Winston Smith

Twitchings of a dying system

2012-01-24T22:12:00.000+11:00

More and more people realise that money has no more value attached to it, and about its role to maintain a system of domination that enslaves the majority of mankind. Many still believe in the myth of money though, and happily accept imposed austerity by a bunch of wealthy crooks, who most likely prefer to be called banker or politician or journalist.

2012 has just begun, and real life manages to exceed some of the doomsday scenarios believers in the end of the world according to the Mayan calendar subscribe to. As last act in the old year, Obama signed off the NDAA, converting US citizens into property of the state. Any US citizen can now be taken by the military for indefinite detention.

The Stanford Prison Experiment provides enough evidence to rethink the idea of prisons at all, instead Alex Jones visions of a prisonplanet become reality. However, as world leader in the private prison industry, lobbying for more crime makes just perfect sense. NDAA doesn't even require crimes to be committed anymore - the government knows best, and doesn't need to tell anything.

So I can only hope that the brave people trying to employ the people's mic in Grand Central Station will resurface, and not end up in an infamous FEMA camp, most likely run by Serco or Wackenhut. NDAA retroactively 'legalised' the abhorrent treatment Bradley Manning received for shining a light on shameless human rights abuses conducted in the name of American people.

The wrath of inane governments doesn't end here. Julian Assange is now for more than 400 days in house arrest, a form of punishment Galileo received for daring to claim that the Earth spins around the Sun. Even before the American entertainment industry is granted extraordinary rights to force anyone on the planet to prove their innocence from 'piracy', the FBI took down megaupload, most likely the biggest file-sharing (cloud-storage) site on the internet.

Even more, the FBI convicted New Zealand's police to raid the mansion of the owners of megaupload, and seized their asset in a foreign country. Meanwhile, illegal assassination of Pakistanis (and most likely Iranians) with drones continues, not to mention the eternal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Within the US, civilians have now lost any human rights. Similar to Eastern Germany, the number of people employed by intelligence agencies exploded out of control, so now a sufficient number of criminals can be produced for the interest of shareholders in the private prison industry.

As computer processing and storage capacity also increases exponentially, the totalitarian dream of knowing everything about everyone comes closer to reality. Sharing counteracts the racketeering methods of corporatist fund raising, and thus becomes the target. Whether its information about personal interactions in public interest (Wikileaks), media (megaupload) or even chocolate (Occupy Melbourne's free chocolate stall was removed by the council guarded by ten police or so), sharing for free doesn't feed into the greed of those who want to dominate us.

Right now, the next official war (against Iran) is talked up, to distract from the last massive bailout Obama granted the banking mafia, and the massive debt crisis Europe experiences. How stupid of a population has been indoctrinated by state schools quenching creativity at its core? With about 17% illiteracy among the OECD nations it's safe to assume that current education fails essential targets.

When I grew up in Germany, my country wasn't involved in any war, and our 'laws' seemed to prevent us from engaging in first place. Without 'external' enemy, we could focus more on how we wanted our community to be. In peace, we could consider the future, the world we wanted to leave behind for our children. Worker's right and environmentalism were the main areas of activism - people occupied the site of planned nuclear reactors, were striking for better wages.

Any country involved in war needs to increase the average level of general fear to maintain their strategy of temporary insanity. Otherwise they might get called out on their blatant disrespect for human life and the murders committed in the name of freedom and democracy. Eleven years after 911 the business plan for the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan becomes apparent, innocent blood spilled massively for corporate profits.

Most governments in the western world are nothing but a Muppet Show nowadays, legally souvereignity has been outsourced a long time ago. Only people can stop the corporate take-over of this planet.

Occupations of the occupy movement

2012-01-15T17:14:00.000+11:00

It's long after the 'get a job' phase of the occupation of publicspace. For more than three months now, the local occupation had itsups and downs, yet is still swinging. 'Job' is quite a terrible word,and 'work' is mostly simiarly ill reputed. Gen Y and Z just love tochill and watch the world go by.

Of course, generalisations are generally wrong, and before I getaccused of ageism I want to point out that I met revolutionary workhorses of all ages, as well as incapable people. The level ofengagement reflects personal attitudes, motivations and skills, andthe proficiency of any task done depends on the right mix ofthose.

Before I get philosophical, I want to describe the'roles' within occupy that seem special. To avoid people how donothing else but decision making (also nown as leaders) this processis outsourced to the entire community effected. To allow thistransition, the dominance of leadership is replaced by facilitationby the moderator team.

Facilitation is nothing new, the process of non-violent conflictresolution as described, implemented and exemplified by MarshallRosenberg existed most likely in many society that consideredthemselves civilised. Humans need social contact to better organisethe daily survival requirements, and if we were like wolves to eachother, we would have extinguished our species long ago.

Facilitationdescribes the process of helping people to communicate better. It hasthe power to connect parties that used to kill and hate each other,and I think it even has the power to end the political economicaldomination that endangers the health of Mother Earth and of mankind.It's a simple process, yet requires individual skill and/or talent.

I've seen many different people in their 'role' as facilitator,with highly differing qualities. It takes only little for a 'weak'moderation team to be derailed, and many blame 'the process' for thisoutcome. Unless the facilitators embody the process, we cannot reallydecide whether the process works or not. In a way, it's theirpersonal responsibility to be a shining example of respect andcompassion for everyone, combined with good listening andcommunication skills.

Luckily, people get mostly inspired by example. As long as a teamof five facilitators gets their act together, the magic of group flowto find consent in a GA happens easily. Dissenters can get heard,without having the impression of being forced to conform. I haveexperienced some fabulous examples of facilitation, and many dreadfulones. Those exposed to less inspiring examples often call for theprocess to be improved.

In this emerging movement many rolesexist only for a short time, depending on the requirements forspecific projects. Many tasks don't require special skills, or somethat can be learned quite fast. We have to accept the obsolescence ofmost 'jobs' that exist today. Crafts and their related skills willnever come out of fashion, but talking a hapless victim on the phoneinto a new energy supplier contract, or defending the same personagainst the energy corporation's 'ownership fee' when transferring acontract might not be needed in the long run.

Evolutionary creation myth

2011-12-12T22:17:00.001+11:00

The planet asks for help. Lady Gaia fell sick, because a tiny part of mankind turned us into the greediest species nourished by her. Good news: The species that threatens Lady Gaia can also save her. If we walk together to help her, mankind as a whole can stop the madness of the global corporate state that grew into a psychopathic killer. The next step of evolution requires us to relinquish ownership of this planet and return to our function as custodians for the eco-systems we utilise, and the planet as whole.

Phase 0: The need for to care for every human being remains unanswered by the systems of society in control of the resources of planet. The abundance of this planet combined with accumulated knowledge is applied to fulfil egoistic wants of a tiny minority disconnected from the source of life.

Planning, Phase 1: Fire. It's time to act, this consciousness serves as inspiration and motivation for taking action to stop the system.

Presence, Phase 2: Earth. Fire creates Earth, the occupation as materialisation of the beginning of the resistance emanates.

Process, Phase 3: Metal. Communication and interaction forge the primary tools of the occupation: Respect, love and non-violence.

People, Phase 4: Water. Tools need an operator. Cooperation among different skills and backgrounds allows the application of these tools. All those tuned into the ego-less flow.

Products, Phase 5: Wood. Applied knowledge nurtures the products of the occupation, projects, direct action, physical structures, work groups, art, care and healing.

The lived experience feeds back into Phase 1, for further refinement.

Simultaneously, the phases counteract (control, destroy) each other.

Fire melts Metal. Our imagination limits the tools we specifically use. If fear motivates us, our tools will be blunt, love creates the nurturance to grow a balanced system.

Metal cuts Wood. When we apply we wrong set of tools, our projects will not contribute to growth.

Wood restricts Earth. What people can see of the occupation depends on the projects happening and materialising.

Earth dams Water. Although the organism 'occupation' can exist in separation, it wants to live in community and open space. It thrives by immediate interaction.

Water extinguishes Fire. Without cooperation, the inspiration remains limited. The diversity provides the wealth of ideas from which to harvest the best solution for the next challenge.

As super-organism, all phases are active in any moment, in different balances in each cell (ie occupier). The more balanced and aware about their function individual cells become, the more balanced the occupation as a whole can grow.

We're nurturing a global brain to heal Lady Gaia, we better become familiar with sustainable approaches to describe and think about life. OM lived through many cycles of this ancient map of life, and has already shown resilience to adversity. The antibiotic of a corporate regime failed, we already mutate fast. Evolution goes on, and it's increasing in speed.

Everything is okay

2011-12-07T01:40:00.001+11:00

Why I occupy

2011-11-21T00:16:00.001+11:00

On the way to my Shiatsu course, on the pavement of SwanstonStreet, the police pushed me into the occupy movement. I stopped infront of a wall of police, and when I turned around, I got pushedforward, unaware of the fact that the police decided to herd anyoneon the entire width in Melbourne's city centre towards north.

I got really angry, hurling abuse and demanding my right to go tothe next tram station. I saw many rallies, but the experience of ahuman wall forcing everyone around them against their will into aspecific direction was new and truly bizarre. I use my hands and myKi when I practise Shiatsu, and felt incapable of doing my job afterthis invasion of arbitrary police violence into my life. I stayed intown and saw a crowd of people vanishing into Trades Hall, with thearmy of police it looked like a trap to me.

As I don't use TV or newspapers as primary source to stay'informed', I researched a bit more what this global occupationmovement is all about. The common global consent, so it seems to me,lays mainly in the commitment to non-violence. When people rememberthe process while they act within the movement, it opens the avenueto collective creativity, with the tastiest fruits harvested byconsent.

Of course, within a growing movement the knowledge of andexperience with the process, the ability to learn, accept and applyit, differs among individuals. I met enough people to convince methat the global thing happened also here in Melbourne. I joined theFirst Aid and Care work group, and benefit each time immensely fromthe wealth of different expertise coming together on a peaceful lawnin a peaceful park on a sunny sunday afternoon.

Don't get deluded, it's not a talk fest happening here – in atime of civil war against basic human rights like freedom of assemblyand freedom of speech many casualties occur. It takes a lot toorganise the safety and health needs of a community of sometimeshundreds of people, especially when even people wearing First-Aidvests get clubbed by police while trying to care for pepper-sprayedpeaceful protestors.

Even those who only witnessed the police brutality have been lefttraumatised, often reliving in their minds the memories of aterrifying assault on their believe in justice. The more stories Ihear while debriefing the victims of the ongoing psychologicalwarfare against a peaceful movement, the more I feel outraged aboutthe utter disrespect for human life that happens right now in thecity of Melbourne.

I chose as my occupation to teach and heal people, after spendingsome time of my life working as IT specialist mainly for the bankingindustry. The absurdity of the situation, the constant harassment,nearly daily new eviction orders were issued and executed, means thatour team needs to build up an external network to cope with the casestoo severe to deal with safely within our capacity.

First Aid usually serves as some sort of insurance policy, good tohave around, but depending on the circumstances, hardly ever needed.The circumstance for Occupy Melbourne... well, let's call themsub-optimal from a health care perspective. Melbourne City Councilremoved shelter from rain and sun, access to water and sometimes thekitchen from Treasury Garden, not only increasing the psychologicalpressure for the permanent occupiers, but also actively endangeringtheir immediate health.

Some of the occupiers have special needs, like Brandon, whosepoetry you can listen to on the frontpage of omdigest. Even Brandongot served an eviction notice and was moved the meat wagon of thepolice. Others have difficult family backgrounds, and feel safer fromviolence in the occupation than at home. Many are exhausted fromtheir job as occupier, yet the smallest creature comforts bring withit the threat of immediate eviction.

The re-occurring raids of the police made the First Aid gearevaporate. Just being prepared and equipped for good-case scenarios(prevention material like sun-screen, insect repellent, ponchos andblankets) becomes a logistical challenge. Not even having a minimalsheltered space for treatments available makes our task even moredifficult. No time for leadership debates available, andself-organisation provides a level of First Aid and Care that wouldcost a lot of money if sourced for a commercial event.

Why do I occupy? I want to live in a world where we respect eachother, where we care for each other, for all of us. I feel thisvision resonating when I collaborate with the occupy movement, and it'shappening all over the world right now. Let's organise horizontallyand see where it'll lead to.

2011-11-08T01:18:00.000+11:00

Civil liberties in times of global terrorism

Here's an assignment I wrote while studying Political Science at Melbourne University. I dug it up via the internet archive, I published it in spring (southern hemisphere) 2007 on privately run website. It's basically an academic piece, with references and probably a bit hard to read. My tutor liked it and marked it favourably.

The world is changing as I speak, into some unknown territory. The old system still clings onto the magic meme '911 has changed history'. The wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Yemen were justified with the 'war on terror', as well as Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib, water boarding, terror watch list, phone tapping, etc.

I followed academic standards to argue that 911 hasn't changed history. No matter who did it, 911 provided a milestone for the project of world domination. The 1% hide their plans only by obscurity, if you learn to detect patterns in published opinions the matrix becomes visible. Please excuse the formatting, if you have trouble reading try the archived copy.

The terror attacks of September 11 2001 mark the beginning of a new era in global politics. The United States, sole global superpower after the collapse of the Soviet Union, did not act as global role model for the “End of History”, like Francis Fukuyama suggested after the end of the Cold War, but was faced with a new enemy.

During the Cold War, the threat of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) by the use of nuclear weapons prevented the US and USSR from engaging in an open war, as such a war, even if done pre-emptively, was considered suicidal (Leffler, 2005). Instead, both superpowers fought proxy wars in places like Vietnam, Korea and Afghanistan.

The Post-Cold-War era was far from being peaceful. The US engaged 1991 in wars in Iraq and 1999 in Kosovo, and suffered from terror attacks on the WTC in 1993 and on its embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. However, restrictions of civil liberties didn’t take place after these attacks, at least not on a global scale.

That changed after the 911 attacks. 6 weeks later President Bush signed Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, known as Patriot Act (White House, 2001), and its western allies have enacted similar legislation since then. Canada and the UK introduced new anti-terrorism legislation at the end of 2001 (Department of Justice, Canada, 2001; House of Commons, 2001), the European Union passed similar legislation in 2003 (Council of Europe, 2003). Australia followed suit in 2004, just after the train bombings in Madrid.

However, the anti-terrorism laws failed to act as deterrent. Terror attacks happened in Bali in 2002 and 2005, in Madrid 2004, in London 2005 and in Mumbai 2006. The icon of 21st century terrorism, Osama Bin Laden, has not been captured, but numerous people ended up in dubious prisons like Guantanamo Bay as terror suspects, without the presumption of innocence or legal representation.

The anti-terror legislation does not only affect terror suspects, but all citizens. Security checks at airports have increased, several countries plan to introduce ID cards with biometrical information, people have been banned from boarding planes for expressing their opinion by wearing t-shirts with political messages (Dunn, 2006).

Yet some consequences are less palpable. Surveillance has been made much easier and CCTV camera became ubiquitous in public spaces. The increased security measures require more funding, so that more taxpayer’s money is spend on the war on terror. This essay evaluates the phenomenon of 21st century terrorism, the reaction of state actors to it and the consequences for civil liberties.

Terrorism is not a new strategy, yet the scale of the 911 attacks is certainly unprecedented. The images of destruction and the high number of casualties reminded of war, brought by global communication networks to living rooms all across the planet. Although wars in the traditional meaning involve state actors, the US administration considered the terror attacks as an act of war and reacted accordingly.

Five days after 911 President Bush said: “As I said yesterday, people have declared war on America, and they have made a terrible mistake, because this is a fabulous country. … This is a new kind of -- a new kind of evil. …. This crusade, this war on terrorism is going to take a while.” (Bush, 2001)

The American president kept his promise, and being a neo-conservative (realist) he waged two traditional wars that still linger on. Afghanistan was invaded on October 5 2001, three weeks before the Patriot Act was signed, and the Iraq invasion began on March 20 2002.

Although these wars were announced as part of the Global War On Terror, they fit into the strategies of neo-conservatives in the US which were devised well before 911. The neo-conservative think tank Project for a New American Century (PNAC), founded in 1997, urged President Clinton 1998 in an open letter to complete the unfinished business in Iraq and to impose a regime change (George, 2005).

Ten out of 18 signatories of this open letter became part of the Bush administration, but their influence did not end there. PNAC released in 2000 the strategy paper Rebuilding America’s Defenses, which stresses the importance of increasing the US’ influence in Central Asia and the Middle East, maintaining America’s unique position as a dominant military power, the need for further militarisation and pre-emptive action (PNAC, 2000).

However, by the time the document was released, threats like terrorism and rogue states were not considered as grave danger for the US, which could justify a massive increase in military spending. „[T]he process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event – like a new Pearl Harbor“ (PNAC, 2000).

The “new Pearl Harbor” happened on September 11 2001, and consequently key issues of Rebuilding America’s Defenses like unilateralism, pre-emptive warfare and increase in military spending, became part of President Bush’s National Security Strategy (White House, 2002).

Especially the war in Iraq, a unilateral move of the US without legitimation from the United Nations Security Council, has raised a lot of criticism. More Americans have been killed in Iraq than on 911, and the torture affair of Abu Ghraib has tainted the US administration’s claim to protect human rights (Hersh, 2004).

With the Military Commisions Act of 2006 the US introduced the concept of illegal enemy combatant, a legal construct that denies suspects habeas corpus, allows for indefinite detention and denies the right of compensation for those who were held in error (Smith, 2006).

According to President Bush, the war on terror requires the need to arbitrarily detain people to CIA prisons outside the US, and withhold their basic human rights (Bush, 2006). However, two basic questions about global terrorism seem to be neglected whenever new anti-terror legislation is introduced: the efficiency of proposed changes in legislation, and the size of the problem of global terrorism.

Less than 4,000 people have been killed in the attacks in New York 2001, Bali 2002 and 2005, Madrid 2004, London 2005 and Mumbai 2006. Acts of terrorism, no matter how spectacular, are luckily rare events, and remain - statistically seen – a much less likely cause of death than suicide, traffic accidents, substance abuse or other lifestyle choices, not too mention an average of 25,000 people starving daily due to the imbalances of the global economic system.

The motivations of terrorism are difficult to study, as it is a rare phenomenon, and might find its origins in a diversity of local causes. The simplified rationale promoted the US government, that terrorisms primary goal is the destruction of western liberties, has not proven helpful in counteracting terrorism.

