Quaid-e-Azam To Nation
“ Pakistan not only means freedom and independence, but also the Muslim Ideology that has to be preserved that has come to us as a precious gift and treasure.” Quaid-e-Azam, Chittagong, March,1948.
Aug 14, 2013
May 3, 2013
Pakistan Top 100 Problems
Here's my list of Pakistan's top 100 problems that are listed at random and in no particular order and I listed them as they came to my mind. The purpose is not to demoralize people but to honestly list our problems so that we can solve them. This is like a brain storming session.
1) Taliban funded and supplied weapons by Pakistan's enemies
2) PPP let by Pakistan's most notorious gangster and his disco-dancing son who's the Life Chairmane
3) PML (Nawaz) led by Nawaz Sharif a large scale embezzler and corrupt billionare
4) ANP and their pro India ideology
5) MQM led by Altaf Hussain
6) Armed and violent gangs in Karachi, including Lyari and Sohrab Goth
7) Lack of education
8) Lack of science and technology
9) Lack of justice
10) Corrupt lawyers and judges
11) Corrupt and inefficient police
12) Corrupt bureaucracy
13) Lack of clean drinking water for the majority of the population
14) Lack of sanitation (no toilets)
15) Lack of food for poor people
16) Lack of jobs
17) One of the highest murder rates in the world, one of the lowest rate of catching the murderers
18) Ethnic hatred
19) Sectarian hatred
20) Surrounded by the worst enemies of Islam - America, Israel, Britain & India
21) A low intensity war being waged by the enemies against Pakistan
22) Lack of investment
23) An elite class that is pro-Western and totally alienated from Pakistani society, culture and values
24) Lack of unity or support from other Islamic countries
25) No consensus on a common language and the colonial English is the official language of Pakistan
26) Refusal to switch to Urdu for government, business, education, science and technology. Still using an alien language
27) Liberation movement in Baluchistan supported by America
28) A ruling class that is on the payroll of our enemy
29) Traitors all over the place who are getting paid by the CIA. Journalists, lawyers, NGOs etc
30) A vicious campaign in the international media depicting Pakistan as a failed state
31) A feudal class that treats their people as slaves
32) A military officer class that refuses to accept that America is the enemy
33) A big chunk of Pakistani territory (Kashmir) occupied by India
34) Pakistan's water being strangulated by India with illegal dams
35) Lack of electricity
36) Inability to develop consensus on building dams
37) Large provinces that cannot be controlled by the federal government
38) Large areas of the country that are not technically part of Pakistan - Kashmir, FATA, Northern Areas
39) Large areas of the country where the writ of the state does not apply
40) People's refusal to accept or follow laws - e.g. hardly anyone follows any law if they can get away with it
41) Traffic chaos
42) Tax evasion - 90%+ of the people don't pay any taxes
43) Very high tax rate for those who do pay taxes
44) The mullahs teach a narrow minded version of Islam that is responsible for destroying Muslim societies
45) Ignorant forms of Islam where people pray to dead pirs
46) Fake pirs etc who give out tavees, etc and exorcise jinns for a fees
47) Mullahs grabbing land illegally to build mosques
48) The tendency for people to vote for corrupt, failed, treacherous politicians
49) Land grabbing in the cities
50) Spread of illegal weapons throughout the country, especially the major cities
51) Availability of heavy weaponry to criminals
52) Stupid people firing in the air and killing dozens of people every year
53) Spread of drugs imported from American-occupied Afghanistan
54) Abuse of women in the society
55) Draconian restrictions placed on women
56) Lack of jobs for women forced to work
57) Existence of brothels all over the country
58) Abuse of runaway children in the cities by pedophiles
59) False flag attacks on other countries by enemy intelligence agencies that are blamed on Pakistan (Mumbai, London etc)
60) Maps published by American military showing their intention of breaking up Pakistan
61) Lack of trust of Pakistanis among Muslims in other countries
62) Lack of building codes because of which hundreds of thousands die whenever there's an earthquake
63) Shoddy built quality of most construction
64) Awful built quality of roads, bridges and other infrastructure that collapses the first time it rains
65) Marriage between cousins that causes genetic problems in children
66) Refusal of international tourists to come to Pakistan
67) Refusal of international companies to import from Pakistan
68) High interest rates that discourage investment
69) Low forex reserves
70) Low tax collection by government
