Change...

It takes years...and it's never without consequences...Change was always there, inevitably and unpredictably... No, I am not writing Obama's next electoral speech... I am talking about real change in our societies, minds and consequently lives... 

It took some centuries to the Neanderthal man to change...and wow that was a big one! From a cave seeking, barbar talking creature he transformed again and again to a form of life where logic and spirituality would boost the changing process into unimaginable speeds... Say hello to today! Humanity is no longer waiting for a change...everyday is facing a new one. Technology may be the easiest example to support this argument, though there is not a single sector of our lives that stops changing. Food supplies, natural resources usage, medical treatments, psychological theories, love and hate, war and peace, transportation and housing, education and entertainment are subjects of its tremendous power. Just look to newspapers 100 years back, (or even 30), and I am sure you will agree. So now that we all agree ( I suppose) to the real fact that the world is changing extremely fast nowadays being a continuation of just an older slower process, think about this :

What is the only thing remained almost unchanged for lets say the last 50 years? No it is neither your husband's beer belly nor your wife's after sex talking habit (im pretty sure anyways, both have just raised exponentially)... Well, let's see...

Back in the previous century new economical theories were proposing new standards for our society... From Marx and Engels to Smith and the french philosophers, change took its place in the base of our societies and the way we think about their structure. People tried these theories, played a bit with them, even changed them proposing (and imposing sometimes) their own versions. Some of these versions got well established – others not, but all of them were products of people who believed to change and made it happen. Yes, this tranformed our societies. Now, we can not even imagine how this world looked like before these theories were put in action. Were they good enough? Do they still apply today? Is it the way to go on? Well, surely you will agree that they have their plus and minus. Good enough, could be for some – surely not for everyone though (remember this point it is essential). Yes they do apply – I mean everything can be applied in the end. Is it the way to go on? Hmm...

Let's say I am a farmer in central Africa... Having my country, occupied, colonised, torn apart by civil wars and extreme poverty, sold and resold to foreign (or domestic) enterpreneurs, makes my farm a tiny grain of sand that will be eatten alive. Will it be tomorrow or in a few years, it's just a matter of bad timing (in terms of another crisis) or greedy expansion (in terms of monopoly strategies). There is no way for me to stay on my feet and make a living out of my farm if external powers decide so. What about a union of farms? Sure, chances are better but what make you really think that you stand a chance against Monsanto or other agriculture monsters? You are to them exactly the same as this piece of feta is to me right now... an appetizer... What about a Party that will control and own the farms in the name of the people? Sure, Monsanto will never be allowed to play its games but the Party will create its own – sometimes even worse than the previous ones. Attention now! As mentioned before, this system of aggresive economy and open market policies, or full state control run by state officials can, will and does work for some people! You can easily become a puppet of the global or domestic elit, and eat your part of the cheese. Well guess what! It does not work for me!

It does not work for me for a simple reason. My idea of an ideal society is based on ethics and solidarity. What ethics do you expect from corporate people that dream of profits?? Which solidarity you seek in a system where you life is on the hands of over-powered officials that are bound to be corrupted??

Still in 2013, we struggle inside these same systems. Isn't it about time for a breakthrough?? For a new philosophy of economy and political relations that will make the establishment tremble?

Education-again is to play the most important role in this change. Solidarity can be taught as well as ethics among the people of the world. Each nation has such a rich library of religious or philosophical writings that include almost the same values. How can you be indifferent of poverty if you are a christian? How can you compete for profit if you are a muslim? How can you close you eyes on war crimes if you are a hindu or a budhist? Yet, we live our lifes like modern zombies, trying to make more money, travel a bit, eat a lot, drink when we can. How do you expect society to change if we are acting like that? The homo-consumius can not be our future! We need a system of love, solidarity and basic human ethics where money are a mean of transaction and not a goal of life. A system where paying a fortune for dinner while children starving would be madness! A system where the little farmer can have his self-sustainable farm and provide his society with its goods not for profit but by love and solidarity.

