Living in the Current Sea

         

Toes in the Water

         Once again I'm going to talk about money, and currency, things I find fascinating, frustrating, and generally misunderstood.  Money is anything that stores value, and is widely expungeable, meaning it's easy to trade.  This makes almost any object money of a sort. Currency on the other hand is often not money, Fiat currency is never money, yes I'm saying those pieces of paper people seem so enamoured with are not money, though they are currency. So what does this mean on a practical level?   For many nothing, they will not make the distinction, and will have a confusing relationship

with what has become an essential tool in an increasingly complex global civilization.  Others will quickly grasp the concepts and see myriad ways to apply that understanding for individual advantage. Still others, myself among them come to a rather uncomfortable realization, at the core of many "conspiracy" tale.  Private central banks of issuance in a fiat system have come to own the world.  Crazier still, with how the systems have been set up, future generations taxes have been promised to pay for "borrowing" of the present (I used the quotes there due to borrowing requires something to be transferred).  So the productivity of future generations has been promised as collateral for infinite "borrowing" power in the present.  We hear screams of out of control debt in a system where no currency is ever created except through debt.  There is a valid reason for this, we are in many ways a bipolar system.  On the one hand coldly rational, on the other fluidly emotional.  In pure fiat systems, being backed up by nothing other that acts of faith (laws, continuity of government, that the sun will come up...tomorrow), perception is often more important than the hard figures.  When fiat currency systems reach numbers people start to view as unrealistic, it triggers a cascade collapse. This of course is an emotional event, not a mathematical event. In a purely math sense a fiat system can expand infinitely.  So if debt is the basis of the system, yet to much debt crashes the system, what we have is cleaver tight rope act, of keeping enough debt being retired, or payed off, with a constant supply of new debt being created,  Issues begin when you start to add in ideas of fractional reserves, leverage, interest, and speculation. Before I get on with a visualization of these concepts, lets take a quick stab at some of those issues.

