It is clear looking over the history of oil that the markets have been manipulated by oil quotas or the threat to flood markets crashing prices.  I read about crude oil prices per barrel from 1948 were approximately $2.50 per barrel to approximately $100 per barrel today, all manipulations of volume affecting price and demand.  It is not rocket science to see that our industrialised society is dependent on oil which keeps economic growth going and as this system expands across the planet, marketed as progress and poverty reduction, it is seen as a social good and an unquestioned mantra, which in truth, is polluting the atmosphere, creating wars, manipulating politics and power and undermining life support systems.  It is a sobering read but the reality is profit based economics and man’s pursuit of personal power and greed.  The likely seed to this is the fear of not enough, separation and inferiority.

It is funny when you awaken to the myth and start to understand slowly what is behind the marketing of economic growth you feel in a position to make decisions.  I find myself reflecting back on my own belief in economics as a mature aged economics student excited at learning about how the world works.  Issues of the externalities of competition, greed and exploitation were not investigated whilst I was studying.  I was dimly aware of the environmental issues and the social needs but not able to articulate that at the time nor was there any real discussion in classes to explore the negative externalities of economics and capitalism.  It was accepted as important to wellbeing as economic growth was seen as providing full employment and better lifestyles on the ground, yet in our luxury we were totally unaware of the mystery it caused in other parts of the world.  We are indeed not separate.  And when you look at global markets that is a really good physical example that shows how interconnected we all are.  The banking system is the blood that circulates around the planet and due to the decisions made by those with lots of money it changes the fates of millions.  We never discussed the banking system in the United States e.g. the Rockafellers, the industrialists J.P. Morgan etc. or the British establishment and corporations and the decisions they were making economically and politically.  We didn’t look into corporate support of war e.g. Second World War IBM printing the cards used in concentration camps.  We didn’t explore the disconnect of morality and ethics from trade.  That of course leads me to years later really making a mental note of Clinton’s announced decoupling of trade from human rights, I felt intuitively this was problematic.  We are the human’s that have rights, how can trade decisions be divorced. If a corporate is causing a human ill or repressing people by their involvement with politicians or paying them substandard or subsistence wages, then surely that affects the quality of life which was the basis of why economics was touted as a good system for humanity.  A fair distributor of resources.  The very foundation of accepting this dogma was the benefits it would bring people, yet these outcomes are not discussed, we simply keep looking at the mechanistic data and if it rises it is good, if it falls it is bad, unless that is being used by someone behind the scenes (pulling strings) to crash markets or influence governments.  I remember hearing about George Soros who was a very wealthy financier who spoke of his personal manipulation of markets to profit maximise.  In the end he developed a social conscience and decided to promote society through this Open society Institute.  I heard of the Worldwatch Institute looking at the environment and Human Rights Watch overviewing how people were being treated.  As an economic students we didn’t talk about the externalities of a planet slowly being destroyed and our life support systems.  Had ecology and sustainability been a mandatory unit in my economics degree I may have seen the world differently.  Instead I graduated and went looking for a job that combined economics and marketing,

I found market research.  It was in this profession I was able to look at the strategies to expand demand, to seek out what consumers wanted and link that to the product as a ‘need’ to expand demand for goods and services.  I utilised my knowledge of the Boston Consulting Grid (BCG) and analysed markets mechanistically as factors influencing and shaping demand.  Psychology was used through advertising, brand identities, packaging all linking to consumer segments who identified with that image or were influenced to identify with it by imaging their life was not complete.  Really creating the gap, the need for something more, as they are not enough.  Of course this is not true, they have everything they need in life within themselves I know that now.  Value adding was a popular catch-cry meaning the creation of wealth through exclusivity of the product or service offering, so only people with money could buy those brands and that was their subtle statement was of superiority to those who couldn’t afford those brands.  So marketing became the social wedge creating class distinctions and exploiting them.  We had demographics, psychographics all designed to find bases to segment consumer groups so that marketing dollar spend could be directed to these groups to maximise profit.  The product may have been made in a third world country (same costs) but the key was marketing exclusivity and specialness which was the insecurity in people that drives superiority or the need to be seen (human weaknesses). 

The old adage keeping up with the Jones’s really meant not being seen as the backward neighbour but having all the latest gadgets to keep up and belong.  It was an orchestrated competition in neighbourhoods or suburbs linking to a false status.  All manufactured traps of psychology designed to keep people consuming and believing they need more.  Behind all of that is the face less faces of the banking and oil industries needing to generate more money, to sell more barrels of oil dependent on our consumption of oil through transport systems, plastics and a plethora of oil based products.  They wanted us dependent on oil rather than solar and alternatives.  I remember the famous orbital by Ralph Sarich from Perth here in Australia.  According to Wikipedia the engine featured rotary rather than reciprocating motion of its internal parts. It differs from the conceptually similar Wankel engine by using a shaped rotor that rolls around the interior of the engine, rather than having a trilobular rotor that spins “in place”.   The engine, which produces very high revs, has only one moving part. It can supposedly be powered by compressed air or steam and can be run as a pump.  I then immediately think of Nikola Tesla who invented free energy tapping into the ionosphere and many more. 

