Hatred for the Jew, for the Muslim, for the Black, for the Latinos, for whatever immigrant of choice, are fueled up, and nobody thinks about what have they done to allow things to go on the direction things have gone.

But lets talk about the topic of immigration, and lets leave the whole economical impact for another day.

For me, as American - though I am European as well - it's rather interesting to watch my European siblings complain bitterly about immigration and how minorities of all sorts are taking away the "European way of life", gradually eliminating the culture and everything that's European to turn the place into an extention of their homelands, thus overtaking, conquering and colonizing Europe and making it disappear. Many stand up now and demand that this "European culture" and this "Sacred heritage" to be defended agains the invading hordes and swear to protect it against the foreigners people of other etnicities, to keep it pure, to keep it alive, almost as if one culture could entirely overtake and erase another.

Europe certainly has a history full of violent overtakings and devastating conquests. Africa, America, Oceania, but even within Europe itself there have been many examples when an Empire or even a religion sweeps up large expanses of land barring and aggresively destroying every bit of the original inhabitants and imposing their own way of life. From the nomads and barbaric hordes to the Romans and the subsequent kingdoms and empires taht took over countries changing languages and customs, through the explorations, discoveries, conquests and colonization of new lands such as America, and reaching even to the sistematic baning of Pagan religions to impose the Christian one, Europe has been at the head of an overtaking that sought to bring the "European way of life" in a uniform, homogen way all around the globe. Yes, others have also tried to copy the pattern, such as the Turks and the Mongols, but basically Europe has lived in fear that others would do what they have been doing, or more exactly, what they belive they have been doing.

As Americans, a land conquered by force and torture, enslaved and robbed, we also know that the impact of Europe wasn't a one way thing, but as Europe impacted America, so America impacted Europe, forming in the touching point of both a new culture. The process too time, and with the years a culture formed that's unique abd beautiful. However, America is a magnified example of something that happens day after day, that's natural and goes on all over the world in less violent colors. Truth is that cultures and ways of life change every day and every minute, and the touch of two cultures, just as the touch of two points of view, normally enrich each other, but at least provoke a change on each of them. Positive or negative, that depends on the people experiencing the exchange, and how are they willing to take it. Do you want to learn from the experience and take with you what's positive, or do you wish to make it into something negative and believe it has taken away from you?

It's interesting to notice that when we talk about culture - being culture what we choose to do what we choose to believe and the way we choose to live - this "taking" is more often than not a question of us stopping something, we ourselves removing it from our actions rather than someone else taking it away from us.

Cultures and ways of life - being something live withing dynamic people who is alive as well - is prone to change. These are not things that can stay frozen in a static way, to be contemplated forever, never changing, but as life changes, and the people keeping it alive change, so does the culture change. The Europe of the XII century isn't the same of the XV century or the XIX century, or the Europe of today. Cultures are bound to change, and this change isn't less important or less dignifying if the burqa is accepted or not, or halal and kosher food are prohibited. Foreigners aren't the ones to be "blamed" for the "losing of the culture" if the people who live in it, has either cared not for keeping it up, or are flexible, curious or live enough to broaden their cultures to accept elements of other cultures, reinterpret them and make them their own.

Why to blame the immigrants? Honestly, what have YOU done for the continued survival of the way of life you wish to upkeep?

Now that's the uncomfortable question, and that's - I believe - the real root of the resentment, that it's easier to blame others than to take responsability for one's actions.

The Root of Power over People

Through the reading of the book "The Gnostic Gospels" by Elaine Pagels, I came across the topic of clerical power. While cutting into the possible roots of discomfort between the orthodox Christians and the Gnostics, there's the matter of religion as a way to gain power. Basically, a system of believes such as a religion, gives a group of people, or a person, the right to rule over all the others. Through religion someone can say that God speaks to him directly and has appointed him as ruler over all others. This becomes more clear in different quotes and depictions where a parallel between heaven and earth is drawn, where basically as angels are ruled by God, bishops are ruled by angels and the people is ruled by bishops (or something of the sort. I'm not going into details here).

Through history we have also often said how kings claimed to be appointed by God to rule over their people. Also, religion makes sure you can't question God, God's authority or God's power. This secured air tight the system, ensuring that THEN the authority on Earth couldn't be questioned, for that would equal to question God Himself. In a way this gave also footing to claims of the "true religion", for only a true religion worshipped a true god, and only a true god could appoint a true ruler.

One would sigh releaved and think that's good that those times are over... at least for a part of our civilization, but as I mulled over this matter, I realized that's not true. Our senators, presidents, prime ministers and ministers don't claim to be put in power by God, (God-God), but they claim their power on the name of yet another god that's just as ubiquitous, and often more mythical that real, quite unsubstantial and also free from questioning: The People. But who is this People, and when does it appear? How does this People manifest itself and how does it appoint a ruler of all? 

This People - who are supposed to be all of us - becomes visible at elections, right after the candidates have made many an offering to it so they would be appointed. In many countries where rulers also get anointed by The People, the arm of this empowering god is forged, but that doesn't stop them from claiming the same root for their power, and take over for themselves much more powers, many of them often aimed at looting at the actual people you and I make part of.

As the kings and often the bishops, anointed by God to exercise their power, current leaders claim a power from a root they then disrespect, ignore and often act against. So then, why do we let them do it? They say they have been appointed by the people and they represent us, but time and again they bow to the current court, the current nobles - the companies - and loot from us - source of their power - to give to their buddies and those that have bought their loyalty.

Cuts to taxes for the wealthy in detriment of the social programs that aid the people, or cuts on taxes for the wealthy compensated with a raise on taxes for the people. Permisive labor laws, or the execution of it, protection to the sources of income of companies in detriment of the income and access to services and products by the people. SOPA and PIPA are a question again of favoring the New Nobility against the People, and where is this Rulership appointed by The People aiming at? Who's the Rulership favoring - despite of what it says? The New Nobility.

Certainly as a Root of Power, this god called The People is more like a circus pet, pulled out every four years to do a show.

