And once the systems exists...who's gonna control it? Do you know anybody who you'd trust to run a global mechanism like that?
I sure as hell don't. If I have to chose between one and the other, I'll just say, "No thanks. You can have the progress and I'll just keep my freedom and sovereignty!"
I'll bet those of you who know that the Philippines has a lot of people living below the poverty level (according to this linked article....about 70%!)....I'll bet you didn't know that as recently as the 80'2 they were a net exporter of rice and some other stuff and that they were cosidered on of the most prosperous counties in SE Asia.
I didn't know that. But this article, linked by text below, squarely discusses the root cause of poverty in the Philippines. It's pure and simple political corruption.
Ya know....watching all the stuff going on over in Egypt lately...it makes one wonder why something like that couldn't happen in other countries. Like maybe the Philippines.
Maybe it could. I don't know.
I do remember reading some positive statistics about positive growth of the GDP, or GNP, in the Philippines lately. If so, that's a good thing because it seems to me the Philippines has so much potential for being a happy, prosperous, enjoyable and English speaking oasis in SE Asia. Maybe even moreso than Singapore.
Remember what I said the definition of 'Fascism' was?
The combinationo of big government and big business, right?
Well, here's another example of how that's happening in America. The CEO of General Electric (GE) has been tagged by our Great Deceiver (Obama) to head a commision on jobs and productivity and such.
Read the article by clicking on this linked extract of it.
In a very real way, this kinda relates to my earlier post today when I noted how science fiction writers very often comment on current society or trends/directions of society. If you've read much sci-fi at all you know that lots of the scenarios describe what is either outright fascist governments, huge powerful government/industrial machines, or very close to it.
Bob Dylan once sang, "You don't need a Weatherman to know which way the wind blows!"
I agree with that. All you have to do is read the news (even when it can't all be totally trusted).
Simon Black, in his most recent post, talks about why we should keep our eye on what happens to food prices in Laos. It's an interesting insight into staying vigilant for indicators of economic disruption.
I've been to Laos and it is a beautiful country. When I was there there was much 'happening' but I think it's changed a lot now. Reason........it's a rich country agriculturally and there's been a huge build up in the 'agri-business' sector.
NB: Their food is very similar to Thai food. Matter of fact, those people who own that Thai food place "Thai Kitichen"?) at N.Gessner and Longpoint, in Houston, TX..........they're actually from Laos. They have another restaurant somewhere else in Houston too but I forget where it is.
I think it's safe to say that most of my US based readers have at least heard of of the Rand Corporation. Most of you probably think it's just another think tank. And some of you might even think it's an old company that used to make business machines.
That pretty much describes, i.e. the later, what I thought about it. I think I vaguely in a far corner of my mind remembered that Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense during the Johnson presidency, was at one time associated with it.
But this video interview with Alex Abella will explain to you why we have all been effected more by the Rand Corporation than we'll probably ever realize. That's why he says, "We're all the bastard childred of the Rand Corporation."
Anybody who's read Wanderingsalsero knows that I'm a born-again Christian and that I'm interested in End Time prophecy. So it won't be any surprise that I find this news very interesting. It also fits in with my distrust of big government and politicians in general.
This article relates how Muslim vigilantes in Baghdad are raiding Christian oriented businesses and organizations and basically telling them to 'be more Muslim or get the hell out of our country'.
I hate to say it but I think we're in over our head again. This time in Iraq.
I'm thinking more and more that, aside from our own societal problems those people in the Middle East are even more fucked up.
They're never going to embrace democracy. The Muslim religion is not a religion of peace or, for that matter prosperity, for anybody except the ruling elite. If it wasn't for the oil in the Middle East, they'd all still be nothing but camel jockeys.
One of the motivation guys I used to know always used to say, "Everybody wants to be somebody!' And I whole heartedly agree. That also applies to countries too.
In reading this following clip from a recent Reuters News item, it's obvious that China is in yet another way taking over the role of the US in international finance:
As you read through the article it's obvious that China is 'buying into' the global community. What I'd like to call to your attention is the realization of what that's going to do for their world influence.
Just as you gain influence in a neighborhood when you start up a business in it or invest in it or become involved in neighborhood charity, likewise the same thing happens when you start investing in other countries. And especially so when you bail their ass out of a financial crack like Spain is in right now.
Think about what that's going to do to the global balance of public opinion.
The US is really the only country that is worried about expanding Chinese influence and power right now. That's because the only power they're threatening is us....the US. We're the only ones who really had anything to lose (regardless of what you think of the reasons we've been the major world power up til recently).
When China starts spreading money around town, by buying up other nation's debt, they're going to have a lot of friends who are going to stick by them in any future geopolitical disputes in world political bodies. More specifically, the US is even more likely to be outvoted in the UN....not to mention other, lessor world bodies.
I was also reading an article just today in the always interesting www.sovereignman.com site discussing the fact that China's currency market is very strong now and likely to become stronger.
The point?
Don't be surprised if China, or at least parts of it's economy, become one of the new opportuniteis for global entrepreneurs of various sorts.
Is Chile an emerging global version of Silicon Valley, CA., USA?
Well, it could be. The government of Chile...yeah. That country way, way down there at the end of the road on the Western side of the street....
They've recently started something called "Startup Chile", a nationally sponsored initiative to attract entrepreneurs to Chile. The incentives and inducements seem to be quiet attractive as you'll read in the article linked below.
Click through and read it. Do you have, or know of a company, that's got some good ideas but doesn't feel confident in subjecting them to the rapacious libertal attitudes and policies of the present US government?
As I've said, I am a born-again Christian. So, that means I believe some things that other people don't.
I'm cool with that. In Texas, we believe in 'live and let live'.
But.......I also try to help people when I can and I'd like to share some more info with you about what the Bible tells us are the 'signs' of the end times that Jesus fortold. To Christians, even though we do have compassion for the un-believers, these signs are nevertheless a validation of the faith that we've held these approximately 4000 years since Jesus left us the first time.
I'm referring specifically to the situation in Greece right now. When you pause for a minute and think about the ramifications of what's going on in Greece you can very easily see the plausibility of an Antichrist rising in Europe to solve it's problems.
If you know anything about history at all you know that pre-WWII Germany was a perfect example of how gullible people can become, and how they can follow false 'saviors', when they get desperate enough. That situation certainly applies in Greece right now. And when how compound and factor in projections of the food crisis that's starting to show up in Europe and elsewhere around the entire planet right now, it shouldn't be too much of a stretch to realize that something very very 'cosmic' is happening.
Here's an extract from Frank Dimoras excellent newsletter today. I highly recommend it to anybody who wants a better understand of these seemingly uncertain times.
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