I just marvel at how the greed and profit maximisation of economics rather than create efficiencies for the social good became a vehicle for the personal interests of individuals or corporations who found a freedom for themselves in power and wealth.  That would be the underlying joy of power.  Initially economics had a good intent it was all about fairer distribution of resources and comparative advantage (nations that had resources would trade with those who didn’t as an efficiency).   Adam Smith was not about market dominance or liberal/conservative politics which favoured the monied class as a means of giving control to industrialists, he was a moral philosopher who actually didn’t want the mercantilists (traders) to control the system through price control or market dominance (few competitors) so the invisible hand of demand and supply was designed so that the market as a mass could regulate price and that it would be fair.  It was the basis in my view of a democracy in truth.  The way it worked was if a product was too expensive, people would choose alternatives (competition) and that organisation would lose market share or go out of the market.   Initially the psychological manipulation of marketing was not well developed it was simply demand and supply of products.  Maynard Keynes saw the free market as problematic during the depression as demand fell in spirals in respect of consumption falling, wages falling, production falling and more consumption falling in a downward spiral.  He advocated government intervention so that monies could be pumped into the system through printing more money or to invest and purchase in order to generate more demand and wealth so prices would rise and employment would rise and wages and so on.  When a person earns more they spend more is the logic to the theory.  I just marvel at how these two economists were used by those advocating free trade (no government intervention) so they could maximise profits and those advocating social policies for stability on the left to address the social externalities.  Rather than working together so all can win it became competitive and a win/lose resulted.  Society as a whole became winners and losers and we became less compassionate for those on the streets, seeing them as not motivated to make a go of it or somehow making their bed in which they should lie in it.  We justified our status as working hard and deserving of our riches when really it was a system that for the most part promoting wealth as better than others and rewarding greed. It was no longer about meeting our basic needs and efficiency as a mechanisms to serve society but it became a system in which we had to serve.  In other words the economy was designed to serve community but it became a class that demanded society to serve it and found ways to keep demand flowing and any challenge to this was socialist, communist or some other ism tarnished with a negative brush. Makes me think of you are either with us or against us mindsets that don’t see the whole, they only see their own interests, anything other than this is disloyal or the enemy.  And that is the class war people speak of, the environmental war, the human rights war and on its goes.  Why not make peace and see what you do to another returns to self and we are part of the one system which is a planetary system in a cosmos that has universal and natural laws.  If we contravene these laws we undermine the real wealth and security of humanity.

I am just sitting here reflecting, it feels like we have to sit and reflect now on what we created together in this global society and the real costs of our decisions to consume and produce,  I see us all in it together.  I cannot sit in judgement of the energy companies or corporations tarnishing them as the ‘bad guys’ and me as good, I am a peace clown.  I always laugh at the contrast here I am speaking about economics, perhaps I should be out just clowning around but I did this degree and I am going to share my knowledge in the interests of future happiness for all.  I have to look at myself in this system as well.  I create demand through my car using petrol and oil.  I turn on lights and buy tins and packaging.  I see myself as part of the problem given I weaken through my spending choices.  I bought some shoes yesterday that were $4 from Big W retailer and knew they were made in China.  I should know better.  I visited a Target factory in Cambodia and saw all the women in lines like battery hens with men on each line cracking the whip of production and quotas being digitally flashed up in front of them to make them work harder, driving the cost per garment down (labour wages) so they can maximise the prices (typically) on global markets.  I remember I smiled at the women, I am sure they thought I was American with the Target management but I was with the Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies program looking investigating disputation of poor people being removed from prime real estate by either being paid off by companies or forcibly removed by police and taken to this location 25 km out of Phnom Penh and put in little concrete buildings and living near work.  This of course is seen as a social good unless you are sitting there 10 hours or more a day like a battery hen earning chicken feed.  Is this a form of slavery?  If people think they have no choice, then in my view, probably.  So I am aware of those links but bought the shoes.  They probably cost (I am guessing here) 50 cents per item (including labour) and sold for $4. So that is a huge mark up.  We know of the issues with Nike and the low costs of labour in producing a product in a third world country, these employees don’t know that the product will be sold for $120 for one pair of shoes and they may be paid $1 per day.  They don’t know that in western countries they would be paid at least $15 per hour.  So they are doing the same work for less pay because their country is poor.  Why is that? What is the moral issue there.  Why don’t we have uniform wages across the globe if a product is going to international markets with higher wages.  By the same token how fair is it for a third world country to charge western tourists x 100 more than locals, how does that change their status in their society and is it honest given that the costs are the same for locals or tourists?  I’ve always had issues with tourists here in Australia facing much higher prices but because they don’t know what is normal they just pay.  It is a form of corruption and exploitation we all go, no problem it is boosting the income of the tourist industry, so that wipes away moral dilemmas when our side is winning and we benefit.  So going back to my shoes, through my demand I am adding to the misery of others, hardly peaceful when you reflect on it in this way.  What weakened me is my low income and my minimisation of costs but as my friend said today she chose an expensive outfit (the most she had ever paid) to support bamboo in clothing.  We spoke of choices, of course she was right and I think I must try harder to stick to the knitting and only buy products and services that are socially beneficial.  My short term gain is not worth it.  At the time I bought it in innocence but on reflection I have to change.  

