Will Barack Obama Tread the Torturous Path to a Sustainable New World Order?

According to a report published by the World Wildlife Fund and the Global Footprint Network: "Humans are stripping nature at an unprecedented rate and will need two planets' worth of natural resources every year by 2050 if current trends continue."

WWF Director-General James Leape said: "For more than 20 years we have exceeded the Earth's ability to support a consumptive lifestyle that is unsustainable and we cannot afford to continue down this path." He continued: "If everyone around the world lived as those in America, we would need five planets to support us."

In part of Barack Obama's acceptance speech he said: "And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as president: in 10 years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East." It will be interesting to observe just how much Mr Obama offers in greenhouse gas goals and aid to assist developing countries to help achieve this.

But it needs to go far further and deeper than independence from oil. Economic perceptions about how we organise our lives have taken generations to formulate, with consumerism and growth the very heart of our beloved capitalism system; it is on everyone lips in almost every word they utter when referring to a country or region's success. If this is to change, and it must, it is a colossal challenge to meet. This massive environmental clean-up cannot be taken on by Mr Obama's new administration alone but it can drive the new agenda forward; an agenda that is sustainable, renewable and intelligent.

The old order had this to say about its willful neglect, not only of the economy but, more importantly, the environment: On 12 May 2008 in Washington, DC George W. Bush announced: "I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office." Or didn't happen, more to the point.

America has for years refused to co-operate with urgent calls to tackle global warming. With the new president this cannot be allowed to continue. But if we're going to blame the Republican Party for deregulating the economy and neglecting environmental issues, we should also point the finger of blame across the entire spectrum of world leaders and bankers.

In a recent cover story in The Economist they wrote: "Global finance is being torn apart; it can be put back to together again." Really? But surely, if global capitalism's flaws have just driven the world into this financial cul-de-sac, then why reconstitute the model, albeit with more responsible, transparent protection?

Their argument seems to be that with the world's largest investment banks and insurance companies, most now in the hands of receivers, merged or bailed out, and with recessions and redundancies about to change the face of the world forever, they accuse systemic institutional failures to regulate sub-prime mortgages as the cause of the meltdown. They then went on to suggest that, don't worry, Humpty Dumpty will be put together again any time soonish.

The Economist contends that even though America's (and for that matter everyone else's) fragmented system of oversight, lack of transparency and accounting methods, which factors in values risk, has caused the greatest recession since World War II, the system is sound enough to withstand a new Depression.

Maybe it can, but what controls have been put in place and what government dare tussle with the remaining super-banks? The onus of risk now seems to have shifted to the unsuspecting taxpayer. In Britain, trust has been completely scuppered by a bailout by the people on behalf of the banking system which has kindly responded by a declaration that interest rate cuts will not be passed down to the people. So much for fair play in the world of bonuses-first banking.

The question is should the world slither back up the greasy pole of capitalism as it was, the system that righteously declared itself the victor over communism at the close of the cold war, or do we look for a deeper understanding, realise its faults and then add other ingredients into the mix? The time is ripe for environmentalism to be added into a new economic paradigm, one that goes hand-in-hand with global responsibility and our very survival.

Existing accounting models across the globe are very fickle about what they call 'procyclicality', meaning transparent and immediate write-downs of toxic assets on a company's books. But what if the accounting methods in the new paradigm were to factor in environmental cost and waste, and penned into the ledgers of these vast corporations? That is only fair, for if not it would be like having HIV and not informing your partner. Morally, that's an abomination; having toxic assets, and worse, toxic products hidden from your investors apparently isn't. It should be. And so shouldn't a company's green mission statement also be available, transparent and immediate? And shouldn't harmful environmental fallout resulting from the means of production be available too, and penalised?

It is said that the years ahead will be much harsher than they were before, both in the realms of finance, the environment and our way of life. Now the former has failed us the system needs to be re-modelled with environmental sustainability built into it. Today there is limited finance available, trillions of dollars of it, and for some foreseeable time to come - the brain of the capitalist system. Surely it is the right time to embrace the fundamentals of our existence and not just how many new gadgets we dutifully buy because of the constant bombardment of advertising. The economic argument cannot afford to leave the environment behind as they are both intrinsically linked.

According to an annotated interview on the BBC website: "I think the credit crunch shows an end of an era. The lack of recognition of the end of American economic dominance contributed to the severity of the credit crunch. Resolving it will require no less than a new world order. The risk at the heart of the US sub-prime mortgage crisis was the result of low interest rates and excess liquidity. To resolve the resultant credit crunch in the globalised financial market, the West will need to work with emerging markets to deleverage. While the economic growth in the United States and the European Union has stagnated, global growth is driven by China and other emerging markets. Companies are turning to those markets. This is where the global economy has shifted East and is no longer driven by one dominant country. This heralds a new world order."

Unfortunately, this train of thought, with the prospect of China at the helm of the "new economic order", does not sit so tightly with reality. If the economic powerhouse of post-American hegemony wants to champion itself as the world's leading light, then the government needs to correct it internal problems. In the opinion of Will Hutton, Asia is just not innovative enough to seize the reins of global power yet.

Although Chinese premier Wen Jiabao was right in calling for rich nations to abandon their "unsustainable lifestyle" to fight climate change, perhaps he should first look at his own backyard: China is the world's greatest emitter of carbon dioxide.

Boldly, the British government has pledged to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. That is an admirable goal but the massive cultural change needed to shift it away from the toxic system of consumerism to a more sustainable model is a tough nut to crack.

Ed Miliband, the new energy and climate change secretary, told MPs that the tough economic conditions were not an excuse to "row back" on the commitment to tackle global warming. However, with all these worthy initiatives coming from Mr Miliband, it is interesting to note that less than 1% of the UK's heat currently comes from renewable sources.

Contrast this with Germany, which has ten times as much wind power as Britain and 200 times as much installed solar power. America needs to play catch-up with them as soon as Mr Obama is in office.

Recession is already on Britain's doorstep and there's been a lot of talk about switching the world economy to a carbon-free future. Some naysayer's say it cannot be afforded but in October the government announced its intention to introduce a "feed-in tariff" (FIT), which guarantees rates for renewably produced electricity.

In the US, part of its bail-out is said to include $16bn of new green tax breaks for renewable energy, cleaner fuels and energy efficiency. That's encouraging. But are we to believe this or is it more idle rhetoric?

Governments the world over need to take Germany's cue and kickstart nascent industries, rewarding adopters of green technology. In the US, Mr Obama should send a clear message that he plans to take global warming seriously, first by appointing a "climate change czar", functioning as a special environmental adviser to the new president, and then taking bold new steps in arresting climate change.

We have yet to see what the new president will bring to the table but the old world order is surely finished and much of the world's enthusiasm over Barack Obama's victory was focused on change - his campaign slogan.

What we need to see is economic fundamentals being re-wrought into a new 21st century paradigm that rejects the consumer merry-go-round into a sustainable, edifying world that is seen to be dismantling toxic produce-and-dump economics in favour of one that benefits us all. It is also about time governments sidelined multinational corporations that refuse to go along with greening up. You can see the brutal reality of how these corporations wantonly and arrogantly pollute the planet, resulting in the cruel destruction of the Earth, in particular developing nations, on The Story of Stuff website.

But for that to happen we must all start to face the stark reality that colossal change must be made to economic systems and lifestyles, how we live and what we consume. The cultural changes necessary to bring this about will rent huge divisions for those reluctant to cede their fortunes of comfort - the pariahs of the new world order.

Laissez-faire capitalism doesn't work and has been proved not to work. It has also been the heart and soul of countries like Britain and the US for decades. Undoing it, rebuilding a system that is intelligent and renewable, is going to take time. And time is not something there's a great abundance of. It would also help if developed nations agree to clean technology transfers to the developing world to ensure some sense of equity.

The overriding question now is: will President Barack Obama accede to this mantle and start dissolving the Republican legacy of the toxic economy? He must; humanity is at a crossroads and it is the responsibility of everybody to play their part in rebuilding it anew, sustainably so. It is especially important that the lead comes from the world's great consumers and polluters: America.

Media Director of V9 Design & Build (http://www.v9designbuild.com), providing both local and outsourcing web and SEO services: we provide both brochureware and custom-designed websites, with tasteful design and branding, professional design and build, proven and successful SEO and e-marketing, e-commerce-driven database integration and content management systems.