Yet without calling the 911 attacks an attempt to abolish the freedom of western countries, support for the unilateral war efforts of the US would have been unlikely. The 911 attacks can be understand as violent opposition against the US foreign policy in the Middle-East, and its support for Israel (Leahey, 2005). The restrictions of civil rights by the introduction of anti-terror legislation eradicated a lot of liberties taken for granted in democratic societies.

The freedom to assemble, freedom of speech and the privacy of citizens have been severly restricted. If it was the aim of global terrorism to destroy western liberty, western governments have acted as an indispensable helper, and the war could end.

The increase in governmental power to spy on its citizens has not yet proven efficient, but more cases in which these powers were abused become known. The loss of civil liberties for those who disappear in secret CIA prisons is very apparent (Priest, 2005), yet even in Australia the rules of law have been suspended for terror suspects.

The first victim of the Australian anti-terror laws was Faheem Lodhi of Sydney, who was sent for 20 years into a high-security prison. “Justice Anthony Whealy said while there was little case law to guide him, the courts must take a stand against terrorism.” (Lamont, 2006). This stand against terrorism meant that Lodhi was sentenced for a thought crime – he did not commit any acts of terrorism, nor were an concrete plans for a terror attack found. His crime consisted of knowing another terror suspect, having maps of Sydney’s electricity grip and a copy of an internet pamphlet describing how to build bombs.

The presumption of innocence was not used in this case, he was sent to jail for a possible future intention. The latest victim of the terrorist hunt is Dr. Haneef, a Brisbane doctor who is a distant cousin of someone linked to the failed terror attacks in Glasgow in July 2007. Dr. Haneef was detained without charge for 20 days, lost his working visa and can’t return to Australia, although no proof of any terrorist activity could be found (Gooley, 2007).

Once someone gets in the spotlight of any suspicion of terrorism, basic rights will be revoked. Political activists were banned from participating in protests against the G8 conference in Germany and the APEC conference in Sydney, even with a clean legal record.

The idea of pre-emptive activity has spread from warfare to jurisdiction, with dire consequences not only for terror suspects, but for any citizen. Entire areas in Sydney were blocked from public access, demonstration in front of the security fence were not permitted. The $170 million spend for APEC’s security did not prevent the team from ABC’s show Chaser – War on everything to enter the security perimeter with a faked motorcade.

The ABC comedians did not expect to succeed with their prank, yet they demonstrated the illusion of absolute security. The Australian taxpayers had to pay the bill for the APEC conference, while not even being allowed to show their dissent.

Conclusion

Terrorism became an ubiquitous news item since 911, although terror acts remain rare events. The war on terror reaped the lives of hundred thousands people in Iraq and Afghanistan, but hasn’t achieved any of its nominal goals.

Terrorism certainly poses a risk to society, but the size of this risk seems grossly exaggerated in comparison to other challenges the globalised world faces. The war on terror, however, cannot be won, and will last forever, or unless citizens demand from their governments to stop it. Terror is a concept, not an enemy, and using the phrase “war on terror” is not only semantic nonsense, but also distracts from the casualties this war has produced so far (Alomes, 2007).

Yet as long as the “war on terror” continues, the removal of civil liberties is unlikely to be reversed. Especially the restrictions for demonstrations severely impaired the ability for citizens to influence the political process and the public opinion, both vital components of healthy democracies.

The restrictions of civil rights are less visible than the terrible images of destructions following terror acts, but they affect far more people than those acts, at least by the way their taxes are spend. Acts of terrorism, however, are basically criminal acts with an untypical motivation. The experience with the legal system shows that laws cannot prevent crime, yet this idea is suggested by the battery of new anti-terror legislation.

Terrorists can take life, but they cannot change the legal system of societies, only governments can do this. If they primary goal of “global terrorism” is the abolition of freedom in democratic societies, governments acted as their accomplices with the introduction of anti-terror legislations. Civil liberties have never been granted deliberately by governments, most of them have been fought for with democratic means, which are on the brink of becoming illegal.

‘In some ways she was far more acute than Winston, and far less susceptible to Party propaganda. Once when he happened in some connection to mention the war against Eurasia, she startled him by saying casually that in her opinion the war was not happening. The rocket bombs that fell daily on London were probably fired by the Government of Oceania itself, "just to keep the people frightened".’ (Orwell, 1989)

References

Alomes, S., Don’t play word games with terrorism, The Age, (accessed on 11 September 2007), 2007
Bush, G.W., President discusses creation of Military Commission to try suspected Terrorists, (accessed on 11 September 2007), 2006
Bush, G.W., Remarks of the President upon arrival, (accessed on 11 September 2007), 2001
Council of Europe, ‘Protocol amending the European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism, (accessed on 11 September 2007), 2003
Department of Justice, Canada, Bill C-36, accessed on 11 September 2007, 2001
Dunn, M., http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20925632-38200,00.html, (accessed on 11 September 2007), December 2006
George, J., ‘Leo Strauss, Neoconservatism and US foreign Policy: Esoteric Nihilism and the Bush Doctrine.’ International Politics, Vol 42, 2005
Gooley, Anne, How ASIO is eroding the rule of law, The Age, (accessed on 11 September 2007), 2007
Hersh, S. Chain of Command, (accessed on 11 September 2007), 2004
House of Commons, Home Affairs – First Report, <>, accessed on 11 September 2007, 2001
Leahey, C. R., ‘Delimiting democratic debate: the Fordham Institute's attack on democratic values.’ The Social Studies, Vol 96, No 5, 2006
Orwell, G., ‘1984. A novel’, London, England : Penguin Books in association with Martin Secker & Warburg, 1989
PNAC (Project for the new American Century), Rebuilding America’s Defenses. Strategy, Forces and Resources for a New Century., (accessed on 11 September 2007), 2000
Priest, D., CIA holds Terror Suspects in Secret Prisons, Washington Post, (accessed on 11 September 2007), 2005
Smith, R.. J., Many right in U.S. legal system absent in new bill., Washington Post, <,> (accessed on 11 September 2007), 2006
White House, President Signs Anti-Terrorism Bill, (accessed on 11 September 2007), 2001
White House, ‘National Security Strategy of the United States of America’, Washington, D.C, 2002

2011-10-28T00:49:00.000+11:00

This is a peaceful protest

Some critics of the global occupation movement complained about using iPhones and other hi-tech gear from mega-corps during escalating phases of this shift of consciousness. Technology doesn't need corporations, capitalism or money for its creation, but dedicated and skilled people.

The capitalistic axiom of money as prime motivator succeeded in the memeplex of the world-domination phase of human history. Most great inventors and scientists were not really interested in money, sometimes even rather naive in the crooked game of economics.

Without many 'natural' enemies left, survival on this planet of plenty could be a piece of cake. Food and shelter exists still in abundance, as humans managed to accumulate many wicked skills. Yet some people decided to implant the fear of human predators in the collective spirit of their 'nations'. Without war and paranoia, and with the abundance of practical knowledge collected over millenia and its fruits, modern technology, no human being should spend more than maybe 20 hours per week toiling for the essentials.

Our desire to cooperation get exploited by extreme competition - the common goal is 'to be better' than 'the others', instead of making it better for everyone. The idea to make this world a better place for everyone gets portrayed as unachievable, yet honorable ideal. Sorry, the markets haven't sorted that out yet.

I think that the occupy movement want nothing less than to save this planet from the destructive forces of soulless systems implemented to domesticate human beings. The diversity of talents, preferences, tastes, skills, visions, expressions of human existence can not thrive in a bureaucratic nightmare designed to disguise this cruel global social experiment that lasts already for millennia.

If we learn to respect each other as equals, we can create the solutions needed to sustain a conscious species with billions of members on a planet with free solar power for the next billion years or so, combined with an exponential growth of applicable knowledge about how to do more with less.

The world game produces only winners - for entertainment reasons competitions of all kinds will flourish, albeit without nowadays prescribed celebrity status. As mankind, we got paralysed by fear, inspired by memes like homo hominem lupus est. In groups, people were always able to self-organise their needs with growing experience about their environment, and violence among each other (like statistically nowadays) was mostly an exemption.

Yet during an average day at work, we pass hundred, if not thousands other people, all of them mostly harmless. Even in our crime-drama and security-obsessed societies most of our life-time happens peacefully. I know that some people are exposed to frequent violence in their families, yet I still hope that only a minority suffer from this situation.

What will do with all the time we have available when we stopped fighting each other for profits? At the moment, many people share, teach and learn. Being hypnotised by the latest movie and its paranoid messages hidden beneath cool apparel and computer animations, while vacating a body in a work place for the majority of the 'waking' time.

Humans are naturally curious, and the diversity of artefacts of arts, science and technology not only attract 'consumers', but encourage people to contribute to the richness of life. It's not like nothing needs to be done once we stopped fighting each other - the mess left behind swells our oceans and intoxicates soils and atmosphere, the struggle has left many wounded souls.

It's reassuring to see how fast creative solutions where found to support this noble rescue mission. Open source works not only for software, it works also for the economy. Open source money, open source technology (no more IP, copyrights or the like) can make even large-scale operations work out in favour of all mankind.

Our leaders pretend business as usual, while more and more people occupy this planet to rescue it. And bring their skills with them.

2011-10-26T19:03:00.001+11:00

Occupy Everything

Rubber bullet to the head, Oakland, Oct 26 2011

The speed of events left me a bit breathless, tuned into the surge of adrenaline that wavers around the globe since the occupation gained momentum. The evictions in Melbourne, Sydney, Athens, Oakland, Chicago and of course London and NYC have become a talking point in Social media.

The narratives between spectators and 'official' commenters diverges in bizarre ways. Where ever the movement had some time to teach its participants the rules of the process, the moral bankruptcy of the 'leaders' became bloody apparent. Pushing, choking, punching, kneeling on necks, tear-gassing, dragging on hair and limbs, shooting rubber bullets, riding horses into people describes the means with which 'governments' sought conversation with a dissenting public.

When we watch a documentary about civil right movements of the past we hardly get an impression about the time it takes to peacefully shift society towards more justice. Pensions, health insurance, voting rights for woman, indigenous people or descendants of slaves, decriminalisation of homosexuality weren't implemented by reasonable, benevolent politicians but came into existence due to the non-violent resistance against blatant injustices. It just took a bit longer than the average attention span for a movie to happen.

Although Australia claims 'fair dinkum' as a part of her national identity, the desire for justice seems universal. The occupy movement continues the long struggle to liberate mankind from its unchosen leaders, and as their reign of terror and oppression spans the entire planet, the whole world gets involved.

Amazingly, although no leaders emerged, the movement has developed a huge global solidarity, and many voices say similar things in different words. Participatory democracy, self-organisation, the end of wars is possible when people want to work together for that aim. Yet these 'goals' have less overall importance than the means used to achieve them: The process of non-violent communication.

I admit that it takes time to learn and embody this process, and decision-making seems much slower than in hierarchies. The need for speed, however, brought this planet to the brink of an ecological collapse - maybe slowing down prevents sinking into the abyss our society heads towards. Yet those people who learned to interact, talk, decide and live non-violently have tasted the beauty, fun and power of this way of life.

Community turned for them from a buzzword enforcing conformity into a living experience, capable of tackling a variety of practical problems. According to their preferences, different workgroups for different tasks emerged, in which the same process of consensual decision making happens. Working together as equals and the useless violence created a durable bond. 'Leadership' isn't an important task, which didn't stop many to ask for it.

In Melbourne, a small, functioning society emerged, providing exchange of ideas, some free goods, a library, tuition for many aspects of daily life. In six days. Then the Lord (Mayor Robert Doyle) used his mighty fist to smash this fledgling approach to real democracy, to a world without leaders.

No more wars, no more unnecessary starving, no more slavery - does that really sound so scary?

One of the programs to maintain unaccountable power creates the habit of uniting against a common enemy. On the surface, the occupy movement appears as yet another one of those anti-everything but the whales airy-fairy hippie bullshit. Or rather, this portrait creates a decent niche in which to scare the movement. It ignores the diversity of support from various levels of society, intellectuals like Noam Chomsky or Leslie Cannold, entertainers like Keith Olberman, as well as lesser known people from all walks of life, including bankers and politicians.

Banksy installation in front St. Paul's, London

When I spend my time on a self-chosen duty as troll patrol for #occupymelbourne, I often hear that 'you people/hippies/commis/lefties/other insults don't represent me'. I can hear a wish for representation in there, and that's one of things the movement offers. Not in the traditional sense of giving up your voice but by providing an open space for everyone to be heard.

I consider the 'trolls' as my friends, and encourage them to make their voice heard on the next general assembly. First and foremost, I learn about my own reactivity to adversity, and to pause before engaging in troll patrol. Respect exists among friends, yet positions of authority and power predetermine the levels of respect expected and acted out.

I wanted to tweet 'One of the big mysteries of our times - does the Queen wipe her own bum?', yet decided against it. Maybe I need to decode myself more, however, she looks like a nice, old lady, and I respect her as such no matter how little her title means to me. After all, she might still live after the revolution, maybe even in Buckingham Palace. If the royal family finds enough supporters to squat the Palace, hardly anyone should object to this group of people self-organising in that space.

While I'm typing here, today's second wave of police violence erupts in Oakland. I checked the live feed from this morning, shocking. The Nazi had gas chambers, the police in the US throws gas grenades into crowds of peaceful people while wearing gas masks. The images from the protest become more surreal, 1984 available on your doorstep or through youtube.

However, that's also part of the predictive programming you can learn about by studying products of the entertainment industry. We have seen the images of riots in movies, and were trained to obey orders from authority. After the apocalypse, as first step a new government is elected, suggesting the innate need to be a sheep. We don't want a total breakdown of society, that's just the scare tactic from paranoid leaders.

Greed requires power structures to grow into a cancer of society. I understood the message of the GA in Berlin to the world as a determined call to heal this planet from the wounds inflicted by the unaccountable abuse of power the bureaucratic systems have created. Our current leaders simply don't care about this planet, they sent troops and drones in parts they don't live in, sell out indigenous people for the exploitation of natural resources, which mostly includes irreversible damage to well-established eco systems, while demanding us to pay for these non-sensical policies a higher and higher price.

While the planet might be healed, as well as mankind, as well as each individual, the system can't. We need to build a new one. The means of doing so matter more than the results. Nobody can predict the future, although politicians and economists talk often extremely prophetic. There can't be any promise that this experiment succeeds. However, self-organisation maintains the balance of all natural systems around us, so let's try this evolutionary successful strategy for humanity.

Don't get the illusion that this experiment is just a talk fest. Communication is essential, yet many things get done as well. In a different style than in the streamlined job slots for wage slaves, yet amazingly efficient.

No matter how often I referred to 'we', I'm not representing the Occupation Movement. I can only speak for myself, and I hope that sharing my thoughts and ideas finds some common ground.

2011-10-20T18:58:00.000+11:00

Sprouting seeds

Day 6 of the New Era of Humanity shows positive signs. Non-violent resistance appears in dead-end situations, usually without much more than the call for justice and equality.

The failure of the systems of society to provide justice and equality became overtly apparent after the so-called Global Financial Crisis. However, it remains mainly a question of believe whether you trust in the current systems of society to fulfil a useful functions, or not.

Obviously, the occupants can't answer this question either. Politics finds its justification by spreading fear, uncertainty and doubt. Politicians stopped promising a brighter future, they just promise to prevent everything not to get worse. And no matter how much worse any local situation gets, they can point the finger at some other country where it's much, much, mucho-macho more worse.

At the moment, there are some 'talking points' which could be understood as 'demands'. Transparency in politics, abolishment of the legal status as 'person' for corporations. Basically, it's is a re-negotiation of power structures on a global scale.

Finding consent in a large, diverse group proves difficult. Finding a common ground means a simplification of the rules in order to allow them to be flexible. So far, 'common ground' was rather enforced by law - in Victoria public swearing can be fined on the spot.

In an interesting chat with Dillon I heard some concerns about the penalising system. How should aberrant behaviour be dealt with, don't we have a 'natural need' to be policed. Yet even with an abundance of legislation defining what a society considers 'legal' or 'illegal', crime occurs as exemption from the average daily life.

Unless, of course, the crime is institutionalised. The cops beating up occupants 'just did their jobs', protecting an outdated system violently. Historically, police got away with a lot of violence, although Australian police won't get the nomination of the Biggest Beater in Uniform for October's reality-internet coverage of global affairs.

I hope the Melbourne police doesn't change their ambitions to make Melbourne 'Queen-friendly'. The royal wedding in London showed the disrespect for democracy quite clearly. I don't mind so-called royal families providing some spectacle for their fans. But they still can force everyone to finance their follies, not only those you wish to support them.

I consider human beings generally quite supportive. Especially Australia lives to an amazingly large extend its stereotype to 'give generously for a good cause'. I can even discover something positive in the outrage about free-loaders, I simply disagree about who the 'free-loaders' are.

An escalation of violence would only attract more people to join this peaceful way to resist to be transformed into a piece of corporately owned life-stock. The internet helps to bring abuse of power into the public sphere, and undecided citizens can judge for themselves whether they want to pay with their taxes for a violent and oppressive government in bed with the corporate world, or whether to find new systems of cooperation to organise co-existence of 7 billion people in peaceful ways.

2011-10-19T02:36:00.000+11:00

Trolled by a corporate drone

In case you haven't noticed, the revolution has begun. The resistance, slowly building up momentum at least since September 2001, has entered the next stage, it's gone viral on the streets. Australia, like expected, still struggles a bit, but at least Melbourne and Sydney look like making a promising start.

The derision of drones keeps the October movement alive as talking point, and as yet, many haven't even noticed what is brooding on this planet. In New York, the systematic police brutality contributed to a steady growth, as maybe in London and Berlin. In social networks, ignorance of politics still dominates the lived idea of political correctness.

So how does the establishment try to control the situation? First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, and then you win. Ignorance worked amazingly well, it took me three weeks after Wall Street's occupation to notice it, from an entirely unexpected source.

So while the spin doctors still insist that 911 changed the world, the global occupation movement takes changing the world in their own hands, unnoticed from the corporate media. The sitzfleisch of the movement in New York made them go through the first three phases of the Gandhi quote. Youtube offers plenty of examples of police brutality, while the 'rioting protester' stereotypes doesn't emanate.

