I can't remember that the news and opinion flow has been so low as now during my soon two and a half year blogging on political science. It is a good time to take a little time off.
So far I have been writing on money that I inherited and my blog has been independent politically. I have gone through the field of political science systematically and I am beginning to gravitate towards a social liberal stance. From now on I will continue to blog independently on American pension money that I earned while working as a biomedical researcher during 9.5 years in Philadelphia between 1984 and 1993.
This means that I will be a tax payer. I mention this because as I earlier have said some people are abusing me for ten years now by placing me in a mental swamp of human noise. They are giving me some ailments too to make me feel bad and older than I am. It is going to be interesting to see if I will get a different treatment while actively contributing economically to society. Not that I think a person being forced off the work market by some kind of mafia should not get a decent treatment.
Today I got myself a pair of decent jogging shoes because I will spend a week trekking the coast line. Like doing a week in the mountains. My first impression is that I probably have to start taking care of my body a little. I got pain in my legs. Physicians still claim this is beneficial for our health to exercise. Have a nice vacation to all of you!
20100726
20100725
Britain and Sweden in the world?
The Hindu : Columns / Hasan Suroor : Britain: redefining its global status: "Indeed, there is a growing view that Britain must now abandon its search for a post-Raj role and learn to live by the new world order in which those it once governed are the new masters. But, in refusing to read the writing on the wall, old colonial powers can be like ageing ballerinas who are often reluctant to acknowledge that their glory days are over and time has come for them to leave the stage before push comes to shove."
The columnist in question is giving Britain a beating for having been imperialistic. It is interesting reading. I get a feeling we have enemies out there. However, India and China are developing from partly the same paradigm that was created in England and Scotland during the 17th and 18th centuries. Furthermore, there is a sense that India, in this case, is beating from a position where the full country with all its poverty is in the same shape as Britain's. They are not!
The question is if India and China will be the "new masters"? The West and India is about them same number of people. I think it would be nice of India would develop into an equal partner but its becoming a new master is rather far fetched. The column brings about the question if India and China can rule by dividing? If they can single out country by country and finish them off without the rest of the West reacting? Is NATO hereby getting a new meaning? A new role where economic security would be more in focus?
Hostile attitudes like the one above could act as a unifying agent on the EU and on the trans-Atlantic relationship. Another effect might be just on Britain's choice of junior partner with the US or member of the EU. This choice will have historic meaning. Another fate for the states of Europe might be to end up as the neutral-bent Sweden. Sweden's rhetoric has however been lately rather "we the EU". The word is still out on the effect of the debt crisis. Will it federalize or divide Europe or will EU just muddle through with part of the state affairs in common custody? Will Europe be left alone?
The columnist in question is giving Britain a beating for having been imperialistic. It is interesting reading. I get a feeling we have enemies out there. However, India and China are developing from partly the same paradigm that was created in England and Scotland during the 17th and 18th centuries. Furthermore, there is a sense that India, in this case, is beating from a position where the full country with all its poverty is in the same shape as Britain's. They are not!
The question is if India and China will be the "new masters"? The West and India is about them same number of people. I think it would be nice of India would develop into an equal partner but its becoming a new master is rather far fetched. The column brings about the question if India and China can rule by dividing? If they can single out country by country and finish them off without the rest of the West reacting? Is NATO hereby getting a new meaning? A new role where economic security would be more in focus?
Hostile attitudes like the one above could act as a unifying agent on the EU and on the trans-Atlantic relationship. Another effect might be just on Britain's choice of junior partner with the US or member of the EU. This choice will have historic meaning. Another fate for the states of Europe might be to end up as the neutral-bent Sweden. Sweden's rhetoric has however been lately rather "we the EU". The word is still out on the effect of the debt crisis. Will it federalize or divide Europe or will EU just muddle through with part of the state affairs in common custody? Will Europe be left alone?
20100721
Make the world safe for democracy?
EUobserver / EU-Chinese 'misunderstanding' on the rise, senior Beijing official warns: "'Europe believes it has the best and that the whole world should copy it, although after a long period of time, many countries that did copy it are not so successful,' said Ms Fu. 'But Europe does not lose its confidence, you keep on lecturing.'"
Ms Fu Ying was Ambassador to the UK for three years and now is deputy foreign minister of China. Does she have a point? Perhaps races have sufficient different genetics to differ in their behaviors so that politics becomes different. Many genes are involved in the difference of skin color and facial characteristics. There is evidence that a single gene mutation in a prairie rat can make them promiscuous. A single gene difference that creates a very different seemingly complex behavioral pattern of forming a couple for life or living promiscuous.
Democracy is just not the thing, perhaps, for the Chinese. They have a collectivistic bent and the individualistic Westerners organize differently. Wilson was wrong when he thought the whole world was susceptible to the democratic way? He did not even manage to convince the US that a world government was due. It is, in other words, significant when Mao could transform the Chinese into a communistic society thus sacrificing some 70m lives in the prospect.
Well, perhaps now when people start sequencing the full genomes of people and can start making comparisons it is time to question the idea that the world could unite under one flag. After all, the EU has significant problems doing so. Again science has progressed and provided new clues as to how politics is played out. The first full genome was sequenced in 2003 so things have just started to move. The prize for a full genome sequence is soon down to a $1,000 per person. Interestingly they have also found differences between the genomes of different tissues of a single person. Exciting things are happening in the embryology of the nervous system involving genetic differences.