71) Lack of quality standards in all walks of life leading to low quality products
72) Lack of garbage collection in most parts of the country, especially large cities
73) Lack of sewerage treatment and dumping untreated waste into rivers and the sea
74) Lack of reading books by the people - few books are sold in the country
75) Spread of Indian culture via film and television
76) Spread of Western culture via film and television
77) Rising divorce rate
78) Lack of health care
79) Lack of hospitals, clinics, doctors etc, especially in rural areas
80) Mixing of junk into food products by unscrupulous people
81) Failure to get rid of preventable diseases caused by garbage and filth, like malaria, typhoid etc
82) A very high rate of infant mortality
83) Western and Indian pornography being sold by video shops
84) Illegal sale and consumption of alcohol
85) A uncontrolled system of madrassas where children are taught an 800 year old syllabus
86) A British based education system that is only for the elite
87) Suicide bombers being produced on a large scale to attack and kill Pakistanis and Muslims
88) A military officer class that holds allegiance to British traditions
89) A hate for ones own culture and religion among the ruling class
90) The majority of the ruling class holding its assets in foreign banks
91) Capital flight - everyone who can sending their money abroad does so
92) Lack of trust in Allah and the teachings of the Quran
93) Bad pollution in cities
94) Lack of forest cover and uncontrolled cutting of trees
95) Population explosion
96) Apathy among the people because of which they tolerate all the problems
97) Brain Drain - Running away of the cream of the country to foreign countries
98) Out of control media that follows no rules
99) Easy ability of foreign enemies to spread anarchy in Pakistan
100) Fat actresses
While we can truthfully say that most countries have problems a lot of these I have listed here have been solved a long time ago and do not occur in successful, well managed countries. For example, while a country like Canada may have it's own unique problems it does not have the vast bulk of the 100 problems listed here.
The solution to the problems is very doable given the will.
I would like you people to point out more problems and we'll keep updating the list so that is has the top 100 issues. In last the election is knocking at the door of Pakistan on 11 May 2013 the question is who is going to win and that party can solve theses above 100 problems.... Vote Wisely this time..!!!
1) Taliban funded and supplied weapons by Pakistan's enemies
2) PPP let by Pakistan's most notorious gangster and his disco-dancing son who's the Life Chairmane
3) PML (Nawaz) led by Nawaz Sharif a large scale embezzler and corrupt billionare
4) ANP and their pro India ideology
5) MQM led by Altaf Hussain
6) Armed and violent gangs in Karachi, including Lyari and Sohrab Goth
7) Lack of education
8) Lack of science and technology
9) Lack of justice
10) Corrupt lawyers and judges
11) Corrupt and inefficient police
12) Corrupt bureaucracy
13) Lack of clean drinking water for the majority of the population
14) Lack of sanitation (no toilets)
15) Lack of food for poor people
16) Lack of jobs
17) One of the highest murder rates in the world, one of the lowest rate of catching the murderers
18) Ethnic hatred
19) Sectarian hatred
20) Surrounded by the worst enemies of Islam - America, Israel, Britain & India
21) A low intensity war being waged by the enemies against Pakistan
22) Lack of investment
23) An elite class that is pro-Western and totally alienated from Pakistani society, culture and values
24) Lack of unity or support from other Islamic countries
25) No consensus on a common language and the colonial English is the official language of Pakistan
26) Refusal to switch to Urdu for government, business, education, science and technology. Still using an alien language
27) Liberation movement in Baluchistan supported by America
28) A ruling class that is on the payroll of our enemy
29) Traitors all over the place who are getting paid by the CIA. Journalists, lawyers, NGOs etc
30) A vicious campaign in the international media depicting Pakistan as a failed state
31) A feudal class that treats their people as slaves
32) A military officer class that refuses to accept that America is the enemy
33) A big chunk of Pakistani territory (Kashmir) occupied by India
34) Pakistan's water being strangulated by India with illegal dams
35) Lack of electricity
36) Inability to develop consensus on building dams
37) Large provinces that cannot be controlled by the federal government
38) Large areas of the country that are not technically part of Pakistan - Kashmir, FATA, Northern Areas
39) Large areas of the country where the writ of the state does not apply
