For those who have watched the movie... Yes, we have been there; No, not in the White House; just in that very situation. We have seen something similar in Luxembourg. It was just before the initial outbreak of COVID-19. We tried to nudge our representatives forward. Our discussion topic was about “black swan” events, the climate emergency, collapse and pauperization, alternative socio-economical system, and people’s money — a blockchained digital currency as a cornerstone of our solution.
We talked about the issues similar to those written by Kim Stanley Robinson’s new book. Right now I am reading his The Ministry For The Future. Surprisingly, our minds think exactly alike — human development, blockchain, the climate emergency. But, of course, his writings are incomparably far far far better. Robinson describes things without relying on photos, for example, a noctilucent cloud (picture courtesy of Wikipedia). Thanks to Robinson, I think I understand our politicians and bankers a bit better, as he writes “One principle for bankers in perilous times was to avoid doing anything too radical and untried. And so they were all going to go down (p. 189).”
As for our meetings, our hosts were professionally polite. A handful of young representatives kept checking their phones. In this, although I did not care much, they made no secret – we were deemed as insignificant – two little scientists hardly more relevant than the guys depicted in “Don’t Look Up” and condescended to by the political staff as “coming from Michigan State.” Perhaps they already consulted few professors at the University of Luxembourg (= their privileged equivalence to “Columbia” or “Princeton” experts). For many, Luxembourg was too rich to collapse. As a deputy told us in an aside: “In any case, Germany or France would make wise decisions and we Luxembourg would just follow them.” Maybe they still think that way.
Our hosts were keenly aware of things (e.g., their political gains, the powerful corporate interests, and so forth). But, in my view, they did not know what money is (exchange of goods, storage of value, etc.), how it is created out of nothing, how the blockchain works, and how our banks, fiat money, and things do not work in the face of worsening climate danger.
So they decided to “sit tight and assess” for now. It was just before the global pandemic.
But you/we are too cool to sit back and not to use your/our cleverness, you/we know that!
In the film they talk about Okinawa, Hiroshima, Subaru, etc. I wonder if the film writer, David Sirota, is related to Beate Sirota Gordon.
Okinawa 2 (I love Okinawa)
I visited Okinawa last month. Okinawa hosts 74 % of the U.S. bases on 0.6 % of the land. Despite overwhelming opposition, the Japanese government is taking the lead in efforts to build a new U.S. military base in Henoko Bay, emphasizing the deterrence value of the U.S. bases in Japan. Our policy makers want to proceed with the construction "shuku shuku to (calmly and solemnly)."
It is shockingly mindless and undemocratic to disregard the Okinawans' will. Here are some of useful websites on anti-U.S. base acitivities and protests (see the Japanese version – four of eleven sites are in English).
辺野古（新基地阻止）基金
[[http:tamutamu2011.kuronowish.com/sosikikin.htm|Tamu Tamu @ Kuro no wish]]
Economics of U.S. base redevelopment sway Okinawa mindset
[[http:www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/17/national/politics-diplomacy/economics-u-s-base-redevelopment-sway-okinawa-mindset/#.VWg8NFIppf6|Japan Times Journal]]
Looking at Flaws in the Henoko Landfill Permit Process from the Standpoint of the Right to Self-determination
Kitano Takeshi’s Elementary Schools and Japanese Schools in Benin
About three months ago, I wrote a blog article on the children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic in Malawi and the importance of education as a critical instrument for social and economic development (or human development). Admittedly, what I wrote may be too crazy or too utopian to be realized.
But, we humans sometimes think alike. By chance, I learned about a Japanese guy who has already put the similar ideas into practice. That is Mr. Takeshi Kitano (Beat Takeshi)! What?! Is he an activist beside being a filmmaker and a comedian? According to these Youtube, Takeshi Kitano used to have a TV show called “This is what is strange about the Japanese people.” A hundred foreigners living in Japan were invited to voice their observations about weird and negative aspects of Nihon. One of the guests was Mr. Zomahoun Idossou Rufin (known as Zomahon), from the Republic of Benin in West Africa.
That was how Zomahon met Takeshi twelve years ago or so. With the help of Takeshi, Zomahon built four schools in his country including Takeshi’s Elementary School and Takeshi Japanese School.
In the school lunch program in Benin, according to Takeshi, it costs 25 yens (about 25 cents in the USA) and there are kids who can afford it and those who cannot afford it. “It is cruel that those kids have to watch the others eating.” So, they have established a sort of child sponsorship. Becoming a sponsor, a supporter in Japan receives a photograph of the child and vice versa, and that’s how they make a bond of friendship.
In their elementary schools, they provide free education and free lunch for kids. They also help the local people to grow agricultural products. Among the graduates from these schools, those who have mastered the language are sent to Japan, trained to be medical doctors and other professionals, and they work in Japan for certain years. They eventually return to Benin and work for their country.
"Suppose, some kids succeed in graduating from universities and become important one day. It is cool if s/he visits Japan to meet a person who has treated to lunches, isn't it?,” Beat Takeshi remarks.
In Youtube, you will see that some Beninese graduates prostrate themselves on the ground to show their gratitude. Humble Takeshi seems to get self-conscious and in order to hide that, he makes a joke, “Zomahon sometimes does the same thing when we meet. And, it makes me look bad like a bully!”
Comments
I have seen it; aside from
I have seen it; aside from being a thriller, it's a warning for humanity. We should not be complacent about politicians making decisions for us.