How can we make the change happen? Think, read and write your ideas. Get educated and educate your circle. Discuss for things that matter over things that cost.

That's what it takes. That's how they did it. That's our time.

If not now, when?? If not us, who??? 

C.K.

Artwork by Lori Spray

In Our Dreams...

In our dreams we sail free,
we speak ourselves and never kneel,
yet,
as soon as storms are settling in,
we're lost in the fog of what could be.

In our dreams, from birth to death,
the ones we loved, they're always here,
still,
as soon as they disappear,
like drops of rain they form to tear.

In our dreams, a thin line lies
demons by angels it divides,
though,
as soon as love prevails fear,
demons flee and angels cheer.


From our dreams, we learn to live,
we fight wars that build beneath,
now,
as soon as we're not naive,
let's turn our dreams to heaven's eve! 

C.K.

So this is Christmas...

''So this is Christmas.. and what have you done?'' the famous tune goes... Is it time to redefine our lifes or reboot them? Believers or not, Christmas is a sign of the Restart, the New Beginning, the Hope beneath everyday's struggle. It is a day of human feelings - the true feelings that protest our nature... and all these feelings can all fit in one beautiful word called Love... 

Believers or not, the Christmas spirit is inside us... Wherever you are, with whoever you may pass these days, the spirit of sharing, offering from the heart, helping and donating unconditionally love is here, and even only for these few days, gives a glimpse of how humanity should move on to another state of mind. I will not comment on the parasitic features of this spirit - concerning consuming etc - that as always are features of a system we have created and aims to make profit out of everything. The One message is that through the years, we the humans are still in need of days of love and solidarity that enrich us with the Hope of a better life to come... and as time passes for me too, I am still certain that this is the only way to go, the only goal worth living, the only dream I can still witness and smile each time I see these two words in action. 

How much better would our life be, if we'd have been living all year like Christmas time... 

Till next year, I wish we keep this spirit for a bit longer... Then wishes of peace, love and harmony would be useless, as we would live under these natural laws. 

Till next year, I wish you all, my brothers and sisters, to chase the life you deserve... Hang on Hope and let's take humanity one step beyond... 

Peace and Love,

C.K.

ESM: The European Stability Mechanism... Or maybe Slavery one??

 

The European Stability Mechanism is supposed to address the EU's ability to deal with the "economic crisis," but it turns out that this solution is even worse than the problem, if that's possible. It is apparently a totalitarian pact for a new European empire to be implemented within one to two years.

A new video (below) explains that the REAL import of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM). Apparently it calls for the creation of a fund of 700 billion euros that can be expanded at any time. It calls for a committee to administer this fund that is entirely above the law – one that can be neither prosecuted nor even questioned within a normal legislative venue.

It SOUNDS innocent enough when one doesn't delve into the details. Here's a description from Wikipedia:

Treaty Establishing the European Stability Mechanism ... The European Stability Mechanism itself will be established by a treaty among the eurozone states: the Treaty Establishing the European Stability Mechanism.
According to this treaty, the European Stability Mechanism will be an intergovernmental organisation under public international law and will be located in Luxembourg. It would be open to other members to join and would be led by a Board of Governors.
On 16 December 2010 the European Council agreed to a two-line amendment (see below) to the treaty that would avoid any referendums. It would simply change the EU treaties to allow for a permanent mechanism to be established.

More lulling rhetoric, it would seem, disguising the real agenda. The EU was sold as a trade association. Later on it became a currency zone. Now it apparently seeks to become an Empire, complete with vassals and conquered territories sending unlimited amounts of tribute. You can see Anthony Wile's editorial on this issue in today's edition, entitled "Euro-Union Totalitarian Empire Emerges Full Blown With ESM?

 The Daily Bell

(Video from Abgeordnetencheck's YouTube user channel)

Which side are you on...?

"There's a battle between two wolves inside us all... 

One is Evil. 

