Category: The future – a result of sailing on the ship of fools

The Global Corona virus pandemic and its aftermath – What will follow?


 

The Global Corona virus pandemic and its aftermath – What will follow?

           

The most frightening aspects of this pandemic are the myriad unknowns. The virus is spreading more rapidly than expected and it appears to be gaining more virulence. More people are dying, including those in their prime.

I can see two possibilities.

 

  • We are faced with a 1930’s style Great Depression coupled with more deaths than from the 1918 Spanish flu. This is the better scenario.
  • The second one is indeed terrifying. A total breakdown of the world’s economic and social system, coupled with a death rate exceeding that of the great plagues or black death. This scenario would lead to complete anarchy and all the Doomsday preppers would feel completely vindicated.

Certainly the wealthy and powerful elites (often referred to as Illuminati) would do their level best to preserve their wealth and power and try to reset the world economic order in such a way that it would be the ordinary people who would lose their savings and suffer massive pain. This would be a type of Debt Jubilee where the slate is wiped clean and everybody starts again (the poor and the middle class of course being the losers). These elites with their foolish debt fuelled economic model created the mess that we now find ourselves in but they don’t want to pay for it. The ordinary folk will!

However, if everything sufficiently crashes and dissolves into dust the elites may simply not be able to push the reset button. Chaos and anarchy everywhere would create an uncontrollable world. Every cloud has a semblance of a silver lining though. A massive cull of the human race, say the removal of 5 or 6 billion people, would allow the planet to have a reset. Abnormal climate change would become a thing of the past and millions of other species would have a brighter future. Assuming the surviving portion of humanity learned from their past mistakes and dramatically cut down on greed, stupidity and fear the human race could then prosper in a sustainable way. This is a huge “IF” and in all probability the same mistakes would lead to the disastrous cycle beginning again.

The possible causes of the Corona virus and their implication for geopolitics

Amongst the disinformation spread on the Internet are claims, fostered by the Chinese government, that the virus was deliberately started and spread by the USA. Such claims are simply ludicrous. Then there is the official line from China that the virus began in a food market in Wuhan. This is possible but somewhat unlikely. The Chinese government has a biological warfare unit in Wuhan! It also has one in Beijing where the SARS virus began.

What is more likely is that the Wuhan virus was an experimental one being worked on and accidently released. Some Indian scientists claimed that this virus appears to be a standard Corona one spliced with elements of HIV and Ebola. This may be just speculative but who knows? The Chinese government arrested the doctor who first raised the alarm and he later died from the virus. Not only that but they deliberately delayed reporting the outbreak to the World Health Organisation although it was just before Chinese New Year when most of China’s population was on the move. WHO appears to be scared of China and commended its efforts when it should have condemned them. China’s government is opaque at best and truth telling is not its strong point.

At this time hundreds of thousands of Chinese headed into Italy, which signed up to the One Belt One Road project. The results are plain for all to see. Xi Jinping has long held a fascination with, and desire for power, both for himself and for China. He is determined that China should be the one and only global power, at all costs. Only a few weeks ago he was beginning to lose face in Hong Kong as the protests there showed no sign of abating. The outbreak of the virus was a godsend for him as the demonstrations had to suddenly stop. This was suspiciously convenient. Then as the pandemic began to grip China a vague possibility emerged that the Communist Party might lose its hold on power. Two months after the outbreak, Xi turned up in Wuhan, wearing a face mask and standing behind glass. In the streets below there were a few stooges clapping him and numbers of angry people shouting defiance.

Now, if their government is to be believed, they have contained the outbreak via draconian measures and everything will soon return to normal. Then there is the added bonus that they will have broken most of the power of the West. Xi is smiling from his face to his arse.

There is also the possibility that the COVID19 virus was a deliberate biological warfare attack. I doubt that China’s government cares that in the process it kills several thousands, or however many, of its own people. This outbreak has put China in the box seat to rule the world. That thought in itself is terrifying.