In Australia, a headline of The Age dissed a 'rowdy rally', without quoting any 'rowdyness' in the article, instead calling it a 'peaceful protest'. The occupation in City Square continues, which gives me an opportunity for a closer look.

The mainstream-media-matrix has already a well-established mirror in the blogosphere, no vox populi (as dictated by our leaders) addict needs to switch from the Herald Sun into the Well Weird Web - with the Hun as start page you're unlikely to encounter opinions that could enlighten you.

In the US, in the public perception (mass media matrix) the movement made its appearance, yet it shifted in this arena only into the laughing stage, like in most western countries.

While shaking heads and laughing usually suffices to sway a Fox audience, the blogosphere can be a tougher call. I came across 'an advisor of leaders of the world' (synchronicity - I remembered Bill Hicks while looking at this 'blog'). 'Protesting consumer style' deserves some credits, and certainly appeals to a conservative audience.

I wonder if my comment will go through the moderation.

How lame. As long as corporations protect the fruits of human creativity with non-sensical concepts like Intellectual Property people can’t simply build their video-cam to make use of audio-visual global communication, yet this will change soon.

Bereft of the ideologic background of capitalism, electronic networks like the internet belong factually into the realms of common goods. The current occupation movement just counter-acts the occupation of common goods by the 1%.

After all, corporations created none of the products, but creative human beings did. Unlike the losers in the capitalist game plan, the CEOs of the dinosaur corporate world don’t need to struggle for survival. Technology and human know-how created sufficient wealth for every human being to lead a peaceful life, even deluded ‘leaders’.

It’s easy to identify the corporate parts of the protester’s outfit. Besides the tech gear, there might be much more hand-made stuff embellishing the revolutionaries than a corporate hivemind might imagine. Bought on back street markets, made at home, traded without taxes, but with mutual respect.

The 1% have lost the track. Not to use the gear they provide, sometimes exclusively, would be plain stupid. And that’s just the mindset expected from an obedient servant of the 1%.

So what you demonstrated with this picture is easy to summarize:
We will use every tool available for peaceful resistance to bring down the unjust rulers of the world. We know how to use tools for good purpose.

2011-09-15T18:55:00.000+10:00

Our legal systems, our religions, our educational systems are all deeply concerned with controlling pleasure. We have created detailed rules and customs surrounding sex, drugs, food, alcohol, and even gambling. Jails are bursting with people who have violated laws that proscribe certain forms of pleasure or who profit by encouraging others to do so.

Most experiences in our lives that we find transcendent - whether illicit vices or socially sanctioned ritual and social practices as diverse as exercise, meditative prayer, dancing 'til you drop, and playing on the internet: They all evoke neural signals that converge on a small group of interconnected brain areas called the medial forebrain pleasure circuit. Evolution has, in effect, hardwired us to catch a pleasure buzz from a wide variety of experiences from crack to cannabis, from meditation to masturbation, from Bordeau to beef.

2011-09-11T00:00:00.001+10:00

Physiologists have long been in the habit of studying not the reactions of the whole organism but the reactions of isolated segments; the so-called reflexes. While it may seem justifiable to construct the reactions of the organism as a whole from the individual reflexes, such an attempt is in reality doomed to failure, since the reactions produced in an isolated element cannot be counted upon to occur when the same element is part of the whole, on account of the mutual inhibitions which the different parts of the organism produce upon each other when in organic connection; and it is, therefore, impossible to express the conduct of a whole animal as the algebraic sum of the reflexes of its isolated segments.... It would, therefore, be a misconception to speak of tropism as of reflexes, since tropisms are reactions of the organism as a whole, while reflexes are reactions of isolated segments. Reflexes and tropisms agree, however, in one respect, inasmuch as both are obviously of a purely physico-chemical character.

2011-09-08T23:41:00.000+10:00

The time-binding capacity or energy of man (no matter what time is—if it is), which is unique to man, is a most subtle complex; it is the highest known energy and probably has many subdivisions. Ears are sensitive to the vibration of the air. Eyes are sensitive to the more subtle vibrations of light; in a similar way, the time-binding apparatus is sensitive to the most subtle energies; besides which it has the capacity to register not only all of our sensations but also the time-binding energies of other people; and it apparently has the capacity to register the energies of the universe.

2011-08-04T20:01:00.000+10:00

Isolation

Time has come to a halt,

and I feel really old.

My mind keeps racing,

and needs some pacing.

I crave for normality,

which means insanity,

all twisting and turning

won't stop that yearning.

Everything is alright,

no end is in sight,

I got it all wrong,

and just move along.

O graceful desire

please relight my fire!

2011-06-24T17:28:00.000+10:00

Australasia

I live in a country that speaks its own tongue,

I took it for English and got it all wrong.

The language here loves simplicity,

and thus creates its very own reality.

What should not be that can not be,

is at the heart of its simple philosophy.

If I close my eyes I can't see

how hospitality turns into hostility.

The words have lost their shades of grey,

they merely point to one side of the melee.

In a world brimming of black and white,

the subtlety of life comes out of sight.

We always speak using reason and emotion,

which leads to many odd confusion.

2011-05-17T00:23:00.000+10:00

Conception of a nation

While it took only six days to create the entire world, I plan for a bit more earth self-revolutions to give birth to a nation. I consider it a prosperous sign that Liberecujo was conceived on a monday, the start of the week.

We have only one planet, and so far it suffered a great deal from the gullibility of traditional nations, that got lured into the fearful visions of the multi-national madness of the military-industrial complex. As mankind, we have become aware of global challenges, yet the rotten, corrupt, self-interest driven national governments, and international organisations with similar psychopathic nature will rather literally crawl into a hole while the ecosystems of the planets collapse around them, then changing the rules in the interest of all humanity.

Instead of creating solutions, governments create more problem, democracy seized to exist since the start of the global terror campaign in 2001. Many good ideas exist how we can life sustainably and luxurious at the same time, nevertheless the myth of scarcity contributes to often dire living standards. Conventional governments agree on one slogan, like 'carbon tax', which reflect wishful thinking and general naivety.

To have less of the usual national stupidity, we can simply outnumber the war-driven, violent form of nation by creating thousands, if not millions of micro-nations. Mutual recognition could transform international cooperation into a truly democratic process, worthy of the special status of the human race in the game of evolution.

Of course, certain minimal standards should be provided. A simple legal systems, without any extraordinary status for corporations could shift the current legalised-robbery jurisdiction back into a system suitable for global justice. If one day a thousands of micro-nations, without any armies or weapons, but consent of their citizens, declare war on the UN, it has give into democratic pressure. This would mean as well the end of the war against the population, that most nations of this planet currently wage.

I don't expect that running a nation just happens, I suspect quite some work will be involved. The battle of constitutions begins, ruling a nation need creating the rules for your citizens. In long term, micro-nation could as well agree on using new virtual currencies, that make national and corporate currencies redundant. Citizenships for micro-nations to blow away the old power structures need to be fluid, explicitly trust and not evidence based.

The bureaucratic aspect of citizenship deserves more artistic than data-collecting attention. The initial small number of citizens allows a prime opportunity to shape the 'political' aspect of the nation. A micro-nation needs to provide benefits to its citizens in a fair exchange with obligations consented to. This differs from the traditional model of owning the citizens and black-mailing them into protection rackets, euphemistically called taxes.

In the game of evolution, few simple rules lead to unpredictable, often amazingly beautiful outcomes. The simple rule of government by violence creates rather ugly outcomes like torture camps, permanent war zones and environmental destruction in massive scales. Cooperation and non-violent competition are simple enough rules of engagement to establish a network of nations willing to save this planet.

2011-05-15T20:36:00.000+10:00

Ten Commandments 2.0

'You shall have no other gods before Me, God Mammon.'
'You shall not make for yourself a currency, or forge banknotes, or engage in barter systems, or any other money-free exchange of goods and services'
'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain by wasting money for social causes, unless it improves your public image.'
'Remember 24/7 365 days a year, to keep it holy.'
'Honor your father and your mother, from whom you inherited your money.'
'You shall not murder, unless it's an alleged terrorist.'
'You shall not be caught committing adultery.'
'You shall not steal, unless it's taxpayers money.'
'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour, unless he's an alleged terrorist.'
'You shall not be caught coveting your neighbour's house; you shall not be caught coveting your neighbour's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his car, nor his yacht, nor anything that is your neighbor's.'

2011-04-29T21:39:00.000+10:00

Intelligent life in the universe

Sometimes, life seems like a never-ending puzzle, with millions of pieces, ever changing and never completing. The missing pieces of the puzzle only open up the next level of experience, and hardly ever lead to insights into tidbits of truth worth memorising in stone.

Yet, some artefacts made of stone survived millennia to tell us about the human past. Carving stone takes more time, skill and effort than writing a blog entry, yet in comparison to the latter, has proven more reliable to survive the changing tides of human evolution.

Our current civilisation, emerged and shaped by the childhood of humanity, might leave its legacy with the Georgia Guidestones, lots of plastic and radioactivity. The net as living, collective historian of the evolution of mankind might not survive as long as the Sphinx or smaller morsels of information cast in stone.

The collective mind of today seems rather insane - not hopelessly and incurably insane, yet more and more dangerously insane. Human curiosity doesn't stop to ask about its origin, its heritage. The myth provided by the consensual reality of (western) societies might contribute to this collective confusion.

Science currently dominates the myth making game in the Western World, yet the revolutions in scientific thinking of the 20st century haven't been transferred into the common meme pool. Let's shortly wrap the scientific narrative about the origin of man.

About 14 billion years the Big Bang happened, with really strange things happening in the very first few moments (a second or so), until all matter drifted away from each other, shaping stars, planets, galaxies and so on. The chemical elements we know of were created by fusing hydrogene, stars breed all the stuff we see around us. Due to our metabolism every atom in our body will be replaced within about seven years, we are literally made of star dust.

According to contemporary scientific belief, chemical 'life' differs drastically from human life (and I totally agree). However, the clay humans animate, has a long story attached to it, actually an extra-terrestial story. It might blunt Occam's razor a bit to prefer the complex cosmology with Big Bang and all, and disregard God's six day job of creating the universe 6000 years ago, but then, I'm convinced by the evidence presented in favour of this ancient, maybe even rusty universe.

Wikipedia states the age of our planet as four and half billion years, so each and every atom found on this planet had spend already billions of years floating though space before ending up in human bodies, cars, computers and pizza. Earth started off very hot-tempered, a bubbly metal core spew various elements onto a slowly solidifying crust.

During this time, this planet got hit by a large celestial object, and lost some of its mass to give birth to the moon. The continuing volcanic activity build the foundation for an atmosphere, the impact of other objects made of ice most likely contributed to the abundance of water we still enjoy today.

When life started exactly remains unknown, somewhere between 2.5 and 4 billion years ago. It developed in the ocean surrounding Pangaea, the massive single continent that broke up about 250 million years ago. Humans or their ancestors missed out on this super-continent, and made their appearance between 1.5 to 6 million years ago. For at least a million years or so, hairless, upright walking members of human family know how to control fire, inventing their own ways to transform energy.

Homo sapiens sapiens, the name given to the current evolutionary phenotype of time-binding humans, exists for about 200,000 years, according to Wikipedia 'history proper' began about 8000 years ago in the region known as 'Middle East'. My head buzzes with all the numbers, especially when I attempt to bring our 'knowledge' about the universe and mankind into a consistent picture.

We distinguish different species by their genetic outfit, and all humans share a similar DNA structure. Homo sapiens sapiens has shared this planet with other human species, another bit of evidence pointing to evolution as law of nature. The methods to look back into time we have at the moment have limits, as organic material deteriorates usually very fast.

Cultural forms to transmit historical information let us stitch back a sketchy picture of something like the last two millennia, yet merely a couple of hundred years with more reliability and credibility. Although the principle of 'scientific objectivity' never dominated among any documented society, we assume that historic scribes did exactly act like this, and reported 'truthfully' about the events around them.

I tend to believe that signal/noise ratio of 'historical' information goes along a Bell-curve, and any source needs a healthy dose of skepticism. Veracity seems of little importance in mass media reporting, and facts rarely make headlines. The field of history represent rather a story collecting than a fact detecting human endeavour. The diversity of explanations around the events of September 11 2001 typifies the amount of story-telling emerging after an cataclysmic event.

We can hardly claim to know for sure what happened in the last ten years, so speculations about events spanning hundreds or even billions of years back can't be considered as facts. Written history, the way we understand it in 2011, only captures a tiny aspect of the adaptions of evolution the human race experienced so far. Yet any group of people has oral traditions telling about their origins.

Many of these creation myths vanished from memepool, many others survived in different shape and forms. As we 'know' the true story, Big Bang and all, studying those old stories can't provide any more useful parts connecting to the puzzle of human existence. All this talking about Gods obviously indicates a naive, pre-civilised concept of reality.

Yet some facts from the past remain unexplained. Many civilisation mastered technology in ways we can't explain or recreate with today's methods. The pyramids demonstrate amazing engineering skills thousands of years before the advent of the computer, which nowadays assists the construction of awe-inspiring mega-structures.

One explanation given for some marvels of the past includes extraterrestrial visitors. Do aliens exist?

I don't know. Yet many stories about aliens exist, and some of them quite old. A friend made me curious by talking repeatedly about UFOs, and so I went on a quest to find out more. I was told an eyewitness account of a sighting, and had a distant sighting myself some time later, but hadn't bothered investigating this phenomenon in the collective story pool of the WWW.

From a scientific point of view, the existence of life outside our tiny planet has a high probability. Astronomers have begun identifying solar systems with planets, and the sheer number of the billions of galaxies with billions of stars indicate how little we really know about our universe. We love the metaphor of the needle in haystake, yet the needle Gaia hides in the haystake Milkyway, which makes finding life elsewhere tricky.

Contemporary science has little ideas how to explain interplanetary travel, and shows little interest in considering visits from outer space. The level of xenophobia seems rampant in the 21st century, and if someone won't open their heart to an 'alien' member of their own species, they would hardly welcome visitors from other planets.

And when in doubt, ask Hollywood. The majority of movies warns about dangerous aliens, so we better avoid hoping for their arrival. Just like the real existing US empire they will invade this planet mercilessly to destroy infrastructure, rob resources and enslave us. Hmm, sounds like the evil aliens have already won the battle, but let's rewind for a second.

Humanity hardly tipped its toes into the ocean of the Milky Way, so swimming like a dolphin in it to master interplanetary travel requires some advanced technology. Mankind brought much suffering among itself by using technology for military purposes. The childhood of humanity looks cruel, bloody, savage from a conscious point of view. Technology fuelled the game of war, trying to establish fear into the nature of the human race.

Anyway, it's too late to be afraid, it seems like the aliens have already reached us. Unless they control the 33 bloodlines running the economic matrix of this planet, they seem to be friendly. Otherwise, the gap in technology should have seen this planet obliterated easily, according to Buzz Aldrin.

More thoughts on this topic will come. Wouldn't it be a great PR stunt if some UFOs hovered over the royal wedding today? A bigger life audience can hardly be reached soon....

2011-04-01T22:44:00.000+11:00

Portal
There is no doubt that the engineering of human society is a difficult and complicated problem of tremendous ethical responsibility, for it involves the welfare of mankind throughout an unending succession of generations. The science of Human Engineering can not be built upon false conceptions of human nature. It can not be built on the conception of man as a kind of animal; it can not be built on the conception of man as a mixture of natural and supernatural. It must be built upon the conception of man as being at once natural and higher in dimensionality than the animals. It must be built upon the scientific conception of mankind as characterized by their time-binding capacity and function. This conception radically alters our whole view of human life, human society, and the world.

2011-02-16T15:36:00.001+11:00

Textures of chemtrails

dissolve in the sky while I

just sit and observe.

2011-02-05T16:01:00.000+11:00

Diary of despair

While nature demonstrates her unpredictable powers in Australia, politicians show their fondness of Orwellian Newspeak. Australia's government didn't hesitate to speak up for convicted drug smugglers facing the death penalty, yet leaves Julian Assange in the cold.

Human rights apply only to fair-skinned Australians, only as long as they're not suspected to be terrorists. The native population is still treated like cattle under the 'intervention' policy, a mad move from Howard to reinstate Herrenmensch ideals into Australian politics. Countless asylum seekers died while approaching Australian shores, while others live in privately run detention centres that remind me of concentration camps.

In a democracy, laws should apply to everyone equally, anything else reeks of disguised despotism. Gillard insists that Assange's charges "got to be worked through proper process". The process that happens in Europe is unheard of, laws have been bend to hold Assange hostage like it never happened before. In dictatorships, people can be held indefinitely without any evidence. Being friendly, even submissive towards a regime that practices such deliberate ignorance of human rights in several illegal wars and torture camps like Baghram and Guantanamo Bay, Gillard's stance doesn't surprise me.

Wikileaks attempts to hold governments and companies accountable for their actions. I can be arrested and/or fined just for being drunk where I live, yet Mr Brumby gave away public transport, and multiplied the costs for the tax payer to subsidise multinational companies, who basically can't cope with the demand. Several people spend the rest of their lives in high-security prisons (privately run) because ASIO had to produce terror suspects. Australia doesn't have laws for everyone, but special laws for industrial criminals like Pratt, sport stars, politicians, indigenous people, temporary workers, pensioners, etc.

If representants of governments don't want to be held accountable, they cannot call themselves 'public servants'. Germans were obliged to call their chancellor Führer (leader), and Hitler acted as one. Prime Minister is just a role within the political game. This game makes only sense to keep with more transparency and accountability than ever before in history. Nations have lost their prime position in economic terms long ago, nowadays there's hundreds of companies with a higher budget than even some of the most developed nations.

If politicians want to justify their privileges, they need to leave the murky shade of secrecy, and take responsibility. Gillard sides with the international crime network of governments, no fair go given for one of her fellow citizens.

2011-02-02T13:45:00.000+11:00

The truth is out there. It doesn't consist of 'facts' but narratives. Let's rewrite history.