Liberalism and the Western way were formed in the 17th century of Europe by Hobbes, Spinoza and Locke and forged on the basis of scientific pursuit. Science might now be back taunting us to reconsider what the holocaust warned for. We then have to realize that different races might provide different talents to mankind's development. We have to look for the benefits of each race and try to get along. There are problems like the revolutionary tendency of Iran. There must be an end to the notion of introducing one organizing principle on Earth.
Well, I don't know yet if I'm right in my assumptions but Ms Fu Ying seems to ask something like this from us. The Chinese themselves are trying to guess where they will land in their break-neck speed development. John Locke told us approximately where we would land over the ages and he was second guessed by the forefathers of the US. I have this fear, however, that the Chinese might not be all that different from us. They too would want the pursuit of happiness. However, happiness might mean something different to them. They might be more intuned to the freedom definition of Rousseau that was wrong in the West.
Ms Fu Ying was Ambassador to the UK for three years and now is deputy foreign minister of China. Does she have a point? Perhaps races have sufficient different genetics to differ in their behaviors so that politics becomes different. Many genes are involved in the difference of skin color and facial characteristics. There is evidence that a single gene mutation in a prairie rat can make them promiscuous. A single gene difference that creates a very different seemingly complex behavioral pattern of forming a couple for life or living promiscuous.
Democracy is just not the thing, perhaps, for the Chinese. They have a collectivistic bent and the individualistic Westerners organize differently. Wilson was wrong when he thought the whole world was susceptible to the democratic way? He did not even manage to convince the US that a world government was due. It is, in other words, significant when Mao could transform the Chinese into a communistic society thus sacrificing some 70m lives in the prospect.
Well, perhaps now when people start sequencing the full genomes of people and can start making comparisons it is time to question the idea that the world could unite under one flag. After all, the EU has significant problems doing so. Again science has progressed and provided new clues as to how politics is played out. The first full genome was sequenced in 2003 so things have just started to move. The prize for a full genome sequence is soon down to a $1,000 per person. Interestingly they have also found differences between the genomes of different tissues of a single person. Exciting things are happening in the embryology of the nervous system involving genetic differences.
Liberalism and the Western way were formed in the 17th century of Europe by Hobbes, Spinoza and Locke and forged on the basis of scientific pursuit. Science might now be back taunting us to reconsider what the holocaust warned for. We then have to realize that different races might provide different talents to mankind's development. We have to look for the benefits of each race and try to get along. There are problems like the revolutionary tendency of Iran. There must be an end to the notion of introducing one organizing principle on Earth.
Well, I don't know yet if I'm right in my assumptions but Ms Fu Ying seems to ask something like this from us. The Chinese themselves are trying to guess where they will land in their break-neck speed development. John Locke told us approximately where we would land over the ages and he was second guessed by the forefathers of the US. I have this fear, however, that the Chinese might not be all that different from us. They too would want the pursuit of happiness. However, happiness might mean something different to them. They might be more intuned to the freedom definition of Rousseau that was wrong in the West.
20100715
The Swedish role in the world?
Tallyho! Hunting for a British role - The Globe and Mail: "It’s been nearly 50 years since U.S. secretary of state Dean Acheson whipped up a storm by saying Britain had lost an empire but not yet found a role. Role hunting has been a British sport ever since. Tallyho! goes up the cry, every time they have a new government, and off they gallop, led by the prime minister and the foreign secretary. The fox usually gets away in the end – and Britain sinks back into doing whatever it does."
Timothy Garton Ash complains in his way on the problem for a 60m country to have a say here on Earth as we speak. What does Sweden then have to say in the world with its 9m people, 2% of the population of the EU? Some people in Sweden talks nostalgically about "Stormakts Sverige", the time when Swedish kings like Gustavus Adolphus foraged around in Europe for fame and glory while ruining their country. The king in question died the same year as Baruch Spinoza and John Locke were born, by the way. The Social Democrats in Sweden introduced a pacifistic bent where Sweden represented the World Conscience.
The Social Democrat Ulf Bjereld made his dissertation on something as esoteric as a Swedish Middle East Policy and interestingly the current foreign minister Carl Bildt is fairly in line with the Social Democrats on these issues where he is more American on others as the Turkish question. It is interesting to note, by the way, that Germany's energy company RWE has shown interest in the Russian Turkey avoiding South Stream pipeline negotiated by Gerhard Schröder over the Nabucco ditto, despite a double cost estimate.
Considering Garton Ash's role search above, is it possible for Sweden to find a new path from the World Conscience one of the Social Democrats? I personally find the World Conscience one very unsatisfactory because it disregards power. If you want democracy to reign supreme it's wise to, like Britain, play a role as a firm supporter of the US. I'm surprised Garton Ash is not referring to this role? Carl Bildt is trying a new way in between Britain and Old Sweden: having relationships with powers you might not dislike and still work for democracy in other ways. I guess the power Poles and Swedes don't like is Russia, but as we just discussed, keep a relationship--and let Germany do the power thing.
Stand by your Man, Garton Ash!
Timothy Garton Ash complains in his way on the problem for a 60m country to have a say here on Earth as we speak. What does Sweden then have to say in the world with its 9m people, 2% of the population of the EU? Some people in Sweden talks nostalgically about "Stormakts Sverige", the time when Swedish kings like Gustavus Adolphus foraged around in Europe for fame and glory while ruining their country. The king in question died the same year as Baruch Spinoza and John Locke were born, by the way. The Social Democrats in Sweden introduced a pacifistic bent where Sweden represented the World Conscience.
