Laws, just or unjust, may govern men’s actions.
Tyrannies may restrain or regulate their words.
The machinery of propaganda may pack their minds with falsehood and deny them truth for many generations of time.
But the soul of man thus held in trance or frozen in a long night can be awakened by a spark coming from God knows where and
in a moment the whole structure of lies and opposition is on trial for its life.
I am prompted to put forth the ideas of Simon Sinek in the midst of more turmoil at the University. (The ex-President is suing the University for $8 or $8.5 million.)
The “radical idea” about leaders is not new and it’s spreading fast! Thanks goodness. Maybe you can help spread it even further?
http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action
But personally, I liked the book better. There are a number of case studies from business as well as research to make the point that, in general,
entities under empathic leadership outperform entities under managerial leadership in the longer term.
I will send an interpretation of Sinek to the Committee that is in the process of selecting the next President for the University (see below).
NOTE: the environment created by leaders (in the business world) is also discussed helpfully in Sustainability and joy: the power of fun can transform .
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
(“BELOW”):
In response to recent news articles (links appended) about continuing difficulties at the University (arising out of Leadership) I would say, the blame and denial game is not too helpful.
The University will soon have a new president.
There are inherited longterm factors for new personnel. I’d like to address just one.
In the last 30 to 40 years there has been acceptance of “managerial leadership”, without much scrutiny – – is it effective? Management is done by the numbers. Numbers can be helpful, depending on how they are applied in decision processes. Managerial leadership is typically a very “rational” process. It runs into problems, as with any of our human endeavours, when the rational takes over, as though it is the ONLY faculty that we homo sapiens possess. Ethical behaviour, empathy, imagination, memory, are out in the cold.
Managerial leadership (think of lay-offs and firings) might work under select circumstances in the short term. In the long term the institution will UNDER perform. People watch their backs because they don’t trust others in the organization. Creativity suffers – – support for the status quo is the safest ground. Keep your mouth shut out of fear for your job.
There is another kind of leadership, one that develops people who WANT to follow, because they feel secure under the leader. If I trust that you truly care about me and the well-being of my family, if you give me a vision of the good being done collectively by “our” efforts, I will follow you to the moon. And support you. The organization can accomplish great things in a fearless environment.
I have worked under both kinds of leaders. One creates a toxic environment; the other an uplifting one, a great place to work. Homelife, children are impacted by worklife – – most people don’t hang their emotions in the closet, as they do their coat, when they walk in the door.
A Selection Committee at the University will soon name a new president from a short-list.
Who knows best whether the applicant is a “leader”? . . . the people for whom they are responsible in their current job. That is what leaders are – – responsible for the human beings who do the work of the organization.
“The true price of leadership is the willingness to place the needs of others above your own.
Great leaders truly care about those they are privileged to lead and
understand that the true cost of the leadership privilege comes at the expense of self-interest.”
If members of the Selection Committee have an e-reader, I’ll happily buy them each a copy of “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek (2014).
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
APPENDED
Two recent articles in the Star Phoenix related to the University of Saskatchewan:
1. Ex-University of Saskatchewan president Busch-Vishniac files lawsuit over firing
Seeking $8 million in damages
By Andrea Hill, June 3, 2015
2. Firings ‘bumps in the road:’ Barnhart
By Andrea Hill, May 21
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/saskatoon/Firings+bumps+road+Barnhart/11070773/story.html
If there wasn’t such appalling ignorance among legislators, Rocco Galati would not be tied up in court challenges. (2015-05-30 News on Bill C-51. Court challenge. Lawyer Rocco Galati.)
Galati made me wonder about “aware“. Who is aware – – if I utter “Rocco Galati, COMER, Nadon, and now BIll C-51” how many Canadians would know whereof I speak?
Today I woke up thinking: could it be as simple as “aware”? (can things change, just through “aware”?)
In this and other small networks, for 15 years we have done little more than share information and do actions, to build awareness.
. . . If I re-read what I wrote yesterday . . . add what Steve Jobs said . . . . does it make the point: it’s as simple as “aware“?
