|
(Originally Aired May-98)
HAROLD CHANNER
Producer / Host
Public
Access Cable Television Series
"Conversations with Harold Channer"
&
Presenter:
1998 New York University Talk Titled:
"Public Access Cable
Television Within a World Systems Pattern of Understanding - Drawling
Upon the Contributions of R. Buckminster Fuller
Louis O. Kelso and Others"
To
access graphics accompanying talk click below:
TALK GRAPHICS
Buckminster Fuller
Louis
O. Kelso
www.channer.tv
www.youtube.com/haroldchanner
hhc@nyc.rr.com
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The program can be viewed in
its entirety by clicking the you tube link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcTfmo62PfI
- HAROLD CHANNER
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More about: HAROLD HUDSON
CHANNER
CONVERSATIONS WITH HAROLD HUDSON CHANNER
ABOUT HAROLD CHANNER
CURRENT ACTIVITY: TELEVISION PRODUCER & CONVERSATIONALIST
Approximately 2,400 in depth Conversations have
been videotaped and aired in the "Conversations with Harold Hudson
Channer" public access cable television series which was initiated in
1973. Responsibilities have included all aspects of administration,
including:
- Preliminary research to identify potential
guest(s)
- Contact and invite potential guest(s) to
participate
- Intensive research after invitation has been
accepted
- In studio or location videotaping of
conversation
- Post production editing and graphics
enhancement of program
- Negotiate and assure televising of
conversations programs
- Maintain appropriate continuing correspondence
with guest(s)
Guests have included a wide variety of leading
figures from the business,
governmental, academic and intellectual
communities.
FORMER ACTIVITY: UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR OF GEOGRAPHY
- New York State University, New Paltz, New York
1968-71.
- California State University, Long Beach,
California 1967-68
- Utah State University, Logan Utah, 1966-67
- Wayne State University, Detroit Michigan,
1965-66
- Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville,
Illinois 1963-64
EDUCATION
- Ph.D. (ABD) degree. Political and Economic
Geography - Indiana University.
- Bloomington Indiana 1963
- Master of Arts degree. Physical and Historical
Geography - Wayne State University,
- Detroit, Michigan - 1961
- Bachelor of Arts degree. History and
Geography, Wayne State University,
- Detroit Michigan 1959
HONORS: HAS BEEN LISTED IN THE FOLLOWING MARQUIS
PUBLICATIONS:
- Who's Who in America;
- Who's Who in the World;
- Who's Who in the East;
- Who's Who in Entertainment
- Who's Who in the Media and Communications
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Some of those who have been guests of
"Conversations"
Dr. Buckminster
Fuller Dr. John Kenneth Galbrath Dr.
Edward Wolff
Mr, Louis O.
Kelso Mr. Jeff
Gates Mr. Ed Asner
Mr. William
McGowan Dr. Cornel
West Dr. Stanley Aronowitz
Hon. Russell
Long Baba Ram Dass
Dr. Wally N'Dow
Hon Caspar
Weinberger Mr. William Winpinsinger Mr.
William Bahr
Hon MuAmmatr Al Gaddafi
Dr. Santiago Astrain Dr. Benjamin Barber
Hon Yasser
Arafat Hon Elliot
Richardson Dr. Mustfa Tolba
Dr. Zbigniev
Brzezinski Dr. Timothy
Leary Mr. William Batten
Dr. Joshua
Lederberg Mr. Michael
Harrington Mr. Floyd Abrams
Dr. Robert
Heilbroner Dr. Lewis
Thomas Mr. Peter Peterson
Dr. Gunnar
Myrdal Dr. John
Brademis Mr. William Baroody
Hon. Kenneth
Kaunda Mr. Yoshio
Teresawa Mr. Robert Wussler
Hon. Jerry
Brown Hon. Gary
Hart Mr. Jack Valenti
Robert
Ashford Lord Walter
Perry Dr. John Lilly
Dr. Wassily
Leontief Mr. Harold
Geneen Dr. Henry Geller
Mr. Robert
MacNeil Mr. Ralph
Nader Ms. Kay Koplowitz
Hon. William B.
Simon Hon. Ramsey
Clark Dr. Isaac Asimov
H.R.H. Mohammed Faisal Al Saud
Mr. Vernon Bellecourt Mr. John McArthur
Mr. Arthur Levitt
Jr. Dr. Rollo
May Mr. Praynay Gupte
Ms. Marilyn Mach Vos
Savant Dr. Marilyn Ferguson Mr. Hugh
Price
Dr. Norman
Borlaug Mr. William
Greider Ms. Barbara Crossette
Mr. Richard
Branson Dr. Rollo
May Dr. Marc Uri Porat
Dr. Kirkpatrick
Sale Mr. Benjamin
Hooks Mr. A.H. Raski
Mr. Sanford
Weil Ms. Jane
Roberts Dr. Eli Noam
Hon. William
Proxmire Dr. Corliss
Lamont Dr. Herbert Schiller
Mr. Raleigh Warner
Jr. Hon Negendra Singh
Ms. Yue-Sei Kan
Mr. Richard
Wiley Dr. Ravi
Batra Dr. Oliver Sacks
Mr. Henry
Wallach Dr. Gerard
O'Neill Mr. Gerard Levin
Hon. Richard E.