Economy, Ecology or Eco-Moron

I write today in hopes of being mistaken. I want to be mistaken, I YEARN to be mistaken, so please if someone out there can honestly prove me wrong - I don't know how - do it!

Sometime ago I received an e-mail denouncing that the German airline Lufthansa was planning on incorporating into their lot planes that operate with biofuel. The idea on one side is quite ludicrous sounding, as most people know that plane fuel (I'm under the understanding that some types are called "jet fuel") is different from what you pump into your car, namely because it has a much higher octane level. In other words - as I understand it - it's much purer. So, the idea of being able to make a fuel of such a quality from crops does seem to defy the logic of simple, pedestrian minds such as mine. When I first read this, I took it with a grain of salt, as, well, I always thought I would see a Gundam, than a plane flying on cooking oil. Perhaps it was also my hoping that I would never see the day when such a thing happens. After all, if you have been following this blog long enough, you probably remember my rants against biofuel for cars.

Things with the news about Lufthansa were cooling down in my head, I was happily chalking it up to yet another "X-Files Type" conspiracy theory thing, when I actually heard in the news how a Mexican airline, Mexicana has started operating flights with biofuel. I checked today on my favorite airline, and they too, Air France, have been "cooperating" in this so-called ecological and "sustainable solution". Yes, it doesn't use brent derivates, and the petroil is running low in the planet, and we have all these machines that work on fossil fuels, and "we can't live without them", and yes, you are welcome to point your finger at me and ask me how do I pretend to travel to Hungary from Costa Rica 'Columbus style' or I'll just go very Christian, pray to God and walk on water. Yeah, yeah, yeah... I'm quite positive there are other methods, for instance - and this is my Sci-Fi proposal of the day - why don't you invent the electronic planes? Can't? Okay, it was just a suggestion. But before you rant on why biofuel and all the technical stuff that I don't really care about, I'll point out AGAIN a thing or two that might be worth keeping in mind.

First of all, let's look at a few things that are happening while the biofuel erupts around the globe. While our cars and planes go lean, slim and vegetarian, FAMINE strikes the poorest regions of the planet. I still remember a picture of a directive from the FAO holding up a red mug, much like the one any of us use for the morning coffee or tea, and telling people that that's the size of the DAILY ration of food a child got from them. There was a serious shortage of food, and on many places there was no fuel to get tractors and farming equipment moving. You would say, "see how good would biofuel be then? Then you can get the farming equipment moving and you could grow crops to feed people again". If you do consider that answer, let me smile fondly at your candor. That's so sweet, really. In those days the biofuel was sounding quite strong, if I recall correctly.

Now, let's not dwell there much, and let's skip ahead to the present. Planes on biofuel and what else do we suddenly find? Famine emergency in Somalia. You can consult the report of the FAO on the matter here. Does one thing have to do with the other? Some will say that no way, that's just humbug and someone is "playing the local conspiracy theorist". Indeed, I would say that you can't take to separate facts and link them together just because they happen almost at the same time. I agree with that. Correlation doesn't mean causality, and we are yet to find out if there's a correlation here. So at this point I would like to point out a few very important questions we should be making.

What kind of crops and how much it is needed to fuel a plane? How much land is used for it? How much is the whole productive chain (farmers, intermediaries, etc) paid for the crops dedicated to fuel compared to those dedicated to produce food for people? There's talk about using forestry waste. What's exactly that and who is taking care that nothing that could be used to feed people is turned to fuel planes?

You see, it can be said that the biofuel comes only from the organic waste or the forestry waste, and none of the parts of the crop that are used by the food industry are engaged, or that there's no need to use parts ot the forest that are protected. Personally I would like to see numbers about that. How much is needed to make my car run 100 miles? How much is needed to fly me from Houston to New York? Then, when this "waste" is mentioned, that's because the rest is useless - can't be used - for biofuel, or because there's a decision not to use it? I'll tell you why I ask. Thing is that we all know that fuel is usually much more expensive than food. So, if I'm a farmer and I produce 2 tons of something - let's say corn - and I get paid $1000 a ton if I sell it to those who would make food out of it - the best offer, but I get paid $2000 a ton if I sell it to those who would make fuel out of it, who do you think I'll sell my two tons to? Just think about it. You are a farmer, you have a family to keep, a farm to get running, debts to pay, children to send to a college to get a better life than the one you have... will you go for the $4000 or the $2000? Sure, you can sell one part to one side and another to the other, and say, you get $3000... but you still could have made $4000.

You, as farmer, could ease your soul saying "well, I'll sell it all to fuel, and someone will sell it all to food, Besides we also need fuel. If there's no fuel, our farming machines won't move, and then there would be nothing to sow or harvest because we won't have how to do it". Yes, only how can you make sure all farmers won't take the same decision?

If the biofuel yields a bigger profit - and it probably will - then farmers will seek to grow the crops that can be used to produce biofuel. That will reduce the crops used for food, even if only a part of the crop can be used to fuel, as then instead of separating food from fuel, many farmers will seek to grow crops that yield more to fuel and less to food. It is a rational move, it's not ilegal, but it does make the food more scarce and thus more expensive. With this move a lot of people who live in poverty will slip down to extreme poverty because they won't have that extra cent, that extra dollar, that extra euro to pay for the bread, for the veggies, for the chicken, for the eggs. Sure, if you are a comfy middle class, middle-high class or high class the only thing you'll notice is that things wen't up and now you can't down seven tequilas with your friends on Friday, only five, but that's okay. But if you are not so lucky, if you have much lean resources to survive, you'll find out that now it's bread or milk, but not both of them, and there's no more McDonald's once a month, but if you want to smell french fries you have to stand on the street and inhale the fumes of all the "smart", "eco-cars" that rush past you.

