Notes

 

”I realised that half the time, this is because the very use of the word ‘algorithm’, the weight of supposed meaning we place behind it by throwing it into these contexts, removes the humans that created them entirely.”  http://ndkane.com/2015/02/03/notes-rants-from-berlin-on-art-and-engineering/

How naive are we?

If we think as naivety our way of jumping to conclusions as if we possessed ultimate knowledge and right to judge and sticking to first impressions without hesitation, then the answer is we are way too often most incredibly naive but thinking we are not. Sometimes almost child-like, but not quite. Size is all that matters. We just don’t think it is naivety, because adults are not naive. Adults are bigger. There are distinctions and characteristics we fail to see in ourselves and size does fool you. We like to make it clear that between adults and children distinction is obvious and huge. Still children do tend to learn from their mistakes because there is no other way than to learn and evolve as they grow to become adults. It is the dream and thought of everybody: what will you be when you grow up, become legally an adult, a responsible citizen with rights and duties, capable and bigger than the child you are. Something different may happen, something else, but what?
How do we end up becoming adults that learn away from being children but behaving as there would not have been much learning after all. We take liberty of being children even though childhood as it is is not much valued. We are in a hurry to get rid of it, to grow out of it, to leave it behind like a shell. Child’s mind is less than an adult’s mind, child’s deed are childish. We know what is wrong behavior, mostly, but we often do it anyway. We continue to do the wrong deeds for several reasons, make excuses, reason and justify them just because. We make war because it is somehow a valid way of making politics, deal with those others and so on, but it is wrong as killing is wrong. We like to think our way of living is the right way even though we know we make mistakes living the way we do.
How naive is an adult who has learned not to understand what a child needs and is? At what point does it happen that we disregard childhood as unimportant and stupid and why? We like to appreciate our independence, control, ideas, thoughts, honor, privacy, our grandiose adulthood in which we are masters of our lives or should be. Child is dependent and not in charge, at least that is how it should be. Some people are totally incapable of facing children, facing the child in them, because that child never leaves you. You are the child you were. Still people do not have a faintest idea what to do and speak with a child. We need consultants and advisers in how to bring up a child. I would say we live in denial and fear, sometimes so unaware of what is going on that it is somewhat puzzling to look at. At what point did life become so difficult?  One answer is that it has always been difficult and children unimportant waiting to become adults.

Minkälainen brändi Suomi on ja miksi maa brändätään?

Onko kaikki myytävänä? Vähän tuntuu siltä, että joo. Olemmeko niin epätoivoisia, että meidän on kansakuntana oltava kaapin päällä isojen tekijöiden kavereita? Edelleen Suomi-paran on vaikea tehdä itsenäistä politiikkaa. Meidän on vaikea kritisoida kuuluvasti Israelia, Yhdysvaltoja ja Venäjää. On ylitsepääsemättämän vaikea tunnustaa Palestiinan valtiota ja tuomita kansanmurhaa, jota israel suorittaa. On helvetin kivikkoista löytää tie uusiutuvien energianlähteiden luo. On vaikea seisoa itsenäisesti isoja vastaan, puhua niitä vastaan, jotka rikkovat ihmisoikeuksia jatkuvasti ja lähes rajoituksetta (kauppasuhteet määrittävät olemassaolomme). Yksin on vaikea voittaa ja voittaahan me tahdomme, koska muuten itsetuntomme viistää maata, emmekä ole mitään muiden rinnalla. Olemme kaikki tai ei mitään ihmisiä, luultavasti emme paljoakaan. Jos asiaa tarkastelee omaperäisen ja luovan ajattelun määrän ja ilmenemisen kannalta omakuva luultavasti pitää paikkansa.

Millaista hyväksikäyttöä ja laskelmointia brändääminen eli tuotteistaminen on ja kuinka pitkälle tuotteistaminen on tarpeellista viedä? Kuinka paljon brändissä on varaa muutokselle, kokeilulle, erilaisuudelle tai erilaisille mielipiteille? Kun puhutaan Suomi Oy:stä, minulta nousee karvat pystyyn. Miten kauan olemme kestävällä pohjalla euronkuvat silmissä, ainoana tavoitteena voitto ja tahraton kiltin pelaajan maine? Kovinkaan tahratontahan suomalainen politiikka ei ole, kuten ei ole liike-elämäkään. Harhakuvitelmissa on hyödytöntä oleilla ja puhtoisuutta turha esittää kun tuo puhdas imago ei pidä paikkaansa. Talvivaara on hyvä esimerkki.