2011-01-28T00:49:00.000+11:00

The world as a shopping centre. Get your key resources here:

AFRICA Congo (Kinshasa): Cobalt (Mine and Plant) Gabon: Manganese - Battery grade, natural; battery grade, synthetic; chemical grade; ferro; metallurgical grade Guinea: Bauxite (Mine) South Africa: BAE Land System OMC, Benoni, South Africa Brown David Gear Industries LTD, Benoni, South Africa Bushveld Complex (chromite mine) Ferrochromium Manganese - Battery grade, natural; battery grade, synthetic; chemical grade; ferro; metallurgical grade Palladium Mine and Plant Platinum Mines Rhodium EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC Australia: Southern Cross undersea cable landing, Brookvale, Australia Southern Cross undersea cable landing, Sydney, Australia Manganese - Battery grade, natural; battery grade, synthetic; chemical grade; ferro; metallurgical grade Nickel Mines Maybe Faulding Mulgrave Victoria, Australia: Manufacturing facility for Midazolam injection. Mayne Pharma (fill/finish), Melbourne, Australia: Sole suppliers of Crotalid Polyvalent Antivenin (CroFab). China: C2C Cable Network undersea cable landing, Chom Hom Kok, Hong Kong C2C Cable Network undersea cable landing Shanghai, China China-US undersea cable landing, Chongming, China China-US undersea cable landing Shantou, China EAC undersea cable landing Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong FLAG/REACH North Asia Loop undersea cable landing Tong Fuk, Hong Kong Hydroelectric Dam Turbines and Generators Fluorspar (Mine) Germanium Mine Graphite Mine Rare Earth Minerals/Elements Tin Mine and Plant Tungsten - Mine and Plant Polypropylene Filter Material for N-95 Masks Shanghai Port Guangzhou Port Hong Kong Port Ningbo Port Tianjin Port Fiji: Southern Cross undersea cable landing, Suva, Fiji Indonesia: Tin Mine and Plant Straits of Malacca Japan: C2C Cable Network undersea cable landing, Chikura, Japan C2C Cable Network undersea cable landing, Shima, Japan China-US undersea cable, Okinawa, Japan EAC undersea cable landing Ajigaura, Japan EAC undersea cable landing Shima, Japan FLAG/REACH North Asia Loop undersea cable landing Wada, Japan FLAG/REACH North Asia Loop undersea cable landing Wada, Japan Japan-US undersea cable landing, Maruyama, Japan Japan-US undersea cable landing Kitaibaraki, Japan KJCN undersea cable landing Fukuoka, Japan KJCN undersea cable landing Kita-Kyushu, Japan Pacific Crossing-1 (PC-1) undersea cable landing Ajigaura, Japan Pacific Crossing-1 (PC-1) undersea cable landing Shima, Japan Tyco Transpacific undersea cable landing, Toyohashi, Japan Tyco Transpacific undersea cable landing Emi, Japan Hitachi, Hydroelectric Dam Turbines and Generators Port of Chiba Port of Kobe Port of Nagoya Port of Yokohama Iodine Mine Metal Fabrication Machines Titanium Metal (Processed) Biken, Kanonji City, Japan Hitachi Electrical Power Generators and Components Large AC Generators above 40 MVA Malaysia: Straits of Malacca New Zealand: Southern Cross undersea cable landing, Whenuapai, New Zealand Southern Cross undersea cable landing, Takapuna, New Zealand Philippines: C2C Cable Network undersea cable landing, Batangas, Philippines EAC undersea cable landing Cavite, Philippines Republic of Korea: C2C Cable Network undersea cable landing, Pusan, Republic of Korea. EAC undersea cable landing Shindu-Ri, Republic of Korea FLAG/REACH North Asia Loop undersea cable landing Pusan, Republic of Korea KJCN undersea cable landing Pusan, Republic of Korea Hitachi Large Electric Power Transformers 230 - 500 kV Busan Port Singapore: C2C Cable Network undersea cable landing, Changi, Singapore EAC undersea cable landing Changi North, Singapore Port of Singapore Straits of Malacca Taiwan: C2C Cable Network undersea cable landing, Fangshan, Taiwan C2C Cable Network undersea cable landing, Tanshui, Taiwan China-US undersea cable landing Fangshan, Taiwan EAC undersea cable landing Pa Li, Taiwan FLAG/REACH North Asia Loop undersea cable landing Toucheng, Taiwan Kaohsiung Port EUROPE AND EURASIA Europe (Unspecified): Metal Fabrication Machines: Small number of Turkish companies (Durma, Baykal, Ermaksan) Austria: Baxter AG, Vienna, Austria: Immune Globulin Intravenous (IGIV) Octapharma Pharmazeutika, Vienna, Austria: Immune Globulin Intravenous (IGIV) Azerbaijan: Sangachal Terminal Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline Belarus: Druzhba Oil Pipeline Belgium: Germanium Mine Baxter SA, Lessines, Belgium: Immune Globulin Intravenous (IGIV) Glaxo Smith Kline, Rixensart, Belgium: Acellular Pertussis Vaccine Component GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA, Wavre, Belgium: Acellular Pertussis Vaccine Component Port of Antwerp Denmark: TAT-14 undersea cable landing, Blaabjerg, Denmark Bavarian Nordic (BN), Hejreskovvej, Kvistgard, Denmark: Smallpox Vaccine Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Bagsvaerd, Denmark: Numerous formulations of insulin Novo Nordisk Insulin Manufacturer: Global insulin supplies Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark: DTaP (including D and T components) pediatric version France: APOLLO undersea cable, Lannion, France FA-1 undersea cable, Plerin, France TAT-14 undersea cable landing St. Valery, France Sanofi-Aventis Insulin Manufacturer: Global insulin supplies Foot and Mouth Disease Vaccine finishing Alstrom, Hydroelectric Dam Turbines and Generators Alstrom Electrical Power Generators and Components EMD Pharms Semoy, France: Cyanokit Injection GlaxoSmithKline, Inc. Evreux, France: Influenza neurominidase inhibitor RELENZA (Zanamivir) Diagast, Cedex, France: Olympus (impacts blood typing ability) Genzyme Polyclonals SAS (bulk), Lyon, France: Thymoglobulin Sanofi Pasteur SA, Lyon, France: Rabies virus vaccine Georgia: Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline Germany: TAT-14 undersea cable landing, Nodren, Germany. Atlantic Crossing-1 (AC-1) undersea cable landing Sylt, Germany BASF Ludwigshafen: World's largest integrated chemical complex Siemens Erlangen: Essentially irreplaceable production of key chemicals Siemens, GE, Hydroelectric Dam Turbines and Generators Draeger Safety AG & Co., Luebeck, Germany: Critical to gas detection capability Junghans Fienwerktechnik Schramberg, Germany: Critical to the production of mortars TDW-Gasellschaft Wirksysteme, Schroebenhausen, Germany: Critical to the production of the Patriot Advanced Capability Lethality Enhancement Assembly Siemens, Large Electric Power Transformers 230 - 500 kV Siemens, GE Electrical Power Generators and Components Druzhba Oil Pipeline Sanofi Aventis Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Lantus Injection (insulin) Heyl Chemish-pharmazeutische Fabrik GmbH: Radiogardase (Prussian blue) Hameln Pharmaceuticals, Hameln, Germany: Pentetate Calcium Trisodium (Ca DTPA) and Pentetate Zinc Trisodium (Zn DTPA) for contamination with plutonium, americium, and curium IDT Biologika GmbH, Dessau Rossiau, Germany: BN Small Pox Vaccine. Biotest AG, Dreiech, Germany: Supplier for TANGO (impacts automated blood typing ability) CSL Behring GmbH, Marburg, Germany: Antihemophilic factor/von Willebrand factor Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics GmbH, Marburg, Germany: Rabies virus vaccine Vetter Pharma Fertigung GmbH & Co KG, Ravensburg, Germany (filling): Rho(D) IGIV Port of Hamburg Ireland: Hibernia Atlantic undersea cable landing, Dublin Ireland Genzyme Ireland Ltd. (filling), Waterford, Ireland: Thymoglobulin Italy: Glaxo Smith Kline SpA (fill/finish), Parma, Italy: Digibind (used to treat snake bites) Trans-Med gas pipeline Netherlands: Atlantic Crossing-1 (AC-1) undersea cable landing Beverwijk, Netherlands TAT-14 undersea cable landing, Katwijk, Netherlands Rotterdam Port Norway: Cobalt Nickel Mine Poland: Druzhba Oil Pipeline Russia: Novorossiysk Export Terminal Primorsk Export Terminal. Nadym Gas Pipeline Junction: The most critical gas facility in the world Uranium Nickel Mine: Used in certain types of stainless steel and superalloys Palladium Mine and Plant Rhodium Spain: Strait of Gibraltar Instituto Grifols, SA, Barcelona, Spain: Immune Globulin Intravenous (IGIV) Maghreb-Europe (GME) gas pipeline, Algeria Sweden: Recip AB Sweden: Thyrosafe (potassium iodine) Switzerland: Hoffman-LaRoche, Inc. Basel, Switzerland: Tamiflu (oseltamivir) Berna Biotech, Berne, Switzerland: Typhoid vaccine CSL Behring AG, Berne, Switzerland: Immune Globulin Intravenous (IGIV) Turkey: Metal Fabrication Machines: Small number of Turkish companies (Durma, Baykal, Ermaksan) Bosporus Strait Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline Ukraine: Manganese - Battery grade, natural; battery grade, synthetic; chemical grade; ferro; metallurgical grade United Kingdom: Goonhilly Teleport, Goonhilly Downs, United Kingdom Madley Teleport, Stone Street, Madley, United Kingdom Martelsham Teleport, Ipswich, United Kingdom APOLLO undersea cable landing Bude, Cornwall Station, United Kingdom Atlantic Crossing-1 (AC-1) undersea cable landing Whitesands Bay FA-1 undersea cable landing Skewjack, Cornwall Station Hibernia Atlantic undersea cable landing, Southport, United Kingdom TAT-14 undersea cable landing Bude, Cornwall Station, United Kingdom Tyco Transatlantic undersea cable landing, Highbridge, United Kingdom Tyco Transatlantic undersea cable landing, Pottington, United Kingdom. Yellow/Atlantic Crossing-2 (AC-2) undersea cable landing Bude, United Kingdom Foot and Mouth Disease Vaccine finishing BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd., Presont, Lancashire, United Kingdom: Critical to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter BAE Systems Operations Ltd., Southway, Plymouth Devon, United Kingdom: Critical to extended range guided munitions BAE Systems RO Defense, Chorley, United Kingdom: Critical to the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) AGM-154C (Unitary Variant) MacTaggart Scott, Loanhead, Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom: Critical to the Ship Submersible Nuclear (SSN) NEAR/MIDDLE EAST Djibouti: Bab al-Mendeb: Shipping lane is a critical supply chain node Egypt: 'Ayn Sukhnah-SuMEd Receiving Import Terminal 'Sidi Kurayr-SuMed Offloading Export Terminal Suez Canal Iran: Strait of Hormuz Khark (Kharg) Island Sea Island Export Terminal Khark Island T-Jetty Iraq: Al-Basrah Oil Terminal Israel: Rafael Ordnance Systems Division, Haifa, Israel: Critical to Sensor Fused Weapons (SFW), Wind Corrected Munitions Dispensers (WCMD), Tail Kits, and batteries Kuwait: Mina' al Ahmadi Export Terminal Morocco: Strait of Gibraltar Maghreb-Europe (GME) gas pipeline, Morocco Oman: Strait of Hormuz Qatar: Ras Laffan Industrial Center: By 2012 Qatar will be the largest source of imported LNG to U.S. Saudi Arabia: Abqaiq Processing Center: Largest crude oil processing and stabilization plant in the world Al Ju'aymah Export Terminal: Part of the Ras Tanura complex As Saffaniyah Processing Center Qatif Pipeline Junction Ras at Tanaqib Processing Center Ras Tanura Export Terminal Shaybah Central Gas-oil Separation Plant Tunisia: Trans-Med Gas Pipeline United Arab Emirates (UAE): Das Island Export Terminal Jabal Zannah Export Terminal Strait of Hormuz Yemen: Bab al-Mendeb: Shipping lane is a critical supply chain node SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Kazakhstan: Ferrochromium Khromtau Complex, Kempersai, (Chromite Mine) India: Orissa (chromite mines) and Karnataka (chromite mines) Generamedix Gujurat, India: Chemotherapy agents, including florouracil and methotrexate WESTERN HEMISPHERE Argentina: Foot and Mouth Disease Vaccine finishing Bermuda: GlobeNet (formerly Bermuda US-1 (BUS-1) undersea cable landing Devonshire, Bermuda Brazil: Americas-II undersea cable landing Fortaleza, Brazil GlobeNet undersea cable landing Fortaleza, Brazil GlobeNet undersea cable landing Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Iron Ore from RIO TINTO Mine Manganese - Battery grade, natural; battery grade, synthetic; chemical grade; ferro; metallurgical grade Niobium (Columbium), Araxa, Minas Gerais State (mine) Ouvidor and Catalao I, Goias State: Niobium Chile: Iodine Mine Canada: Hibernia Atlantic undersea cable landing Halifax , Nova Scotia, Canada James Bay Power Project, Quebec: monumental hydroelectric power development Mica Dam, British Columbia: Failure would impact the Columbia River Basin. Hydro Quebec, Quebec: Critical irreplaceable source of power to portions of Northeast U. S. Robert Moses/Robert H. Saunders Power, Ontario: Part of the St. Lawrence Power Project, between Barnhart Island, New York, and Cornwall, Ontario Seven Mile Dam, British Columbia: Concrete gravity dam between two other hydropower dams along the Pend d'Oreille River Pickering Nuclear Power Plant, Ontario, Canada Chalk River Nuclear Facility, Ontario: Largest supplier of medical radioisotopes in the world Hydrofluoric Acid Production Facility, Allied Signal, Amherstburg, Ontario Enbridge Pipeline Alliance Pipeline: Natural gas transmission from Canada Maritime and Northeast Pipeline: Natural gas transmission from Canada Transcanada Gas: Natural gas transmission from Canada Alexandria Bay POE, Ontario: Northern border crossing Ambassador Bridge POE, Ontario: Northern border crossing Blaine POE, British Columbia: Northern border crossing Blaine Washington Rail Crossing, British Columbia Blue Water Bridge POE, Ontario: Northern border crossing Champlain POE, Quebec: Northern border crossing CPR Tunnel Rail Crossing, Ontario (Michigan Central Rail Crossing) International Bridge Rail Crossing, Ontario International Railway Bridge Rail Crossing Lewiston-Queenstown POE, Ontario: Northern border crossing Peace Bridge POE, Ontario: Northern border crossing Pembina POE, Manitoba: Northern border crossing North Portal Rail Crossing, Saskatchewan St. Claire Tunnel Rail Crossing, Ontario Waneta Dam, British Columbia: Earthfill/concrete hydropower dam Darlington Nuclear Power Plant, Ontario, Canada. E-ONE Moli Energy, Maple Ridge, Canada: Critical to production of various military application electronics General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada, London Ontario, Canada: Critical to the production of the Stryker/USMC LAV Vehicle Integration Raytheon Systems Canada Ltd. ELCAN Optical Technologies Division, Midland, Ontario, Canada: Critical to the production of the AGM-130 Missile Thales Optronique Canada, Inc., Montreal, Quebec: Critical optical systems for ground combat vehicles Germanium Mine Graphite Mine Iron Ore Mine Nickel Mine Niobec Mine, Quebec, Canada: Niobium Cangene, Winnipeg, Manitoba: Plasma Sanofi Pasteur Ltd., Toronto, Canada: Polio virus vaccine GlaxoSmithKile Biologicals, North America, Quebec, Canada: Pre-pandemic influenza vaccines French Guiana: Americas-II undersea cable landing Cayenne, French Guiana Martinique: Americas-II undersea cable landing Le Lamentin, Martinique Mexico: FLAG/REACH North Asia Loop undersea cable landing Tijuana, Mexico Pan-American Crossing (PAC) undersea cable landing Mazatlan, Mexico Amistad International Dam: On the Rio Grande near Del Rio, Texas and Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila, Mexico Anzalduas Dam: Diversion dam south of Mission, Texas, operated jointly by the U.S. and Mexico for flood control Falcon International Dam: Upstream of Roma, Texas and Miguel Aleman, Tamaulipas, Mexico Retamal Dam: Diversion dam south of Weslaco, Texas, operated jointly by the U.S. and Mexico for flood control GE Hydroelectric Dam Turbines and Generators: Main source for a large portion of larger components Bridge of the Americas: Southern border crossing Brownsville POE: Southern border crossing Calexico East POE: Southern border crossing Columbia Solidarity Bridge: Southern border crossing Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) Rail Line, (Mexico) Nogales POE: Southern border crossing Laredo Rail Crossing Eagle Pass Rail Crossing Otay Mesa Crossing: Southern border crossing Pharr International Bridge: Southern border crossing World Trade Bridge: Southern border crossing Ysleta Zaragosa Bridge: Southern border crossing Hydrofluoric Acid Production Facility Graphite Mine GE Electrical Power Generators and Components General Electric, Large Electric Power Transformers 230 - 500 kV Netherlands Antilles: Americas-II undersea cable landing Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles. Panama: FLAG/REACH North Asia Loop undersea cable landing Fort Amador, Panama Panama Canal Peru: Tin Mine and Plant Trinidad and Tobago: Americas-II undersea cable landing Port of Spain Atlantic LNG: Provides 70% of U.S. natural gas import needs Venezuela: Americas-II undersea cable landing Camuri, Venezuela GlobeNet undersea cable landing, Punta Gorda, Venezuela GlobeNet undersea cable landing Catia La Mar, Venezuela GlobeNet undersea cable landing Manonga, Venezuela [END TEXT OF LIST]

2011-01-08T15:47:00.000+11:00

A zen student once asked his teacher Ikkyu, a fifteenth century Zen master, to sum up the highest wisdom. The master responded to this enormous question with a single word scratched in the sand: "Attention."

The student wasn't satisfied and asked him to elaborate. Ikkyu wrote: "Attention. Attention. Attention."

2011-01-07T16:41:00.000+11:00

Official insanity

Intelligence agencies, or secret services, exist for much longer than any known nation on this planet. Having 'inside information' about a competitor makes business easier, but not necessarily fairer. The origin as proactive business insurance has been forgotten a bit, nowadays catch-all phrase 'national security' suggests a useful service provided by democratically uncontrollable 'intelligence agencies'.

History tells some vicious stories about how governments used their secret armies. In countries hated, or conquered in war, the status as force of evil of intelligence agencies is hardly denied: Gestapo, Stasi or KGB serve as examples how governments used secret services against their own population. Of course, only 'bad' nations have 'evil' secret services, and per definition, your own country cannot be bad.

