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Chinese antiques civilization evolved very separately from influences from the west until modern times, and those were more of warships and gunboat diplomacy by the west to intrude itself into commerce of the Orient. The west has much to feel shame about in it’s treatment of China, as does Japan, and for which China never ceases to remind all guilty parties. This has become such an ingrained self defence mechanism that China continues to use it to this day, whether it holds the high moral ground or not.

To China, any statement in criticism of any policy of modern China is to invite near assault, as television cameras from London to Paris to San Francisco to elsewhere have shown us, until now the Olympic torch, this democratic symbol of athletes showing their best is becoming more a Roman Circus parade, in which the army surround the prisoner in his cage on his way to the stadium. There, he would be ritually strangled to cheering thousands, or offered as a combatant with a small sword against a lion.

This could be modern China’s solution to so much world dissatisfaction with their moral rights to yet be worthy of holding the icon of democracy, the Olympic torch: the world seems to say loudly that they are not. In sympathy with the feelings of the ancient Greek governing council of Thirty, as those who ruled Socrates imbibe the life releasing chalice of hemlock, so that for China: to distribute to each Tibetan monk who dares speak from his heart, or his mind. Alexander the Great knew those Thirty were all driven from power soon after such cruel folly.

Greece would honor those who spoke their minds in honest protest of a wrong. However, in 2008 Beijing, as in Rome at any time or Greece in 469 B C E, the Socratic group of monks from Tibet could be paraded in chains through the smoggy air of Beijing without masks. Hell on earth itself would be to parade them around Beijing without masks until they cough or drop, an updated Bataan march. Then China, the world’s most glorious civilization, as they keep telling us, could take these terrorist monks into the stadium to the Chinese only crowd, all will like Confucious do as the emperor says, and will show thumbs down as the Manchurian tigers enter through the other gate.

All is quiet with drama, for a short while. But, soon, what Han batons could not quite complete, nor could the reeducation camps, but quickly could the mighty tiger. Dragon tiger, did he who make thee, make me? So, if we care, and we are there, why not bypass these Roman circus fakes of the true spirit of Athens and democratic speech andfree athletes, bypass made in China if modern. Buy Chinese antiques before they reah that curve in their progress from dollar an hour to who has great grandmother’s Ming vases?

You do, which you are buying now. So clear your mantle, Mickey. Buy low, enjoy, and a decade from now, when the guys are having a yard block sales of their modern Chinese junk, say you are busy. Someone on the net has just bid two extra zeros onto that Ming vase I love. Well, Mings and Chinese antique things I do love, but I sense my love being overwhelmed by the sound of dollars, a million callers. Makes you wish you had bought more back then. You still can. But as China becomes more rich, so will those at the top.

And it will be they who will eventually, as in Japan decades earlier, stop just thrilling about their modern gadgets and cellphone photos. What about our Chinese antiques heritage? Have we got a Ming mantle for you, new rich Sam Ming Kew. Yes, Mickey, you rebuilt your mantle. Smart investing. Serves you good, Lady Marion, and Sir Robin Hood.

Derek Dashwood enjoys noticing positive ways we progress, the combining of science into the humanities to measure politics, wise use and mis use of power and protective love at
Chinese Antiques

Japanese antiques follow the pattern of their mother China, in that as peoples poured out of Africa some million years ago, they took on various characteristics, whether the golden peoples of the east who also poured over into the America’s and became brown, or the Indo European groups that spread west into Europe, becoming lighter skin and blue eyes as their more northern lives now required more sun absorbtion. In original humanity Africa, equitorial peoples retained their dark skins to lessen skin cancer from heat of direct year round sun.

In Japan, the code of protection from foreign attack was intensified after two ferocious attempts by Mongol China to land immense fleets to enslave the people of Japan. Short landings inflicted terror and death to local Japanese, but armies of Samurai forced them back. The next, much greater fleet to arrive in a few years would surely have won, but a mighty typhoon stopped their landing and increased in force to sink most of the Chinese fleet, and cause their retreat forever. This during the time of Marco Polo.

