Permanent Infrastructure of working-knowledge

I believe humanity can ill afford the waste associated with the perishable nature of its human resources that take with them all that is invested in them by their societies, communities, families and businesses. The concept of insurance,only restores the monetary value of the assets but does nothing to replace the lost opportunity costs. Hence humanity needs a permanent infrastructure of working-knowledge that can survive any and all disasters and keep-on providing returns on all the investments made throughout the human history. Is it possible to build such an infrastructure? How much will it cost? Do we have the resources to do so? It is surprisingly simple to do so. Watch this video and then click on the links provided there-in to get more information.

Is the Humanity divisible into the Sane or the Insane?

Sanity Vs Insanity

Terrorism is not a new political movement. Since, it has no allegiance to any philosophy it is only a disruptive endeavor. It does not communicate any messages, neither does it provide any solutions nor does it provide any outcome to anyone, except – perhaps, employment for the employment sake, alone. It can only be classified as a deranged human activity, similar to those we encounter in nature such as a disease, a plague or many other natural calamities.

It is fruitless to fight such an enemy. We may never be able to prevent it, but, we can take action to protect ourselves from it, so that its impact is minimal and never too long-lasting. We need to cultivate the resources to help the humanity with its aftermath, not unlike, how we deal with a hurricane, a tsunami or a plague. Catching the perpetrators is merely catching the carriers of the deceases without leading to the root-causes of a disease.

Human mind which is a product of the biological nature is a complicated mechanism. It can justify any activity without the need of a logical explanation or even a reasoned hypothesis. Terrorism falls in that unusual category of human activity that is illogical, baseless and fruitless as well. Nevertheless humanity is incapable of stopping such activities like those of the others we encounter in the nature that I have mentioned.

Both the legitimate governments and the rebels seem to become victims to the belief that violence against humanity will solve any of their problems. Such a belief, leads them to terrorize their own or the other citizens of the world. To bring sanity to these first victims of a baseless- belief is more difficult than bringing a cure to an alcoholic or a drug addict. Mental derangement, whatever the cause, is impossible to detect in a timely manner to help either the first victims (the perpetrators) or the secondary ones who are at the receiving end of such violence. I could only urge the mentally healthy to stop using threats against the perpetrators as if it would make any sense to them. Nor could it help the secondary victims (the innocent public at the receiving end of this brutality) by praising their indomitable resilience or their ability and courage to cope. Insanity of all kinds is better handled in clinics rather than through the police investigations. Police investigations may find the perpetrator's minions but not the insane that start the insanity. The insane among us are more likely to hide in the open, under the various garbs of respectability and reason; never to be suspected of such a vice as that of being the cause of the humanity's sufferings.

Finding any disease's root cause involves painstaking research and millions, if not billons of public treasure. In a like manner, finding the insane through the acts of insanity of the perpetrators will take lots of research into the collective workings of our thought processes to arrive at that kernel of truth that was misinterpreted and caused its damages.

I am not holding out much promise, since humanity is still in its infancy of becoming civilized. It will take decades if not centuries or even millions of centuries before we will know the sane from the insane at the very outset; to be able to prevent these willful crimes against humanity with which we have become so accustomed to and are often expected to take it on our stride.

People are the real wealth of any nation (Human Development - Eradication of Extreme Poverty)

HDR.UNDP 2010 informs that the world leaders have set a goal to eradicate poverty among the humanity by this decade. According to the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) the five missing dimensions of data are: Quality of Work, Empowerment, Physical Safety, ability to go about without shame and psychological well-being. In addition, the Multidimensional Poverty index includes the ten indicators that make up the three dimensions of the Human Development (HDR). One of the indicators is the assets that are at the disposal of the poor. The inequality index provides a measure of this component and is very easily correctable, if we provide a share-of-the-ownership in the global economy to all of the global poor by a weighted proportion in their favor; by the amount of the inequality measured to make-up for that disadvantage. The global economy is powered by the needs and the wants of all of the people of the earth; including those that are sick, un and/or under-educated etc.,; as they provide the markets the global economy is striving to serve and attain the economic growth all the leaders are seeking. If the UNDP provides this in-sight and solution to the global leaders and the economists that measure and forecast our economic futures, then, it will go a long way in speeding-up the economic recovery of the deficit-troubled states, the countries and their governments.