If, however, proof of a deliberate biological attack by China appears then, to coin a phrase, “It will be on for young and old!”

Retaliation from the West, particularly the USA, would be a certainty. Tit for tat biological strikes or nukes, who knows? I could easily imagine Donald Trump itching to push the button. In such a scenario I think the US military would actually carry out his order!

Whichever way you look at it, Xi Jinping’s China is a pariah!

 

 

 

 

Theresa May and her Brexit folly


Theresa May’s Brexit obsession is a recipe for disaster

Despite a number of prominent leaders in the UK, including two former PMs stating that a 2nd Brexit referendum is the only sensible thing to do, Mrs. May erroneously thinks that another referendum would further divide the nation. Perhaps her aim is simply to go down in history in a big way. The nation is already bitterly divided and headed downhill fast. A second referendum with all the options on the table is the only way to move forward.

Carrying on with her chosen course is only likely to divide the nation further. Scotland and Northern Ireland will demand independence referendums (the 2nd for Scotland and the first for Northern Ireland) and the breakup of the UK is a likely result. If this is not further dividing the UK then what is?

 

Working Poor ruined by world financial system


Working Poor ruined by world financial system

Every day we are bombarded with assertions from many of the world’s governments that taxes for multinational corporations and very rich people should be lowered. “It’s good for the economy,” they say “and everybody will benefit.” When the costs of lowering such taxes are pointed out, the argument runs that since other countries are doing it we must also do it to remain competitive. Donald Trump grants huge tax concessions to the wealthy and so the other countries must follow suit.

Working poor

In the somewhat optimistic decades of the 60’s and 70’s the vast majority of people wanted to raise the wages and living standards of those in third world and other poor countries. Mind you, they also believed that technology would allow shorter working hours and higher wages! Neither of those things happened. In both the third world and in the OECD countries working hours either stayed the same or increased and wages gradually declined against the relevant cost of living. The top 2% or so of the world, in terms of wealth, massively increased their standing while everybody else went backwards.

Without a voluntary surrendering of excess wealth nothing would ever improve. The exception proves the rule. Philanthropists like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet make a very small proportion of the mega wealthy. It is likely that the rich getting richer and the poor becoming poorer will continue until the world’s entire financial system collapses.

Such economic collapse would surely be accompanied by social collapse. We haven’t yet even mentioned global warming, overpopulation and the aging of the population. Scary isn’t it?

Populism and the triangle of Folly


Populism, short-sightedness and the triangle of Folly
As the challenges facing humanity grow more and more complex and difficult to overcome it is natural that people look with critical eyes on the ruling establishments and desire a quick fix. However, quick “fixes” generally only exacerbate underlying problems rather than providing a real solution. With the proliferation of possible news sources it is becoming increasingly difficult to know what to believe.

Theresa May 12Ju16

Theresa May
Taking advantage of democracy’s essential weakness (the lowest common denominator factor) populist movements and leaders have sprung into action around the globe. Fear of immigrants had much to do with the foolish Brexit vote. Despite the fact that most of the UK’s voters now have a much clearer idea of what the real costs of Brexit will be, Theresa May and her government seem determined to carry on with this folly rather than offering the people a second referendum. The likely outcome will be the breakup of the UK itself in addition to a very large economic burden.

donald trump

Donald Trump
The election of Donald Trump to the presidency of the USA is another example of voters being so desperate for change that they forget that a disastrous change is much worse than no change at all. With an unpredictable loose cannon in the White House, the USA and the world must surely experience increasing levels of anxiety.

