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SOUND OFF: WORLD VIEWS AND THE EMPOWERMENT FACTOR

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Continuing an overview of Corporate Personhood from previous posts

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 We will look at Ralph Nader's perspective on " a jolting update and call-to-action for urgent redirections away from the secretive, proprietary corporate science/technology that serves the narrow intersects of short-term commercialism at the expense of humans and broader global values.

Piercing the Technology Bubble

Published on Saturday, October 25, 2014 by Common Dreams article by Ralph Nader

This weekend, October 25 and 26, I will be joining leading critics, from the United States and abroad, of corporate-controlled technologies, who are also proponents of appropriate technologies for the people (Vandana Shiva, Anuradha Mittal, Helen Caldicott, Wes Jackson, Bill McKibben), convening at the historic Cooper Union Great Hall on “Techno-Utopianism and the Fate of the Earth”. The speakers are highly knowledgeable. Some of their prior warnings were ignored by policy makers. Unfortunately, many of these warnings were, in retrospect, understatements. The chief organizer of this gathering is Jerry Mander who heads the International Forum on Globalization (see IFG.org for the entire list of programs). In 1996, Mander and Edward Goldsmith brought together several prominent writers to contribute essays to the book titled The Case Against the Global Economy.

These analysts made predictions about the damaging effects of relentlessly single-minded corporate power and their corporate-managed trade agreements like the WTO (World Trade Organization) under President Bill Clinton and the newly ratified NAFTA. Eighteen years ago, these chapters seemed provocative and extreme to knee-jerk “free traders.” Reading these essays now, with knowledge of the subsequent effects of these agreements on workers, education, culture, energy, environment, media, food supply, pharmaceuticals, land use, the patenting of life forms, developmental colonialism and democratic processes, makes the book prophetic. Eighteen years ago, many wrote off this book as an exaggeration, when in fact it underestimated the damage to people of various economic statuses from both developing and developed countries caused by unbridled corporatism.

William Greider’s chapter, titled “Citizen GE,” remains one of the most brilliant succinct overviews of a global company’s avaricious reach ever written. The book moves into proposals for “relocalization” of economic systems, currencies, communities and agriculture. Mr. Mander views this weekend’s conference as a jolting update and call-to-action for urgent redirections away from the secretive, proprietary corporate science/technology that serves the narrow intersects of short-term commercialism at the expense of humans and broader global values.

The corporate giants intent on domination through governmental proxies, shared monopoly power and propaganda, are not what the philosopher/mathematician Alfred North Whitehead had in mind when he said that a great society is one in which “its men of business think greatly of their functions.” For the corporate bosses, no matter how evident the stunning unintended consequences of their dominion, still march to the imperatives of quarterly earnings, stock prices and executive bonuses. With such narrowly based yardsticks to measure their success, it is no wonder that the global corporations today, such as energy, drugs, “defense,” banking, mining etc. – are power-concentrating machines driven to defeat, diminish or co-opt any forces advancing contrary civic, political or economic values.

One of the least noticed, uneven struggles is that between corporate science and academic science. Unlike academic science, corporate science is not peer-reviewed, except by the ruse of some well-compensated and corrupted academic scientists – a practice known to both the tobacco and drug industries. Corporate science is secretive (aka proprietary), politically-empowered and intensely media-promoted. It is intrinsically linked to protecting and promoting commercially profitable pursuits that are often hazardous or harmful to people and the environment.

An example is Monsanto Corporation, which encompasses a global drive to use patent monopolies and political influence to change the nature of nature. Monsanto’s unlabeled, genetically engineered crops are widely unregulated, as noted by Scientific American, which said: “Unfortunately, it is impossible to verify that genetically modified crops perform as advertised. That is because agritech companies have given themselves veto power over the work of independent researchers” (July 20, 2009).

Thus, corporate science is largely immunized from proper public accountability. This leads to rapid engineering applications without the rigorous testing and peer-reviewing process required by its more moral counterpart, academic science. It is these rapid engineering deployments, as well as their misapplication and public propaganda that the Cooper Union convocation seeks to address. There is a precedent for this work. The polluting internal combustion engine was rarely challenged until the nineteen-sixties when a Caltech scientist connected its emissions to smog.

A major part of the Cooper Union conference on “Techno-Utopianism and the Fate of the Earth” will relate to what Mr. Mander calls “Which Way Out? Ingredients of Change.” Interestingly, there is no panel or topic focusing on the fundamental reality that there is no ethical or legal framework within which these technologies must operate. Consider GMO seeds, nanotechnology, weaponized drones, synthetic biology, medical robotics, weapons systems, surveillance devices and more! Where is the regulatory law? Where is the civic discussion of what these “machines” and technology portend for our societal and moral values?

