I continue to read The Great Transformation: The Political and Economic Origins of Our Time
Polanyi gets off to a slow start, but finally gets to the main point - the introduction of machines, created the self-regulating market, that completely transformed human society.
There have been many explanations and descriptions, of how the Industrial Revolution happened. But they all agree that was a big deal and changed nearly everything. It based everything on gain.
We now take this for granted, but feel uneasy about it - for some very good reasons. And this we, is composed of two factions - those who want to understand it, and control it - and those who do not, the vast majority of the population.
This situation has changed with the addition of Software to Hardware. There is more of an emphasis on integrating the User, with the Developer. But the Market is still there, as powerful as ever
The Market has given us a lot - and taken a lot away from us. Especially our ability to think about what is going on.
This was a huge loss!
Sunday, December 31, 2017
Saturday, December 30, 2017
All money now is virtual money
This was made clear to me, while I was studying the Ethereum BlockChain. Using their software, you can create a new currency, out of thin air, and call it whatever you like.
This is like the money that was created, by the many new banks, early in the 19th Century. They bought a printing press, and printed all the money they wanted. They were supposed to only print money that was backed up by specie, coins that could be melted down to get their valuable metals, such as gold and silver. But they usually printed more - because people wanted cheap money.
This method of creating money, was popular with Real Estate speculators - who could get money based on the worth of their property. Or any kind of speculator, who wanted to get rich fast.
The alternative is a managed currency, such as the American Dollar. The supply of money is adjusted to keep the economy running smoothly.
The banks are closely regulated, to keep them from running out of control.
This is like the money that was created, by the many new banks, early in the 19th Century. They bought a printing press, and printed all the money they wanted. They were supposed to only print money that was backed up by specie, coins that could be melted down to get their valuable metals, such as gold and silver. But they usually printed more - because people wanted cheap money.
This method of creating money, was popular with Real Estate speculators - who could get money based on the worth of their property. Or any kind of speculator, who wanted to get rich fast.
The alternative is a managed currency, such as the American Dollar. The supply of money is adjusted to keep the economy running smoothly.
The banks are closely regulated, to keep them from running out of control.
Wealth and Immorality
This has always been a problem, everyone agrees on that. But they do not agree on whether it has been solved or not.
Americans, for the most part, think it has been solved - and are proceeding, as though it has been. When it has not been solved at all. It has only been pushed under the rug - and ignored.
They seem to think that wealth alone is adequate - and do not want to bother with morality, because it is too much trouble.
Americans, for the most part, think it has been solved - and are proceeding, as though it has been. When it has not been solved at all. It has only been pushed under the rug - and ignored.
They seem to think that wealth alone is adequate - and do not want to bother with morality, because it is too much trouble.
Friday, December 29, 2017
Business is War
Our attitude towards war, says a lot about who we are. As does our attitude toward Business. And in America, at the present time - the two have merged.
This was brought home to me when I started to work in h\HighTech, in Southern California, in the Eighties. I saw, right away, that this was war - and everyone seemed to find this destructiveness natural.
War produced riches and everyone was out to get some for themselves. As soon as a company developed a profitable new expertise, it was robbed of its riches. This was not a win-win situation, it was a win-lose situation - and everyone wanted to be on the winning side.
In other words, it was war. And the people in it, loved it. And never noticed its destructiveness. And never noticed what awful people they had turned into.
This last effect - the awful people that had turned into - was something no one wanted to see. So they didn't see it - even as it was wrecking their world.
I noticed it, or at least I kind of noticed it. And I tried to bring it up in the various therapy groups I was in. I was also into meditation, but these meditation groups also ignored it.
There I was, surrounded by craziness on all sides - and nobody wanted to see it! I had to get out, so I did - and moved to Costa Rica.
I still keep in touch with the developments in Software, which are amazing. But so far, these people still ignoring the big problem they are embedded in - they are part of a culture that is not good for people.
Presently, blockchain technology is very popular and is being used to form new marketplaces, for everything imaginable. But there is no way to tell, if these markets are ethical, or not. Computers have no way of telling this, so this is omitted in the way these markets are built.
The solution is simple - include people, who are critical of these markets, into the structure of these markets itself. The people who are in favor of them are already there.
If you looked at the coding for these markets (which is open source, and readily available) - you could see how easily, this could be done.
Put the people back in control!
This last effect - the awful people that had turned into - was something no one wanted to see. So they didn't see it - even as it was wrecking their world.
I noticed it, or at least I kind of noticed it. And I tried to bring it up in the various therapy groups I was in. I was also into meditation, but these meditation groups also ignored it.
There I was, surrounded by craziness on all sides - and nobody wanted to see it! I had to get out, so I did - and moved to Costa Rica.
I still keep in touch with the developments in Software, which are amazing. But so far, these people still ignoring the big problem they are embedded in - they are part of a culture that is not good for people.
Presently, blockchain technology is very popular and is being used to form new marketplaces, for everything imaginable. But there is no way to tell, if these markets are ethical, or not. Computers have no way of telling this, so this is omitted in the way these markets are built.
The solution is simple - include people, who are critical of these markets, into the structure of these markets itself. The people who are in favor of them are already there.
If you looked at the coding for these markets (which is open source, and readily available) - you could see how easily, this could be done.
Put the people back in control!
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Solidity
This is the latest thing I am interested in - in Software. It one of those things that just showed up, after the Internet showed up. And which most people do not understand - and don't want to understand. I figure I am getting a headstart on them.