Wiley Dr. Michio
Kaku Mr. Richard Salent
Mr. Brian
Lamb Admiral Gene
Larocque Dr. Larry Gell
Hon Andrew
Young Mr. Ray
Kurzweil Mr. Pete Seeger
Hon. Hubert
Humphrey Hon. Carolyn
Maloney Mr. Richie Havens
Hon Jacob
Javits Hon. Jerrold
Nadler Dr. Paul Moller
Hon. William
Seidman Hon George
Romney Mr. George Franklin
Mr. Donald
Kendall Mr. Abbie
Hoffman Mr. Charles Heck
Mr. Armand
Hammer Dr. B.F.
Skinner Mr. Glenn Watts
Dr. Jay
Forrester Mr. Jeremy
Rifkin Mr. Peter Marshall
Dr. Jonathan
Kozel Mr. Kwame
Ture Hon. NizarHamdoon
Mr. William
Burroughs Right Rev. Paul Moore
Jr. Mr. Henry Winston
Hon. Frank
Church Sri Swami
Satchidananda Mr. Gil Noble
Dr. David D.
Korten Mr. Vance
Packard Hon. Ahmad Kamal
Mr. Danny
Schechter Mr. Herman
Khan Mr. Stewart Mott
Mr. Gerard
Piel Dr. Paul
Kennedy H.E. Ali Treki
Mr. Stewart
Brand Mr. Norman
Kurland Mr. Kevin Phillips
Dr. Guyford
Stever Hon. Barry
Goldwater Rabbi Israel Domb
Dr. Leon
Cooper Dr. Barbara
Ehrenreich Mr. David Finn
Mr. Rodney
Shakespeare Ms. Patricia Hetter
Kelso Dr. Robert Mundell
Dr. Robert
McChesney Mr. George
Stony Mr. Frank Zarb
Ms. Nadine Strossen
Ms. Judith Malina Beck Mr. Hedrick Smith
Mr. Ethan DeAntonio
Dr. Ethan Nadelman Mr. Paul J. Rizzo
Hon. Lloyd
Bentsen Mr. Tadahiro Sekemoto
Robert Thurman
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INDEX LISTING OF ALL GUESTS
(NOTE: Due to a recent mishap with
the host server not all names are currently included in the Index
listing. Most are and we are
working to include all names. We thank you for
your
understanding
and patience H.H.C.)
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Slightly Updated &
Selected Summary Graphics
FROM AN
ORIGINAL PRESENTATION TO
CLASS OF DR. ROBERT DANNIN
"CRISIS OF THE MODERN
AMERICAN CITY'
AT NEW YORK
UNIVERSITY
THURSDAY APRIL 30, 1998
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One Individuals Idea About
PUBLIC ACCESS TELEVISION WITH
WORLD SYSTEMS PATTERN OF UNDERSTANDING
Slightly Updated & Selected Summary Graphics
FROM AN ORIGINAL PRESENTATION TO CLASS OF
DR. ROBERT DANNIN
"CRISIS OF THE MODERN AMERICAN CITY'
AT NEW YORK
UNIVERSITY
THURSDAY APRIL 30, 1998
Link
(immediately below) to You Tube Version of Presentation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcTfmo62PfI&feature=channel_page
NYU Talk
04-30-98 “Public Access TV – A World Systems View”
Drawing Upon the Contributions Of:
R. Buckminster Fuller / Louis O. Kelso
And Others
This is very much an evolving
work in progress
HAROLD H. CHANNER
****************************************************************************************************************
PUBLIC
ACCESS TELEVISION WITHIN A WORLD SYSTEMS PATTERN OF UNDERSTANDING
·
PUBIC ACCESS PRODUCTION / DISTRIBUTION FREE TO PRODUCER
·
OPEN TO ALL FOR NON MONETARY BASED COMMUNICATION
·
EARLY EXAMPLE & AKIN TO NON COMMERCIAL USES OF INTERNET
·
MODEL FOR OTHER NON COMMERCIAL BASED VENUES FOR
EMERGING
COMFORTABLY
LEISURED EXPRESSION OF THE FREE HUMAN SPIRIT
* IN TERMS OF ITS
COLLECTIVE CAPABILITY MANKIND, AFTER 200,000 YEARS OF CULTURAL
& TECHNOLOGICAL
DEVELOPMENT, HAS TRANSCENDED MATERIAL SCARCITY - “A NEW
REAL CAPABILITY” TO
PROVIDE "LIFE SUPPORT" (WITHIN AN ECOLOGICALLY APPROPRIATE
PATTERN) FOR ALL WORLD
CITIZENS. IN TERMS OF CAPABILITY NOW MORE “HAVES” THAN
“HAVE NOTS”.