The Waves

          Fractional reserves, and leverage have much in common. Each act as force multipliers to steal a term from military strategy.  In fractional reserve it allows for the lending of thing that do not exist. In simple terms, it lets a bank hold 1 dollar, and lend out 10. In a similar fashion leverage allows 1 dollar to pretend to be 10.  These both create distortions in the Current Sea(more on this later), or economy,  With the bank there is never any risk when using a fractional reserve system.  Banks do not lend any money out, when a loan is created new currency is created, supposedly fractionally backed by bank money.  This newly created currency has a life span of the loan, and it's value is in it's tie to house, or car, business it was originated for.  Leverage distorts the current sea is similar ways by creating an artificial increase in total number of units making up the complete current sea.
Though it does so in a different manor. Using leverage you can take 1 dollar, put it up as your risk, while you use 10 dollars to speculate in some market, or venture.  Leverage is generally a short term loan so to speak. often lasting only the day.  This is tied in to the ideas of margin,  Margin calls have, or the act of calling in all loans due, is how our system has repeatedly transferred real wealth to the banking interests.
         Interest, or usury, especially compounding interest might be the single biggest factor in turning currency from a tool to support the development of humanity, into a tool to enslave it.  As already pointed out if a fiat system our currency has nothing physical backing it, and is only brought into being through creation of debt. This sets up the need for what has become known as the infinite growth paradigm.  Essentially, if you borrow 10 dollars today cuz you need to eat, and promise to pay it back in a week with interest here is a simplified version of what takes place.  You go to a bank, and ask to borrow 10 dollars cuz your hungry, you say you will have more currency in one week, and pay it back in full at that time.  The bank says sure, but, you have to pay us 11 dollars.  The bank than types 10 dollars into a computer letting the current sea know you now have access to this newly created energy.  Ok so at the end of the week you have used the 10 dollars, and go into the bank and hand over 11 dollars just as promised, sounds ok right?  On a closer look this presents many problems.  As soon as those 10 dollars are created, the value, or purchasing power of each existing dollar is reduced. The 1 dollar of interest was never created, so must be taken from somewhere else. This where the enslavement comes in. where that effort it takes you to generate that dollar  is taken from you. In basic theory the interest is the banks "profit", in reality it's much different.  As the dollars did not exist until you asked for them, and you "paid" the loan of those phantom dollars with dollars obtained from another source, be it your work, or a loan from another source, or whatever, the whole 11 dollars is pure "profit" with zero risk, all at the stroke of a few keys.  This also creates a system where all currency is not created equally.  Currency created at lower interest rates becomes much more powerful, and desirable, as it can be used to for speculative purposes with a higher rate of return.  That might seem complex, but really it's fairly simple, if a dollar is created with .10 cents of interest attached to it, or a simple flat 10% interest rate, that dollar starts out with a value of 90 cents. Where a dollar created with .20 cents of interest attached with start out with a true value of .80 cents. Not to tough to see, how these hidden differences in the values of the same currency can  be exploited by those with access and understanding.  Another distortion occurs when the interest rates are manipulated, causing misallocation of currency, along with a changes in the currency velocity. When interest rates are held artificially low, currency pools as the perceived risks of "lending" it outweigh the potential returns, as well as higher returns are easier to find in speculation of growing pools of currency that new real world productive endeavors.  When interest rates are artificially high than the speculative investment moves into making loans. Causing the currency velocity to soar, but increased risk in the nature of the loans made. Many other issues exist in interest being attached to currency creation, just look into the history of usury.
      Lastly, before we take a look at the idea of the "Current Sea"  lets look at at how speculation warps, and distorts our whole economic system.  First off there is a difference between speculative, and productive investment.   Productive investment has real world attachment, and purpose, for example a community coming together to be sure the farmers have enough seed to provide for food needs, or even providing the currency for research and development of new technology, or advancement of medical understanding.  Productive investment carries a risk to the currency invested, but the pay off is not in a return of currency, but produced item, or resource.  The flip to this, speculative investing is purely done with the intent to generate more currency for the investor.
 Productive investment adds to the well being of the whole, multiplying the beneficial effects of new development by pooling the resources of a group, and directing the flow of the "Current Sea".  On the other hand speculative investing is purely done for the purpose of generating more currency for the speculator.  Now it still sometimes provides currency used for productive means, and many productive investments are speculative. The real problems arise when the investing drifts into the purely speculative.  In commodities when there is no actual transfer of possession, and the speculation is purely on paper, it creates distortions in value of products people rely on for daily survival such as food, and water.  When currency itself is allowed to become a speculative commodity, the potential distortion to the purchasing power of the individual units of currency can be catastrophic.  Basically each dollar used to bet on the future value of the dollar distorts the current, and future purchasing power the everyday person uses to sustain their daily lives.  Pure speculative investment is a tax, plain and simple it creates no value, instead stealing value from whatever it infects, kind of a parasite, on the productivity of the whole. So how can these be avoid, while still allowing for the benefits or fiat currency? Just change how currency is viewed and hopefully it becomes evident.

Smooth Sailing

       I've repeatedly used the term "Current Sea" throughout this meandering, but what is meant by it? Our economic system taken in it's entirety is the "Current Sea", with the people, and corporations being the entities, and the currency being the water all depend on and exist in.  Like any body of water it has currents, eddy's, shallows, and hidden depths.  It can be likened to a living sea with all different types of entities all connected and sustained by the sea.  So pretty easy analogy, currency is the water, the life blood, or energy flowing through our "Current Sea" driving the living system that sustains us all. With this depiction in mind, apply some of the distorting ideas, suddenly some of the entities find themselves as fish out of water.  The distorting effects of our current economic systems could be likened to whirlpools, drawing in more and more currency, sucking it away from entities on the edges of the "Current Sea".  In a healthy "Current Sea" the currency flows bringing along with it all each entity needs to thrive.  This relates to the ideas of money, and currency in profound ways, true money becomes a store for currency, but not currency itself.  Currency stays in it's proper place as the life blood of productive endeavor, while money acts as a store house for the future use of