“Awareness” is related to the recurring question: (2013-12-13) What are The Dynamics of Change ? Awareness is one key to open one door to change. … OR, is there only one door, and it is opened by “aware”?
If we understand “awareness” better, would it be easier to bring about change? (for example, in educating our children about the pillars of Democracy, the Constitution and the Rule of Law. When legislators themselves are ignorant about Democracy, let alone our kids, we are vulnerable indeed to police states and tyrants)!
The Dynamics of Change contains a list of postings related to Change; awareness is named but not elaborated upon.
So, AWARENESS:
(Relax – – I am not about to talk about all the questions I raise!)
Many more Canadians know the name “Rocco Galati” on June 1st than on May 31st, 2015.
(Not counting all the hits on a video of the same thing in the Huffington Post article about Galati’s stance on Bill C-51.)
But how many Canadians are aware of COMER? – – also Galati work.
Along the spectrum, there is that “kind of” awareness that comes from forgetfulness, if you’re like me. A reminder in the interview by Amanda Lang brings it back: (2014-03-21) Marc Nadon appointment rejected by Supreme Court – – also Galati work.
The man is important, but prior to May 30, this year, I was not really aware of him.
I could not have named Rocco Galati, even though I posted and circulated information about the Nadon case in February.
With COMER, I thought it would be a VERY long-term, if ever, project. I only watched it from the corner of my eye. Others were dogged.
Now SUDDENLY, it seems that the wave of awareness around Bill C-51 will propel the COMER initiative into more general awareness. Hallelujah! . . . Unforeseen events aid awareness. (John Kenneth Galbraith claimed that change comes about through “the march of events”. See The Dynamics of Change.)
. . . Oh! I didn’t consider “use of the Law” in “The Dynamics of Change”. Nor the “solidarity” aspect. Bill C-51 has thus far been unstoppable. Galati understands like few others, the importance of the Constitution as a safeguard for our rights in the face of police state features (see the 4-minute video ). He has to win. We have to make him known and supported. Change is easier through solidarity.
Saturday, May 30, 2015 was another cross-Canada Day of Action against Bill C-51. For two hours, on an impromptu basis, we handed out a notice to passers-by in a steady stream to and from the Famers’ Market. We smiled, laughed and talked; I enjoy this kind of engagement, always encounter poignant stories that add to understanding (one in particular that I hope to tell you some time). But in general we had people who were, in relation to Bill C-51:
One lady snarled that she supports Bill C-51: stop the terrorists “before they kill all of us!“.
My sense is that it is difficult and useless to try and have a conversation with an angry person (she was not the only “angry”!). Change (which is about the same as “learning”, by my way of understanding) is easier in a population of people who are emotionally, psychologically and spiritually healthy. Angry people tend to view disagreement with their views as an attack on their person. I have nothing against the lady – – don’t take her words personally; I don’t know what she lives with – – which will be the source of the anger, not me.
HOWEVER! there is a DIFFERENT kind of anger that can play a significant role in bringing about change. It’s awareness – – the “Seeing through things” kind of awareness: (2014-06-14) A Veteran’s Savage Indictment of the Iraq War: “Angry Men”, Betrayal by leaders.
I googled the question, found interesting material and went down a rabbit hole. I conclude: as with other words in the English language, there is not one single interpretation. “Aware” and “conscious” do not have a consistent meaning or usage across different communities and different contexts. I leave you to YOUR interpretation; and I to mine!
As explained, I woke up thinking “Could it be as simple as Aware?”. . . . my sub-conscious (the Old Shoemaker and the Elves fable – – he falls asleep, the elves do all the work. I wake up, sell the shoes and don’t starve to death!) Here, all I have to do is write down the elves’ work, and get from there to what Steve Jobs said! Which is what we all know but might need reminding of.
AWARE IS ENUF
~~~
~~~
~~~
STEVE JOBS
So, does it go like this?