* MOST IMPORTANT
MILESTONE, OF THIS OR ANY OTHER, CENTURY. OBVIOUSLY THE
TRANSITION IS IN OUR
COLLECTIVE “DESIGN CAPABILITY” NOT THE ACTUAL MANIFESTLY
INADEQUATE “REALITY”
INHERITED FROM HISTORY. NEW POST SCARCITY “REALITY
CAPACITY” HAS ONLY
APPLIED SINCE THE YEAR 1970 – AGAINST ALL OF HUMAN HISTORY.
1. R.
BUCKMINSTER FULLER 2. MARSHAL MCLUHAN
3. TEILHARD DE
CHARDIN 4. RAY KURZWEIL
5. LOUIS
0. KELSO 6. MU-AMMAR AL GADDAFI
* INVOLVES TECHNOLOGICAL
DISPLACEMENT OF LABOR IN PRODUCTION. PURPOSE OF THE
INDUSTRIAL (AND POST
INDUSTRIAL) REVOLUTION WAS - AND IS - TO PUT PEOPLE OUT
OF WORK OR JOBS.
DISTRIBUTION OF INCOME BY LABOR IS ALMOST UNIVERSAL BUT
OUTDATED IN ECONOMY
WHERE THE MAJOR AND INCREASING SOURCE OF PRODUCTION
IS CAPITAL WHICH IS ALL
OWNED BY A MINISCULE (PLUTOCRATIC) FEW. AN UNVOICED
PARADIGM CLASH.
* TECHNOLOGICAL
DISPLACEMENT OF LABOR REQUIRES A NEW ECONOMIC SYSTEM
IN KEEPING WITH NEW
REALITIES OF CAPITAL PRODUCTIVENESS RATHER THAN LABOR
PRODUCTIVITY. OWNERSHIP
MUST BE DISPERSED. AN UNVOICED CRUCIAL PARADIGM
CLASH.
1.
CHARLES HANDY (JOHN MAYNARD KEYNES)
2.
LOUIS 0. KELSO / BINARY ECONOMICS
* ALL ACCEPTED ECONOMIC
SYSTEMS (EXCEPT BINARY ECONOMICS?) ARE AND
HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED ON
VARIOUS INTERPRETATIONS OF "THE LABOR THEORY
OF VALUE” WHICH SEES
LABOR AS THE PRIMARY OR ONLY LEGITIMATE SOURCE OF
INPUT TO PRODUCTION. ALL
SYSTEMS ASSUME THE SUPREME IMPORTANCE OF
LABOR AND DISTRIBUTE
MOST INCOME BY LABOR CRITERIA (JOBS). BINARY
ECONOMICS ASSUMES TWO
FACTORS OF PRODUCTION - LABOR AND CAPITAL AND
PROPOSES DEMOCRATIZATION
OF CAPITAL OWNERSHIP AS A PRIMARY COMPONENT
OF BOTH CAPITAL
FORMATION AND INCOME DISTRIBUTION – UNVOICED.
·
UNIVERSALLY DISPERSED CAPITAL OWNERSHIP WILL: INCREASE ABILITY OF
ALL TO PURCHASE WHAT
CAPITAL INTENSIVE AUTOMATED SYSTEMS ARE CAPABLE
OF PRODUCING - EXPAND
MARKET DEMAND; INCREASE CAPITAL AVAILABLE FOR
INVESTMENT IN
ECOLOGICAL "COSTS"; ATTACK CAUSES OF POVERTY (LACK OF
CAPITAL OWNERSHIP)
RATHER THAN IT'S SYMPTOMS; STEADILY INCREASE THE
NUMBERS OF THE
COMFORTABLY LEISURED AND THUS REQUIRE MANY NON
ECONOMIC VENUES FOR
THE EXPRESSION OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT SUCH AS: PUBLIC
ACCESS TV, FAIR USE
OPEN ACCESS BASED INTERNET, NON COMMERCIAL
EDUCATIONAL/CULTURAL
INSTITUTIONS, OR WHATEVER ACTIVITIES A LIBERATED
POPULATION WOULD
WANT TO START – OUTSIDE THE DICTATES OF AN INCREASINGLY
BYPASSED MARKET
SYSTEM.
