In the past people spoke of an Old World and a New World. The existing and known versus undiscovered and new.
In the hierarchical times from that age dominance and riches where the way to strengthen your position. Livelihoods assured by conquering, exploiting and pillaging. But it was only for a selective group of people who where in charge by choice or plainly taken. But on the basis of the old way of thinking. At this point in time we think very differently and realize that we as people can organize things in a better, collective and cooperative way.
Appointing a leader in a small group is a reasonable choice. In a small group there is a direct and transparent oversight. That are very important things. Things that disappear rather quickly when groups are becoming bigger. Then all kind of forces appear that remove the strength from this structure. Like exploitation and suppression. Anonymity and disguise are being used for manipulation and or destruction.
Honesty and reasonableness disappear into the horizon where Thomas Moore would like to lead us to. Is it not time to abandon our Tower Of Babel and pursue our travel to Utopia.
In the new world where we are now we have the technical possibilities to create and honest world with reasonableness. A decentralized digital world with honesty, fairness and reasonableness is not that hard to built. Direct democracy of a group, country, continent and can and will be realized. Ownership of your digital life with you, the individual, and not with the data colonists. Complete transparency through removal of anonymity and honest and reliable provision of information. Livelihood by going back to the system of the Commons. Bringing back consumption back to usufruct. Leaving the planet in good state to pass on to our children.
Perhaps you have read the book Society 4.0 from Bob de Wit. If not, please do. It is worthwhile. We are already one step further. Curious? Get into contact with us. You can do it via www.citizensisland.com but you can also mail me via this website.
Facts and fairy tales. A Dutch television program about Corona. In which you can find and hear lots of bellowing by the media on “request” of the RIVM and government.
They are in panic because of the high numbers in positive testing. Do not read contamination and surely not contigious. For the latter de pcr test is equiped. You can also only be contaminated if it has passed the borders of your immuunsystem and has really penetrated your corpus.
But if you are in a good health your nice , beautiful and private hospital they call your immunesystem will stop them at the front door. Not any problem for most except for a few.
For those few and all who are vulnerable you should just in preventive way support their immune system. Specially in those seasons of the year when the virus has a higher chance. There are enough medicaments and supplements to do so.
With the current knowledge of Corona that is sufficient. But preventive there is not much happening. If you are being tested positive you have to go into quarantine but they do not provide care. It looks like they want that people have to go to the hospital. That is rather strange as their capacity is significantly reduced over the last years.
The focus lies completely on testing but most part of the population has allready been in contact with the Corona virus. What they are doing right now is testing as much as possible and creating an absolute number as high as possible. Not giving the percentage and the development of that line. That percentage is not that high. Asypmtomatic testing setting out in a percentage which is an indication for (group) immunity they are not providing. Manipulating the R factor is something they can do. It looks like an episode of Blackadder.
But this is the real world. Than you have to learn from the past. Use progressive insight. But it looks like the anchors may not be pulled up. Even the WHO is moving at the moment. Though reasonably slow. But the RIVM is frozen to their dogma’s. Admitting mistakes is not easy. But the government has tied it selve. The member of parlement seem all llike parrots , non critical and proving they have no knowledge or intelligence whatsoever. Many scientists are raising their eye brows at so much failure.
That brings me back to the Lockdown 2.0. They are now taking all kind of measures wich they can think of without knowing if they are working. I can name one immediately that is crucial but not being used at all. Therefore you have to look at the past , think , learn and use the gathered knowledge.
Stay calm. Listen. Investigate. Be smart. Learn. Act wise.
Please let me join you. But how do we get there? What do you say? Alice nows the way?
That is good to hear. I will just ask her. Alice , how do we get in Wonderland? Are you serious? We just need to follow the white rabbit.
One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small And the ones that mother gives you, don’t do anything at all
Go ask Alice, when she’s ten feet tall
And if you go chasing rabbits, and you know you’re going to fall Tell ’em a hookah-smoking caterpillar has given you the call
He called Alice, when she was just small
When the men on the chessboard get up and tell you where to go And you’ve just had some kind of mushroom, and your mind is moving low
Go ask Alice, I think she’ll know
When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead And the White Knight is talking backwards And the Red Queen’s off with her head Remember what the Dormouse said Feed your head, feed your head.
Pink is singing this original White Rabbit from Jefferson Airplain.
You need to feed your mind. Take knowledge. Not with what they tell you. But with an open mind. With logic and common sense absorbing all the knowledge there is. Not just believing what they are all telling.
Indoctrination is a well known phenomenon by people of power. They know very handy ways to use it. Be critical. Before you know it you are allready in Wonderland and you are in control of your life. And that is real freedom. Welcome.