Turmoil of World Economy - A Blessing In Disguise?

In the recent months I have literally received hundreds of emails which have requested that I speak or write about the current state of our economy. I was particularly asked what my opinion is about acquiring precious metals and living independently of the grid. Regarding the latter, I have personally taken steps to be energy-independent by installing solar panels. We also have our own water source and grow our own foods; and for the winter months we use a small greenhouse to provide some essential foods. Being a vegan/vegetarian, this makes it easy to be nearly self-sufficient with regard to food.

If at all possible, I recommend that people move away from areas of high or dense population to more rural areas where they have access to arable land and clean, natural water. If that's not possible, try to find a small piece of land where you can grow your own food. Many people now convert their lawn into a vibrant vegetable garden.

Many years ago, I had predicted the emergence of what I call the 'spiritual economy,' which is to evolve from the ashes of our current, purely materialistic economy. I perceive the massive decline of our economy and the imminent collapse of the hollow values that uphold it (largely debt-based) as an inevitable step to birth the new, love-based, life-promoting economy where everyone will benefit from the generated waves of prosperity, not just a select few.

We are collectively transitioning out of an unsustainable state of existence where we rely on things like fiat paper money that is being printed faster than we can think; medications that are designed to make us sicker by the minute, so that we will spend more money on trying to regain our health; foods that are nutritionally worthless and make us crave and overeat them even more; water that is poisoned by the super-toxin fluoride, hormones, plastic particles and radiation from dumped nuclear waste material. We irradiate our food with microwaves and our brains with radio waves emitted from cell phones and other high tech devices. We stop talking to each other because it is more fun to send text messages, day and night, and to be entertained by video games and an endless number of TV programs.

We let ourselves be hired for pay and then pay part of what we have earned to a hired organization called the 'government' that somehow has assumed the role of dictating how we can and cannot live our lives. This government is allowed to use our money to run a Ponzi scheme that accrues a tremendous amount of debt that can never be repaid. To keep the scam going, the masses are forced by law to pay into it (taxation) without getting much in return, except a progressive destruction of the economy, the bankrupting of the housing market, an ever-expanding sickness industry that promises cures but kills more people each year than those who die from all other causes of death combined, and endless wars that have nothing to do with protecting us against an invading enemy, except to provide or secure access to foreign oil, gas, water and other natural resources that make the most wealthy even wealthier.

Our planet and her inhabitants are at the brink of extinction. What politicians and economists refer to as healthy economic growth is now fiction. Huge amounts of fiat money are being moved from one hand to another, from one organization or company to another, from one country to another, but all this just means that someone gets wealthier while another becomes poorer. A truly health economy benefits everyone, not just a selected few.

Today's so-called 'economic growth' is now largely based on fixing problems. For example, the sickness industry is undergoing a massive growth that funnels vast amounts of money into the hands of a few corporate giants while impoverishing those who happen to fall ill. Health insurance premiums go up as more people get sick. Drug companies make sure to produce medicines that don't cure anyone, but just suppress symptoms of disease for a little while; their continued prosperity depend on a steadily increasing number of repeat customers. Insurance companies thrive in times of calamities. More people sign up for flood and wind insurance after they see others' homes being destroyed by floods, hurricanes and tornadoes.

Food shortages are increasing and food prices are rising. The rest of the foods that don't go up in price are heavily subsidized by the taxpayer's money. Massive bailouts of failing banks that make money off others in distress are further eroding the value of the currency and, therefore, the economy. Clever Wall Street investors spend a lot of money to make a lot more money, all out of thin air. But someone is going to lose whatever they win. Taking the entire economy into consideration, there is no real benefit in shifting wealth from one entity to another.

Creating poverty, which sows the seeds of crime, is a very lucrative business that serves 'economic growth'. We spend billions of dollars each year on incarcerating people and keeping them there. It costs $40,000 - $60,000per year just to house and feed one prison inmate. In the US, we have over 2,000,000 prisoners. That's a staggering $80,000,000,000 being 'invested' in the economy. In addition, the US has spent $1.2 trillion on wars since 2001, money that could have easily eradicated the most severe poverty on the entire planet.

Economic growth that is measured by how much money is being spent on creating or maintaining social-economic problems is economic regression, not economic progress. And there is a natural limit to such economic regression. The gap between the rich and poor widens by the minute and it a just a matter of time before the masses will revolt to assure their own survival and that of their families. The more we waste our energy and resources on controlling or fixing problems, the more likely we will have to face even more of them. As the old saying goes, like attracts like. We can forget about reaching the end of the current recession so that everything can go back to 'normal'. What's considered normal is not good enough anymore. Humankind deserves to move on.

The imminent collapse of the world economy is but a necessary, albeit painful, step toward restoring a sense of value and humaneness in our world affairs. We are not here to compete with one another, but to work together through service and sharing our gifts and resources. An economy that is based on competition is destined to destroy itself. Enriching ourselves at the cost of others is a recipe for disaster. Greed interferes with the delicate balance that exists between the energies of giving and receiving, or supply and demand.

To make it through the transition from the current state of economy to the next, we need to cycle back to the more stable and reliable currency backup system that has been in place for hundreds of years. This proven system was abandoned many years ago in order to funnel massive wealth into the hands of a few, while impoverishing the rest of us through massive debt creation. People who are in debt are obviously indebted to those who so generously offer them a loan. You relinquish control over your life when you accumulate debt. Now that the masses are spending more money than they own, almost the entire country is enslaved and controlled by those few who issue the debt (loans against interest) and own it.

Precious metals should have remained the backbone of all currencies and economies. Once this backbone was broken, the monetary system became subject to the massive manipulation and chaos that we are now faced with. President John F. Kennedy attempted to steer the US back to self-autonomy by abandoning the Federal Reserve and taking over the printing and circulation of gold-backed currency. His assassination quickly put a stop to it. Today, the trillions-and-growing national debt makes it impossible to salvage the economy. Bailouts of banks and large corporations merely postpone the inevitable economic bankruptcy and make it more traumatic, if dire, for everyone involved.

For the new economy to emerge, the old economy must be dismantled and decentralized. Every person must be able to create her or his own small economy for a balanced exchange of real goods, services and values to take place in our communities and worldwide. The old barter system, where something of true value was exchanged for something else that had value, must be reinstated in order to achieve decentralization and put an end to the power of those who control the money.

In truth, no one has power over us unless we allow it. We need to know that we do have choices, however difficult a situation may seem. Insurmountable difficulties have a great purpose; they force us to change course. For example, more and college graduates who are unable to get work in the cities are moving to rural areas where they either find work at existing food farms or lease a small piece of land where they can grow their own food. Many of them are now making a very good living of selling fresh foods to the local communities and they actually feel very good about what they do. Growing and sharing food is a time-tested recipe for happiness and peace of mind.

Paper money has no more value than the paper it is printed on, and it is subject to devaluation when more of it is printed or circulated. Thus, selling debt is a quick way to destroy the value of economies. Zimbabwe is very good example of a dysfunctional economy, and we are following in her footsteps. The greediness that fuels Ponzi schemes, such as the privately run Federal Reserve banking conglomerate, is endless. But without our participation in their gambling house, they cannot last long.

Instead of fighting the current system and blaming others for the now self-destructive economy, we can all step out of it and dismantle the very foundation of the debt-based economy. One simple piece of advice can go a long way, and it goes like this: don't spend money you don't have. If you have extra money, don't spend it all, but create a nest egg that consists of gold and/or silver. By doing so, you literally own something of lasting value that is inflation proof.

It is not important how much worth precious metals have in comparison with the US dollar, for instance. The same silver coin that bought you a gallon of gas 40 years ago will still buy you a gallon of gas today or 10 years from now, if we still have gas by then. Precious metals cannot be devalued. If you decide to own gold or silver, I recommend keeping it rather than buying more fiat money as its 'value' increases. The more people who follow this advice, the faster and more smoothly the inevitable collapse of the debt-based economy can occur.

The collapse of the current economy is a prerequisite for the love-based, spiritual economy to emerge, just like the blossoms of an apple tree must die to give way to producing the life-giving fruits. The principles that have run our economies so far are outdated. Corruption is rampant. As the old proverb goes, we need a new seed in order to yield a new crop.