BUCKMINSTER FULLER GRAPH FROM HIS “WORLD GAME” FINDINGS OF THE
PERCENTAGE OF THE WORLD
POPULATION WHO COULD BE SEEN TO BE “HAVES” IN THE MODERN EXPERIENCE IN
TERMS OF OUR ABSTRACT
TECHNOLOGICALLY AUGMENTED "CAPABILITY"
TO PROVIDE "LIFE SUPPORT" TO THE WORLD POPULATION.
FURTHERMORE BOTH “GROWTH AND EQUITY” COULD BE REALIZED WITHIN AN
ECOLOGICALLY APPROPRIATE
MANNER
THROUGH THE INCREASING ELEGANCE OF "GOOD DESIGN TEMPLATES” - “DOING
MORE WITH LESS.”
THINK
MOORE’S LAW WRIT LARGE. HE PROJECTED FROM THE YEAR 1952 “A TWENTY YEAR
PERIOD OF
IMMINENT CRISIS TO ALL HUMAN INSTITUTIONS AS WE APPROACHED AND CROSSED
THE 50% MARK”. HE
LIVED
OUT HIS LIFE IN THE BELIEF THE PROCESS HAD ACCELERATED AND THAT WE
CROSSED THE 50 % MARK
IN
1970. REMEMBER THIS IS “CAPABILITY” NOT ACTUAL “REALITY.” HHC
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JAY BALDWIN
Bucky
Works: Buckminster Fuller’s Ideas for Today
John Wiley & Sons Inc. 1996
*************************************************
Earthman’s
Critical Moment
“Think of It. We
are blessed with technology that would be indescribable to our
forefathers.
We have the
wherewithal, the know-it-all to feed everybody, clothe everybody, give
every
human on earth a
chance. We know now what we could never have known before – that
we now have an
option for all humanity to “make it” successfully on this planet in this
lifetime.
Whether it will be Utopia or Oblivion will be a touch-and-go relay race
right up
to the final
moment.”
Buckminster
Fuller, 1980
Historically, according to Fuller, all
theories of economics, all political ideologies have
been founded on one basic tenet – the
fundamental scarcity of life support. “It
has to be
either you or me,
not enough for both.”
Buckminster Fuller was the first to scientifically
and incontrovertibly find that there is ample to
support all humanity.
We have never been in this position
before, according to Fuller. 1970 marked
a turning point in man’s technological evolution. The
“invisible” metallurgical, chemical
and electronic revolutions now makes it possible to do far more
with ever less resources,
energy, and time investments. ………………………………………………….
JAY BALDWIN
As inconvenient to the established Paradigm as “Post Scarcity Economics”
would obviously be there have been a wide
variety of projections of the concept. Below are some suggested links
of the many attempts to assert the major premise.
All obviously call for fundamental definitions of terms such as “What is
the standard by which “have ness” is defined & of
course the countless assertions defining “Human Nature” as inherently
greedy with human desires unlimited and insatiable
hence never able to be met” et al. But the time is ripe for new
modeling and discussion and even argumentation based on
a serious examination of the basic assumption itself. This rather than
the seemingly wide spread default attitude of
dismissing the concept as
ipso facto
absurd and/or naive thus routinely “overlooking” the possibility of what
could well be
the major “Paradigm Shift” in the History of Mankind. Political and
business leaders would understandably have the most
difficulty comprehending the assertion – representing the major
beneficiaries of the historically inherited institutional entities
and
belief systems. Indeed in the end they might well represent what
amounts to a Modern Day
Ancien Regime.
But
intellectuals and the masses of world humanity need not be so restrained
as the
Increasing awareness of an unavoidable
growing gap between the World’s “Post Scarcity” Capability and its
Performance will inevitably create unacceptable Political
instability beyond even that so evident today. HHC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some
Links: Post Scarcity Economics / Whole Systems:
R. Buckminster Fuller
World
Transformation home page
The Post-Scarcity Economics/Culture of
Abundance Reading List v2.2
JAMES LOVELOCK AND THE
GAIA THEORY
http://www.worldtrans.org/index.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Louis
O. Kelso and Patricia Hetter Kelso estimates of the relative real inputs
to production in the
American economy of Labor (Physical and Intellectual) and Capital over
time assuming reasonably competitive
markets. So ingrained is the “ethic” of the “Labor Theory of Value”
that they thought it best to refer to Capital
Owners as “Capital Workers” in keeping with their understanding that
Capital instruments do “Work” - as surely
as the most diligent human surrogate worker – and that indeed the
observable trend is for Capital Instruments
to do
ever more of the Worlds “Work”. The reflexive prevalent attitude of
equating “Economic” man with
Essential Human Values including the whole vast array of values around
the “Work Ethic” all contribute to
camouflage and maintain the fundamental miss-match between the way goods
and services are produced
and
distributed and particularly their trends projected into the future.