marie-le-pen

Marie Le Pen
The third apex of the triangle hasn’t happened yet. If far right leaders, such as Marie Le Pen succeed in their presidential bids in upcoming European elections the collapse of the European Union would seem all but a certainty. The loss of Britain is a huge blow for the EU but the additional loss of France would be fatal. The collapse of the EU would be disastrous for Europe and the world. The outbreak of more armed conflict in the region would be all but certain.
With Putin’s Russia prepared to assert itself at all costs and China’s determination to steal sovereignty of much of the South China Sea the world is becoming increasingly a much more dangerous place. It is no wonder the Doomsday clock was reset at 2 ½ minutes to midnight after the inauguration of Donald Trump. We haven’t even considered yet that global warming and climate change is increasing all the time and has probably already reached tipping point and that the looney dictator of North Korea, Kim Jong Un is getting ever closer to having nuclear ICBMs. As the main suspect in the recent murder of his estranged half-brother, Kim Jong Un apparently will stop at nothing to maintain his grip on power. While the war in Syria drags on and millions of innocents suffer the power brokers in the world seem much more concerned with their own well-being than with any ethics, altruism or even common sense.

kim-jong-un

Kim Jong Un

We are facing desperate times. Any more short-sighted populist quick fixes are likely to throw us all over the edge.

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Were Nazi Economics the Real Cause of WW II?


 

 

 

alfred rosenberg

In his “Myth of the Twentieth Century” Alfred Rosenberg stated the essence of Nazi economics. He declared that capital was nothing more than the value of stored labor. In short, the Nazis saw capital as the savings, put away for the future, of the fruits of labor, honestly earned. They did not approve of the capitalistic system of the present world, where the rich get richer (without work) and the poor get poorer (with more and more work). Despite the various crimes of the Third Reich their economic policy was second to none. They achieved a balance between capital and labor that, not only made sense but was also fair. Some elements of the Nazi party, including the Strasser brothers, wanted to outright ban any unearned income, whatsoever, apart from pensions.
Despite being reduced to an economic ruin after WW I, the Treaty of Versailles and the Great Depression, Hitler’s Germany performed an economic miracle in less than five years. It was the first country in the world to fully emerge from the depression. Economically, it was the envy of most of the world. The world’s bankers (both Jewish and non-Jewish) were not as pleased by Germany’s brilliant progress as it threatened their world of usury and huge, easy profits. If other countries followed in the steps of Germany the banking behemoth would lose much of its ill-gotten wealth and power. The halls of gross capitalism may well have been felled forever. Apart from Hitler’s words in Mein Kampf and those of Rosenberg, there are a number of sources that suggest that a formidable banking and economic group did their best not only to keep WW I going and assist the demise of the Kaiser’s Germany but also to bring about WW II. This group of virtual illuminati wanted at all costs to keep the world’s dollar and borrowing systems going and were behind a worldwide Jewish boycott of Germany’s trade goods early on in the Third Reich.
[Adolph Hitler, The Greatest Story Never Told – https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=adolf+hitler+the+greatest+story+never+told+part+1%5D Although some parts of this 27 part documentary are not very convincing others make a profound statement and refer to facts that are quite verifiable. This is particularly the case with its assertion that Nazi Germany’s economic miracle may well have been a prime cause of WW II.

In terms of economic fairness and consideration for the environment the defeat of the Nazis has seen no improvement for mankind and the other creatures who inhabit this planet. The GFC of 2008 was a product of the same global economic powers that the National Socialists railed against all those years ago. The greed and shortsightedness of the mega wealthy and powerful has not only caused misery for billions but is also now threatening the very fabric and survival of our world.
If you like my posts consider purchasing my novel, Brownout – 666, available as an eBook for less than $4. Go to http://www.creativityandpower.com and click on books/releases.

