Why Confusion: Capitalism doesn't mean selling national interests

Why Confusion: Capitalism doesn’t mean selling national interests

“A man owns what he creates; a Nation owns what it inherits!!”

A lot of people get confused by certain concepts as being against the principles of Capitalism. So this time, before I explain the above statement using a couple of relevant examples, let me assure you, neither the above statement nor the two examples are outside the purview of Capitalism. In fact, these two represent the balanced epitome of capitalistic virtues. So let us get on with the subject matter.

It is important to draw a distinction between what belongs to a man who is just a small part of the community he lives in, and what belongs to the community as an object of common interest or inheritance. The reason for this I will explain later in this write-up when I will explain how in democracy a Government, at best, is just a caretaker and not the owner of national wealth, resources and land.

Let us take an example of a farmer who has been awarded a piece of land as his own, whether by virtue of inheritance or by virtue of a purchase. The land listed against his name today was at some stage listed against the name of some member from the community’s past as a personal resource that can be transferred on to posterity. The intent for such a decree was to provide that member of the community an opportunity to create a resource for the community and generate income for self and family.

The individual thus, farmer in this case, puts in personal efforts by way of tiling, sowing, irrigating and harvesting, using the natural resources of soil, water and air to which he has no personal claim but are available in nature to one and all without any discrimination or private ownership. The resulting produce from these efforts belongs to the farmer who may sell it for money thus providing community with a food resource or otherwise. The farmer has only used nature and natural resources to create something that didn’t exist before but has taken nothing from the nature as such.

Now compare this to a scenario where a community, or rather Government, discovers tones of metal ore buried under soil. Who does this mineral wealth belong to? No doubt it belongs to the entire community or Nation within whose territory the find has been made. So who owns the right to exploit it if not the community or Nation itself?

This mineral wealth is a natural resource that has not been created by the efforts of any man using nature and natural resources, rather it was already present in nature and had passed on from one generation of the community to the next unnoticed until that time. It is inherited wealth of the community. Since no one man has created this wealth with his efforts, it belongs to no one man. So who has the right to exploit this wealth?

Mineral wealth that belongs to a community can only be used to promote the interests of the community in whose territory the wealth was found. It cannot be enlisted to one man or organization to exploit it and make a fortune for self. So who has the right to decide how this wealth is to be exploited for the best interests of the community?

Irrespective of the type of a society, whether it is Socialist, Capitalist or mixed, and irrespective of the type of Government, whether a democracy, aristocracy or dictatorial, it is generally the Government which makes decisions regarding exploitation of mineral wealth. So does a democratically elected Government hold a right to sell the national treasures to a private organization or entity by virtue of the powers imbibed in it by the constitution?

The simple one word answer to this question is an emphatic “No”.

A democratically elected Government is not an entity in itself. Its’ existence is subject to the whims of the community that elects it. A democratically elected Government consists of representatives whose position is provided by an instrument called vote. Those who make a Government in this term may not be there in the next term. The elected representatives have only been given a right and power so that they can exercise the two to make decisions for the entire community they represent. This right can be withdrawn via the same instrument at next election.

A democratically elected Government is at best a caretaker for the community and exists to serve the same. Such a Government is not the owner of what belongs to the community, which is the natural resources, land, water, man-power etc. The only authority a Government has is there to help it utilize these resources to the best of the capacities for the betterment of the community.

This above discussion is not contrary to but is rather a part of a better Capitalistic set up. As a Capitalistic society, it is well within the framework to let an individual or private organization to buy a piece of land, set up an industry, then buy minerals, utilize man and machine power to convert those minerals into processed goods to market and make a profit. In this case the natural resources have been utilized to create something with human effort and hence can be privately owned.

However, leasing a mining site is not the same as in that case a private organization is not creating something using man power but is rather using man-power to exploit what is already present in nature, something which neither belongs to that organization nor to the Government but to the community.

We all have a right to the air that surrounds us but none of us have the right to poison it and make it unfit for everybody else. Neither can we claim all the air to ourselves and charge everybody else for breathing it. That would be criminal and/or illegal.

The natural resources belong to the community and the only right a Government as a caretaker of natural resources for the community has is to exploit the resources in best possible way for the betterment of the community. No Government has the right to transfer these resources into private hands for exploitation as this causes irreparable loss to the community.

If this was not the case and the Government was the owner of everything and free to do as it pleases, then there would have been no way to stop a corrupt regime from selling the entire nation to a foreign power for money, thus accepting slavery for the entire community.

Thus a Government has no right to sell or lease a natural wealth site to a private organization or body to exploit for personal benefit. This is treason and can only be punishable by death. Any statutes passed by any democratically elected Government anywhere in the world that allows for such a selling of national resources are thus illegal and unconstitutional. A tenant, caretaker or a lessee cannot sell what he cannot own.

Capitalism means equal opportunity for everyone to create their own future, not a right to anyone to exploit what belongs to someone else. Providing opportunity to everyone equally to earn their living and destiny using what is available in the society and then putting own efforts to shape it is the essence of Capitalism. Letting someone take control of what belongs to everyone else for private benefits while everyone else suffers a loss, is treason.

I don’t think there is any scope or reason for confusion.

Fatal Urge Carefree Kiss

Amanpreet Singh Rai

A Brave Man

A Brave Man

“Strength is neither in muscle nor in attitude!! Strength is born of faith and resides in brain!!”