Cybernetic contributions (now almost
exponential) are only adding to the much longer Historical trend.
Represents US Economy but applies to
World
trending. HHC
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Chart
of concentration of capital ownership in the U.S. over time. The same
general pattern applies to
virtually all economies of and the World Economy as a whole –
Plutocratic ownership and control of the
real
means of production. With “The Labor Theory of Value” it only worsens.
HHC - Below Quotes @
www.kelsoinstitute.org
"Conventional wisdom says there is only one
way to earn a living, and that's to work. Conventional wisdom
effectively
treats capital (land, structures, machines,
and the like) as though it were a kind of holy water that, sprinkled on
or about
labor, makes it more productive. Thus, if
you have a thousand people working in a factory and you increase the
design
and power of the machinery so that one
hundred men can now do what a thousand did before, conventional wisdom
says, 'Voila! The productivity of the labor
has gone up 900 percent!' I say 'hogwash.' All you've done is wipe out
90
percent of the jobs, and even the remaining
ten percent are probably sitting around pushing buttons. What the
economy needs is a way of legitimately
getting capital ownership into the hands of the people who now don't
have it."
(Louis O. Kelso, Journal Asset Based
Finance, 1982)
"The trouble with today's techniques of
finance is that they're designed to make the rich richer. None are
designed
to make the poor richer. That's why the
poor are poor. Because they're not rich."
(Louis O. Kelso, San Francisco Examiner &
Chronicle, 1978)
"The Roman arena was technically a level
playing field. But on one side were the lions with all the weapons, and
on
the other the Christians with all the
blood. That's not a level playing field. That's a slaughter. And so is
putting people
into the economy without equipping them
with capital, while equipping a tiny handful of people with hundreds and
thousands of times more than they can use."
(Louis O. Kelso, Bill Moyers: A World of
Ideas, 1990)
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Charles
Handy citing the 1930 reference by Lord John Maynard Keynes projecting
“Technological Unemployment”
for the
future world of his grandchildren. That would be right about now as
technological advancement not only
provides the possible means for Humanity’s collective “Transcendence of
Scarcity” but poses the problem to
progressives by their commitment (along with virtually all economic
theorizing) to the “Labor Theory of Value”
currently informing virtually all National Economies on Planet Earth &
the International System as well. HHC
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Humanity's Current "Fork in the
Road"
After 200,000 years of biological existence
Humanity has arrived at a crucial juncture. On the one hand we possess
weapons, which can obliterate the Species.
On the other - an "Obverse Scenario" might well reveal an unprecedented
capability for providing an ecologically
sustainable and increasingly improved level of "Life Support" for all
of Humanity.
Two large ideas seem to have been "missed"
by the World Intellectual Community, which are worthy of consideration
in
the quest for the Hearts and Minds and
perhaps the very Survival of the People of the Planet:
1.
Humanity's technologically augmented productiveness has offered
the Capability to provide "life support"
to increasingly
greater percentages of the World population through time. Serious
investigation of the
proposition could
provide a measurement of Mankind's store of "Proven" Life Support in a
manner
similar to that used
for assessing "Proven" Oil Reserves - a measurement of humanity's
"Proven 'Life
Support
Capability.” Careful measurement would most likely demonstrate that in
terms of our collective
Capability,
and within reasonable, if debatable, agreed to definitions of
terms, there have been, for thirty
years or so, more
"Haves" than "Have Nots" ! This for the first time in all of human
history.
R. Buckminster
Fuller, with his World Game assertions, attempted such a measurement and
concluded
humanity reached and
crossed the 50% mark in the year 1970. This is about the same date we
crossed the
threshold of our "Proven" capability to obliterate the species.
Intuition and pragmatic
investigation have
lead many, but not enough, to agree both with his monumental broad
assertion and the
date he came up with
for the Transformation. If correct it has been realistically
appropriate to say
Humanity has existed
in a "Post Scarcity" Ontological reality for 33 years. It is possible
to assert that this
change - if true -
is one of the most important developments in the evolution of all
Biological processes
on this planet!
Consideration of the many interrelated implications it presents is
worthy of the highest
priority on the
agenda of Intellectual investigation and deserves a "front and center"
place in the
World's seriously
concerned discussion, study and debate.
(The best source of
investigating the proposition remains the writings of Buckminster Fuller
and particularly
the findings of his
World Game Inventory of World Resources which provides the single best
"Systems
Template" for factoring
in developments since he authoritatively introduced the concept. Back
of the envelope
calculations including
recent near exponentially increasing cybernetic contributions - strongly
indicate positive
trends to date.)
GOOD SITE FOR
INTRODUCTION TO R. BUCKMINSTER FULLER:
WWW.BFI.ORG
2.