The first clarity that Corona shows is that we are vulnerable. In a number of case to vulnerable because people die from this disease.
There is no vaccin yet. As most vaccins it is only being developed when its there. So way to late [ Lesson.1 , Prepare as good as you can on matters that can occur. ]
If we think only about ourselves , which is being cultivated in the Western World , and if we do not fully comply in order to avoid infected and if we are infected going into isolation we have a huge problem. [ Lesson.2 , The individual is never more important that the group if we want to survive. ]
What is the best approach. Who can you trust The media? The politician?The experts? I thonk the last ones. The rest should just do everything to make things cear and get things done. So facilitate. [ Lesson.3 , Give the specialists space and force to act quickly and adequately. ]
The economic impact of a Lock Down and its consequences. It makes you realize what is really import and what you can do without. You consume only the most needed. That is mainly food and drinks. The rest is not that needed. Toilet paper? no need for it when you have a toilet shower. Also more hygienic. Lots of things you where thinking of buying you postpone. Or you realize there is actually no need for. It does not cost a thing to make walk. Talk to some other people. [ Lesson.4 , Importance of things are becoming clear. ]
The economic growth disappears behind the horizon. Companies are coming to a slow or even stop down. Some products and services are in a hard need , others less and some redundant. A nice opportunity to say goodbye to those. Also a shrink in the economy means a recovery and growth of our ecology.
Look for example to the clear waters of Venice at the moment. In this way the Agreement Of Paris is getting a chance. For sure there will be a decrease in CO2 and Nitrogen. [ Lesson.4 , Clarity of the things that are really important. ]
In times of drastic measures there hits for economical activities. Things are stopping and costs are being made. Wages need to be paid. Rents are owed. Activities need to be cancelled. Work needs to be done without getting income of it. On short the economical model is not in balance anymore. Financial support needs to be given. Questions is to whom and what. To companies or to people? [ Lesson.5 , What is fair and who deserves financial help. ]
Acute need is never within companies. That are only entities on paper with machines and their personnel. The last are people who really feel and observe. That in basis also the only group which should get acute help should be given. The best way to do that is to provide them with a Basic Income. At least for the period the crisis lasts. Companies are a sponge to absorb money and keep it for themselves. The drip down effect does not really work. Its is a fairytale told to and believed by most politicians. So give it directly to the people who feel the pain really. Let on advice from and with experts a new model function. Al least for the time being of the crisis. [ Lesson.6 , What is the best and simplest way of giving aid. ]
In situations like these also nice and explorative things happen with the use of new technologies. Working at home is in many situation working very good. The manager is getting a little nervous as he can see and feel that there is no real need for him. Schoolbuildings are empty. But teachers are not sitting still and are giving their lessons and instruction via internet. In many cases this works fine. A continuation of this saves classrooms. [ Lesson.7 , We are finding out that things can be done differently and better. ]
For our freedom it is not nice to get in this crisis situation. But it leads to some wise lessons. Those lessons we can than use to expand our freedom and realize again what is really important.
A new year so new chances. It can be but every day there are new chances. And not only every day but every moment there are new chances. And not only chances but also choices. Those choices are being made on the basis of what you think.
But what is your thinking really based upon? How do you make your choices. Based upon common sense? How you where raised by your parents? On what you have learned at school? The wisdom projected conscious and or subconscious by social media into your mind? Is the need to have more and more something from your inner self or is it created? Why makes buying something new feel you happy? Why is that feeling so short?
All interesting questions. Could it be that culture makes us that different. There are many differences in the cultures on the world. The Western culture has a high focus on the ego. More egoistic en materialistic than the Eastern culture and many others. It is not out of nothing that the capitalistic system with his materialism came forth from the Western culture.
A book that gives a good and clear view on and how the different cultures came to birth is How The World Thinks from Julian Baggini. A must read.
I am giving in short some of my thoughts. Just to stimulate to create thoughts by your self. Am I right? Am I crazy? If it does not agree with your own logic , your sensible mind , your feelings you do not have to believe me let alone follow me. Always keep a critical mind.
The ego needs appreciation. Also recognition. That is the reason why you are going to distinguish yourself from others. Train harder to be the best in sports. Follow an education that guarantees a good salary. Build a career and show you can drive a big expensive car. Living in a big house. Going on vacation a lot. Wearing nicer , read expensive , clothes than others do. You are going into an addiction of more , more and more expensive. That it is at the cost of something does not matter. Its a kind of an addiction like the use of cocaine. Its very nice and sometimes brings you into euphoria. It gives you an I Am On Top Of The World feeling.