Once there was a very brave man. He was so brave that many other men became jealous of him.

Each one of those men used to think, "He is not even half as good as me. I can take on him one on one any day and crush him into cowdung!"

One day each one of those men decided to confront the brave man alone, when the brave man will be taking his daily walk, and then defeat him in a duel.

So the all reached the spot in anticipation, independently of each other, but when the brave man came they all pounced on him at once.

The brave man however took care of all of them alone.

Fatal Urge Carefree Kiss

(Amanpreet Singh Rai)

"Everyone thinks he can take on me one on one!! No one realizes I've been fighting all of them all alone all along!!"

Taking on big labels

Taking On Big Labels

“The bigger the fish better it can be cooked!!”

Ever since I’ve released my own music I’ve realized the wide gulf between the signed artists and unsigned acts; a gulf not in the quality of product but in the way it generates revenue for those associated. As an unsigned act myself I couldn’t help but feel the starving heat of market, not because I don’t have a marketable product, but simply because I cannot get the market to accept it just by asking random people to buy my creations. So what is the big problem and how can it be tackled? Before I answer this question and explain my statement in italics above, let me introduce to you how the big labels create the gulf that is used as a dumping ground for dead unsigned acts.

 Why do big labels promote their protégées and hinder the growth of others?

Not a rocket science problem, I agree, nevertheless, useful in the present context.

Big labels promote their protégées as they spend a lot of money marketing them. And they spend that money because they want much more to return.

Anyone else in the same market who doesn’t belong to their camp, who isn’t earning them anything but is rather a potential choice for their customers, represents competition that has to be eliminated. Often people will pick up two albums that they like, then look inside their wallet and buy one of the two, leaving the other behind. The big labels try their best that there never is another album available to create an instance of choices for decision.

 How do big labels promote their protégées?

The marketing strategy can be conveniently divided into two broad groups, namely Direct and indirect.

a) Direct marketing: This includes all the traditional and open marketing techniques, like playing their artists on TV, radio, promotions via print, and upcoming techniques as offering some related prize in a promoted contest etc.

b) Indirect marketing: This includes all the new, hidden, clandestine and psychological marketing gimmicks and techniques to promote own protégées, and also the un-acceptable tacts applied for wiping out un-protected competition. Let me innumerate a few of them:

1. Hiring young boys and girls to promote the artists among their fellows through normal day to day conversation. This is done by influencing peer opinions by intentionally eulogising the artists and their work. Knowing the artists personally is flaunted and then a few from the peers are introduced to the artists thus creating a false stardom with an act. Anyone not impressed by the artist or critical of their work is actively snubbed, harassed, ridiculed and even bullied. The image of the artist is cooked in the minds of others through personal contact. The youth are asked to flaunt as to how they are crazy about the artist and such behaviour is intentionally promoted in the way of claims that they have bought so many albums or products of the artists. Those who fall for the trick and themselves buy many products are introduced to the artist and get a few words from them personally and a chain reaction is set in motion without anyone realizing they have been set up.

2. Channels that are under the direct influence of big labels as the control and provide all the media like movies and music to them, their hosts are actively encouraged to highlight the achievements of the artist that is going to be promoted. The artist is projected in good light and larger than life.

3. False stories or bravado, kindness etc are circulated or such news created and promoted in a big way to influence public opinion in a positive way. So next time when the artist releases some work, people buy it or support it because of their admiration of a person who might be a far cry from the real person themselves. Human suffering and tragedies are shamelessly used to give the artists an opportunity to promote themselves.

4. Voting in entertainment programs are rigged or faked to promote the work of their artists so that it creates a false success in the minds of public so as to influence public decision when they are faced with a choice as to which artist’s work to purchase.

5. TV channels and radio stations are influenced to sabotage the efforts of potentially much more talented artists who may be releasing their work independently or through smaller labels. This is done by clubbing their works with those of much established artists with a stronger piece of work so that the comparison yardstick becomes tough, or their work is relegated to spots which don’t get much public attention. This can also be done by manipulating the cost of advertisement in a way that smaller labels and independent artist cannot afford prime time airplay.

 What can an independent artist do to give a fight in such a situation?

Well, we all know how important publicity is for promoting your work. The only way of getting your work noticed is by getting it out there among the public, making people pay attention to it. Many indie artists use techniques like distributing their CD’s for free and performing in public places like shopping malls, small pubs etc to get noticed. Here I am going to share a few more direct marketing methods which will enhance your audience without requiring your personal presence amongst the masses.

1. Air Play:

Radio play is not affordable for most of the indie artists. They may send their songs to various radio channels and still get nowhere. But then how can you get your song heard? If you notice the question carefully friends, the problem is in getting your song heard, not getting it heard on radio or television!

The simplest solution under such circumstances is to contact small businesses locally, places like health clubs, grocery stores, mechanics, barber shops, coffee shops, family restaurants, etc, that is, places where different people go daily and spend some time. Go to these places give them your CDs, along with a couple of professionally done posters and request them to play your CD all the time. There is your Air-play, but it is not all. Read this point in conjunction with the next few points to understand the vast advantages and potential plus why these people will do it. But before that one of the most important cog in this method, the poor old cabbies!