To this day, and with each arrival of a ship, including those of Admiral Perry in 1854, few sailors taried long ashore, or only a few returned to their ships. Japan became very inward, sword by sword. And this control by the leader Shogun evolved into one over lord Shogun, many deaths, and an Emperor evolved, in time to meet the west. After Admiral Perry, Japan modernized, beat Russia in an early 20th century sea battle, and began it’s expansion through the 1930’s and 1940’s until the USS Missouri pulled into Tokyo Bay in 1945 and all agreed that western democratic capitalism had arrived.

That front page newspaper photo of the immense and powerful 6 ft 5 inch General Douglas MacArthur standing next to a rather disshevelled puny Emperor dressed hastily in western clothes with his head and tie askew told the people of Japan a new era had begun. And as we know now, they learned our lessons better than us. So while a new Japanese auto will be a good purchase, a Japanese antiques would do you far better. They will make millions more fine autos: but the samurai sword, or historic precious artifact keep going off the shelf, and your only choice one day will be a very nice replica.

If you sense a pattern of wealth to this, it is not to the Neds with lead heads in those huge buggy lines with their modern oriental replicas. Be wise, go back to the future, where an investment in time, will return much more by far. I bought my first rental house in 1961 for $11,500 and worked my way up to selling my antique seaside inn in 2004 for $2,100,000. When you look at what is available, and what richer Chinese will delight in buying up Japanese antiques to show off when Tokyo is in town.

Be inscrutable though, when they ask how much. Bow lower than them, this is the trick that Marco Polo learned. The lower kowtow, the bow to the emperor, implies such power to him or her that they are obliged to cut off your hear or grant your request. Marco left the Forbidden Palace with riches, and his head. You could too. Buy now, kowtow later, be rich ever after. Deep kow, holy tow, count your cash. Bless your long vision in this day by day survivial world. If you don’t plan your retirement investments, who will?

Derek Dashwood enjoys noticing positive ways we progress, the combining of science into the humanities to measure politics, wise use and mis use of power and protective love at
Japanese Antiques

We Americans are a selfish bunch often becoming “patriotic” only when it helps our pocketbook.

Our vote has become a self interest vote which is part of democracy’s strength and also part of its weakness. The poor vote one way and the rich another; the poor vote hoping to get a free piece and the rich vote to keep all of their pieces and not have to share any. Or something like that.

The undecided straddling the middle cast the swing votes; they hope to give a little and get a little and not take too big of an overall hit.

The neither rich nor poor get caught square in the middle or “middle class” as it is often called. The Twilight Zone might be a more appropriate name.

For example. When a politician promises to create jobs they neglect to tell their uninformed electorate that government does not and cannot create jobs. Taxing Peter to “create” a job for Paul is not job creation but a form of legalized theft.

It’s called bad government and it’s not what government does well and it is simply untrue to say that it does.

Entrepreneurs create jobs. Government can only create and maintain the economic conditions that help entrepreneurs create jobs.

What we don’t hear are politicians encouraging entrepreneurs; politicians just increase the cost of doing business. Subsequently entrepreneurs usually see government as setting up obstacles rather than creating positive economic conditions. Is this surprising?

So when politicians tell you bad trade agreements are responsible for your company going bankrupt and your losing your job, they are fooling the foolish.

An uninformed electorate is supposedly a bad electorate but opportunist politicos love it when voters are not able to think and reason for themselves. Or just don’t know.

In this air of non-traditional patriotism stockholders and industry want a bail out when things fail. Bankrupt homeowners want a bail out when they speculate and lose. The educational system wants more money yet continues to be out of step with the educational needs of a modern, technological society.

Are you better off now than four years ago? The question implies that if you aren’t better off now you can vote for Politician X and that will change. Like it or not, the truth of the matter is that government has become increasingly irrelevant in the modern world.

The two meaningful parties in the U.S. have the electorate fooled into thinking we are fighting for our very own selfish interests. What they neglect to say is the pact they have with each other is commonly called “gridlock” and is somehow supposed to represent our best interests, checks and balances and all that good stuff. Really?

The liberal lie is “You can have a bigger slice of the pie if you vote for me.” The conservative lie is “let’s not change anything because that way we benefit the most and above all else we don’t want to give that up that relative status.”