 It's anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, inferiority, lies and ego. 

The other is Good.

 It's joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness and truth."

"Which wolf wins...??? "

"The one you FEED!"

Old Cherokee Dialogue

Forget NOT!

   

    I have been walking these streets all my life… Countless faces, busy business men, old lonely women, boys and girls in their own fashion world wandering around. At some corner though-there’s always a corner like that- figures of a world we don’t want to see, lay their misery. Life passes them by, leaving behind some pennies and 10 seconds of sympathy (best case scenario). Are they human remains of our social system or proud ambassadors of an alternative one? 

     The answer does not really affect the fact. They are people that need our help. They are here to remind us that our world is not the ‘micro cosmos’ of our  daily life. This is a world of pain and hunger, misery and wars. Our world is not Europe or USA or the nice districts of China, India and Brazil. This is a world where poverty leads to  21,000 dead children  every day around the world. Where still the 1% holds wealth more than the budget of whole countries! Where clean water is a luxury and education, health insurance, stable jobs and development is just a joke. This is the truth and I know that you are well aware of it. I am sure that you have thought, ‘What can I do, I am just a pawn…’, I am sure that once upon a time you have helped and you plan to do it again somewhere in the future, I am sure that your heart aches each time you think about it, I am sure that you are still a human being… And I know that life sucks your thoughts and transforms them to routine patterns that’s hard to quit. But I know as well that you can spend 10 minutes of your beautiful Sunday evening and donate some of your precious money to organizations that have been created by people that gave their lives for this one purpose: To help the ‘children of the damned’, and the people that are in need.  If you are not able to help in a different way, give the opportunity  to these people to help on your behalf!!  It is not the solution, but easing the pain of the people is already something huge…     

   Contact your local NGO , whichever you want, talk with these people, search for their activities, participate if you can, donate if you can not - be part of the Solidarity…

If you don’t take the initiative now, I will understand and they will never know… next time you meet these ghost figures in the streets though, try to remember: 

They are there to remind you of our real world and your extreme luck - being born and raised like a king compared to them.

 Don’t forget them… they need us!

Peace and Love 

C.K.

On elections... and profit!

It's been 2 years since the Crisis has emerged in the world, hitting merciless Europe and especially Greece and the south... We have been the bad, lazy, tax-avoiding, irresponsible citizens since then, the ones that have to pay for their royal lifes till that point. Well let me tell you what royalty means in my country at least...

 In 2004 long before the crisis that meant a net salary of 1200 euros/month for a mechanical engineer after 35 years of work the public sector (example taken from my family). It meant 3.5 euros per hour for a non-specialised worker in any sector(personal experience). It meant a net retirement salary of 500 euros for a 80 years old lady(again example taken from my family). It meant, 10% of unemployment, increasing prices for all goods(that have been doubled and tripled just few months after the adaption of Euro as Greece's currency) and a non-stop struggle to live and progress for mid and low class citizens, paying more taxes than they should in a socially equal country, and recieving a lot less that they deserved according to their extremely high education and specialties. Yes, as everywhere and always, there were a lot of things going bad, and as everywhere and always, the rich were protected by the political system and thus getting even richer by not paying taxes and supressing the working class. And yes, most of the people were able to live and survive, being happy for having their secure jobs even with that low salaries and struggling to win more of what they deserved. As I have said again in other posts, it is not money that leads to happiness and as the mentality of the people of the south was always and everywhere in the world similar, we knew how to judge happiness correctly and enjoy our lifes to the maximum. This does NOT mean that we were not working or that we were in paradise. We were working more than the European average hours, producing less though due to the corrupted system (http://www.forbes.com/2008/05/21/labor-market-workforce-lead-citizen-cx_po_0521countries.html).

 So what happened??? Why things turned that bad and out of nothing we are on the first page of the world's media ???