The Social Democrat Ulf Bjereld made his dissertation on something as esoteric as a Swedish Middle East Policy and interestingly the current foreign minister Carl Bildt is fairly in line with the Social Democrats on these issues where he is more American on others as the Turkish question. It is interesting to note, by the way, that Germany's energy company RWE has shown interest in the Russian Turkey avoiding South Stream pipeline negotiated by Gerhard Schröder over the Nabucco ditto, despite a double cost estimate.
Considering Garton Ash's role search above, is it possible for Sweden to find a new path from the World Conscience one of the Social Democrats? I personally find the World Conscience one very unsatisfactory because it disregards power. If you want democracy to reign supreme it's wise to, like Britain, play a role as a firm supporter of the US. I'm surprised Garton Ash is not referring to this role? Carl Bildt is trying a new way in between Britain and Old Sweden: having relationships with powers you might not dislike and still work for democracy in other ways. I guess the power Poles and Swedes don't like is Russia, but as we just discussed, keep a relationship--and let Germany do the power thing.
Stand by your Man, Garton Ash!
20100714
Are we kidding ourselves in Sweden?
The disintegration of the welfare state - The Globe and Mail: "Democracies produced Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, fulfilling the expectation of Socrates and Machiavelli that democracies end in tyranny. Now democracies are fulfilling the complementary expectation of Nobel laureate economist Milton Friedman that democracies end in bankruptcy."
I was not impressed by Socrates' political philosophy and I did not like Machiavelli either. It is of course interesting that Friedman said what he said these days of the European debt crisis but I belong to those thinking that governments should intervene in the economy. The New York Times Friedman is very self-depreciating these days. From his articles it seems like the days of the US are over.
It is of course OK that Greece is in trouble but when people start to say that Italy is in for a bankruptcy, like Neil Reynolds above, perhaps it is time to react and wonder if the Western civilization is about to end? If you currently live in Sweden, however, things are just fine. According to the government Sweden is "föregångslandet", ie a country that others follow. The economy of Sweden is the best in Europe and there will be plenty of money for our pensions if we just work a little longer. The problem with that one might be that we have the greatest youth unemployment in Europe so there are many in line for the jobs we are going to stay onto longer.
Part of the lack of gloom might be that we are in for an election of government soon. The debate of how Europe is going to escape the imminent doom is simply absent from the election campaigns. There is not even the talk about austerity that the British heard prior to their recent election. It is interesting though, because what I find politically on my screen reading around on the internet for information on what goes on in the world is argumentation that seems to aim at convincing me that China's new path is the way to go.
Personally I don't think China has an idea of what they are getting themselves into with the speed that they are developing. The West, on the contrary, has had their problems. I'm a firm believer of democracy. To operate a country with an opposition. If you don't, things will catch up on you.
I was not impressed by Socrates' political philosophy and I did not like Machiavelli either. It is of course interesting that Friedman said what he said these days of the European debt crisis but I belong to those thinking that governments should intervene in the economy. The New York Times Friedman is very self-depreciating these days. From his articles it seems like the days of the US are over.
It is of course OK that Greece is in trouble but when people start to say that Italy is in for a bankruptcy, like Neil Reynolds above, perhaps it is time to react and wonder if the Western civilization is about to end? If you currently live in Sweden, however, things are just fine. According to the government Sweden is "föregångslandet", ie a country that others follow. The economy of Sweden is the best in Europe and there will be plenty of money for our pensions if we just work a little longer. The problem with that one might be that we have the greatest youth unemployment in Europe so there are many in line for the jobs we are going to stay onto longer.
Part of the lack of gloom might be that we are in for an election of government soon. The debate of how Europe is going to escape the imminent doom is simply absent from the election campaigns. There is not even the talk about austerity that the British heard prior to their recent election. It is interesting though, because what I find politically on my screen reading around on the internet for information on what goes on in the world is argumentation that seems to aim at convincing me that China's new path is the way to go.
Personally I don't think China has an idea of what they are getting themselves into with the speed that they are developing. The West, on the contrary, has had their problems. I'm a firm believer of democracy. To operate a country with an opposition. If you don't, things will catch up on you.
20100713
Ecologism?
The Big Green Lie Exposed - Walter Russell Mead's Blog - The American Interest: "The Big Green Lie (or Delusion, to be charitable) isn’t so much that climate change is happening and that it is very likely caused or at least exacerbated by human activity. The Big Lie is that the green movement is a source of coherent or responsible counsel about what to do."
"The ideas that get us out of this mess will be ideas that work for specific countries and that make the economy work better, produce more wealth and use energy and raw materials more efficiently."
Walter Russell Mead compares the ecology movement with an alarm clock. Once we have waked up it should be turned off. I have myself said earlier in the blog that I'm not sure I believe that ecologism has relevance as a political doctrine. In political philosophy it only boils down to don't waste and pollute less. As a proponent for Religious Humanism I should perhaps be more of a romantic for Nature. It is just that Man is also part of Nature and his well being should also be taken into consideration. Perhaps with priority over the environment.
Johan Norberg discusses the situation in Sweden between liberalism and environmentalism in his resumé from a debate with the porte parole of the Greens, Maria Wetterstrand. Johan Norberg brings up the disdain for technology development and life style morality as important differences. Walter Russell Mead brings up the problems of prohibition as an example on what life style moralism might do.
The question is what happened to the environmental media debate? I had warned Europe for using the environmental morality weapon against China and the US. Did they tell Europe to be quiet at the COP15 meeting? A conspiracy theorist would relish thinking that the debt crisis is punishment by the "markets".
