Dear People of the World (formerly Dear Americans)

The film was more like documentary than drama. The story is fiction but it should be based on the facts.

A hamburger store chain manager goes to the meat processing factories to know why the poisonous bacteria were detected on beef for hamburger. The search reveals the harsh reality of fast food chain business and severe conditions of the workers in the factories.

This is something I, myself could more un-USA. But the film was of course produced by Americans. One of the characters was played by a famous actor, Bruce Willis.

The people involved in the story represent the problems of America and the world. Illegal immigrants from Mexico who seek much higher income than their homeland and end up working in meat processing factory where working condition is very, very dangerous.

Farmers who are fighting against corrupt food industry, liberal students who learn stupid system of their country but don't know how to change it.

Well, it just didn't happen in the U.S. Food industry is in fact scary sector. Very profitable but at the same time very competitive and people involved are very greedy.

But the bottom line is this phenomenon was caused by consumers' greed. We are always seeking cheaper products and more convenient way of life.

Then what we see in the end is McDonalds everywhere, people eating cheap but very poisonous beef.

What if we are more knowledgeable and considerate, things might be better.

I've heard that in Europe, there is a movement called "Slow Food. Slow Life."    

Well, very surprising! The movie was made in 1940 but the most important character was Black boy.

It was midst of World War I.

The story is a boy named Abu who lived his life by stealing things in Baghdad, met a young ousted king, Ahmad. Ahmad fell in love with a princess in Basra. Jaffar who was a closest retainer and ousted him to take over the position wanted the princess, too. Abu tried to help Ahmad and the princess. Then at last he killed a bad guy, Jaffar and saved the couple and had Ahmad to bring back his position, the king of Baghdad so that he could rule the kingdom peacefully. Ahmad said he wanted not to conquer the people but make them all happy.

Jaffar was Hitler at that time, or Hussein between 1979 and 2003, No! It is Mr. George W. Bush. Real war criminal.

Looked like a real story, I hope. Abu actually looked like Barak Obama, president of the United States.

Abu was a thief but very clever and brave. This was very different from a stereotypical Black character made by Hollywood. In fact it was British film.

In the last scene, Abu flew on the flying carpet and said to the king "I will go on a trip to find out what I want to do."

Well, the destination may be where Mr. Barak Obama is.  

As Obama said in his inauguration speech, "we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works," good economical system does not mean capitalist economy.

As I recall my macro-economy course in U.S., definition of economy is "rational economy of wealth."

If only small number of people get most of the wealth, they would save most of what they earn, not using for consumption because they cannot do that even though they like jet-set life style. If the same amount of wealth was allocated to millions of workers, it will be all used up and circulated in the market and rejuvenate the whole economy.

Free economy, trickle down theory are old fashion ideas. Neo-liberalist economy resulted in today's financial crisis.

That doesn't mean socialist economy is better, it leads shortage of the goods like what happened in former Soviet Union.

Let's think about third way to create better system.

Well, that is not about new presidency in the U.S.

I bought a black muffler today instead of white one I lost a few days ago after I left a restaurant.

That was expensive cashmere muffler but white one was not good anyway because the threads are attached to my black coat.

That is why I bought a black muffler as replacement. The below is the photo I took at the shop.

The left is white one, the same kind I bought a few weeks ago and the other one on right is one I just bought today.

The price was discounted so I could buy one third cheaper than white one. The brand of the mufflers is Pierre Cardin.

Speaking of new presidency in the U.S. I would predict 3 directions the country is heading from now.

1. Being Great Britain: losing hegemonic power and becoming one of advanced countries in the world.

2. Being Central-South American: Increasing the gap between haves and have nots. More impoverished people with deepening financial crisis.

3. Being Armish: Relying more on local governance and churches. These social capitals had to replace federal or state governments which face enormous budget shortages. Churches traditionally have strong influence in the societies. People rely on more on such religious organizations that means the societies would be more conservatives than ever, meaning liberal movements such as gay marriage would be supressed. People respect solidarity within small communities rather than forcing their own values on other parts of the world.

Maybe America would go like the Old Right way, isolationist. The country would give up much of military might because of budget crisis as Mr. Obama claims that the U.S. would withdraw troops from Iraq as soon as he step in White House.

Wow, the world would be safer!