Easy Money
 Aleksandar Malečić |
Easy money is ready for one more round of financial recovery and competition before something happens. Are you supposed to be a passive observer? |
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Aleksandar Malečić |
Easy money is the tool for globalization. The easiest money of all is earned on careless behaviour and (legal or illegal) criminal activities. If people spread the idea of easy money and financial schemes, they also spread the idea of careless behaviour. In order to remain competitive (the most competitive in a globalized world), companies must stretch their carelessness to the limit and over it. Nature can't write laws and we can overlook our destructive behaviour as legal and hence "good". Once you have entered the vicious circle of global competition, you must run with everyone else. Even worse, you will be forced to accelerate all the time, not because you need a better life but because you must remain competitive. One wrong step of a globalized corporation is enough to break down and leave an empty space behind it. It may easily happen that there is no one to fill in this empty space because similar companies were destroyed through global competition long time ago. Think about it when your read or write this kind of documents: http:/ Once a technologically advanced product has entered stores, it's old and imperfect. Its imperfection isn't in performances but in a possibility that other companies could make something similar. If you as a capitalist want to defeat communists, you must force them to compete with you. But, on the long run, capitalists can win themselves. Their corporations are fed with steroids and they have huge muscles, but it's not enough. These muscles must grow forever and their growth must accelerate. Bankruptcy is not a crisis. It's an outcome with very visible causes and effects. We might not like this fact, but we can't change it with our wishful thinking. We are an animal species, just like any other. The only difference is that we are unaware of our imperfection. It's not fair to use the word "crisis" for the only possible outcome of a certain set of behaviours. So, what to do? First of all, globalization governed by investments in unsustainable behaviour and global competition must stop immediately. It won't, but it still must happen. Then, we must accept the fact that food production, protection of natural resources and education, no matter how important, will rarely be good business opportunities. Taxes can only partially help here. When you see a TV propaganda claiming that your nation needs more children or asking when you will live better (increase your GDP), change the channel. In order to clear your mind and make right decisions, first you must minimize all that incoming noise. Play with your networks and interactions, try to question and redefine them. They will change abruptly and you should be prepared as much as possible. This meshwork, for example, is a nice place for doing your thinking and preparation (and an interaction or two), but I can't force you to use it. I must admit you something. This comment is heavily influenced by the film "Zeitgeist: Moving Forward". It's the third film in a series. You may disagree with the first one, because it has some really stupid parts (religions, conspiracies...). Actually, the first part is mostly painfully stupid. On the other hand, regardless of its authors' intentions, it's brilliant from the point of view of viral marketing. Put some heresy, conspiracy theories or "definite" answers to religious questions (even better - call people who ask such questions monsters, fools or fundamentalists) in your book or film and people will probably notice you and discuss about you. Regardless of sensationalism, the third part has some really good points. I especially like when they talk about money and value. On the other hand, I disagree with the design part of the whole thing, probably the most important part in the authors' opinion. I am more for playing with networks and interactions, for ad-hoc and adaptive behaviour instead of central planning ("too big to fail"). I mostly support that non-monetary part. The non-monetary component of economy has been with us all the time - friends, families, neighbours, online social networks... It's hard to measure it (supply and demand of friendship or interactivity) and it will probably never replace the monetary component (which is, by the way, in crisis). The trick is how to increase its presence and efficiency. I am more for Sibout Nooteboom (adaptive networks), Douglas Engelbart (augmented intelligence), Valentin Turchin (metasystem transition) and Andy Clark (extended mind) and Thomas Friedman (the world is flat) than for circle-shaped cities. Perhaps in some out of many possible futures we could do something in this vein. If we don't try and play with networks and interactions, we'll never find out. This is the reason why I have joined this meshwork. Networks and "the flat world" were my first love. Environmentalism came later. Instead of the design part of Zeitgeist, I suggest the aforementioned authors and Erik Reinert (if you can something related to his book Global Economy) and Eaarth by Bill McKibben. Perhaps even Robert Rosen and Mihai Nadin (both writing about anticipation (reaction to expected future events) and complexity) may help. Still, all these authors can only provide us hints instead of solutions. I need your feedback and activities. I can't describe how much I am thankful to Wout-Jan Koridon (http:/ Learn how to live with the fact that the easiest money is usually the filthiest and play with interactions. Surprise me and yourself. Do it here or suggest me a better playground. Don't be surprised by other people's hesitation. They reaction is expected and natural. Don't be expected and natural. Stretch your creativity and collaboration to the limit instead of your debts and competition. Let your herd do their usual stuff. One discussion topic won't do much, but complex and interconnected problems need similarly complex and interconnected solutions. As long as you hesitate, the problems will become bigger. Imagine someone really brilliant and intelligent being active in this meshwork as much as me or even more. That would be amazing. My role here is to keep this meshwork alive and expect, inspire and encourage someone brilliant (You?). Whoever reads my (or your) words here, they will leave a trace in his/her mind. I'll never be able to see the bigger picture, the outcomes of my writings. From now on, this comment will have its own life, totally independent from me as its author. You haven't paid to me anything for it. I'm giving it to you. |
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