"The ideas that get us out of this mess will be ideas that work for specific countries and that make the economy work better, produce more wealth and use energy and raw materials more efficiently."
Walter Russell Mead compares the ecology movement with an alarm clock. Once we have waked up it should be turned off. I have myself said earlier in the blog that I'm not sure I believe that ecologism has relevance as a political doctrine. In political philosophy it only boils down to don't waste and pollute less. As a proponent for Religious Humanism I should perhaps be more of a romantic for Nature. It is just that Man is also part of Nature and his well being should also be taken into consideration. Perhaps with priority over the environment.
Johan Norberg discusses the situation in Sweden between liberalism and environmentalism in his resumé from a debate with the porte parole of the Greens, Maria Wetterstrand. Johan Norberg brings up the disdain for technology development and life style morality as important differences. Walter Russell Mead brings up the problems of prohibition as an example on what life style moralism might do.
The question is what happened to the environmental media debate? I had warned Europe for using the environmental morality weapon against China and the US. Did they tell Europe to be quiet at the COP15 meeting? A conspiracy theorist would relish thinking that the debt crisis is punishment by the "markets".
20100708
Independents?
With only 38% of Independent voters now approving Obama how much lower will his overall support go next month? - Yahoo! Answers: "Thirty-eight percent of independents approve of the job Barack Obama is doing as president, the first time independent approval of Obama has dropped below 40% in a Gallup Daily tracking weekly aggregate. Meanwhile, Obama maintains the support of 81% of Democrats, and his job approval among Republicans remains low, at 12%."
According to social psychologists democrats value care and fairness over loyalty, respect for authorities and purity which is what republicans value most. As the data show above the US is fairly polarized among the two major parties. RealClearPolitics.com shows that the current trend for the US is that Obama is slowly losing overall support he is now at 46% and that the number of people that think the US is on the wrong track is slowly increasing and now at 62%.
When you, like myself, end up as an independent in a highly polarized environment, you get angry looks from both sides. It would be my guess that independents might often be interested in foreign policy. Except for the Libertarians in the US that are isolationist. However, as the article in SpiegelOnline that I cited earlier today showed two-thirds of Germans are against the Afghanistan mission. The author argues that in the representative system it is still up to the government to rule as it sees fit between the elections and that it therefore is a legitimate mission.
Can't help thinking that such a discordance between the people and the ruling elite is troublesome. The German people, according to the Eurobarometer, does not want to share a foreign policy with the US. Thus this is probably the more important reason for the discontent rather than the casualties, 46 so far. Robert D. Blackwill, a former US Ambassador to India, suggests that it is time for partitioning Afghanistan into a northern and a southern region. That would mean that the peacekeepers, like Sweden and Germany, might help out in the north-west and that the US and the Commonwealth would fight the Pashtuns in the south. I thought it already looked like such a partition was in place?
So, what kind of prediction could be made from the falling and rising discontent of Obama and his mission, respectively? It is soon midterm elections and Obama even smiled when meeting Netanyahu recently. General Petraeus conveniently fell asleep when he was to answer if the July 2011 deadline in Afghanistan was reasonable. Obama has to keep this wording because he wants to maintain his leftish Democrat support. The last figures I saw on the amount of people negative on Afghanistan was around 50% so there is a similar situation to that in Germany.
The reason I wrote all this is to note the important thing that it seems like the elites and the people live and judge matters with different information in different worlds. This is a threat to democracy! We need more transparency.
According to social psychologists democrats value care and fairness over loyalty, respect for authorities and purity which is what republicans value most. As the data show above the US is fairly polarized among the two major parties. RealClearPolitics.com shows that the current trend for the US is that Obama is slowly losing overall support he is now at 46% and that the number of people that think the US is on the wrong track is slowly increasing and now at 62%.
When you, like myself, end up as an independent in a highly polarized environment, you get angry looks from both sides. It would be my guess that independents might often be interested in foreign policy. Except for the Libertarians in the US that are isolationist. However, as the article in SpiegelOnline that I cited earlier today showed two-thirds of Germans are against the Afghanistan mission. The author argues that in the representative system it is still up to the government to rule as it sees fit between the elections and that it therefore is a legitimate mission.
Can't help thinking that such a discordance between the people and the ruling elite is troublesome. The German people, according to the Eurobarometer, does not want to share a foreign policy with the US. Thus this is probably the more important reason for the discontent rather than the casualties, 46 so far. Robert D. Blackwill, a former US Ambassador to India, suggests that it is time for partitioning Afghanistan into a northern and a southern region. That would mean that the peacekeepers, like Sweden and Germany, might help out in the north-west and that the US and the Commonwealth would fight the Pashtuns in the south. I thought it already looked like such a partition was in place?
So, what kind of prediction could be made from the falling and rising discontent of Obama and his mission, respectively? It is soon midterm elections and Obama even smiled when meeting Netanyahu recently. General Petraeus conveniently fell asleep when he was to answer if the July 2011 deadline in Afghanistan was reasonable. Obama has to keep this wording because he wants to maintain his leftish Democrat support. The last figures I saw on the amount of people negative on Afghanistan was around 50% so there is a similar situation to that in Germany.
The reason I wrote all this is to note the important thing that it seems like the elites and the people live and judge matters with different information in different worlds. This is a threat to democracy! We need more transparency.
The Modern Soldier?
