Capitalism:
A public company is required to provide share holder value, i.e. Profits to the shareholders.
This drives a company to make more profit one year than it did the year before.
A Free Market drives prices down.
So if the price drops, how do you supply your investors with return on investment?
Charge more? Your customers go elsewhere.
Shrink the cost/expense base of the business? This can only achieve so much.
Offer more for a premium? You have to convince your consumer to buy the new product -- enter marketing, the generator of perception (perceived reality as opposed to actuality.)
The process is not sustainable.
We can effect change: We own the means of consumption.
Thursday, October 30, 2003
Tuesday, October 28, 2003
What is a sensible precedent?
France may allow 'first strikes' on rogue states in policy shift:
"The shift may seem strange in the light of France's refusal to approve the US-led invasion of Iraq, which was justified by American and British allegations that Baghdad was developing nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. But Paris said there was no clear proof that Iraq held such weapons and that, in any case, a military invasion would not set a sensible precedent for controlling the proliferation of WMD."
"The shift may seem strange in the light of France's refusal to approve the US-led invasion of Iraq, which was justified by American and British allegations that Baghdad was developing nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. But Paris said there was no clear proof that Iraq held such weapons and that, in any case, a military invasion would not set a sensible precedent for controlling the proliferation of WMD."
Thursday, October 23, 2003
Perception versus Reality
Rumsfeld agonises over US failures in 'war on terror'
No surprise here.
Even with all the US Administration's attempts to weave a perception of control, they have no effective way of fighting a band of dissidents with a military geared to superpower conflict.
But how many more people must die?
No surprise here.
Even with all the US Administration's attempts to weave a perception of control, they have no effective way of fighting a band of dissidents with a military geared to superpower conflict.
But how many more people must die?
Monday, October 20, 2003
Arab nations 'failing to invest oil revenues'
From the Independent.
"weakened the demand for knowledge"
Because knowledge threatens the entrenched powerbase.
"weakened the demand for knowledge"
Because knowledge threatens the entrenched powerbase.
One death a minute: toll of the booming arms trade
From the "Independent"
By Cahal Milmo
10 October 2003
"In Somalia, babies are named 'Uzi' and 'AK' after their fathers' favourite assault rifles. In Georgia, arms are so common that English teachers have been paid in hand grenades. In Yemen, the birth of a boy is greeted by tribal leaders with shouts of: 'We have increased by one gun.'"
By Cahal Milmo
10 October 2003
"In Somalia, babies are named 'Uzi' and 'AK' after their fathers' favourite assault rifles. In Georgia, arms are so common that English teachers have been paid in hand grenades. In Yemen, the birth of a boy is greeted by tribal leaders with shouts of: 'We have increased by one gun.'"
Sunday, October 19, 2003
Impermanence and the death throws of Power
ZDNet UK - News - Internet telephony 'is not telecommunications'
An entrenched industry is now open to competition.
Telecos have had a monopoly on voice communications for decades. Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) is a new technology that uses the internet to deliver telephony services. The Telecos see this as danger to their collective bottom line, because VoIP is significantly less expensive than their own offerings.
This will run and run. No incumbent power will relinquish it willingly -- especially when there are hoards of unseen investors demanding a return on their investment of capital (not their investment of labour.)
Everything is impermanent. Desire is the root of all pain.
When will we collectively decide we have had enough of pain and move into a productive, fulfilling and Human existence.
An entrenched industry is now open to competition.
Telecos have had a monopoly on voice communications for decades. Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) is a new technology that uses the internet to deliver telephony services. The Telecos see this as danger to their collective bottom line, because VoIP is significantly less expensive than their own offerings.
This will run and run. No incumbent power will relinquish it willingly -- especially when there are hoards of unseen investors demanding a return on their investment of capital (not their investment of labour.)
Everything is impermanent. Desire is the root of all pain.
When will we collectively decide we have had enough of pain and move into a productive, fulfilling and Human existence.