Nobody with a sane mind derives a feeling of national pride from the knowledge that their country systematically commits crimes against humanity. When Australia got told off by the United Nations for their treatment of the native people in this nation, propaganda turned this crime into a virtue. Only Nazi Germany, and the Khmer Rouge committed genocide, the 'White Australia' policy, which survived as national attitude, and about two centuries of randomly killing indigenous people are blissfully ignored.

Australia's intelligence agencies have more legal rights than the Gestapo ever had. That doesn't mean that their agents act like Mini-Hitlers all the time, it just means that if they do, they get away with it. Legally. The veil of 'national security' hides the systematic waste of tax-payer's money to subvert individual freedoms, millions are currently wasted on the witch hunt for terrorists.

The stupidity and paranoia in the offices of intelligence agencies becomes more obvious, as we no longer rely solely on governmental propaganda, but can gather information ourself, and 'connect the dots'. The latest fear-making meme is about China's increase in military spending, which ostensibly threatens the 'regional stability'.

Let's do the uncommon thing and have a rational look at this fear-mongering message. China has publicly announced in 2006 to spend about half of its actual expenditure. While $45 billion were mentioned, they spend about $90 billion. Will they start conquering the region now?

According to Wolfram Alpha, China spend less than $9 per head on the military, while each Australian pays in average nearly $900 per head for 'military protection'. If we consider China's numbers are manipulated, Australia still spend in relation 50 times more than China for its destructive forces. So who is threatening regional stability?

I admit, using facts in a political discussion seems utterly unfair. By putting numbers next to some of the inane rants of politicos and 'security experts' makes the propaganda visible. Let's just take the wars of the 21st century as example. Only so-called democracies dared to invade other countries, so a 'totalitarian' state like China is statistically unlikely as an aggressor.

Invasions are an economic nightmare for the nations involved, yet a gold mine for war profiteers. The cost of living exploded for the local survivors, yet survival became much more of an uncertainty through the random violence that accompanies any war. While the stocks and profits of the war-mongering industry soar, especially in the US, national debt is at an all-time high.

Of course, we can ignore the lessons from history that saw many 'great' nations crumble because of war expenses, and blame the US deficit budget on other factors. The jobs saved in the killing industry are nothing than a flimsy bandage on the pierced jugular of a nation. Profits have no national pride.

China's ambition to control Tibet and Taiwan belong to old news, yet the politicians of this planet happily rubbed shoulders with China during the Olympic Games. So complaining about China's increase in military spending could as well mean a chance for business. For one thing, this could be a call to increase advertising military equipment to China, and also a simple reminder to blow up Australia's vast military budget even more beyond any reason.

The world has changed, as well as political constellations. China cannot simply repeat the British strategy that founded Australia - conquer a continent and eradicate the local population. To arm against this possibility just shows the level of insanity that pervades the idea of 'national security'.

For any democracy it's much cheaper to have a 24/7 surveillance of all political representatives, instead of treating all citizens like potential terrorists. The 'intelligence' gathered by secret services constitutes an utter waste of money. This doesn't bother politicos too much, as they profit as well from the insanity they sprout.

Government act always in self-interest. Unfortunately, there's hardly any match between a government's self-interest and the interest of the population. As long as 'intelligence agencies' are taken for granted, democracy can't emerge.

2011-01-05T08:44:00.000+11:00

2010-12-31T15:40:00.002+11:00

Ganesh and the author of this blog like to wish you all a happy, successful and abundant year 2011.

Last day of the year.

Desert winds scorch the landscape -

I yearn for a drink.

2010-12-25T17:07:00.000+11:00

Public Domain

War is peace,

slavery is freedom,

ignorance is bliss.

In ancient times, when most people hardly knew anything about the existence of other people, or the limits of our planetary confinement, or the space-time rules seemingly governing the movements of planets and stars, they considered most likely everything 'public domain'.

The capitalist concept of 'property' turned out as a successful meme, although with a very long incubation period. Humanity installed many systems to maintain injustices based on the meme of property, and only few to protect the public domain.

In a tribe, there's little space for private property. Still, everyone within a tribe owns something, which makes them unique and individual. 'To make something your own' seems like a common human desire, and this includes skills and knowledge as well as material goods.

Pre-civilised societies steal the resources they need, unaware of the limited space our planet offers. Trading resources and knowledge creates a win-win situation for the involved societies, and unlike the violent option of war, and shares the benefits of the accompanying technological progress. Our resources might be limited, but our inventiveness brought an increase in common wealth in many periods of history.

For a long time, we could only rely on our gut feeling to determine whether a war was truly just or just another commercial enterprise. From a humanitarian perspective in the 21st century, war has proven an irrational choice to improve the situation of the majority of people involved. No government acts in the interest of its people if it leads them into a bloody-thirsty money-making scheme like the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and redirects tax-payers money into the greedy fingers of the military industrial complex.

War has shifted its meaning since George Orwell wrote the quote I began with. It became the Orwellian monster, an endless war against invisible enemies, brought to life by government propaganda. Like in 1984, everyone's life get influenced by the growing paranoia of governments about 'terrorists'. We don't identify the terrorists in suits on our TV screen spreading distrust and lies, and the spin becomes common knowledge, or rather COWDUNG (common wisdom of the dominating group).

The latest victim of the terror campaign originating mainly, but not exclusively, from the US is Julian Assange. He represents a project to bring transparency into politics. The Wikileaks publications confirm the lack of responsibility within the leadership of 'democratic' (and less democratic) governments many people have suspected to exist.

The discussion about Assange and Wikileaks polarises positions, like so many public interest topics. You can find the 'us vs them' meme many times, yet this time the frontline is drawn in new ways. It's governed against government, an act of self-defence against arbitrary, intransparent, uncontrollable and unaccountable government.

The people only want what they have been promised to pay for by their taxes: Civil servants that act in their interest. We have many so-called democracies on this planet, yet the people of this planet still unite behind the idea of transparent government. After 911, 77 and the Asian tsunami, civil liberty has become a global media talking point.

In a way, it seems a bit like David and Goliath - Julian Assange against the bureaucracies and politicians of some of the world's most 'powerful' nations. Yet Assange has only founded Wikileaks, and now puts his head on the block for it. Those calling him a 'hi-tech terrorist' unveil themselves as terrorists, fighting against democracy and freedom of expression.

Justice belongs to the global set of ethical standards, independent of the culture. Humans intuitively notice if a potential win-win situation turns into one where into one with unequal, unfair outcome. This prevented the introduction of abusive governing structures for some ten thousands of years, yet lately we entered again into a phase of human history where cruel governments dominate.

Democracy seems a uniting meme, yet the attempts to implement democracies were deeply flawed as of now. Elections neither prevented Hitler, Stalin nor Saddam. In times of global communication, travel, and trade the argument of 'national security' does not make any sense anymore. Governments have been the biggest threat to human life in the last few hundreds years, and Wikileaks confirms that this attitude prevails into contemporary times.

I'm just not paranoid enough to feel good that my taxes pay for death and torture in places I might never visit. I don't conceive government as a force of nature, but a man-made agreement how to live together on a larger scale. Governments shrouded in secrecy did (and still do) many objectionable things, and don't deserve the name 'democracy'.

In a country where parents have to subsidise the 'free' public education system, without free public health system, and growing poverty any cent spend on military adventures is wasted. In a democracy, information about how elected governments act and spend our money belongs to the public domain. Listen to the voices condemning Assange, and decide for yourself whether their interests really apply to you.

act assange common democracy domain global government history human interest knowledge life meme people period planet public resources seems situation times war wikileaks

created at TagCrowd.com

2010-12-17T13:12:00.001+11:00

History in the making

The only thing human beings know for sure is their own history, at least if you follow along the ideas of Giambattista Vico. History needs the luxury of culture, a feature of humanity reinvented in many parts of the planet for millennia. The roots of civilisation date further and further back. Each of them deployed our inventive consciousness to create technological progress and an increase of available resources for their inhabitants.

Until lately, civilisations barely had the means to cooperate on larger scales. Few decided over the fate of many, creating the mess we witness today. Profit-driven wars rage, profit-driven paranoia sells stupid security measures, and thousands starve daily on this planet that can feed every human being. When natural disasters devastated the livelihoods of other people, a global wave of helpers emerge. Statistically, there are much more people willing to help than those who want to harm, society functions only by cooperation.

History does not contain 'facts', merely narratives. September 1st 1939 does not tell us anything about the chains of connections and events that led to the second World War. We can learn about patsies, false-flag operation and propaganda that typically appear as side-effect in preparation for pre-emptive warfare by investigating the memetic structure of the surviving artefacts of any given period of the past. History taught in schools and universities serves only as propaganda to protect the inane power structures governing the majority of people against their best interests.

Now we don't need to watch any BBC documentary about WW2 anymore to understand how governments operate to make money out of war and violence. We can witness the conspiration happening with international diplomacy wikileaking into the public domain. It's no longer a conspiracy that governments conspire behind the back of their citizens, it's happening right here and right now on this very planet.

Democracy can not just base on trust into its representatives. Democracy needs transparency up to the highest levels. Whenever 'secret' documents from the distant past were unveiled, abuses of power became known. Each government comments fast that these wrong-doings are a thing of the past. In the light of wikileaks the continuity of nefarious activities of democratically elected governments becomes obvious. Control of government failed until now, only a truly open government suits democracy.

Wikileaks has provided a glimpse of transparency, so we can experience history in the making. Its founder Julian Assange made himself the target of malevolent governments, and the empire strikes back. Charged with dubios allegations, chased by police throughout Europe, held for a couple of days in isolation, Assange walks in the steps of Rosa Parks.

On a very short term notice, you might want to join the rally in Melbourne today 5:30 pm at the State Library. Let's document history in making from as many perspectives as possible, to prevent state propaganda ruining our minds.

2010-12-13T23:01:00.000+11:00

A lot of people, the kind of people that get provided with free air time in the mass media, outed their attitude towards democracy lately. They insist to continue to work in secrecy, like Count Dracula fearing the light of day shining on their actions. Be grateful, earthling, to witness history in the making.

The 21st century started nightmarish with American imperial ambitions, justified by the myth of all-mighty terrorism. Men wearing suits recklessly demolished human rights, erected invisible walls for the meeting of the global suit wearing elite in Sydney, ordered a continuation of the outrageous injustice thrown unto David Hicks, sold the public transport systems in Victoria to multi-national companies, and still treat the indigenous population of Australia as second class citizens, savages to be taken by the hand.

Men in suits bossed the governments of this planet into paying a ransom to bail them out of their losses, produced by irresponsible and reckless gambling with fantasy products. Men in suits want your vote to legitimate action they don't want to tell you. Men in suit now threaten Julian Assange, someone who helped taxpayers finding out how their money is spend behind their backs.

2010-11-02T17:20:00.001+11:00

Evolution and human history

We live in amazing times, and always have. The basic need for food and shelter exists for as long as humans roam this planet. Even in the 'modern' world with all its technological complexity and vast knowledge mankind hasn't conquered this challenge sustainably, not because it cannot be done but because of insanity.

Human memes spread wider and faster than those of any other species known to us. Our story telling ability provides the basis for progress, an evolutionary phenomenon that creates dynamically balanced complex systems. Contemporary science and craft still hasn't been able to recreate technological marvels of the human past, and the ideas of how people lived in previous eras of history often base on sketchy evidence.

As social beings, survival of humanity depended rather on an evolution of group organisation strategies than advancing the bio-physical machinery of individuals. Different environments favoured different strategies of how people live together, cultural exchange added into the mix. One might question the meaning of his/her individual existence, but the group with its customs, rules, traditions and myths seems to make sense, as it seems to last longer than any of its individual members.

When ever more people live together in smaller spaces, when ever urban culture emerges, art and technology advance, yet not in a linear fashion. Complexity of society adds to its vulnerability, especially the way it generates and uses energy. Deforestation killed many cultures, and the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq secure the US future oil-based energy demands. The lack of sustainability and efficiency of a fossil-fuel economy is known already at least since Buckminster Fuller. Investing the resources in securing a useless mode of operation instead of devising more sustainable solutions appears to me utterly insane.

I can imagine the better-off part of society marvelling about the technological wonders and wondering about the future ahead of them in most times of history. With the need for food and shelter satisfied, story telling becomes the main occupation of humans. Humans devised amazing ways to utilize the resources of their environment, and many ideas spread around the globe.

A progressive society provides change much faster than the seasons that determined the life of many of our ancestors. Travel and communication technology have advanced like never before in known history, yet the structure of the mixed global societies looks similar to those in times of mass self-destruction.

The amount of people that could communicate together found its limits in societal, cultural and foremost spatial barriers. That limits the amount of ideas to choose from, 'best practice' simply meant doing anything in a way that worked somehow. Funny enough, Victoria's desalination plans seems as if the deciders never considered solutions from other parts of the globe, instead they use a strategy that doomed many societies.

The way evolution is taught and commonly portrayed unfortunately rather obscures evolutionary principles than allows us to take a bit more active part in it. It makes a lot of sense to consider developments in technology and society from an evolutionary perspective, and this makes it so much easier to perceive evolution as an ongoing instead of a relatively finished process.

Societies have always organised themselves, yet mostly only a minority within society acted as agents of this process of self-organisation. It doesn't really matter that not all ideas to structure society had something original to them. The diversity of concurrently existing and past societies simply indicated the lack of a 'natural' law about how conscious individuals organise their common affairs. Those indigenous cultures that survived until today lasted for much longer than any specific 'nation' or 'society', and proved thereby that mankind can survive without 'civilisation'. I have a good laugh at the idea that something as virtual and malleable as 'culture' can be deemed 'unchangeable', yet many fundamentalists might get angry about my bout of humour.

The 'us versus them' meme comes with the myth of any nation, and many other gangs of humans. It survived easier and longer than any technological advancement that could provide for the essential human needs. Mankind created technology to extinguish the entire species, and as a trade-off developed amazing life-saving technology.

Evolution seems to favour the 'us and them' idea. No species exists in isolation, only bacteria might happily survive on a purely an-organic diet. Ecology taught us to consider life more from a system perspective, and to study the interaction and interrelation of all species existing in a biotop. Have we cultivated plants and animals, or have these species adapted to us to selfishly spread their own genes around the globe?

Nature doesn't need humans to sustain life, it existed before and will exist after our species' expiry. The special role of humans on this planet, a meme popular with scientists, philosophers, artists and priests alike, has no basis in our current understanding of evolution. Wait, humans can master evolution of non-biological systems, and even their own, but as yet this meme hasn't reached many members of our species.

No society managed to 'stay on the top' throughout history, yet many still try. No strategy to organise society won the 'battle of civilisations'. Many species got extinct, yet the number of evolutionary winners exceeds most peoples imagination. The evolution of ideas about the organisation of society show the same random variety as any experimental setup in the lab of life.

In an era of global travel and communication violent government doesn't make any sense anymore. Simple birth proves the evolutionary right to exist, no matter how hard bureaucracy may try to withdraw the means of survival for unwanted human beings. If everybody would want to live a meaningless and parasitic life like most professional scaremongers do, our planet would run out of resources within a very short amount of time. While violent governments needs individuals who combine greed, gullibility and recklessness, a sane society would rather offer those misguided individuals treatment than permit them to run the show.

Yet the Western World, conditioned to believe in the myth of enlightenment, shows little interest in a sane society. Although having power and acting responsibly are not mutually exclusive, without scrutiny representatives of government have always abused power. Most of the corrupt and irresponsible activity remains hidden under the cloak of 'national security' or 'public private partnership'. Corruption remains a much too successful business meme to undergo moral considerations. Corruption among politicians protects this mechanism from the law and public eye.

The way any society evolved doesn't represent any precipice, at least as far as I know. That doesn't stop politicos maintaining the myth to represent the best of societies by exclusion (claiming other societies offer less), This makes as much sense as saying because kangaroos have conquered Australia, all marsupials should be roos. Understanding that any living system (and I consider memes as living systems as well) evolves together with its environment means embracing diversity instead of enforcing conformity.

Any society defends some of its behaviour rules vigorously, while other behaviours are happily tolerated. It's okay in many western nations to show murderers and killings as part of story telling, yet real dead people are hardly seen. Unlike in Thailand, where graphic images of crime victims embellish the front pages of news papers. All groups of people developed some idiosyncratic ways of dealing with sex and death, deriving many other rules in accordance to this attitude to these essentials of life.

Again, the diversity of rules merely shows evolution in action. Progress seems like a by-product of the evolution of consciousness, and the consequences often favor only a minority of the human species. Yet progress as it manifests today would allow to feed and shelter every human being on this planet, if the splintered global societies wanted to. This doesn't imply some sort of welfare planet at all - yet the global free riders (politicians) like to perpetrate the myth that wealth leads to procrastination and decadence. Indeed, any society with considerable wealth and without control over their leaders ended in catastrophe or revolution. Violent government breeds intolerance, war, terrorism, murder, abuse, addiction and desperation.

Unfortunately, other forms of government hardly make it into the public consciousness as they can easily fall victim to the expansion lust of violent governments. In retrospect, Saddam's Iraq before 1991 looks far more tolerant and secular than the US or Australia today, although dissidents held as political prisoners might survive longer with Western-style torture and imprisonment. Like after WW2, the US simply adapted the inhumane treatment of other people as demonstrated by the evil regime that got replaced. Of course, known wars hardly ever involved non-violent governments. Iraq just serves as example that comparing society standards can yield surprising results, and unveils the hypocrisy of fingerpointing, especially from the US government.

Rebranding war as insanity poses a huge challenge. From a global perspective, war creates losses by its unsustainable nature. Mankind needs protection, but not from our evil neighbours, mankind needs to protect itself from violent governments. Mankind shares one planet, and if mankind is willing to use evolution in its favour towards a more compassionate world it needs to cooperate to create sane forms of government.

Modern history creates the illusion of a relative linear development of mankind. The chaotic co-existence of different approaches of living together seems to scare those who live off collective fears. In the history of evolution diversity proved as advantage, and many forms of life simply vanished. The meme of violent government seems obsolete, yet still irresistible for many. And while it's popular not to expect 'historic' changes within one's lifetime, I have witnessed too many to lose my hope to see a much more just and compassionate planet than we have right now.

evolution exist global government history human ideas life live mankind meme myth people planet seems society species survive systems technology together violent war

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2010-09-17T18:43:00.004+10:00

History repeating

In a sad revival of ancient prejudices, "France" and "Italy" started expelling Roma from "their" "territory". The idea of people living a rather nomadic life style in Europe seems to clash with a lot of ideas about government in general. However, the idea of forming a society with its own culture predated the historically modern idea of nations.