Well, I don't want to cancel the responsibility of the people, as they are voters and should change things earlier. But it is obvious that the huge debt was not created by the people but from the governors! And more importantly, the debt of Greece was small regarding other huge economies in Europe and the world (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_external_debt). The biggest problem of our country that was 100% fault of the politicians was and still is that we had a deficit due to their inability or on purpose plan, to create infrustructures for development based on social criteria and on rules to protect the citizens from the big interests. And here we meet Europe and its Union.

Noone would ever argue that European Union was a bad thought. Unifying people should always be our goal but the way to get people come together is what matters. And its quite obvious again that this Union was more like a European Union of companies and not of the people. If only, we had a clear view of the european parliament and the treaties that have been signed there, we would all be sure about that. Total free market policies, no rules to protect the countries and the people from speculators, bankers and private enterprises, suppresion and fear-opposing dilemmas. What was the result?? Countries, like Greece, being dominated by huge international companies that could come and sell their products freely and with low taxes, leading to the destruction of the local production, the closure of all the small entrepreneurs who can not compete the huge ones, the give-away of all the national resources to private companies that seek PROFIT, which finally are moving freely to countries where the man-power costs almost nothing, leaving behind them unemployment and goverments that reduce even more the taxes of these companies in a utmost effort to prevent them from migrating. And here we go to my favourite word... Profit!

Do you really understand what profit is for the entrepreneurs?? Let me give you an example... Let's say I have a small store that makes shoes. Two squares away, you open another store that makes also the same type of shoes. We are starting making and selling our shoes, making Profit out of the overpriced (due to the man-hours of working to produce these shoes), and business goes pretty good for both. You sell a pair of shoes for 20 euros and me for 19.99 euros having a net profit of let's say 10 euros. So far, so good... Now, me, I decide that the profit that I have from my store is not enough cause I want to buy a new car or my children have to go the college or whatever. I have 3 choices :
1. I try to produce better shoes. Better quality, better looking,  more comfortable. I do this and so people prefer my shoes so I make more profit and you less.
2. I try to lower the price of my product. Again people will prefer me so in the end even with this low-priced products I will have more profit than before and you less.
3. I try to bring you in public disrepute, send the police to find illegal procedures, prevent your next loan from the local bank, do whatever I can to take you down and hopefully make you CLOSE your store so that I will get all your customers and raise my profits.

Choose whatever the results is the same... When you are searching for PROFIT, in a free market society where bad competition is legal, someone always has to go down!!! And the way you will go down depends on the criticity of the situation. If you shoe-maker, are struggling to survive, you can reach crazy decisions and do stuff that are 100% unhuman to win in this fake competition that the system is putting us in. And that's exactly what's happening. Watch out! It never stops.. when you are dealing with huge companies the only search for profit! More and more! It's never enough so they will and they are doing everything to raise this profit! From exploiting poor countries by giving ridiculous salaries to their employees, polluting the enviroment so that they will reduce their production cost, by-passing courts and international laws behind closed doors, to goverment selection, goverment control or being part of the goverment itself (a small example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Siemens_scandal).

So you get it?? There lies the problem!!! It's the system, stupid!!! Call it capitalism, neo-liberalism, old-communism, dictatorship in the end is the whole system that is above words and theories that have been written 100 and more years ago! It is the rule of the companies on people. The have legalised and put profit and bad competition into our lifes, so we think that it is the most normal thing !!!! It is NOT our nature!!! Please think about it!!! Competition can be good, basically it is beautiful when it's pure and does not have MONEY or PROFIT as it's goal! It is what the ancient greeks were calling 'ευγενής άμιλλα' or the sportsmanship (the closest translation I can get). It is the beautiful feeling you get when you are playing a chess or basketball with your friends, and push you on, give you power to fight and win! It is the same feeling that in a society of solidarity, would make me and you produce better and more beautiful shoes because we love shoes (or whatever!!) and we want to make the best out of it!!! But, I would never steal, kill etc to win a basketball game neither harm you in any way, to make better shoes! All these, if profit as we know it, DISAPPEARS of our vocabulary and lifes.