If you have a friend who owns or drives his own cab, or you yourself drive one for part-time work, it is the best way of promoting your music. At other places mentioned above, people might not concentrate that much on what is being aired but cabs are compact spaces with no escape and scaringly intimate surroundings with a stranger. The music is sole comfort. The trick however here is knowing what mood the people using cabs are going to be in. If they are going out for party, the music has to be pumping and loud, and same when they are in the middle of it, that is, hopping between clubs. But the mood is sombre at the end of a party as well as a long day. The other very important trick here would be for the cabbie to avoid conversation and force the solitude on passengers so that they listen to what is playing. If the cabbie is you or your friend, this won’t be an issue, but if the cabbie is unknown then you will have to pay him something.

The same muscial selection principle as described in the paragraph above applies for other joints as well. Rather I should say, your music determines the joints you can utilize. For example, a romantic or soft music album for restaurants, pumping house, rock or hip-hop music for gym, pop for barber shop and anything for grocery stores, etc. You need to identify which business has an atmosphere that gels with your music. Rock music is good for mechanical repair works as the noise levels can be high for other forms of music and besides rock will keep the men pumped up while working as well. And remember to respect the individual tastes of those playing your music as well. Best way is to let them get a feel of it first before forcing your ideas and offers on them. If they are not into it, then they are not going to put any effort on it as well. Remember to explain it to them, by supporting local talent they are creating opportunities for themselves as well as someone they might be close to as well. After all, we all are in this together!

And last on this list but not the least are your friends whom no label can buy from you. Beg, bargain, convince or threat, do whatever it takes you to make them blow your songs through their sub-woofers in cars and homes homes, headphones of i-pads and walk-mans (Preferably at high volumes or hands free), make a short ringtone and FORCE it on them, etc. There’s no air-play like free air-play and if your friends can’t do this simple thing for you, they can’t be classified as your friends. And offcourse, tell them to promote you the way big labels use youth (mentioned in detail above).

2. Marketing:

This is the important extension of the first point mentioned above and the next point makes an important aspect under it as well.

The trick to getting to your CD sold is not just about getting it heard but also making it available for purchase. Whichever venue is playing your music should also be able to sell it for you, for an expected price offcourse. When people ask them whose music is it that is playing they should be able to say that this is our kid and we are the only place selling this music at a discounted price (I’ll explain below). This is why I mentioned providing a few professional posters for promotion along with your music. Now to explain its’ working model, let me take a simple example.

Let us say that you provided a restaurant or a gym with 10 CDs and each CD cost you $3 in making (including glass cover and printing, other costs etc). You want atleast $3 profit on it but you will have to allow the venue to sell it at $10 and allow them to make $4 out of it. Blasphemous? Or is it?

Firstly, why will a restaurant or gym or anyother business market you if they don’t see a bigger margin for themselves? Secondly, say one store sells your ten CDs and hence earns $40 while you end up with lesser, $30. But then, you might be getting $30 from ten different places. So how much will you be earning? Does it come out to be $300? So who’s making more profit?

Besides, make sure you price your CDs as $15 sale priced. This is the discount your friends will be offering. And even if they cheat you and make $90 instead of $40, well, it is still not $300! So getting the idea.

3. Top Ten Songs CD:

It is a good idea to collaborate with many artists and pick your best songs and make a mix tape to market. This increases the variety of the music you will be selling and hence enhances your chances of selling more music. The model will remain the one mentioned above but the game will be changed at your end. Depending upon how many songs out of 10 an artist has, he or she will have that much share in expenses as well as profit made by such sales.

So an artist with 1 song in the above example will end up with $30, which is 1/10th of $300. I agree it is less than both $40 and $90 but then the artist is making $30 by selling only one song, while the store is making $40 or $90 by selling an album containing 10 songs. So artist’s share is $30 per song while the seller’s share is $4 or $9 per song. Besides who’s stopping you from selling from more outlets? Can the big labels do the same thing? Well if they do, they are going to be in a very sticky situation as I will explain below.

 Why can’t big labels do what I am suggesting unsigned artists?

The question seems obvious but let me put it in better light. The correct question here should be, “Why won’t the big labels do what I am suggesting?”

Firstly, the big labels work around figures and numbers. The figures that determine the number of copies they will produce for an act and market are the demographics of fans and their spread across the globe. Based upon an artist’s popularity, he or she will be marketed and promoted in that terrertory where most of his or her fans come from. Major investment will be in that market and all the promotions will happen there. Most of the copies of the product will be shipped there and only a fraction of the product will be marketed in other territories while some terretories will be skipped altogether. Very few artists have a global following and even those who have might have a better hold in certain markets and negligible in others. So big labels generally as a rule won’t take the pains in flooding markets with their products as I have explained above.

Secondly, they don’t need to do it that way. They already control the airwaves and their artists are already getting promoted anywhere where there is a receiving television set or a radio. If you play a TV or radio and their artist’s creation is on, anyone who can listen or see the product is being catered to. Why would they need to do it the hard and slow way like contacting every small shop or gym? Who amongst there ranks have that time?