40) People's refusal to accept or follow laws - e.g. hardly anyone follows any law if they can get away with it
41) Traffic chaos
42) Tax evasion - 90%+ of the people don't pay any taxes
43) Very high tax rate for those who do pay taxes
44) The mullahs teach a narrow minded version of Islam that is responsible for destroying Muslim societies
45) Ignorant forms of Islam where people pray to dead pirs
46) Fake pirs etc who give out tavees, etc and exorcise jinns for a fees
47) Mullahs grabbing land illegally to build mosques
48) The tendency for people to vote for corrupt, failed, treacherous politicians
49) Land grabbing in the cities
50) Spread of illegal weapons throughout the country, especially the major cities
51) Availability of heavy weaponry to criminals
52) Stupid people firing in the air and killing dozens of people every year
53) Spread of drugs imported from American-occupied Afghanistan
54) Abuse of women in the society
55) Draconian restrictions placed on women
56) Lack of jobs for women forced to work
57) Existence of brothels all over the country
58) Abuse of runaway children in the cities by pedophiles
59) False flag attacks on other countries by enemy intelligence agencies that are blamed on Pakistan (Mumbai, London etc)
60) Maps published by American military showing their intention of breaking up Pakistan
61) Lack of trust of Pakistanis among Muslims in other countries
62) Lack of building codes because of which hundreds of thousands die whenever there's an earthquake
63) Shoddy built quality of most construction
64) Awful built quality of roads, bridges and other infrastructure that collapses the first time it rains
65) Marriage between cousins that causes genetic problems in children
66) Refusal of international tourists to come to Pakistan
67) Refusal of international companies to import from Pakistan
68) High interest rates that discourage investment
69) Low forex reserves
70) Low tax collection by government
71) Lack of quality standards in all walks of life leading to low quality products
72) Lack of garbage collection in most parts of the country, especially large cities
73) Lack of sewerage treatment and dumping untreated waste into rivers and the sea
74) Lack of reading books by the people - few books are sold in the country
75) Spread of Indian culture via film and television
76) Spread of Western culture via film and television
77) Rising divorce rate
78) Lack of health care
79) Lack of hospitals, clinics, doctors etc, especially in rural areas
80) Mixing of junk into food products by unscrupulous people
81) Failure to get rid of preventable diseases caused by garbage and filth, like malaria, typhoid etc
82) A very high rate of infant mortality
83) Western and Indian pornography being sold by video shops
84) Illegal sale and consumption of alcohol
85) A uncontrolled system of madrassas where children are taught an 800 year old syllabus
86) A British based education system that is only for the elite
87) Suicide bombers being produced on a large scale to attack and kill Pakistanis and Muslims
88) A military officer class that holds allegiance to British traditions
89) A hate for ones own culture and religion among the ruling class
90) The majority of the ruling class holding its assets in foreign banks
91) Capital flight - everyone who can sending their money abroad does so
92) Lack of trust in Allah and the teachings of the Quran
93) Bad pollution in cities
94) Lack of forest cover and uncontrolled cutting of trees
95) Population explosion
96) Apathy among the people because of which they tolerate all the problems
97) Brain Drain - Running away of the cream of the country to foreign countries
98) Out of control media that follows no rules
99) Easy ability of foreign enemies to spread anarchy in Pakistan
100) Fat actresses
While we can truthfully say that most countries have problems a lot of these I have listed here have been solved a long time ago and do not occur in successful, well managed countries. For example, while a country like Canada may have it's own unique problems it does not have the vast bulk of the 100 problems listed here.
The solution to the problems is very doable given the will.
I would like you people to point out more problems and we'll keep updating the list so that is has the top 100 issues. In last the election is knocking at the door of Pakistan on 11 May 2013 the question is who is going to win and that party can solve theses above 100 problems.... Vote Wisely this time..!!!
Jan 18, 2013
Woman World Cup 2013 Pakistan Woman's Team Has Thread
The BCCI has already apprised the International Cricket Council (ICC) of the situation prevailing in India following the killing of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistani Army and the game's governing body is expected to take a final decision soon.