And that's what happens in Greece and all over the world. We are just the experiment, so that the system can check its limits of imposing their power over people just in 2 years letting the people shocked from the austerity measures. And they did succeed pretty well we can say...

Sometimes though, we can change things... We have the power, not because we are a lot but because if we had the correct education we would and could throw this system away and create a new one. I believe, that the time is not far. We have to educate the masses and ourselves first of all, so that we all refuse to bow down and refuse that this is our nature!!!

We draw the lines here, We choose which nature to follow, We can change everything if we know what we want and if we are united!

As for my dear greeks, there is one thing I can say. The path to tranquillity and pride has always been paved with nails. Me, I am ready to walk this path not for Greece but for the people of the world! Think well before you vote, if you want to live a life of fear inside their system of lies or a life of pride and respect inside a world of truth and solidarity.

C.K.

Catastroika... Pimp my life!

CATASTROIKA - Multilingual από infowar

How neoliberalism privatization takes control of our lifes... or destroys them!

WATCH, SHARE, THINK!

WAKE UP!

Ascension ( For the worldwide day of Poetry )

If poisonous minerals, and if that tree
Whose fruit threw death on else immortal us,
If lecherous goats, if serpents envious
Cannot be damn'd, alas, why should I be?
Why should intent or reason, born in me,
Make sins, else equal, in me more heinous?
And mercy being easy, and glorious
To God, in his stern wrath why threatens he?
But who am I, that dare dispute with thee,
O God; Oh, of thine only worthy blood
And my tears, make a heavenly Lethean flood,
And drown in it my sins' black memory.
That thou remember them, some claim as debt;
I think it mercy, if thou wilt forget. 

John Donne (1572-1631) Holy Sonnets, Ascension 

Painting by Cedar Lee

For what it's worth...

Boom! Just like a bullet in the air, a choice can turn your life upside down... Be your studies, work, family or love-affairs, it is this mixture of choices by you and your enviroment that magically interpolate your dreams on the everyday world. Could be a bad interpolation? Of course, yes... Actually, most of the times the software crushes and you find yourself lost in translation. Is it still your choices then that govern your life? And who is the Ruler of this software that decides what is a good or a bad choice-interpolation? Briefly, all of us.

 We have created this world and we provide the choices -or not- to be taken... It is the whole world, our noble and peaceful societies (!?) that are the actuators of lust and love, war and peace, psychophrenia and piece of mind! The choices are already made, you just have to pick up one.

 Could someone create a choice on his own? Of course he can! These are the people that break the norms, and finally the ones that do shine between the masses.

 Is it easy? Think about it... Think about the people around you. No, it is not at all easy. It needs guts, it takes a lifetime and it demands sacrifices that few are willing to make. 

Is it worth it? It worths giving the people the option of choice. Letting them know that they can be free, they can go live in a cave in Hawai or build a rocket on their own. They can revolute against their oppresors or take hold of the flame that rests in our inborn feel of solidarity and demand the change that they need. Even if you are not able to make it for whatever reason, if you understand, sharing is gold. Make believe, is the only way to feel what are we searching for and not spend our lifes like sheeps. We have to start from somewhere and I really believe that this is a good start.

In an ocean of dirt, it's not worth learning how to swim... It's worth cleaning it up.

Sharing is Learning.

 It's your choice. 

C.K.

Solidarism - Nations United in Action

Let's talk about problems... let's talk about Unions... let's talk about solidarism in action.... I'll let my friend Dimitris do the rest.

The truth about Greece!

Wake up! Support the weak! Fight the establishment! 

We are ONE! 

We have to try!

We'll meet on the streets!

Have Hope and keep the Faith!!!

P.S. To my Toulousain friends, our rendez-vous is on Saturday 18/2 at Place Du Capitole... Show your solidarity to the greek people and consequently to all the weak and oppressed of our world. We all need you!

C.K.