Thirdly, even if the big labels were to loose their bearings and get into the mud themselves and start doing what I have suggested, do you realize how devastating it will be for their budget and margins? I agree, a CD that will cost you $3 to create, a big label can create the same for 90 cents possibly but then they are spending big chunks on radio, online and airwaves marketing, promotions etc. And let us not forget, while every $10 sale will give you $3 after recovering your $3 costs, the labels won’t be getting $5.10 either. They owe anything between 30-40% to the artists, and then the remainder is for them. So what options will a label have then? To make more money they will have to cut the share of signed acts and if that were to happen, the signed artists will all live to regret the day they signed the contract.

So everything that I have suggested above is going to help only people like you and me who are unsigned gigs. So what are we waiting for? Let us get our acts together and get down and dirty with those who have left us no choice. We are doing it for ourselves, what bigger motivation does anyone of us needs?

When you are fighting an adversary who is much more powerful, rich and resouceful than you, the only choice that adversary leaves for you is to quit what you are doing else the adversary will keep on undoing everything constructive you will try to achieve. The only way of dealing with such an adversary is to make him use his resources over and over, again and again. This will consume his resources and make him weak, and when he is weak enough, we can take him down.

Love,

Fatal Urge Carefree Kiss

Amanpreet Singh Rai

Now or Never - Else it will be too late for anyone to do anything!!

It’s now or never

“What we can achieve peacefully through democratic means today will need another bloodbath like French Revolution in 50 years time!!”

For quite a while now I’ve been trying to bring to the attention of public, all that has gone wrong with our countries in general and economies in particular. I have explained how the current situation has come into being, and also projected the future in relevant terms. However to explain the statement in italics above, I will use a current example from Greece (down towards the end), then explain how the current recession which has been temporarily withheld will be overcome for a couple of decades more, and then explain how the bloodbath will happen. But before that a quick recap.

=> First what I have already explained:

I explained how Privatization has caused loses to both Governments as well as ordinary people. If you haven’t read it before then here’s my write up explaining in detail:

http://www.fatalurgecarefreekiss.com/Politics/Privatization.html

I explained in detail how Privatization leads to market takeover and monopoly, and how they together are the reasons for current recession. I wrote about it to US President Barack Obama as well. Here’s the letter I sent to President Obama:

http://www.fatalurgecarefreekiss.com/Politics/ToPrez.html

I explained in detail how Capitalism is the reason behind the recession and how it has failed miserably as a model of human society much like it’s counterpart on the other extreme, Socialism. Here’s the link:

http://www.fatalurgecarefreekiss.com/Politics/Capitalism.html

I also explained how third world economies like India have sustained the whole world economy through the current financial crisis but the arrangement is temporary. I also explained how privatization of those countries will only delay the next recession but will not be able to save the world. Here’s the write up:

http://www.fatalurgecarefreekiss.com/Politics/Recession.html

I explained to people of the whole world how our grand-kids and great grand kids will have to suffer because we didn’t do anything and let the world degenerate into a mess, rather than giving them a healthy society. I explained how we all are going to degenerate into slaves without chains but with right to vote. I explained how our posterity won’t be able to buy own house.

=> My messages to Indians and people of other third world countries:

In these write-ups I explained to people of India and other third world countries how their countries are under threat and how the corrupt politicians have sold our national interests to foreign businessmen for the sake of money that will end up getting stashed in a foreign bank and most of which they won’t even be able to use.

I explained to Indians and people of third world economies how privatization will weaken their budgets as the Governments will lose avenues to generate income and instead over tax underpaid people. I also explained how the same privatization will lead to market takeover which will wipe out every small business owner from the market just like it has happened in all the major western economies.

I explained to Indians how they were cheated by their own politicians, and why prices and inflation wasn’t controlled so that they paid for keeping the world economy afloat (Some more details a couple of paragraphs below).

Now I really respect Mr Anna Hazaare, a great Gandhian, for mobilizing an entire generation of Indians into a mass action that moved the Government. However unfortunately, and I say this with all due respect to the honorable Gandhian and his great effort, I don’t think Mr Anna Hazaare and his team grasped the real problem, and what was achieved is not what will serve any better purpose than the legislations and organizations we already have. Now my Indian brothers and sisters, before you get angry with me for this comment, read carefully what I have explained at the end of this link below (same as one mentioned above):

http://www.fatalurgecarefreekiss.com/Politics/Capitalism.html

I explained to Indians and people from other third world countries, they all are in the same boat, whether employed or small business owners. They all stand to lose every opportunity that exists for them as their Governments will let the rich investors take over every Government sector undertaking and then build big supermarkets and warehouses to destroy small shop owners, and then big real estate owners will buy every property in the market, or most of it, resulting in sky rocketing of property prices, making it a dream to own your own house. How do you expect people getting small salaries to afford back breaking mortgages?

All this will happen tomorrow if we don’t do anything today.

=>A new example from Greece:

The European Union, International Monetary Fund are putting pressure on Greece to cut 100,000 jobs in order to avail their loan. Do you people realize what will happen?

Not only will 100,000 people lose their source of income, but the other businesses in the market will also loose 100,000 customers. The crash will continue and people will become insecure. Those who have money won’t spend it and this will create a bigger mess. Many businesses will close. That’s when foreign investors will come in with their big money and buy out those collapsing businesses. Local businessmen will be wiped out and everybody will become an under-paid employee in a private organization like supermarket or warehouse.

