Crow here. If you're feeling frustrated and angry about things you're unable to change no matter how you vote the good news is you're not alone. Since the Atlantic Ocean is just down the street from my new roost I be-winged myself and took a quick trip to Europe and I'm here to report that similar frustrations are being acted on elsewhere. Government austerity measures that are going into effect across the continent have brought people into the streets by the thousands in Greece, France, Germany, Ireland and England.
Although these protests can't be described as having achieved success the important thing is that they haven't gone unnoticed. All of them were originally caused by the huge fraud that was perpetrated on the world by the banking system. The fight we are up against in the world today is the psychopathic misconception that profit and control are the supreme goals of all powerful nations.
The homogenized vision propagated by much of the world's financial/political leadership is actually contra-survival. Health for mankind and those of us who share the planet with you has always been better when there are many culturally varied, independently sustainable and ecologically sound economies. I don't advise long distance travel for a protest on Wall St. but non-cooperation isn't a bad idea and it's one that can be undertaken by many at once if planned on the internet. For example 'Buy Nothing Day' is the Friday after Thanksgiving. If you haven't celebrated it in other years maybe now is a good time to start. It would be good practice for the only kind of protest the uber-rich do understand and if all you've got is chicken feed, why not share it with the birds?
Spend your time being kind to one another as if you live in the early days of a better world. That's what the rest of us do every day.
(^^)
I never buy anything on Friday following Thanksgiving. You are all welcome to join me. Have you heard about this experiment to change human consciousness? http://www.newrealitytransmission.com/
ReplyDeleteCrow is so smart! Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, is the big shopping day in Canada and I avoid it like the plague! Not being much of a shopper and not needing much at this phase in life, I usually shop once a week for food and once a month for other things on average. So lots of 'buy nothing' days, good for the wallet and for the environment, eh. Yes, be kind to one another!
ReplyDeleteWe have started to see unrest here in the UK. There were ugly scenes at a student demo over a huge hike in tiution fees. The government is slashing benefits, cutting 500,000 jobs in the public sector (a similar number will go as a consequence in the private sector).
ReplyDeleteThere will be a lot of resentment at the Government as the cuts bite.
Huh? Are you saying that profit and control *aren't* the supreme goals of all powerful nations? :)
ReplyDeleteEvery day is Buy Nothing Day!
Very well put! I am in Europe now (Switzerland) and observe all this what you said so eloquently. May I add, that the conception of indefinite growth (economically spoken) is an oxymoron at best, a fabrication of a mad mans mind. A combination of Darwinistic economical growth with illusional hope of endless profit will neither serve anyone, nor is it feasible at all.
ReplyDeleteOK, so I am back to the "blogworld" Scorpio is my latest post. Take care.
Excellently put!
ReplyDeleteThere are, indeed, many reasons (everywhere) to protest, to name but 60:
1. ... ah, don't get me started.
To cut it short, here's one protest that took place last weekend.
Did I already write 'don't get me started? ... Ah, yes. Good.
The peace of the night.
liberality - It's an excellent club and I rarely join any since I follow the maxim of Marx (Groucho) and never want to join one that would have me.
ReplyDeleteI will pass on your link to susan. Thank you.
marja-leena - I will make sure susan misses Boxing day this year too although she remembers it as a day for visiting friends and eating leftovers. She has some very quaint ideas.
jams - The tuition fee hikes were outrageous as are the public sector layoffs. An economically interconnected world proves disastrous when the country that guaranteed currency stability decides to game the system.
randal - They ought not to be (^^)
That's even more true when there's nothing of value to purchase.
zee - Welcome back. susan will be delighted to hear of your return. When the resources are finite it's impossible to run a system that assumes the opposite. Every act has consequences.
sean - I didn't even attempt a list because there are so many of importance depending on one's location.
The anti-nuclear protests in France and especially Germany have been growing much more successful. May Ms. Merkel be given a ride back home on a tractor soon.