AWARE IS ENUF
I am aware
I am aware
I am aware
And if I am aware that I am going to die (so are you!) . . . well then! why not do what I love? And have fun doing it? I definitely do not love war and injustice and destruction of the beautiful and consumerism and behaviour that creates enemies. What I love doing is tending to the things I love. Simple enough?!
STEVE JOBS SAID ABOUT IT (he died in October 2011, at age 56)
With preface by (I didn’t find the name):
” . . . at the end of the Tales. The sole means now for the saving of the beings of the Planet Earth would be to implant again into their presence a new organ of such properties that every one of these unfortunates during the process of existence should constantly sense and be cognizant of the inevitability of his own death, as well as the death of everyone upon whom his eyes or attention rests. Only such a sensation and such a cognizance can now destroy the egoism completely crystallized in them.
Perhaps there is no more striking and a propos statement by Steve Jobs then:
(EXCERPT FROM (2005-06-14) Steve Jobs’ address to Stanford University students. )
“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I have ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life, because almost everything- – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – – these things just fall away in the face of death leaving only what is truly important.
Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. ” (Stanford Commencement 2005)
(Back to Sandra speaking) So what do you think? Is simple awareness enough? By my observation, the tide HAS turned. Every single day I see success stories. Empowered people who are standing up for the things they love, that are at great risk. The change isn’t orchestrated – it’s self-organizing. Enough of us are aware of our impending death.
For More information than below, see: Website, Committee on Monetary and Economic Reform (COMER): http://www.comer.org/
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Excellent, about COMER: (2015-05-07) Rocco Galati, Interview with Amanda Lang CBC News. Constitutional Rights.
The COMER LAWSUIT argued by lawyer Rocco Galati, has an intensely-interested following! Canadians should know about it.
The basis for the lawsuit: the Government is bound by the Laws that established the Bank.
(Canada is not the only country in which there is challenge of the sell-out to international banking interests.)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
A good video on the history of the Bank of Canada, and the consequences of the takeover by private banking interests:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuP2hH0Kpro
Retired school teacher, Bill Abram, shows charts of Canadian Government debt before and after the foreign banking cartel caused Canadian politicians to abandon the Government role of creating money by “spending” it into existence. From 1935 to 1974, the Bank of Canada printed money which was spent on such things as wages for workers on public infrastructure. By that means the money went into circulation to meet the need for a medium of exchange for goods and services. There was no debt created (little or no interest charges) for Canadian tax-payers.
The use of private banks, instead of the public bank, to create money is quite different. The “money” that is “created” is actually debt, all of which attracts interest charges. ALL entities (from Government to businesses and individuals) deal with the private banking system, since the change in 1974. The amount of debt paid to the private bankers for public purposes by tax-payers is staggering. Interest-upon-interest. Some get VERY rich; it does not serve the public interest. Abram does a good job of explaining what we have forfeited – – and what Rocco Galati, through COMER, is intent upon reclaiming. (A revolution is underway, I dare say!)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
THE PUBLIC BANK FOR THE STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA (Many thanks to Jerry for the correction. I originally said Bank of Montana.)
North Dakota did not bow to the private banks. It still has its public bank that works like the Bank of Canada used to work. Very successfully.
Many thanks to Jerry (“Comments” below) for a short explanation and direction to more information.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
By Ryan Maloney
Updated:
The constitutional lawyer who torpedoed Stephen Harper’s pick for the Supreme Court says he will contest the government’s anti-terror legislation in court, if it passes.
Rocco Galati, who successfully challenged Harper’s choice of Justice Marc Nadon for the top bench last year, spoke out against Bill C-51 — the Anti-Terrorism Act — at a rally in Toronto on Saturday.
His speech contained some incendiary allusions to Nazi Germany and an accusation that the federal government has tapped his phone since 1999.
Appearing next to NDP MP Andrew Cash, Galati said C-51 creates “a modern-day Gestapo,” referencing the brutal, secret Nazi police force.
“No exaggeration, that’s what it creates,” he said. “It chills, sensors, and criminalizes free speech, free association, and constitutional rights of assembly.”
