[MD] French ingredient in the soup of sentiments

[Heather Perella]

Hello Platt and others,

     Platt I was reading some of the headlines found
on the internet to try and understand what is going on
in France.  One yahoo article mentioned Britain,
Germany, and Italy are faced with job security
problems as well.  This all sounds far too familiar. 
The U.S. job security is headlined on the news with
the whole outsourcing issue and the failing education
system in this country so innovation is on the decline
to replace the outsourcing.  Yet, the U.S.
unemployment rate is low so are the ups and down of
the stock market emotional felt by all directly or
indirectly spreading fear and contentment, fear and
contentment over and over again?  There are some real
issues at stake, I guess, from some of the articles I
did leisurely read.  
     An interesting intellectual article (4th one
cited below) that puts debate on the forefront and has
a wide perspective on possible events due to
competition for low wages (cheap labour) and the value
in the stock market as opposed to the wage earner was
something I considered interesting, on a subject that
we all may not truly have a hold of.  This article
spoke of values and how there are different kinds of
capitalist ventures.  It would be easier to read that
article than have me explain it.  It does mention the
Luddite position and I looked that term up on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite and found this to
be a non-contrary position.  The dynamic free market
was on the horizon and thus, touching the countryside
and the Luddite's held to their old static ways. 
Could the French be Luddite's or contraries?  I don't
know.
     The world does seem to be relying on the U.S.
model of capitalism according to the article mentioned
in the last paragraph.  Yet, the recent model has
become a CEO interest of $ gains and values, as
opposed to investors.  A John Bogle said:  "Capitalism
is a scheme of free markets and, as I point out in my
new book, of trusting and of being trusted. But our
capitalistic scheme in the latter years of the 20th
century seems to have lost its way. We've had a
"pathalogical change" from traditional owners
capitalism where most of the rewards have gone to
those who make the investments and assume the risks to
a new -- and deeply flawed -- system of managers
capitalism where the managers of our corporations our
investment system, and our mutual funds are simply
take too large a share of the returns generated by our
corporations and mutual funds leaving the last line
investors -- pension beneficiaries and mutual fund
owners -- at the bottom of the food chain. That is
what has to be fixed."  He was mentioned in that 4th
article and his book was mentioned as well.  I did not
read his book, nor probably will I, yet, he may
something more about this than I  noticing his
background.  By the way this quote from him was found
on the 5th cited source below.
     It's amazing how economics (differing from
subsistence is my clarification) is such a core issue
in most parts of the world today.  Every political
office race has this at the forefront of issues to
tackle.  This just shows how much of our lives are
weighed by economics.  Ethics, family values, trout
streams (buying a license), tourism, etc... are
linked, pulled and pushed by this force in monetary
cultures.  This is just a comment not an objection or
defiance.  I say this because I know I have spoken
about my family, bows and arrows, fishing and walking
in the woods (which I am about to do here shortly).  I
guess my position is I don't won't to loss these
quality moments from my experience.  I don't want to
become side-tracked too far off-course from the values
I hold near and dear to me.  And to use the new
initials I learned recently, these values are IMHO,
good quality values to have.  

     The beauty inclined to be as walking in the woods
allows.  Comfortably contemplative this humanly
experience of life shall have.  Unsheltered, wild,
intellectually charged walkabout, artfully social
experience is alive and well.  The birds will soon
have a conversion with me and maybe some squirrels
will socialize in their wildly, proper ways.  Quiet
tales to be sensed and made aware as this earth and
sky is met by us all.

SA 


Sources cited:

     1.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060329/ap_on_re_eu/europe_job_security_1;_ylt=AjpO_uA3bt_A4IVQ3WaJPBDgelIB;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl
 

     2.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0329/p06s01-woeu.html

     3.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/03/29/wfran129.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/03/29/ixnewstop.html

     4.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/03/29/news/edpfaff.php

     5. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/02/17/DI2006021701382.html?nav=rss_business/international

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com