Cryings

„Es reicht. Es ist höchste Zeit für Vernunft. Für Augenmaß, für Verhältnismäßigkeit. Kurz: für gesunden Menschenverstand. Stattdessen: Masken auf der Promenade, Stehenbleiben verboten, Freunde treffen unerwünscht, auch zu Hause.

Überwachung per Hubschrauber und Park-Patrouille und Jagd auf Jugendliche, die sich umarmen.

Wie weit sind wir nur gekommen? Warum haben sich Politik und Verwaltung so verirrt? Verirrt ins Dunkle.

Der Weg ist falsch.

Freiheit oder Sicherheit heißt es, aber: stimmt das?

„Wer grundlegende Freiheiten aufgibt, um sich ein wenig vorübergehende Sicherheit zu kaufen, verdient weder Freiheit noch Sicherheit.“ Das ist nicht von mir, das ist von Benjamin Franklin, einer der Gründerväter Amerikas. Einer, der für Freiheit eintrat und für Zusammenhalt. Einer, der an das Gute im Menschen glaubte.

Auch ich glaube an das Gute im Menschen.

Ich glaube, dass Politik und Verwaltung uns schützen wollen. Sie meinen es gut, aber machen es schlecht.

Die Nerven liegen blank. Zeit, umzudenken. 100 Prozent Schutz wird es nicht geben – niemals.

Ja, Leben ist das höchste Gut. Aber es reicht nicht einfach nur zu überleben. Man muss auch wissen, wofür man lebt.

Lasst uns lernen, mit dem Virus zu leben, gemeinsam, miteinander, in Freiheit, Gelassenheit und Würde.

Es ist höchste Zeit.“

The Great Barrington Declaration – As infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists we have grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies, and recommend an approach we call Focused Protection. 

Coming from both the left and right, and around the world, we have devoted our careers to protecting people. Current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health. The results (to name a few) include lower childhood vaccination rates, worsening cardiovascular disease outcomes, fewer cancer screenings and deteriorating mental health – leading to greater excess mortality in years to come, with the working class and younger members of society carrying the heaviest burden. Keeping students out of school is a grave injustice. 

Keeping these measures in place until a vaccine is available will cause irreparable damage, with the underprivileged disproportionately harmed.

Fortunately, our understanding of the virus is growing. We know that vulnerability to death from COVID-19 is more than a thousand-fold higher in the old and infirm than the young. Indeed, for children, COVID-19 is less dangerous than many other harms, including influenza. 

As immunity builds in the population, the risk of infection to all – including the vulnerable – falls. We know that all populations will eventually reach herd immunity – i.e.  the point at which the rate of new infections is stable – and that this can be assisted by (but is not dependent upon) a vaccine. Our goal should therefore be to minimize mortality and social harm until we reach herd immunity. 

The most compassionate approach that balances the risks and benefits of reaching herd immunity, is to allow those who are at minimal risk of death to live their lives normally to build up immunity to the virus through natural infection, while better protecting those who are at highest risk. We call this Focused Protection. 

Adopting measures to protect the vulnerable should be the central aim of public health responses to COVID-19. By way of example, nursing homes should use staff with acquired immunity and perform frequent PCR testing of other staff and all visitors. Staff rotation should be minimized. Retired people living at home should have groceries and other essentials delivered to their home. When possible, they should meet family members outside rather than inside. A comprehensive and detailed list of measures, including approaches to multi-generational households, can be implemented, and is well within the scope and capability of public health professionals. 

Those who are not vulnerable should immediately be allowed to resume life as normal. Simple hygiene measures, such as hand washing and staying home when sick should be practiced by everyone to reduce the herd immunity threshold. Schools and universities should be open for in-person teaching. Extracurricular activities, such as sports, should be resumed. Young low-risk adults should work normally, rather than from home. Restaurants and other businesses should open. Arts, music, sport and other cultural activities should resume. People who are more at risk may participate if they wish, while society as a whole enjoys the protection conferred upon the vulnerable by those who have built up herd immunity.

On October 4, 2020, this declaration was authored and signed in Great Barrington, United States.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words "In five years, will this matter?"

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business...

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) is a committee of bank supervisory authorities from the G10 (i.e. the wealthiest 10 nations). They meet regularly at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in Switzerland and are in the process of putting together the international agreement known as the Basel Capital Accord (BCA). This sets bank supervision, risk-based capital and disclosure requirements for banks operating internationally.

While such an Accord might seem rather obscure and irrelevant to the general public, this is perhaps more a feature of the general ignorance, secrecy and complexity surrounding the operations of the international banking and monetary systems than anything else. but...

This Accord is of particular interest because of

Increasing Power of International Creditors over Debtors. International banks affected by BCA create the bulk of the money we all use in day-to-day living, especially the US currency which is the backbone of the international monetary system. The power of international creditors, particularly those responsible for money creation in the US Dollar, over debtors is increasing. This, in combination with the collapse of the gold standard and the original Bretton Woods structure in 1971, as well as the trend for western corporations to seek financing outside the banking sector, has lead to increasingly reckless behavior of these bank creditors. This is especially true where they can exercise their "powers" to access "collateral" (real assets) crucial to less powerful debtors - e.g. through IMF Structural Adjustment Programs internationally, and through predatory lending and foreclosures domestically. Such activities are increasing income and wealth gaps globally. Good supervision of, and appropriate capital standards for, powerful creditors can help curtail this recklessness.