Galati added that “German and Italian versions” of C-51 were passed in the 1930s.
The lawyer received big applause when he urged Canadians not to vote for any MP or political party supporting the controversial Tory bill. The Liberals voted in favour of its passing, but have vowed to amend the legislation if they win the next election to provide better oversight of national security agencies.
New Democrat and Green MPs voted against the bill.
“This is quite clearly a fascist and dictatorial piece of legislation and appeasement of it is unacceptable,” he said.
Galati vowed that his group, the Constitutional Rights Centre, will fight the bill in court.
Several hundred protesters gathered at Queen’s Park Saturday to call on the Senate to stop the bill, the Toronto Sun reports. Though some Liberal senators have said they will vote against C-51, it is expected to easily clear the upper chamber.
The bill has been denounced by the federal privacy commissioner, the Canadian Bar Association, First Nations groups, environmental organizations, and civil libertarians. Tories, however, have countered that the measures in the bill are needed to keep Canadians safe.
C-51 gives the Canadian Security Intelligence Service enhanced power to actively thwart terror plots, broadens no-fly list powers, and increases the exchange of federal security information. It also creates a new criminal offence of the act of encouraging someone to carry out an attack.
The bill also makes it easier for the RCMP to obtain a peace bond to restrict the movements of suspects and extend the amount of time they can be kept in preventative detention.
C-51 passed third reading in the House of Commons last month by a vote of 183 to 96.
With files from The Canadian Press
INTERVIEW, GALATI / AMANDA LANG May 7, 2015
Important re Constitutional Rights
Amazing how important the courts have become – as Rocco says in his interview with Amanda – there are two checks and balances that keep a government from going astray i.e towards dictatorship :
i) Parliament and the opposition and Harper has highjacked that processs
ii) the courts and constitution and he’s fighting to keep that alive and well- The Nadon case as they discuss in the interview was all about that-
If you haven’t heard it yet listen to it for sure (Lang interview). Meanwhile Harper is attacking Beverly McLachlin outrageously so and has his lacky think tanks floating ideas that we perhaps don’t need a supreme court. No wonder Rocco used such strong language – he’s seen through the RAT !!
all the best, Janet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AhhC0sngPo&feature=youtu.be
(3 minutes, 49 seconds video) Toronto, Filmed by Derek Soberal
Never say the battle is lost!!
(I left a message on Mr. Galati’s office phone to say that I’d like to make a financial contribution. Would be a wise and worthwhile investment, in my books.)
Many thanks to Janet M Eaton:
In a four minute announcement renowned Constitutional lawyer, Rocco Galati, describes the five major threats of Bill C-51 and goes on to castigate it saying:
” what this legislation creates and make no mistake about it is a modern day Gestapo. No exaggeration – that’s what it creates and if it’s passed it’s created it. …This legislation is not new – German and Italian versions were passed in the 1930s in Europe and they look very much like Bill C51 –very hard to distinguish them. I’m not politically partisan but I’ll say two things –
This is quite clearly a fascist and dictatorial piece of legislation – and appeasement of it is unacceptable. We at the Constitutional Rights Centre will challenge the constitutionality of this bill and encourage other organizations to do the same.
You’ll note that I rudely did not thank you for being here today – I’m not going to thank you. It’s your duty to be here; to take charge of your constitutional rights as its mine to come out and speak if invited. Everybody should be at this type of event. .. We venture into the final fascist state which started with the Chretien government and has now come full mile. Thank you”
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
(2015-06-01) Constitutional Lawyer Rocco Galati: C-51 A ‘Fascist And Dictatorial Piece Of Legislation’, Huffington Post
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
. . . We’ve gone beyond gross domestic product to more meaningful measures of social well-being, said Anshula Chowdhury, founder of Social Asset Measurements (SAM), a software-as-a-service social impact reporting firm operating out of Ryerson University’s Digital Media Zone in Toronto.
The right things
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/business/power+transparency/11082894/story.html
It began over a pint of beer.