At a time when money determines everything that has some value, we can no longer expect to evolve in a meaningful way. Catastrophes like those we have witnessed or experienced in recent months, weeks and days serve as reminders that our material possessions and jobs can vanish at a moment's notice. We are also learning that by destroying our natural environment, we are also destroying our livelihoods. When love becomes the measure of value, not money, economic hardship will vanish and the environment will be treasured and respected.

Making money, alone, does not create lasting happiness and love, but love and happiness can certainly bring about lasting abundance in life. We have now reached the extreme of the pendulum of superficiality and the pendulum must swing back to fathom the depth of our spiritual essence.Although acquiring precious metals helps to bring about this transition, this should only be a means to achieve an end.

Andreas Moritz is a writer and practitioner in the field of Integrative Medicine. He is the author of 13 books on various subjects pertaining to holistic health and spirituality, including The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush, Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation and Cancer Is Not a Disease. His most recent book is titled Vaccine-Nation: Poisoning the Population, One Shot at a Time.

Moritz is also the creator of Ener-Chi Art ( http://www.ener-chi.com ) and Sacred Santémony.

Much of his life's work has been dedicated to understanding and treating the root causes of illness, and helping the body, mind, spirit and heart to heal naturally.

Connect with Andreas at: http://www.facebook.com/enerchi.wellness

Copyright © 2011 by Andreas Moritz

Wholesale Imports Are Vital to a Functioning World Economy

What are wholesale imports?

To state it simply, wholesale imports are the goods that one region purchases from another region. These commodities will probably be such things as textiles, cloths, fresh foods, raw supplies and produced materials. And now in such a technological era we are also importing service. These wholesale imports are dispatched wherever there is requirement for the item or service. There may already be competing solutions in that market, or the merchandise might be new to the marketplace.

These items are then transported, typically by a commercial freight forwarder, both by plane or sea vessels across worldwide borders. Here they need to go through customs inspections by a customs officer at the internal harbor, airport, or railway station ports of entry.

At customs, the importer is instructed to present the correct documentation such as insurances, permits, a record of the objects you're bringing in, a notice of credit, a bill of lading, payment of any charges, taxes, duties and expenses.

All nations, are required to conduct their business in acquiescence with international guidelines and legislation. They have to respect all embargoes, limitations, allocations, quarantine laws, and any other situations that might make the movement of imports impossible.

And so, since we have reviewed specifically what wholesale imports are, let's determine whether or not wholesale imports are a very good thing or a bad issue for the local economic climate of an indigenous society.

It truly all comes down to the matter of production and desire, as well as the ability of a specific nation to produce the items that are sought by the population. If a specific products just isn't readily available since the domestic inhabitants both does not have the assets or the effort to produce it, and there may be sufficient desire for it, then it is sensible to purchase wholesale imports in order to meet that desire.

Also it might not seem sensible to obtain wholesale imports if competing variations of the exact same item are already obtainable in your nation or there isn't sufficient demand for that certain product or service.

Whenever you do your market analysis, you must determine if it's cost prohibitive to import those types of items. After all, the goal of the import company is to generate income. Unless imported goods satisfy a need of the indigenous population, it doesn't add up, nor is it financially feasible to bring these kinds of wholesale imports directly into that nation. If they cannot make money for all individuals involved in the exchange, from purchasers to sellers and for everyone else in the middle, then the process is futile.

In this modern era of global trading, wholesale imports are a crucial part of what has allowed the international financial system to grow. It has also permitted other countries around the globe to reap some benefits and enjoy the advancements in manufacturing systems plus every thing that has been produced mainly because of this advancement.

So, it is likely that you're looking for much more help and advice relevant to Wholesale Imports or you'd like to learn the ins and outs of running an imports and exports small business then go to http://www.importexporthomestudy.com and receive your free of charge report.

World Oil Prices - Who Really Sets World Oil Prices?

I watched the CBS News show "60 Minutes" Sunday night, and saw the piece on world oil prices done by Steve Croft. I realize that their format doesn't allow for a detailed, in-depth investigation of any topic, but this seemed to be a broad-brushed finger pointing session.

Have you ever watched a skilled magician do his act? He will divert your attention with activity in one hand, and do the "magic" with the other hand. That's what this segment reminded me of.

Croft and his gaggle of "experts" led viewers to believe that the commodity speculators were entirely to blame for the spike in oil prices in 2008, and also responsible for its collapse in the last quarter of 2008.

But is Croft telling the truth?

Maybe. But only partially, in my opinion.

World oil prices are set on two criteria, or two particular oil products; West Texas Intermediate Crude (Sweet Crude), and North Sea (Brent Crude). Those prices are set in New York and in London, not by the oil producing nations of OPEC.

West Texas Sweet comes from the oldest major producing fields on the planet. North Sea Brent comes from the most difficult and highest cost oil field on the planet. So, world oil prices are set based upon the two places on earth where the production cost is highest.

There are places where oil is plentiful and easy to produce. It's almost like sticking a pipe into the sand and oil comes out. The production costs for those kinds of oil fields is much lower than in the North Sea, so those oil fields are much more profitable.

But do you ever hear anyone telling you that? No. What you hear on all the news shows and from government jabberers is that OPEC has the rest of the world in its clutches.

Next point to challenge is the blaming of the speculators. In any transaction, there is a buyer and a seller. Both parties are making their best effort to profit from the transaction. When someone buys a future contract on a commodity like oil, they are betting that either the price will rise or that the price will fall before a certain future date. Buyer and seller are both gambling, and one will be right.

So who are the speculators? I don't know. But the major commodity exchanges are in New York and London. There are speculators buying and selling in every single commodity, from bacon to frozen orange concentrate to crude oil. Curious that no one is crying about speculation in the other commodity markets.

My business is as a Claims Consultant and a Risk Manager. It seems to me that commodities futures contracts are very similar to buying insurance to protect against certain losses. Skilled insurers make a profit, and unskilled insurers lose money. No different here in the oil business.

Remember also that during the same time period, the US Treasury and Federal Reserve flooded the world with trillions of new dollars, causing inflation everywhere. You did notice that prices for nearly everything escalated in 2008, didn't you?

Finally, in an oil-related story, Georgia state government regulators recently assessed fines against about a dozen gas stations that allegedly did "price gouging" during the run-up on oil prices in 2008. That must mean that property rights in the State of Georgia don't mean anything. A merchant who spends HIS OWN MONEY to buy a product should be free to sell that product to whomever he chooses for whatever price buyer and seller can agree to. No one forced any buyer to buy gas from these stations at any price. The sellers offered their product and willing buyers bought it. However, seems that some of those buyers like Fascism more than Capitalism, since they called the State bullies and complained. I hope that the stations marked for punishment are fighting back in the courts.

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What Are the Best Health Care Systems in the World?

Health care reform is on everyone's mind these days. New proposals  are coming from the Senate and from the House. President Obama has made  reform a priority.

Universality of access to health insurance is the most pressing issue. Universal health care simply means coverage for all eligible residents of a political area. The United States is the only industrialized country that has not implemented a universal system for citizens under age 65.

Universal health care can be implemented in several ways. In some countries the government directly manages the health care system. This is usually called socialized medicine. In most countries universal coverage is achieved by a mix of public and private funding. Taxation is the primary source of funding but is supplemented by private payor arrangements.

In 2000 the World Health Organization (WHO) produced a report which ranked all the health insurance systems used by its member countries. The is the report usually quoted when discussing both the good and bad features of a health insurance system.

It should be noted that the WHO has indicated it will no longer produce a ranking table because of the complexity of the task. The criteria for ranking the health care systems was based on a wide variety of findings, including but not limited to, life expectancy, infant mortality and cost.

Many people know that the United States ranked 37th out of 198 countries and that Canada ranked 30th. But do you know what the top 10 best health care system in the world are?

The top 10 in the order determined by the World Health Organization

1. France

2. Italy

3. San Marino

4. Andorra

5. Malta

6. Singapore

7. Spain

8. Oman

9. Austria

10. Japan

When the United Nations was formed in 1945 one of the entities that the delegates discussed was setting up an organization to monitor and assess global health trends. The World Health Organization (the WHO) came into being on April 7,1948. World Health Day is celebrated every year on that date in recognition of the WHO.

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. All countries which are Members of the United Nations may become members of the WHO by accepting its Constitution which currently has 198 participating nations.

