Hier in Arlesheim kam ich nicht umhin, die äußerst ‚kreative‘ Werbung der UBS in ihrem Schaufenster zu bestaunen. Diese Sprüche einer ebenso skrupellosen Werbeagentur waren bestimmt nicht billig – abgesehen davon, das sie eine absolute Beleidigung sind für das, wofür Arlesheim und seine Eremitage steht: Anthroposophie.
Man kann jetzt darüber spekulieren, was die Finanz-Grosskapitalisten hier wollen: das Geld der gut situierten Anthroposophen oder das setzen eines Zeichens, dass sie ihnen das Dritte Jahrtausend nicht einfach so kampflos überlassen werden.
Ich finde die Sprüche jedenfalls äußerst skuril und bin mir sicher, dass weder Texter noch Banker keine Ahnung haben, worum es bei Rudolf Steiner geht. Sonst würden sie sich nicht derartig mit der arlesheimer Kultur messen wollen. Ich empfinde es als eine Beleidigung und würde eine Rufmordklage gegen die UBS jederzeit unterstützen.
Die verspiegelten Fotos sind etwas blod – hatte aber nicht den Nerv, lange zu bibäschelen und die Sprüche auch noch zur Fotokunst zu erheben.
Aha. Die UBS hat sich auch erneuert. Und unterstützt jetzt die Entwicklung der Menschheit, geistig über sich hinaus zu wachsen? Oder doch eher zu Methoden wie TTIP, ISDS und CETA, um auch noch die verbliebene Rest-Demokratie in ein globales Milliardengeschäft zu verwandeln? Was man nicht kaufen kann, macht man hinter verschlossenen Türen zum Reingewinn. Ja, das ist neu!Selbstverständlich ist die UBS auch ein Kraftort. Ein verdammt kräftiger sogar. So kräftig, dass er ganze Staaten kaufen kann. Aber wer will schon am Ort einer Räuberbande verweilen? Der eine Kraftort kann von der Sucht nach dem anderen Kraftort heilen — aber nicht der andere vom einen. Aber vermutlich kennen sie den einen gar nicht…
It’s facinating to see the world’s regions in a kind of likewise status: The fear of Islam and migration gave us a distinctive shift to the right, with a result of xenophobic politics and things like the initiative for a minarett ban. The sudden popularity of nationalism amd rassism surprised politicians and intellectuals. Now is the same thing in the Middle East: Politicians, despots and intellectuals are surprised how fast peaceful protests spread all over the region. The global public was not aware how near the tipping points were and are. Me included.
So the questions coming up: Who benefits from the situation? And why now?
I think the economic crisis plays a major role in the game. Costs of living are rising everywhere. And like my father alway said: You can deny your people food or the right to speak – but not both. And the crisis took the food (through price increase) – so people stand up, where they cannot speak (or are not heard).
Then, if one would belive in conspiracies, it could be a modern kind of scorched earth policy: If we cannot have them, nobody should have them – where nobody is China. China can can get economic control – what it will – but not political anymore, because the corrupt leaders are gone. If a country becomes democratic, it becomes self-determined. You can control a despot in a direct manner, but not a democracy: Berlusconi cannot control Italy like Gadhaffi can do in Lybia.
So if the economic crisis is a contingency like 9/11, then it was damn good luck for the neoliberals, always in the right time. First a long game of dominating the Middle East, which was control though a kind of balance of force (terror vs repression). When it got to dangerous, the USA made its threat real to gain balance again: We CAN shoot! But the islamic world was not terrorized. The attempt to conquer Iraq followed, politically possible because of 9/11: Democracy through a military strategy. Then the crisis, government depts, new credits, austerity policies, price increases, you know the stuff.
Trend (Gerd Altmann, pixelio.de)
Everything is, if not good, perfect for the neoliberals. Either way to redistribute money from down upwards, to gain profit in other ways or to buy stability and control. If it works like this the crisis was a high price, yes, but the bill is paid by you and me. Banks get our money through old-age provisions, make governments to need money, lend it, and we pay the interest for our own money throuigh taxes. And they get all the transaction fees. Crappy game.
However, I wish the New World Movement will be as «lucky» in the next decades as the Neoliberals were in the last. It’s facinating to see that not only the powerful can play the claviature of fear! I bet the cumulative fear of all regimes right now is a global record. Satisfactory to see the masses stay calm allthou they get shot at and that thugs cannot seed riots. All together I think it’s a sign and the world is not the same anymore, inshallah!
Endlich ist es soweit: Die Erkenntnis der Perversion unserer Finanzökonomie hat es in die Mainstream-Medien geschafft! Nachdem die Politik werbewirksam griffige Massnahmen zur Eindämmung der Spekulationsgeschäfte versprach – es dann aber dabei beliess, den Markt mit billigem Geld voll zu pumpen – merken nun langsam auch die Letzten, dass genau dieses billige Geld die neuen Spekulationsblasen schafft.