Yup - we need a new way. Simplify, support your neighbours, act for what is right, have fun, hit the streets now and then...enjoy music, wine, coffee, rich food, music, light, water, walks, pets and each other.
ReplyDeleteI'm tired of the old way.
The crazy thing is that nothing has been learned from the crisis. The old rule still applies; privatise profits, socialise losses.
ReplyDeletegary - There's nothing like having some advice from someone like you who's been following that path for a while. How's the weather?
ReplyDeletefrancis - I believe a lot of people are well aware of the problems but the solutions aren't well represented in the news. That's what blogs are for. Good luck with yours and welcome to phantsythat.
Crow!!! where ya bin?! i mean, before the trip to Europe.... very good to hear from you again.
ReplyDeleteyou are the snappiest dresser!
though i wholeheartedly agree with you about the economics of mainstream greed (or the greed of mainstream economics), i AM in retail now.... selling things that have been USED or DISCARDED by the money mongers, so please forgive me if make a distinction between 'them' and 'us'.
gfid - Good to see you, dear lady. I've traveled hither and yon these past weeks but delight in return to such graceful presence.
ReplyDeleteI'd hoped my remark about feeding the birds would be recognized as meaning helpful spending rather than wasteful. I shall try for greater clarity in future.
The scientists have been saying some very complimentary things about the intelligence of crows. What do you make of so much attention being focused on something that you've known all along is true?
ReplyDeleteI had to ask about that.
And to what you say in the post, I'd love to talk it over one day over a brandy and some coffee. As there seems little we can do about it.
Peace,
Gina
We've been shown the door. I'm glad to be on the other side. Two nice things about not having much in the material sense - 1.You have little to lose; 2. Not buying things is incredibly freeing. When we have to buy necessities, our dollars are much more carefully spent. We definitely won't be shopping on Buy Nothing Day.
ReplyDeleteHI Crow
ReplyDeleteYou’re looking dapper in your regal plumage so I trust you’re not feeling frustrated and angry about those things but can adapt well to your new environment. Adverse reactions to the government’s austerity measures in Europe are understandable. But Europe today seems divided as for instance those in Germany understandably are furious about having to bail out Greece whose corruption and fraud preceded further deterioration under the GFC.
As an aside the current USA administrations seems intent on pressurizing China and other Asian nations to ramp up local spending to reignite global demand with subsequent flow on global benefits for the USA and particularly exporters.
It seems to me this political pressure on China and Asia by the current administation does risk creating the same unstained bubble, but this time in china. But I doubt is anyone in china or Asia buys that party line.
Best wishes
I won't be shopping on the day after Turkey day. I will be doing what crow does, I will be flying. It will make it easy to accept his request( as I am prone to shopping on black friday). This year I won't.
ReplyDeletePlease give Crow a hug from me and Lily.xoxo
good point about feeding the birds.... i'll have to install a bird feeder @ the ReStore, and in my back yard at home. perhaps do some research on deer as well, as we have a flock in the near vicinity pretty much year round..... shall i leave a stash of Remy Martin and fruitcake?
ReplyDeletepagan sphinx - The crows at large have finally decided it's time to show their feathers in order to prove to man we are all the crowns of creation. No species should claim precedence over any other. You knew that.
ReplyDeleteBrandy, coffee, and fruitcake will be shared in your good company.
lisa - As more and more people of good heart find themselves on the other side of that metaphorical door, the likelihood of common wisdom grows. Maybe we should start a movement called 'Buy Less Every Day'.
lindsay - Thank you kind sir for the compliment. As a very old and relatively wise bird I don't fear for myself but I do feel great disappointment for all that's being wasted - time, talent, and opportunity are gifts given to everyone equally. There are those whose madness rules too many and that's a great sadness.
belette - It's always good to spend a little time above the cloud layers looking at the skyways. Buying a little wine on your flight may increase your enjoyment.
gfid - I'm sure the birds and deer will appreciate whatever you leave for them but please save the Remy and fruitcake for me. I'll make haste to visit.