If we go with the general mindset of all those "happy little liberalists", and the neoliberals that love to talk about the market, they will say that the market will regulate itself and there's nothing to worry about, what's needed by the market will be provided and everybody will be happy, and a perfect balance will be established. Yes, that above is the market's "perfect balance". Smarty-pants neoliberals, and their cousins, the happy little libertarians seem to forget that in the market your voice is the money you have. The more money you have, the louder your voice, and the market listens only to the louder voices. What's the biggest part of the money saying? That's how the "perfect market" regulates itself. If you have no money you have no voice, and honestly nobody would be interested in attening your needs or selling you anything if you can't pay. Just imagine you have a store. Two people come in: one want you to go fetch apples and sell them to him/her. That person is loaded and puts on your counter a briefcase full of money. All that for apples. The other one ask you to go fetch pears. That one has no money. Not a dime. You have a store, you must keep that store running. You have a family to mantain, kids to send to school, bills to pay... what will you go to fetch? Exactly.

If you have no money, you can't ask for anything. If things go so expensive you can't pay them, you might as well consider yourself with no money. There are entire regions that have ran out of money. There are countries struggling to get on their feet, control debts that have gone rampant. Decades of irresponsible spending, financially irresponsible behavior are passing the bill and we find out that we fucked the planet, smoked up the fuel like it was eternal, depleted the resources of food, contaminated land, air and water, and what's the solution? Well, basically it seems to be "let's hurry, wolf on what remains and let the richer survive, let the poor die".

So, is the biofuel a nice and gree ecological solution meeting the economical needs, or it is an eco-moron and eco-mocking half assed move to keep on the irresponsible attitude? You know my answer, now ponder yours.

[SILENCE]

today I've nothing to say

Nothing

Nothing because anything I would say, I COULD say would probably be labeled as extremist or even antisemite, and Chuck forbid any of that would happen. Oh Dear no!

Sorry, but I am muted by the outrage, the horror of what's going on in Gaza. I'm horrified out of my wits by the actions and attitude the State of Israel is showing to the world. Murdering humanitarian activist, because they didn't comply. Because they started attacking them first with sticks  and knives. Halting all humanitarian groups from entering Gaza, from getting to the Palestinian people. Yes, because they may say they are Humanitarian Activist, but they may be terrorists smuggling weapons.

Sure.

I still remember it was the Israeli army the one using forbidden weapons like that thing that burned hotter than hot and couldn't be put off. Maps show how Israel has been pushing Palestinians out of the land. Why on Earth can't they just find a nice, peaceful solution?

I have nothing to say, or at least nothing nice, nothing "presentable", nothing politically correct. I still will say this: For being God's Chosen People they do behave shamefully. Sorry, I don't know which god's chosen people are they, but sure are not mine's.

DTRI against China... Again

It's again that topic, BUT I have given you already a light topic to read, so let me be. So I'll do this quick and simple (specially because I'm cooking some fish for lunch), so to get it out of my system.

So here we have China, and China's policies and China's way of doing the things they do. They pretty much keep their population secluded from a lot of information that is completely accesible, free of charge, add to it, for the rest of the planet. They have no access to many social sites most of us can access, and add to it, they can't look for a lot of things we can on the different Internet searchers because their Government consider such information improper. It's almost like they all lived in the office, with no chance of ever getting out of it. Personally, I find it insulting that the Government decides what you can read and what you can't, what's good for you and what's not. It is almost as if no Chinese were an adult, but a nation of children who still have to be closely babysitted, who are not allowed to have their own opinion about anything remotely important.

Normally I would say here that, well, every nation has the Government they deserve, but does anyone, any nation actually deserve to be deprived of adulthood, of the right to chose, decide, form an opinion, as an individual, by itself? But that's me. I guess here the only important question is, are Chinese happy with these measures? Because if they like it, then what would be the damage? Freeing them would be futile, as once they are free they would go back into the same thing. But if they are not happy, then something should be done. What and who are not questions up to me to answer.

Now, back on track. China has been selling their trinkets to the planet, and gotten a lot of devisa and debt from everywhere, to the point that it can posicionate itself as a potential World Power. Lost of goods, fast, at low prices and known all around the world. Of course, not like Chinese products were known to be high quality products, mind you, and even though you may find high quality products (don't ask me, I can't name one), there are so many cheap, five minute goods, that the general opinion is Chinese = risky-goes-bad.

The market is huge, as we all know that, composed of a lot of people, a real lot of people... who, well, are not exactly big spenders because 1. the Chinese culture is more about saving than spending, and 2. they don't have that much money on them. Cheap labor, remember? However, since China is the next U.S.A. (so they say), a lot of companies went there, some for the cheap labor, others to get positioned in this huge market, once it might become bigger spenders with bigger wallets. After all, the general idea is that World Powers are the places where people live the best, right? At least that's the opinion I have about World Power: they are supposed to be a well of wealth.

Anyway, things start happening. They push transnational search engines and companies into their rules. Then they hack them. When the companies complain, said companies are demonized. They go "political" and "don't understand". Dude, really, YOU ATTACKED, YOU ABUSED! How much understanding do you need? But they don't yield.

A report on CNN shows that factories in China are looking for workers but they find none: people in China are finally stepping up to better salaries. The end of the cheap labor? Maybe, maybe not, but if it is, with what will China compete to keep its place in the top of the world? Specially now that it has attacked and insulted the West? I mean, after the attack on Google I'm really not inclined to but Chinese stuff. Okay, they are everywhere because they are cheap. But if the cheap labor disappears, will it continue to be cheap? Hn, good question, right?

Now it also appears that they have attacked Yahoo!. That's really not a smart thing, now is it? BUT maybe it is all a hoax to make China look bad, right? I mean, it could be. Big, bad, mean, losing former World Powers might be attacking their own companies in China to get attention, wreck havoc and blame China. Right. Because highlighting the human rights abuses are not nearly enough, because what happened before and during the Olimpics were not nearly enough. Right.

All I'll point out now is, where is China going? They are turning the West against them, right when they could rise as a World Power, and push us away. Sure, we might not be the biggest market, but we are the bigger spenders, and if your products stop being cheap, and you still have to fight with the stigma of crappy stuff, then how do you expect to keep it up? Will you sell your crap to your own impoverished market? To your own captive market?

At this time China has three options: adjust to the world, the rest of the world (mainly the West), collapse or go Godzilla. It seems it is trying to pull a Godzilla, but if it does, this bunch of Western frmers will receive it with sticks and stones.