productivity.  Under the rules of the game as we now play, a central bank of issue, combined with a cartel of private banks run the "Current Sea" for the benefit of themselves.  In an ideal system the currency would be managed from the perspective of keeping the "Current Sea" healthy.  In other words keeping the currency as a tool of the people. In this type of system, the entities living in the "Current Sea" naturally direct the flow of the currency, ebbs and flows of industry come back to demand based. The rise and fall of the so called business cycle ceases, to shamelessly steal from those much more perceptive than I, the spice flows.
      I have no degrees in economics, and might be inclined to debate if any such thing is reasonable in relation to what is an admitted pseudoscience.  Our systems have been increasingly complexified in order to obfuscate it's true predatory nature.  If I need more qualification aside from having been a participant for my entire life and being capable of observation, it has yet to been brought to my attention.  I could go on and on, but I think that will have to wait for future posts.


Jack
aka
PanseyBard 

The Jobs Aren't Coming Back

            For years the back bone of the middle class has been whats called "low skill" "low wage" manufacturing jobs.  With the onslaught of freetrade agreements these jobs fled the wealthier nations, and took up residence in the undeveloped or poorer nations.  This has led toward more global equilibrium of wealth, and power. Simultaneously leading to greater income inequalities within each respective nation.  Many have noticed the jobs created are lower paying then the jobs lost. Even the jobs that currently available may not be for much longer, automation, and technology advancement may make them obsolete.
            I'm not trying to be an alarmist, or chicken little.  This could be an end of the world as they know it for some people.  Though they would of had to have been playing ostrich for quite sometime now.  Most have seen this coming for decades, if not since Mr. Ford invented the factory.  For those forward thinking people this amazing transitional period can offer opportunities unheard of even ten years ago.
          The very concepts of work, and money are changing before your eyes.

          How you react is up to you


Jack
aka
PanseyBard

Obamacare The Greatest Magic Trick Ever

While Rome burned Nero fiddled.
When historians write of the fall of the dollar will the caption go something like this?

                               Obamacare The Greatest Magic Trick Ever

For years it's been one distraction after another. I always wonder when I'm learning about the newest scandal, if the media is completely controlled, what is so big they need to hide it with this?  With the "shutdown" if you can call it that pushed back past the holiday season.  Obamacare will and has been continually used as a means to hold peoples attention while the rest of the world divests itself of as many of it's Dollar reserves as they can manage.   This isn't even a new trend. While all time stock highs can be tied to the largest supply of dollars at the cheapest price ever.  So if you haven't started learning Chinese you might want to consider it.  The smart ones have all started spending the dollars we intended to be held to ensure some return on investment.

Don't be fooled while Americans watch a drama crafted just for them, the rest of the world is finalizing their plans for the end of the sole reserve status of the dollar.

for a bit more info look into
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-10-13/chinas-official-press-agency-calls-new-reserve-currency

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/us-politics/10376017/World-should-de-Americanise-says-China-following-default-fears.html

http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/25/business/universal-credit-rating-group/index.html

Fall of America!!! Would You Save it?

There is an almost universal awareness of the slide from power of America. Look no farther then our net import/export.  The Deficit spending, free trade agreements world wide changing to cut out the dollar.  Some of the problems we find ourselves in now have their roots 100 years ago.  These things are fairly easy to see for most people. The real question is would you make the changes needed to fix it?  I mean really would you have the will it takes to make the changes needed to save America as a nation.
It's really not that tough here are a few well known fixes. Please note these are fixes for the current system, and do not fix the basic problem of interest on currency creation.  Just take a look at this How to fix America. Everyone seems to know exactly what the problems are, and how to fix them.

I think the question I don't see being asked might be more important. Should it be saved?
As America was on the rise it created global cooperation never before seen. You can argue how beneficial America's involvement has been for any given region or country, but the overall global inter connectivity is undeniable.  So have we as human beings matured past the point of nations to the point where we need something new?

Jack
aka
PanseyBard  

The Fall of America, Are You to Blame?