Every economy needs to generate income other than the money circulating in their economy, to increase the rate of development, to build new infrastructure. For this purpose every economy needs money from outside to come in, as the money already inside is locked in the economy. Now the only way to get money from outside your country is by exporting something. Things like minerals, petroleum, gas, finished products, gemstones, technology, education etc, they all form the back bone of development of a nation. Every country is known for a particular export, like Japan, Korea, Thailand, China for technology, Germany for cars and weapons, Middle East for oil etc.

The worst export of all these is Education as it leads to many associated problems. People generally fail to accept outsiders into their society, and then there are labor issues as local labor loses financially due to arrival of cheaper labor force, then there are racist attacks, etc. The second worst export is minerals, as it means you are giving away your own national wealth at throw away prices. Remember friends, the imperialism of 18th and 19th centuries was driven just by the requirement of minerals for pushing the economies of Europe. In fact, the whole war going on in Asia at the moment has been waged for the sake of its’ petroleum resources. Every other problem is a direct result of that First Gulf Invasion.

Now if the Greece Government is really honest, and the people who decide destinies of nations, the leaders, like those of EU, IMF etc are intelligent, the simple solution for Greece is to look at what it exports and invest in improving it. First export that Greece can bank upon is tourism industry, which already contributes 18.2% (approx) to its’ economy. All they need is to develop tourist attractions and at the same time advertise them in economies from where they will get tourists, like Bollywood from India is known to spend lavishly on foreign locales and so does Hollywood, and many other movie industries. If Greece advertises itself well, cut down airfares to Greece, hotel expenses etc, more people will flock in and then Greece’s economy can make much more in the way of the money the tourists will spend over there.

And then livestock is another important export from Greece, and so textile. What is their Government doing to promote those industries? Has it done enough? I am sure if it had then the current mess wouldn’t have been there in the first place. Can you imagine how many jobs and small businesses each one of these industries can create and support? Will they need any loans after that? Or perhaps the politicians there are also interested in some quick corruption money in foreign accounts. Who cares for country these days?

=> What will happen now?

At the current rate of privatization and market takeover, the big businessmen who have stashed huge cash by wiping out small businessmen from their own countries and then underpaying their workers (leading to current recession), they will use the same money to take-over the remaining markets in the world, which is third world countries.

This will put into circulation the money that is currently been blocked away from the economy, up-lifting the economy until a time when everything in the market has been bought. After that, the extra cash flowing into every market will stop again as nothing will be there to buy, and everybody will be working as under-paid employees. That’s when the next recession will happen and that’s when ordinary people will have no choice but either to beg for food and money in front of the big businessmen, or do what they did during French Revolution; kill anyone who has soft hands.

=> How to stop all this?

As I explained in one of my write ups mentioned above, we don’t need a revolution right now. All we need is to come together to save our world for our posterity. Let us all choose people from amongst us who will work for our interests and not the businessmen. Let us make parties that will fight elections for us and then after winning those elections, will bring about legislative and constitutional changes the same way as they ought to be made according to current laws.

We don’t need to strike work as it only causes loss to our own countries and economies. As businesses close down, even if for a day, the money going into banks is withheld. This delays further investment of the same money, causing loss of interest to banks, and loses in share markets due to lack of cash inflow. This leads to loss of revenue to Government in the form of interest, taxes and investment revenues. And Government makes us pay for the same by raising taxes next time.

We need to stand together, work together. If media doesn’t support us as it is under the influence of politicians and businessmen, then we will have to spread the word of mouth, just like the old days, only this time it is much easier with internet posts, emails, tweets, facebook messages, text messages, telephones, mobiles etc.

Today, I share with India a new dawn. I give my Indian brothers and sisters, “Vijayi Veer Vishesh India Party” (VVVIP). Here’s its’ formal declaration:

http://www.fatalurgecarefreekiss.com/Politics/VVVIP.html

Indians and ordinary people of the rest of the world, come join me in saving our future!!

And we need to do it now, or it will be too late and no one will be able to do anything then.

Fatal Urge Carefree Kiss

Amanpreet Singh Rai

P.S.: For those who consider building of highways as a sign of development:

Building highways and freeways is passed on to us as development but in all truth it is a means of connecting big industries with their resources in a more efficient way. This saves them time and ultimately money on transportation. Simple logic is, better highways and better connected highways means, raw material and finished goods can be transported quicker to their required ends. This means for transporting same amount of raw material and finished goods, a company truck takes less time, which means the same driver is available to do more work in a year, which means the company needs one less driver. Which means one person will lose their job. Confused? Well, say a highway saves half hour every day for a truck, and a company has eighteen trucks that travel on that highway every day. It means, everyday eighteen trucks save nine hours for the company, which is roughly one driver’s shift. Every week, that company needs one driver less for every 18 drivers. So who did this development benefit? Ordinary people like you and me?



A letter to President Mr Barack Obama

***********************************************************

Dated: 5th September, 2011

President Barack Obama,

White House,

Washington DC,

USA

Subject: What can be done to promote small business and getting America back on top?

Dear Sir,

I’ve been closely following your efforts to get your poll campaign for a second term going as well as wrestling with the Congress to get the American interests back on track. I admire how Americans still have faith in you and are still behind you, as showed in the money they squeezed out of their pockets in-spite of the financial crunch post recession, something very different from your first run.