Haiti: The World's Scale Model

After the earthquake that leveled Haiti, this tiny Island, always known for aspects such as extreme poverty and voodoo, had become a shining spot, a topic of more and more blogs and blog-entries (has gotten a few of mine as well), political speeches, rescue plans, economical plans and even religious (and moronic) speeches. Pictures of the devastation, of people hurt and corpses flood the media from every angle to the point where I'm almost expecting my penpals to include a note or two on the subject in their next letters or e-mails.

The thing is that the other day I was thinking about Haiti, remembering all the crap mentioned by Mr.Pat Robertson (that stuff about how Haiti deserves this, and how it is their fault because they made a Pact with the Devil), as well as other matters related with the subject, the huge movilization of the US, the taking over they are making, in order to get things done, the condemnation it earns from other governments that see this an attempt of the US to take over the country and so on. Well, as I was mulling on the matter, thinking about what's happening in this country, I started finding paralelisms between Haiti and the rest of the world. Corruption, governments that exploit the population, strangle them in poverty even of the land itself could give so much. Natural disasters beating it up and other people basically stealing their richness, exploiting the cracks in the system for drugs, for hiding, for human trafficking (here thinking about the 33 "orphan kids" - and while it's 'still to be seen', for me it was a huge mistake, an unforgivable mistake to try to take the kids out of the country, particularly through illegal means, and take them from their parents) and so on.

It hit me that the world, our "so much better" world is actually the same, on a different scale. Natural disasters are hitting us everywhere. Tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, climate change, snow storms just to mention a few. Corrupt governments are found basically everywhere, and I'd dare to say that some places even have a surproduction of corruption. The things that happen here, in the whole planet, in this age are things that a few years ago we thought completely unspeakable. At some of the things I find in the papers I can't stop but think at my history lessons, at how I was shocked that people in the Middle Age didn't fight,weren't outraged, how they didn't just kill the people imposing those hineous rules, and now here they are and I see the people hardly react, hardly be heard. We have food shortages, and problems with adequate access to food (given how fresh products are often more and more expensive, how farmers in less developped countries are pushed out of the activity thanks to the importing of mass produced, genetically altered, heavily subsidized products from much richer markets, which on a whim can move from food to biofuel producing suddenly cutting off the food supply of quite a huge portion of the world, in favour of cars), education deficiencies, problems with adecuate and timely access to health care, just to mention a few.

I wonder if the Illuminated Spokepersons of the Baptist Church would then say that the World has made a Pact with the Devil, but one thing I would agree in the face of this global case is that, yes, we did brought this upon ourselves. By patronizing corruption acts, by allowing ourselves to be charmed by shiny promises and empty words, by not looking deeper, by not questioning, by becoming lazy and careless. We brought this upon ourselves for not being careful, for thinking that "waste" is a right born out of economical priviledge, instead of looking at it as a crime against the planet. I'm not talking here about the kid who won't eat all its veggies, to whom its parents say that he or she should eat and look at the poor kids who have nothing to eat.  I talk here about the use-and-throw of stuff, the amount of garbage we produce, the consumist need to have more, to replace for the newest, for feeding our wastebaskets more than what we feed our pets.

Haiti isn't a poor little country sharing the Hispaniola Island, because they can't even have a whole Island for themselves, plagued with stupid people that doesn't know how to do things well. No, Haiti isn't like that either because "that's what happen when all you have are black people" (like something I heard some extremely illuminated coworker of mine, with far more insulting words I won't repeat here), or what happens with "Non-Christians", or "people with poor-mentality" or whatever other excuse you want to hold up to basically say that "it won't happen to us". Haiti is the world's little scale model, a fastforward window to where are we going. Haiti is just as beautiful and full of opportunities as our planet. Haiti has a very beautiful language--- just as our planet (well, I'm a full pro-French and I hold French up high, but that's not the point here), and their people are as beautiful, good and heterogeneous as the rest of us, and what happened to Haiti, what's happening, is also happening to the whole planet, to each and every one of our "much better" countries. And you know what? We are going to get leveled. So WAKE UP PLANET and let's do something about it. Not just pep-talk and plans and blog-entries and Tea Parties. No more finger pointing and using the crisis to defend "our righteous thesis and standing point", but lets roll up our sleeves and work.

No idea how? Here are some ideas I have:

1. Prefer fresh products, nationally produced or those produced by countries that also buy our products. If we can't get fresh products for any reason, let's plant them! Yeah, perhaps it's easy for someone with a garden, or gardening skills, but what about people living in an appartment? Well, you can also do something. Have you heard about "plants in pots"? Sure, maybe not an orange tree or a corn plant, but how about your own herbs? Oh, keep it legal, so unless you live in Holland, do not plan your own cannabis.

2. Recycle, reuse all you can and reject products that would only litter the planet. Carry your own bags, for example, and reject the plastic bags at stores. You can go further and even avoid buying at places where you know will enforce the use of unnecesary bags (those that have check points and you have to leave the store with your bag sealed).

3. Talk with your local authorites about places where you can go plant trees, and the types of trees you can plant there, and organize a "greentour" one day with your friends and/or family, or with yourself, or as a date (Guys, this is an awesome way to conquer a chick!) to go plant a few trees. You can totally combine this activity with a picnic! (No plastic at the picnic! So sandwiches in reusable paper bags or wrapped in napkins, natural beverages in reusable containers, lots of fruits, cheese and natural treats for all, and carry always a small bag (or maybe a few for slective garbage) and don't leave your garbage on others!

4. Print less. Think about lending from friends or the local library instead of making copies if you can.

5. Get unplugged. Turn off the computer, the TV, pull everything you don't need from the electrical socket as much as you can (okay, the fridge gara stay). Read during the day, go outdoors, open doors and windows instead of putting on the fan and the air conditioner. Take advantage of the natural light, and if the way your place doesn't allow so, you can always trick in a little bit of light with mirrors! They are completely energy efficient, carbon neutral, and work since the ancient times! At night, from time to time, prefer "mood lighting" with candles and other choices that do not involve electricity or an intensive fossil fuel use.