It's all over the news, and obvious to anyone willing to take an unbiased look would say America is in decline.  I hear the calls from concerned citizens, buy american, bring our jobs home.  Try to buy a tv made in america, how many electronic devices are even made here anymore.  How about cars, how many of the parts in your car were manufactured here?  Look, I'm not trying to point fingers at any one individual or group. I'm saying we all are culpable.

      Want to know if your country is on the rise or in decline.  Look for the international trade balances. If your country is negative, wealth is leaving.

This isn't rocket science, things for sure can get confusing, but the major trends are generally pretty easy to spot. When you have a country that is the worlds trade currency your going to add value. This will increase the value of the currency, though it does nothing to add value to the real economy of the country.  The effect of this means the goods produced will reflect this artificially inflated money.

Combine this with a rise of international conglomerate to whom borders are to be exploited in the quest for profits and it's a nice recipe.  

        The writing has been on the wall for years, it's been a slow motion decent from dizzying heights.  Look around the net you'll see so many warning of the collapse of  America.  The warning is to late, it would of needed to be heeded decades ago to halt the natural transition of power.

Could we reverse the damage?

of course we can

Should we?

Jack

aka

PanseyBard  

Is America the Evil Empire?

With all the hype about American exceptional-ism being tossed around I couldn't help myself but entertain a few thoughts on the matter.

              Is  American the defender of freedom, and virtue?

 Highly unlikely, the wars for profit, oil, and currency interests would pretty much rule that out.  America has been driven by self interest from the founding fathers on.

But if America isn't the worlds defender of all that is good, then are they the evil empire?

This again isn't very likely. Think of the Star Wars movies episodes 1-3.
While so many people see it as a war between light, and dark. Taking place between the republic, and the separatists.  As well as being reflected in the journey of Anakin from "light" to "dark".  Once you look a bit closer you notice that Palpatine was controlling both sides, as well as pushing Anakin down a path to becoming Vader.  What we are left with is a very powerful psychopath working to solidify his own grip on power.  Seeing things simply as "good" versus "evil" actually plays into the hands of Palpatine.

So how does this relate to the concept of American exceptional-ism?

The Jedi thought of themselves as exceptional, guardians of the republic.  This served them well right up till they became an institution of the republic.
Ensuring they would no long act exceptionally, and would then on enforce a set of rules.

America was exceptional, at the end of WWII our infrastructure was intact. Manufacturing was booming, and we held the lions share of the worlds gold.
The Dollar then became exceptional when it was made the worlds reserve currency. This made the Dollar, and America the exception globally. This incredible boon, and responsibility for sure made America the exception globally.
How long can you really oppose a nation that can effectively lock your nation out of global trade. You have to also ask, how has America used it's position of power, and privilege?  It's used it in every way possible. I feel plunder, rape, and pillage could easily be applied. Of course right next door to those are bastions of wonder and beauty.  I read an article where it was referred to as the pax-Americana by the Chinese state media. While obviously biased, it's not an unfair characterization.  My real question isn't is exceptional-ism dangerous, of course it is. Any time someone or thing sets itself outside the rules everyone else follows the likely hood of abuse is very high.  My question is this. Are we following this script a little closer then we care to admit?  There is a scene where Padme poses a question that boils down to asking if they are fighting for the right side.  This is a very interesting question, and not one with an easy answer. At the time it is posed there is no side that has the interests of the people. The Emperor controls both sides of the conflict.  Like that conflict the sides we are presented with here are not what they seem to be.

Obvious solution?

Choose a new game.

Jack
aka
PanseyBard

Global Government: Conspiracy or Reality

Remember that guy. You know the one. Tin foil hat, questionable personal hygiene. The one that told you corporations ruled the world? Or that global government was coming?

Well it turns out the super entity has been around awhile!!!
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0025995

Many will see this as horrific, and I'm sure there are many examples that can be used to document just how bad an idea this is. Like most things, it is more likely closer to the middle ground for positive, and negative effects. I can see how it will make the inevitable transition to a formalized global government a bit smoother.
It would also explain the care the brics nations are taking with the transition away from the dollar to a new global currency. Some say it could be 10 years before the rnb is fully convertible.  I'm not so sure stringing out the correction of the US economy is going to work out so great for america.  As the rest of the world stops being able to sell their dollar reserves, and starts spending them.