Neither side is very willing to help the general populace as they are already committed to helping their own focused support base. That is how they raise money, get elected and the turn the proverbial worm.

Of course as societies become self-centered and greedy they become weak, corrupt and hasten their own downfall. We may not want to believe this depressing news but there has never been an example otherwise.

But the politicians simply don’t care as seen by their actions. Theirs is a short term vision just as the CEO’s is for the next quarter. The only time the politicos ever go into the factories and machine shops and diners is at election time.

What we have created is a gridlocked, cultural sporting event compromise instead of looking at what is best for America. This is what we wanted; should we be surprised we have gotten it?

What America needs is not the false hope of a government induced comfort zone but a government that challenges its electorate and creates opportunities for all to do better. Doing better is what America does best or at least in the traditional sense of patriotism.

But we get what we deserve and we deserve some of the politicians we get. Those politicians like to keep us confused.

Shame on all those politicians. But bigger shame on us. We can clearly see that social evolution has exceeded government’s and politics’ ability to respond. By nature government and politicians are reactive and not strategic.

And in a rapidly changing world increasingly irrelevant.

Jack Deal is the owner of JD Deal Promotional Marketing, Santa Cruz and Monterey, CA. Related articlesmay be found at http://www.jddeal.com/blog/politics and http://www.freeandinquiringmind.typepad.com

It was a masterful campaign right through to Texas. Just before Texas Obama admitted they had let up for a few days and could have perhaps won or closed the gap with a stronger finish.

This was to my recollection the first time Obama admitted his campaign had made a mistake. Up to that point it was by most accounts a masterful campaign; in fact, an almost perfect campaign.

But as we know now, that was the calm before the storm.

First came the Michelle Obama comments that she had never been proud to be an American until her husband ran for office. Whew. There’s one that will come back before November.

The Swift Boat propaganda masterminds will somehow create an image of her being First Lady and trying to represent the country she is not so proud of. Whew.

Next came the very Rev. Wright or as he is now called the Rev. Wrong. Willie Brown, perhaps one of the most savvy Democrats and former Speaker of the California Assembly and Mayor of San Francisco, nailed it on the head.

Willie said the real pros when they make the decision to go for high office look all around themselves and clean up the rough spots anticipating the vetting process. Obama did not do that thinking he and his message were above all the pettiness. By the way, for those that aren’t aware of it, Willie Brown is African American.

Obama’s explanation of the Rev. Wright was OK for his supporters but insufficient for his detractors. Does Obama expect everyone to believe he sat in the good Reverend’s church for 20 years and simply not hear Wright’s anti-American rantings? Of course lots of folks do sleep through church…

But the real problem with the good Reverend is yet to come. The Swift Boat propaganda machine will bring up, as Vice President Dick Cheney said at the recent press convention, the prospect of the Rev. Wrong giving invocations at the White House. Whew. That won’t play well in Peoria and a lot of other places.

And then there’s the ex- terrorist and “English professor” William Ayres. He and wife Bernadette Dohrn are quite the darling couple and have a loyal following amongst the progressives at the University of Chicago where he is a “Distinguished Professor.”

Obama said he was only eight when Ayres and company bombed the United States so what’s the big deal? The big deal is just how will that play in Peoria and the odds are it won’t play so well either.

It will play about as well as Obama’s elitist statement that rednecks cling to their guns and religion because they are bitter about the economy and their government.

Whew. He may have been talking to the liberal progressives out here in California but his message will be relayed to every small town in the land.

Now it appears the clouds are gathering over what now increasingly appears to be a defective campaign. His explanations and complaints about rising above it all show either contempt or arrogance or both.

Many Americans take very seriously their President’s loyalty, character and judgment, something the Obama campaign has vastly underestimated.

Arrogance is the only explanation.

Obama is a really smart guy and he likes entertaining others with his brilliance. He likes to “show off” and “wing it” and that’s what gets him in trouble. Like a night club comedian he lives or dies off the audience’s reaction; that’s why he says things like small town folks are bitter and cling to their religion.

