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Dear Grim and Squeers,

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Squeers -

"... I think Banjo Paterson, latterly, is talking garbage (makes me wonder if he's deliberately trolling--if I'm using the word correctly."

"Talking garbage"? Naturally, I accept your judgement. If that is your opinion, then so be it. That is the rule of the game. By coming here, I accept, in advance, to expose myself to vastly differing opinions.

Of course, I am sorry to hear that you see my jewels as garbage. Please be assured, however, that under no circumstances could I ever imagine seeing your jewels in that light.

I take comfort in thinking that not only do you trip over carpets occasionally, but you are also highly sensitive and prone to excessive language. None of which is to be held against you.

"Trolling"? My purpose is not to provoke (troll) but to share as honestly and clearly as possible my particular vision of reality, avoiding, as far as I am capable, distorting the image with my own personal prejudices and aspirations.

I harbor absolutely no illusions whatsoever as to the results of the exercise. It's just a bottle in the ocean. An act of bravery "à la Don Quijote de la Mancha".

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Grim -

I see from your analysis (above) that we are more or less on the same wavelength...

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Dear Poirot,

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I hope you have recovered from that nasty throat problem.

I must confess that my observation that "the gradual evolution of the individual human being towards greater autonomy (and altruism)" is incomprehensible out of context:

Current estimates of the total lifespan of all forms of life on earth place it at approximately five billion years. Four and a half billion years or 90% of that total have already gone. That leaves another 500 million years or 10% to go, before all forms of life on earth cease to exist.

Mankind is about to turn the last bend into the straight for the final sprint. He still has a lot to do if he wants to survive the end of the solar system. Time is running out for us to complete the process of emergence of the individual. We are 90% there and just have another 10% to go.

It could well be that it is those final 10% which are the most difficult to achieve, the most spectacular in terms of results and perhaps, also, the most rewarding.

It is difficult to imagine a totally autonomous individual as he may exist in 500 million years time. Perhaps there will be as much difference between him and us as there was between us and the primordial bacteria, worm, mollusc or whatever.

The continued emergence of the individual producing a more acute degree of consciousness as well as a greater capacity to exercise free will, necessarily modifies mankind’s relationship with his fellow human beings.

The differential in the rhythm of evolution among individuals throughout their lifetimes accentuates the natural cohabitation of antagonistic characteristics such as autonomy and dependence, consciousness and ignorance, egoism and altruism.

The examples of egoistical behaviour you indicate are legion and there will be many more. But, in my view, that does not alter the global evolution of mankind towards greater altruism.

I suspect that if nature has doted mankind with a conscience capable of developing altruism, it is probably because it is necessary for our survival.

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I said: "LO club members: a potent force for good or simply a crowd of whingers and naysayers?"

I should've added windbags and procrastinators to the latter group!

Sorry.

'Tis human to err!'

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Did you know? Australia is the most charitable (altruistic) nation in the world !

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According to the World Givings Index 2012, the top 10 most charitable (altruistic) nations are:
1 - Australia
2 - Ireland
3 - Canada
4 - New Zealand
5 - USA
6 - Netherlands
7 - Indonesia
8 - UK
9 - Paraguay
10 - Denmark

The three criteria are Donating Money, Volunteering Time and Helping a Stranger.

Here is the link:

http://www.google.fr/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CDsQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cafonline.org%2FPDF%2FWorldGivingIndex2012WEB.pdf&ei=_BcZUe6fLems0QX-hIGwDQ&usg=AFQjCNEQ3J1-lsRAEnfjjZBsSVQhkyqUXA&sig2=-mpdSGys_23XeXKPUSST7Q&bvm=bv.42080656,d.d2k&cad=rja

It was the Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, so we are told, who, in the year AD 176, created the first charitable foundations. He created one endowed chair for each of the major schools of philosophy: Platonism, Aristotelianism, Stoicism and Epicureanism.

Of the world's top 29 charitable foundations which exist today almost all are recent creations (post World War II).

The top 29 currently dispose of funds totaling US$ 11.4 trillion:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wealthiest_foundations

To this should be added the voluntary contributions to a multitude of charitable institutions such as churches, secular and religious organisations, international humanitarian organisations and other non-profit organisations.

Simply paying taxes is altruistic behaviour (as is voluntary community work) even though it may not be perceived as such by most taxpayers:

http://pages.uoregon.edu/thinking/altruism.html

Though it remains largely imperceptible and, therefore, ignored today, there are, nevertheless, signs that there is a groundswell of altruism building up which may, in some far distant future, become a tidal wave which could sweep along with it all those regrettable outbreaks of human egoism which will, no doubt, persist and take a very long, long time to irradicate.

Perhaps that is what inspired Eisenstein when he wrote " Sacred Economics", if not, what he has in mind when he indicates on his blog: "I will probably write another book soon on gift ..."

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French to ban bank speculation ...

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The French socialist government of president François Hollande is preparing a new law banning speculation in the agricultural markets by French banks.

During a televised debate last night, Junior Minister for the Social Economy, Benoît Hamon (leader of the left wing of the socialist party) said it is not the business of French banks to speculate on the price of cereals, disrupting world markets, while millions of people in undeveloped countries are starving every day.

France's leading bank, BNP Paribas, is reported to have made a profit of one million Euros last year speculating in the agricultural markets.

Hamon said France would take this initiative without waiting for the EU to act and hoped that other countries would follow France's example.

This came during a televised debate following a scandal on frozen processed foods such as pasta with meat and tomato sauce and shepherd's pie "made in France".

British health authorities found that instead of French beef as indicated on the packaging, the products contained Rumanian horse meat.

This is a clear case of fraud involving frozen processed food, for the sole motive of financial profit.

It is just another example of the destructive consequences of the financialisation of the economy whereby finance bullies production and services, imposing its priorities on them, dictating their decisions and getting rich at their expense.

The French economy reposes, historically, on its food and agricultural industries. French "cuisine" is reputedly one of the best in the world. It was classified, in 2010, by UNESCO as one of the world's "intangible cultural heritages".

This is the one domain where charlatans and swindlers should never have dared enter. They will be mercilessly tracked, caught and punished.

Happily, though, every cloud has a silver lining. The French government is now on the rampant, determined to take whatever measures are necessary to break the tyranny of finance and make it toe the line - at least in the one domain it considers strictly taboo, not just for the economy, but for the well being of mankind as a whole.

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Dear David G,

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The time has come ...

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So throw the weary pen aside
And let the papers rest,
For we must saddle up and ride
Towards the blue hill's breast;
And we must travel far and fast
Across their rugged maze,
To find the Spring of Youth at last,
And call back from the buried past
The old Australian ways.

When Clancy took the drover's track
In years of long ago,
He drifted to the outer back
Beyond the Overflow;
By rolling plain and rocky shelf,
With stockwhip in his hand,
He reached at last, oh lucky elf,
The town of Come-and-help-yourself
In Rough-and-ready Land.

And if it be that you would know
The tracks he used to ride,
Then you must saddle up and go
Beyond the Queensland side -
Beyond the reach of rule or law,
To ride the long day through,
In Nature's homestead - filled with awe:
You then might see what Clancy saw
And know what Clancy knew.

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