6. Wake up earlier and get to bed earlier too. The night is pretty, but lets take advantage of all that natural light.

7. Always prefer recycled things.

8. Buy things that will last, be careful with them and don't replace them unless they've stopped, really stopped working. Avoid with this the "fashion" products. Clothes, accesories, devices and all those flashy things that are good because they are new and the "latest". Just think about the space, and all the garbage you will start producing once they are not "in" and you have to replace them. Not to mention all the good money thrown into the garbage.

9. Don't drive unless you really-really-really-really-absolutely-no-way-of-getting-out-of-it have to. Walk, go with a bike, after all it took you a good while and a lot of falling, bruising and crying until you finally got to do it and it would be stupid that now that you can do it, you won't; or take the public transportation, because that's why it created it for. All of them work!

10. As much as you can, apply the DIY: Do It Yourself. If you are insecure, still go ahead! You'd be amazed at all the things you can do. :-)

This are just ten idea, small ideas you can apply wherever you are, but I'm sure that you can find more and more and more! And hey, if you want to share them do so! I'd be happy to hear about more ideas! So, roll'em up and lets get the party started!

The Heart of Our Sister: Honduras

This is one of those few times where I'd wish my blog had many, many readers, so that my words would carry away and get stored in many hearts and many minds. Words that I may type, that I may compose, but that do not "belong to me", but to the world. Today I run around and scream desperately to anyone willing to hear me, tears in my eyes. Today, after desperation has frayed my sanity, I fall on my knees, close my eyes and pray, begging God that the inmense darkness around this cyberplace is filled with eyes around the world, and that the message finds receptive hearts. I don't need You to comment, I need you to be aware. Please, be aware!

Among the blogs I follow there's one I follow carefully, Sin Pelos en la Lengua, (With no hairs on the Tongue, which is a Spanish saying for talking honestly and directly), dedicated originally to point out and write about the reality going behind the DR-CAFTA, and calling people, back then, to vote and manifest against it. Last year they finally said Good-bye to us all and closed the site. As a blesing, realizing that the DR-CAFTA isn't the only injustice going on, and there's so much more to point out, they came back filling us with article after article about the many abuses our Government, our President and his "court" commit against the population, as well as abuse witnessed elsewere.

Currently in Costa Rica many things are happening that shouldn't be happening. The Ombudsman was politically imposed, making use of the Parliamentarian Mayority controled by the President, mocking every regular and legal procedure to eliminate perfectly capable candidates in order to give the position to a politician who received it as "consolation prize" for not getting the presidency of the Parliament. A politician who, while taking a position where she must defend the population, promises to be "impartial" (she's a defensor, not a judge!!), and refuses to hear the people rejecting her (instead of inviting them to dialogue and giving them and herself the chance to prove her worth), telling to the media that "No manifestation, no person will deter her from her position, she won't resign, and she will do a magnificent job".

The fight of the population to stop the President's determination to give a large portion of protected areas (Las Crucitas) to a Canadian mining company to mine gold, still goes on, with a President fond of blackmailing the poor, holding up funds and aid for their agreeing into the fatal poisoning of the whole country. Over 200 dangerous, poorly paid jobs for our landscape, our protected areas (upon which there are SIGNED international agreements of protection), for the health of thepopulation, adults and children alike, and the poisoning with cianure of extensive water supplies that feed this valuable liquid to over the 40% of Costa Rica, and an uncharted (at least as far as I know) portion of Nicaragua. Our sister country, Nicaragua has officially sent complains to Costa Rica, demanding the stopping of the mining project, for it also threatens their resources.

Then, inspite of promising in 2006 to the ILO that Costa Rica will reinforce job conditions, and protect the workers rights to Unions, unions and unionists are being persecuted, and those workers who try to orginize into a union are either mobbed or immediately fired. Meanwhile people have no one to turn to when they are being abused at their jobs. Abusive contracts are being put in practice, ilegal practices are set up, and nobody can complain. Cleaning ladies at big companies go up to six months working without payment, and then fired without ever seeing a dime.

Yes, Costa Rica has a delightful, colorful array of abuse that actually makes you smile when someone complains about how awful it is in their country, because a politician happened to have an affair with his secretary. I am of the believe that you must help yourself, your country first and then go looking to help those abroad. "Start at Home", that's my motto. As so, I'm seeking to be actively involved in the movement to stop the Gold Mining in Costa Rica. The job is hard, but the worst thing we can do is abandon the ship.

However, reading among the entries of Sin Pelos en la Lengua, I came across this one about Honduras.

The situation in this country goes beyond the Coup d'Etat, which many countries rushed to ignore are such, and touches the most sensitive parts of it: it's population. In this entry, and subsequent entries you can read about a nation kidnapped, terrorized where death squads are a daily thing, where Opposition Media is shut down with bullets, journalists killed, tortured, kidnapped from a taxi and beaten into a quivering pulp. 70 year-old grandmothers thrown into a dark cell, insulted, yelled at, tortured for once being part of the Resistencia.

A De Facto Government that smiles at the world and pretends that "now everything is dandy" while they continue abusing the population. Ingrid Betancourt times 7,6 million. Public lands to be given to poor farmers to work are taken back and given to powerful Estate Owners. No, everything is not "dandy", the Coup D'Etat continues, under the nose of the world, where powerful countries arm up and swear war to terrorism, and yet at their doorstep allow a gory form of endogenous terrorism where the terrorist is the Government itself.

Things are not right and we shouldn't close our eyes and pretend it is. Please, be aware. I'm not asking for money or a signature in a petition list, or stop buying Honduran goods. I'm pleading you to be aware. What you do with this information is up to you, either you contact a local Aid Program, or investigate, or simply file it on your mind... is your choice, but whatever you do, please, do not forget.

A Slab of Cruelty

iPhones are exploding or are being prone to explode. Apple remains silent. No big deal? Well, I don't know. I don't have an iPhone and I'll hardly have one anytime soon, specially because I'm a SonyEricsson kinda gal, but even if I weren't, or even if it wasn't an iPhone issue, I wouldn't want my phone exploding on me. I guess that's a pretty rational wish: I don't want to be hurt by my things, particularly when I'm not suicidal, EMO or into selfmutilation.