There will be numerous presentations that urge local self-reliance, community businesses, “Indigenous Values and the Rights of Nature,” “True Cost Accounting,” and “Steady State Economics.” But there are limits to the efforts of individuals who promote local self-reliance in the civic sector. Mundane obstacles, such as Congress, cannot be ignored. The governmental arm of giant corporatism and its influence on our indentured politicians stifles initiatives to displace commercialism and corporate power.

There is no substitute for the much-needed political mobilization of the people in every congressional district to expand proven local efforts and spark a national discussion and transformation of our presently inverted priorities and plutocratic dominations (see IFG.org). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License

Ralph Nader is a consumer advocate, lawyer, and author. His latest book is The Seventeen Solutions: Bold Ideas for Our American Future. Other recent books include, The Seventeen Traditions: Lessons from an American Childhood, Getting Steamed to Overcome Corporatism: Build It Together to Win, and "Only The Super-Rich Can Save Us"(a novel).

Ah, but for the varieties of frequency ....

Found on Tumbler

Ah, but for the varieties of frequency ....

from which even space and time cannot escape …

Is This Proof of Heaven? A Brain Neurosurgeon's Journey Into the Afterlife (LARGER REALITY - a more modern term)

      Is This Proof of Heaven? A Brain Neurosurgeon's Journey Into the Afterlife    (added note -LARGER REALITY - a more modern term)



 By Steven Bancarz| Do we have a soul? Is there life after death?  In a society where science and empirical testing have taken over as =the only was to test for truth, the idea of there being a life after death is sometimes thought of as wishful thinking.  The afterlife, however, is something that has been experienced by countless people since recorded history who have returned to tell their tales, with the most noteworthy account experienced first-hand by Harvard trained brain neurosurgeon of 25 years, Dr. Eben Alexander. - See more at: http://www.spiritscienceandmetaphysics.com/proof-of-heaven-a-neurosurgeons-journey-into-the-afterlife/#sthash.oLeL7Xs2.dpuf

  Repost  Peter Jocis via Spirit Science

I confess, my personal confirmation of the following points (three month full effect) during my junior year at FIT, without NDE, with the added benefits of near weightlessness and minimal (1-2hr) sleep requirement.

• The experience of the LARGER Reality (afterlife-misnomer) was so “real” and expansive that the experience of living as a human on Earth seemed like an artificial dream by comparison.
• The fabric of the LARGER Reality (afterlife-misnomer) was pure LOVE. Love dominated the afterlife to such a huge degree that the overall presence of evil was infinitesimally small. If you wish to know the Universe, know Love. 
• In the LARGER Reality (afterlife-misnomer), all communication was telepathic. There was no need for spoken words, nor even any separation between the self and everything else happening around you. All the questions you asked in your mind were immediately answered to you telepathically as well.

Plato's allegory of the Cave describes the experience well, including the initial visual effect of one's return to the darkness of the cave from the light outside, 'blinded by the light, attempting to explain what one saw" .... The Monroe Institute stands foremost with experiential and exploratory evidence of our expanding window to reality.

 

The mind stretched by personal experience can never go back to old, contemporary beliefs..................and unfortunately, I stand firm on the dangerous scientific stagnation (cancerous blockage threat in process and looming) resulting from obstruction of the normal process of evolutionary energy definitions and applications.    http://exploringenergyevolution.blogspot.com   

Aiding, Abetting, Assisting Terrorists in Bringing this Country Down?

What part of the repeating “LORD & SERF” culture, prehistoric economic definition, and economic abuse, is NOT understood by the act of fully supporting (in the majority) the spectacular widening wealth gap, as many American children now go hungry, on top of the growing numbers unable to afford higher education, as their parents continue to lose their homes to forclosure?

How the wealth gap is damaging the U.S. economy

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-the-wealth-gap-is-damaging-the-u-s-economy/

• Capitalism’s EVEN Deeper Problems:
• HALF-BAKED BIG IDEAS AND INNOVATION – DARE WE LOOK AT THE DEFINITION OF PROFIT?
• Ivory Tower’s Massive Disconnect with Reality

The scientific and economic paradigm needs to be revisited for survival course correction.

THE ROOT CAUSE of the majority of our contemporary issues – from global warming, to pollution, to poverty and economic divide/corruption, to traffic nightmares – falls on our narrow and stagnant concept of energy, specifically E=MC2, whose blindness permits unsustainable economic parameters,  with massive imposing limits.  Exploring Energy Evolution

 Our countless individual uniqueness and passions can only be as good as the foundation of reality and belief we stand upon, represented by our scientific foundation. Escape to Trivia will not help.