With Mumbai Cricket Association making it clear that it would be difficult to host the matches involving Pakistani team in the city, the ICC may have to announce a new venue for the matches.
A day after all the nine Pakistani hockey players, taking part in the Hockey India League, were asked to return home, the fate of Pakistan's women cricket team continued to remain under a cloud with Mumbai and Ahmedabad refusing to host the matches.
Fearing that the matches could be disrupted, Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Zaka Ashraf had suggested to the ICC that the entire World Cup tournament should be shifted to South Africa.
"Women's World Cup is an ICC event and if the security is not good enough in India then the world governing body should consider shifting it to a neutral venue like South Africa or somewhere," he said.
"I would want to leave it ICC to decide. The entire tournament has to go to a neutral venue and a few matches cannot be shifted to another country and rest play somewhere.
If it happens in India then there should be proper security arrangement, otherwise it could be shifted to another venue," Ashraf said.
The MCA and local police authorities here suggested to the ICC that it would be better if matches involvingPakistan in the Women's Cricket World Cup are shifted out of the city.
According to MCA sources, this was done at a meeting held in the association's premises today involving an ICC representative, tournament director Suru Nayak, who is employed with the BCCI, a few top police officials and some MCA office bearers.
"It was told (to ICC representative) that adequate security could be provided to the women cricketers. But the public feeling on the issue was also conveyed and it was mentioned in the current scenario that it would be difficult to stop political parties (from protesting against Pakistan women's team) if the matches are held here," an MCA official told PTI.
"Nayak said that the ICC would be apprised of what took part in the meeting and they would take a call on the matter within 24 hours," he added.
Another MCA official said that there is specific threat of disruption of the matches from the Shiv Sena.
Yesterday the matter was discussed at the Board's all-powerful Working Committee meeting here and it was decided to convey to the ICC the situation prevailing in the country.
BCCI President N Srinivasan said the issue was now for the ICC to decide.
"We have informed the ICC about it. They will have to examine and take a view," he said after the meeting.
The Gujarat Cricket Association also refused to host the matches after it was approached by the BCCI.
"The BCCI had approached us asking whether Ahmedabad would be in a position to host the ICC Women's World Cup 2013.
But we have refused to host the matches here following rising tension at the border," GCA secretary Rajesh Patel told PTI.
"Whether to go ahead with the matches at the same venue or shift it to an alternate place will now be decided by the International Cricket Council and the Board of Control for Cricket in India," he added.
The BCCI had approached GCA with a "verbal" proposal whether it could host the Women's World Cup in Ahmedabad.
The eight-team Women's World Cup is scheduled to be held in Mumbai between January 31 and February 17 but there are concerns that there might be protests, leading to trouble.
The Wankhede Stadium, Cricket Club of India's Brabourne Stadium, the Mumbai Cricket Association's (MCA) Bandra-Kurla Complex ground and the MIG Club in Bandra are the venues for the Women's World Cup matches.
As per the schedule, Pakistan team is set to arrive in Mumbai on January 26 and will play their league games at the MCA ground.
Nov 11, 2012
Oct 22, 2012
Yash Chopra Over Baba Meher Uddin Death On Media Channels
لاهور واهگہ بارڈر پر روزانہ پاکستانی پرچم لهرانے والا محب وطن بابا مہر دین انتقال کر گیا اپنی
ساری زندگی پاکستان کے پرچم کے لئے وقف کی تھی لکن پاکستانی میڈیا کے لئے اس عظیم شخصیت کی کوئی اہمیت نہیں کیونکہ آج پاکستانی میڈیا کے ناجایز والد یش چوپڑا مر گئے اب ہماری میڈیا ایک ہفتے تک اپنے ناجایز والد کے موت کا ماتم منائیگی.
Mar 9, 2012
Rahul Dravid Announced Retirement From International Cricket
Master Blaster Cricketer Rahul Dravid Announced His Retirement...!!!
The Wall Retires!
Description:
Veteran Indian batsman Rahul Dravid announced his retirement from international cricket on Friday, ending a distinguished 16-year career.
"It is time to move on and let a new generation of players make their own history," Dravid, 39, told reporters at a crowded news conference in Bangalore.
