St George

Ge is the Greek word for Earth. When this planet comprised a single contiguous land mass, modern scientists have named it “Pangea”, meaning “All-Earth”. It is from the Greek word “Ge” that we get words like Geology (what's in the rocks) Geography (how the land lies) and George (someone who works the Earth – a farmer). According to tradition we plant our summer vegetables on St George's day. It amuses me that since “St George” went out of fashion we have invented “World Earth Day” to precede it by 24 hours.

After Pangea split up to become separate continents, it has become apparent that different territories have different attributes and that the whole is not homogeneous. Some territories have a geology that benefits industrialists, such as valuable mineral deposits like coal, iron, oil, gas, metals etc. Some territories have a geography that benefits industrialists such as contiguous terrain interlaced with navigable rivers and through which it is not difficult to construct canals and railways. Other territories comprise islands, mountains and waterfalls; good for olives, tomatoes and goats but not really suited to the manufacture of automobiles and washing machines.

Once the inhabitants of the territories that included coal & iron had got their heads round new technologies such as railways and guns, it was really quite a simple matter to increase their advantage by stealing territory from other, less advantaged indigenous populations. They stole whole continents, they stole small areas with hugely valuable mineral deposits, they killed local people and stole others to use as slaves. Thus they increased their advantage. During this process of land-theft, territories were divided arbitrarily by rulers – straight ones with even marks along their sides not crooked ones with crowns upon their heads – paying no heed at all to tribes, culture or heritage.

The Georges who lived in the territories that were good only for olives, tomatoes and goats continued to work the land, but the industrialists wanted extra-virgin olive oil, sundried tomatoes and goats-cheese on their privileged tables, so they devised a mechanism to exchange these foods for automobiles and washing machines. They called it the euro. But any idiot can see that it takes an impossible amount of sundried tomatoes to pay for a washing machine, and so the exchange rate fell to bits.

Meanwhile the other neighbours living in the arbitrarily divided territories were suffering more and more internal conflict, displacing whole populations.

Now that the divide between rich and poor is untenable, the rich are trying to keep their 'birthright' to themselves. Those who must pay for washing machines with sundried tomatoes are given loans to help repay their debts, but the loans include interest and so the debt becomes larger each day. Those who are fleeing their homes in the hope of a better life are being turned back, imprisoned, drowned.

Surely the solution is to spread the earth's wealth fairly amongst the population of Pangea?
Help your neighbours to succeed in their own homes and they won't come bothering you in yours?

Otherwise you might as well try to slay a brontosaurus with a toothpick!

And then watch this full screen and ask yourself how anybody can possibly believe that they 'own' any of it.

Thanks to youoregon1 for hosting Soapbox Thursday