The gap between rich and poor
Die Politik gewährt der globalen Hochfinanz eine steuerfreie Wertschöpfung aus einem virtuellen Kapital, das sieben Mal grösser ist wie das des weltweiten, jährlichen Bruttoinlandproduktes, bis das System zwangsweise kollabiert. Im Auftrag der Politik verleihen die Nationalbanken neues Geld quasi gratis und ohne Auflagen den Banken, die es gewinnträchtig in Staaten investieren, die durch den Kollaps bakrott gegangen sind. Somit werden nach den öffentlichen Infrastrukturen ganze Staaten privatisiert.
Zugegeben, der letzte Absatz ist etwas reisserisch – wie anders könnte man etwas auf den Punkt bringen, das nicht mal Fachleute in seiner ganzen Komplexität erfassen. Der Rekord von 140 Milliarden Boni im Jahr 2009 ist ja auch nicht ganz unreisserisch. 🙂
Etwas ausführlicher geht es in dieser ZDF-Dokumentation zur Sache:
Für tiefergehende Lektüre kann ich Artikel zum Thema von blog.4st.ch empfehlen. Auch der Film Let’s make money ist ein guter Konsumtipp. Nach überwundener Wut, Übelkeit und Hoffnungslosigkeit checkt doch mal die Bücher in aller Gründlichkeit, um eure Rendite sauber zu halten.
Profit aus unendlichem Wachstum auf einem endlichen Planeten ist schlicht nicht möglich. Das ist etwa so, wie wir die Schuldenkriese mit neuen Schulden bekämpfen. Und in der Medizin wird tatsächlich noch diskutiert, ab wann man hirntot ist – um Volker Pispers zu zitiern.
Der vermutlich einzige Weg, da wieder raus zu kommen, wird eine Geldentwertung sein. Die, die heute unverschämt viel haben, haben dann immer noch viel, während unsereins gar nichts mehr hat. Bliebe zu hoffen, die Vertreter des staatlichen Gewaltmonopols wählen einmal die gerechte und nicht die profitable Seite…
What may a man dream freezing to death? This... (picture source)
Governments donated billions to the financial industry, and so managers and their bodyguards, villas, security cams, pools and bank accounts got subsidized in a way farmers would never dream of.
For a really real small-small part of that money it would have been possible to buy some sleeping bags for all these men and women who had to freeze to death in this winter: 212 since November 2009, up to now, in Europe.
It’s a shame! Why don’t we do that?
... or that?
I think, the answer is only logical: All who are in responsibility think in resources: money, oil, accounts, pools, human resources etc. So you have frozen resources? Don’t panic – just defrost it! No resource need a sleeping bag. Beside the upper ten thousand when they go camping.
But they are not a resource, they are God. And God made it that way…
Went to watch this documentary last weekend and been deeply impressed! From an artistic point of view: It’s a piece of art! From a didactic point of view: It’s brilliant! Looking at it’s content: You simply hear the naked truth.
Now you might think this is a film where you’ll walk out and go to jump straight form the next bridge. You’ll not. Perhaps you’ll hesitate to buy your next comemercial ultra-cheap t-shirt in favor to a fair traded one — but I won’t consider that bad. 🙂
Furthermore you might start to see who’s working for your money which’s working for you. And you might ask yourself whether it is right to steal the persons produced overvalue, especially because best profit comes from places with blood on streets.
One could write a big pile of books about this, so I stop here. And it’s much easier for you to go and watch this movie than to read a pile of books! I promise you’ll see things differently afterwards — if you already do you’ll be glad to be part of a new species with open eyes. You’ll have pity on the ones who can’t see that their way had turned out a dead end, as some said since decades and even longer.
Talking of poverty most of us thinks in terms of money. I would like to bring up another point: It seems to me that povertys mainly reason is that we – who rule the world – are poor at heart. If not, we would help the poor in an efficient way. The world is talking all about — and does nothing. Not for the so-called third world neither our own local neighbors.
Many of us are educated enough to see the „Big Picture“, how all and everything is connected: „We would like to give you some millions development aid — and see what nice armored vehicle and guns we have! If we can put our leash on you as our pitbull in war against terrorism, you can have it all for free. And we sell cheap Tomatoes and Chicken too. You want technology? Sit up and beg…“ (I know it’s not that simple. However, it is like that. 😉 )
But few of us are educated enough at heart to feel the „Big Picture“. Only if one can feel it, one will change life and take responsibility. But poor hearts don’t feel, they calculate.
The world hunger index 2008 made official today in Berlin tells us there are 923’000’000 (923 Millions) hungry people, 75’000’000 more than last year. Currently one says that the financial crisis costs us 1’400’000’000’000 $ (1.4 Billions, IWF 7.10.2008). The loosings of only the ecosystem wood are acording to the study „The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity“ (TEEB) about 5’000’000’000’000 € (5 Billions) yearly, overfishing 50’000’000’000 (50 Mrd).