Islamist Jihad, Freedom, Refugees and Human Rights


Islamist Jihad, Freedom, Refugees and Human Rights
Capitalism, delusional masses and endless war

Terrorism and Islamic jihad is on the increase almost everywhere, from the nightly news to neighborhoods perhaps only a few miles away. The burning and oft discussed question is, “How do we end this delusional violence while protecting the freedoms and human rights of all?” Western folk often used to condemn teenage rebellion and the fondness of the young for sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. This social phenomenon seems somewhat mild compared with its Islamic equivalent. In order to have a realistic chance of ending this sickening and savage violence humanity needs to understand the causes in all their complexity and have the courage to act.
Wars fought in the name of religion are the height of stupidity and ignorance. However, such wars often have much deeper causes and issues beneath the surface.
Beliefs in themselves
It is absurd to try to coerce others as to their beliefs. People can believe what they like and nobody can stop them from this in any case. Muslims, and others, have a perfect right to believe whatever they will. Such beliefs may be illogical, self-delimiting and crazy but the person holding them can continue to do so regardless, until such time as Orwell’s thought police become a reality. In fact faced with a jihadi sword many a potential victim must have pretended to convert to the particular enforced version of Islam. Certainly, overt actions such as religious observances and rituals can be monitored but a person’s actual set of beliefs remains immune. Legislation or force cannot change a person’s beliefs. Only education and knowledge can effectively impact on humanity’s belief systems.
Actions and the Rights of Others

It would seem inherently reasonable that people can pray and perform rituals howsoever they wish as long as their practises do not harm or interfere with the rights and freedoms of others. Likewise they should be able to keep elements of their native cultures as long as that culture does not interfere with the rights of others or with the cultural traditions of the lands in which they live.
In the case of Islamic folk who reside in the west this should and must mean that the practise of their religion does not interfere with the right of free speech, including the right to criticize or satirise anything, or with long established traditions such as Christmas. Most people in western countries are able to not only tolerate but also have a laugh at religious jokes that appear amusing. It is sad that so many followers of Islam seem to have lost their sense of humor.

The Rights of Refugees

In the wake of anti-Islamic sentiment that has followed terrorist attacks and the pursuit of jihad western nations have experienced public demonstrations of opposition, and often downright hostility, to the arrival of refugees from Muslim lands. Surely we don’t want to harden our hearts against those, particularly children, who through no fault of their own are in desperate need. Genuine refugees, who appreciate the kindness of their host nations and are prepared to co-operate with the cultures and laws of their new homes, should be welcomed and assisted.
Unsurprisingly, a problem is always at the ready to spring up! In this case it appears in the guise of significant numbers of refugees who are unwilling to co-operate with the cultures, practises and laws of their host nations. These individuals cannot simply be dismissed as a few jihadis who pretended to be refugees and arrived in western countries as sleepers, ready to strike at any time. The numbers of “home grown” terrorists in western nations and jihadis who travel to the Middle East to join ISIS are too great to be explained in such a way.

A more rational explanation is that there are large enough numbers of refugees who flee countries where war, Islamic jihad and terrorism are rife, find homes in the west, and then seek to introduce, if not impose, the very elements of their original culture and interpretation of Islam that were the major causes of the destruction of their original countries in the first place. In many cases it is the children of these particular immigrants who, despite being born and raised in the west, are now active proponents of radical Islam and jihad. I take pains to emphasise that these particular immigrants, although a sizeable enough number, are still a small minority of refugees. These uncompromising jihadi types who bite the very hand that feeds them can be compared to a spreading cancer. It is these individuals and their practise of Islam that need to be stamped out and quickly. The grateful refugees should still be welcome. It is beyond obvious that refugee screening procedures should be more thorough than they have been in the past. Nevertheless, we have still to examine the underlying causes of all this wanton violence and terror!