The stylish batsman was the number two run-getter in Test cricket behind compatriot Sachin Tendulkar with 13,288 runs from 164 matches at an average of 52.31 with 36 centuries.
Dec 21, 2011
Islamic Modes Of Finance
Executive Summary
- Islamic finance modes are based on profit/loss sharing because of riba(interest) prohibition.
- Murabaha has been responsible since the 1970s for the employment of about 80–90% of Islamic banks’ resources. The bank provides commodities on a “cost plus profit” price formula to customers who pay back their debt in installments.
- Ijara ranks next in importance after murabaha and implies a promise by the bank (lessor) to gift or sell the leased asset at a nominal price to the lessee by the end of the leasing period.
- Diminishing musharaka is a new product whereby the bank provides capital to a customer or partner whose share in partnership is increased gradually by repaying the principal in installments, plus a share of therealized profits to the bank.
- Salam entitles instant cash to a bank customer against its commitment to deliver prescribed commodities at a future date. Parallel salam, on the other hand, is practiced by banks to hedge their salam operations.
- In istisna the bank finances the manufacturing of a commodity for a customer who pays its price in installments. It is practiced mostly in Gulf countries.
- Islamic financial institutions, in the form of the limited liability joint stock company, rely totally on “ordinary shares” for raising their capital.
- Multiple-party mudaraba has enabled Islamic banks to work as partner/investor on a profit/loss basis for large numbers of capital owners whose deposits take the form of investment accounts.
- Islamic financial institutions have recently extended their activities in capital markets, and sukuk (Islamic bonds) are playing an important role in mobilizing resources.
- Because of riba prohibition, securitization (for sukuk purposes) should neither include murabaha, istisna, and salam assets, which are debt arrangements, nor allow for guaranteed regular payment to sukuk holders. Yet although sukuk experience, has been successful in terms of resources mobilized, it shows deviation from these rules.
- If sukuk do not maintain strict shariah rules they are bound to be confused with conventional bonds.
Riba In Quran
1. First Revelation (Surah al-Rum, verse 39)“That which you give as interest to increase the peoples’ wealth increases not with God; but that which you give in charity, seeking the goodwill of God, multiplies manifold.” (30: 39)2. Second Revelation (Surah al-Nisa’, verse 161)“And for their taking interest even though it was forbidden for them, and their wrongful appropriation of other peoples’ property. We have prepared for those among them who reject faith a grievous punishment (4: 161)”3. Third Revelation (Surah Al ‘Imran, verses 130-2)
“O believers, take not doubled and redoubled interest, and fear God so that you may prosper. Fear the fire which has been prepared for those who reject faith, and obey God and the Prophet so that you may receive mercy.”Riba In Hadith1. From Jabir : The Prophet, , may cursed the receiver and the payer of interest, the one who records it and the two witnesses to the transaction and said: “They are all alike [in guilt].” (Muslim, Kitab al-Musaqat, Bab la’ni akili al-riba wa mu’kilihi; also in Tirmidhi and Musnad Ahmad)2. Jabir ibn ‘Abdallah , giving a report on the Prophet’s Farewell Pilgrimage, said: The Prophet, , addressed the people and said “All of the riba of Jahiliyyah is annulled. The first riba that I annul is our riba, that accruing to ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib [the Prophet's uncle]; it is being cancelled completely.” (Muslim, Kitab al-Hajj, Bab Hajjati al-Nabi, ; may also in Musnad Ahmad)3. From ‘Abdallah ibn Hanzalah : The Prophet, , said: “A dirham of riba which a man receives knowingly is worse than committing adultery thirty-six times” (Mishkat al-Masabih, Kitab al-Buyu’, Bab al-riba, on the authority of Ahmad and Daraqutni). Bayhaqi has also reported the above hadith in Shu’ab al-iman with the addition that “Hell befits him whose flesh has been nourished by the unlawful.”4. From Abu Hurayrah : The Prophet, , said: “On the night of Ascension I came upon people whose stomachs were like houses with snakes visible from the outside. I asked Gabriel who they were. He replied that they were people who had received interest.” (Ibn Majah, Kitab al-Tijarat, Bab al-taghlizi fi al-riba; also in Musnad Ahmad)Sharia: Islamic law. Islamic finance thus often is also called sharia-compliant finance.