Sheila Guilloton is the owner of Prestige Planners, a health specialty agency placing health and dental insurance for business and individuals. Licensed with all the major carriers, she counsels and advises clients on how to select the most appropriate coverage. To learn more about health insurance, health care reform and general health topics visit http://www.examiner.com/x-11804-Health-Care-Examiner

Producing a Healthy Populace on a Budget - Who in the World is Getting the Job Done? Part 2

The debate on health care reform in Congress continues. Who's right and who's wrong? Are those who oppose some of the proposed reforms evil, selfish people who delight in seeing their fellow man suffer? Are those who staunchly support the proposed reforms living in a dream-world?

I am not qualified to give a definitive answer. But what I am qualified to do is poke around online and see who in the world is achieving the objective of health care reform explicitly laid out by President Obama - providing a way for all individuals to receive health care without fear that they are "one illness away from bankruptcy", and reducing costs in the process.

So, who is doing the best job in the world achieving this goal?

The answer might surprise you.

In this relatively small island-nation, you can be treated to views of towering skyscrapers, mosques and temples of ancient Malay and Hindu civilizations, as well as innumerable Western-style shopping malls. Welcome to Singapore!

Singapore boasts the 6th best health care system in the world with an infant morality rate almost 1/3 of that of the U.S. (there are just 2.3 deaths per 1,000 live births in Singapore as opposed to 6.4 deaths per 1,000 live births in the U.S.). Its populace is the fourth longest-lived in the world, with an average life expectancy of 81.98 years.

And Singapore accomplishes this by spending only 3.7 percent of its GDP (only $381 per capita) on health, as opposed to America's 15.4 percent expenditure!

What can account for Singapore being a shining example of a functional, frugal health care system? How does this system work?

In Singapore, individuals are required to set aside 6-8% of their income into what is essentially a health savings account (employers contribute to these accounts as well). This money earns interest, is tax-free, and can be withdrawn at any time to cover the health care expenses of ones' self or family members. Unspent money accrues and rolls over from year to year. This program is called Medisave.

Citizens of Singapore may purchase additional coverage for catastrophic events with Medishield (or Medishield Plus which offers even more coverage), and their premium payments may come out of their Medisave accounts.

The government subsidizes the health care of those who cannot cover their expenses with either Medisave or Medishield through the Medifund program. For the elderly and disabled, government-subsidized ElderShield pays for health care expenses that the individual cannot cover himself.

Here are some important points:

o Singapore's vision as a state is "adding years of healthy life," by focusing less on healing sickness, and in the words of the Singapore Health Ministry, more on "the more difficult but infinitely more rewarding task of preventing illness and preserving health and quality of life."

o The people of Singapore willingly take responsibility for their own health by spending their own money to fund most of their health care costs.

o "The reason the system works so well is that it puts decisions in the hands of patients and doctors rather than of government bureaucrats and insurers. The state's role is to provide a safety net for the few people unable to save enough to pay their way, to subsidize public hospitals, and to fund preventative health campaigns."

o 75% of the populace of Singapore uses less-expensive holistic/complementary medicine at least once per year in preventing and treating illness.

o Complementary medicine is widely accepted by the medical community at large as an important contributor to the nation's health.

Phua Kai Hong, associate professor of health policy and management at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore gives the following reasons for Singapore's successful health care system:

o "the creation of incentives for responsible behavior and the efficient delivery of services;

o the discouragement of overconsumption through cost-sharing;

o the regulation of hospital beds, doctors, and the use of high-cost medical technology;

o the promotion of personal responsibility;

o targeted government subsidies;

o and the injection of competition through a mix of public- and private-sector providers.'"

What can we in the United States of America learn from Singapore? Why don't we try to emulate some of the things that have worked in Singapore in our own health care reform?

Before I discuss this in a subsequent post, in my next post I will outline the health care system of a part of the world where a push to give health insurance to all is doing just that, but costs are continuing to skyrocket and hardships for middle class citizens in obtaining health care continue in full force.

Unfortunately, the latter is the system we are emulating, and it appears that almost no-one is paying attention!

Julie Behling invites you to become a follower of her blog at http://www.juliebehling.com.

Producing a Healthy Population on a Budget - Who in the World is Getting the Job Done? Part 1

Are you familiar with the saying that if you want to become successful at something, find someone who has what you want and do what they do?

Applying this simple wisdom to the healthcare debate, I decided to see what I could turn up. Out of all the countries in the world, which nations have the populations with the best health measured by the highest life expectancy, and how is this accomplished?

I was hoping to come across a comprehensive study by some think-tank or prominent university giving detailed statistical analysis of factors affecting life expectancy and health, showing which nations around the world have the healthiest populations, and how they accomplish this, but I couldn't find anything substantial.

I will attempt to provide some rudimentary findings in this article.

I started with searching for life expectancy rates in the different nations. I figured that life expectancy was the simplest measurement of the health of a populace. Here is the Top 10 List:

Countries with Highest Life Expectancy

Macau (part of China) -- 84.36
Andorra -- 82.51
Japan -- 82.12
Singapore -- 81.98
San Marino -- 81.97
Hong Kong -- 81.86
Australia -- 81.63
Canada -- 81.23
France (metropolitan) -- 80.98
Sweden 80.86

50. United States 78.11

Why do people living in these countries on average outlive the rest of the world?Does universal health care coverage play a key role? What about the lifestyle of these groups? What about factors that can't be changed, but still play a role such as wealth and demographics of the populations?

Wouldn't it be important to have an in-depth understanding of why these populations are so long-lived before undertaking any expensive, extensive, and potentially revolutionary changes to our own health care system?

As it turns out, each of the nations that made the top ten are relatively wealthy when compared with many other parts of the world, but those with the highest life expectancy are certainly not the wealthiest. From this, I must conclude that wealth may play a role in life expectancy, but there are clearly other factors involved.

Japan is noted for its extraordinarily low obesity rate - only 3% of Japanese citizens are obese (while in the United States, a full 32% of the populace is obese)! Since several of the top killers of Americans are chronic illnesses that occur with a significantly greater prevalence in the obese (heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes), it would make sense that America's portly and out-of-shape populace is a literal drag on the nations's life expectancy. Japan's relatively lower rates of these chronic diseases gives further credence the significant role of obesity in life expectancy.

An interesting side note about Japan's low obesity rate is how they avoid this modern plague - Japanese children are taught to eat only until 80% full, fresh vegetables and fish are eaten in abundance, sweets are eaten occasionally, and more people in Japan get exercise in their daily lives than in America. I think we can learn a lot about a healthy lifestyle from the Japanese!

In terms of demographics, some of the countries in this top-ten list have a tiny population size with a racially homogenous populace (such as San Marino, Andorra, Macau, and even Sweden). Others have larger populations, but still a very homogenous population such as Japan and Australia (92% of the Australian population is of European descent). But Canada, France, and Singapore all have a good degree of racial diversity.

A quick look at demographics reveals that having a small, homogenous populations may be positively associated with higher life expectancy, but it is clearly not the main player in the life expectancy game.

Next I wanted to look at the health care systems of each of the countries on this top-ten list. Unfortunately, a complete statistical analysis of the health care systems of nations with high life expectancies is beyond the ability of my poor little brain, and beyond the scope of a blog entry. But here's what I can say so far:

Each of the nations and nation-states with the highest life expectancies appear to give access of at least basic health care to even the poorest of their citizens. If someone is having a heart attack, they won't be turned away. If someone is mauled in an accident of some type, they will receive care. Any person with a chronic illness will receive at least basic care in a public clinic of some kind.

I have much more research to do to compare how this differs from what is currently offered to the poor in the United States under the Medicaid and Medicare program. I'm sure there are may be some significant differences, and I would like to know what they are.

In my research on health care systems, I made a very surprising find that I want to share. Did you know that in the list of countries with highest life expectancies that there is a country that is less affluent than the U.S. that has an infant mortality rate one-third less than that of the U.S., that spends one-seventh of what the U.S. government spends on health care for its populace, and its population lives an average of almost four years longer?

What country is this, and what are they doing right?

And did you know that there is a part of the world where a push to give each and every citizen health insurance has succeeded at insuring almost everyone, but has increased the cost of health care for many of its citizens while showing little or negligible increases in their actual health, while practically bankrupting its government in the process?

Stay tuned for the scoop. Julie Behling invites you to become a follower of her blog at http://www.juliebehling.com.

Producing a Healthy Populace on a Budget - Who in the World is Getting the Job Done? Part 3

In Part 1 of this article, I expressed the desire to take an objective view at the health care systems of different nations to see if I could find a good example of a country who was pulling off a healthy population, a high life expectancy, and a quality health care system without breaking the bank.