Brainstorming business ideas, Steve Beauchesne and his father, Tim, observed that eastern Ontario lacked a notable craft brewery. “The next day, we sobered up and it still seemed like a good idea,” recalled Beauchesne, who quit his job in Toronto and moved back to his hometown of Vankleek Hill, Ont., a town of 1,800 people and 2,000 cows, to launch Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co.
Since its first keg in 2006, the popular, award-winning Beau’s – experiencing 100 times growth in the past eight years and selling 3.5 million litres last year – has been committed to more than great beer. “From Day 1, we’ve been trying to build sustainability into our DNA,” said Beauchesne, whose certified organic brewery is the first in Canada to use 100 per cent renewable electricity and 100 per cent green natural gas, and to become B Corp Certified.
Community engagement is vital, too. The company employs 130 local residents and donates to 100 charities each year (its annual Oktoberfest celebration raised $100,000 last year). “If we’re going to sell beer in a town, we have to be a part of it in a very meaningful way,” he said. “We’ve been doing the right things for the right reasons, and the reward has been consistent growth.”
But it’s not just about doing the right things. For business owners intimately connected to the dicta of social entrepreneurship – people, planet and profit – the need to measure and demonstrate social impact has become increasingly important. Whether to placate investors, donors, employees or a customer base growing ever more concerned with purchasing decisions, companies are realizing that measurement of those “right things” is as central to business practice as engaging in them.
“There’s definitely been an evolution,” said Stephanie Robertson, CEO and founder of Calgary-based SiMPACT Strategy Group, a consultant to clients who want to maximize and communicate their social impact. When she started her business in 2004, the very mention of measurement was a conversation killer, Robertson said. But these days, financial and social performance are no longer deemed mutually exclusive.
We’ve gone beyond gross domestic product to more meaningful measures of social well-being, said Anshula Chowdhury, founder of Social Asset Measurements (SAM), a software-as-a-service social impact reporting firm operating out of Ryerson University’s Digital Media Zone in Toronto. Chowdhury started her business in 2011 after noticing that traditional solutions for impact reporting were too labour intensive. She also saw a dearth of options for startups and felt technology was limited in its capacity to scale impact reporting across industries.
To fill the gaps, Chowdhury developed Social Return Intelligence Suite (SRI), software designed to drastically decrease the cost, time and investment required. She estimates SRI can reduce time spent on measurement by a minimum of 45 per cent, but usually a lot more. “That’s time they could now spend on all of the stuffthat’s really important to move the bar meaningfully on social outcomes.”
SAM caught the attention of Jeremy O’Krafka, founder of MENTORnetwork, a business launched in 2012 focused on building a culture of mentorship across Canada. After winning a grant for consulting services to help promote his social impact, O’Krafka engaged Chowdhury with the idea that measurement stats could help his customers – mostly government-funded organizations – make a successful business case to their funders.
Keep in mind, if a business generates social value, job creation, for example, that’s a cost savings to government and society. Social impact is the natural next frontier of measurement, SiMPACT’s Robertson said, and an important indicator of success. Third-party certifications cover Beau’s measurement needs effectively. The Pro-Cert Organic designation, for instance, ensures a watchful eye over its ingredients and methodology, while the B Corp certification guarantees an in-depth look at governance, community engagement, environmental impact and more.
“We became junkies for measurement-type activities because it’s rewarding,” Beauchesne said of its impact on internal culture. Their efforts also helped garner attention from restaurants and the media. “And people in the community skeptical of our claims were more open to it,” he said. “It opened doors for us that wouldn’t be open otherwise.”
Impact measurement is key for Bruce Poon Tip, founder of G Adventures – a travel company in its 25th year, with a reputation for unique, sustainable travel opportunities and supporting under-served communities along the way. “More and more consumers want to know where their dollars are going, and brands are expected to be transparent, especially in today’s digital world, where consumers can connect directly with companies through social media,” he said.
It was a 2013 partnership with the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) that brought measurement to the forefront for G Adventures. The company was asked to help develop and finance community-based tourism projects in rural communities in Central and South America and to measure their impact with the help of a third-party consultant.