Black Money

Black money


Black money , its origins and its role in the financial history are legendary and known to humanity from the very beginnings of commerce. Here are some interesting facts:

It is estimated to run in to a trillion or more American dollars in equivalent value.It is used by princes and paupers alike. It is created and used to fund clandestine operations.

Having become aware of its presence, and more importantly, of its corrupt influence on the various aspects of humanity, it has become necessary now to deal with this question in a way that will provide answers to all that have a stake in its resolution.

Since, illegality is the origin of this practice; the answers cannot and should not reward the guilty. So, at the very outset, let us all be very clear about this fact. No guilty will or should go unpunished. The second aspect of this money is that it is not unique to our times, one country or to any one group or another. The solution to this issue is very simple, like all the elegant solutions are. Essentially, a black money is stolen money. By virtue of its stealth, it claims its value to be equal to that of the real money, which is hutzpah of some magnitude. A stolen property, if brought to the market will need fake certificates of authenticity to make it salable.

In the same way, black money to buy anything with it needs appearances of authenticity. Usually, it is in the high and the mighty places that such authenticity is presumed to exist. So it is that with the connivance of the powerful and the mighty that the black money exists.

So it is that, with only an equally powerful and mighty institution can, a duel in this contest between the illegality and the legality take place. Such a duel, when conducted needs to be transparent, continuous, and ethical; and above all- needs to be beyond any reproach.

The so called, free markets have gained some reputation among the economists and among the general public. So, what better way is there than turning loose this free market approach to this black money issue? It is not that different than what a brand name product such a Rolex watch that has several fake/imitation Rolexes being sold on the sidewalks of any large city. Doesn’t the sidewalk hawker know the consequences of his/her action? Isn’t there well-oiled machinery behind its origins and presence?

Isn’t the brand name affected by its obvious blatant abuse? What timidity? Shouldn’t someone be held responsible? Doesn’t the buyer of the product feel shame? It is the vanity, someone would say, that is behind this fake products market. It is in the nature of the humans to be vain.

Black money suffers from all of these baggage and more. And yet, it is created, marketed and sustained by the vain and the ignorant. It is to the human nature that we can ascribe this grand larceny and theft. So, should we not do anything? Is ignoring the problem make it go away? Well, law makers all over the world have done that over many a centuries and then some. The fake products market has seen lax and strict enforcements over many a regime. But those who deal in them know when to go underground and when to surface all with the connivance of both the high and the mighty as also the very ordinary vain.

So, what is this very elegant and simple solution that I mentioned before?

The very elegant and simple solution I propose is that let us create and sustain a scientific and open market for the vain and cater to the vanity, just as we cater to the virtuous, the fallen and the sinners.

Let the black money compete with the legal tender to see if it can survive. Let the currency traders open a window for black money, under the foreign currency act of their central banks/currency boards and find out how much of a supply is there and how much is the demand? Are there benefits to avoiding taxes and creating black money? Is the value destroyed (legality lost) made up in any other benefit/fashion? Can the black money match the returns of its legal tender? It is to bridge this major gap, which the black money parades/flaunts, by glamorizing; it’s so called “influence” pedaling capacity. Once, if someone is in bed with you, then, you can blackmail them to your advantage – at least so the argument goes to favor the creation of that black money. Once, the central bankers/currency boards, open up the counters and start making a market for those fallen and trapped, then, the black-mail component of the black money value will steadily drop to zero. There will be a way out, with of course, a very hefty cost for having had to learn a lesson; but, definitely better than being in an uncomfortable bed forever.

If the central bankers/currency boards and their sovereign states buy this argument, then, of course we can discuss all other aspects of this elegant and simple solution, which could restore the justice, mercy and create the restitution regime to win the legal duel without any bloodshed but with appropriate penalty for having battled and lost.

In India, there a movement to get rid of corruption and black money by starting a satyagraha (fast until death or agreement to take action). Will such a movement succeed ?

VivekaJyoti: With Congress politicians deeply involved in stashing money secretly abroad, could this UPA regime be expected to reveal any real details?

VivekaJyoti: With Congress politicians deeply involved in stashing money secretly abroad, could this UPA regime be expected to reveal any real details?

BALA SUBRAMANIAN on the Behance Network

BALA SUBRAMANIAN on the Behance Network

Greenengines

I was at the Mumbai Boot Camp of the Springboard ventures effort to select and back ideas proposed for that event. My idea for a Green Engines portal was voted-in by the face book subscribers and later-on validated by the participants of that event. Here is video of the materials presented for every one's benefit.