Mr. President, post recession you are very keen on getting America back to work and economy back on track. You have been requesting a bipartisan agreement from the Congress for the same, but I doubt if there is any real chance of achieving it in present political scenario. However, there is still something you can do, and only you can do. I will explain the reason at the end of this letter but let me get to the matter first.

Mr. President, the best thing anyone can even think of, and you can do it right now, is to get the small business in America going.

“Make the Americans self reliant.”

Relevant questions are; what does this statement mean and how?

Mr. President, let me first explain what happened that led to recession. Let me take a very simple example of super-markets selling ordinary household stuff.

About two to three decades ago (possibly more in case of US), there used to be so many small corner shops and delis, owned by families and run either completely by them, or by hiring a pair of hands or two. Then the billionaires and multi-millionaires wiped ordinary people out of the market. They had the money to own many big super-markets selling the same products the ordinary people were selling in their small shops. But because they had more money to purchase in bulk, they could sell through their super-markets at cheaper rates. People stopped going to small corner shops as they wanted to save money. The small shop owners suffered losses and went out of business. Everybody who used to have their own small business was forced to become an employee. And employees are those who get sacked when there is recession.

What has this got to do with recession and how can it be changed?

Mr. President, there are only a handful of private entities that own all the supermarkets in US whilst there are millions of Americans who work as employees in those organizations. All those millions only get salaries (just like the pair of hands employed by small shopkeepers and delis used to get) but all the profit earned from sales goes into those handful of accounts.

Now recession happens when the demand of products falls in market either because people already have all of them or because they don’t have enough money to have more of them. The second is more likely as employees only get paid enough to live their lives, not enough to live their lives luxuriously. Everybody knows people do two jobs to make ends meet in big US cities and many ordinary people can’t even afford private health cover. So when recession happens, those handful supermarkets suffer losses as they fail to find buyers for their products. So to cut costs they relieve employees, which leaves more people without money and recession worsens.

However, had those super-markets not been there and the people who work in those markets as employees, say 1/3rd of them owned their own grocery shops and employed the other 2/3rd, the second share might have only earned salaries but the profit from the entire US community would have been spread in the accounts of those 1/3rd who own those grocery stores. And with money spread out in possibly millions of accounts rather than a few handful, chances of recession would have been bleak, and even if recession had happened, its’ impact would not have been as bad as it was this time.

Mr. President, this is just an example of one industry but there are many others that can be taken. But the important question is, “What could you as a President do without changing the Capitalistic form of society of US and without having the need to shut down big business houses?” Something that would make small business viable, creating opportunity for Americans, and at the same time, still costing nothing in excess out of American pockets than what it costs now.

Mr. President, you have the authority to sanction the creation of a Government agency that co-ordinates between producers of consumer goods and shops and malls that provide selling outlets to those products. You as a President can propose to the Congress to pass a legislation that whether you are a big business owned outlet or a small outlet controlled by a small shopkeeper, they all will have to place their orders for products through that Government run nodal agency which will then supply the ordered goods at the same price and transportation costs to a particular location, irrespective of the fact the order came from a small shop or a super-market. The supermarkets and small shops can be charged a fixed annual levy to run that central agency. And since we are talking of millions of small businesses, that annual levy will just be nominal and won’t burn the pocket, and can be made business size dependent; bigger business have bigger orders, hence heavier levy.

What that will do is, it will make the buying costs same for both the small owners as well as the big super-markets. When buying costs will be same then the selling costs can be competitive as well. That’s when a corner shop will have the same opportunity to make money as a big supermarket not far off from it.

The manpower and most of the infrastructure needed for such an organization is already available as there are people who work round the clock stocking the big supermarkets. The same will be re-employed in the Government run agency and will still be doing the same job. The same transportation will be needed. In fact, when there will be more small businesses in the market, more jobs and transportation opportunities will open up as well. America will be running once again.

I am sure even during recession, a wide population of US had enough resources or a tap-able source to start a small business and be self reliant. That would have avoided a lot of turmoil. But alas, the fact it wouldn’t survive must have deterred most.

Even today, a lot of people will still be able to afford a small business by getting it financed, if only the business will succeed. All they need is hope that it will. And Mr. President, you have the authority to do something that can give them this hope.

I am not asking you to change the capitalistic set up Mr. President, nor am I asking you to close down big businesses. All I am requesting is to make the opportunity available to those who cannot compete with multi-millionaires. Make Americans self reliant.

Mr. President, even your political opponents can read this letter but they cannot do anything as you are the one who is the President. You are the one who has the power today. Mr. President, even if the Congress was to reject this suggestion and you were to ask the American public to help you finance this project and you were to put in all the money you have collected for your poll campaign into setting up this project, you won’t need a poll campaign anymore. This project will itself promote you straight into American hearts as they will not only provide you all the funds you need to get America moving but will vote for you as well. Your name Mr. President will forever be etched in American folklore, not just American hearts.

And your political opponents, well, I don’t think their own family members will vote for them, or maybe they will, because they all come from rich backgrounds and don’t care for ordinary people. And maybe the big businessmen won’t vote for you. But what percentage of voting American population do they represent?

What I am saying is not going to weaken America in any way. In fact, it will only strengthen the American society, lead to social bonding, camaraderie and bonhomie as the Americans will rebuild a new America where everybody will once again have an equal opportunity to succeed. If anything, the American society will be twenty times stronger than what it is now.

