When I think about it, what I fear most is the waves of pessimism sweeping over
the global landscape -- wave after wave of darkness blotting out any prospect
of ever seeing the sun. It's as though, everything is dark and gloomy and will
stay that way forever.
What we forget is that we've been here before -- many times. Empires have
arisen and empires have collapsed. Great ideas were put into practice and were
then no longer great. Religions arose out of our sense of beauty and duty but
then became repressive dogmas. Science and medicine made huge differences to
public health in the 18th and 19th centuries but then led to an exploding
global population. The innovative technology of the past couple of centuries
made things very much easier for the working man, but is now taking away his
job.
Throughout, however, we've survived and moved on to the next epochal change,
and that is what we may have to do again. Right now, the European Union,
originally a beautiful idea, is under a great deal of stress and may not
survive. The USSR, a brutal machine founded on the humane thinking of Marx, is
long gone. China has moved from the same humane thoughts to a brutal but
vulnerable system of state capitalism. America, once the hope of the world, is
deadlocked in its own ideological battles.
But let's not worry, the dark clouds will pass -- maybe. By the end of this
century, or perhaps even earlier, there will have been major shifts of power
and organization. Things like the Arab Spring, the Occupy movement, and the
rise against the Putinization of Russia certainly suggest that the dark clouds
will move on and the sun will shine again. But only for a time, until the next
wave of dark clouds roll in.
OK. I'm an old guy, and the older you are right now, the more optimistic you
can feel. Whatever happens next won't be my problem, it'll be the problem of
the guys who are jumping up and down shouting they're the 99 percent. It's
their inheritance and I'm glad to be able to pass it on to them.
Ed
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray Harrell" <[email protected]>
To: "'RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION,EDUCATION'"
<[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2011 3:08 PM
Subject: Re:
[Futurework]china-insolvency-wave-begins-nations-biggest-provincal-borrowers-defer-loan-payments
> "before the skull and bones takes over the world."
>
>
> You missed that?
>
> REH
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected]
> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of D and N
> Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2011 1:15 PM
> To: RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION
> Subject: Re: [Futurework]
> china-insolvency-wave-begins-nations-biggest-provincal-borrowers-defer-loan-
> payments
>
> Yep. With all this richness around us; with all the wealth of artistry
> going to waste, the world is somehow broke or is that only broken -
> meaning we could fix it ... if the banks were shut down. I know - too
> difficult. But a big change has to occur before the skull and bones
> takes over the world.
>
> D.
>
>
>
> On 12/27/2011 7:47 PM, Ray Harrell wrote:
>> So now the whole world is broke. Humm!
>>
>> REH
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: [email protected]
>> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of michael
> gurstein
>> Sent: Tuesday, December 27, 2011 10:05 PM
>> To: Futurework
>> Subject: [Futurework]
>>
> china-insolvency-wave-begins-nations-biggest-provincal-borrowers-defer-loan-
>> payments
>>
>>
> http://www.zerohedge.com/news/china-insolvency-wave-begins-nations-biggest-p
>> rovincal-borrowers-defer-loan-payments
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>> _______________________________________________
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> _______________________________________________
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> _______________________________________________
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