Oct 14, 2011
Death Soul of Capitalism
ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (MarketWatch) -- Jack Bogle published "The Battle for the Soul of Capitalism" four years ago. The battle's over. The sequel should be titled: "Capitalism Died a Lost Soul." Worse, we've lost "America's Soul." And, worldwide, the consequences will be catastrophic.
That's why a man like Hong Kong contrarian economist Marc Faber warns in his Doom, Boom & Gloom Report: "The future will be a total disaster, with a collapse of our capitalistic system as we know it today."
No, not just another meltdown, another bear-market recession like the one recently triggered by Wall Street's too-greedy-to-fail banks. Faber is warning that the entire system of capitalism will collapse. Get it? The engine driving the great "American Economic Empire" for 233 years will collapse, a total disaster, a destiny we created.
OK, deny it. But I'll bet you have a nagging feeling that maybe he's right, that the end may be near. I have for a long time: I wrote a column back in 1997: "Battling for the Soul of Wall Street." My interest in "The Soul" -- what Jung called the "collective unconscious" -- dates back to my Ph.D. dissertation, "Modern Man in Search of His Soul," a title borrowed from Jung's 1933 book, "Modern Man in Search of a Soul." This battle has been on my mind since my days at Morgan Stanley 30 years ago, witnessing the decline.
Has capitalism lost its soul? Guys like Bogle and Faber sense it. Read more about the soul in physicist Gary Zukav's "The Seat of the Soul," Thomas Moore's "Care of the Soul" and sacred texts.
But for Wall Street and American capitalism, use your gut. You know something's very wrong: A year ago, too-greedy-to-fail banks were insolvent, in a near-death experience. Now, magically, they're back to business as usual, arrogant, pocketing outrageous bonuses while Main Street sacrifices, and unemployment and foreclosures continue rising as tight credit, inflation and skyrocketing federal debt are killing taxpayers.
Yes, Wall Street has lost its moral compass. It created the mess, but now, like vultures, Wall Streeters are capitalizing on the carcass. They have lost all sense of fiduciary duty, ethical responsibility and public obligation.
Here are the Top 20 reasons American capitalism has lost its soul:
1. Collapse is now inevitable
Capitalism has been the engine driving America and the global economies for over two centuries. Faber predicts its collapse will trigger global "wars, massive government-debt defaults, and the impoverishment of large segments of Western society." Faber knows that capitalism is not working, capitalism has peaked, and the collapse of capitalism is "inevitable."
When? He hesitates: "But what I don't know is whether this final collapse, which is inevitable, will occur tomorrow, or in five or 10 years, and whether it will occur with the Dow at 100,000 and gold at $50,000 per ounce or even confiscated, or with the Dow at 3,000 and gold at $1,000." But the end is inevitable, a historical imperative.
2. Nobody's planning for a 'Black Swan'
While the timing may be uncertain, the trigger is certain. Societies collapse because they fail to plan ahead, cannot act fast enough when a catastrophic crisis hits. Think "Black Swan" and read evolutionary biologist Jared Diamond's "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed."
A crisis hits. We act surprised. Shouldn't. But it's too late: "Civilizations share a sharp curve of decline. Indeed, a society's demise may begin only a decade or two after it reaches its peak population, wealth and power."
Warnings are everywhere. Why not prepare? Why sabotage our power, our future? Why set up an entire nation to fail? Diamond says: Unfortunately "one of the choices has depended on the courage to practice long-term thinking, and to make bold, courageous, anticipatory decisions at a time when problems have become perceptible but before they reach crisis proportions."
Sound familiar? "This type of decision-making is the opposite of the short-term reactive decision-making that too often characterizes our elected politicians," thus setting up the "inevitable" collapse. Remember, Greenspan, Bernanke, Bush, Paulson all missed the 2007-8 meltdown: It will happen again, in a bigger crisis.
3. Wall Street sacked Washington
Bogle warned of a growing three-part threat -- a "happy conspiracy" -- in "The Battle for the Soul of Capitalism:" "The business and ethical standards of corporate America, of investment America, and of mutual fund America have been gravely compromised."