Evaluations were conducted before the projects launched and compared with results after 18 months, and three and five years. The comprehensive measurements looked at things such as living conditions, job numbers, income levels, customers, expenses, revenue, waste management, access to nutritious food and educational opportunities.
Though time-consuming, the process was legitimizing, said Kelly Galaski, technical director of the IDB/MIF project and program and operations manager at G Adventures’ charitable foundation, Planeterra. They saw a rise in job numbers, for example, an average of 300 per cent increase in income, while a community restaurant brought in $200,000 in revenue in one year. “This will help us look at impact at a granular level,” Galaski said, “to really show that these projects work.”
Measurement doesn’t come cheap, though. Beauchesne said he spends $2,000 and $5,000 a year on organic certification and B Corp designation, respectively. Consulting engagements can run as low as $20,000 but more realistically cost $40,000 to $50,000 for one program. Not surprisingly, many social entrepreneurs choose not to undergo the costly process or do it on their own, creating new challenges due to a lack of systematic approach.
SAM – gearing up for its first seed round of financing – came up with a set of resources for small-scale businesses that can’t afford its consulting services, including workshops, adviser matchups and a program that helps them create impact reporting. The software starts at $60 a month for small-scale social entrepreneurs, with an optional one-time fee of about $2,500 for bespoke consulting – often rolled into monthly fees. O’Krafka has already completed Phase 1 and is a fan so far. The decision was a no-brainer, he said, adding his biggest customer uses SAM.
Beauchesne swears by the power of transparency. “We grew faster than any other brewery in the past nine years while living to a high level of corporate ethics and community involvement,” he said. “Our growth isn’t despite all that but largely because of it.”
Elisa Birnbaum writes about social entrepreneurship and is the publisher and editor of SEE Change Magazine. She can be reached at elisa@seechangemagazine.com
© Copyright (c) The StarPhoenix
Two sources: Original: http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/New-Silk-Road-Could-Change-Global-Economics-Forever.html
I copied it from: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-05-23/new-silk-road-could-change-global-economics-forever-part-1
By Robert Berke
Part 1: The New Silk Road
Beginning with the marvelous tales of Marco Polo’s travels across Eurasia to China, the Silk Road has never ceased to entrance the world. Now, the ancient cities of Samarkand, Baku, Tashkent, and Bukhara are once again firing the world’s imagination.
China is building the world’s greatest economic development and construction project ever undertaken: The New Silk Road. The project aims at no less than a revolutionary change in the economic map of the world. It is also seen by many as the first shot in a battle between east and west for dominance in Eurasia.
The ambitious vision is to resurrect the ancient Silk Road as a modern transit, trade, and economic corridor that runs from Shanghai to Berlin. The ‘Road’ will traverse China, Mongolia, Russia, Belarus, Poland, and Germany, extending more than 8,000 miles, creating an economic zone that extends over one third the circumference of the earth.
The plan envisions building high-speed railroads, roads and highways, energy transmission and distributions networks, and fiber optic networks. Cities and ports along the route will be targeted for economic development.
An equally essential part of the plan is a sea-based “Maritime Silk Road” (MSR) component, as ambitious as its land-based project, linking China with the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea through Central Asia and the Indian Ocean.
When completed, like the ancient Silk Road, it will connect three continents: Asia, Europe, and Africa. The chain of infrastructure projects will create the world’s largest economic corridor, covering a population of 4.4 billion and an economic output of $21 trillion.
Politics and Finance:
The idea for reviving the New Silk Road was first announced in 2013 by the Chinese President, Xi Jinping. As part of the financing of the plan, in 2014, the Chinese leader also announced the launch of an Asian International Infrastructure Bank (AIIB), providing seed funding for the project, with an initial Chinese contribution of $47 billion.
China has invited the international community of nations to take a major role as bank charter members and partners in the project. Members will be expected to contribute, with additional funding by international funds, including the World Bank, investments from private and public companies, and local governments.
