Neoliberal Cannibals

Because fanaticism is not capable of self-recognition, the principles of delusion and convenience which run the world remain invisible. Oly rose-tinted self referential mirrors obscure the fact that greed propels capitalism. Everyone is naturally inclined to think they are the star of their own show. That show might be a reality TV - horror crossbreed.

The neolieral value-set has permeated all sectors of commerce and industry. While the words "freedom" and "democracy" dominate in policy statements, the Invisible Hand is expected to yield visible improvements, with trickle-down effects to boot. "Nationalize" is a taboo word, "Privatize" is a buzzword. Sustainability does not feature until its time to "trade" carbon emissions.

Many verses in the Bible warn against false gods which neither hear or respond to prayers, yet whose worship demands human sacrifices, bloodletting, prostitution and other degrading variations of soul-selling. Money fits the description chillingly.

If madmen run the planet, it is because money made man mad. If madmen do not run the planet, it is because money runs the world.

The "tyrant" had his take too

"Recollections of My Life", written by Col. Muammar Gaddafi, April 8, 2011, excerpts:

Now, I am under attack by the biggest force in military history, my little African son, Obama wants to kill me, to take away the freedom of our country, to take away our free housing, our free medicine, our free education, our free food, and replace it with American style thievery, called "capitalism," but all of us in the Third World know what that means, it means corporations run the countries, run the world, and the people suffer, so, there is no alternative for me, I must make my stand, and if Allah wishes, I shall die by following his path, the path that has made our country rich with farmland, with food and health, and even allowed us to help our African and Arab brothers and sisters to work here with us ... I do not wish to die, but if it comes to that, to save this land, my people, all the thousands who are all my children, then so be it. ... In the West, some have called me "mad", "crazy". They know the truth but continue to lie, they know that our land is independent and free, not in the colonial grip.

Stakeholders AGM

I have a confession to make. I like climbing trees.

Cool breezes sweep the highest branches, so the shade there is cooler than indoors. And the view from inside the tree is a refreshing change too. There could be a real estate boom in tree-houses if this fact were more widely known. And a real passionate environmental movement. Unfortunately it looks weird to climb trees. Worse, because only snipers behave like this in today's Western movies, tree-climbing is highly suspect behavior, more so in the era of Al Shabaab.

But one day, the branch I was standing on was solid, the grass many feet below was lush, and the shade was cool. After a while spent surveying the landscape, my sights happened upon The Ex and locked on her when she strolled absentmindedly into my field of view.

I was surprised to see her, and vaguely happy.

According to her trajectory, she would be passing near my tree. She hadn't seen me ensconced in foliage, so I briefly considered letting her just walk past on her way to her private undertakings. She was preoccupied enough to pass without incident.

Besides, I was dressed in my full tree-climbing gear, which also doubles as the get-up for totally bumming alone at home all day. But since I wanted to talk to her, I let myself down from my perch and suddenly dropped upright into her presence from not-too-far. She froze affright.

"Hi," I said as I rose slowly from a crouching stance. There was no hug, no handshake, no contact.

"You!" she said as she used up her last traces of shock, "You still climb trees?" The way she said it meant I was behind schedule. 

My explanation? I claimed to have been stalking her for a long time. "You look great. Still swimming?"

She didn't reply that one. Even when we had been together in the past, we were marginally dysfunctional. Our friends thought it was "cute". We didn't.

 "You know, we only meet once a year, and right now could be it." I was drawing my line in the sand. A boy will chase a girl to the end of the world - if he feels the chase is mutually enjoyed. Call it fishing for the occasional positive signal.

The Ex laughed brightly. She thought I was joking, or making things up.

But she humored me. "Alright. But no trees."