I did console myself by saying I don’t have a house (major demand of raw materials) nor much money to spend on objects, so my footprint would be lower than others overall.  Yet I am still part of the problem.  So the change must start with me.  I am thinking I must live in an intentional community with zero energy emissions.  So I will keep that in mind and that will be my reparations towards the war with nature, and believe me it is a war of domination and exploitation without any regard for the consequences to the whole and all the species that are affected by deforestation, mining, pollution and over population in human species.  There is so little room for the natural wildlife and extinction rates are rising.  We lose them forever due to our ignorance and greed.  I do feel a shame within myself for my part.  That is the state of our ignorance and lack of stewardship or duty of care.  Why are you important, you are affecting the whole, that is why.

Anyway, I felt to share my musings as I sit here.  Let me brighten you up, know that the truth sets us free and I am pleased to speak my truth publicly warts and all as part of my commitment to democracy that is open and visible.   That is the beginning of peace as we must face our own illusions with love not condemnation and try again. 

Below is an extract about localisation.  I was thinking this the other day.  There is an excellent documentary on Cuba called The Power of Community How Cuba Survived Peak Oil http://www.powerofcommunity.org/  It is clear we need to live closer to resources so we reduce transport costs.  We can generate our power where we are so we disconnect from the global energy grid.  I can feel them shaking in their boots as they believe their happiness is linked to their profits, they are yet to see their real happiness is linked to their virtues.  They will find this out later.  It is time to grow our own food reducing transport, diminished quality of food through freezing and chemicals (health issues), unnecessary packaging and energy costs and most importantly freeing up time so we can think, reflect and pursue our dreams (personal potential).  That is the greatest gift you can give your community is to shine and thrive.  To live the life you want to see.  As my friend said to me today ‘to be the change we wish to see in the world’, to take responsibility for all of it as we are part of the problem and equally we are part of the solution.  We are likely to make real contributions when we do what we love.  As we get happier the toxic thoughts will lessen, the fears will diminish and we will start relax and feel empowerment surging like a new lease on life.  So as you make healthy choices your world literally changes as you are impacting your world in every moment.  You are not insignificant.  You have the power of community and as you change, your children change and the ripples go out from there.  So never think you are nothing and not making a difference, you do whether you know it or not.  The only question is what direction do you change your world.  It is up to you whether you choose to be a slave to the fear or an active creator of choice but without the negative baggage.   To love the industrialists is to understand they are human and share weaknesses we all possess.  I think of Gandhi’s compassion here.  Perhaps through our example they may change their minds but if we force change – what you resist persists (opposition) – and when you seek truth what you look at disappears, the illusion of need, survival all those fears that lock you into fear and powerlessness disappear.  We are all powerful and the change of a thought can literally change the world.  What you think about you draw to you.  Think about your thinking today and see if it is proactive or destructive.   Positive thought creates positive change.  We are indeed part of nature not separate and interacting with this incredible earth every day.  It is indeed our mother as the ancients have said.  If you don’t believe that it is our life support, so let’s stop abusing it and start to work in harmony with the most fascinating place in the cosmos, our planet earth.

I love all people and I look forward to hearing new and revitalised voices helping all of us to find new ways to live and be, without harming anyone or anything.  In conflict resolution we call it – do no harm.  I love that.  Why not choose peace, that would be a choice that benefits everyone.  Peace to you and your family.

Here is an interesting extract from a book that promotes localisation.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016718509000505

Eco-localisation as a progressive response to peak oil and climate change – A sympathetic critique

• Peter North

• Department of Geography, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 8TZ, United Kingdom

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2009.04.013, How to Cite or Link Using DOI

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Keywords

• Globalisation;
• Localisation;
• Environmentalism;
• Peak oil;
• Climate change;
• Scale