In Part 2, I discussed the shining example of Singapore in doing just that - Singapore has the 4th highest life expectancy in the world (people live to age 82 on average), has the 6th best health care system, and the government of Singapore spends only 3.7% of its GDP on health care!

In this final section I wished to contrast Singapore, who literally is getting the job done, to that of another part of the world. In this part of the world, government leaders decided that instead of finding a way to focus on having healthy citizens while cutting unnecessary costs, they would instead focus on making sure the entire population had health insurance. Health insurance, they surmised, was the key to the population's health, as well as the key to keeping down the health care costs for both the government and the citizenry.

What have been the results? Did this government achieve its objective of insuring the masses? And if so, has this brought the desired curb in health care costs? Are the previously uninsured better off now that they have this insurance? Is everyone enjoying the fruits of this initiative?

I am sad to say that this experiment took place in our very own state of Massachusetts, and so far, it doesn't look good.

According to a March 2, 2009 article in the Boston Globe, healthcare reform in Massachusetts has:

Failed to achieve universal coverage (200,000 are still without health insurance),
Failed to address the problem of health insurance being tied to ones' employment,
Failed to make health insurance affordable for many citizens (including middle and low-income individuals and families),
Failed to shore in costs for the state (healthcare costs for the state of Massachusetts have doubled from $630 million in 2007 to an estimated $1.3 billion for 2009),
Failed to assure citizens' access to healthcare.

A more recent Christian Science article from October 21, 2009 concludes that "a mandate on individuals to buy health insurance can work - just don't expect it to reduce the cost of care."

There may be some residents of Massachusetts who are happy with the results of the healthcare reform that have been enacted there, but the problems remain paramount.

If Massachusetts is, at best, no better off for its healthcare reform that has doubled healthcare expenses for the state, then should we not take some heed as our entire nation appears ready to plunge onto a similar course?

Should our main focus as a nation be universal health insurance? Shouldn't we find a way follow the example of Singapore and focus on:

Population wellness through disease prevention,

Enacting policies that put more healthcare decisions into the hands of individuals, and fewer into the hands of the government?

In the meantime, I suggest each of us take actions to give us the best chances of having good health -- eating a balanced diet low in processed foods and high in minimally-processed plant-based foods, drinking plenty of clean water, getting adequate exercise and sleep, and using low-cost and oftentimes effective holistic means for taking care of problems when they first arise (such as herbs, essential oils, massage, acupuncture, reflexology, etc...), thus potentially using more expensive Western modalities more sparingly as a result.

To your health!

Julie Behling invites you to become a follower of her blog at http://www.juliebehling.com.

One of the Greatest Natural Wonders in the World

The United States is home to some of the planet's greatest natural wonders, and some of the most scenic vistas anywhere in the world. Near the top of this list is, of course, Arizona's Grand Canyon. A breathtaking slice in the middle of our country's colorful desert landscape, looking at the Grand Canyon is taking in over 3 billion years of geological history, not to mention one of the country's most successful tourist sites. Here's an introduction to the geography, history and business of the Canyon.

When you see the Grand Canyon, you cannot see it in its entirety. It is more than 270 miles long and at some points it is nearly 20 miles wide. It is well known to be over a mile deep in some parts-its rugged terrain defines the landscape for hundreds of miles around. It took six million years for it to form-the winding erosion of the Colorado River slowly cut into the face of the desert, producing the mighty absence with its persistence. The magnitude of the erosion has enabled scientists to see levels of rock laid down billions of years before humans ever lived. The study of the Canyon has dramatically advanced the science of geology.

This natural wonder has been studied for centuries. Humans first lived in the Canyon more than 10,000 years ago, moving on after some time-the last 4,000 years have seen steady habitation of the area by a number of tribes of America's First Peoples. The Hopi mythology says it's where souls go after death, and it has figured prominently in all the mythologies of the diverse people who have made the Canyon their home. European explorers first saw the Grand Canyon in the Sixteenth century, though no other White men saw the scenery until two hundred years later. Since then it has been surveyed, studied and loved by many Americans. It was made a National Park in 1919, after an 11 year battle with the region's mining interests, and the park expanded until reaching its current borders in 1975.

Mining hasn't been the big business here for nearly a century, with tourism pumping millions a year into the towns near the Grand Canyon. Almost nowhere else in the world is there a feature of nature so visited-tourists come from every continent to see it and wonder at its beauty. Five million people total see the Canyon each year, with thousands of them camping, hiking, riding mules into its depths and otherwise getting a full Grand Canyon experience. Others take advantage of fly over tours and easy to access viewpoints which allow them to see its majesty without so much work.

The Grand Canyon reminds us all of the beauty of the wide world around us and the weight of our history. Three billion years worth of Earth exposed for our sight over six million years, people have recognized how special a place it really is for 10,000 years. Check out the Canyon and its National Park today, and take it all in!

For more information on the Grand Canyon, visit [http://grandcanyon.tv].

Filbert Sanka Bayi: Tanzania's Greatest Athlete and the Tracks to the World Records

INTRODUCTION

Legendary Kenyan athlete Hezekiah Kipchoge "Kip" Keino had in October 1968 under searing temperatures in the high-humidity and high-altitude Mexico City, and against medical advice because of his stomach ailments and weakness, won the Olympic gold medal in the 1500 meters (establishing a new Olympic record of 3min. 34.91sec.). Kip Keino even managed to bag the silver medal in the 5000 meters, finishing behind legendary Tunisian Mohamed Gammoudi, and ahead of the third Naftali Temu who had won the very first ever Olympic gold for Kenya by earlier winning in the 10000 meters. Keino had collapsed from weakness while competing in the 10000 meters, but would rise up and congratulate and hug his young team-mate at the finishing line.

A versatile, enthusiastic, patriotic, and determined middle- and long-distance runner, Kip Keino now in Munich in the summer of 1972 was now a 32 year-old veteran and an Olympian for a third consecutive time. But Keino, amidst the youthful competition, defied his age. In Mexico City, in 1968, only two of the 52 other competitors in the 1500m had been older than the then 28 year-old Keino. In Munich at age 32, Keino was very much the elderly statesman in the 1500m line-up. Furthermore, the astonishing Keino had only four months earlier started to embrace the 3000m steeplechase. And he did qualify in the steeplechase to compete for Kenya! Keino had taken the steeplechase seriously after he had found that the Olympic schedule would not allow him to compete in both the 1500m and the 5000m.

Compared to glorious Keino, a very unknown commodity in the person of Filbert Sanka Bayi was in Munich to represent another east African country--Tanzania. Keino was undoubtedly one of Bayi's foremost idols and inspirations. Keino remains the most immortal name among African track athletes!

Filbert Bayi, an athlete with an "afro-hairstyle" and boyish looks, had grown up near Arusha on a farm in Karutu within sight of Mount Kilimanjaro. Bayi left school at age 17 and migrated to the capital Dar-es-Salaam. Bayi's early running training was relatively crude. In the crowded, high-humidity capital, Bayi would pick out and sprint alongside a moving bus and rest when the bus was loading and unloading passengers---some form of interval training. In 1971 Bayi achieved a reasonably good 3min 52 seconds in the 1500m.

THE YEAR 1972

It was earlier in 1972, Bayi's personal bests and national wins in the 1500m (3:45) and steeplechase (8:55) qualified him to represent Tanzania at the Olympic Games in Munich.

In Munich, Filbert Bayi, a tall 19 year-old lightweight, a Tanzania airforce technician just so happened to be scheduled to compete in the same two events that Kip Keino was enrolled: the 1500m and the 3000m steeplechase. And while Keino was the elder, Filbert Bayi was one of two 19 year-olds that were youngest of the steeplechase competitors. There would only be four heats, and the top three finishers in each round would advance to the finals. The heats took place on September 1, 1972. Bayi was drawn in Heat One, the same heat that included Keino. Tapio Kantanen of Finland won (with an Olympic Record of 8:24.8), Keino was second, and the third finals' qualifier was Takaharu Koyama of Japan. Bayi was ninth with a time of 8:41.4 (a Tanzania national record) and therefore was out of the competition. Heat Two witnessed Kenya's legendary Benjamin Jipcho win; in Heat Three another Finn Pekka Paivarinta won. The Fourth Heat was won by another Kenyan legend Amos Biwott who had won the steeplechase Olympic gold four years earlier. Biwott's finish in 8:23.73 broke the Olympic record that had been established three heats ago! Notably, Biwott's steeplechase win in 1968 would be the beginning of the consecutive dominance of the steeplechase by Kenyans at the Olympics (apart from the 1976 and 1980 Games which Kenya boycotted) that has yet to be shattered!