Afghanistan and the West: The Difficult Relationship between Democracy and War - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International: "And because the German public is particularly sensitive, as a result of the two world wars, the Bundeswehr has even tried to create a new type of soldier: the good, good-natured warrior, a man with a rose in his gun barrel, friendly, helpful and devoid of the inner beast."
The COIN wielding General McChrystal was sacked. One reason could have been that the new aid worker like soldier did not function as expected. It is about winning hearts and minds but if the Taliban runs a full scale terror against this approach the question is if this does not require harder resistance? Someone on the Swedish radio proudly said that the Swedish soldiers were much better than the Americans on peace keeping. I guess the problem is that if there is no peace to keep this might represent a problem rather than an asset.
I'd like to continue from my last post and ask if the Talibans are an equivalent of the Indians? I don't think so myself. They are rather gangsters in the drug trade. Most Afghans probably see what their society could become if peace reined and if their economy could be boosted. They want to integrate with a world economy and live more comfortable lives, albeit with their own religion. The eternal question then is what kind of soldier is in need for fighting the Afghan battle? This is apparently a matter of intense debate. The Taliban's tactics, like Hamas', is to hide out among civilians and to use gangster methods to coerce these people. Is it possible to fight such battles without civilian casualties. I don't think so but politicians must face a debate on how high the losses can be before the mission is to be cancelled. The article above is asking the German politicians to do this.
Is the soldier depicted above a fictive construct or is it possible to generate such individuals? After all, when people start shooting at each other survival becomes paramount and stipulating examples is part of war fare. It is of course a great difference of coming in from outside and fight in somebody's else's war than to be engaged in a local conflict with age old internal problems and animosities that elicit demand for revenge that then would ignite the soldier's "inner beast" mentioned. The article is important because it brings up the current juggling of responsibility and judgment between the politicians and the military.
The COIN wielding General McChrystal was sacked. One reason could have been that the new aid worker like soldier did not function as expected. It is about winning hearts and minds but if the Taliban runs a full scale terror against this approach the question is if this does not require harder resistance? Someone on the Swedish radio proudly said that the Swedish soldiers were much better than the Americans on peace keeping. I guess the problem is that if there is no peace to keep this might represent a problem rather than an asset.
I'd like to continue from my last post and ask if the Talibans are an equivalent of the Indians? I don't think so myself. They are rather gangsters in the drug trade. Most Afghans probably see what their society could become if peace reined and if their economy could be boosted. They want to integrate with a world economy and live more comfortable lives, albeit with their own religion. The eternal question then is what kind of soldier is in need for fighting the Afghan battle? This is apparently a matter of intense debate. The Taliban's tactics, like Hamas', is to hide out among civilians and to use gangster methods to coerce these people. Is it possible to fight such battles without civilian casualties. I don't think so but politicians must face a debate on how high the losses can be before the mission is to be cancelled. The article above is asking the German politicians to do this.
Is the soldier depicted above a fictive construct or is it possible to generate such individuals? After all, when people start shooting at each other survival becomes paramount and stipulating examples is part of war fare. It is of course a great difference of coming in from outside and fight in somebody's else's war than to be engaged in a local conflict with age old internal problems and animosities that elicit demand for revenge that then would ignite the soldier's "inner beast" mentioned. The article is important because it brings up the current juggling of responsibility and judgment between the politicians and the military.
20100707
Indians, does an equivalent exist today?
I have been called an Indian, ie an American Indian, from the unfortunate culture that was decimated extensively by the Europeans. The Europeans came along with their superior learning and technology and if you look at the United States today, my feeling is that Indians should have been encouraged to integrate into the Western society. It is of course a sensitive issue since both cultures have value. Did they for example have a different morality?
Does this mean that I am an Indian equivalent today when I was excluded from certain aspects of learning and technology of today during my upbringing? The school failed to teach me the new ways. There ought to be a lot of Indians in this case. Following the reasoning above, the new culture could have a new morality that would be superior to mine from the old world. However, if the new ways would be using the same morality, I would not have any problems integrating.
I don't know about you but I have a feeling that I am too similar to be the equivalent of an Indian that has been pushed to the reservation, or the outsideship. I would also pose the question if the old morality is not superior to the new rules. Since morality to a large extent is genetically defined, I don't suspect that there should exist a new one. What I fear, as I have detailed elsewhere, is that the new ways are immoral?
I think I mentioned this earlier, but if I'm right in my assumption, the load of the so defined Indians might be what is holding the economy of the West down right now? Increased transparency for the technology might therefore have a beneficial effect on the economy?
Does this mean that I am an Indian equivalent today when I was excluded from certain aspects of learning and technology of today during my upbringing? The school failed to teach me the new ways. There ought to be a lot of Indians in this case. Following the reasoning above, the new culture could have a new morality that would be superior to mine from the old world. However, if the new ways would be using the same morality, I would not have any problems integrating.
I don't know about you but I have a feeling that I am too similar to be the equivalent of an Indian that has been pushed to the reservation, or the outsideship. I would also pose the question if the old morality is not superior to the new rules. Since morality to a large extent is genetically defined, I don't suspect that there should exist a new one. What I fear, as I have detailed elsewhere, is that the new ways are immoral?
I think I mentioned this earlier, but if I'm right in my assumption, the load of the so defined Indians might be what is holding the economy of the West down right now? Increased transparency for the technology might therefore have a beneficial effect on the economy?
20100706
Perhaps the World's Most Important Idea?
