CNBC: Circa 1862

 

For Those Who Understand Metaphors:

What if the 24 hour news cycle existed in 1864 and Europe watched the American Civil War unfolding before them?

Middle East RSVP

O wad some Pow'r the giftie gie us

To see oursels as ithers see us!

It wad frae mony a blunder free us,

An' foolish notion:

As I was gazing into my Liquid Crystal Ball, I had the opportunity to see myself in a previous life.  I am watching television when my programme is interrupted by a special report from Brussels.

The UN Security Council is holding an emergency meeting over the conditions in America.  World Leaders are condemning the atrocities of the Civil War citing over 50,000 dead at Gettysburg and now, after the burning of Atlanta, Sherman’s March to the Sea.

On official said, in exchange for remaining anonymous, “Will we wait until every American has been Shermanised before we take action?”

Recent reports have confirmed that 50,000 American’s died in the three day battle at Gettysburg and almost 9,000 Americans were killed in the burning of Atlanta.

Leaders in England and France have reported that they are already sending warships to the Gulf of Mexico and the Potomac Basin, but claimed this was only to prevent a blockade to prevent the shipment of tobacco and cotton to Europe.  They did, however, admit that they were discussing putting boots on the ground to intervene.

The Russian Ambassador to the UN has stated that he will veto any resolution that involves military intervention.  He went on to issue this statement:  “It took the Americans from 1776 to 1789—thirteen years—to create a constitution.  This is a Civil War, and Europe has no business interfering with American domestic problems.”

The Greek Ambassador to the UN said, “We had a democracy 3,000 years ago.  We may have made some mistakes, but we learned from them.  We will be only too happy to send a delegation to Washington to help the Americans set up a stable democracy.”

The Italian Ambassador to the UN issued a statement saying, “Our government supports the initiative proposed by the Greek government and will be happy to participate.  After all, we had a democracy 2,000 years ago. We too, made a few mistakes, but we also learned from them and want to help protect the American people from this carnage.”

England’s Foreign Minister denied reports that the warships en route to America are carrying cannons to bombard Washington, saying “We are not taking the cannon-fire option off the table.  We are only saying that it is an option that we are prepared to exercise if the carnage in America does not stop.”

The Ambassadors from Spain and Portugal will be arriving in Brussels soon, carrying a joint proposal for a cease-fire but conceded, “There is little hope.”

On a related note,  A statement from Sandringham House:

The King, The Emperor, and The Czar issued the following joint statement.

In fewer than 100 years, Democracy in America has led to this Civil War of horrific proportions. 
An Annus horribilis.  Therefore we are planning to send a delegation to meet with Presidents Lincoln and Davis and with Generals Grant and Lee to discuss the establishment of Monarchy in America.

The nice thing about the Liquid Crystal Ball is that is reveals history as it might have been.  It does not, however, reveal history as it will be.

SANTAYAN “Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.”

SLIM FAIRVIEW “Those who never learned history are doomed—Period!” 

Fin

Warmest regards,

Slim

Bob Asken

Box 33 

Pen Argyl, PA 

18072

LinkedIn Profile

slimfairview@yahoo.com

If you find anything here to be helpful, please don't hesitate to send me a really tricked out Mac Book and to tuck a few dollars into the envelope along with the thank you note.  Slim.

Copyright (c) 2013  Bob Asken:
All Rights Reserved

Technology or Strategy?

 Technology or Strategy?

The game of Chess was invented in India circa 6th C. AD. It

is a game of strategy. It was invented centuries before the invention

of computers, of technology, of electricity.

Through the magic of metaphor--you are there. And your friend, who invented Chess, shows you the game. But he feels the game is lacking. He asks you for some advice about strategy. You ponder the game and suggest some changes. Flash forward, 1,500 years.

Through the magic of metaphor, Chess was never invented. However, your friend calls you up to say he's invented a video game called Chessboy. However he feels the game is lacking and asks you for advice. You tell him you know nothing about technology. He tells you, he doesn't need tech advice, he needs strategy advice.

You ponder the game. You tell him, "Well, the Bishops move diagonally and the rook moves in a straight line up and back and side to side. That's good. But the Knight should have a different move. Say, two up and one to the side or one up and two to the side. You invent the strategy of castling. And you describe the strategy of en passant.

He thanks you and reprogrammes the game with the strategies you described.

Caveat: The difference between strategy and technology.

Regards,

Slim.

© 2021 Robert Asken

All rights reserve

Box 33

Pen Argyl, PA 18072

Henri-Claude ENOUMBA MacArthur Foundation The Brookings Institution The Wall Street Journal The New York Times United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) United Nations Apple Google Amazon Facebook Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Chicago Tribune Media Group The Washington Post U.S. Department of State Christine Lagarde David Malpass General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.) Paola De Vecchi Galbiati LaRae Quy Paulette Dale, Ph.D Nicole Seibert P. Susan Jackson The Atlantic Harper's Magazine The New Yorker #nonfiction #nonfictionbooks #strategyplanning #strategyexecution #strategydevelopment CNBC CNBC International Steve Liesman FRANCE 24 BBC News The Guardian Emmanuel Macron Boris Johnson 10 Downing Street Institute for Advanced Study Peterson Institute for International Economics Foreign Policy Foreign Affairs Magazine Time Inc.

G7 Perpetuates African Disparity

The G7 Meeting 

Or

How will A Committee counter China? 

Not Good [sic]

They can't even come up with a catchy name for the plan:

Build Back Better for the World

U.S. State Department

v.

Dignity not Charity

Slim Fairview

Long ago, I wrote, "China will succeed because China will do as we did. Not as we way." ~ Slim Fairview

And the best we can come up with is a fractious G7

If you want to know where China is heading,
look at where we've been.

Monroe Doctrine: South China Sea

Manifest Destiny: Belt and Road

Hoover Dam: Three Rivers Project

Sunday 13 June 2021

The New York Times reports
China's initiative is [A Marshall Plan 2.0--My words]

Quote: "The European Parliament declined to ratify a
landmark investment treaty championed by Germany...."
[Read Merkel] Why? Read the Times article.

It is not ironic that Germany is championing the treaty

that is causing so much trouble.  It's "The European Economic Crisis" all over again. Who said, "austerity"?

When China elevated 500M people from poverty to the middle class
China created:
a consumer class
an investor class &
Gave The Chinese people a vested interest in the success
of China's economic policies and Created cohesion among the Chinese people.

This cohesion does not exist in Europe.

The G7 investment initiative in Africa is a feather-weight alternative to Slim's Admonition.

€800 Billion in Debt Cancellation as partial restitution for
500 years of Colonial Plunder. Plus

Slim's Paradigm:

Capital Investment + Economic Stimulus =
Economic Development + Growth

But at least President Biden seems to embrace Slim's Paradigm.  Sometimes I don't know if people are reading what I write or if they're not.

For a decade I inveighed against 

austerity, Merkel & Merkelism with 

the celerity of a honey badger.

"Dignity not Charity"  --Slim Fairview

Without debt cancellation, investment programmes for Africa will have only one result.  Helping Africa to repay 

creditors. Read: Colonial Plunder 2.0

Sincerest regards,

Slim.

Robert Asken

Box 33 

Pen Argyl, PA 

18072C

All Quotations except as noted from 

The Quotations of Slim Fairview
Copyright © 2021 Robert Asken
All rights reserved