Hope

I whisper, justice. 

You shout, fire. 

 I beg for love. 

You ask revenge. 

I kneel before you.

You scorn yourself.

 I die to reach you.

You flee to hide.

I shout, Hope.
You whisper.

I shout, Hope.
You whisper.

I shout, Hope.

You whisper, Hope!  

C.K.

What is ACTA - Behind our backs for their own good!

Say NO to ACTA!

Solidarism – A new approach of achieving a real brotherhood of mankind

I. Motivation

 
There is nothing new, nothing unsaid, nothing brilliant in the following text. The reader, can easily look in books and articles of  the great minds of humanity to find the inspiration for all that follows.  There is though, something that we, humans,  tend to forget each and every day of our lives.

We struggle daily for a better future but who's to tell what's the best for everyone? There is a link between us, that may seem invisible and fragile from times to times but it has been always there and will never cease to exist. Without taking this link in account, the better future will never come. Will never come simply because it can not be different for each one of us. It can not be different because our interaction is constant and inevitable. And nowadays, this interaction happens instantly and bring changes globally.

What we have to understand is that the only way to move forward is together, based on ethics and the human nature for peaceful progress, that can finally be globally determined. This global agreement has nothing in common with what we call globalization. It is a global agreement on basic and simple principles of living with respect to each other. Does not imply ruining cultures or our beautiful differences that boost our imagination and curiosity. In fact, it is exactly the opposite that should pave the way.

The nations of the world, under unifying and yet liberating principles, working with the help of each other, to eliminate the problems that seem unsolved today. And furthermore, societies inside the nations, aiding the common fight against all the pathogens of our kind, the deadly mental and materialistic 'diseases' that lead to poverty, hunger, inequality, wars, fanaticism, hate as well as depression, suicides, fear and passivity. In the end, zooming into the smallest form of society, the family, things clear up. As love, endless care and help, forgiveness and life-lasting acceptance are the rules in a normal 'healthy' family, based on the blood links between its members, the hard links between each and every one of us should come to the surface and the same family's unsaid and unwritten laws should lead us in a society and eventually a world of...

...Solidarity and Respect. 

C.K.

A Letter From a Billionaire

 Dear The People,

 It is one of our ages modern tragedies, the desperation of individuals to belong to the wage-slave force, it sickens me. It really does sicken me, to see one of you begging for a job, begging for corporate enslavement, begging to be on my team. Should not your desperation be for revolution instead of petty opportunities?
Should not your energy be focused on revolting against my billionaire friends and I? Should not your soul be dedicated towards resistance instead of trying to deliberately encage yourself in the corporate bondage chambers?

 You are sick! You, wage slave, are the sick one, not I, you are the sick one because you have become so blinded that you do not see your path. You have become so slavish and so desperate for employment that you have forgotten the true merits of your humanity.  You have become so blinded by your materialistic needs, that a job is your salvation, a job , of course, in my sadistic corporation.

Stand up men! Stand up women! Resist your oppression, of course you never will, you will sit at home waiting for your favorite show to arrive. You are a sick, passive, creature and for that you deserve to be dominated by me and eventually my children. Nothing bothers you, nothing infuriates you, you just sit there and wait like a dog for your pay check and your imaginary promotion. We often laugh at the golf club about people who believe in promotions, the joke is this, what do you call a promoted wage slave? A wage slave!
Sometimes I get bored, I really do, because you present no threat, because you are so fucking docile and stupid. When I was young my father spoke to me of class struggle, and I looked forward to it, to crushing the poor, but instead nothing happens. Nothing happens at all, I just sit there in my office raking in billions from your sweat and labor while you go on imagining that you’re free.
It is simple, wage slave, really simple, the formula is this: half your day is spent slaving, the other half in front of the television imagining you are free.

 I love you, wage slave, I really do, because without you, I could not sustain such a lavish, albeit, meaningless lifestyle.

 A Billionaire

reposted from

http://theactivists.wordpress.com