A most succinct example

A most succinct example of why we need a new KIND of money.

I ran across a series of videos and web pages that can be used as a clear example of what has gone wrong with our economic system and why a change is vital to our continued survival

If in my first video I was worried about what would happen to the factory workers of the shaving blade makers if the majority of people adapted the practice of sharpening their own razorblades instead of buying new ones, the change of status of this article would bring about an enormous improvement in the well being of literally millions of people around the world, and at the same time terminate the jobs of hundreds of thousands of people.

How can this be?!

Again, like in my first video, something that is good for me, you and the environment, the place that makes possible for all of us to “pursue happiness”, is bad for the “economy”.

For a rational being, THIS does not make sense at all!

The commodity in question has been used for hundreds, even thousands, of years by just about every culture, including our own, for it's medical and utilitarian properties, yet, we can not use it because, despite all the seemingly logical (and misleading) reasons given by our current opinion leaders, it would upset our economic system.

Any guess as to what this item is?

I'll give you some clues. It has been used for centuries as an effective medicine for a multitude of ailments and recently a series of university studies have demonstrated it's effectiveness, including in the treatment of brain and many other forms of cancer (Really. Documentation is given below) It can be used to manufacture hundreds of different products including paper, textiles, construction materials, and plastics, eliminating much of the need to use petroleum products. It is a biological agent which can be grown in poor soil, without need for fertilizers or pesticides. It would be a perfect source for bio-fuels, eliminating the dilemma of “food vs. fuel” posed by this industry, and it has many other beneficial uses.

The item in question is Cannabis, in both forms, Sativa (industrial hemp) and Indica (marijuana). You can find all the basic information for these two forms in:

Wikipedia: Medical Cannabis

Wikipedia: Industrial Hemp

Here is an article on BBC News about cannabis stop breast cancer from spreading

Here is a PBS video program exploring the situation “Clearing the Smoke”

A one hour film from a Canadian who got cured from cancer himself, then got convicted for promoting medical marijuana, “Run from the Cure”

Here's an article about a Harvard study “Marijuana cuts lung cance tumor growth”

Here's a study in the PubMed.gov website about the details of how it happens (it's just the abstract of the study)

Many more studies in this government site PubMed.gov

This is the video that got me looking into this situation An illegal cancer cure 

It is a short 15 minute video that has all the points needed to convince you that the status quo is wrong.

Overlook the hyperbole and sensationalism and the essence of the story is correct. Just because it is not patentable, there is no big money in it, a perfectly viable, cheap and effective cure to cancer (and other ailments) is being ignored, and not only that, it is being made illegal with dire consequences for it's use.

How can this be? How can this be allowed to exist! We live in democracies where we acknowledge that the Creator has given us certain rights that can not be taken away by those appointed, by us, to govern our countries. Why can't we use this form of medicine?

I'm one of the school of thought that believes that intellectual knowledge of something does not improve our state of awareness, consciousness, so I want to ask you to do an experiment that may help. It'll take only a couple of seconds:

With your eyes closed pinch your arm will ALL you might, so that it hurts as much as you can stand, even if tears come to your eyes. Go ahead, do it. This post will still be here.

Did you do it? Come on! Don't be chicken. You'll survive. OK? Pinch yourself as hard as you can stand it, and then even more!

OK? Thanks.

Now, that sensation you are feeling, as bad as it is, multiply it a few hundred times and you can begin to imagine what some of these cancer patients are feeling, right now, as you are reading this words. Be thankful for your blessings and pray you are not given that burden to bear (if you are burdened thus, I'm sorry, and I hope something can be done to help you, soon).

So, having this awareness now, I'll ask again, how can this be allowed to happen? It is OUR country for chrissake! All in order to keep the “economy” going?

To those who come up with moralistic “slippery slop”, “gateway drug”, health concerns, etc., for making Cannabis illegal, I can tell you all that claptrap is just smoke and mirrors to distract us from the fact that money is the only reason this plant is in the present legal condition and we can have a hint about this reality by the example of another drug that is showing great promise to be a cure for cancer but the pharmaceutical companies are not interested because it is available everywhere and not patentable. Here is a short 12 minute video about it:

Sodium Dichloroacetate (DCA) - The Cancer Cure

These reports about DCA were made in 2007. Looking up the current status of the research I found the latest press release (May 12, 2010) in CBC News about the successful conclusion of a study with 5 patients “In four of the glioblastoma patients, researchers saw no further brain cancer growth 15 months after initial treatment. Follow-up studies on cells taken from these patients showed that DCA killed cancer cells.” (mind you, the survival rate for this type of cancer is 14 to 16 months) I've not gotten a response to my inquiry about the present status of the research. (I'll post it when I get it).

Now I'll go back to my original concern. IF this plant was to change legal status and DCA became available for use, what would happen to all those people working in the pharmaceutical industry? What about all health industry personnel treating cancer patients? What about all the prison guards if all the drug offenders were let loose? And what will the newly freed people do? (at least now they are getting cheap “room and board”).

Jeepers! What if peace broke out and there was no need for all the military forces? What would all those people do to make a living? AND... what about all the profit the banks are making by laundering the drug money? (See what I mean about “what is good for me, you and the Earth is not good for the “economy”? Don't you just get the impression that there is something deeply insane in what is going on?)

So, does the above information convince you that we NEED a new KIND of money?

What would it look like? How would it work? Well, "Sacred Economics: Money, Gift & Society in the Age of Transition" points out one possibility, but there are others like the Gross National Happiness index being used by the kingdom of Bhutan. There are probably others.

Pass the word.

Bob