The finals of the steeplechase were held on September 7th, 1972. Kip Keino would win in a new Olympic record of 8:23.64, followed by Benjamin "Ben" Wabura Jipcho (8:24.62), and the bronze was won by Tapio Kantanen (8:24.66). Amos Biwott came in sixth in a time of 8:33.48.

As for the 1500m, seven heats were established for Round One to take place on September 8th. The fastest four of each heat (plus two wild cards) would advance to the semi-finals. Filbert Bayi was eliminated when in Heat Two he finished sixth out of 8 competitors. But commendably, Bayi had again established another new national record--3:45.4. Keino won in Heat Four and was followed by Rod Dixon of New Zealand. Heat Six was won by Pekka Vasala of Finland; and Heat Seven was won by another Kenyan legend Mike Boit. The semi-finals were held on September 9th. Mike Boit, Keino, and Rod Dixon won in the three Heats. Ten that including big names in the competition such as Pekka Vasala and Brendan Foster (GBR) were set for the 1500m finals showdown. On September 10, Keino worked to psychologically wear down the competition, but in the final stretch of the 1500m he was outsprinted by 24 year-old Pekka Vasala (3:36.33) of Finland and settled for the silver (3:36.81). This was regarded by many as an upset. Rod Dixon of New Zealand claimed the bronze, Mike Boit was fourth, and Brendan Foster was fifth. What would become of Filbert Bayi?

The annual East and Central African Championships were next held in Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania, comfortably Bayi's territory. Bayi was not disappointing. On December 3rd, 1972, only 3 months after the Olympics, Bayi became a regional champion in the 1500m. He won in an impressive time of 3:38.9, not only a national record but a shaving off of more than 5 seconds from the national record he had established less than three months earlier at the Olympics. Two Kenyans Wilson Waigwa and D. Mungai won the silver and bronze, respectively. Bayi was fast gaining the confidence to face even more formidable competition.

THE YEAR 1973

Bayi would compete again with Keino at the second All-Africa Games which were held in Lagos in Nigeria in January 1973. It would be interesting. On January 11th in a 1500m heat that included both runners, a slow and relaxed run witnessed Bayi take second place in 3:48.32, following Olympian Shibrou Regassa (Ethiopia), then Kip Keino jogging in third. Keino was quick to say that he had relaxed and simply wanted to make it to the finals. Keino assured the public that the finals would be very different from what had happened in the Heat. But perhaps all those years of running and victory had exacted a toll on the aging veteran. On January 13th, Filbert Bayi taking the lead from the start, beat Keino, winning in the finals in a commendable time of 3:37.18, yet another Tanzania national record. Shibrou Regassa was third. Notably, Bayi had suffered a bout of malaria just before the Games. Henceforth Africans and the rest of the world started to take a second serious look at this new Tanzanian phenomenon that had emerged from nowhere. Kipchoge Keino would retire from competitive sports in 1974 as an ITA (International Track Association) professional, but he was impressed by Bayi to whom he offered congratulations and encouraging words.

A string of wins in international competition, followed in 1973. In Paris, near the end of May, Bayi won in the 1000m and established an Africa record of 2:19.5. Then in Boras in Sweden in early June, Bayi won the 1500m in a relaxed 3:45.5. The next day in Strangnas also in Sweden, Bayi won in the 1500m in 3:44.6. Again in Sweden, this time in Stockholm, Bayi won in quite a fast 3:37.9 on June 12th.

Then on the June 14th, Bayi changed gears and went for the 800m in Potsdam in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Bayi was beaten by 2-time Olympian Dieter Fromm (GDR) into second place, but Bayi managed to establish a Tanzania record of 1:46.9.

A week later on June 21st, at the Kusocinski Memorial Meet held in Warsaw in Poland, Bayi won in the 1500m, finishing in 3:37.9. He then flew to Denmark to participate in the Aarhus Games. Here Bayi won the 1500m in 3:35.6, a new Tanzania record! Bayi was moving up fast and furiously! Danish Olympian Tom Hansen was second, and Olympian Rolf Gysin of Switzerland was third.

Only four days later, on June 28th at the World Games held in Helsinki in 1973, Bayi won the 1500m in what would be the world best time in the 1500m--3:34.6--yet another Tanzania record. This race was significant in that it included many notable international athletes that included Kenyans Mike Boit and Ben Jipcho, and Americans Steve Prefontaine and Dave Wottle, among others. Bayi would display to the world his signature way of running---take the lead with a fast pace right from the starting of the race!. Bayi had ran a blistering 53.6 in the first 400m, 1:51.6 at the 800m mark, and 2:52.2 at the 1200m mark! David Wottle (800m Olympic gold medallist) was second (3:36.2), and Ben Jipcho (Olympic silver medallist) was third (3:36.6).

The very next day, June 29th, this time in a track meet in Vasteras in Sweden, Bayi was again the victor in the 1500m, winning in 3:40.7.

Again in Sweden, this time at a meet in Stockholm, but this time running the slightly longer one mile, Bayi was challenged by an impressive field that included Jipcho and Emiel Puttemans. It was July 2nd, 1973. This time, Ben Jipcho won, beating Bayi into second place. But Bayi did establish a Tanzania mile record of 3:52.86. At hand to watch the much anticipated battle between 20 year-old Bayi and 30 year-old Jipcho for a possible world record in the mile, were 18120 spectators in Stockholm's Olympic Stadium. Near the end of the race, the leading Bayi started to tire and Jipcho (who had been 10 yards behind) passed Bayi about 75 yards before the finishing line. Jipcho, encouraged by a standing cheering audience, had established the fastest mile in Europe in 3:52.0, one of the three fastest times ever recorded in the world, and a new Kenya and African record. Bayi had set quite a trying pace: 400m--52.5, 800m--1:51.1, and 1200m-2:52.2.

Only three days later, July 5th at the Oslo International, Bayi true to form, beat an impressive field. He won in the 1500m in an impressive 3:37.6. On the 19th of July, Bayi was in Tunis to compete in the African Youth Festival Championships. Bayi won in the 1500m in 3:45.3. Second place was captured by Suleiman Nyambui, another Tanzanian who is only a couple of months older than Bayi. Nyambui would continue to be one of Bayi's track rivals and he would gradually become a national sports icon. On July 24th at the Bislett Games held in Oslo, this time in the 800m, Bayi was beaten into second place by 20 year-old John George Walker of New Zealand--another of Bayi's more enduring historical track rivals! Walker won in 1:46.3. Still, Bayi's time of 1:46.7 was a new Tanzania record.

The next day, July 25th, Bayi was at a track meet in Stockholm. He won in the 1500m, finishing in a good time of 3:38.46. Soon afterwards, on August 4th, Filbert Bayi was ready to run the 1500m at the Africa vs. USA Meet that was taking place in Dakar in Senegal. This time Bayi was beaten into second place by his older and more experienced rival Ben Jipcho. But Bayi's time of 3:37.85 was impressive. Twelve days later, at the Latin America vs. Africa Meet held in Guadalajara in Mexico on August 16th, Bayi achieved first place in the 1500m in a time of 3:40.6. There followed a relatively long interval, until Bayi competed in Nairobi. In the 1500m, Bayi started off very fast, 52.0 in the first 400m, 1:52.0 at the 800m mark. But the abysmally high pace likely cost Bayi the race. He was beaten into second place by another Kenyan legend John Kipkurgat. The then 29 year-old Kipkurgat is mostly renowned for having competed in the 800m.

THE YEAR 1974

Nearly exactly a year after Bayi, in beating Kip Keino, had won in the 1500m in Lagos at the All-Africa Games, the very busy athlete was ready to meet the impressive middle-distance line-up at the Commonwealth of Nations Games held in Christchurch in New Zealand. Bayi would compete in the 800m followed by the 1500m.

On January 19th of 1974, about a week prior to the Commonwealth Games, Filbert Bayi was beaten into second place in the 800m by Kenyan Olympic bronze medallist Mike Boit. Nevertheless, Bayi was impressive in his setting of a new Tanzania record--1:46.0.

