Tuesday, December 2, 2008

The Politics of Economy:

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Today the world's economy is falling to pieces. Whether you are in New York, Tokyo, Guangdong, Warsaw, Ar Riyad or Lagos you are going to feel the effect more or less.

The economy of the world makes me rich, I’m happy; lets kids in Tokyo watch animae all night long, they are happy; gives the worker in Guangdong money to send home to his family, he’s happy; allows the people of Warsaw to drink espresso in a beautiful city, they are happy; helps the mother’s of Ar Riyad buy expensive new designer Burkas and gives the kids of Lagos the chance to have shoes. Everyone is happy. Right? Hmm …

The earth looks like a garbage heap, the oceans look like a sewer. And the child’s shoes in Lagos DO NOT compare to the animae night clubs in Tokyo. Is it fair? Do you care? Can it continue? How will it end? If your brother has an ice cream cone and he won’t share with you, what do you do? What do we do?

Which is the Political Model for Economic Stability, Mutual Benefit and Co-Prosperity; Equitable to All Members of the Human Race as well as Non-Detrimental to the Earth?

1. The "Capitalist" Model
2. The "Marxist" Model
3. The "Islamic" Model
4. The “Socialist” Model
5. The “Tribal” Model
6. An “Unnamed” Model

I – What do I do? What do I get?
Me – Who takes care of me?
You – What do you do? What do you get; Who takes care of you?
They – What do they get; What do they do? What do I lose?
We – What do we get; What do we do?
Us – Who takes care of us? Do I suffer for the benefit of us?
Them – How does the earth benefit?


Situations:
There is a toothbrush in the bathroom; you walk in without a toothbrush. You need to brush your teeth. Do you use the toothbrush? Why? Why not?

You borrow the company car. It has half a tank of gas. You use it to do company business. You bring the car back. It is empty. Do you put gas in the car? Why? Why not?

You come home. You are hungry. There is a cookie on the table. Do you eat it? Why? Why not?

There is an empty house. You are homeless. Do you move in? Why? Why not?

There is a bicycle. You need to go a long distance. Do you take it? Why? Why not?

Your family is starving, there is food in the store. You have no money. What do you do?

You lost your job, your wife and children are waiting for you at home. What do you do?

Someone lost their wallet. It has no money in it. What do you do?
Someone lost their wallet. It has a lot money in it. What do you do?

If you were raised in any other Economic model above, would your answers be different for each model?

Are the ethics of each model different? Is any model better or worse, more or less selfish?

Which model do you want to live in?

Consider:
If you came from a family with two kids, everyone would get an equal share available at the dinner table - and eat well. Everyone would have clothes - and probably nice clothes.

On the other hand, if your family had eight kids, would any of the children starve? "Oh don't worry about Mikey there in the corner, we don't have enough food so we decided he should starve."

Probably, everyone in the family would be at the dinner table, sharing a bit less food and still have clothes to wear, though not the best.

Now think of that family on the world scale.

IF there were one billion people, we might live well, like the family of four; but as there are 7? billion and growing, we are more like the family of 10.

So, decide, which of your brothers or sisters sits in the corner and starves as we drain the ocean of tuna to eat our sashimi?

Which is impossible - sharing or starving?


A Few References:
Markets, Politics, and Globalization
The Coolie Speaks (Who are the modern "Coolies"? Hint: They live in and around Nagoya and speak Portuguese.)
Ecological Chemistry in Pollution Research and Sustainable Development There really is a connection. (That's why you shouldn't shit on the floor)
Alfonso Hernandez Valdez Bottom Line: Don't steal food from the store by yourself - bring a friend. In fact, bring a lot of friends.
The Politics of Economy Cooperation with China Don't Tease the Panda, cute yes, but it DOES bite!
Islamic Fundamentalism Since 1945

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3 comments:

Castaway said...

i'm so glad u finally put up a new post. i was getting sick of seeing Palin's ( ..or Tina's..) face from my blog!

seems impossible for every country to share the exact same standard of living. naturally everyone wants a bigger piece of the pie; get a white-collar job and work in an office, receive enough money to survive and extra for shopping, vacations, and retirement.. but if we don't preserve large tracts of land in key locations for things like farming and ranching, or give some dignity to the people who do that kind of work, we lose there too.

Perhaps Me has some ideas for a solution..

Me said...

Consider Castaway:
If you came from a family with two kids, everyone would get an equal share available at the dinner table - and eat well. Everyone would have clothes - and probably nice clothes.

On the other hand, if your family had eight kids, would any of the children starve? "Oh don't worry about Mikey there in the corner, we don't have enough food so we decided he should starve."

Probably, everyone in the family would be at the dinner table, sharing a bit less food and still have clothes to wear, though not the best.

Now think of that family on the world scale.

IF there were one billion people, we might live well, like the family of four; but as there are 7? billion and growing, we are more like the family of 10.

So, decide, which of your brothers or sisters sits in the corner and starves as we drain the ocean of tuna to eat our sashimi?

Which is impossible - sharing or starving?
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Castaway said...

my oldest brother Bubba. definitely.


Where is Augustine's "City on the Hill" and who lives there?
And perhaps more importantly: How do they live - with each other?

不知彼,不知己,每戰必殆 (孫子)

(If you don't know yourself and if you don't know your enemy,
then you are in for a world of hurt!)


γνῶθι σεαυτόν (Δελφοί)

“I couldn’t imagine this ... world.
Hell is so big and dark and heaven is so small." HJM

"the U.S. has a little manifest destiny over here,
and a little more manifest destiny over there..."

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How About a Bill of Responsibilities Rather Than A Bill of Rights

What if we chose the wrong religion?
Each week we'd just make God madder and madder.