Richest 2% own more than half of the world—
a UN study revealed
Richard Snowden
In the December 8, 2006 local newspaper an article appeared that started off with these words:
“Two percent of the adults command more than half of the world’s wealth, while the bottom 50% possesses just 1 percent, according to a UN development institute study released this week.”
If our system of capitalism is so good, why is this so disproportioned? Why are “the rich getting richer, and the poor (and you can add “the middle class”) getting poorer?”
If our capitalism is the same now as it was 50 years ago, why is their a much higher proportion of rich verse poor (and rich verses middle class)?
The fact is that the system we have now is different than what it was years ago. I don’t call it capitalism, but intensive capitalism, because that is what it exactly is “intensive”. The rich has gotten everything down to a science. The “science”—if you want to call it that—of how to not only get more money from each customer that walks in a store, to sourcing labor, to importing cheap labor, to milking poor countries dry.
Everything is down to a Frankenstein science. It’s a science, but one that does not benefit mankind, but the self-appointed and self-chosen elite. The super rich know how to get political leaders of other nations to take loans that the World Bank and the IMF knows they can’t pay back. In return, certain selected multi-national corporations get the natural resources of the nation.
Also, the super rich know how to “legally” bribe politicians to support laws that allow them to dominant their respective markets, and also to dominate markets in other countries.
It will only get worse before it gets better. Soon everyone will be so poor that there would not be enough rich for the other rich to sell their expensive “widgets” to. Then what will they do?
All of this might lead to the poor world-wide to rebel, and take all the wealth back by force, even if the wealth is in the names of their children and other family members. This new Spartan up-rising could include some of the former wealth and middle-class. Then the Super Rich will have face trail for all kinds of crimes against humanity.
Permission is granted to use this article as long as it’s left intact and proper credit is used.
Copyright © 2006 Betterlivingebooks.com
Computer Screens Recording Your Every Move
Richard Snowden
Recently it was reported that certain monitors have been build with video and audio recording devices inside. So you can be recorded as to what you say and do. Also, for sometime now your surfing can be recorded so certain multi-national corporations can get profile of you for marketing purposes.
The companies that have made this, as well as politicians and liberals who support such surveillances justify this by saying, “This is used so companies can better market products to you.”
You see, although the government collects this information, they also sell it to large corporations.
How sweet.
The business justification for this monitoring of what you say in your own home and what web pages you go to is none of their business. If the situation was the same in another place, such collection of information would be illegal and could send the company representative to jail.
What do I mean by this?
Consider this, if you were at a mall and some person asked if you could fill out this form, saying, “This is to give us a better idea of what your needs are, bla, bla, bla.”
And you say “no”, and go on your way. No one takes offense to this. It happens to each of us probably dozens of times a year.
However, if this person asking you to fill out a form or answer some questions and you say “no”. Then this person tries to force you to give this information that company rep would be in a lot of trouble.
Do you see how hypocritical our laws are and how people are, too?
If someone wants to volunteer their information and give them answers to everything they ask for, including their medical history, that’s his/her decision. But when it is forced from you without your consent, this is wrong. But we have some kind of twisted thinking that if it’s in some form surveillance equipment or on a computer, it’s ok.
It is not ok, even if it’s the law. Most laws are sick, immoral and certainly un-Christian (perhaps “un” other religions, too).
For what purpose does it serve corporations to know what you said to your wife, or anything else that goes on in your home—including things that are very private? Nothing!
It’s time that the citizens do something about this.
Permission is granted to use this article as long as it’s left intact and proper credit is used.
Copyright © 2006 Betterlivingebooks.com
Surveillance Cameras Saves Lives
So What
At the beginning of the film, Enemy of the State, starring Will Smith, you heard the words to this effect (I’m paraphrasing now). “Did you know how many lives were saved last year ?” (Referring to the use of surveillance cameras.)
This was said by a man who looked like he is the real power behind the politicians.
The senator responded with words to this effect: “I don’t want cameras recording my every move.”
The conversation was something that probably happens many times in the US, the UK and Canada unfortunately. The liberal would say something like, “Did you know that the surveillance cameras saved 1,220 lives last year…bla, bla, bla.”
Yea, sure. First there are two things wrong with this.
Government figures are usually lies, especially when it supports their agenda. So the numbers are wrong. But even if it was correct, I say…
“So what!”
Now this might sound callous, but let me explain, which is getting into the second thing that is wrong with “about saving lives”.
If we took the same attitude about the justification of having cameras on every street corner (now in your homes with modern-day computer screens), then we would never have any technological progress.
What is someone said to Henry Ford, “You know Mr. Ford, we should not make cars, because with the speed that they go, people can get hurt and even killed. Why in 30 years from now, thousands can be killed on our highways. So, let’s keep with the horse and buggy.”
Henry Ford and 99.99 percent of the other people would think that this person is crazy.
It is unfortunate that about 40,000 or more get killed on the highways in the US, and of course, much more world-wide, but that is the price you have to pay.
There are probably over a 1,000 things that man has made that others have gotten killed or injured with—anything from hammers and electric hand drills, to rat poison and gas ovens.
I want to make clear I am concerned about saving innocent lives; put there is a limit to what you can do. You certainly don’t want to return to the Stone Age, but then here again, people got killed with the tools that were used to build homes—the old stone hammer, and knife made with a sharpened stone.
It simply is not worth having cameras (and microphones) recording your every move and every conversation. It’s not the State’s business and they have no right to do this (laws don’t make it a right, either).
More people will be going to jail, or paying a fine for some infraction of the law. And in fact, many are sitting in prison because of some mix up of identity.
What about the people being killed by our cops and soldiers—don’t they count? Remember, they are just doing their “duty”!
There will always be people getting mugged and killed, unfortunately. If the government and society really wanted to reduce this type of crime, and not give lip service to it, they can change the laws. We should have laws and teachings in our schools and churches that taught for a moral society.
Some of you older folks remember the time when it was safe to walk the streets at night; where you could leave your home unlocked and do your shopping in town. IF someone was mugged or raped, it made headline news (because such occurrence was extremely rare).
Let’s return to those days in when America could truthfully be said to be a great country. And if you live in another country and read this, your country can return to a ‘golden age’, too.
Permission is granted to use this article as long as it’s left intact and proper credit is used.
Copyright © 2006 Betterlivingebooks.com