In Heat One of the actual Commonwealth Games, Bayi won in the 800m in 1:47.09. This was on January 27th 1974. The winners of the other three heats, respectively, were familiar middle distance giants: John Kipkurgat, John Walker, and Mike Boit. The top four finishers of each heat would be placed among the two semi-final rounds to be held later in the day. Bayi was placed in the second semi-final. In Semi-Final One, the top four finishers were advanced to the finals and they were John Kipkurgat, Andy Carter (England), Daniel Omwanza (Kenya), and Phil Lewis (Wales). Semi-Final Two witnessed Bayi (1:46.56) advance to the finals although he was beaten into fourth place, perhaps him relaxing and simply contented with qualifying for the final round. Mike Boit won in this semi-final, followed by John Walker, then John Hooker (Australia).

In the finals, ran on January 29th, John Kipkurgat of Kenya won impressively in 1:43.91 (a new Africa Record), followed by Mike Boit (1:44.39), and then John Walker (1:44.92). Filbert Bayi was fourth in 1:45.32, nevertheless yet a new Tanzania record! At the 400m mark, Bayi had made a spirited effort to keep up with the tall lanky Kenyans, but they were too fast and too smooth, and Walker would eventually overtake Bayi. Apparently, Bayi was never a strong sprinter so, it benefited him to lead widely from the beginning given his stamina and consistency.

The heats of Bayi's main specialization, at the Commonwealth Games, the 1500m, would take place on January 31st. There were three heats, Bayi was placed in Heat 2, and the top four finishers of each heat would move on to the finals. Heat One involved Mike Boit (3:44.61) winning, followed by Australian Graham Crouch (3:44.64), then New Zealander Rod Dixon (1:44.64), then fourth was Englishman Brendan Foster (3:44.89). The second heat would turn out to be by far the fastest of the heats. Here the top four were Filbert Bayi (3:38.18), John Kirkbride of England (3:39.79), David Fitzsimons of Australia (3:39.92), and Tony Polhill (NZL) in 3:40.30. The final tally of the first four finishers in Heat 3 was John Walker (3:42.52), Bayi's fellow-countryman Suleiman Nyambui (3:42.57), Australian Randal Markey (3:42.77). Ben Jipcho, probably relaxed and simply contented with advancing to the finals and saving his energy for the ultimate run, was fourth (3:43.55).

The 1974 finals of the 1500m, at the Commonwealth Games, will loom in the minds of many track enthusiasts for a very long time. On February 2nd Bayi would ran his most iconic race, taking the lead from the beginning. The timing at the 400m mark was 54.4, 1:51.8 at the 800m mark, and 2:50.4 at the 1200m mark. Bayi established a new world record of 3:32.16, only 15 months after he had competed and emerged as a mediocre unknown at the Olympics in Munich. But given Bayi's incredible progress over the course of a year, Bayi had been predicted by many to break the world record. The runners-up also achieved phenomenal and leading world times--John Walker (New Zealand national record)---3:32.52; Ben Jipcho (Kenya national record)---3:33.16; and Rodney Dixon (New Zealand)--3:33.89. Graham Crouch was fifth (3:34.22), Mike Boit was sixth (3:36.84), and Suleiman Nyambui (3:39.62) was eighth. Jipcho's signature spurt in the last three hundred meters did not manage to stave off the young energetic Walker who was chasing Bayi, and Walker did close up on Bayi in the fight for the gold. About taking the lead right from the start, Bayi would remark, "I got boxed in [at the Olympic Games of 1972 in Munich] and was never able to take the lead....So now I take the lead from the start" (in "Bayi Breaks Record in 1500 Meter Race," by AP in Rome News-Tribune, February 3,1974).

The employment of a fast rabbit in this race would likely have produced a faster world record. Also, in the race, the leading Bayi often looked behind at his competition--perhaps an indication that he had expected the other athletes to chase him faster than they had done, and for him to achieve a better time. Also, Bayi's fast previous semi-final may apparently mean that he had fewer energy reserves for the finals than did most of the other elite competitors. In the end Bayi was elated and jumped up and down as he jogged in front of the appreciating jubilant crowd after his world-record win. Bayi was used to winning, so it was the world record that was the more exciting. Filbert Bayi had erased the 1500m world record that had previously been held by legendary American James Ronald ("Jim") Ryun. Bayi had shattered the world record by nearly one second, and Walker had also finished below Ryun's previous record. Legendary Jipcho who finished slightly outside the previous record, had already won gold in both the steeplechase and the 5000m. His gallant endeavor to win an unprecedented Commonwealth Games triple gold became thwarted!

The previous 1500m world-record run on July 8th 1967, during the USA vs. British Commonwealth of Nations track meet in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, mostly involved a memorable duel between Kip Keino and Ryun. The two exchanged the lead a couple of times in the fast pace, Ryun ran away from Keino near the end of the race and established a new world record of 3:33.1. The world record (3:35.6) established by Australian Herb Elliot on September 5th 1960 was no more. This was undoubtedly one of Ryun's greatest running performances. Track and Field News reported that "after 220 yards of dawdling, a record seemed out of the question." However, after 440 yards, which Ryun, in third place, passed in 60.9 seconds, Kip Keino took the lead and ran the next lap in 56 seconds (the fastest second lap ever run in the 1500m at that time). Ryun, just behind, passed the 880-yard mark in 1:57.0. At 1320 yards the two were side by side in 2:55.0. Ryun pulled away to finish in 3:33.1, a record that stood for seven years. With a last 440 yards of 53.9 and a last 880 yards of 1:51.3, Cordner Nelson of Track and Field News called it "the mightiest finishing drive ever seen," and said of Ryun's performance, "This was most certainly his greatest race."

On June 5th 1974, in the Tanzania capital Dar-es-Salaam, Filbert Bayi won in the 800m during the national championships after a relatively long layoff from primary competition. The finishing time was a modest 1:49.7. Later on, on June 27th in Helsinki, at the Top Games, Bayi was for the first time beaten in the 1500m by main rival John Walker. The winning time margin was quite significant: Walker finished in 3:33.89 and Bayi was second (3:37:20). On just the next day, at the International Meet in Vasteras in Sweden, Bayi changed gears to the 800m and was able to win in 1:47.1, beating legendary Kenyan Olympic 800m finalist and 4x400m relay gold medallist and also 1970 Commonwealth of Nations 800m and 4x400m relay gold medallist Robert Ouko. Soon after, in Stockholm at the Dagens Nyheter Galan meet, Bayi won in the one mile in quite an impressive 3:54.10 on July 1st. The next day, in the same event, Bayi won in the 1500m, finishing in 3:43.16. Soon afterwards, on July 4th, Bayi was at the Bislett Games in Oslo. But, he uncharacteristically, probably from injury, did not finish in the 1500m. The winner was Tom-Birger Hansen (Denmark) who was tenth in the 1500m at the Olympics held in Munich; Olympic silver medallist Mike Boit of Kenya was fifth in this meet in Oslo.

THE YEAR 1975

After quite a long layoff from international competition, Bayi emerged in 1975 at the New Zealand Games right in Christchurch where he had set the world record. This time, on January 20th, Bayi competed in and won in the infrequent 3000m and won in 7:53.9. Four days later at the New Zealand Games in the same city, Bayi won in the 800m (1:45.49), beating second-placed John Walker (1:45.9) and even 800m Commonwealth Games gold medallist John Kipkurgat who was third. The finals of the 800m, at an International meet in Auckland on January 28th witnessed Walker winning (1:46.7) in the 800m, Bayi racing in second (1:47.3), and John Kipkurgat beaten into a disappointing third place. At the end of January, Bayi competed in the Milrose Games in New York, winning in the mile in his first indoor performance in 3:59.3.

Soon afterwards, on February 7th, Bayi competed in Los Angeles (Inglewood) at the Los Angeles Times (160y indoor) track meet. Here, in the mile, Bayi won in 3:59.6, and beat off John Walker who was second in 3:59.9. On February 15th, in San Diego at the Jack in the Box Invitational (160y indoor track), Bayi significantly improved on his personal best through winning in 3:56.4, again beating nemesis John Walker (3:56.9) who was second. February 21st witnessed Bayi winning in the 1500m at the Olympic Invitational in new York. His finishing time was 3:41.2, ahead of second-placed Irish future legendary indoor world-record holder Eamonn Coghlan. At the AAU Indoor Championships in New York, on February 28th, Bayi won in the mile in a moderate 4:02.1. Then on the 6th day of March, in Cinque Mulini in San Vittore Olona in Italy, Bayi won in an unconventional 9.5 km cross-country race, ahead of New Zealanders Euan Robertson and then John Walker in third place.