But the feeling does not last. You have to do it again and again. The good feeling leaves and you get drawn into a circle of more and more. There is also an other form of happiness. A kind of happiness that comes from the feeling of belonging to a group. Being with others. Giving and receiving kindness. Listen to other people. Gain knowledge in that way. From there getting understanding resulting in respect. Solving problems with each other for each other. The ego cultivated in the western capitalistic as sublime is here rather a barrier than a blessing. The Eastern way of thinking with the philosophy and culture coming from that is very different. More balanced and brotherhood is there much more prominent.
It should not be a real surprise that with the birth of Jesus Christ the three wise men came from the East. It is high time that the wisdom from the East gets more attention. Who knows we might get finally a human world in which not more money , more power and more succes is the main achievement for people. The ego is something to become and function as an independent and assertive person in society. But it should be in balance with other essential virtues.
After the strikes from the farmers and the construction workers the teachers put themselves also in the forefront. They announced a strike and put their action where their mouth was. They striked.
The government did state a few days earlier that would give for one time almost half a billion euro’s. A nice gesture in which the unions agreed almost. But the problem is not only in the euro’s but more in the structure of the education system and how the government deals with it.
The government gives already for decades not enough support. This has to do with the neo-liberal mindset. More distance. Do it yourselve. More market forces. Hoping for more effeciency. The only thing that happens because of this is a transition from public education to a more and more private education. In and with that transfer lots of money can be earned.
It is almost deliberate what politics is doing. Letting capitalism gets its hands on public responsibilities in set up for citizens to create freedom equality for everyone.
Going back to a little more detail. The government is in favor the lumpsum arrangement. Therefore schools did change into companies. With directors , board of directors and managers. They almost can do what they like. There only a little eye on what they are really doing. Bu not much. The schools just get the money and can do as the please. A nice building. Fine there should be a roof above your head. They money should be used wisely and therefore they are parking and invest in shares as well.
There are more things which makes that the money is not being spent at teachers and teaching materials directly. At the moment the salary and terms for teachers in the higher education are quite high. They could share that more with the teachers in the basic education.
A good question for the “controling” minister and his clerk should be how many teachers are on the payroll and how many are actually in front of the class and really teaching. My experience is that the numbers will be very confronting.
A teacher who is not in front of the class is not a teacher. Teachers should nt be dependent on the schools but from an appropriate recognition form the government. Their salary and direct budget should be provided by the government. The school administration should talk on an equal level with the teachers. The indirect budget and building should be brought in by the school director and his administration. This will become more and more a digital platform. Depending on the knowledge which should be transferred.
The government should rethink their public task and create a clear vision on what is really important in the filed of education. In my view the transfer of knowledge in an objective way by independent against a good salary and good support. The rest is not important and than you should create the system accordingly.
There are again elections. European elections. Elections mostly take place in a democracy. But what a democracy really consists of is not clear to most people. How the current democracy is working is also not clear. Is it really democratic?
In headlines there are two essential forces within a democracy. A representing and social/society force. They are both necessary and should be in balance.
The representing democracy is elected by citizens and the representatives are representing the people. They should by making and doing politics create a better city , township , province , country , Europe or world.
The societal democracy is being made by the citizens if it going correctly. At this moment that is not the case. Citizens should follow society in a critical way. Speak up. Organize themselves. Go into discussion with representatives. In a healthy democracy the political representatives are giving space for this. In time and possibilities. Adapting their opinion and policy when in an open and fair debate things are becoming clear.
The Yellow Vest can be considered as a wake up call for the critical sound. But the representing democracy has transformed itself into a party system with problem solving directors. There is a lack on openness , transparency and direct participation. They have already excluded the experts from the game. Although they are really necessary to come up with real and working solutions that need to be implemented.
It is time for the representing democracy to go back where they belong. Making politics , develop a vision and go into dialogue with the society and the world. Be transparant and honest. Removing the party system is an idea. The Eerste Kamer replacing by a citizens councel also. The Raad Van State could be restored into a new glory. Leaving the managing to adequate and good directors. Ministers not selected out of politicians but leave it to real experts.
Getting back to the title. A new beginning. This points to challenging things. Dearing to make changes. Listen to everybody and go into debate. And this again and again. Constantly giving a chance on a new beginning. Without it democracy will turn into an empty sleeve. A place where freedom is an illusion. If that happens there is still a right , the right of civil disobedience , by which we can demonstrate. Strike so things can be (temporarily) shut down. Even a revolution can be established. History teaches us that it is sometimes necessary. Let we come it that far ?
