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."    

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!

One more day until Mr. Bush retires.

It seemed he was not cursed by Tecumseh, native American tribe chief who declared to curse US presidents every 20 years as revenge.

Since then, every 20 years, a president was assassinated or got ill to death including Lincoln, Frankin Roosevelt, and Kennedy.

Ronald Reagan should have been assassinated but he survived although he was shot in his chest.

Mr. Bush Junior had to die during his presidency according to the rule of the curse. But it seemed it never happened.

Meaning the death of presidents were all coincidental or the curse ran out after the old millenium passed.

Or maybe he has done too much to be cursed.