Locke discussed, some people think, the notion of State of Nature with Hobbes' view of a State of War. Locke did not agree, however, and suggested that Laws of Nature governed the moral of people that behaved. Not all though, so a state was necessary to enforce the laws.
Although Grotius had claimed that the laws come from people and do not need God, Locke believed that God gave the moral to people and were against atheists. No one, however, was divinely given the right to rule over other people.
Spinoza, who was born 1632, as was Locke, then explained that God was Nature and therefore a very modern view that morals are coded genetically was in principle there already in the 17th century.
What Locke said was however in tune with his time and the self-evidentness of mans right to life, liberty and property gave rise to the American Revolution that later returned the grace to Europe and saved the 20th century from ruin twice.
Locke was actually a trained physician and his notion of morals as biological might have been the single most powerful idea of all times? Political Science starts here.
Although Grotius had claimed that the laws come from people and do not need God, Locke believed that God gave the moral to people and were against atheists. No one, however, was divinely given the right to rule over other people.
Spinoza, who was born 1632, as was Locke, then explained that God was Nature and therefore a very modern view that morals are coded genetically was in principle there already in the 17th century.
What Locke said was however in tune with his time and the self-evidentness of mans right to life, liberty and property gave rise to the American Revolution that later returned the grace to Europe and saved the 20th century from ruin twice.
Locke was actually a trained physician and his notion of morals as biological might have been the single most powerful idea of all times? Political Science starts here.
Poland and the EU?
EUobserver / EU's dream candidate wins Polish election: "The 58-year-old historian, aristocrat and former anti-Communist activist is set to be inaugurated in mid-August to become Poland's fifth head of state since the fall of Communism in 1989. The outcome is a victory for the younger, urban class of Poles in northern and western Poland, who have prospered over the past 20 years and who see the country's future in terms of further EU integration, market liberalisation and reconciliation with Germany and Russia."
Bronislaw Komorowski won over Jaroslaw Kaczynski with 53% of the vote against 47%. A close call for EU favorables who happily received the news. This makes it possible for Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister, and his party the Civic Platform to dominate the scene for a while. Tusk and Komorowski are very favorable to the EU and indeed want to join the Euro as soon as possible. The Kaczynskis on the other have had a much more nationalistic bent. The Polish people thus are divided between those that want to integrate in the EU and those who want to maintain Polish integrity. Thus the maturity of the Polish democracy will be tested.
The longing of an integral Poland is understandable. Poland lost 6m people during World War II and have been occupied by the Soviet Union for so many years. However, sandwiched between Russia and Germany, Poland also hopes that the EU will buffer their power and that membership will afford stability and prosperity. Carl Bildt claims that Tusk, Komorowski and Sikorski is more amenable to Swedish collaboration.
The Catholic Church played an important role during the liberation from the Soviet Union, but now with Kaczynski era over due to the Smolensk disaster where Kaczynski friends preferentially were eradicated, perhaps its importance will be less influential. Poland will thus become more of a normal European state. According to the above citation young urban Poles have prospered a lot and many of them are probably connected with the 15 to 20m diaspora, to be compared with a population of 40m, which have been important for the post-communistic growth of Poland. Some 8m Poles live in the US and Chicago is the second largest Polish city in the world. I don't know how symbolic it was of Poland to chose the 4th of July for the Presidential election.
However, Jaroslaw Kaczynskis strong showing in the second round of the election points in a direction were Bronislaw Komorowski might not dare to make necessary reforms due to soon upcoming elections which could be utilized by Kaczynski.
Bronislaw Komorowski won over Jaroslaw Kaczynski with 53% of the vote against 47%. A close call for EU favorables who happily received the news. This makes it possible for Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister, and his party the Civic Platform to dominate the scene for a while. Tusk and Komorowski are very favorable to the EU and indeed want to join the Euro as soon as possible. The Kaczynskis on the other have had a much more nationalistic bent. The Polish people thus are divided between those that want to integrate in the EU and those who want to maintain Polish integrity. Thus the maturity of the Polish democracy will be tested.
The longing of an integral Poland is understandable. Poland lost 6m people during World War II and have been occupied by the Soviet Union for so many years. However, sandwiched between Russia and Germany, Poland also hopes that the EU will buffer their power and that membership will afford stability and prosperity. Carl Bildt claims that Tusk, Komorowski and Sikorski is more amenable to Swedish collaboration.
The Catholic Church played an important role during the liberation from the Soviet Union, but now with Kaczynski era over due to the Smolensk disaster where Kaczynski friends preferentially were eradicated, perhaps its importance will be less influential. Poland will thus become more of a normal European state. According to the above citation young urban Poles have prospered a lot and many of them are probably connected with the 15 to 20m diaspora, to be compared with a population of 40m, which have been important for the post-communistic growth of Poland. Some 8m Poles live in the US and Chicago is the second largest Polish city in the world. I don't know how symbolic it was of Poland to chose the 4th of July for the Presidential election.
However, Jaroslaw Kaczynskis strong showing in the second round of the election points in a direction were Bronislaw Komorowski might not dare to make necessary reforms due to soon upcoming elections which could be utilized by Kaczynski.
20100704
From the "Folkhem" to the Cultural Racism of Tribalism?
They used to worship the social democratic God and all stood equal under the Northern Lights. Then the body snatchers arrived, made a fortune on selling small pills, and divided the kingdom up into many tribes clandestinely held together by a "chef".
When the tribes evolved and gathered various amounts of knowledge and richness a distinct difference between them appeared. A new cultural racism developed with a new supremacy concept replacing the equality imposed by the state bearing party.