We have to renew. Looking of where we would like to go. Our ideals. How can we really make the world better. This is what I miss in the current politics. Also in the European elections. They talk about issues but forget to put the facts underneath on the table. Also the structure to make actually the influence to change matter has not been made clear. Afraid for their power and positions probably. You loose your authority in that way.
The European Union is namely not so democratic. And also not transparant. The European Council is the only one who can introduce new Law. The Parlement , who has been elected now, can only say yes or no or ask for an amendment. The European Councel , consisting of the the prime ministers or minister of department from the countries , can go around the parlement. For instance look at the Turkey and Libia deal with regards to refugees. Not a nice example for democracy but arranged deals leading to violation of human rights , torture and death. In a just state with rule of law this would be condemned and punished. A court of law would have called this order but inside Europe that has not happened yet. Judicial institutions are being “kaltgestelt”? Inside the Council there is for all participating states a veto right. A majority can therefore be block by a minority. Before we unite Europe any further there needs to be made many changes
Till that time we and the states need to be independent in such a way that we can easily disengage or engage the union and speak out. A no because we can not live with that. And yes we are going to debate on that. That is something that always should be done. In the city , the Provence , the country , Europe and the United Nations. Amor Mundi is still my mindset.
Sometimes you read a book that smashes some of your illusions. Like a kind of thief it steels the veil and shows you who the real villains are. Truths are being back to the underworld of lies. But if you really want to say something in the discussion about immigration a Must Read. Including Geert , Thierry , Mark , Klaas and other immigration populists.
The title of that book is Nobody Wants Them , in Dutch Niemand Wil Ze Hebben , written by Linda Polman. It is about Europe and its refugees.
It is difficult to put thing in the right perspective. But I will try to point out a few matters that where clearly prominent. And also indicate where we should change things.
The reception of asylum seekers is not from recent times. Human values are not that important as they let us believe. The UNHCR is a begger from the UN. Just like many NGO’s. The UN always makes less means available that is needed. The UN countries can also claim their own specific demands. Governments and politicians ignore in their battle against immigrants the human rights and therefore they are accessory to violating the human rights and tortures with death as consequence. Human values are being raped to serve political interests. Justice is needed here.
Heavy , depressing , tears shedding , sad , sick making , unbelievable and more of the catastrophic words. They are all applicable. Inhumane is a word I do not dare to use because inhumane seems to be a normal human act. But is a heavy failure. It is also far from humankind. There is no kindness at all. Even animals don’t make such a mess in their kingdom.
The role of the NGO’s is not completely clear to me. Specifically the NGO’s have a certain aim and direction. They try via donations from individuals , companies and governments to realize their goals. But in the manner they are doing that and how they are being used has disadvantages.
On NGO’s and how they are aiding I wrote an article earlier. Not efficient and no structured vision in short words. They are trying to be a global organization. That is better than the trend in the political parties in the many nation states. They do not see , or don’t wont to see , that the multinationals and that the big money already operate globally for a lonfg time. So you can not locally regulate and control that.
An united Europe or better an united world could do this better. The UN is the organization that should be playing that role. There is a lot of good will but the structure and the support from UN countries , or the lack of it , makes it that they are not able to really improve the world.
It seems like if the different UN countries , just like many people , have an ego. That ego is namely a big obstacle. Just as if the Alpha leader can arrange everything based upon power. If you look back in history with a good eye you will see that it does not work that way. Cross over that perception. If you want to cherish wealth than either you share it or defend your borders and be prepared to put people in camps and or kill them. The defending choice is popular right now. People are voting on the right side and populistic. They ease their conscious by giving a donation to a good cause or charity.
So you see that hypocrisy and ego are good friends. But not to mankind and the world.
Two years ago I was sitting in the train from St.Petersburg to Moscow. I got into a conversation with two Russian ladies. At that point in time I was already engaged with the movement as reflected on this website. One of the ladies did speak her mind saying that war was coming. Also without a doubt she said the first bomb would fall on Russian soil. The question for her was only when.
Her idea was formed by the closed imaging from Russia and the Russian media. This media also gives in the Western world a complete deformed image of Russia. It seems as if the media has forgotten her task to inform people in an honest , calm and in putting it an perspective.
Media has sold his soul of impartiality and objective criticial way of thinking to the commercial forces of neo-liberal mindset and acting. Audience ratings are key. Therefore also sensation and magnifying bad news. It is also not solely to sell advertisement spaces. It is also about favouring those parties in return who are supporting their business and existence.
It even looks like that they see fake news as real and are throwing it into the world. Information pollution is my thought. Lots of people are unhooking. They , politicians and media , don’t know what people are really thinking anymore. But opinion polls they understand very well and they adjust their tactics. Vision and fortitude are easily being sacrificed. They chameleonize in order to get as much votes as possible. Adjusting their campaign in a calculating way. Making extra commercials on tv , YouTube , Facebook and other social media. It has significant costs but they do not (yet) have to make known who are really paying for that.