Being born in "Germany", I haven't encountered any 'gypsy' camp where I grew up. Not too surprising, as "Germany's" war against others under Hitler targeted Roma and Sinti even before they engaged into the genocide of Jewish people. Depending on the proximity of nation towards acting as a civilised nation, the horrific history of "Germany" under Hitler is reduced to the Jewish genocide. Homophobic countries ignore Hitler's war on homosexuals, others ignore the war on free-thinking artists, the war on handicapped people, the war on communists or the war on "gypies" (Zigeuner).

This simplistic view of the historically accepted times of "German" fascism might contribute to the "French" politicians showing dismay after some EU representative reminded the world publicly about the similarity the "French" governments activity and the Nazi strategy against this people. It became quite common for governments in the 21st century to rather engage in indirect killings than to this dirty job the same way "Germany" did it more than 70 years ago. Australia unilaterally breaches the UN conventions with its policies towards asylum seekers and their native population, France doesn't care to send Roma people into countries which intend to end the journey of this travelling people forever.

So, yes, while the Nazis had killing squads to deal with Sinti and Roma, the "French" don't kill them straight away. The just follow the narrow-minded strategy "Out of sight, out of mind", thereby perverting the ideas behind the United Nations declaration of human rights. However, comparing what "France" is doing to the Roma people right now has much more merits then "French" diplomats want to admit.

The Nazis created acceptance for their violent ways of treating other people as non-humans by targeting easy scapegoats. Without exposure to minority groups, the stories being told about them often originate from sources with an agenda. It requires a large amount of gullibility to believe what Hitler wrote about the Jews in Mein Kampf, to believe anything the "French" government accuses the entire people of Roma of, or to believe anything that "government sources" in the Western World say about "terrorists".

In a world without easy access to global travel and communication making people scared of "others" comes easy. In the 21st century individuals have access to an overwhelming diversity of opinions and facts, and no longer depend on "government" to tell them about right and wrong. Nationalism, the meme that extended empathy from immediate kinship to a larger community, has turned into a fatal disease of society already before this millennium, but developments like the "US" wars on non-befriended owners of valuable resources, or "Israel"'s war on the indigeneous people of the Middle East, or the allegations of some European governments that Roma cause a hike in crime rates demonstrate the popularity of the 'us versus them' meme that aim to prevent the emergence of global empathy.

Life doesn't need humans, yet humans need each other and biodiversity to survive. As humans, we cannot escape the laws of nature, but we can easily can create laws that pave the path of self-destruction. On an individual scale this means substance abuse, domestic violence, suicide and excessive risk tasking. Only larger scale, organisation like nation or multinational corporations can accumulate and use resources in a species endangering way. No invisible hand determines the fate of mankind, rather the combination of an ignorant populace and uncontrolled government.

Each living organism on this planet is an contemporary evolutionary winner, born into an environment that provides more than enough for survival. If there wasn't enough for everyone right here and now, those chosen by arbitrary governments not to deserve life wouldn't exist in first place. Anyone still repeating Adam Smith's mantra "There is not enough for everyone" lacks either intelligence or empathy, which disqualifies them from taking on responsibility for other people's life. However, history shows that no safeguards against stupid or evil leaders has been put in place, and that real existing "democracies" rather function similar to feudalistic societies.

As long as governments use "national security" as an excuse for institutionalised violence, humanity is light years away from justice, and wolfs remain the shepherds of the human race. As long as societies allow their leaders secrecy and special rules, humanity is doomed to repeat history until the extinction of humanity. I haven't lost my optimism yet, not everyone acta as harmful, inconsiderate, unempathic and unconscious as the parasites of society euphemistically called "politicians".

2010-09-11T14:05:00.003+10:00

A memorial of madness

The mass trauma induced by the events of September 11th 2001 still linger untransformed in the global human consciousness. 3000 people were killed on that day, more than this number died as a consequence of the irresponsible exposure to the toxic aftermath of the collapse of three WTC buildings, more than 4000 American soldiers died since then in Iraq and Afghanistan, and hundred thousands if not millions of civilians in Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen and Afghanistan have been killed.

The global development since that event seems familiar and new at the same time. Utter violence replaced diplomacy, creating a boom for the prison and war industry. A Global Financial Crisis was created to redistribute more tax payers money to subsidise human destruction. Many grass roots movements emerged around the 'truth of 911', and millions of hours of mass media coverage hammered the official narrative into the minds of peripherally interested people.

Although it seems impossible to merge the factoids assumed about this event into a consistent image, and the 'truth about 911' might remain hidden, we could learn a lot about the way we interactively create reality. Diversity of opinion, a hallmark of healthy democracies, contradicts 'Political correctness' for certain topics. 'Believers' of the wrong story can only be lunatics, nothing from their mouths worth a second thought.

Most, if not all, societies use ostracism as punishment for perceived unacceptable deviation from the myth that maintains a society. Besides the senseless destruction of lives in the war zones, many people in the warmongering democracies lost their jobs. What happened to Dr. David Kelly might appear in the files of the muscle of Organised Crime better known as Military Intelligence.

A staggering amount of resources have been destroyed to 'bring freedom and democracy' to some countries, while social systems and civil rights in the war faring countries deteriorated. A great deal of focus of governments in the western world lies on the paranoia about 'terror' to the expense of life supporting principles.

No matter who is responsible for the immediate victims of the events on 911, the US government brought havoc and death to the people of Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Yemen since 2001. If a nation reacts with a vendetta against their perceived illicit controllers of valuable resources, its behaviour can neither be called rational nor humane nor civilised.

The events on 911 brought suffering to many, yet the insane reaction to this dreadful event initiated a bloody cycle of violence with no end in sight. Violence breeds only more violence, and any reasonable acting agent can learn this truism from history. Yet the structure of government allows just for limited adaption of strategies, as it is based on the idea of the demonstration of strength against 'the others'.

The narratives of our global pop culture show the essence of this principles since Orson Wells' 'War of the world' radio show. No matter how bad the situation in the certain circumstances seem, once the aliens have taken over civil life ends. An experience shared nowadays in many regions of the world, be it Gaza, Iraq, Afghanistan or Pakistan. And a reminder to the citizens of warmongering nations of the 'greater good' in using life-sustaining resources to destroy human life, culture and sources of food and income.

So let's remember 911 as the day that unveiled that existing democracies base on the business model of the military industrial complex, and not on the 'voice of the people'. As long as our planet divides the responsibility for sharing its resources among more than 100 unaccountable 'leaders', violence seems inevitable.

War as solution for negotiation problems seems as modern as blood-letting as one all cure. More of the same leads to fatal consequences. In medicine, the folly of this well meant cure could not remain undetected, in politics paradigms shift very slow. I honour each human life, that's why I favour healing after suffering, not spreading more of the same.

Well intended death and suffering can no longer be hidden under the carpet of national security - history converts from the domain from creating useful narratives by a chosen few to accessing the subjective treasure trough of eye witnesses and opinionated observers on the internet. Monolithic myths of 'official' versions fragment into a kaleidoscope of perspectives to create idiosyncratic approaches to remedy the collective trauma induced by 911.

Violence can not heal, revenge only creates a vicious cycle. Nobody attacked the civilised world on 911, history has yet to see a civilised mankind on this planet. Which might just happen during our very lifetimes.

afghanistan civilised create democracies event global government happen heal history human iraq life military nation pakistan people resources seems suffering violence war world

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2010-07-31T18:34:00.004+10:00

In a real sense all life inter-relates. A network of mutuality catches all human organisms, ties them in a single garment of history. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. I can never stay in this moment until you stay in this moment, and you can never stay in this moment until I stay in this moment. This demonstrates the inter-related structure of reality.

2010-07-23T15:00:00.002+10:00

Humans who are alive during the 21st century, 13.7 billion years of evolution after the ‘big bang’, are extraordinarily fortunate. The shift to intentional evolution is one of the most significant evolutionary transitions that can occur on any planet on which life emerges. We have the unique opportunity to contribute to its successful completion on this planet. And if we choose to make this contribution, we will do so consciously—we will be aware that we are contributing intentionally to the successful completion of a pivotal evolutionary event on this planet.

2010-07-07T03:25:00.004+10:00

max blues

Networks of violence

exist in loud silence

doing their dirty job

fighting for the the top.

Watching people pass by

some upfront, some shy

I wonder if peace has gone

and brutality has finally won.

With more and more oppression

less space is left for compassion,

people act just like machines

and might blame their evil genes.

Yet there's nothing to lose,

once you learn to choose.

2010-05-31T21:46:00.005+10:00

SBS jumps on the Anti-Human-Rights bandwagon

SBS secured the exclusive interview rights to an alleged people smuggler who used to live in Indonesia. Insight and SBS World News quote this 'expert' with statements Mr. Howard would happily comment with 'I told you so'.

According to the alleged trafficker, Australia is seen as a 'soft target', with processing done within 3 to 4 months, a road straight to citizenship and freebies galore. As Australia seems to keep the image of a Human Right respecting nation, although they got told off for the intervention, the permanent chase of the Australian Navy to intervene boat people, denying refugees from war zones with direct involvement of the ADF asylum, this is nothing than sales talk.

Trafficker make their money of the misery of refugees, a fate increased by the growing unwillingness of the 'western', 'civilized' world to grant asylum. The idea to remove misery of a population by starting a war on their territory has failed most of the time, it has failed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen. If a government 'cares' enough about people in distant countries, they might as well spend their money to invite them than to send their troops to destroy their lifelyhoods, and prevent them from escaping the war zone.

It's disappointing to see how the quality of SBS deteriorates. State TV in a corporatist state. Feeding the fear of others in the least densely populated industrialised nation on this planet is a shocking turn from journalism as control instance for the current powers towards a propaganda platform.

Information seems to be the biggest enemy of the current government. That's why it's based purely on trust, but not on accountability. Just ask the Black Saturday survivors how many promises this government kept. Ask anyone about the promises for Intervention, Offshore processing, health reform, education reform, tax reform, internet censorship, privatisation of public goods and services, improvement of infrastructure, child care or public transport reliability since privatization.

If a trafficker claims it's Australias open door policy that makes people leave their home we can easily forget about those killed when they were sent home, drowned on the way here, or live in an active warzone. I would vote to give Australia to the Australians, but hardly anyone would suspect that I mean the about 400 Aboriginal people that called their home before the declaration of 'Terra nullis' started an ongoing genocide.

2010-05-22T09:44:00.006+10:00

Bullshit bingo

My disdain with the corporate world was informed by personal experiences - I worked for international corporations and governments for a long time of my life. The amount of resources wasted in places like this seems quite unbelievable. It's OPM (other people's money), and therefore well suited to be generous with.

One corporate game is bullshit bingo - selling a project by using well sounding, but meaningless phrases. Public health is in a dire state in Australia, ambulances have to be paid for by the patient, indigenous Australians have a drastically shorter life expectation, some hospitals haven't been modernised for a half a century, foreign doctors are suspected as terrorists, or face leaving the country for having a handicapped child.

'Reform' is a favorite bullshit term for politicos, similar to 'reorganisation' in the corporate world. The normal function of the units 'reorganised' or 'reformed' gets disrupted, additional levels of management replace manpower for the core tasks of operation. I heard the myth that things operate more smoothly after a 'reform' or 'reorganisation', but I have yet to see this in real life.

The need for improvement of the health system is even perceived by the politicos, hence the 'health reform'. While my health related profession is still not paid for by medicare, not on the list of skilled jobs for immigration, mental and dental health patients mostly left on on their own devices, training for the health care sector still an elitist affair, the health reform bring the patients heaven to Australia. Or maybe I just got the bullshit bingo ad wrong.

FVO: Under the new health reform, the Australian Government is delivering the most significant improvement to our health system since the introduction of Medicare.
[We open on a blue line on a piece of paper. We see more lines, they take shape, illustrating a woman’s eye.]

If medicare was the first go at public health care, this simply means making the system finally work, after it stumbled along for decades. Most significant improvement sounds more impressive. A change in myki management could be advertised in similar terms: 'With the new management, myki will deliver the most significant improvement to our ticketing system since metcard.'

The first five words already alerted my bullshit detector, a 'new reform' set the starting tone to some newspeak muzak. A bunch of nice sounding promises, spiced up with meaningless and unquantifiable comparisons followed.

FVO: By providing more hospital beds…
[We see the illustration turn into a real photo of a woman in a hospital bed, nursing her newborn.]

FVO: …training more doctors and nurses...
[We see another line drawing of a group of young doctors. The illustration turns into a real photograph.]

FVO: …and expanding the number of GP services…
[We see another illustration, of a young boy being seen by GP. This also turns into a photo.]

FVO: …it will deliver better health and better hospitals.
[We see another illustration of a young (16-20) woman talking to her doctor. This too resolves through to a real photo.]

Besides the fact that I'd like to see how a reform delivers (I hope the reform has private health insurance for a safe delivery...) it just appeals to the favorite Australian 'betta' meme. As long as something is betta than the the neighbours, it doesn't matter how crappy, useless or outright stupid something is. The desalination plant is certainly betta than dehydration, it's just a solution ignoring alternative approaches which have been best practice in other parts of the world for decades.

More of the same, however, doesn't turn an inadequate system into a well working system. It's like improving the efficiency in using fossil fuels by driving more gas guzzling four-wheel drives... wait, that is the local attitude here. Cowshit is betta than dog shit, you can use cowshit as fuel, but hey, both are shit. Yeah, my shit is betta than yours! Wait, another quite typical attitude.

FVO: For the first time the Australian Government will take dominant funding responsibility for our health system.
[Our point of view moves out so that we see an aerial view, indicating the vast network across the country.]

FVO: The reform will cut inefficiencies by streamlining many systems into a unified network, with guaranteed funding…
[The lines link and join the whole network as one.]

[Super: Cut inefficiencies.]

FVO: …it’ll be run locally, giving local senior doctors and health experts a greater say.

[Then, different points on the map light up, one by one. ]

[Super: Greater local say.]

I'm sure the phrase 'Streamlining a system into a unified network' will appear on the many available bullshit generators on the web. With 'the dominant responsibility of the Australian government' a glimpse of truth shines through this propaganda piece, yet the supers hammer another lie home. How can the government's dominant responsibility bring 'greater local say'? And what's the role of 'health experts'? Isn't there a need for people practicing health care instead of more management following expert advice how to make more money?

FVO: …and by introducing new strong national standards, it will deliver a higher quality of care in the city and country.
[All of the points and the lines light up at exactly the same time.]

[Super: Strong national standards.]

FVO: Health Reform. For better healthcare and better hospitals.

[We pull out to reveal the illustration of the network spells the words ‘Health Reform’.]

[This resolves through to the logo and super.]

[Logo/Super: Health Reform. Better healthcare and better hospitals. Government Crest.
australia.gov.au/yourhealth]

FVO: For more information about the improvements, as they happen, go to australia.gov.au/yourhealth

[Cut to a black screen with white type.]

There are many examples for propaganda in history. When governments resort to propaganda, democracy ceases to exist. Valuable money is spend to create the illusion of improvement, yet real life experiences contradict the happy world created by our 'representatives'. New strong national standards, wow. More helps more, strong standards lift the quality. New national standards imply a new level of bureaucracy, and prevent the promised greater local say.

The memes used in this waste of taxpayers money reflect the myth that more centralism will bring more efficiency. The Soviet Union provides a great example for the flaws of this approach. The US survived until now as a nation rather because of its federalistic approach although this process is reverted at the moment. Loss of local sovereignty is a trademark of global corporatism. Limiting the level of power for local communities transforms citizens into property of the corporations the government owes to.

Going into the community, and broadening the vision about health and sanity might improve the health care in this country. Health is beyond the expertise of politicians. A shift in responsibility in the health care system is needed, though. The patients need empowerment, and need to be educated about their own responsibility for the state of health they are in. Healthy people don't generate revenue for the sickness industry, that sells drugs, technology and bad advice. Healthy people might be as well immune against propaganda. Go betta, Australia. Politicians are the worst free loaders society has ever seen, if we can afford to feed them with a golden spoon, there's definitely more than enough resources to build a free and just community.

australia australian betta better bullshit care doctors fvo government health illustration improvement life local national network real reform responsibility standards strong super system

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2010-05-08T19:52:00.004+10:00

All good things come in three,

that's really easy to see.

2010-05-07T23:32:00.004+10:00

If evolution is happening everywhere in a global fashion, where is it heading? For centuries human beings assumed that we were the highest goal of God's creation, and despite Darwin's shocking demotion of humans to one species among many, we still believe we hold a privileged place. But it's not at the top of the ladder of life. Instead, we are the one creature who grasps that creativity is infinite. Evolution is heading everywhere, not to an end point. The ultimate goal of the universe is to unfold without limits. To put it in a word, evolution is becoming more and more free, and its ultimate goal is total freedom.

2010-05-03T23:18:00.003+10:00

Conceptual confusion shows up when our ideas about ideas. thoughts and concepts fail to coincide with their true symbolic nature and purpose. The nature of Conceptual Reality is symbolic, in that concepts represent and reflect rather than create reality... unless we're referring to conceptual reality itself. One example is when we are identified with our thoughts and are unable to discriminate who we are from what we know. When we are too close to our thoughts, it is difficult to articulate. A certain detachment from thinking is necessary to create the space for a playful intellect. Creative thought is excited when we realize the possibility that thoughts don't belong to anyone. Concepts are autonomous images travelling freely from one mind to the next. Our ability to concentrate on a singular concept keeps it in our mind until we're ready to let it go. It may be a popular misconception to believe we: 1) Create our own concepts. 2) Own them and 3) Can forbid their use to others. This is simply a naive notion about the true nature of Thought. (Copyright laws withstanding).

2010-05-02T16:29:00.003+10:00

The time-bound mode of consciousness is deeply embedded in the human psyche. But what we are doing here is part of a profound transformation that is taking place in the collective consciousness of the planet and beyond: the awakening of consciousness from the dream of matter, form and separation. The ending of time. We are breaking mind patterns that have dominated human life for eons. Mind patterns that have created unimaginable suffering on a vast scale. I am not using the word evil. It is more helpful to call it unconsciousness or insanity.