Capitalism, War and the Arab Spring

It is no accident that the Arab Spring occurred before the rise of ISIS and the rapid increase in jihadi terrorism. For decades the despots in many of the Arab nations have stolen their populaces blind. Likewise, western nations have profited from the poverty of those populations while propping up corrupt and despotic regimes for the west’s own perceived geo-political interests. The failure of the Arab Spring to improve the ordinary people’s lives fuelled just about every kind of extremist violence imaginable. With nowhere to turn it is unsurprising that unemployed and dispossessed youths flocked to extremist calls. History tells us that it is economics more than actual notions of freedom that spur underclasses into action. Modern day China is a case in point. Despite a lack of freedom there the rulers have managed to keep a lid on discontent by substantially increasing living standards (economically at any rate) for large numbers of the population.
The young people of the Middle East have seen any vestiges of an opportunity for a decent life slip away or stolen from them. Despite the almost unimaginable horror and brutality of ISIS and their jihadi cohorts they appear relatively free from the stain of corruption that hangs over the traditional rulers and the western powers. Hence it is small wonder that thousands flock to what they see (probably unconsciously) as their last hope. Add to that the recipe of excitement and “idealism” and the mix is a very potent one. Many youngsters have joined ISIS to the horror of their own parents.
War and Capitalism

Those of us who have read George Orwell’s novel, “1984,” can probably see the ghastly parallel between his three super nations, constantly at war with each other along with the occasional change in alliance structure, and our modern world. The mega rich and their greed have their interests served by perpetual conflict and war as these assist the capitalist model nicely.
After all, those who decide on having wars don’t actually fight in them. It is ordinary folk who fight and die for the wealth and power of others. Freedom and human rights are never served by wars (in the long run at least) as nothing ever really changes for the better. Different groups of powerful mega rich keep the game running as our world society and environment deteriorate in a spiral that is rapidly running out of control.
Without fundamental reform of human society and capitalism any military victory over Islamic jihadism or any other form of ultra violence will be shortlived. There will always be more greedy and powerful individuals and more expressions of radical terror!

Self empowerment of the People

If there is any solution at all to the woes that are bringing the human species down at an exponential rate it probably lies in the anarchist dictum; “People, do not replace overthrown rulers with others that will do the same but rule yourselves from the ground up!” [my own statement]

Too stupid for democracy


The Abbott govt. in Australia was the worst one I ever lived under in any OECD country. It is not only doing its best to destroy the environment and the economy it is not even helping the rich, its raison d’etre. It is helping nobody and nothing.
The majority of Oz’s politicians are self serving, short sighted idiots. The government and the opposition are remarkably similar. Recent ex PM Malcolm Turnbull was one of the better ones but was politically assassinated by his own party.

The fact that a large majority of Australian voters elected them proves that Australians, en masse, are too stupid for democracy. If this horrid fact applies to Australia, how many other countries does it apply to? With the entire world in crisis mode it is blindingly apparent that the vast majority of govts. on the planet, democratic or not, are not equal to the task of doing their best to promote environmental, social and economic wellbeing for their populations. I haven’t even mentioned the word “corruption.” Greed and stupidity will destroy the human race!

“1984” is coming sooner than you thought


If anybody believes that they have the slightest privacy in this electronic age they are totally deluded. Some police forces have number plate detection cameras atop their cars that record every vehicle they pass such that everywhere that vehicle has been for years, and presumably that vehicle’s owner in most cases, can be extracted from a database.

Our smart phones enable enough data about our movements, history, life preferences and politics to be grabbed by governments and companies to fill volumes. Numbers of shopping centres round the world are dipping into data from such phones and sending it who knows where? Much of the data ends up in the USA where they maybe some constitutional protections for its own citizens but none for the rest of us.

If that isn’t enough our use of Facebook etc. gives governments even more information about ourselves to fill in any gaps in their knowledge. Doubtless, my views expressed in this blog have been collected somewhere by various government authorities. However, I am probably too insignificant for them to be bothered by them.

Edward Snowden’s revelations caused considerable protest against US spying by governments in Europe and elsewhere. Unsurprisingly, the Australian government along with both major political parties said nothing. It just hoped that the public would forget about it quickly.

Unfortunately, democracy is only as good as its Lowest Common Denominator. That translates as “democratic governments reflect the values and attitudes of the lowest level of their citizens where that lowest level boasts large numbers.”

It would seem certain that power brokers of our planet will destroy the environment and any semblence of a decent society at the same time as politically destroying the last vestiges of human freedom. In his vision of the future the only thing that George Orwell got wrong was the date!