We were talking about this today at the office, in one of those "breaks" in the middle of a workshop-meeting (called "encerrona" some years ago, and under the idiotatorship of a certain head), we mentioned Apple, and how the periferals and handhelds it produced had nothing to the computers. Joking, one of my colleague said:

"Oh come on, so it explodes? So what? Don't be so delicate."

In my eternally delicate and subtle and diplomatic way, I added:

"Yeah, because at least you are getting mutilated by an iPhone, not a landmine like so many children around the world."

However, this actually made me think. It seems to me like the crimes committed with landmines, what it does to people, now regardless of the fact that they are kids or adults or elderly, or civilians or militia, is far more worthy of charity and attention and movements and big foundations, than the harm done by companies to their customers and their environment. Lead poisoned toys are not such a big crime. Oh, I mean, wow, its so bad that babies die and it must be stopped, but it doesn't draw so much attention and not much is done to prevent it in the future. Same with poisoned food, same with the frozen meat the U.S. where trying to sell to Korea, which may or may not be contaminated with the mad cow disease. (Yeah, frozen for so many years, and yet in your fridge after a month is "garbage" all the way.)

I'm against landmines and every form or war and violence that sneaks up and kills people who haven't signed for it. Hell, I'm even against killing those poor soldiers! If war were about the politicians who set the entire thing up fighting against each other and killing each other, I'd say go ahead and kill'im good, but the idea of people dying because of someone else's stupidity, pisses me off. So just as I condemn and hate landmines, I hate all forms of terrorisom, I hate the guerrillas that hit on towns and kidnap people to get ransom from them, or kidnap children to turn them into child soldiers, I hate those who mutilate or kill or rape or make others live in fear and anger.

Hate the gangs and the maras and all those that polute countries in "peace" and rob, torture, rape, kill, kidnap. Those who think they can rob a child from a family and sell it to someone else, take a kid from the street and lock it up, those who trick people to sell them into slavery, those who think that they can get away with murder and think that human rights are only for them, and they can take them away from other for pleasure or profit. And all these are hineous things, and some is done, some isn't. Either way we generally agree that these are bad things and should be punished by the Law. But then, why do we let them go for the companies?

Companies can steal your money with a product that's not all it promised, and though you theoretically have the right to ask for refound, try to do it and you'll see walls and paperwork getting in the way. Banks can steal your house and your paycheck, just because they give you a loan they made you think YOU can pay. Companies can enslave you by taking your rights, such as the Right to Union, such as charging you for a health insurance plan that they will deny you once you get sick. They can fire you any time, they can find ways to reduce your paycheck, they can break the Law against you, and you will stand powerless and vulnerable.

Add to it they can harm you, poison you, mutilate you, handicap you and even kill you and what can you do? Honey, pretty much nothing. At least when you step on a landmine you don't have to prove it was a landmine and then be questioned about you had to step on that spot from all the spots available, but when it comes to product, the victim is believed to be the villain of the tale.

So, when your iPhone blows your hand off, remember you have no reason to complain because a) you bought it, b) you sure did something to make it blow up, and c) sorry, but you are not a kid mutilated by a landmine, so man up!

That's the world we live in.

Boycott: The People's Last Weapon

Looking around in Twitter, since I haven't walked into these news in the papers I receive (should I wonder why?), I read today, for the first time about the Whole Foods Market issue. Must say I'm outraged. The issues with them are many, and you can read of them here: Whole Food Market: What's Wrong With Whole Food Markets? At least some of them.

The store advertises itself pretty much as all th best things put together. Healthy food, humane treatment of farm animals, ecological conscience, ... but theie CEO, John Mackey is anti-union. Well, he's libertarian, which pretty much means, he believes the market not only knows better, but whatever direction the market takes is the best, and no one should interfere. He openly claims that unions promote problems in the company. Well, many people today have no idea what's like to have a union, a REAL union, but those who do, or those who still got the chance to get their hands on those old Economics books where the Union part hasn't been edited (out), would know that the Union is that one way workers have to make sure to get good working condtions. Unions don't come to antagonize with the management unless the management is set on exploiting and abusing workers.

So, aside from fishes filled up with mercury, and monopolistic practices, and lying about the "small farmers" they support, and the "organic" nature of their products, and all the lies they pile un in the holy name of money, there's this thing they don't even try to cover, though they keep lying about the morale and the working conditions they impose on their workers. So, the base line is that they treat farm animals humanly, but HUMANS don't deserve the same treat?

Workers can't do a thing, but buyers can. Sometimes we feel that it has no point in voting because elections are arranged, no matter how many Jimmy Carters line up and say that it has been all gone down in the frame of fair game, and yet you know and you can't believe how people do nothing, how far up corruption runs, and how useless out little vote in democracy weights. Sometimes we feel we can't do nothing because no matter how many protests we organize, how many letters we sell, how hard we scream, how high we hold our banners, nothing changes, but there's one thing we can still use to make a difference, and that's to refuse to give our money to those we do not agree with.

We can do something to avoid the "next energetic crisis" hitting us by replacing our ful dependant transportation, by reducing our use of electrical power. Walk more, bike, use the public transportation to go to the office, do more things during the day, take advantage of natural light, unplug all those electrical things you don't really use all the time. Unplug the TV, the DVD, the chargers... you don't really need them all day, now do you? Unplug the computer, or replace it with an energy efficient laptop. Replace lightbulbs, organize every once in a while a nice "candle light night". You can save water, you can reduce your consumption of plastics, you can help recycling by also chosing recycled products. You can save your things, reuse then, thinking before you buy a new one if you actually need a new one or whether you can still give use to the old one.

You can also decide you won't condone the abuse to animals, our planet and other people. Listen. Learn. Think. Refuse giving money to those who will stick it in their own pockets instead of sharing them by fairly paying their workers. You can help promote human values, by learning the philosophy of the companies you buy from. Don't worry, this is a capitalist market, and like all those neoliberals say, this "perfect market", left to its own devices, will always provide plenty of proper selection. Our nickels and dimes are our power because no matter how little they look compared with their millions and billions and trillions, they actually need our pennies and nickels and dimes to keep their millions from smoking away.