2010-04-11T23:40:00.004+10:00

Religion made the terrible mistake when it consigned the body to the "lower" physical world while the soul was lifted to the "higher" spiritual realm. A functioning soul is not so different from a functioning body. Both are involved in the same things - awareness and energy - that make life possible. "I am my body" and "I am my soul" are two faces of the same truth. The problem is that we have lost contact with the soul. It wasn't created to be useless, we made it that way.

2010-04-09T00:54:00.003+10:00

One purpose of chaos, paradox, nonsense, and absurdity is to set itself against the linear world. These are not meant to take the place of linear knowledge or functions, but to act as a point of focus calling our attention and awareness to the something(s) which the linear model has missed, thus breathing new life into the predictable.

Further, our non-linear models help us to see old facts in new and exciting ways. If there is a summum bonum it lies in reformulation and utility in the service of tolerating more of the unknown. The function of Monotheism is to control the anxiety created by the unknown. Monotheism is a form of glue which attempts to hold an expanding world together.

2010-03-29T16:01:00.004+11:00

I saw a man upon the stair,
a little man that was not there,
he wasn't there again today;
Gee, I wish he'd go away.

2010-03-26T17:59:00.006+11:00

Dualism... Without it there can hardly be good literature. With it, there most certainly can be no good life.
"I" affirms a separate and abiding me substance, "am" denies the fact that all existence is relationship and change. "I am." Two tiny words, but what an enormity of untruth! The religiously minded dualist calls homemade spirits from the vasty deep; the nondualist calls the vasty deep into his spirit, or, to be more accurate, he finds that the vasty deep is already there.

2010-03-24T18:57:00.006+11:00

Living under a fascist regime

An unjust, abusive government still has a lot of interest to use the means of propaganda to preserve the image of being a democracy, with equal rights for all. It's simply unlikely that any leader turns around and bleakly states his disregard for the voting majority, only rarely those comments surface. But it takes just a little bit of thinking to unveil the ruling class in a so-called democracy as a bunch of hypocritical liars.

Today's news in SBS offered yet another chance to convince anyone capable of thinking for themselves that fascism has already arrived, and is here to stay. I just mention Israel's act of state terrorism (the murder of a Hamas leader in Dubai using forged Australian and other nations passports) as a sideline, and skip to the outrageous hypocrisy related to events closer to my temporary home.

Let's start instead with the Australian's government protection of corporate criminals. Not, I'm not referring to Richard Pratt, who was honoured with a state funeral for ripping off each and every Australian, that's old news. This time it's about Stern Hu, the Rio Tinto executive who has finally admitted taking bribes. Rio Tinto starts distancing themselves now from their manager, while Kevin Rudd doesn't look like he is ever going to excuse towards the Chinese government for whitewashing Hu without any other evidence for his innocence besides Hu's Australian passport and employment for a multinational company with Australian headquarters. Rudd ranted about the 'injust' judicial system in China, vouching for a now confessing criminal.

Considering the cases of David Hicks, Benbrika and Dr. Haneef it becomes obvious that the Australian judicial system no longer deserves to be called just, or even democratic. A country that abuses its own secret service to set up a terror cell, and then sends a patsy for an ASIO suggested thought crime for 20 years in prison has lost credibility in pointing out flaws of other countries legal system.

Fingerpointing, however, is typical strategy of fascist regimes, which no longer need a personalised flaghead like Hitler, Mussolini or Stalin. It's a systematical denial of responsibility for the removal of civil rights in their own country. Germany didn't invade Poland, they just defended themselves against the threatening invasion, at least according to their own propaganda. Australia doesn't neglect international rights of refugees when patrolling their Northern water, they just 'defend themselves against a flood of illegal immigrants', at least according to their official propaganda.

Which is the second outrageous bit of hypocrisy in today's news. While the ADF engages in two illegal wars that produce masses of refugees, Australia deny these refugees shelter. Now that's fascism pure. Not only do they destroy the livelyhood of people in other countries, they do their best to make the lives of those who escaped from the terror that was brought into their home countries even more miserable.

All of that happens in a country with the lowest population density in comparison to other industrialised nations, where imbecile politicians actively prevent intelligent solutions that could easily extend the opportunity to host more people. Fear, violence and paranoia are the services provided by the government for its population, while public assets have been handed over to international companies. But like in Germany 80 years ago, the general population is distracted by governmental propaganda and outright lies, and as long as citizens wait for historians to declare their country as corporatist state they happily pay ever more taxes for their own imprisonment and withdrawal of civil rights.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think Australia is an exemption. Globalisation, and the development of technology, make it now possible to pervert the idea of democracy on a planetary scale, which makes it even more important that citizens reclaim their rights locally, instead of deluding themselves in the false security of pointing their fingers to other 'evil' societies. Ignorance helped Nazi-Germany flourish, and it has helped Australia converting into a corporate controlled political puppetry. And more TV and less free internet access complete the process to reinstate this continent as massive prison.

abuses australia australian bit corporate country democracy fascism germany government hu international longer news people population propaganda refugees rights rudd state system thinking

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2010-03-23T20:08:00.004+11:00

It is not just a riot of blots and blurs and disjointed jottings linked by spurts of speed... it only looks as like it as damn it.

Fairness? Decency? How can you expect fairness or decency on a planet of sleeping people?

2010-03-22T19:13:00.004+11:00

The apparent
randomness by which Universe
reveals
itself is
but a signal from a still higher sense of intrinsic order

2010-03-21T14:34:00.008+11:00

The message is the response you get. That's why face-to-face communication still beats any asynchronous interaction like books, articles, recorded music, artworks or blogs. The time-binding qualities of art can create the illusion of efficient message transmission - if we still enjoy Beethoven's 'Ode to joy' it seems to have some specific meaning which extends over the contemporary context of its creation. Actually, Beethoven musical interpretation of Schiller's words must have shocked authorities so much that they decided to censor the lyrics. Celebrating 'joy' is much less anarchistic than celebrating 'freedom', so that Beethoven's inspired musical masterpiece could survive for centuries.

Although it's straight forward to communicate with most bloggers (the only hurdle on this blog is some easy verification to prevent most spamming), it's a rarely used opportunity. Some bloggers don't even like feedback, or do their best to destroy random communication attempts. A lot of media recipients have been thoroughly infected by the mind virus 'political correctness', which often creates a 'can't touch this' attitude. Another brick in the wall that prevents people from interacting more with each other in the interwebs is the perceived opposition of 'real life' and 'online'.

I enjoy deliberately playing with different online personae, yet without entertaining the schizophrenic delusion that my online selfs are separate entities. This attitude prevents me from acting like a bot, and even helps me identifying humanoid bots appearing in traditional media. Check out any TV interview with Australia's Goebbels Stephen Conroy (or about 90% of all political parasites in demo-crazys) if you want to study 'real life' spam bots.

Anonymity hardly exists anymore in electronic media, most people are simply oblivious to the amount of transparency that has been implemented with networking technology. Anonymity does not really exist for all the 'illegal' street art I recycle here, fame and admiration that street artists crave for just requires a certain level of been unknown by authorities. Unless you change your spraying/art style a lot, it's easy to pick up who did what (tag names makes that easy and straight forward, writing messages as well, pieces without deliberate incorporation of a 'name' pose a bit more difficulty in identification).

Of course, I have no idea whether the message in the photo refers to this blog. In a universe where everything is connected, I like to entertain the idea that anything my attention is drawn to might contain a personalised message. People just cannot prevent being the center of their own universe, although they can deny or stay ignorant about this fact. Once you identified yourself as the creator of your own universe in the multiverse of consciousness, it comes quite natural to make it more enjoyable.

2010-03-20T19:18:00.005+11:00

true wealth
is the already accomplished
organization of human capabilities
to clothe
shelter feed
protect, inform
and accomodate
the initiatives of human life
the magnitude of true wealth
consists of the number
of forward days
of the number of human beings
already provided for

2010-03-14T21:08:00.004+11:00

Plants catch the mist
Storms pass by
Thunder comes from thin air
Torrential rains come
from floating clouds
A pine cone falls
A bird cries
Reality without poetry
is like squaring
something round

2010-03-12T20:42:00.005+11:00

The initiatory cycle can likened to a snake ploughing off its skin. So too, we must be prepared to slough off old patterns of thought, belief, (about ourselves and the world) and behaviour that are no longer appropriate for the new phase of our development.

Utopic space - a space that has been hinted at all through recorded civilisation. There exist no external clues as to its existence or actual characteristics.

2010-03-11T20:52:00.007+11:00

Me as I think I am and me as I am in fact - sorrow, in other words, and the ending of sorrow. One third, more or less, of all that sorrow that the person I think I am must endure is unavoidable. It is the sorrow inherent in the human condition, the price we must pay for being sentient and conscious organisms, aspirants to liberation, but subjects to the laws of nature and under orders to keep on marching, through irreversible time, through a world wholly indifferent to our well-being, toward decrepitude and the certainty of death. The remaining two thirds of all sorrow is homemade and, so far as the universe is concerned, unnecessary.

2010-03-09T20:56:00.004+11:00

The historian of a century or two hence will be able to produce evidence of the psycho-physical state of the peoples of the twenty-first century which will show that in this regard they have progressed little on the evolutionary plane beyond the man of the Stone Age, whilst, on the other hand, he will only have to to refer to human activities during the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan to convince the most sceptical that human beings of our time have developed a new form of devilry and brutality that surpasses the best efforts of pre-historic man.

2010-03-07T18:28:00.004+11:00

"The blind panopticon of Capital remains, after all, most vulnerable in the realm of 'magic' -- the manipulation of images to control events, hermetic 'action at a distance'."

PS: I-nigma might help with this enigma.

2010-03-06T17:47:00.005+11:00

Every form of "morality" is, of course, irksome at some level to everybody, because no individual ever has exactly the sexual imprint desired by the tribe. The sophisticated totem-cults (the "higher" religions, so dubbed by themselves) take account of this by the doctrine of atonement. In one form or another, this allows the individual to be ritually "forgiven" periodically for not being the perfect sexual robot degreed by tribal morality.

This becomes hilarious only when one realises that most of what domesticated primates are asking their priests to forgive them for consists of that Kinsey so accurately called "normal mammalian behaviour".

2010-03-02T21:23:00.003+11:00

Nobody needs to go anywhere else. We are all, if we only knew it, already there.

If I only knew who in fact I am, I should cease to behave as what I think I am, and if I stopped behaving as what I think I am, I should know who I am.

What in fact I am, if only the Manichee I think I am would allow me to know it, is the reconciliation of yes and no lived out in total acceptance and the blessed experience of Not-Two.

In religion all words are dirty words. Anybody who gets eloquent about Buddha, or God, or Christ, ought to have his mouth washed out with carbolic soap.

Because his aspiration to perpetuate only the "yes" in every part of opposites can never, in the nature of things, be realised, the insulated Manichee I think I am condemns himself to endlessly repeated frustration, endlessly repeated conflicts with other aspiring and frustrated Manichees.

Conflicts and frustration- the theme of all history and almost all biography. "I show you sorrow" said the Buddha realistically. But he also showed the ending of sorrow - self-knowledge, total acceptance, the blessed experience of Not-Two.

2010-03-01T16:10:00.004+11:00

Hood rules

I love strolling through my neighborhood,
unsolicited art makes me feel real good.
Humans sharing their vision,
without asking for permission.

Still images producing movement,
tuning me again into the moment.
Life will prevail, they seem to say,
and make me smile on my way.

Isn't that pure anarchy,
or just the creator's vanity?
Freedom of speech needs no words,
freedom of thought needs no swords.

If you feel attacked by art,
it's time to get more smart.

2010-02-18T20:31:00.004+11:00

We stumble on identity. We cobble together a self, using the imperfect plans laid down by the ego. We are motivated by memories of what hurt in the past and what felt good, which impel us to repeat the good things, and avoid the bad. As a result, "I" is a product of accident, fickle likes and dislikes, old conditioning, and the countless voices of other people who told us what to do and how to be. At bottom, this whole structure is totally unreliable and, in fact, unreal.

If we ... talk in terms of a universe that is constantly evolving, you can join the evolutionary flow or not. The choice is yours. Either way, evolution will proceed, but if you opt out, it won't proceed through you.

2010-02-10T17:29:00.005+11:00

One way to achieve consciousness-raising is ... to become involved in our planet. Its past present and future. In this way develop the awareness that we are not simply members of some community religion or nation. Or simply a part of a specific place or a specific time. But that we are member of this entire human family, creatures of this entire planet, part of a dynamic continuity - an ongoing forward-thrusting evolution whose origins go back to the animals the forests the oceans but whose potentials are suddenly infinite.

2010-02-07T20:57:00.004+11:00

"What do you wish from me?" the master asked.

"I wish to be your student and become the finest karate student in the land." the boy replied. "How long must I study?"

"Ten years at leastI", replied the master.

"Ten years is a long time," said the boy. "What if I study twice as hard as all your other students?"

"Twenty years," replied the master.

"Twenty years! What if I practise day and night with all my effort?"

"Thirty years," was the masters reply.

"How is it that each time I say I will word harder, you tell me that it will take longer?" the boy asked.

"The answer is clear. When one eye is fixed on your destination, there is only one eye left with which to find to find the way."

2010-02-06T19:38:00.003+11:00

The point of education is to create a flourishing society in which as many people as possible have wonderful lives filled with freedom, happiness and fulfillment... Whatever the method, it needs the movement from memorization to learning how to think... It means teaching them to be conscious! Conscious! Conscious! Conscious!

2010-01-21T16:03:00.004+11:00

Shaken

Some human habits make me frown,
like kicking someone when he's down.
I never experienced the sick thrilling
when winning turns into happy killing.

Now Haiti got struck by an earthquake,
vultures appearing openly in its wake.
Ten thousand US soldiers took over the land
and deny giving helpers a hand.

This action has so much appeal -
bringing the guns to heal.
The tears will stop flowing
once the bullets start glowing.

But it's not over yet for humanity,
just another case of temporary insanity.

2010-01-20T18:47:00.006+11:00

Swift destruction of human rights

Scope of Application
Conduct Pertaining to Terrorism or Terrorist Financing
This Agreement applies to the obtaining and use of financial payment messaging and related data with a view to the prevention, investigation, detection, or prosecution of:
(a) Acts of a person or entity that involve violence, or are otherwise dangerous to human life or create a risk of damage to property or infrastructure, and which, given their nature and context, are reasonably believed to be committed with the aim of:
(i) intimidating or coercing a population;
(ii) intimidating, compelling, or coercing a government or international organisation to act or abstain from acting;
or
(iii) seriously destabilising or destroying the fundamental political, constitutional, economic, or social structures of a country or an international organisation;
(b) A person or entity assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of, acts described in subparagraph (a);
or
(c) A person or entity aiding, abetting, or attempting acts described in subparagraphs (a) or (b).

Have a look at paragraph (a)(ii). Compelling the government to act or abstain from acting is now terrorism. Protesting against wars in Afghanistan or Iraq? Terrorism. Protesting to make politicians accountable for their failings? Terrorism. Asking the government to end the Intervention? Terrorism. Asking the government to abstain from internet censorship? Terrorism. Protest against environmental rape such as Tasmania deforestation? Terrorism.

Politicos from the US, EU, Japan and Australia agreed on this declaration, which makes any form of civil movement (trying to compel governments and corporations to act responsibly) an act of terrorism. Even worse, anyone involved in organising a rally, the rental services providing PA's and transport, poster printers and distributors, stage hands, caterers, etc all can be treated like terrorists according to paragraph (b).

The war on citizens is it an advanced stage, now the US, Japan, EU and Australia join their efforts in criminalizing democratic methods. You might want to invest in Serco, one of the 'public' private partners that runs many of Australia's internment camps, among other public services. Or talk to your neighbor about ways to get rid of a fascist government without military intervention. Or dream on about living in a democratic state. Or follow your orders without thinking. Or distract yourself with sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. Or hope for an alien intervention to stop global corporatism. Or taking more responsibility for your action. Or do what you want.

Rules don't need to make sense to be enforced. Welcome to the corporatist 21st century, the post-democratic era.

2010-01-20T15:39:00.003+11:00

You can still make me mad,
and even terribly sad.
But it's me feeling that,
it doesn't go on your hat.

It still looks like a pile of shite,
all this talking about not feeling right,
but it's you that chooses your fate,
and who is or is not your mate.

There were only few
to show me something new -
one of them was you,
well, that's now through.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry
after this very, very weird good-bye.
So I sit back and relax,
and reminisce some soggy sex.

2010-01-19T20:58:00.008+11:00

23 skidoo

You know, five equals six,
which explains so many tricks.
Both born of two and three,
they get along merrily.

They join in eleven,
pretty close to heaven,
the game of one on one
which brings so much fun.

In a universe of unity
this is the holy trinity
of body, mind and soul
linked by pure rock'n'roll.

Know your ciphers, play them well,
get them wrong, and go to hell.

2010-01-17T15:55:00.003+11:00

"My choices, believe me, are infinite, easy.
Exciting and mystical choices before me.
They tell me my life is a journey in no government."

Nicolette dares to dream about a time with no government, while this thought alone suffices to induce night mares and fear reaction in most people. However, would really so much change without government?

The promises of Certainty and Stability lure a lot of people into the firm belief in the necessity of government. The only certainty government brings is taxes, death comes for free. Stability is an illusion that contradicts human experience - again, death is the only 'stabilizing' factor in human experience.

Of course, people will die with no government as well. Building and maintaining communal infrastructure doesn't come for free either, but that's not an issue. Most people don't mind contributing to their community, unfortunately they trust governments to use their money wisely. Using the infrastructure built by taxes often costs extra: You still pay for Medicare, public transport, education and pension.

Many deaths could be avoided, though. Most obviously, those caused by the temporary insanity of governments called war. But governments have no power to shape society (unless they aim for fascism), they are just pawns of the global corporations. The legal systems of this planet empowered corporations to act in sheer self-interest, literally allowing them to walk over dead bodies.

Yet, no battle can and will bring down the sinister partnership of government and corporations. Only the desire for freedom opens the eyes for the uselessness of government. It doesn't take the saviour to dispel evil, it takes the will to responsibility from citizens to stop financing the useless and cruel game of party politics.

Any government that hides anything can not be trusted with anything. Do you rather trust your neighbor or a set of conventions to enslave the majority of people?