As a “typical white person” it’s not really about Democrats like me, who really don’t care what preachers say and don’t pay attention to what clowns like William Ayres say.

It’s my friends in the South and Midwest that are crying “foul.” These folks are white, Reagan Democrats or Arnold Republicans. They are centrist, patriotic and by many experts the so-called swing vote.

For Obama they unfortunately don’t forgive and forget and they are spreading the word.

By all accounts Obama is a very smart person and I voted for him in the California primary. His mistaken views of economics and proposals for an all powerful government would have been issues for the fall but now they will play second fiddle to his loyalty, character and judgment problems.

In an election the Democrats simply could not lose it appears it is now a real race and one we Democrats can definitely lose. And in the end it may well be Obama’s arrogance that leads to his downfall.

Like Dick Morris said, the biggest problem we Democrats have may turn out to be that Obama is our party’s nominee.

Jack Deal is the owner of JD Deal Online Marketing, Santa Cruz and Monterey, CA. Related articlesmay be found at http://www.jddeal.com/blog/opinion and http://www.freeandinquiringmind.typepad.com

Visualize being in the indigenous Third World.

Imagine an indigenous populist political candidate from a populist political party running for mayor. This candidate campaigns throughout the countryside blaming the current local political administration of being corrupt, leaving the municipality in debt and not doing anything for “the people”.

As a reformer this populist candidate goes to rural areas and promises new roads, community centers, jobs, schools, assistance for farmers and small businesses, health clinics and so on.

He promises the urban electorate road repairs, improved garbage service, new sewer lines and new culverts to prevent flooding during heavy rains and so on.

To put it bluntly, this whole region of about 60,000 people needed just about everything.

As one of the poorest regions in Mexico this area was economically depressed with an eroding agricultural base causing many locals to leave the area in search of work. And greater than 90% of the population was indigenous Maya.

The party in power had been in power for many decades and had made an “institution” out of corruption. This corruption pervaded every aspect of government and nothing happened of a local political nature unless it happened through this systemic corruption.

The new populist candidate railed on this corruption at the federal, state and of course local government levels. Tired of corrupt government abusing the electorate, the electorate voted for the candidate of “change” who won in a landslide. The local political “revolution” had started.

Fast forward this scene to three years later.

The city is on the verge of bankruptcy. The municipal debt has soared in the past few years some 2,000 percent placing almost all city services on the edge of collapse. Municipal workers are on strike demanding back wages which had been promised by the populist party’s candidate.

In three years almost no local streets were maintained except of course in the neighborhood where the populist revolutionary lived. During the rainy season many of the local streets flood and are impassable.

The local city hall building needs painting and is beginning to look abandoned.

The local populist meanwhile has done rather well. Reportedly his family has been able to take trips to Europe and expand their cultural awareness. His children now drive fast sports cars improving their self-esteem so they won’t feel so “Indian”.

The revolutionary also managed to make a number of improvements on his ranch.

Things were good for the new political boss of this small city of indigenous people because he reportedly paid himself a salary greater than the salary of the President of Mexico. Or as they used to say in the old days; “nice work if you can get it.”

As the populist mayor’s term came to an end, the protests began to heat up. The farmers wanted to know why the mayor kept none of the promises he made to them. The local housewives wanted to know why the streets in their neighborhoods had been neglected while the streets in the mayor’s neighborhood were all repaired.

The local business people wondered what services would be cut back and how that would hurt their businesses. The vendors at the local market wondered how long they could sell food with the stench of sewage filling the air.

They also wondered why the Mayor arranged to sell city property to a big box chain competitor planning to locate just a few blocks from the “peoples” market.

The new incoming mayor from a different party said times would not only be austere but in fact many city services would be curtailed or possibly eliminated. He also indicated that many financial records were not complete and that would be how his administration would start his term.

Impossible fancy? Hardly. It happens all over the developing world with indigenous peoples. The ex-mayor in question is from Quintana Roo, Mexico; the same rapidly developing state as Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen and Tulum.

As the Governor stood by the new mayor promised he would work hard to confront local problems but the coming years will most certainly be austere and the local populace will have to expect cuts and reductions in service. By working together there is hope, the new chief says reassuringly.