The consequences of building upon a false, inadequate, misleading, suppressed “need to know” scientific foundation was quite adequately portrayed in the simplified 'three little pigs' story in our kindergarten years.

 

  Greed at a Glance.

      

 Review history to recall the consequences of Escape.

 

 Living Economies: We humans have a brief window of opportunity to navigate the passage from a 5,000 year Era of Empire characterized by domination and violence against life to an Era of Earth Community characterized by peaceful partnership. This passage to a new level of species maturity promises a more secure and fulfilling life for all. … more

   

 Imagine an economy in which life is valued more than money and power resides with ordinary people who care about one another, their community, and their natural environment. Welcome to the New Economy. It is possible.

Only with a firm and adequate scientific foundation can we invoke the qualities of a game changer, and realize our ability and responsibility to take action against those systems and ideas that no longer allow humans the freedom to flourish. http://exploringenergyevolution.blogspot.com/2014/06/energy-evolution-after-pyramids_30.html 

Occupy the Present - the past is oil history

Peter Jocis  - 

Occupy the Present - the past is oil history: Clarifying the elementary views on Black Holes, Singularity, and the idle Standard Model.
http://theempowermentfactor.wordpress.com/2014/06/10/occupy-the-present-the-past-is-oil-history/

More:  http://exploringenergyevolution.blogspot.com/ 

Crunch time for physics: What's next?

Crunch time for physics: What's next? (New Scientist)

Editor’s note: Try the options in the previous post Beyond Light – The "flat" science view can easily be upgraded with the curvature addition - a radius of curvature of all natural law.  

At minimum, at least there is some consensus on acknowledging the current stalemate in the standard model of physics. 

(Image: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/GettyImages) 

http://www.newscientist.com/special/physics-crunch
"There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now" was supposedly a common refrain among late-Victorian scientists – shortly before quantum theory and Einstein’s relativity overturned everything. 

There is no such arrogance today. Relativity has produced a supremely accurate model of the cosmos, but to make it work we must supplement the universe we do see with myriad others that we don't. 

Last year’s discovery of the Higgs boson capped decades of sculpting quantum theory into the standard model of particle physics – yet it, too, is found wanting. Meanwhile, melding the two pillars of 20th-century physics into one "theory of everything" remains a dream. 

It may once again be time for a radical rethink, starting with the most fundamental question of all…

MATHEMATICS

The roots of reality?

What makes us so sure that mathematics can reveal nature's deepest workings, asks cosmologist Brian Greene

Read more

BIG BANG COSMOLOGY

The dark void at the universe's heart

Our established picture of the universe is supremely successful – maybe because most of it is completely made up, saysStephen Battersby
Read more

STANDARD MODEL

Higgs smashes into a dead end

The discovery of the Higgs boson completed the most precise scientific model in history – and that's where the problems start, says Matthew Chalmers
Read more

THEORIES OF EVERYTHING

Desperately seeking everything

An ultimate theory that unifies all of physics seems as far away as ever – but that doesn't mean we should stop chasing the dream, says Michael Brooks
Read more

Price Gouging: The Incredible Helplessness of the Consumer

Price Gouging: The Incredible Helplessness of the Consumer

The Helplessness is a Two Edged Sword

• Divided we fall
• Our bread and butter stems solely from supporting the ‘economic/corporate system’ we work for – we willingly cut our own economic throats for paychecks.

The iconic dragon eating its own tail is more than a metaphor; it reflects historic economic errors. Initially mass production drastically reduced costs of products previously hand made/custom built. Today, mass production accounts only for costs/budget cuts toward increasing profit; it no longer affects the price, whose dependency now rests only upon manipulated market demand.  

Additional considerations: From the elimination of durable goods - products that lasted a lifetime - to quadruple priced, exquisitely shiny, six month lifespan substitutes………………to ‘lifelike’, size enhanced  packaging, only a quarter to half full of product, triple the price of previous, dull, but full packages. (imagine the promotions and salary increases for these ideas).

The 10 Food Items Seeing The Largest Price Hikes

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/05/15/food-price-hikes_n_5329627.html

Editor's note: From cattle trail drives of old, to massive, colossal, enormous, gigantic concentrated mass production with unprecedented cost savings is the reason for price hikes ….go consumer go, go, go!

65 miles wide and 163 miles long

About 93 per cent of the grocery items that comprise StatsCan’s basket used to compile the rate of inflation each month have risen, with most jumping by double digits, according to StatsCan data from March 2010 to March 2014. Consumers are paying at least 20 per cent more than they were in 2010 for each of the items on the list of top 10 foods with the biggest price jumps.

Editor's Note ………………. the largest cattle ranch in the United States, measuring 65 miles wide and 163 miles long. .... You can smell greeley, Colorado, long before you can see it.