The increased productiveness of the World Economy and the
"Transcendence of Scarcity" has not been
able to adequately
inform pragmatic political and economic thinking largely through the
adherence to
outmoded Economic
Theory. The World Economic Model is not based on a workable
understanding
of the changed
Ontological reality. It does not, or will not, address the questions
involving both
growth and equity
required to allow real Systems efficiency in the time ahead. Currently
all "accepted"
economic theory
(despite all protestations to the contrary) is predicated on various
interpretations of the
"Labor Theory of
Value" which dictates that for the vast majority of the World
population an individual's
right to income is
predicated on his or her labor (physical and intellectual) contribution
to increased
productivity.
Virtually all non-labor aspects of production are owned by a relatively
miniscule Plutocratic
class at the very
pinnacle of World Society - and their capital assets are increasingly
responsible for
actual production
gains. There is no adequate provision for democratizing the access to
capital
credit for
investment in assets which will pay for themselves out of their future
earnings - to the citizenry
of any individual
Nation - or to the people of the World. Under current policy
assumptions there is no
way forward toward a
workable World Economic Democracy. Given oncoming massive technological
displacement of
labor by capital assets (as Lord Keynes predicted for these very days)
Economic Democracy
must be a sine qua
non goal of responsible systems analysis. Anemic, erratic growth rates
and
persistent economic
underproduction will not allow Humanity to achieve sustainable levels
much less
realize it's
"‘Proven’ Life Support Capability". Increasing awareness of an
unavoidable growing gap
between the World
Economy's Capability and its Performance will inevitably create
unacceptable Political
instability beyond
even that so evident today. The World Economic system currently in
place must
be seriously
challenged by New Theoretical understanding and Economic policy
assumptions.
(The best initial
source for effectively arriving at a "Systems" Challenge to the
unworkable Economic Status
Quo is the "Outside the
Envelope" thinking developed by Louis O. Kelso and Mortimer Adler in
their
earlier writings
including The Capitalist Manifesto and currently in the pattern
presented in the Book by
Robert Ashford and
Rodney Shakespeare: "Binary Economics The New Paradigm".
WEB SITE:
WWW.KELSOINSTITUTE.ORG
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A
Consideration of the Financial Crisis of 2008 & 2009 - Which Continues
Lacking a
Meaningful Long Term Comprehensive
Solution
Sunday September 21, 2008
Secretary of the Treasury Paulson has submitted a three page bill to
congress aimed at addressing the current financial crisis. He and many
of the country’s leaders strongly recommend quick passage to avoid a
disastrous “Melt Down” of the National and World Economy. A “Once in a
Hundred Years Event” in the words of Alan Greenspan – and many others.
Its definitely “Paradigm Shifting Time” – BIG TIME – here on planet
Earth and there are bound to be many variegated reactions to the
Historical event.
I
suggest that World citizens follow the “Three Page” limitation
accepted by Secretary Paulson and lay out their idea and context
within a similar - “Three Page” - limit of the causes, implications
and prognostications as to their thoughts on the matter – a sort of
collective Brain Storming exercise in citizenship, participation and
responsibility. It would seem fair that links could be included in
the Three Page Formulas – but we certainly want to keep the dialogue
pithy dare we say “poetic or artful economy of language” yes we dare
so propose! - suitable to the so very apparently limited attention
spans of the people at the other end of postings on the marvelous
Internet which we obviously need to get any good word out - which
might emerge out of the exercise – way out there. Communications is
the name of the game & in the interest of that I am going to attempt
to get it down to “Three Little Pages” to mimic the sentiment of the
popular song “Three Little Words” in support of an understanding
under the rubric of “Binary Economics” and suggest that all
interested parties - from hard core Marxists to Friedmanites - might
do likewise. But before I make the effort let’s consider the
official language of the Paulson Proposal.
September 20, 2008
Text of Paulson Plan
LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL FOR TREASURY AUTHORITY TO PURCHASE
MORTGAGE-RELATED ASSETS
Section 1. Short Title.
This Act may be cited as ____________________.
Sec. 2. Purchases of Mortgage-Related Assets.
(a) Authority to Purchase.--The Secretary is authorized to purchase,
and to make and fund commitments to purchase, on such terms and
conditions as determined by the Secretary, mortgage-related assets from
any financial institution having its headquarters in the United States.
(b) Necessary Actions.--The Secretary is authorized to take such
actions as the Secretary deems necessary to carry out the authorities in
this Act, including, without limitation:
(1) appointing such employees as may be required to carry out the
authorities in this Act and defining their duties;
(2) entering into contracts, including contracts for services
authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, without
regard to any other provision of law regarding public contracts;
(3) designating financial institutions as financial agents of the
Government, and they shall perform all such reasonable duties related to
this Act as financial agents of the Government as may be required of
them;
(4) establishing vehicles that are authorized, subject to supervision
by the Secretary, to purchase mortgage-related assets and issue
obligations; and
(5) issuing such regulations and other guidance as may be necessary
or appropriate to define terms or carry out the authorities of this Act.