        I'm seeing the controlling interests quite adroitly handle what has in the past led to heads rolling in baskets.

Jack
aka
PanseyBard

Disappointment

          Disappointment is the word that most accurately describes my feeling toward humanity.  When I look at where we are developmentally, I can't help but feeling saddened.   With all the advancements made across the board we are still like children.  Our drive for illusionary security, and control have led to a world most of us would be ashamed of.  We lie, cheat, steal, and kill indiscriminately.

          I see us at a crossroads, we have made the world a very small place. Now we have to learn to live together.  Remembering the words of Ronnie Raygun, how quickly would we put aside our petty differences to face an non terrestrial threat.  Are we like the frog with the water temp being slowly increased?  Are we approaching a tower of babel event? Where we either make the leap to a new understanding of ourselves and our place in creation, or we will need to be slapped back a few developmental steps so we don't have the ability to destroy ourselves.

         We've studied our drive for continuation of species, why has this drive stalled?  Wouldn't our next goal be multiple planets settled?  Wouldn't this be the next logical step to ensure our version of humanity survives?  How many times will be at this point before we learn?

Jack

aka

PanseyBard

   

Free? Will? hahah!!!!

Heyas, gonna talk a bit about free, and will today. 

If you accept a creator deity that is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient, it would follow that your "freewill" is an illusion. You really have no choice, if what your choice will be is known before you choose.

I'd rather not get stuck on this point, as it really doesn't get to the heart of freedom, or will. Free will is an amazingly oxymoronic idea. Free nothing that has a physical existence is free. The idea of for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction comes to mind.  Free is never free, there is always a price, even if you have trouble directly seeing it.  Within the bounds of a finite creation, we create nothing. We move things around, combine them in novel ways, but we take what is there already, and re-purpose. 

As for will it might be the most expensive of "freedoms" we ever exercise.

Will is something that is imposed, it is violent by nature. In exercising will I am saying I am the instigator,  I am the source, I know what has to happen. 

There is so much to these concepts, I could tap away and never scratch the surface.

I'm going to impose my will on creation and see where it leads

Jack

aka

PanseyBard

 

Be Good, or else!!!

There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.

William Shakespeare

I love this quote, it so clearly demonstrates the role our own perception plays in creating our experience of our reality.
I sometimes like to stress this point with the idea "Hitler woke up everyday thinking he was doing the right thing".

I'm not saying I endorse anything, your own moral compass must always be your guide, Just don't  get it twisted into thinking that your perception of a thing makes it so.

Jack
aka
PanseyBard

Living on the Edge

Take a look at these photos

That is the earth seen from the moon. 

How about this one

That little blue dot made so famous by Carl Sagan when this video came out.

How fragile is this little ball we find ourselves inhabiting. How precarious our existence, Even going more then a mile from the surface we come to an environment not conducive to our life.  

        Everyone you know, everyone you love. every song, every thought, every horror show has happened in this little carved out niche. We know with certainty our beautiful little home is going to die. It's not a matter of if, only a matter of when. Our destruction maybe remote in the terms most of think, I tell you in the grand scheme it's not even a blink. Ronny Raygun once talked about the need of an outside threat to bring humanity into unity. The thought that it would take someone else to fight before we are able to understand our unity pains me. I see so much wonder and joy waiting in potential for us. All we need do is recognize it.

Jack

aka

PanseyBard

How long till the NWO?

So much has been written about the idea of a global take over by the banking cartel. I've written several posts about the problems with our global financial system. Seeing we're already in what most people consider fantasy land. Why don't we indulge a bit farther, and see what would have to happen for the citizens of the U.S. to submit to a global government.

http://www.slideshare.net/hxmhxm/list-of-the-rothschild-owned-central-banks-of-the-world

If you do a little research it starts to look like time for end game.

There are very few states left that haven't privatized their banking.

The big ones would be Iran, Cuba, North Korea, and Venezuela.

Kinda nice how that lines up with the most demonized countries in western media.