Tribal members learned new behaviors for interacting between members of different tribes. It was possible for more powerful tribes to listen to the thoughts of a lesser person to win out in conversations. Plan conversations with knowledge of the memories of a given person. Criminal persons tended to interact with a person via others to not expose themselves.
Criminality, like the just mentioned, and other types could not be adjusted because of the secrecy involved. Rule of Law was a mere memory. There was no longer justice for the individual.
Well, Nelson Mandela managed to remove the apartheid system of South Africa by forgiving the rulers. Something similar ought to be possible in order to introduce transparency and restore the Rule of Law.
"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security." (from the Declaration of Independence of the US from 1776)
When the tribes evolved and gathered various amounts of knowledge and richness a distinct difference between them appeared. A new cultural racism developed with a new supremacy concept replacing the equality imposed by the state bearing party.
Tribal members learned new behaviors for interacting between members of different tribes. It was possible for more powerful tribes to listen to the thoughts of a lesser person to win out in conversations. Plan conversations with knowledge of the memories of a given person. Criminal persons tended to interact with a person via others to not expose themselves.
Criminality, like the just mentioned, and other types could not be adjusted because of the secrecy involved. Rule of Law was a mere memory. There was no longer justice for the individual.
Well, Nelson Mandela managed to remove the apartheid system of South Africa by forgiving the rulers. Something similar ought to be possible in order to introduce transparency and restore the Rule of Law.
"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security." (from the Declaration of Independence of the US from 1776)
4th of July 2010
Dick Erixon — I hjärtat rebell: "Någonstans slutar människor att vara fria och blir istället statens förslavade undersåtar."
Erixon brings up the difference in being a citizen and a subject something apparently Jefferson chose between when he drafted the Declaration of Independence in 1776. However, is the notion of the state as the only villain not a little simplified? Economical differences between the left and the right still exist, especially in taxation, but the old separation in Conservative, Liberal and Socialist provides a for the times more important discriminator. Because there is bondage both to the left and to the right and freedom of the individual only in the middle. In Sweden though the liberals are for some reason called "night stick" liberals.
The civil society, or Big Society as David Cameron, the British PM calls it, is not a conglomerate of free individuals. Today people voluntarily apparently joins systems of people where they knowingly, or unknowingly, sell their soul to some form of community leader. Some of these systems are very conservative and have ideas on how people should behave in some detail. And they have means of enforcing this behavior.
According to Cameron we then have the unfortuante in the outsideship, without work, and dependent on either the state or on organisations in the civil society. Here life is even more of a subject and the "capos'", or "krösamajornas", enforcement reach torture chamber levels (own experience).
The "block politics" in Sweden unfortunately leave the free zone in between them and we have bondage both to the right and to the left. Freedom will continue to erode as long as people do not talk about TTDE. According to my understanding, the Tea Party movement in the US concerns the existence without a fürer.
Erixon brings up the difference in being a citizen and a subject something apparently Jefferson chose between when he drafted the Declaration of Independence in 1776. However, is the notion of the state as the only villain not a little simplified? Economical differences between the left and the right still exist, especially in taxation, but the old separation in Conservative, Liberal and Socialist provides a for the times more important discriminator. Because there is bondage both to the left and to the right and freedom of the individual only in the middle. In Sweden though the liberals are for some reason called "night stick" liberals.
The civil society, or Big Society as David Cameron, the British PM calls it, is not a conglomerate of free individuals. Today people voluntarily apparently joins systems of people where they knowingly, or unknowingly, sell their soul to some form of community leader. Some of these systems are very conservative and have ideas on how people should behave in some detail. And they have means of enforcing this behavior.
According to Cameron we then have the unfortuante in the outsideship, without work, and dependent on either the state or on organisations in the civil society. Here life is even more of a subject and the "capos'", or "krösamajornas", enforcement reach torture chamber levels (own experience).
The "block politics" in Sweden unfortunately leave the free zone in between them and we have bondage both to the right and to the left. Freedom will continue to erode as long as people do not talk about TTDE. According to my understanding, the Tea Party movement in the US concerns the existence without a fürer.
20100702
Everything is politics?
From a speech by Göran Hägglund, party leader for Kristdemokraterna in Sweden, a conservative party: "Rikstingsdeltagare, Vänstern drivs av en fundamental tes som säger att allt är politik. Det är en i grunden totalitär syn, för i den finns inga givna gränser för vad politiker ska få bestämma om. Det är en syn som är fullkomligt främmande för oss kristdemokrater, och av flera skäl. För det första är vår tradition den naturrättsliga, den som erkänner en grundläggande rätt för människan som ligger djupare än politiska trender. För det andra tror vi att politikens uppgift är att understödja när det behövs, inte att styra i onödan. För det tredje tror vi att det civila samhället, det som är utanför stat och marknad, är den kraft som driver det politiska livet och inte tvärtom."
It is echoing in Great Britain: "So today we are taking an unprecedented step. Based on the belief that it is people, not policymakers, who know best, we are asking the people of Britain to tell us how you want to see your freedom restored." says Nick Clegg, party leader of the Liberal Democrats in the ruling coalition of Great Britain.
It is echoing in Great Britain: "So today we are taking an unprecedented step. Based on the belief that it is people, not policymakers, who know best, we are asking the people of Britain to tell us how you want to see your freedom restored." says Nick Clegg, party leader of the Liberal Democrats in the ruling coalition of Great Britain.