2010-01-15T00:00:00.004+11:00

Mankind has a special tool,
a time-binding mind,
truely one of a kind.

Even the biggest fool,
no matter what season,
can claim to use reason.

But our minds do not create,
they just cleverly reiterate
their fear, guilt and shame
and desire for a bit of fame.

Your mind's constant strive
can take over your entire life -
while just a bit of silence
will end this inner violence.

2010-01-13T00:25:00.003+11:00

The only man who behaves sensibly is my taylor; he takes my measures anew each time he sees me, whilst all the rest go on with their old measurement and expect them to fit me.

The origin of this work was a functional definition of 'man', based on an analysis of uniquely human potentialities; namely, that each generation may begin where the former left off. This characteristic I called the 'time-binding' capacity. We need not blind ourselves with the old dogma that 'human nature cannot be changed', for we find that it can be changed. We must begin to realize our potentialities as humans, then we may approach the future with some hope.

2010-01-10T13:54:00.001+11:00

Before the Christian era, there existed two royal roads into the unconscious: religion (meaning group experience) and sex, and these two were commonly combined. With the establishment of the Christian Church, the road of sex was closed to traffic, and the road of religion was heavily policed. The Protestant Church, without opening the road of sex, gradually denatured the religious ceremonies until they offered little appeal to the unconscious. Today, the position has been substantially reversed: many people have abandoned the pursuit of religious experience, so that sex remains for them the only route to the unconscious. It is this which gives sex its disproportionate importance in our films, books and newspapers, and as a subject of gossip; this is why the perverted and anti-social manifestations today emerge as sexual crimes rather than in forms sanctioned by religion, such as flagellation. Always coupled with Eros we find Thanatos, for the penalty of failure to love and create is the irresistible need to hate and destroy.

G. Rattray Taylor

2010-01-08T13:05:00.005+11:00

Other perspectives

The police force with more legal rights to abuse citizens than any police force in Nazi Germany is pissed off. Unlike in Nazi Germany, they cannot yet protect their citizens from outrageous opinions provided by enemy propaganda on the internet. How on earth does one of a billion Indians dare to ridicule the moral superiority and integrity and heroism and holiness of Victoria Police?

According to Victorian law, all citizens are potential suspects and will be treated as such. Of course, this likens them rather to the Gestapo than to the KKK, but let's face it: Racism is deeply ingrained into the white Australian culture.

Australia's history starts with the First Fleet, although the genocide of the indigenous population is still part of government policy. The Intervention tries to wipe out traces of the first cultures that lived on this continent, creating a retroactive 'terra nulla'.

Diversity is the arch-enemy of tyranny, so the first advise to any potential immigrant is to 'assimilate'. The open arms that embraced (or rather the fists that punched) newcomers indeed fostered a multi-cultural Australia: Being pseudo-english-american isn't appealing to many, which helped conserving some of immigrants cultural inheritances.

Unless you're Michael Jackson, you cannot change the colour of your skin, which limits the amount of potential assimilation. As social beings, humans need contact, and when the 'dominating' group has only minor interest in integrating newcomers, minority 'ghettos' florish. Indians hang out with other Indians, Vietnamese with other Vietnamese, and so on. Not as a general rule, just as more probable choice.

Outbreaks of individual violence don't surprise in a society that cherishes and uses violence abundantly. Australian military contributes to death and destruction, ASIO sets up patsies to justify more police state, the courts go in line and send people for thought crimes in jail. Even starving refugees, from conflict zones Australia is immediately involved, on their vessels on sea sounds appealing to many Australians.

There is something wrong with this cartoon. The symbolism is a bit mixed up. The general message: Watch your police holds more than true. Democracy does no longer exist in a police state.

2010-01-07T21:08:00.005+11:00

It is the human situation that is bssically tragic. Right and Left revolutionaries cannot alter this basic dilemma. For instance, the most readical Left-wing group has no program to overcome death. The entire Right-Left establishment is still death-oriented.

Man is ignorant of the nature of his own being and powers. Even his idea of his limitations is based on experience of the past. There is therefore no reason to assign theoretical limits to what he may be, or what he may do.

2010-01-06T21:02:00.003+11:00

Above all things, practise yourself in good humor, this is of all human qualities the most amiable and endearing to society.

Secrecy is the original sin Fig leaf in the garden of Eden. The basic crime against love... The purpose of life is to receive, synthesize and transmit energy. Communication fusion is the goal of life. Any star can tell you that. Communication is love. Secrecy, withholding the signal, hoarding, hiding, covering up the light is motivated by shame and fear.

2010-01-05T17:38:00.002+11:00

No one knows whether the cessation of the waste radiation of atomic energy exploitation or the cessation of coal and shaole conversion into fluid fuel will occur in time to permit the physical continuance of humans on planet Earth. What we do know however, as we have previously stated, is (1) that with the unselfish use of technology, it is now possible to care of all humanity at a higher standard of living than any have ever experienced and do so on a sustaining basis by employing only our daily energy income from Sun and gravity and (2) that we can do so in time to permit the healthy continuance of humans on planet Earth.

This quote, which actually explictly refers to the 'greenhouse effect', the 'cause' of Global warming, dates back to 1981. Nuff said.

2010-01-04T09:55:00.004+11:00

The State - all it has, it has stolen!
It even bites with stolen teeth!

Constitutions are utterly worthless to restrain the tyranny of governments, unless it be understood that the people will by force compel the government to remain within constitutional limits. Practically speaking, no government knows any limit to its power except the endurance of the people.

A government which takes your money by force like a common thief will use this stolen money to further enslave you and to prevent any rebellion on your part.

2010-01-03T21:13:00.005+11:00

The universe wants to play. Those who refuse out of dry spiritual greed and choose pure contemplation forfeit their humanity - those who refuse out of dull anguish, those who hesitate, lose their chance of divinity - those who mold them themselves blind masks of ideas and thrash around seeking some proof of their own solidity end by seeing out of dead man's eyes.

2010-01-02T23:18:00.005+11:00

Pirouette

The first decade has passed by
and I cannot stop to wonder why
it's still the old momentum
that haunts the new millennium.

Technology has progressed,
not only for the best -
surveillance and prison industry
thrive best on human misery.

Sinister forces do their destructive work,
not just since planes crashed in New York.
What is now known as freedom and democracy
only disguises the fascist corporate reality.

Will I see the next revolution
of conscious human evolution?

2009-12-24T17:12:00.005+11:00

Once you have identified with some form of negativity, you do not want to let go, and on a deeply unconscious level, you do not want positive change. It would threaten your identity as a depressed, angry or hard-done-by person. You will then ignore, deny or sabotage the positive in your life. This is a common phenomenon. It is also insane.

Negativity is totally unnatural. It is a psychic pollutant, and there is a deep link between the poisoning and destruction of nature and the vast negativity that has accumulated in the collective human psyche. No other life forms on the planet knows negativity, only humans, just as no other life form violates and poisons the Earth that sustains it.

2009-12-23T14:22:00.006+11:00

Climate change or consciousness change?

I freely admit that maybe I spend too much time writing about Climate Change, reflecting the popularity of this fear-meme and reacting to the overload of propaganda in all forms of media. The chemtrails season has restarted, another obvious reminder that no matter how much I would rather not interact with this meme and its manifestations, it affects my daily life.

Like any fear-meme it traps lots of energy in the mind to engage in a lost battle. The denier try to protect themselves from paying for the other sides paranoia, the fearmongerers feed their fear even more by failing to convince the other side of 'scientific truths'.

Meanwhile, our dominators can rub their backs for another cheap trick to distract from their parasitic existence. Our species is relatively young, and most likely only for a short period infested by the meme of government. It's ability for fast meme creation and distribution contributed to its evolutionary survival. It's easy to forget our natural inheritance in man-made environments. Other forms of life are mostly pests or pets, some foods successfully disguise any origin of formally living matter.

The currently dominant evolutionary strategy, being a ruthless master of this planet, mirrors this disassociation from life. This has not only destroyed other species and ecosystems, it also contributes to an increasing level of insanity within our own species. Obesity, autism, allergies, death by suicide, death by violence, schizophrenia, fear-related disabilities blossom in the 21st century.

So if mankind acted as one organism, interested in general health of it whole self, what challenge would need tackling first? Global warming?

Mankind has experienced some different climates in its about 200,000 years presence on this planet. Our adaptability created colourful varieties of how to live together in all sorts of environments, from tropical forests via scorching deserts and moderate climates to arctic regions. As traveller we might experience this amazing fact for ourselves, yet we might realise at the same time our own inability to survive under conditions which differ too much from our usual habitat.

Even though our planet would change its face when some of the current horror scenarios become reality, mankind would have a fair chance to survive. Whether I could still publish a blog, or if the rising sea levels and so on would destroy human global communication infrastructure I don't know. The world game would certainly change, maybe even to the better. If enough artefacts survive the cataclystic climate catastrophe, maybe the next generations fight off governments better, and enjoy sustainability instead of manic power games.

A future with these changes would be a motive for action today. But there's much more urgent action needed, to stop wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Palestine, Chechnya, Tibet and countless other places. The amount of physical and psychological damage produced right now exceeds most likely the current capacity of worldwide healers of all kinds, the amount of teaching capacity required to resocialise politician, bankers, bureaucrats and other parasiticly feeding humans is not there yet either.

If we'd compared the evolution of mankind to the development of a human being, it would be just about the age for kindergarten. Don't be fooled by the lack of expression, the emotional game play looks just the same. The most favorite toy is oil, unfortunately it's not a harmless sand pit squabble but the end of the current human existence for millions.

The collective human body undergoes some chemo-therapy right now, and invasive surgery is next on the list. Once the cancer government is gone, healing can commence.

I can't promise that our climate won't kill us once we stop killing each other. I call it hypocritical to want to save the planet's life and do nothing to stop the useless daily deaths.

Consciousness (or just personal responsibility) are not yet part of the political and economical game that produced this crisis-meme. A carbon tax for carbon based life demonstrates the level of unconscious sanity politics suffers from.

change climate current death dominant existence game general global government human kill level life mankind matter maybe meme planet produced species stop survive

created at TagCrowd.com

2009-12-22T16:29:00.005+11:00

Countless people in East and West throughout the ages have tried to find God, salvation, or enlightenment through denial of the body. This took the form of denial of sense pleasures and of sexuality in particular, fasting and other ascetic practices. They even inflicted pain on the body in an attempt to weaken or punish it because they regarded it as sinful. In Christianity, this is called mortification of the flesh. Others tried to escape from the body by entering trance states or seeking out-of-body experiences. Many still do. Even the Buddha is said to have practiced body denial through fasting and extreme forms of ascetism for six years, but he did not attain enlightenment until after he had given up this practice.

The fact is that no one has ever become enlightened through denying or fighting the body or through an out-of-body experience.

2009-12-21T22:44:00.006+11:00

Viruses of the mind are not some far-off future worry like the sun burning out or the earth being hit by a comet. They are here with us now—have been with us since before recorded history—and they are evolving to become better and better at their job of infecting us. We are being infected in some new ways—television, popular music, sales techniques—but also in very ancient ways—education, religious teachings, even talking to our closest friends. Our parents unwittingly infected us when we were kids. If you have children, chances are you are spreading the viruses to them every day.

Read a newspaper? Catch a mind virus. Listen to the radio? Catch a mind virus. Hang out with your friends and shoot the breeze about nothing in particular? Catch one mind virus after another. If your life isn’t going the way you would like, you can bet mind viruses are playing a large part. Having relationship problems? Mind viruses take over parts of your brain and divert you from what would give you long-term happiness in a relationship. Having trouble in your job or career? Mind viruses cloud your future and steer you along a career path that supports their agenda, not your quality of life.

Cult religions are springing up everywhere, the result of more and more powerful mind viruses. These cults take control of people’s minds and make members engage in bizarre behavior ranging from odd rituals to mass suicide. If you think you’re immune, remember: nobody ever set out intentionally to join a cult and have their mind taken over. It’s the work of tricky and pernicious mind viruses. And once the founder of the cult starts the process, the virus of the mind takes on a life of its own.

2009-12-21T17:28:00.004+11:00

... if your destination, or the steps you are going to take in the future, take up so much of your attention that they become more important to you than the step you are taking now, then you completely miss the journey's inner purpose, which has nothing to do where you are going or what you are doing, but everything to do with how. It has nothing to do with future but everything to do with the quality of your consciousness in this moment.

2009-12-19T19:45:00.004+11:00

Authentic spiritual teachings are teachings from direct experience devoid of prejudice, provincialism, or predilection. That is based on eternal living tradition motivated and animated by a living truth. Compare that to dead teachings, rote memorization, conformity, and mechanical obedience to external authoritative systems and one can easily understand human history and its discontents. The champions of institutionalized tradition only create prisons and traps, because their own egos and and prideful identities live in a mental prison. They become jealous and scornful of those who have escaped.

2009-12-17T15:28:00.003+11:00

This remark holds good, whether we believe that the various qualities of the voice originated in speaking under the excitement of strong feelings, and that these qualities have subsequently been transferred to vocal music; or whether we believe, as I maintain, that the habit of uttering musical sounds was first developed, as a means of courtship, in the early progenitors of man, and thus became associated with the strongest emotions of which they were capable,—namely, ardent love, rivalry and triumph. That animals utter musical notes is familiar to every one, as we may daily hear in the singing of birds. It is a more remarkable fact that an ape, one of the Gibbons, produces an exact octave of musical sounds, ascending and descending the scale by halftones; so that this monkey "alone of brute mammals may be said to sing." From this fact, and from the analogy of other animals, I have been led to infer that the progenitors of man probably uttered musical tones, before they had acquired the power of articulate speech; and that consequently, when the voice is used under any strong emotion, it tends to assume, through the principle of association, a musical character. We can plainly perceive, with some of the lower animals, that the males employ their voices to please the females, and that they themselves take pleasure in their own vocal utterances; but why particular sounds are uttered, and why these give pleasure cannot at present be explained.

2009-12-15T23:02:00.005+11:00

Worst Journalist ever

The name George Monbiot sounded familiar to me, and I might have read some of his columns in The Guardian before. Maybe journos of the writing profession don't need any interview skills, or they are not used to TV interviews. However, if Mr. Monbiot represents a well acclaimed journo I'm more than happy that I trashed my idea of a degree in Media.

The self-confessed 'evangelical atheist' has embarked on a crusade against 'climate skeptics', and was given the chance to debate one in person. His believe system could not cope with disagreement, and his assumptions about the world around him sounded amazingly naive.

'Science has to be be open and tranparent'. Now that's interesting. I have to pay to see scientific papers, and any paper touching anything that's potentially related to 'national security' is most likely out of bounds. Most security, however, lies in the obscurity embedded in academic language, which makes most 'scientific findings' incomprehensive. No, Mr. Monbiot, that's lousy preparation, on a global scale, most officially done scientific research is neither open nor transparent. As evangelical atheist you might believe that scientists generate the truth religions don't want to admit, but sorry, that's just your personal believe.

The next faux pas happened when Mr. Monbiot talked about 'unequivocal opinion' of the scientific community, something fairly unfamiliar in scientific history. Science has some amazing theories on offer, which still haven't pervaded the mainstream myth about reality. According to physics, matter is highly elusive, and composes only a minor fraction of our perceivable universe. Einstein's relativity theory is hard to swallow in its original language, but translates easily into Hopi language.

Omg, I did the Alex Jones disgression. Not too surprising, considering how the interview played out. The 'climate skeptic' (professor sound-and-so, he didn't have much time to talk over the restless interruptions of an overeager evangelist) mentioned that the scare about climate change was basically a scam to feed bureaucracy without another scheme to collect taxes.

Of course, this had to be immediately classified as conspiracy by Mr. Monbiot. The myth about the impractibility of conspiracies, reiterated by a smirking journo, didn't enhance his performance or the flow of the debate. Kudos for Terry Jones, who stayed pleasantly neutral and called Mr. Monbiot to order several times.

Unless I assume that scientists find nothing but the 'truth', I wonder about the background of things like the Copenhagen conference. I think it's quite retarded to assume that the cause of the created climate crisis can be the cure as well. So if I go with the idea that the CO2 balance as main culprit for global warming, especially the surplus coming from burning fossile fuels, than it's out of the hands of government anyway. Energy companies have a higher annual budget than most governments, and most governments released corporations from any social obligations.

Witnessing the permanent attacks on nature made with imbecile excuses here in Australia doesn't give me any trust that the 'elected leaders' in this country give a damn about this planet. Having lived in other places convinces me that this is rather typical, and it doesn't even surprise me. Their actions create sufficient individual wealth for them and their offspring, and their influence on the 'lead' societies is rather symbolical.

Our spaceship Earth has too many captains, and only violence keeps most of them in power. The transition from the industrial to the information age seems so superfluously brutal. Obedience trumps empathy, rules relieve from responsibility. Gaia seems to have a little fever. I wonder if she would suggest carbon trading to cool her down, or if a bit respect and less rape could help.

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2009-12-15T12:59:00.009+11:00

Merry Kill-mas

The world has changed on 9 11 -
it has turned into a fascist heaven.

Soon, the coalition of the willing
started their useless killing
with an incredible haste
to dispose their nuclear waste.

Life has gotten so much rougher
with generations bound to suffer
while the spy agencies dragnet
extends to the whole planet.

Reason has lost its place
as motivator for our race
it all went terribly wrong
since only fear moves us along.

War is just temporary insanity
and will not last until infinity,
yet blind trust in war government
prolongs this cruel predicament.

Human rights no longer count,
the prison industry profits abound.
You have to be real brave
not to become the state's slave.

The prize of freedom is vigilance,
but it's less sexy than ignorance.
Lulled into a virtual reality
individuals enjoy lots of cruelty.

Fascists are in power again,
and it drives me insane -
yet it solved a personal mystery,
whether we're doomed to repeat history.

O, how much I'd love to hear
people speaking up without fear.

2009-12-12T18:37:00.004+11:00

When we frame the inquiry "how did human languages originate?" in terms not of adaption but of living bodies, we are necessarily confronted with the creation of meaning, a creation that did not arise de nove but was grounded in an already present semantic repertoire, itself grounded in archetypal corporeal-kinetic forms and relations that, as suggested, follow along biological family lines. Accordingly, we should take not only gestural systems of communication seriously: we should take movement seriously, all the more so in view of the fact that in the bisocation of modalities, the kinetic modality is always primary: it is the source of meaning.