Thursday, October 16, 2003
None of the Above
by Duran Duran, 1993
"I am I
Myself Alone
Realize I never need to use no one
Money, Power, Holy Roads
Freedom puts my faith
in None of the Above"
"I am I
Myself Alone
Realize I never need to use no one
Money, Power, Holy Roads
Freedom puts my faith
in None of the Above"
Insight: Knowledge as the enemy of Power
It's no wonder that the intellectual is always the first target of an incumbent power.
Knowledge is the enemy of power, there for the wielder of knowledge, the intellectual, is the enemy of Power.
These are the people who see things for what they are: "The emperor is not wearing any clothes!"
To combat this, Power limits the opportunities of the intellectual to offer an effective alternative view.
Power drip feeds the masses with comforting trinkets to keep them from thinking: saccharine mass media, Organised Sport in fact anything the masses can submerge themselves in rather than actually seeing things for what they are.
Knowledge is the enemy of power, there for the wielder of knowledge, the intellectual, is the enemy of Power.
These are the people who see things for what they are: "The emperor is not wearing any clothes!"
To combat this, Power limits the opportunities of the intellectual to offer an effective alternative view.
Power drip feeds the masses with comforting trinkets to keep them from thinking: saccharine mass media, Organised Sport in fact anything the masses can submerge themselves in rather than actually seeing things for what they are.
Where is Reason?
BBC NEWS | Americas | US is 'battling Satan' says general
Western Christian Fundamentalism versus Eastern Islamic Fundamentalism?
The further human society progresses, the more it is swamped with information (Not knowledge, which is justified true belief in a concept), the more there is a tendency to shrink back, to wrap ourselves up with a blanket of group identity: Gender, Race, Religious or Nation.
Where is the rationality?
It starts with the right of the idividual to know. This is attained by the fulfillment of society's duty to freely educate it's constituents and provide it with free access to untainted information.
We must work to attain our rights and duties.
Western Christian Fundamentalism versus Eastern Islamic Fundamentalism?
The further human society progresses, the more it is swamped with information (Not knowledge, which is justified true belief in a concept), the more there is a tendency to shrink back, to wrap ourselves up with a blanket of group identity: Gender, Race, Religious or Nation.
Where is the rationality?
It starts with the right of the idividual to know. This is attained by the fulfillment of society's duty to freely educate it's constituents and provide it with free access to untainted information.
We must work to attain our rights and duties.
Hate, Love, Rights and Duty
BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Mahathir 'hate' tirade condemned
When the history of this now comes to be written, it will no doubt contain a lot of references to hate.
Those future historians may indeed know more that new do. That there is a secret conspiracy running the world. Or that there isn't: that we are just self-obsessed children, incapable of seeing beyond ourselves.
We have become obsessed with Identity: Gender, Racial, Religious, National.
Yet we have not grasped our own Identity.Who am I?
When we know who we are as individuals, Love ourselves then the artificial divisions between the peoples of the world will dissolve. It's a mindset issue.
When we realise that rights and duty are two sides of the same coin, we will have chance.
When the history of this now comes to be written, it will no doubt contain a lot of references to hate.
Those future historians may indeed know more that new do. That there is a secret conspiracy running the world. Or that there isn't: that we are just self-obsessed children, incapable of seeing beyond ourselves.
We have become obsessed with Identity: Gender, Racial, Religious, National.
Yet we have not grasped our own Identity.Who am I?
When we know who we are as individuals, Love ourselves then the artificial divisions between the peoples of the world will dissolve. It's a mindset issue.
When we realise that rights and duty are two sides of the same coin, we will have chance.
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
SCO backs off Linux invoice plan: ZDNet Australia: News & Tech: OS
SCO backs off Linux invoice plan: ZDNet Australia: News & Tech: OS
As a critic of financial capitalism, I have followed the SCO/Linux suit/counter-suit with sick fascination.
The following quote from the article is wonderful example of how capitalism, and especially financial capitalism, abstracts us from the concrete world of cause and effect:
'In other news, SCO's stock surged US$4.97, or 32 percent, to close at US$20.50 on Wednesday after Deutsche Bank analysts Brian Skiba and Matthew Kelly initiated coverage of the company with a "buy" rating and a US$45 price target for the stock.