Some 58 nations have signed on to become charter bank members, including most of Western Europe, along with many Silk Road and Asian countries. There are 12 NATO countries among AIIB´s founding member states (UK, France, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Denmark, Iceland, Spain, Portugal, Poland and Norway), along with three of the main US military allies in Asia (Australia, S. Korea and New Zealand).
After failed attempts by the US to persuade allies against joining the bank, the US reversed course, and now says that it has always supported the project, a disingenuous position considering the fact that US opposition was hardly a secret. The Wall Street Journal reported in November 2014 that “the U.S. has also lobbied hard against Chinese plans for a new infrastructure development bank…including during teleconferences of the Group of Seven major industrial powers.
The Huffington Post’s Alastair Crooke had this to say on the matter: “For very different motives, the key pillars of the region (Iran, Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan) are re-orienting eastwards. It is not fully appreciated in the West how important China’s “Belt and Road” initiative is to this move (and Russia, of course is fully integrated into the project). Regional states can see that China is very serious indeed about creating huge infrastructure projects from Asia to Europe. They can also see what occurred with the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), as the world piled in (to America’s very evident dismay). These states intend to be a part of it.”
Buttressing this effort, China plans on injecting at least $62 billion into three banks to support the New Silk Road. The China Development Bank (CDB) will receive $32 billion, the Export Import Bank of China (EXIM) will take on $30 billion, and the Chinese government will also pump additional capital into the Agricultural Development Bank of China (ADBC).
The US: Unlikely Partner on the Silk Road:
Will the US join the effort? If the new Trans-Pacific Partnership (that pointedly leaves out both Russia and China, two Pacific powers) is any indication, US participation seems unlikely and opposition all but certain.
But there’s no good reason that America should sacrifice its own leadership role in the region to China. A project as vast and complicated as the Silk Road will need US technology, experience, and resources to lower risk, removing political barriers for other allied countries like Japan to join in, while maintaining US influence in Eurasia. The Silk Road could enhance US objectives, and US support could improve the outcome of the project.
An editorial in the Wall St. Journal argues that the US proposed trade agreement and China’s sponsored Silk Road project are complimentary, with the trade agreement aimed at writing rules for international trade, while the Chinese aim at developing infrastructure is necessary for increased trade.
Initial Project:
A look at the first project, currently under development, provides a good example of how China plans to proceed.
The first major economic development project will take place in Pakistan, where the Chinese have been working for years, building and financing a strategic deepwater port at Gwadar, on the Arabian Sea, that will be managed by China as the long-term leaseholder.
Gwadar will become the launching point for the much delayed Iran-Pakistan natural gas pipeline, which will ultimately be extended to China, with the Persian section already built and the Pakistan-Chinese section largely financed and constructed by the Chinese.
The pipeline is also set to traverse the country, following the Karakoram Mountain Highway towards Tibet, and cross the Chinese western border to Xinjang. The highway will also be widened and modernized, and a railroad built, connecting the highway to Gwadar.
Originally, the plan was to extend the pipeline to India, with Qatar joining Iran as natural gas suppliers, forging what some considered a “peace pipeline” between India and Pakistan, but India withdrew, under pressure from the US along with its own concerns over having its energy supplies dependent upon its adversary, Pakistan.
India’s Counter:
Not surprisingly, India, a US ally, countered China’s initiative with one of its own, announcing a new agreement to build a port in Iran on the Arabian Sea, only a few hundred miles from Gwadar, bringing Iranian energy to India via Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan.
Although it would offer an alternative to the Chinese-backed Gwadar initiative, the US warned India not to move ahead with the port project before a final nuclear agreement between Iran and the West is actually signed.
Both the Chinese and Indian projects are clearly in defiance of international sanctions on Iran, but both countries appear unconcerned. The Chinese could also be accused of a ‘double dip’ sanctions violation, given the immense and continuing trade deals it negotiated with Russia.
The rest of the business world is sure to follow, or risk losing out in what is certain to be a new “gold rush” towards Asia in a world still struggling with the lingering effects of the great recession. And New Delhi pointed out the harsh truth: American energy companies are also trying to negotiate deals with Iran. Following on the heels of the US visit, the German mission is due in Tehran soon, with the French beating everyone to the punch in an earlier visit.