Sec. 3. Considerations.
In exercising the authorities granted in this Act, the Secretary
shall take into consideration means for--
(1) providing stability or preventing disruption to the financial
markets or banking system; and
(2) protecting the taxpayer.
Sec. 4. Reports to Congress.
Within three months of the first exercise of the authority granted in
section 2(a), and semiannually thereafter, the Secretary shall report to
the Committees on the Budget, Financial Services, and Ways and Means of
the House of Representatives and the Committees on the Budget, Finance,
and Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate with respect to
the authorities exercised under this Act and the considerations required
by section 3.
Sec. 5. Rights; Management; Sale of Mortgage-Related Assets.
(a) Exercise of Rights.--The Secretary may, at any time, exercise any
rights received in connection with mortgage-related assets purchased
under this Act.
(b) Management of Mortgage-Related Assets.--The Secretary shall have
authority to manage mortgage-related assets purchased under this Act,
including revenues and portfolio risks therefrom.
(c) Sale of Mortgage-Related Assets.--The Secretary may, at any time,
upon terms and conditions and at prices determined by the Secretary,
sell, or enter into securities loans, repurchase transactions or other
financial transactions in regard to, any mortgage-related asset
purchased under this Act.
(d) Application of Sunset to Mortgage-Related Assets.- -The authority
of the Secretary to hold any mortgage- related asset purchased under
this Act before the termination date in section 9, or to purchase or
fund the purchase of a mortgage-related asset under a commitment entered
into before the termination date in section 9, is not subject to the
provisions of section 9.
Sec. 6. Maximum Amount of Authorized Purchases.
The Secretary's authority to purchase mortgage-related assets under
this Act shall be limited to $700,000,000,000 outstanding at any one
time
Sec. 7. Funding.
For the purpose of the authorities granted in this Act, and for the
costs of administering those authorities, the Secretary may use the
proceeds of the sale of any securities issued under chapter 31 of title
31, United States Code, and the purposes for which securities may be
issued under chapter 31 of title 31, United States Code, are extended to
include actions authorized by this Act, including the payment of
administrative expenses. Any funds expended for actions authorized by
this Act, including the payment of administrative expenses, shall be
deemed appropriated at the time of such expenditure.
Sec. 8. Review.
Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are
non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be
reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency.
Sec. 9. Termination of Authority.
The authorities under this Act, with the exception of authorities
granted in sections 2(b)(5), 5 and 7, shall terminate two years from the
date of enactment of this Act.
Sec. 10. Increase in Statutory Limit on the Public Debt.
Subsection (b) of
section 3101 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking
out the dollar limitation contained in such subsection and inserting in
lieu thereof $11,315,000,000,000.
Sec. 11. Credit Reform.
The costs of purchases of mortgage-related assets made under section
2(a) of this Act shall be determined as provided under the Federal
Credit Reform Act of 1990, as applicable.
Sec. 12. Definitions.
For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1) Mortgage-Related Assets.--The term mortgage- related assets means
residential or commercial mortgages and any securities, obligations, or
other instruments that are based on or related to such mortgages, that
in each case was originated or issued on or before September 17, 2008.
(2) Secretary.--The term Secretary means the Secretary of the
Treasury.
(3) United States.--The term United States means the States,
territories, and possessions of the United States and the District
of Columbia.
There is
lot of the “What” addressed in Secretary Paulson’s proposal. It would
seem the United States Government is in the process of establishing
(belatedly?) what might be seen as a “Re Insuring” role (putting the
“Full Faith and Credit” of the United Stares Government) behind a
seemingly inadequate Commercial Capital Credit Insurance Underwriters -
that is an Insurance Industry against Business loss – despite all the
inventive use of Swaps and Derivatives and related procedures by the
banking Industry – to deal with the various levels of risk in the
Economic order.
Interestingly these were the two aspects of a General Theory Model
proposed by Louis O. Kelso and Mortimer Adler in their 1958 Book “The
Capitalist Manifesto” – A precursor document in the foundation of the
“Binary Economics” Paradigm. They referred to and suggested a new
institution to be created to be named the “CAPTIAL
DIFFUSION
REINSURANCE CORPORATION (CDRC)”. They suggested this 50 years ago as
essential to a ”Systems” approach - as part of an overall “Paradigm”.
Unfortunately our leaders have not had the wit, wisdom or understanding
(more about that later) to institute a “Binary” understanding of
Economic reality - hence the current financial crisis.