Folks always need hope. But just what hope can realistically be expected from a corrupt system? Unfortunately the only realistic expectation is that like history a corrupt system repeats itself; it’s the nature of the system.

So in the end it is largely an indigenous thing; a version of the theme “we have met the enemy and they are us”. But you have to admit it’s nice work if you can get it.

Jack Deal is the owner of JD Deal Business Consulting, Salinas and Santa Cruz, CA and a part time resident of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Related articlesmay be found at http://www.jddeal.com/blog/economic_development http://www.freeandinquiringmind.typepad.com

Proactives are actions anyone can do to affect anything, including ending the war in Iraq. Electing Democrats did not end the war. Protesting, whining, complaining has not done it in five years and will not in another five years. Each individual citizen must proactively take action, or engage in non-actions, not doing things. Become a proactive part of a non-violent revolution to make things right in this country again. Here are nine things anyone can do to stop the war in Iraq and improve America and the planet right now.

Use less gas. It is all about oil. I still drive a car, but I have cut my gas consumption by 25 percent over the past six months. I use my bike when I can, and have found other ways to cut down. There are endless ways to do the same. You can car pool; buy and use a motorcycle; walk more, bike more; telecommute, etc. Using less gas is a great proactive. If millions of Americans do it rigorously, lots of good things happen, long-reaching things.

Spend less. This is the opposite of what the Bush administration wants, which is to keep the economy pumping. Go the opposite way. We might as well have fun with this recession. A real slowdown in the economy has many beneficial effects, too, particularly on the environment; it is not the end of the world, or our economy. There are countless ways to spend less money.

Save money. Shoot for saving $500, $5,000, $50,000 or $500,000. If millions do this it will have a definite effect on the economy. And vastly improve your own financials. Quit buying useless crap, including four dollar coffee drinks. I am doing fine without an iPod, and saved a ton of money. Again, if millions of Americans do this, many long-reaching good things happen.

Get in good shape physically. This is good for you, the planet, and humanity. We need you healthy. It is good for your mental fitness too, your intellect, your powers of reasoning, your overall self respect and respect for all living things. We need healthy, energetic, proactive, non-violent revolutionaries.

Boycott sports. What professional athlete has spoken out against the war in Iraq? Not one. They are too concerned with their fat paychecks and endorsements. Watching them, caring about them is how they get paid. Boycott them. This is related to numbers 2 and 4. Stop living your life vicariously through these overpaid crybabies, and get into your own best shape. You win when you do. All this applies to the Olympics too: do not watch a second of this over-hyped, athlete-automaton garbage. Boycott the Olympics in every way you can, starting by not watching any of it.

Write your senators and representatives. I have always hated this and never did it. Not anymore. I have sent my federal lawmakers more than 30 letters over the past 6 months. Their offices now know exactly where this voter stands on Iraq. It felt fantastic.

Write the president. Ask/demand that Bush and Cheney resign immediately. I have sent five such letters in the past 6 months. Really vented. Felt great. Think if the White House got 50 million such letters, or 500 million, forcefully asking for/demanding resignations. Never happened before in history. Inundate the White House, really let Bush/Cheney have it, tell them what you think of them. It does not matter that they will not see the letters. It is fun. The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500.

Cut your animal consumption. In half, at least, including animal product (eggs, dairy). Shoot for a totally plant-based diet. This is good for you, the environment, and helps downshift and shift the economy toward something more humane. As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be wars. I used to be the biggest carnivore on the planet. No more and I feel fantastic, never been healthier.

Take a sabbatical from pets. Stop buying and spending money on pets. Keep what pets you have now, but do not buy any more, or replace the ones you have, for one, three or five years. We spend a huge amount of money and time on pets and we need money and time to wage this non-violent revolution to get our country back. Use the money you would spend on pets in other ways that are good for humanity, the environment, our country, and the planet.

Jerome Kellner is author of The Maui Diet. He’s lived on Maui since 1972 and enjoys biking, hiking, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking and other outdoor recreation. See http://www.themauidiet.com