What then of sanctions? Sanctions only work in a world united behind them. If a large part of the world chooses to ignore sanctions, they become unenforceable.
Conclusions:
China and much of the world is intent on developing the largest economic development project in history, one that could have dramatic ripple effects throughout the world economy.
The project is expected to take decades, with costs running into the hundreds of billions of dollars, if not trillions. What that will mean for the world economy and trade is almost inconceivable. Is it any wonder then, that the world’s largest hedge funds, like Goldman Sachs and Blackstone, are rushing to market new multi-billion dollar international infrastructure investment funds?
No doubt a project as large and complex as this is likely to have failures, and is certain to face many western geopolitical obstructions. Assuredly, the “great game” will continue. Look no further than US President Barack Obama, who also senses the urgency. “If we don’t write the rules, China will write the rules out in that region,” he said in defense of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
In a world where economic growth is tepid, with Europe still struggling with the aftermath of the global recession, along with China’s growth slowdown, where else could a project that promises so much opportunity be found?
It’s a good bet that giant iron mining companies like Vale, that have seen their business fall to a thirteen-year low, are currently busy figuring how much steel goes into construction of a new, high speed 8,000 mile railroad. If the project is successful, it could very well spark a boom across the entire depressed international mining, commodities, and construction sectors.
Consider how many jobs could be created in a decades-long construction project that spans a huge region of the world. In practically every sector, the prospects are enormous for a revival of trade and commerce.
The ancient Silk Road increased trade across the known world, but the Road also offered far more than trade. One of its least anticipated benefits was the widespread exchange of knowledge, learning, discovery, and culture.
Beyond the riches of silks, spices, and jewelry, it could be argued that the most important thing that Marco Polo brought back from China was a famous nautical and world map that was the basis for one of the most famous maps published in Europe, one that helped spark the Age of Discovery. Christopher Columbus was guided by that map and was known to have a well-annotated copy of Marco Polo’s travel tales with him on his voyage of discovery of a new route to India.
For the world at large, its decisions about the Road are nothing less than momentous. The massive project holds the potential for a new renaissance in commerce, industry, discovery, thought, invention, and culture that could well rival the original Silk Road. It is also becoming clearer by the day that geopolitical conflicts over the project could lead to a new cold war between East and West for dominance in Eurasia.
The outcome is far from certain.
Coming soon, Part 2: Cold War or Competition on the New Silk Road.
If you have time, I recommend listening to Meet Tyrone West , AND THEN to Chris Hedges.
But importantly, listen to Hedges.
2. Interview with Chris Hedges: Listen 24:56
From income inequality, to police brutality, to new methods of surveillance, journalist Chris Hedges believes we are in a point in time that is nothing short of a revolutionary moment. Chris Hedges joins us to talk about the moral imperative of revolt.
Pulizer Prize-winning writer, Chris Hedges was a long-time war correspondent for the New York Times and when he looks out on the landscape of America today, he sees revolution…even in Baltimore.
“The Arab spring turns to the American Fall. We’re the 99 and we will never forgive, we will never forget how you made us live. Expect us at your door. Prepare to defend. The reign of the monied and privileged now ends.”
That ominous message comes courtesy of the online “hacktivist” group, Anonymous. And while its prediction of an imminent revolution in America may be a few years old now, some might look out on what’s happening in America today, as well as around the globe, and say that we are indeed living in a revolutionary moment now.
And that would seem to be Chris Hedges message, the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and journalist. His books include “Empire of Illusion” and the “Death of the Liberal Class.”
For his latest, he looks at the root causes and the seeds of revolution and resistance. His book is called, “The Wages of Rebellion: The Moral Imperative of Revolt.” Chris Hedges was in our Toronto studio.
RELATED LINKS
Rise of the New Black Radicals – TruthDig
Upset Now? Chris Hedges Thinks Tomorrow Could Be Even Worse – On Point,