Brändi on helpompi käsittää ja käsitellä kuin kansakunta, joka koostuu monimutkaisesti ja monitasoisesti ihmisistä, omaisuudesta, veroista, politiikasta, sairaista, köyhistä, rikkaista, lapsista, kerrostaloista, tekemisestä, monista erilaisista ajatuksista ja tavoista nähdä ja olla. Brändissä ei vain olla. Se ei ole paikallaan koskaan. Valtion taas on pystyttävä olemaan mahdollisimman avoin ja moninainen, joten koen, että brändi-ajattelu istuu erittäin huonosti moniarvoisen valtion johtolangaksi. Menestyäkseen brändin on jatkuvasti oltava ajanhermolla, niinkuin valtionkin. Paikalleen jämähtäminen ei käy jonka jokainen ymmärtää. Sen voimme ottaa ohjenuoraksemme eli ei kaikki kehitys ole pahasta, vaan voi olla jatkuvaa kasvua, kunhan se ei ole ainoa mantra. Brändi on jatkuvasti töissä ja tekee tulosta. Kova myyntitykki näkee brändäyksessä ainoastaan hyviä puolia, ja onhan se kaunista kun yritys lähtee lentoon. Kun on lennettävä mahdollisimman ylös ja kauas, jonnekin minne ei täysin näe, se ei ole pelkästään riskitöntä. Jo sana brändi saa ajattelemaan ostamista ja myymistä, rajatonta ja vapaata kaupantekoa. Suomi tekee kauppaa, mutta mikä kaikki on kaupan? Millaisesta arvomaailmasta ja tapahtumasta on kyse kun busineksen kieli, ajatukset ja ideologia siirretään lähes kritiikittä valtion retoriikaksi ja tavaksi tehdä politiikkaa? Oletuksena on, että kansalaiset nielevät poliitikkojen päätökset ja tavat toimia mukisematta. Äänestämättömyys, se että politiikka ei kiinnosta kostautuu. Saamme sellaista politiikantekoa kuin ansaitsemme?

Kuinka elää brändissä ja kuinka tulla mahdollisimman hyväksytyksi brändiläiseksi? Onko se sama kuin suomalaisuus, kansalaisuus ja kansalaisvelvollisuus? Brändiksi tekeytyminen ja brändin soveltaminen yli viisimiljoonaisen kansan kuvaksi ei ole kaukana totalitarismista ja nykyistä liike-elämää voi pitkälti pitää fasistisena. Kansakunta tuotteena manipuloinnin apuvälineenä media ja voiton maksimoimiseksi menestyksen tiellä, jossa kaikki keinot ovat sallittuja on kyseenalaista. Brändäys-puhe kalskahtaa valkoiselta valheelta, jota ei tarpeeksi kyseenalaisteta. Olemme edelleen virka- ja myyntimiesten vietävinä. Uskomme tuota menestyjää jolla on hyvät puheenlahjat, esiintymis- ja suostuttelutaidot, joka tahtoo meidän kaikkien menestyvän Suomi Oy: ssä. Mikä järjetön konsepti, ajatus ja hulluus! Voiko siitä jättäytyä ulos, koska en tahdo elää tehtaassa. Menestystäkin on monenlaista ja myös kestävää laatua. Synnyin yritykseen, joka tähtää maailman huipulle keinolla millä hyvänsä… koska kaikki palvelevat yritystä eikä päinvastoin, että yritys palvelisi kansalaisia. Niinhän yritysmaailmassa asiat toimivat. Ainoastaan taloudellisella voitolla ja ulkokuorella on merkitystä. Työntekijä on kuluerä ja tarpeellinen ainoastaan kun työntekijän työpanos on yritykselle hyödyllistä. Kun hyötyä ei enää irtoa, työntekijä on tarpeeton. Näin valtio voi myös toimia, mutta se ei ole valtion tarkoitus. Silloin valtio toimii tarkoitustaan eli itseään vastaan kun se aliarvioi ihmiset ja itsensä.

http://yle.fi/uutiset/sdp_ja_perussuomalaiset_vastaavat_presidentille_pienituloisilta_ei_voi_enaa_leikata/7716107

Case of propaganda, case of Russia.

Yes warring is bad, but it seems to be even more bad when someone else than the US does it. The US has a mandate of the good guys, whatever is good from time to time. Good enough or never enough. Good is a measurement that equals wealth possessed, connections made, business flow, business done, future prospects, media coverage, media controlled. Progress is good but nothing changes. Progress statues in high buildings. The more there are houses reaching the heights the more money flows, sights grow and development happens in concrete. That is the message of high architecture, efficiency of business, power of men standing. Advertising makes it so that the image we get of the American spirit, which is the never-ending growth, the dream is peace-loving, prosperous family focused on each other and having fun. Smiling success, it is the good times. What is life about than that.

Especially damaging is when Russia makes war. That threatens the whole world. The image we as western people under American propaganda make, European propaganda influencing us, we depending on the news, image we have of Russia and countries of the Eastern block is somewhat strange. How about Russian propaganda? It is mostly aimed at Russians themselves. They have to keep Russia together as one. What Russia does is always suspicious to us and against interests of the West. The whole world is setting bans and barriers when Russia makes wars for the reasons we can imagine only. Maybe to conquer areas and countries to grow and expand. To be Soviet Union again?. When the US makes war it is to save somebody, to set those disadvantaged slaves free, salvage the poor people under threat and defend western values, democracy and freedom. We are naive and we are so naive. We are mostly unaware and misinformed, forgetful and as before there is not much we can do. It is true Russian policy has been the same as it ever has and true intentions remain unclear for the rest of us. It is impossible to know what is going on in Ukraine and what is going to happen. What is good to do and what is bad continues to have an ongoing media battle. Evil against good make headlines. Media likes to paint the canvas of world politics with colors that are not without bias and ringtones of the old sounds are there clear as ever. What has changed eventually since the Cold War is not much.