"Investors with an appetite for risk should, in our view, see an investment in SCO Group as the equivalent of a call option--with most of the risks and rewards often associated with options. The IBM lawsuit and the potential for Linux licensing deals offer plenty to be excited about, while failure could render the shares worthless, in our view," the analysts wrote in a report Tuesday.
Weiss criticised the report as "paradoxical." On the one hand, the analysts gave the stock a "buy" rating and put a high price target on the stock. On the other, they're "warning you this is highly speculative, that this whole thing could fall through."'
Deutche Bank (who have a "Passion to perform") are advocating investing in an organisation who's goal is to undermine an entire community.
The Open Source community is probably the first worldwide movement based on a common passion for producing something for community use without the need for a value chain.
When economists scratch their collective heads over how to make money from the digital revolution, they are trying to answer the wrong question.
That is because the paradigm has shifted.
As a critic of financial capitalism, I have followed the SCO/Linux suit/counter-suit with sick fascination.
The following quote from the article is wonderful example of how capitalism, and especially financial capitalism, abstracts us from the concrete world of cause and effect:
'In other news, SCO's stock surged US$4.97, or 32 percent, to close at US$20.50 on Wednesday after Deutsche Bank analysts Brian Skiba and Matthew Kelly initiated coverage of the company with a "buy" rating and a US$45 price target for the stock.
"Investors with an appetite for risk should, in our view, see an investment in SCO Group as the equivalent of a call option--with most of the risks and rewards often associated with options. The IBM lawsuit and the potential for Linux licensing deals offer plenty to be excited about, while failure could render the shares worthless, in our view," the analysts wrote in a report Tuesday.
Weiss criticised the report as "paradoxical." On the one hand, the analysts gave the stock a "buy" rating and put a high price target on the stock. On the other, they're "warning you this is highly speculative, that this whole thing could fall through."'
Deutche Bank (who have a "Passion to perform") are advocating investing in an organisation who's goal is to undermine an entire community.
The Open Source community is probably the first worldwide movement based on a common passion for producing something for community use without the need for a value chain.
When economists scratch their collective heads over how to make money from the digital revolution, they are trying to answer the wrong question.
That is because the paradigm has shifted.
Monday, October 13, 2003
SunnComm won't sue grad student: ZDNet Australia: News & Tech: Security
SunnComm won't sue grad student: ZDNet Australia: News & Tech: Security
When is property, property? When is it illegal to talk about an erroneous action?
Why do I feel that I keep seeing the emperor and he really doesn't have any clothes on?
When is property, property? When is it illegal to talk about an erroneous action?
Why do I feel that I keep seeing the emperor and he really doesn't have any clothes on?
Sunday, October 12, 2003
Do as I say ...
BBC NEWS | Business | Big Brother will see you now
"But she said there were no plans to use the Big Brother house for other recruitment drives.
'I don't think we will be recruiting our next CEO this way.'"
So an arrogant company uses and interesting psycometric test on it's new graduates. These poor programmed individuals will think it's "cool" and the "lucky winner(s)" will no doubt have a little more arrogance punched into them.
Meanwhile, the person at the head of the company, deciding the future of those are employed by the company has no testing to ascertain if he plays nicely with other children.
If I was a shareholder, I would be writing a letter.
"But she said there were no plans to use the Big Brother house for other recruitment drives.
'I don't think we will be recruiting our next CEO this way.'"
So an arrogant company uses and interesting psycometric test on it's new graduates. These poor programmed individuals will think it's "cool" and the "lucky winner(s)" will no doubt have a little more arrogance punched into them.
Meanwhile, the person at the head of the company, deciding the future of those are employed by the company has no testing to ascertain if he plays nicely with other children.
If I was a shareholder, I would be writing a letter.
Now shut up and work
Video adverting in the lift at work offering interview tips to hopeful applicants:
"Potential employers are not interested in boosting your career, so don't gush about how joining such a prestigious company will help your career."
"Potential employers are not interested in boosting your career, so don't gush about how joining such a prestigious company will help your career."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