Increasing Financial Consolidation: Both domestic and cross-border consolidation of financial services companies is continuing to escalate in the wake of global financial deregulation and the collapse of banks in various countries after financial crises. This is leading to the emergence of huge global "financial empires" domiciled in the same G10 countries that create the "hard currency", dominate institutions such as the IMF and set the rules for international banking. Also, the bigger a financial corporation becomes the more it becomes "too-big-to- fail". Big creditors at the heart of the international financial system are very likely to get bailed out no matter what they do, for their collapse could collapse the entire global financial system. This creates a tremendous "moral hazard" proportional to size and global reach. This further increases the powers of large western creditors over sovereign nations.

This is just an excerpt from a very interesting page I came accross. Read on, if your curiosity has awaken ... BIS...

According to the N.Y.Times, the bankers who basically initiated the financial crises ... even though it's you and me, or maybe not particularly you or me ... but the greed of all of us ... well, anyhow, these guys earned bonuses of 18.4 Billion $US in 2008, the year with tremendous losses for many people - and, taking in account what can be expected for this year, for much more damage and financial struggle to many more, more.

This money was given out to an approx. 150.000 bank managers and traders, according to Spiegel online, which divides down to about 122,000 $ per head. Great. 122,000 $ per year means 10,000 per month - average! bonus! - on top of a salery! Wow!

I have the impression, that by now, if a newspaper or magazine mentions an amount with just a 2-digit Billion number, we over-read it already... it needs at least 3 digits to get us stunning, isn't it? Oh, here goes the Citigroup with another xx Billions, ups, Funny Mae, Mac my ass...

Okay, if we look a little bit into it, we have to admit, that without our every one's greed, there wasn't a chance to install a system like this: banks lending out billions and billions and then selling the debt wrapped up in non-transparent packages, so they can lend more billions ... without need for accordingly more funds to cover all this up. And all of this is just possible, because all of us (not all, but many) try to get a share of it, try to make some profit on it...

More, more, more ... profit, profit, profit... greed, greed, greeeeed.....

This helped "these guys" a lot to achieve what they have achieved. So, now we lost a good amount of money. Many jobs are gone and will be gone (forever). Many lives put to struggle. We lost. Some didn't.

And here we go, come our politicians and tell us: We have to help these banks, restore trust (what?? - ah, between banks), we cannot let the economy down. Have to save jobs (car industry), have to "help out" ... for sure just temporarily ... to get back on our feet.

So, after we lost a good amount of money in shares, and some people pulled out of it or are simply out of money, now they use the tax money. All these billions which go into "the economy" come from tax payers, or better, the interest for all this money given out to thugs who ripped us off through all these years, has to be paid with tax payers money. Bye bye education. Bye bye social and health care. Bye bye fairness (did it ever exist?). Bye bye better live...

One can go on and on. It's so ridiculous! If you look at it with some distance, it's unbelievable, truly unbelievable!

But even more shocking is that no one is revolting. No one's crying out loud! No one's crying foul! There are no voices to be heard. No blockades, no demonstrations, No governments replaced, very few managers fired, no public disobedience, no economy related terrorist attacks!

We keep on watching TV. We keep on trusting those guys who put us into this mess to handle the getting out. We keep on getting fat, being bored, getting brain washed every day ... every day!

Well, I can't help you!
But I can stop: trusting, listening, buying things I don't need, supporting "those leaders", believing their words, supporting their reckless blood sucking strategies!

Look at earth from outer space
Everyone must find a place
Give me time and give me space
Give me real; don't give me fake
Give me strength; reserve control
Give me heart and give me soul
Give me time; give us a kiss
Tell me your own politik

And open up your eyes
Open up your eyes
Open up your eyes
Open up your eyes

Give me one, 'cause one is best
In confusion, confidence
Give me peace of mind and trust
Don't forget the rest of us
Give me strength; reserve control
Give me heart and give me soul
Wounds that heal and cracks that fix
Tell me all your politik

And open up your eyes
Open up your eyes
Open up your eyes
Open up your eyes
Just open up your eyes

But give me love over, love over, love over this, ahhh
And give me love over, love over, love over this, ahhh

Coldplay / song: politik / album: a rush of blood to the head

Norway - which played a key role in hammering out the worldwide ban on using, producing, transferring and stockpiling cluster munitions - was the first country to sign. Laos, the country most affected by cluster bombs, was the second nation to sign Wednesday's treaty at Oslo city hall.

Between 1964 and 1973, the US Air Force dropped 260 million cluster bombs on Laos, or the equivalent of a fully-loaded B-52 bomber's payload dropped every eight minutes for nine years.

98% of people hit by cluster bombs are civilians. About one quarter of them are children.
Of course, the treaty would have been a stronger instrument if we had the US, Russia, China, Israel, Pakistan and India onboard. No doubt about it...

Nuclear weapons, Cluster Amunition?
You get'em from these goverments: USA, Russia, China, Israel, Pakistan or India - what a shame!!!

The Venerable Acariya Mun taught that all hearts have the same language. No matter what one's language or nationality, the heart has nothing but simple awareness, which is why he said that all hearts have the same language.

When a thought arises, we understand it, but when we put it into words, it has to become this or that language, so that we don't really understand one another. The feelings within the heart, though, are the same for everyone. This is why the Dhamma fits the heart perfectly, because the Dhamma isn't any particular language. The Dhamma is the language of the heart. The Dhamma resides with the heart.

Pleasure and pain reside with the heart. The acts that create pleasure and pain are thought up by the heart. The heart is what knows the results that appear as pleasure and pain; and the heart is burdened with the outcome of its own thoughts.

This is why the heart and the Dhamma fit perfectly. No matter what our language or nationality, we can all understand the Dhamma because the heart and the Dhamma are a natural pair.