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Popular Protests

Reforming The Second Gilded Age

     Popular protests stimulating reform from Second Gilded Age excesses and gluttony have long been predicted by The Celestial Wheel, but the topic has not been revisited recently.
 

     The December 12, 2009 In-depth forecast, U.S. And Global Economic Trends For 2010, began with the section, Three Potent Planetary Karmas Through August, stating,

     Certainly, the BP oil spill debacle has truly riled folks up for corporate gouging.  I hit the date as shown in the predictions recap, Exceptional 2010 Predictions,

     The complete section is inserted here because there were a lot of disasters during these sensitive dates.  Many are now largely forgotten but their traumas added fuel to the public's motivation.  Also, while I was busy scootering across country during this then and did see disaster in the U.S. chart, I did not predict the specific nature of the oil spill, nor its tremendous damage. 

    Beyond the Tea Party extremists, an undercurrent of popular protest is beginning to influence Congress.  See, Currently in Vogue: Ringing the Deficit Alarm.  Notice it's only fear of not being reelected that is stimulating lawmakers to be responsible.

     We also have popular unrest in the Tuesday, June 8 primaries, which challenged incumbents, tested Tea Party extremists and brought a run of female victories.   See, Tea party candidates hurt by lack of organization in movement.  Women are gaining favor for their nurturing, which the economy badly needs.  One interesting trend in these elections is that voters were seeking positive and achievable solutions for the Millennium Contraction, becoming tragic in many areas -- not being so caught up in Tea Party emotional extremism.  Watch this video, Hard Times in Colorado Springs.  Related here are the debt bombs predicted in December 12, 2009, U.S. And Global Economic Trends For 2010, and also discussed in the January 4, Goodbye 2009 & Into 2010,

     Government officials are also coming under fire, as predicted in the May 27 Celestial Wheel,

Money Is The Ultimate Arbiter

     Money is the ultimate arbiter of all things in society.  Economics is the study of money -- society's wealth. 

     You may respond, Do you mean economics is not an arcane study, understood and used only by academics and bankers about government and business, but about all of us?  Yes, it's not.  Remember Adam Smith?  As explained in Wikepedia, Smith was a Scottish moral philosopher and a pioneer of political economics.  In his pioneering Wealth Of Nations, economics is not abstractions measured by mathematical theories, but rather moral philosophy -- how wealth is distributed in the society.   That is why, even today, economics is taught in liberal arts colleges, not business colleges.  That is also why the popular MBA -- Masters in Business Administration -- is only about business profits and never addresses wealth distribution necessary for a healthy economy and equitable society.  That is also why, since the ascendancy of MBA's in business in the seventies, wealth has be transferred from the middle class to the rich.  We now can see the result is unsustainable --it's also unfair and at odds with shared democratic values.

     So, when the media reports on economic theories and forecasting about government, banking and/or corporations, measure and filter that information through the lens of what it means to society as a whole, and notably to you personally.  When you do this, you'll find most of the academics, government regulators, bankers and other experts are serving their interests in their presentations and not true meaning of economics -- moral philosophy.  How the Federal government is faring, or whether banks and corporations are profitable, are just partial  manifestations of overall wealth distribution -- only when the masses prosper, when there is a large and prosperous middle class, can commerce, finance and government fair well too.  The moral philosophy view of economics properly considers the people's welfare and sees government, banker and commerce as serving them, not the reverse!

     Given this fundamental truth, the people rightfully should assert the fundamental value of economics as moral philosophy to protest and resist in every way possible the power-hold government banks and corporations have over us.

The Arizona Immigration Law

     The evolving response to the Arizona immigration law is a particularly interesting case in appropriate public protests.  Initially, there was a knee-jerk reaction that this was undemocratic to ask people for documents, the argument being racial profiling. 

     However, The truth behind Arizona's immigration law cites the opposite, with this telling quote, Americans overwhelmingly support this law, according to polls, and at least 18 other states are considering adopting similar immigration laws.  That view reflects a fundamental value, a moral philosophy.  Everyone knows that if he (or she) were in any other country illegally, the police would certainly have the right to question him on his status, and deport him if he fails to produce a Visa or other document authorizing residence.  Along with this, his foreign appearance, accent, dress, etc. are fair evidential grounds grounds for such official inquiries as they alert to foreign status.  It makes no sense to regularly ask conventional looking people for their documents, unless the country is an autocratic police state.  (This is an extreme but revealing example.  Would an Australian police officer request documents from an Aboriginal hunting on foot in the outback, or would he question a Caucasian hunter with a high powered rifle driving a SUV?)

     The fundamental value, the only valid economic moral philosophy, is that countries have both the right and obligation to protect their borders, just as private land owners have exclusive use of their land.  Another fundamental value is that illegal visitors do not have any rights due to their not having a legal status, although legal visitors do enjoy basic protections from crime, discrimination. etc.  Popular protests, in coming from fundamental values, thereby bring clarity to situations like this. 

     Another spurious argument for allowing illegals, which greedy business has buffaloed us with is, We need these illegals because they do jobs Americans refuse because the work is too hard and doesn't pay enough.  With jobs scarce and so many unemployed, does anybody really believe that now?