Coming down the pipe in the gas arena

Highest Gas Prices: Countries

Norway reclaims the top spot from Turkey this quarter for the world's most expensive gasoline

Rank	Country	Price of one gallon of regular gasoline	Per capita daily income	Pain at the pumpi	Daily per capita consumption of gasoline	Percentage of income spent on gasoline
1	Norwayt	$10.08	$288.98	3.49%	0.24gal	0.84%
2	Turkeyt	9.55	30.78	31.02	0.03	0.86
3	Netherlandst	8.89	131.76	6.74	0.24	1.65
4	Italyt	8.61	93.24	9.24	0.17	1.56
5	Greecet	8.30	59.30	14.00	0.32	4.48
6	Portugalt	8.27	56.68	14.58	0.13	1.87
7	Francet	8.13	117.81	6.90	0.12	0.83
8	Hong Kongt	8.11	106.29	7.63	0.05	0.40
9	Swedent	8.10	164.44	4.93	0.40	1.97
10	Belgiumt	8.05	125.17	6.43	0.15	0.98
10	Finlandt	8.05	133.44	6.04	0.30	1.84
12	Germanyt	8.01	120.58	6.64	0.24	1.57
13	Denmarkt	7.92	160.73	4.92	0.28	1.36
14	Israelt	7.86	88.35	8.89	0.32	2.89
15	Irelandt	7.79	132.14	5.89	0.32	1.86
16	United Kingdomt	7.75	104.11	7.44	0.24	1.77
17	Sloveniat	7.39	62.07	11.91	0.27	3.23
18	Slovakiat	7.31	49.56	14.76	0.11	1.65
19	Maltat	7.27	60.80	11.95	0.15	1.83
20	Switzerlandt	7.25	220.47	3.29	0.39	1.30
21	Spaint	7.00	82.49	8.48	0.12	1.02
22	Hungaryt	6.91	36.56	18.89	0.13	2.53
23	Czech Republict	6.84	52.72	12.97	0.17	2.15
24	Austriat	6.80	136.56	4.98	0.21	1.05
25	Cyprust	6.78	72.10	9.41	0.35	3.29
26	Croatiat	6.70	37.41	17.91	0.14	2.59
27	Luxembourgt	6.51	307.22	2.12	0.68	1.43
28	New Zealandt	6.50	112.01	5.80	0.51	2.96
29	Latviat	6.49	41.88	15.50	0.12	1.83
30	Lithuaniat	6.44	42.08	15.31	0.06	0.89
30	South Koreat	6.44	68.63	9.38	0.16	1.51
32	Bulgariat	6.40	20.77	30.83	0.08	2.39
33	Romaniat	6.35	24.04	26.41	0.07	1.73
34	Singaporet	6.33	142.96	4.43	0.17	0.76
35	Polandt	6.28	35.82	17.53	0.11	1.89
36	Chilet	6.22	44.58	13.95	0.14	2.00
37	Estoniat	6.10	49.39	12.35	0.20	2.49
38	Japant	5.90	110.80	5.32	0.33	1.76
39	Brazilt	5.58	33.67	16.57	0.08	1.40
40	Argentinat	5.38	32.93	16.35	0.10	1.62
41	Australiat	5.30	188.87	2.80	0.61	1.72
42	South Africat	4.94	19.88	24.85	0.17	4.25
43	Indiat	4.74	4.36	108.65	0.01	1.26
44	Philippinest	4.71	7.99	58.96	0.03	1.73
45	Canadat	4.67	143.10	3.27	0.93	3.03
45	Chinat	4.67	18.16	25.71	0.05	1.30
47	Thailandt	4.65	18.01	25.84	0.08	1.94
48	Colombiat	4.52	22.57	20.03	0.06	1.14
49	Pakistant	3.87	3.59	108.01	0.01	1.37
50	United Statest	3.66	140.41	2.60	1.22	3.18
51	Indonesiat	3.62	10.46	34.60	0.08	2.67
52	Mexicot	3.43	30.11	11.38	0.28	3.18
53	Russiat	3.39	42.88	7.90	0.23	1.82
54	Malaysiat	2.31	29.99	7.69	0.31	2.37
55	Nigeriat	2.27	4.59	49.51	0.04	1.76
56	Irant	2.16	15.25	14.15	0.22	3.18
57	United Arab E…t	1.77	177.48	1.00	0.46	0.46
58	Egyptt	1.00	8.62	11.63	0.06	0.75
59	Kuwaitt	0.80	122.15	0.65	0.83	0.54
60	Saudi Arabiat	0.45	68.94	0.66	0.64	0.42
61	Venezuelat	0.04	31.58	0.13	0.40	0.05