Mr. President, big business houses wiping out ordinary people in business is the ugliest face of capitalism. But I don’t support Socialism either. In socialism, everybody is equal, and when everybody is equal, everybody is poor, as was in USSR. Everybody is not equal, some are better. But when everybody gets paid the same irrespective of how good they work, no one wants to work and Government has to resort to using force to make people work, which leads to human rights violations, something we complain about China.

Neither Socialism nor Capitalism is a good model of a human society, and both have failed. I rather propose “Equalism” which is a society that envisages equality over a wide spectrum. That is, everybody gets equal opportunity but those more talented and enterprising get a chance to earn many times more, but never too much so that they become sole rulers of a society, like big businessmen in Capitalism, monopolizing entire markets, leaving everybody else as their slaves, that is employees. If you want to Mr. President you could read about “Equalism” in detail on this page even though I am not asking for any social change for America:

http://www.fatalurgecarefreekiss.com/Politics/ASAP.html

I always say, when you are faced with the question, “Someone needs to do something”, its’ answer always is, “Me”. If you answer it “You” then you are pushing the responsibility to someone else who might not even take the responsibility, leave alone doing anything or not, or not doing properly.

The question I faced today was, “Someone needs to remind Mr. President of the vast power and resources he has at his disposal.” The answer was “Me” and I have done my job. I don’t have the power or resources to do it for Americans, Aussies or Indians, but I had the power to write a letter and share it with you and everyone. I’ve done that.

Rest is up to you Mr. President.

Sincerely,

Amanpreet Singh Rai,

1/269, Henley Beach Road,

Brooklyn Park, SA

Australia 5032.

Ph: +61 43 023 5589

Email: fatalurgecarefreekiss@yahoo.com

Website: http://www.fatalurgecarefreekiss.com

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You Me

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You Me

“Double trouble across a dimension – A movie script for Sir Arnold Schwarzenegger!!”

This is the story of an average middle class working man, around 50, with a beautiful lady as his spouse and three kids, the eldest son just starting university, the youngest son, a nerd, in year eight of middle school, and a bubbly teenage daughter.

On his twenty fifth marriage anniversary the man buys a cake for the family, makes sure he’s got the gift for his wife and starts driving home when he ends up in a traffic jam. Deciding not to wait he takes a side street and goes down the back streets and gets back home 15 minutes later than normal time.

He rings the bell and his wife answers, whom he kisses and says, “Happy Golden Jubilee sweetheart!”

His wife a bit shocked, wipes her lips and says, “That fine sweetheart but then who is he?” A man with a cake in his hands and candles atop, who looks his exact copy stands in front of the kitchen door as the three kids sitting on couch watch with their jaws down to their bellies.

They both drop what is in their hands and the one at the door asks, “Who are you?”

“I am me,” the other answers, “Who are you?”

“I am me too,” the first one answers.

The confusion that follows is finally settled temporarily when the nerd of the family tells them that possibly one of them has come from the other dimension, something he was discussing earlier with another nerd of his school. The only problem they face is, “Which one?”

While one of them took the side street, the other waited for the jam to clear, which delayed him only by five minutes. But none is ready to accept that he’s the one who’s come into the other dimension. They both love their family, that is, the same family.

The confusion that follows drives the whole family nuts as the two men try to woo the family members to their side. The kids have a field day as they get their ridiculous wishes fulfilled.

The next day both men compete to get ready in time for the office and rush in their exactly same cars with same number plates, each one trying to outrun the other. One cop stops the one in front, only for the other to zoom past them at a greater speed. The cop leaves the first one and follows the second one and guess the shock he gets!

Now imagine the confusion at the office as they both try to beat each other at doing the same job, taking turns. Everybody gets confused, the bosses, colleagues and all.

Next day there is a meeting with a tough client they both hate. They both decide not to go to the office and let the other one go and deal with him. They both skip the meeting and the business loses the client. Expectedly, they both, that is the one employed there, get fired.

While both accuse each other for negligence and fight it out, the wife goes to one of the three bosses and tells him that her husband slipped from the stairs and is in bed recuperating. The boss is convinced and promises to give him another chance. Only problem is, they both go to the remaining two bosses and tell him that their wife slipped from the stairs and was in emergency and they were by her side. Guess what happens?

One day, the kids fed up of all the confusion, decide to spend the night at their grandparents and friends. An empty nest awakes the woman in the wife as she kisses one of her two husbands. The other one sees them kissing and immediately shouts, “What are you doing with my wife?”

“I am kissing my wife, you idiot!” the other replies.

As the two of them quarrel, the wife first holds her head as she looks at the two of them one by one, again and again, until her frown changes into a wicked smile. She walks into the middle of two warring men and says, “Boys! How do I know which one of you is my husband and how do you both know I am the one who’s theirs?” They look at her and notice the naughty glint in her eyes. Then they both look at each other.

“NO!” they both yell in unison.

“Boys!” she says enticingly to both, “Kids are not home!”

As the wife enjoys her time, her neighbor gets jealous of the noise from their house, which doesn’t seem to end, noise which is partly one of the two taking turns in hitting the wall with his bare fists in anger. She kicks her own sleeping husband out of their bed, tosses his pillow in his face and says, “Go sleep with the dog!”

