Stage 1 - Economic Crisis"

Stock Markets in continuous flux but ending up downward, financial institutions falling apart, economies around the world on the brink of total collapse, entire countries at risk, job losses, a total meltdown of the economic system. What is going on?

When the Bush administration brutally attacked Iraq they set off an experiment that was planned and orchestrated by an ideology created in the halls of the Chicago University Economics Department and Milton Friedman.

It is that experiment in greed and power that is now in play with the entire world economy. Naomi Klein in her book " The Shock Doctrine" describes the methods used quite succinctly. The shock to a nation in order to attain complete control over its economic, political, and cultural strengths. What is going on now is that experiment fed to the point of total chaos.

Economists are divided on how to solve the worst crisis since the great depression of the 1930's. Some say the stimulus packages being proposed by governments around the world and led by the US will turn the economies around by the end of 2009 or early in 2010. Other economists believe it will only feed a later frenzy of inflation. None of the economists are predicting the total collapse of Capitalism. Why?

The reason is, someone is making a ton of money on this crisis. Someone is getting the best prices ever on blue plate stocks. While we, (the common population) watch and feel in fear the effects of this total meltdown, there is someone out there benefiting on all this destruction.

An example is the Katrina tragedy. After the disaster of Katrina several private interests moved in and took over everything from education, to health care. In fact one of the major factors for the length of recovery from the disaster has been the privatization and downloading of government control.

We are in a manufactured crisis. Manufactured to destroy human values and place financial control as the measure of man's existence. A robotic greed engineered by a few.

There is some hope. My skepticism is based upon past disappointments. President Obama has been signaling some very interesting changes to corporate and political power. His demand for a maximum wage for those corporate leaders whose businesses receive assistance from the public purse is long overdue. A maximum wage instead of a minimum wage.

He has also indicated that he will reduce the debt by increasing taxes to the very rich. Another example of hope as the billionaires have had a free ride on the backs of taxpayers for far too long.

It is also interesting that Alan Greenspan, arguably the most influential American economist, has recently stated that the US government should take over the banks. Isn't it interesting that the Right is suddenly looking to Left policies to resolve their economic disaster.

In Canada we are out of step with the world. We have a Harper government that is attempting to sell off many of our federal crown corporations at fire sale prices through the back door. This is at a time when taxpayer investments are at their lowest. The guise that they are competing with the private sector is a propaganda myth put forward by the same philosophical ideology that brought us into this crisis in the first place.

Stephen Harper and his government is only giving lip service towards solving the intense problems facing Canadians. Remember during the election he claimed Canada was in great shape and would not face any kind of economic downturn. Amazing how his view changed once he won the election and realized his good buddies from the south no longer governed.

Climate change, health care, public services, and economic disaster are far from Harper's list of priorities. He, after all, is the Oil Prime Minister. Profit at any cost is his motto. He has learned well from his mentor George Bush. Say little, do nothing, or the least possible, and push your agenda behind closed doors so the population can only react once the deal is done.

We are only at stage one, the economic crisis. What is going to happen once we enter stage two?

The strange case of the Religious Right

As a former Roman Catholic, a former amature student of the quatrains of Nostradamus, and a news junkie, I have watched Bush's America and Harper's Canada change to my dismay. The religious right, who have dominated the political scene worldwide for the last twenty years is now up against its own demise.

Or is it? Are they really creating a self fulfilling prophesy?

If your ambition is to see the second coming of your god and in order to hurry the process you need to destroy all those who prevent the process then it may make sense. If you also believe that the end of the world is near and you can actually make it happen why would you want to fix the environment, stop wars, prevent poverty, and support the multiplicity of cultures and values. It goes against your basic principles. If you take the most radical of the evangelical doctrine then you believe only 144,000 humans will survive so why not make it the most wealthy and powerful. It is your destiny.

Listen to the statements of Sarah Palin. She was close to the highest powers of the U.S. nation and her statements clearly were reflective of the religious right in America.

So have things changed now that Obama is president? My passion and values tell me that we are in a new world. I also, like the rest of the world want to believe he will bring common sense and reason to the world.

Except one thing nags at me. Shortly after his inauguration I heard a statement that Obama is the third anti-christ. Is the Religious right beginning its campaign at proving its right to ensure our demise?

I have so many questions and no answers.