Makes for great story telling.

So barring a global cataclysm, or an external global threat. How would you go about breaking the spirit of the people who view themselves as being on the top.

Keeping in the mind that it's bankers plot we are cooking up, how about this.

The power of the dollar has been maintained not through sound policy, but through being the global trade currency, and the global empire of the day. Many might say the U.S. is not an empire, but the 200+ bases all over the globe beg to differ.

So what would happen if say BRICS were to make a new global currency?

What would happen to the dollar? 

The U.S would go the way of the Weimer Republic and hyperinflation, or deflation.

I see things a bit differently, we have recently seen arguably the greatest transfer of wealth in history. So, we've had fiat debt traded for real world wealth. Now Imagine what would happen to the already fragile world economy if the U.S. began to default?

I kinda like this one, the chaos caused would be perfectly well suited for a new shining global currency to save the day. 

I guess it's not if, but when, and how the dollar fails.

The NWO is already here, they are actually almost done.

Jack

aka

PanseyBard

Are you Staring at the Screen?

This is and isn't a trick question.

We as humans are in a very odd predicament. We accept our reality because of the information our senses provide us. This is where we get start to slide a bit sideways. We know our senses can not only be tricked, they can lie to us. We know that the fundamental forces that shape our reality are to a large extent invisible to the very senses we are using to try to describe our reality.

A fairly easy analogy is our computers.
Think of this scenario.  Joey is playing world of warcraft, or any game really.
Billy walks in the room, motions toward the screen, and asks the question,
"Whats that?".
Joey answers "that is a monitor"

Billy responds "asshole"

Of course we know the answer Billy wants is the name of the game. not the actual object he is motioning toward.
Many of you might even be saying this is nit-picky bs.
But lets take a quick look a bit deeper.

Even as Joey most of us even knowing that the monitor is merely the output, It's the  flashing lights, and color to keep you mesmerized. It's the computers version of Maya, the illusion being played out before your eyes.
It's the end product, the input is else where, the processing is else where.
Most of it isn't even happening locally, it's happening in some magical remote place you will more then likely never see.

This isn't so different then how we deal with the world.
We are so dazzled by our senses we don't stop to understand the reality we observe is like the images on the screen. Most of what shapes it below or above our awareness. We have been dazzled by the colors.
We are looking at the output, and labeling it the thing itself.

Jack
aka
PanseyBard

World War 3, When, If, How?

I had a stray thought the other day, and it seems the more I ponder a decent case can be made that world war 3 started even before world war 2 ended.

First lets take a look at the definition of war

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/war

We even had to coin a new phrase "cold-war"

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

So right there we can show a state of war existed almost immediately as WW2 ended. If we scratch a little deeper the roots of this new conflict were in place well before.

http://edsitement.neh.gov/curriculum-unit/origins-cold-war-1945-1949

So here we can see pretty clearly the seeds for the new conflict were sown far earlier.
If your not familiar with The Bretton Woods agreement take a look.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bretton_Woods_system

In 1971 when Nixon decoupled the dollar from gold fully, causing currencies pegged to the dollar for value to become free floating.
This set the stage for currency wars, which are numerous and ongoing.
Here are a few links if you need some examples of currency wars.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/100808721
http://www.creditwritedowns.com/2013/06/india-let-the-rupee-fall-and-enter-the-currency-wars.html
http://www.financialmirror.com/news-details.php?nid=30269

Resource wars
This one is pretty obvious, and we can see it the foreign policies of every developed nation.

http://www.policymic.com/articles/31361/the-coming-resource-wars-between-america-china-and-japan

Now we have Cyber warfare

This one is wide open, and we become increasingly dependent on computers we obviously become more vulnerable to this type of warfare.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/07/us-usa-cyberwar-
idUSBRE95608D20130607

So World War 3?

As long as we have a belief in direct opposition, we will always have conflict.
These are wars of ideology in the end. The desire to tell other people how to live.

No matter the type of global conflict, the real losers will always be the ordinary men, and women swept along by the tide to be dashed against the rocks.

Jack
aka
PanseyBard