Next time when the neighbor sees one of the two men, she is extra sweet to him and this leads to another confusing situation.

Meanwhile the youngest kid takes the two to the other nerd, who happens to be two and a half foot kid from year six of school. Their son tells them that he might be able to solve their problem, but the kid turns out to be greedy as he gives them a list of demands before he would even listen to their story. The two of them look at each other, pick the kid up and put him on an almirah and act mean to him, just to make him talk.

And talk the kid doesn’t! He screams, “Mummy!”

A big heavy woman emerges from behind, “What happened sweetheart? The twins troubling you?” And she beats the crap out of the two in WWF style. As the lady leaves with her son their own son holds his head in disgust while the two of them grab their crotches and labor their way out.

Their elder son meanwhile catches a group of university students selling drugs and exposes them. The drug peddlers pledge revenge and attack him one day. As he is running away, he calls his father who is sitting with the other him. The two reach the spot, an empty college!

They spread out in search and one of them finds the group about to stab their son. He beats the crap out of all of them until they manage to escape his clutches and run away. Sounds good but what a pity they bump into the other him, who beats them again. They manage to escape from him and run in the other direction only to bump into the first one again.

“You,” the first one says.

“You again!” they reply as he beats the crap out of them again.

They manage to escape again and run in the other direction only to bump into the second one again.

“You!” the other one says.

“Please don’t bother! We’ll do it for you,” they all say as they start slapping and punching themselves.

The two leave with their son.

Finally one fine day the two are returning from a picnic in the car that belonged to the first one when they end up at the same spot with a traffic jam, right where the movie started. They decide it’s time to try their luck again. The family with the second one gets off the car as they tell the first one to try his luck again.

“I’ll kind of miss him,” the second one exclaims.

“Don’t even ask me,” the wife replies.

“What?” the second one stares at her but they don’t say anything as they hail a cab to get back home. As the wife is paying the cab and kids getting the stuff from the back, the second one goes to the door and opens it with his key.

Surprise! Surprise! There’s a complete family waiting for him.

“Father, where have you been,” the three kids rush to grab him.

“Where have you been,” his wife yells as she rushes down the stairs to hug him, wiping her tears.

Surprise! Surprise!

The other family walks inside and everybody’s jaws drop down to their bellies until finally the second one looks at his wife and says, “Looks like it’s my turn now!”

“Don’t you even think about it!” his wife says.

“How do you know I am the one,” he says with a wicked smile.

Meanwhile the other him gets home and finds out what has happened.

The movie end with him yelling at the top of his voice, “Bloody you me!!”

 

 

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AIDS - Possible cure

AIDS - Possible Cure

“The most complex problems can sometimes have the simplest of answers!!”

When faced with biggest of challenges, human beings generally make the mistake of overlooking the simplest of solutions as the problem towers their intelligence with its’ monstrocity. AIDS happens to be one such monster. The fear of the disease makes the biggest of medical geniuses sweat and not without a reason. Nearly three decades on but still no cure in sight!

But is it possible that the entire scientific and medical community has missed a very simple solution in its’ panic driven breakneck speed to find its’ cure? Possibly yes!

Let me introduce a new concept in the medical community’s fight against the deadly disease, which could perhaps be its’ immediate solution. However, there’s nothing new about this concept.

 “Apheresis” a medical procedure in which the blood of a donor or patient is passed through an apparatus that separates out one particular constituent and returns the remainder to the circulation.

This is a process used in “Bone Marrow transplantion” and is often referred to as “Peripheral Stem Cell Tranplantation”.

 “Peripheral Stem Cell Transplantation” a process in which the donor's blood is withdrawn through a sterile needle in one arm and passed through a machine that removes white blood cells. The red blood cells are returned to the donor.

Now let us return to the problem of AIDS. How does HIV virus attack human immunity?

 “HIV” infects vital cells in the human immune system such as helper T-cells (specifically CD4 T cells), macrophages, and dendritic cells.

All these cells are forms of white blood cells, the same that are removed from a donor’s blood using “Apheresis”.

Well, let us just take this process of “Apheresis” to its’ extreme. What if an AIDS patient’s blood was treated by this process and completely rid of white blood cells? It is a very complex procedure that I am referring to here but let us not forget, the patient I am talkig about, that person has no other hope anyway.

So what am I suggesting?

 Possible cure of AIDS: Let me put it step by step:

1. Move the patient to a contamination free environment so that he doesn’t contact any chance infection during the entire proscess.

2. Get a donor ready for white blood cell donation.

3. Remove the white blood cells from the patient’s blood completely using the process of “Apheresis”. This will remove all the virus already present inside the white blood cells.

4. Medicate the patient to rid his blood of the virus roaming free in his blood stream. Continue this treatment until his dendritic cells in peripheral body tissues have perished to release all the virus or most of it while still maintaining the patient in the high protection environment.

5. Once the process is complete, give the patient white blood cells collected from a donor.

6. Maintain the patient in the safe environment until his immunity becomes strong.

Now this technique might just completely cure AIDS in a patient. Or else it will definitely lengthen the patient’s life span than what the patient might be expecting before this treatment.

However, this is just a hypothetical solution. More research is needed.

And remember, “Protection is the only prevention and prevention is the only cure!!”

Always be safe!!

Article written by: Amanpreet Singh Rai