This has its own web site, that tells you about the Remix IDE, Smart Contracts, and the Ethereum BlockChain. A combination of things that should make you drool.
It wants to tell you about itself - so you can use it for yourself.
Yes, boys and girls - we are no longer in the Industrial World, that wants to charge you for everything. But in the Computer World, that still makes plenty of money, and has its share of scams - but leaves plenty of room for new people to build their own world in it.
This has its own web site, that tells you about the Remix IDE, Smart Contracts, and the Ethereum BlockChain. A combination of things that should make you drool.
It wants to tell you about itself - so you can use it for yourself.
Yes, boys and girls - we are no longer in the Industrial World, that wants to charge you for everything. But in the Computer World, that still makes plenty of money, and has its share of scams - but leaves plenty of room for new people to build their own world in it.
The Antisocial Society
The first thing anyone has to do, is to to understand the society he lives in. This is not easy, because most societies discourage this - and sometimes discourage this violently.
And one of these societies was the one I grew up in - America in the 20th Century. It did not burn heretics at the stake - but it instilled a fear so profound, most people were not aware of it.
America has been described in many ways, mostly praiseworthy - but in the middle of the last century it could also be described, usefully, as a nation of scared people. And I mean really scared.
When people get this scared, they are bound to react in strange, unpredictable ways. And to produce an antisocial society - one that is not good for people.
How did this happen? Very innocently, as part of our effort to improve ourselves - when we were no longer a Medieval Society, but a Modern Society. Not so long ago, actually.
The big change came with the Reformation - these revolutionaries, who did not intend to be revolutionaries, but reformers - set in motion huge changes - that nearly tore the Western World apart. Changes we are still living with today.
The lesson here is easy to state - societies can only change slowly, and this rate of change was greatly exceeded by the Industrial Revolution.
People drew the logical conclusions - something much bigger than them, was in control - this something was not good for them - and they could not possibly challenge it.
Enough to scare anyone.
And one of these societies was the one I grew up in - America in the 20th Century. It did not burn heretics at the stake - but it instilled a fear so profound, most people were not aware of it.
America has been described in many ways, mostly praiseworthy - but in the middle of the last century it could also be described, usefully, as a nation of scared people. And I mean really scared.
When people get this scared, they are bound to react in strange, unpredictable ways. And to produce an antisocial society - one that is not good for people.
How did this happen? Very innocently, as part of our effort to improve ourselves - when we were no longer a Medieval Society, but a Modern Society. Not so long ago, actually.
The big change came with the Reformation - these revolutionaries, who did not intend to be revolutionaries, but reformers - set in motion huge changes - that nearly tore the Western World apart. Changes we are still living with today.
The lesson here is easy to state - societies can only change slowly, and this rate of change was greatly exceeded by the Industrial Revolution.
People drew the logical conclusions - something much bigger than them, was in control - this something was not good for them - and they could not possibly challenge it.
Enough to scare anyone.
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
In Insane Situations, Special Rules Apply
This hardly needs to be said, and everyone will agree with it. Because nearly everyone believes it does not apply to them.
I might as well say, right out - that it is does apply to me. Sometimes I am as crazy as the March Hare. But sometimes I am not - and I can usually tell the difference.
And I have learned, from bitter experience - to judge, as best I can, the sanity of situations I encounter - and to react according.
Note the keyword react here. This not what most people do - they do not notice what is going on, and, as a result - they cannot react to it.
What can I say about this? I can say, this is a good example of insane behavior in action - and has to be evaluated accordingly. We have to look behind their behavior, to see what motivates it.
This not easy, because some dark forces are often behind our behavior. We were rejected by those who should have loved us.
And, if that were not enough - the way our societies are built, can also be destructive. The perfect example was Nazi Germany. This was not because of a few people at the top - but because of the German people themselves - who went crazy.
I will now bring this up to date - to Silicon Valley in the Nineties. It didn't take a genius to see a lot of craziness was going on there - and is still going on. The New York Times has a weekly analysis of this - from a humorous perspective. The latest, for example, is the Bitcoin Craziness.
What is going on there? No one knows - and no one will ever know. In fact, you can try your hand at out-guessing it - by investing in BitCoin Cash.
I might as well say, right out - that it is does apply to me. Sometimes I am as crazy as the March Hare. But sometimes I am not - and I can usually tell the difference.
And I have learned, from bitter experience - to judge, as best I can, the sanity of situations I encounter - and to react according.
Note the keyword react here. This not what most people do - they do not notice what is going on, and, as a result - they cannot react to it.
What can I say about this? I can say, this is a good example of insane behavior in action - and has to be evaluated accordingly. We have to look behind their behavior, to see what motivates it.
This not easy, because some dark forces are often behind our behavior. We were rejected by those who should have loved us.
And, if that were not enough - the way our societies are built, can also be destructive. The perfect example was Nazi Germany. This was not because of a few people at the top - but because of the German people themselves - who went crazy.
I will now bring this up to date - to Silicon Valley in the Nineties. It didn't take a genius to see a lot of craziness was going on there - and is still going on. The New York Times has a weekly analysis of this - from a humorous perspective. The latest, for example, is the Bitcoin Craziness.
What is going on there? No one knows - and no one will ever know. In fact, you can try your hand at out-guessing it - by investing in BitCoin Cash.
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