Completely pointless wars take place. What a horrible waste they have been. War is in media open wide and one wonders the meaning of threat placed for our eyes and ears.

What is the case of Russia? A country that got its wealth stolen by the oligarchs in the nineties. That has an extensive macho culture, culture of silencing anyone who talks against the government and Putin. Privatization of state corporations and wealth, mafia and billionaires are the real threat to any nation and peace. Russia is a good example. Concentrating on the evil person Putin is a manhunt and completely useless journalism.

http://www.theecologist.org/blogs_and_comments/commentators/2668097/war_by_media_and_the_triumph_of_propaganda.html

”We live in an age of propaganda by the ’mainstream’ media, writes John Pilger. Inconvenient stories, truths and even entire countries are airbrushed away, while dominant narratives are parroted incessantly to bludgeon our minds in acceptance of war, injustice, austerity, all to serve the interests of our ruling classes.”

Girls at the mall, beautiful.←video

Among many things that are fucked up homelessness is the one that is on the list of immediate to deal with and abolish.

It has been something that I feel very strongly about. Everybody has a right to have a home. It is a human right and therefore an acute issue for governments to take action over since it is a serious human right violation and a kind of bottom from where it is difficult to get up on one’s own. It is a duty of nations to provide affordable housing for their citizens. It is the least you can and must do. To comprehend why this is not happening is extremely difficult, but I try. Why do we have nations? What are nations for other than making profit for the rich, for corporation, to provide cheap labor, infrastructure and tax money to exploit? Since it is Christmas time and according to latest statistics in Great Britain alone there are thousands of homeless people, we are obligated to act upon it, to help. Those who are the lucky ones and have roofs over their heads, who have means to do something, what can you do? http://www.homeless.org.uk/facts/homelessness-in-numbers

What would be the most helpful thing is to radically lower prices of rents, to regulate how much is the limit above which prices do not go. Housing is an area of business in which people ruthlessly exploit lives and livelihoods. When paycheck is not enough to pay the rent government is not doing its job. Extortion and rip off that is what is going on and is outrageous, wrong and unjust. “Nobody should be in the streets; that is the problem with this whole thing,” said Sandy Perry, a minister and outreach worker with the Affordable Housing Network who has been at the Jungle daily trying to help. While he agrees that the Jungle, with its piles of garbage, buckets of human waste and now rising creek waters, “is not a nice place to live,” Mr. Perry said the city ought to have a better plan for homeless people in general.

More than a few of the encampment residents said they were victims of rent increases. Yvonne Vabiseo grew up in San Jose and had a job and an apartment until recently. “I worked at Dollar Tree,” she said. “I had a car and my own place.” She lost her job just as her rent was raised, prodding her into homelessness.” http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/05/us/driven-from-silicon-valleys-jungle-homeless-face-limited-options.html?smid=tw-nytimes&_r=1

The results of world having been conquered. Are you liking it?

What is especially sad when people who are politicians in the EU, salesmen, businessmen, journalists etc. discuss what Europe should do now as it is in continuous depression, they talk about industrial expansion, innovative technological conquering of markets, new electronic devises, growing of the GDP and how do we get this growth we much need and desire. How do we get growth? What is it in this self-centered world view that is so revolting is that there is nothing that is more precious than what we gain, what we make of it, to profit, to make the wealthier even more rich by exploiting the poor. Terror and devastation that has happened is happening in many African countries still. Blindness continues and we like to move on without much thinking about it. It is intolerable ignorance and indifference by governments and corporations in terms of making money out of misery of people and abusing natural resources as sucking blood with unstoppable thirst. There are severe catastrophic situations many countries have found themselves in without much hope getting out of these violent and horrible paths taken and acts of crimes committed.

This all is nothing new. The most devastating thing is that so little has changed and is changing. Natural resources lure crime, destitution and hopelessness make people desperate and cruel. Or is it greed that makes cruelty a never-ending way for humans?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo#Belgian_Congo_.281908.E2.80.931960.29
”The new president had the support of the United States because of his staunch opposition to Communism, believing that his administration would serve as an effective counter to communist movements in Africa. A one-party system was established, and Mobutu declared himself head of state. He periodically held elections in which he was the only candidate. Although relative peace and stability were achieved, Mobutu’s government was guilty of severe human rights violations, political repression, a cult of personality and corruption. Corruption became so prevalent the term ”le mal Zairois” or ”Zaïrean Sickness”,[26] meaning gross corruption, theft and mismanagement, was coined, reportedly by Mobutu himself.[27] International aid, most often in the form of loans, enriched Mobutu while he allowed national infrastructure such as roads to deteriorate to as little as one-quarter of what had existed in 1960. Zaïre became a ”kleptocracy” as Mobutu and his associates embezzled government funds.”

To save a national park in Congo, to save the gorillas living in the park, to stop illegal drilling of oil in the park, to stop war, terrible injustice, crime and tragedy of ours!!!

If we do not protect what is there to protect what do we have left?