Fuel, The Key of the Next Crisis

Every Sunday I receive the local financial paper wrapped up in a plastic bag, held with a rubberband. So much care is really unnecesary due to the poor quality, the parcialized, liar articles it contains. Why do I receive it? Because it's a courtesy, I don't have to pay a dime for it. The paper belongs to the "La Nación" group, which means that it works 100% for the current Government and their personal interests. This is how last week they published a note badmouthing our company with data that's beyond false. Other than these, the paper's other articles are weak, involving little research.

This week the paper has an article where the newest director of the INCAE says a new crisis is to come by 2012, and that this new crisis will be due to the fuel. Okay, lets say it will happen this way. This director, Lawrence Pratt says it's because we have reached the end of the oil reserves, and that it will be incredibly hard to find anymore oil. I think that's something that the world should have known since a while now and that it should have been working on. I believe at some level it is working on it now, but the desperation of the market and people to get cars and travel with cars at any costs is what's pushing the boundaries here.

Pratt, talks that it's time to work on locally producing fuel, looking for alternative sources of fuel, and mentioned "biofuel". I can't believe that someone would dare to bring that up. First of all, if an inminent fossil fuel is coming, the first step, for me, would be to take people off the fuel consuming things. Reduce the number of cars circulating, promote other ways ot transportation, such as electric cars and electric urban trains, replace the taxi lot with electric cars, introduce telenetworking in more places or promote jobs closer to where people live so they can either walk there or bike their way to the office.

Biofuel, in my opinion, should be the last place where an economy should go because the danger exists that the production of food would sensibly decrease in order to produce inputs of biofuel. Less sugar, because it goes mainly for biofuel. Even if the biofuel can be produced from a byproduct, what would pay more? Same with corn. Soon farms of edibles will be transformed because, let's be honest, in a world hooked on fuel consuming things, what will be more profitable, food or fuel?

Maybe it's because I don't have a car, but I do travel often with planes and I need them fueled and afordable to go home, but I believe that it's more important for me to eat, and eat healthy food, real food, than getting a car fueled and provoking traffic jams. However, some people, MBA's probably, don't seem to think the same way. Well, that's what produces crisis.

Us, Economists

A friend of mine sent me an e-mail filled with economist jokes. Some of them are hard to explain to someone who has no knowledge of economics (okay, most of them) and some are shamelessly taken from the lawyer-bunch (two of them). One of them is "Why sharks don't attack economists? Professional courtesy". I was wondering why would anyone say such a thing about us, and then I remembered that there's "us" and there's the "libertarian", the "liberal" and the "Chicago Boys" bunch. To say that I dislike them is a HUGE understatement. Anyone who thinks that everything can be solved by the market should be put to sleep, like a rabid dog, or a mad cow.

Here we have this nice Crisis. Guess what? The oh-so-free market was the one that pushed us there. All the brainless Chicago boys, the Milton-Friendman wannabes, the "free market, so that the PERFECT COMPETITION can prevail" major imbeciles, that really, how did they even got their degree?, they all pushed and cheered and lobbied for THIS. Because the Government internvention only creates chaos. These are the ones who told people that "private social care" is better, and while in a small country like Costa Rica someone who's sick can go to the local hospital and be cured, in the U.S. with all their money they can't be sure if they can AFFORD medical attention. But hey, free market makes it better.

So, back to the Crisis, we have all these enterprises that ran the stockmarkets and broker houses and especulated about the future, and bought, and sold and made a whole lot of money over the nothing. They let their suppositions blow up a bubble and didn't care to take precautions, but went in for the money, in for the money until it couldn't hold it up and it came crumbling down. But who crumbled down? The little people.We all saw it, didn't we? Suddenly, when things went pearshaped, it was EXPECTED that the State, the Government bailed them out of the hole they had get themselves into. In an "effort" to reduce costs and become lean and good, they started laying off people, reducing work times, moving people in full time jobs to part time jobs, and then, what was the first thing they did with the bailout money? Pay those huge slices of "executive pays".

So let me see if I get this correctly: the market is good and keeps everything in balance and brings everything to its best possible state, and all the Government does is spoil things and make them inefficient, BUT when the free market collides because no theory any neoclasical, neoliberal or Chicago-Dumb can think of has the core element of all markets, CORRUPTION and UNFAIR PLAY, THEN the Goverment MUST bail them out, but not the entire market, only that upper layer of exceedingly paid pigs, and then, when they get their money and are safe in Liechtenstein or Rio, then you leave the market to save itself, make jobs and all going back to the way it was.

Wanna see some fun things? These big-paycheck executives often sign very protective contracts, where they are secured big bucks (like in the Hall story), so even if the enterprise goes down (like Citi), they'll be paid the big bucks (like Hall), because "it's in the contract". Doesn't that tell you something about the "free market" and the trust in the "invisible hand"? It does to me.

Behold the Rising Economical Power

You probably know it as "China", but I call it "where are the Huns when the world need them". Truly feel like getting on a horse myself, grab a bow, some arrows and wreck havoc, see if they can find me a "Mulan" to stop me. Hell, it makes my blood boil. On one side of the scope we see China going global with fierce determination. Hosts Olympic Games, gives away money to countries, buys up IBM's hardware business (and totally fucks up the fabulous IBM ThinkPad, which will always be the love of my life), and pushes hard and strong into mobile telecommunications with 3G and 4G solutions through Huawei. This company has gone from unheard to popping up everywhere like a really bad case of swine flu. Before you notice it the red eight-petal lotus flower will be flooding everything like spam. Then again, people are buying, so what's the damage in that?