But a vision where we should go to with our world and planet is far away. Their future is only reaching the next elections and not the following generations. They are putting themselves in first place. Not mankind. They talk about it. They also say that they a lot. But that does not mean anything because their mantra is economic growth. But that is always at the expense of ecology.
That story is not being told. Not by the politicians. Not by the media. It looks like a pas de deux.
Will another story even be accepted. By the politicians. By the media. By the people. Do not forget that people and specially large groups of people are being tied and bound by stories. Those do not have to be true. In other words correct.
The bible is also a story. It describes the faith of Jesus and God. But it are not the exact words that he used. On his real thoughts we have more or less to guess. What he really told to the people was his real message. Direct , mutual and you could ask questions. That is what I call the Jesus Principle.
This principle I do favour to spread my thoughts , knowledge and story. Not what the second Russian young lady proposed. To campaign via YouTube movies and on Social Media on a large scale. This website is not more than an internet calling card to make you think. To have a contact if you are looking and can not figure things out. Otherwise as well. If I meet people in the street or somewhere else I will first start a conversation. If you have an interest I will give you my calling card. No twittering and other superficial media in which you can not put things in the right context. It should be real , personal and complete.
When I said this to the the second Russian young lady her reaction to me was: So the Jesus Principle. Yes I said , the Jesus Principle.
A pretentious title. I am aware of that. The western world is for most people in the world the place to be with regards to prosperity. A place to whom they are drawn to in order to experience a good human existence.
Question should than be: Is this really the case? Whats is the prosperity there. Mostly it is an economic prosperity. So money. Better facilities. It looks like that.
But it is not directly available for a refugee. You have to comply to rules. You can go into illegality. Work in anyway you can find and send money home. It is a way to find improvement in life. But in illegality you are in most cases close or in the crime scene as well. Not something I would call real prosperity.
Prosperity also means that have you no or almost no real worries. That you can be in the neighborhood of your family. Being there where your social ties started and grew. Having the possibility to build a reasonable existence. Doing things you like and in which you can help others also. Giving respect and getting recognition. That is the kind of prosperity we should be seeking.
Not the prosperity of a big house , a car , another car , a vacation , another vacation. Materials things will never be enough to fill the greedy caterpillar. There will not become a beautiful butterfly from that but a never satisfied and consuming dragon.
That this dragon is working on eating our world is a different story. I would like to talk about that beautiful butterfly. Can we bring that beautiful butterfly into the light? And while we are doing that halting the flow of migration and maybe turn that around?
I think it is possible. There is already a huge gap between rich and poor. A way to diminish that gap is a Basic Income. You share some of the wealth and pull up the poor to a higher level. They are than able to develop themselves in a human way in the place and country where they where born and grew up. Starting initiatives and or companies that will be an added value to that region. Creating prosperity in an own and just way. In consideration with their own culture.
The local government needs to make just and good regulations. Local companies should get more space than the multinational. You should be thinking on an other way of taking taxes. The use of patentrights should be different. Making products should be according open-source. Trade agreements should be fair and more free. There should be implemented a real fair trade , fair profit and fair use system.
If that has been taken care of you can provide the basic income. This should be done by the budget holder. So in The Netherlands it should be the government in the Hague. Not the provences. Not the parishes. It could be moving to Europe. Or even de UN and than probably the IMF.
My idea would be to deploy it to the IMF controlled by the UN for this. If we are doing this we could create a bottom up approach. Rank the countries form poor to rich. Start with the poorest country or countries. In affordability also the best approach. For how it works also. Possible improvement can be taken into account in proceeding to the next countries. In this way people can find their happiness in their own country. Without antics in having to flee and making illegitimate money and sending it home. Prostitution in the broadest sense so to speak.
Most people do not see any other way to survive. Therefore we can not even blame them. We condemn them as searchers for luck and criminals. But we are creating this world in full awareness. Then we look at each other , avoid each other and let it happen. As long as we are doing fine nothing else matters.
At the moment we create and make barriers and borders in order to shield our not shared prosperity. There will be more than a whole lot of people there shortly which you can not really stop. It will escalate into violence. We should let go of the egoism in the neo-liberal and western worlds mindset.
But if we think in reverse and create a social and humane magnetic force as an opposite. Giving the poorest countries and than the less poor a basic income we would create it. Which way will we go as humanity than.
Take a while to think about this. It will not be easy but there are many good advantages coming out of this. A world on which Thomas Moore would have been jealous.
