What You Do Matters--A Lot

 

In the movie, Casablanca, Humphrey Bogart says, “Ilsa, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.

However, by getting Victor Laszlo and Ilsa Lund out of Casablanca, he did much to help the war effort.

In 1876, a 29 year old Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone

Because the Wright brothers invented flight in 1903, 100 years later, we live in a different.

And Thomas Edison, in his laboratory, produced the movie camera, the light bulb, and the phonograph, among other inventions. That, also, 100 years ago.

You may not see the full effect of what you do, today, will have on the world, but what you do matters. Therefore, you matter.

"If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito." Dalai Lama

Best wishes,

Slim.

Robert Asken

Box 33

Pen Argyl, PA 18072

Copyright © 2021 Robert Asken

All rights reserved.

Africa: Exploit! Assist! Repeat!

A metaphor to explain Financial Assistance to Africa.

All you possess is a small plot of land and €1000.

A thief hits you over the head and steals your money.

You are left broke.

The thief comes to you and says, "I will lend you €1000."

You say, "I cannot repay you. I have no job."

The thief says, "I will build a factory on your land. I will hire you to work in my factory for twenty eurocents an hour. You will earn the money to repay me."

When you do not have enough money to repay the loan, the thief says, "I will offer you debt service assistance. You do not have to make a payment for six months."

Regards,

Slim.

"Dignity not Charity" ~ Slim Fairview

Contact:
Bob Asken
Box 33
Pen Argyl, PA 18072

Copyright © 2021 Robert Asken
All rights reserved

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