Now the New York Times tells us that the "land of opportunities" for the American graduates is in no other place than China. Too much unemployment, so go get a jobb in Beijing or Shanghai. Add ot it that this country holds the biggest part of debts in the world. China as the big World Wide Creditor. But what else do we know of this country? How about this: built on forced labor (like in Xinjiang, North West of China), repression of freedom of expression, bullying of the population and particularly activists, censoring of the Internet, near-slavery working conditions, among others. Let's not get into topics such as the forced pregnancy terminations to which the subject women who have more kids than "they should", the still degrading way they look at women, and so on. However let's pull out another topic, published today in CNN: Children snatching. Yes, I guess everywhere you can see that same problem, the human trafficking, selling kids, women, men. Babies and toddlers for adoption, the rest for slave labor, sexual slavery or even for "spare parts". In this article, however, the case is od babies taken away from their families, probably sold to rich families. According to the article, baby boys sell for as high as $1200, while baby girls sell for around $200. Hell, Persian cats are sold for more.

The article continues saying that the parents of these kids have turned to the police, but the police does nothing. Not even with videocamera recordings of the baby snatching. If I were prone to thinking ill, I'd say that's because the police is neck-deep involved in these snatchings. However, why is there no justice for these people? They are not rioting, they are not protesting, they just want their kids back. However police seems effective to search, locate, tail and arrest activists without any actual incriminatory evidence, or they are good at closing a square like Tiananmen, to avoid protesters. They can protect hermetically the interests of the Party, but they won't move a finger to protect their own people. It's almost as if people were nothing but labor bundles that must be squeezed dry, work to the bone, and they can be stashed in whatever little, dingy place.

It suddenly changes the way you see all those videos about mistreating cats and dogs, from which they make food and coats. It's suddenly not so radical, because after all, that's the way they treat people. Now my question is: is this still the "land of opportunities"? And if this is the new Global Economical Power, what will become of the world? Furthermore, how far can they keep it up? There's just so much you can do on slave labor in a world like this, specially because if they slump the world into slavery, who will have money to buy what they sell?

Beware, beware, the Huns might soon be there.

Bleak Future

News, again. Well, just a little bit. I'll try to think about something funny later to compensate, or at least post a few pictures of half-nude men... or something to get you back in the "right mood".

My mailbox continues overflowing with mails and mails of newspapers. Though I used to look at them annoyed, now I look at them with a certain sense of nostalgia. Hyne knows how long will we have the priviledge of getting the news for free before selfish imperialist pigs such as Mr. Murdock starts robbing our cents and turning information into a luxury commodity (which, btw, will finally destroy one of the milestone conditions that support the "free market" model upon which all those incredibly STUPID liberal, neoliberal, neoclassical and monetarist "economists" base their "theories", and therefore their "politics").

Among the news, there was this one in CNN about the bleak future the Fed was forecasting for America. Rounding up the figures, 10% unemployment and 3% fall on the GDP. For the non math-speaker, one out of ten people who could work will be unemployed. Also, from each $100 of goods produced last year, this year only $97 will be produced.

Now, if you do the maths, it's funny, because you lose 10% of the potential working force, but lose only 3% of your outputs. Okay, maybe we should see how many people were unemployed last year and take that percentage from the current 10%, but either way, even though the output is reduced, it is expected from the remaining labor force to suck it up and put in for the lay offs. (That, or "hopefully" the amount of costs cut off with the lay offs will hold up that much.)

Well, either way, figures are not looking quite Sexy. Then again, wake up and smell the coffee if you haven't: the world is neck deep in a crisis. It's time again for Al Capone and Charlie Chaplin movies. However, before you panic and let your eyebrows and mustache grow to Chaplinesque or Pattinsonesque proportions lemme introduce you to a few interesting facts known only to those properly initiated in the secret and dark arts of "Economics", a powerful and secret Covenant ruled by deep mysticism. I know, witches and wizards are childplay and goofy stuff compared to our monstruous Craft.

First of all, you must know that we are always right. As it is known, the job of economists is divided in two very important and corelated tasks: the first task is to forecast what will happen in the future. The second task is to explain why things didn't happen as we said they would. So, before you go counting your workmates and try to calculate who among you will be laid off, who will have to suck it for the extra work and smash your little head trying to figure out how to survive with no job, Mortgage-zilla breathing down your neck, Card-zilla around the corner and cuts in gas, coal and nuclear energy killing you softly, you must ask the Fed's Council of Evil, what was the base for the calculations. Oh, and don't let them impress you with fancy names and waving of banner-like databases you can't actually catch a glimpse of.

First of all, anyone can "fancy-speech", it doesn't mean they know. As a matter of fact, a lot of dunderheads use fancy speeching to conceal the fact that they know absolutely nothing about anything, less about what they are supposed to be talking.

Second, check the way the indexes and the numbers were calculated. No, you don't need to have a degree in Advanced Maths or Nuclear Physics, for fuck's sake, you are calculating how many people will lose their jobs, how much less will be produced, not splitting the atom or making anti-matter! Sure, there are all kinds of wicked formulas and ways to get around things, BUT the milestone behind forecasting is:

1. What has happened before? How people/enterprises/global economies reacted? Take the "effect" and apply it to the current situation.
2. What things exist now that didn't then and how could they react?

Look, the calculus itself is really fun. It's like playing that game "The Serf": you have a nice little "town" with a way of doing things and then you suddenly add this "happening" and things start changing, so you calculate how will they affect the town. Now, since you have to harness it somehow in a math formula, because that's the toys we play with in this game, you have to come up with a few suppositions and then try and guess stuff based in some kind of "notion". Well, ask the Fed Council of Evil, which kind of suppositions and notions did they use and why. Did you know that if you change those suppositions and notions, the results could change? Oh yeah. Can become worse, can become much, much better... and then, all the little bits and thingies they threw into the big math pot. Some are very insignificant, others are very important... who decides which are which? Who decides which things (variables) go in and which go out? Go and ask them.

Look, we all know that things will go pearshaped, and truth is that if the Fed goes saying stuff like that, it will become worse, because people will think THEY are that 10%, or they will be part of that 10% and enterprises will think that THAT falling out 3% will be them, so, with that in mind, they peobably will try less harder to keep the head above the water, will get depressed and give up at the first sign of problems. And all for what? For some crunched up figures that might or might not be right?

Crosscheck the numbers, question, investigate, undust your calculating machine and make your own figures. See who is right, and don't let them beat you down.