     Of course, the economic reality of the Millennium Contraction's high unemployment is a powerful motivator for truth.  Recall the term, The bottom line.  Illegals can be accepted when legal citizens can pay their bills, for prices of goods and services are kept down.  But, we abandon moral philosophy.  And when economy slows, we experience bottom line costs of allowing business, run by MBA's, to lure in illegals -- displacing legal workers and lowering wages.  It doesn't matter if the restaurant meal or lawn service is cheaper because of illegal workers when you don't have enough money to purchase these products and services.  Remember, G.W. Bush holds an MBA, and it was during his 8 years, when he promised immigration reform, that illegals truly flooded the country.

     Similarly, these tough economic times make us less forgiving of the banksters, which The Celestial Wheel labeled termed economic terrorists. 

Banksters

     I have also called the big banks criminal enterprises and have suggested repeatedly we refuse to play their game any longer.  The March 10, Commentary stated,

     It's natural not to object when big bank executives rake in tens, even hundred of millions, if our checkbooks are full.  But when the consequences of the banksters' greed drives the economy into the ditch, and then picks our pockets with mortgages we can't afford and gouging credit card and bank account fees, we begin to object. 

     The emerging financial reform bill reflects the harms by greedy bankers, and it wouldn't have advanced without popular pressure.

     However, that legislation doesn't address the fundamental issue of banks holding our money in trust and thereby being responsible to us -- to safeguard our savings it loan them back to us for legitimate and fair purposes -- home and commercial mortgages and loans for business, cards and college...  Banks will still be allowed to trade to their own accounts by gambling with our money in the markets, and their executives still have no restraints on their pay, which is the only check on their greed. 

    Here's another problem with the collapse of the financial system, which was caused by greedy banksters.  This article, Will Wall Street Go Free?, explains that not one banking executive is being held accountable for his criminal actions!  Note, I didn't write her (or she), for this has been a man's only game.  Thus the fundamental value of fairness is being violated, and along with that, the government is giving permission for these men to do the same thing again, for they are exempt from the criminal code?  How did they get away with this too?  Well, it is true that money is the root of all evil and too the phrase, the bottom line refers to profit, the fundamental evil MBA reality.

     Gee, you ask, how did they get away with this stuff?  They infiltrated the ranks of regulators and paid off politicians.  Read this article to see the tentacles Goldman Sachs has in government, An Updated List of Goldman Sachs Ties to the Obama Government Including Elena Kagan.  Really, read it. You'll be amazed.  Remember that the Gilded Age phenomena includes government corruption.

     For many years I have stated, I want my banker to be poor and drive a five year old used Buick, and I have selected my bank on that basis.

     Are those of you who still have money deposited with these big banks getting the message that you are supporting criminal enterprises that are worse than even organized crime --  for being above the law?  And, to make the situation even more nauseating, when you deal with the Mafia, everyone knows they are criminals, but banksters are criminals who also tell you in endless advertising that they are both honest and working for your interests!

The Corporate Sense Of Entitlement

     Another aspect of the erosion of fundamental values in business is corporate executives' huge ego, the sense of entitlement and outrageous compensation. 

     These folks have no consciousness of guilt, and they hold exalted opinions of their value and importance in society.  These beliefs are part of their corporate cultures, just as members of any group follow its dictates. Corporate executives down the ladder follow the same philosophy of selfishness and greed.

     Following is a real life example I recently experienced.  A corporate VP client recently had a Chart Update after over a year of inquiring.  However, mailing address and Celestial Wheel code issues errors by him required another 3/4 hour of my time.  When I advised a charge would result, he responded, Do not make the charge as I will dispute it with Visa and Actually you are not authorized to make any additional charges.  That he required additional time was of no consequence to him.

     The lesson here is clear -- when doing business with any corporate types, know this is adversarial, for the modern corporate culture cares only about profit and costing cutting.  And this is true whether the business is with the corporation or any of its executives personally.  Deal with these folks only at arms length.  Even then, they'll try to eat your hand.

A Recipe For Popular Protests

     Here are several ideas issuing from this forecast:

     1.  Understand economics is truly moral philosophy and weigh your choices using that scale.

     2.  Understand that money truly is the bottom line. 

     3.  Vote with your pocketbook by doing business only with ethical enterprises.

     4.  Pull your money from big bank banksters.

     5. Deal with big corporations and their executives only at arm's length. 

     6.  Vote for only ethical candidates. 

     7.  Make noise individually or through activist groups objecting when the fundamental values are violated.

     8.  Help your neighbors, friends and community, understanding we're all in this together, and it's the me, me me selfishness that got us into this mess.      

     9.  Support alternative media that expose the banksters and corporate crooks and motivate the people.  The Celestial Wheel is one of those, and it is uniquely valuable in reporting The News Before It Happens.

     The philosophy of the karma of personal responsibility also operates here.  As karma means action and reaction, if you don't act, then the banksters and corporations will finish bleeding you dry, and the reform necessary to pull their teeth will not occur.