So maybe I'm not a Russian spy, but who in Sweden set me up as an information gatherer without my knowledge?
So after University of Pennsylvania security, or the FBI, or whoever they were, shot me to pieces my wife told me in tongues that she did not want me at home. I had in principle only two ways to go. To Wisconsin where my father and stepmother lived or back to Sweden where my mother lives and I had some other family. At that point in time I had a feeling that my ultimate problems emanated from Sweden and went back to see if I could find any answers. I knew something was wrong. People had used the TTDE on me, and even if I did not realize that it existed, there was an eerie feeling. I was mentally exhaused.
It so happened I returned to my mother's 60 year anniversary party in 1993 and I met relatives and friends. However, coming back was like moving around in a padded room. I had lost the abiliity to talk reason with people. I was a new kind of pariah.
To make a long story short--I am still a pariah. On top of this I have been made a mentally ill person. They actually tried to suggest I should ask for help with my depression while still in the US but I knew I was not depressed. It is actually interesting that it is not possible to make a person depressed, ie true melancholic, with TTDE. What a splendid way for Human Destruction Inc. to get rid of people? They might even take their own lives, to bring down costs, if they have not already been transferred to the tax payer.
My conclusion is that whoever set me up in the first place is keeping me, their human waste product, away from society via what I call Human Destruction Inc., an organization of people dedicated to keeping a person down by various methods inluding TTDE.
It so happened I returned to my mother's 60 year anniversary party in 1993 and I met relatives and friends. However, coming back was like moving around in a padded room. I had lost the abiliity to talk reason with people. I was a new kind of pariah.
To make a long story short--I am still a pariah. On top of this I have been made a mentally ill person. They actually tried to suggest I should ask for help with my depression while still in the US but I knew I was not depressed. It is actually interesting that it is not possible to make a person depressed, ie true melancholic, with TTDE. What a splendid way for Human Destruction Inc. to get rid of people? They might even take their own lives, to bring down costs, if they have not already been transferred to the tax payer.
My conclusion is that whoever set me up in the first place is keeping me, their human waste product, away from society via what I call Human Destruction Inc., an organization of people dedicated to keeping a person down by various methods inluding TTDE.
Why did the people of Germany and France chose such different leaders?
Europe's 'Opposite Twins' Clash Over Future - WSJ.com: "In Paris, Mr. Sarkozy sometimes referred to the German chancellor as the 'woman from the East' during cabinet meetings, a spokesman let slip. Aides to the president say he was often frustrated because Ms. Merkel didn't show enthusiasm for his initiatives"
The cited article is a must read for anyone trying to understand the status of the current Europe. Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy are so different that they might be able to collaborate just because of this but, of course, each leader have chosen an administration of people they get along with and these two teams have been fighting it out for a while now after the debt crisis of Greece.
Yesterday there was an article by Hans-Werner Sinn, apparently one of Germany's heaviest economists who writes for Project Syndicate, where he blamed president Sarkozy for the unnecessary bail-out on €750bn of the "Club-Med". Sinn does not agree but the political elite in Germany speak in terms of separating northern Europe from southern where they want to place France. Polls are down for both Sarkozy and Merkel but most worries are for Merkel whose coalition with FDP, that have gone from a 15% support at the election to 5% now, is in apparent danger. Bo-Inge Andersson at SVT claims the animosities are real between CDU and FDP.
Right now there is an ongoing process of establishing an economic government for the EU. According to observers, France and Germany differ in the proper understanding of what this steering mechanism actually would entail. The Economist reported a while ago that 50% of the people of France think capitalism is kaput vs. 8% for the people of Germany. The export machine of Germany is therefore running full steam while the French ponder what to do next.
I'm not sure but there might be a polarization in Europe on whether there will be more integration or not. Charlemagne made an interesting note on the difference between politicians in member countries and the Eurocrats in terms on how they value money. The Eurocrats anticipate a bright future with increasing revenue for their trade whereas the nationals worry on how to make ends meet, being the ones that actually are the bread winners.
The cited article is a must read for anyone trying to understand the status of the current Europe. Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy are so different that they might be able to collaborate just because of this but, of course, each leader have chosen an administration of people they get along with and these two teams have been fighting it out for a while now after the debt crisis of Greece.
Yesterday there was an article by Hans-Werner Sinn, apparently one of Germany's heaviest economists who writes for Project Syndicate, where he blamed president Sarkozy for the unnecessary bail-out on €750bn of the "Club-Med". Sinn does not agree but the political elite in Germany speak in terms of separating northern Europe from southern where they want to place France. Polls are down for both Sarkozy and Merkel but most worries are for Merkel whose coalition with FDP, that have gone from a 15% support at the election to 5% now, is in apparent danger. Bo-Inge Andersson at SVT claims the animosities are real between CDU and FDP.
Right now there is an ongoing process of establishing an economic government for the EU. According to observers, France and Germany differ in the proper understanding of what this steering mechanism actually would entail. The Economist reported a while ago that 50% of the people of France think capitalism is kaput vs. 8% for the people of Germany. The export machine of Germany is therefore running full steam while the French ponder what to do next.
I'm not sure but there might be a polarization in Europe on whether there will be more integration or not. Charlemagne made an interesting note on the difference between politicians in member countries and the Eurocrats in terms on how they value money. The Eurocrats anticipate a bright future with increasing revenue for their trade whereas the nationals worry on how to make ends meet, being the ones that actually are the bread winners.
Prenumerera på:
Inlägg (Atom)