But since his book, "Wall Street America" went over to the dark side, got mega-greedy and took control of "Washington America." Their spoils of war included bailouts, bankruptcies, stimulus, nationalizations and $23.7 trillion new debt off-loaded to the Treasury, Fed and American people.
Who's in power? Irrelevant. The "happy conspiracy" controls both parties, writes the laws to suit its needs, with absolute control of America's fiscal and monetary policies. Sorry Jack, but the "Battle for the Soul of Capitalism" really was lost.
4. When greed was legalized
Go see Michael Moore's documentary, "Capitalism: A Love Story." "Disaster Capitalism" author Naomi Klein recently interviewed Moore in The Nation magazine: "Capitalism is the legalization of this greed. Greed has been with human beings forever. We have a number of things in our species that you would call the dark side, and greed is one of them. If you don't put certain structures in place or restrictions on those parts of our being that come from that dark place, then it gets out of control."
Greed's OK, within limits, like the 10 Commandments. Yes, the soul can thrive around greed, if there are structures and restrictions to keep it from going out of control. But Moore warns: "Capitalism does the opposite of that. It not only doesn't really put any structure or restrictions on it. It encourages it, it rewards" greed, creating bigger, more frequent bubble/bust cycles.
It happens because capitalism is now in "the hands of people whose only concern is their fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders or to their own pockets." Yes, greed was legalized in America, with Wall Street running Washington.
5. Triggering the end of our 'life cycle'
Like Diamond, Faber also sees the historical imperative: "Every successful society" grows "out of some kind of challenge." Today, the "life cycle" of capitalism is on the decline.
He asks himself: "How are you so sure about this final collapse?" The answer: "Of all the questions I have about the future, this is the easiest one to answer. Once a society becomes successful it becomes arrogant, righteous, overconfident, corrupt, and decadent ... overspends ... costly wars ... wealth inequity and social tensions increase; and society enters a secular decline." Success makes us our own worst enemy.
Quoting 18th century Scottish historian Alexander Fraser Tytler: "The average life span of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years" progressing from "bondage to spiritual faith ... to great courage ... to liberty ... to abundance ... to selfishness ... to complacency ... to apathy ... to dependence and ... back into bondage!"
Where is America in the cycle? "It is most unlikely that Western societies, and especially the U.S., will be an exception to this typical 'society cycle.' ... The U.S. is somewhere between the phase where it moves 'from complacency to apathy' and 'from apathy to dependence.'"
In short, America is a grumpy old man with hardening of the arteries. Our capitalism is near the tipping point, unprepared for a catastrophe, set up for collapse and rapid decline.
15 more clues capitalism lost its soul ... is a disaster waiting to happen
Much more evidence litters the battlefield:
- Wall Street wealth now calls the shots in Congress, the White House
- America's top 1% own more than 90% of America's wealth
- The average worker's income has declined in three decades while CEO compensation exploded over ten times
- The Fed is now the 'fourth branch of government' operating autonomously, secretly printing money at will
- Since Goldman and Morgan became bank holding companies, all banks are back gambling with taxpayer bailout money plus retail customer deposits
- Bill Gross warns of a "new normal" with slow growth, low earnings and stock prices
- While the White House's chief economist retorts with hype of a recovery unimpeded by the "new normal"
- Wall Street's high-frequency junkies make billions trading zombie stocks like AIG, FNMA, FMAC that have no fundamental value beyond a Treasury guarantee
- 401(k)s have lost 26.7% of their value in the past decade
- Oil and energy costs will skyrocket
- Foreign nations and sovereign funds have started dumping dollars, signaling the end of the dollar as the world's reserve currency
- In two years federal debt exploded from $11.2 to $23.7 trillion
- New financial reforms will do little to prevent the next meltdown
- The "forever war" between Western and Islamic fundamentalists will widen
- As will environmental threats and unfunded entitlements
"America Capitalism" is a "Lost Soul" ... we've lost our moral compass ... the coming collapse is the end of an "inevitable" historical cycle stalking all great empires to their graves. Downsize your lifestyle expectations, trust no one, not even media.
Faber is uncertain about timing, we are not. There is a high probability of a crisis and collapse by 2012. The "Great Depression 2" is dead ahead. Unfortunately, there's absolutely nothing you can do to hide from this unfolding reality or prevent the rush of the historical imperative.
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