In USA, between 1979 and 2005, the income of the poorest households increased by 1.3 % annually, the average income less than 1 %, the top revenues by 200 %. If you calculate the latter after tax it even grew 228 %.
The richest percent in the USA earned between 2002 and 2006 3/4 from the earnings growth. Statistically followed by Great Britain, Spain and Switzerland (oh my!).
In Germany, two tenth own about 80 % from the assets.
In 2007, top managers income grew 25 % in Germany.
In the 1920s we had about the same extraordinary mess, followed by the great depression in the 30s. As a consequence (also because WW II), in the middle 50s the highest US tax rate was 91 %, the one for corporate profits 45 %. But today?
We all know who is responsible for todays inequity. It’s not me, not you (well, the chances are about 1:10), it’s not God, it’s neither Mickey Mouse nor Dagobert Duck. It’s THEM! If one points at someone, three fingers point at yourself, so we know who is THEM: We ALL are.
We are in the advantageous situation where we all vote every day several times. Do you buy Nestlé or regional products? On which bank do you save your money? Do you use escalators and go to your fitness center by car? Who do you vote for, politically? Do you buy fast or organic food? Do you buy and travel fair?
Profit (or a real fair amount of) belongs to the one who spins the screw driver. Why let we the one who paid for the screw driver steal the profit? And, finally, why is this thefts income tax rate even lower than the one of them who are cleaning his office? Who is doing the real work here, the dollar?
We all know from our own inner temptation that everyone thinks of himself first. So why do we vote for the rich? Do we believe the rich must be wise? Or do we believe they do know to deal with crisis because they became rich? Have we all missed Dagobert Duck stories in our youth?
Everywhere you can read who and what is responsible for the actual crisis. The Neocons/-liberals have proofed themselves as not survivable without their hated, „over regulating“ governments and state banks paying for their mess. Why can’t we simply stop this behavior? What are we afraid of? Of loosing our employment? Todays production is in China because we vote for the thefts rules — we vote for our own crisis every day. Why is this so hard to understand?
:dontget:
Diversification is good for social stability — but it seems we don’t want a peaceful society. In the end we shoot ourselves in our homes, schools and on streets, out of frustration and fear. Sometimes this system is unbelievable: We vote for our own slavery while believing to be free, and when we check our misery, we execute ourselves. Is this the meaning of life? Or maybe an intermediate step in our evolution? Hopefully we will evolve a bit cleverer than lemmings…
Hello, today’s Blog Action Day! So here’s my post. Since it’s about environment and I thought there are so many experts better than me out there, I’ll write a nice little tale. Well, finally it got a bit oversized, because I tried to tell this and to tell that too, and those points seems important, and so on. There are no Karl-May-like lengthy descriptions, but our little friend stumbles from one adventure into the next before he reaches his destiny.
So I hope you take your time and enjoy the reading! However, I had fun writing it. And please leave a note. 🙂
A dollars wondrous journey
Once upon a time there was a lonesome Dollar. It was not very beautiful – more the average type of a green printed piece of paper. He was very ambitious and wanted to make more out of his live. So he decided to go out into the big, wide world to see it all – and to become more beautiful, as every dollar wants to be.
By chance he found himself in Indonesia. He remembered that rainforest is considered as a good place to become more beautiful – for the price of only one tree. «There are so many trees» he thought, «nobody will miss it if I’ll take one».
Short time later he felt more beautiful because it had taken the trees beauty and Dollar was very pleased with himself. But, on the other hand, he felt no longer independent. «Doesn’t matter» he told himself matter-of-factly, and was magically drawn along with the tree over the ocean to America.
He never looked behind and so he couldn’t see all the other dollars hunting for beauty in the woods and the trees vanishing one by one. Very quickly the rainforests was cleared of trees – which enhanced neatness and visibility of the environment enormously – and also in making Dollars more beautiful. Problem was, once the forests were deserted, no dollars came anymore. People in now raindesert-countries started to fight each other out of frustration and lack of education to free themselves from their anger. Many times their leaders told them to do so because they feared the powers from the poor. And as long as they fought each other, they wouldn’t fight the leaders.
In America, in the meantime, the tree had ended up as a door case. Our dollar was owned by an international habitation proprietor, now ten times more beautiful. Although he was not free anymore, he had a good life and enjoyed his beauty. To become even more beautiful, he was sent to Germany: There were low cost housings for sale and they promised much beauty. After some home-improvement projects that made the workers sweat, Dollar pocketed his first slice of beauty.
Then the buildings were sold again and our dollar got his second slice of beauty. He returned to America twenty times as beautiful as when he arrived in Europe. Again he didn’t look back and therefore couldn’t see the tears of families which didn’t find a payable flat anymore. And those who could afford high lease prices had to live in energy wasting houses full of toxic materials. It paid the most beauty – for Dollar.