I would
suggest that is what Secretary Paulson is in the beginning process of
instituting and - further that the institutional arrangement which will
emerge out of the current crisis - could not more appropriately be
named than the “Capital
Diffusion
Reinsurance Corporation (CDRC)” right there next to the Federal Reserve
Bank (FED) on the “General Theory” Chart below. Better late than never
– but 50 years is a mighty long wait – and the battle is still not won
and will be fought tooth and nail by untold backsliding tendencies. The
CDRC perhaps is now coming into being – finally – under dint of sheer
necessity – always a less than optimum circumstance – but encouraging
none the less as it could/would perform the much needed “Backstop”
function in the Economic Order that is presently needed - and even more
significantly perhaps - which the future now not only requires but also
- newly now - allows.
Here is
the General Theory Chart
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But
there is not much there in terms in Secretary Paulson’s Proposal as to
the “Why” of it all. It would seem that might be a good place for us to
begin – at a theoretical level of understanding? What do you think about
it all? Does it matter – the Why of it all? Does the Why of it all
have any bearing on the fierce burning immediacy of the present calls to
immediate action - with such far reaching implications? Avoiding the
ultimate questions whose answers are destined to be synergistically
encompassed – shrouded even - within higher orders of mystery –
including the modeling which could indicate humanity might well have
transcended “Material Scarcity” within the same Yin and Yang recognition
of Universe – from the modeling - that the technological weapons systems
seem to indicate a “totally new” Existentially significant “Species
Lethal” quality now. Both are now at the level of capability. But short
of all that – in the more “realistic” – practical realm of “Economics”
– it would seem a very important conclusion as to why the CRISIS is
summed up by the general idea – “Mankind Has Not Made His Peace With
The Machine” or in other words with the Technology. At a economic
theoretical level we have been fixated on the “Labor Theory of Value”
which informs or even essentially underpins virtually all Economic
theory from Smith., Ricardo, Marx, Marshall, Keynes, Schumpeter,
von Hayek, Mundell right up to & including Friedman, are all accepting
of - built upon “accepted” Economics – all share the same myopia. The
only exception would seem to be Louis O. Kelso – in a time of “Change”
which will emerge.
See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labour_theory_of_value
The basic Policy Grounding
Statement of the American Economy is “The Employment Act of 1946” - That
will have change within the “Binary Model” which is now emerging. Good.
Louis O. Kelso and Patricia
Hetter Kelso estimates of the relative real inputs to production in the
American economy of Labor (Physical and Intellectual) and Capital over
time assuming reasonably competitive markets. So ingrained is the
“ethic” of the “Labor Theory of Value” that they thought it best to
refer to Capital Owners as “Capital Workers” in keeping with their
understanding that Capital instruments do “Work” - as surely as the most
diligent human surrogate worker – and that indeed the observable trend
is for Capital Instruments to do ever more of the Worlds “Work”. The
reflexive prevalent attitude of equating “Economic” man with Essential
Human Values including the whole vast array of values around the “Work
Ethic” all contribute to camouflage and maintain the fundamental
miss-match between the way goods and services are produced and
distributed and particularly their trends projected into the future.
Cybernetic contributions (now almost exponential) are only adding to the
much longer Historical trend. Represents the US Economy but applies to
World trending. HHC
Whether income to “The People” will
finally or eventually be in keeping with the way goods and services are
actually being produced will ultimately be politically decided. But we
seem trending in the right direction. Once we get the “Facts” straight
we may well be on our way toward freedom from “Wage Slavery” through
“Similfinancing” – both supply and demand in tandem - moving toward the
liberation of the Ecologically sound Human Spirit for concerns with the
“Goods of Civilization” which the future requires if we are to well be
The time is
now – Finally - NOW - to get it right - subsuming not overthrowing
History - the way the Future requires !?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carbon 60 as the Base of
Nanotechnology & Information TBeginning? See Reuters piece below
The latter -- also known as “buckyballs” – are C60 molecules
discovered serendipitously by a
team at Rice University, led by Dr. Richard Smalley in 1985 (below).
Named after R. Buckminster Fuller, inventor of the geodesic dome
(discussed in “the “fullerene’s” 60 carbon atoms (!) are arranged
spherically, as 12 pentagons and 20 hexagons (below), in the most
symmetrical molecular form known.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reuters Last updated: 11:14 am
May 21, 2009 Posted:
2:25 am May 21, 2009
"Five-dimensional" discs with a capacity 10,000 times greater than
current DVDs could be on the market within 10 years, researchers
reported yesterday.
A
team from Swinburne University of Technology in Australia said in the
journal Nature that by harnessing nanoparticles and a "polarization"
dimension to existing technology, a disc's storage can be massively
boosted to hold thousands of feature films or millions of songs.
Researchers said the technique allowed them to store 1.6 terabytes
of data on a disc with the potential to one day store up to 10 terabytes.
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