We are connected

The piece below I posted on January 27, 2007. I feel it is a good moment to repeat it today and as a way of backing up my perceptions of currents to come, I want to link it with yesterday's article on Arsonists Torch Berlin Porsches, BMWs on Economic Woe (Update1) on Bloomberg.com. This article underscores what I am attempting to say.


Q: How do you view the conflicts as they play out on our global stage? What do you consider the root of those conflicts?

A: The conflicts that we see are actually not so much ideological in nature, even though they appear to be. Rather, what we see is the confrontation between wealthy/greedy individuals and poor/envious individuals. I am using the term "individual" very deliberately. It drives home the need for the individual to act with responsibilty. To trigger the ability to respond. If I refer to nations or other groups, nobody feels addressed. So, I am addressing YOU.

Never before have we seen on this planet such a large number of wealthy individuals whose total worth is now reaching into TRILLIONS OF $$$. And yet, there is the disease of wanting still more. If one allows the feeling of wanting still more, this will engender a feeling of not having enough (I have seen millionaires with deep fears that tomorrow will find them lacking). Consequently one will feel that one cannot share and give. Therefore, greedy/wealthy individuals can become guilty of the crime of ommission. They believe that the problems of starvation, illness and poverty of billions of people --- are unrelated to them. They believe that those problems take place in dimensions that will never be able to reach and affect their lifestyle bubbles. How erroneous this is... Please click here to see how poverty is beginning to respond.

Besides constituting a cold-hearted lack of compassion, this attitude simultaneously represents a very grave error of thinking. Grave indeed. The French royalties lived for a long time in utter disregard of the poverty and suffering of their people. In fact, they taxed them into abject starvation to afford themselves a lifestyle of astounding luxury and decadence.They believed they existed in a world that could not be touched by that type of utter misery. When the people finally exploded in flaming rage, despair and hunger, their revenge was swift and merciless.

Living in France, I was very surprised to note that many food items were very cheap compared to U.S. foods! Bread, cheeses, meats and other basics I discovered to cost only a fraction of what they cost in the U.S. Apparently the French Revolution caused a longlasting impact and memory on all the governments that followed. They never forgot.

Even if wealthy individuals don't know how to find the compassion to help others, they should consider what Caesars have understood a long time ago. To protect their position and continued lifestyle, it was imperative to give the people bread and games. Consider feeding people to be a selfish act: Down the road they will not come and burn down your house in rage.

This rage is now growing and unleashing unparalleled forms of violence that will make the French Revolution look like child's play. What we are looking at is the beginning of a Global Revolution. The have-nots are rising up and are uniting, across barriers of culture, language and religion to form a very dangerous and capable alliance against those who have more than enough.

It would be wise for wealthy individuals to join and bypass political leaders. They should create a roundtable and address the grievances of those who have not enough and ask: "How can we help?"

This might cost some money, work and time. But in the end it would protect the remaining abundance. If every wealthy individual would only contribute 10% of their wealth to fighting global starvation and suffering, this would implement massive, positive and world-wide changes.

And mankind would be a giant step closer to heaven on earth.