After three months, Bayi was back again in international competition, again in an Italian city Formia. At the Citta di Formia, on May 8th 1975, Bayi won in the infrequently ran 1000m with a delivery of a national record of 2:18.1. On May 10th, again in another Italy city Caserta, Bayi won in the 800m at an international meet. The competition was not strong, and the finishing time was relatively modest: 1:48.3. But it was one of the tune-ups for Bayi's next legendary run.

On May 17th 1975, Sergeant Filbert Bayi had traveled all the way to the capital Kingston of Jamaica to compete in the mile at the Martin Luther King International Freedom Games. The competition was quite formidable and it included Eamonn Coghlan and American legend Martin "Marty" Liquori. Bayi confidently stood in the inner lane at the start line and immediately took the lead when the gun went off. During the first 600 meters, Bayi ran away from the other athletes and maintained a considerable length of lead just before Liquori and Coghlan began zeroing down on him and attempted to overtake him. But this simply encouraged Bayi to run faster and wear them out. The rest of the runners were considerably far behind. At the 440 yard mark, Bayi was timed at 56.9, 1: 56.9 at 880 yards, 2:55.3 at 1320 yards, and an amazing 3:35.0 at 1500m. In this "Dream Mile" (or "Miracle Mile"), Filbert Bayi broke Jim Ryun's world record by establishing a time of 3:51.0. Bayi had shaved a tenth of a second off Jim Ryun's record set in June 1967 in Bakersfield in California at the National Amateur Athletic Union meet. The previous 1500m record that Bayi broke had also been held by Ryun. In the "Dream Mile," Marty Liquori of Philadelphia was second (3:52.1), followed by Eamonn Coghlan (3:53.3) then at Philadelphia's Villanova University.

When interviewed, Bayi would remark, "I run hard at the start because that way I don't have to run in a bunch. They have to catch me....When I run from the front I know what kind of strength I have...I didn't know if I was running a world record....All I was doing was trying to win (In Bayi New King of Milers; Williams Outsprints McTear," by AP in St. Petersburg Times, May 19, 1975).

On August 12th 1975, nearly only three months after Bayi had slightly shattered the mile world record, his main nemesis the 6' 1" tall and sizeable (185 pounds, about 50 pounds heavier than Bayi) 23 year-old New Zealander John Walker further lowered the record by an astounding 1.6 seconds! The new record became 3:49.4, the first ever timing below the 3:50, established at the Goteborg Games in Germany. Bayi was not among the competitors in this world-record run, but the margin of more than 5 seconds ahead of second placed Kenneth Hall of Australia was also significant. Walker had, this year lost three times to Bayi, two times indoors.

THE LATER YEARS

In 1975, John Walker would become number one with the leading time of 3:32.4. Bayi would be ranked second with the time of 3:35.0 this year.!In 1976, Bayi again dropped down to third in ranking (3:34.8) behind John Walker (3:34:19) and Thomas Wessighage of Germany (3:34.80). In 1977, Bayi was not on top 10 list. Walker was still number one, followed by Steve Ovett of Great Britain. In 1978 Bayi was ranked world second behind Dave Moorcroft of Great Britain, and it would be the last year that Bayi would be among the leading 1500m ten runners of the world. This year he lost the Commonwealth 1500m crown to the same Dave Moorcroft, Bayi winning the silver medal.

Bayi's athletic performances reached their apex during 1973 to 1977. Thereafter, Bayi continued to perform relatively excellently and he also progressively participate in more of the longer distances such as the 3000m, 3000m steeplechase, and 5000m. Bayi was far better at the longer distances than the 800m. At the same time, competition intensified with more and more people all over the world were taking on athletic careers as the dividends from sports opportunities became more and more lucrative. Competition became progressively more challenging Over the four years toward the end of his indulgence in international competition in 1989, Bayi competed less and less, and concentrated on mainly marathons a couple of times per year. The marathon results were mixed, but notably at the Honolulu Marathon on December 12th 1986, Bayi was fourth placed behind Kenyan legend Ibrahim Hussein and fellow Tanzanians Suleiman Nyambui and Gidamis Shahanga. Bayi's time was good (2hr:16:16). Bayi's career in athletics had spanned quite a busy two decades. Bayi stands out as one of the most disciplined, flexible, well-conditioned and dedicated athletes; the greatest athlete that Tanzania has ever produced.

Among the other more notable of Bayi's achievements were the silver medal in the 1500m at the Commonwealth of Nations Games held in Edmonton in 1978; the silver medal in the 3000m steeplechase (in a new national record) at the Olympics held in Moscow in 1980 (Tanzania did not participate in the Olympics in 1976), several East and Central African gold medal wins, and several African Games wins. The medals that Bayi and Suleiman Nyambui won in Moscow are still the only Olympic medal wins by Tanzanians.

The beginning of the new century witnessed Retired Major Filbert Bayi and his wife commendably setting up a foundation (Filbert Bayi Foundation) and building schools in Tanzania that are intended to tap and develop athletic and educational talent in youngsters as part of discipline, health, economic, and overall empowerment. Bayi's complex lies in Mkuza which is 50 miles from the capital city Dar-es-Salaam. Bayi certainly stands out as much greater than his image of one greatest athletes in the world.

Jonathan Musere

Motivate Your Homeschooled Teens to Change the World

Are your homeschooled teens motivated to change the world? Do they even know that they can? It is crucial that our teens catch a glimpse of what God is doing in the homeschooling movement. Home education was His idea from the beginning (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Colossians 2:8; Psalm 1:1-3; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; Proverbs 22:6). If we correctly convey to them the impact they can have in the world, our children will realize that they are part of something very big, something very special. They will begin to understand the privilege and responsibility they have in being a part of this world-changing remnant of Godly young people.

It is my sincere belief that one day God will mightily use home educated children to turn this nation back to Him. These are the children that are being taught the true (unedited) history of our nation and Founding Fathers. They are being educated about how important Christianity and freedom was to our Founding Fathers, and about all of the miracles that took place to birth and protect our nation. Our Constitution drips with acknowledgments of our Creator, no matter how often the liberals try to deny that fact. How many Americans really understand that "Separation of Church and State" is not mentioned anywhere in the Constitution? It simply is not there!

Taking God out of the classroom and all textbooks--not limited to only history and science--on the basis of something that does not even exist in the Constitution ("Separation of Church and State") has had a derogatory effect on the children of our nation. If "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10), what does that say for a complete educational system that intentionally omits Him?

The typical government-educated student believes what he is told, without questioning it. Non-thinkers are crucial for a socialistic society, the very society the "progressives" (socialists) wish to produce. They are succeeding. The truth be told, they are very pleased with the results they are seeing. They are not in the least bit concerned with statistics that repeatedly confirm that the level of education is dropping or that test scores continue to fall accordingly. What they are really trying to accomplish--indoctrination and socialization--they are succeeding at beautifully.

Our homeschooled children know true science, not the "science falsely so-called" which leads to error (1 Timothy 6:20-21). Have you ever considered that evolution is not even scientifically a "theory?" It cannot be repeated and is not testable. It is truly only a hypothesis. (You would think that evolution-supporting "scientists" and teachers would be familiar with the "Scientific Method!")

With knowledge of the truth, along with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I am anticipating the day that the homeschooled generation begins to converge on Washington and take our nation back for the Lord. We are beginning to see the first fruits of this in the recent election of homeschooled students to various state political offices. It is the beginning of what I anticipate seeing much more of, in the years to come. I believe that God is up to something. I am amazed and encouraged that God is leading a very large number of home educated young men, from all over the nation, to be "Statesmen."

We, as homeschooling parents, need to make sure our children understand what one man can do to affect the culture. To bring this point home, it shouldn't be very difficult to see what "change" one man elected to our highest office can manage to bring about in a very short time.

We need to make sure our children are ready to step up to the plate and swing with all of their might. It is very important that they understand that they can, indeed, change the world. If we set the bar too low, they will reach it, but what a loss to our country that will be.

I challenge you to take inventory of what you are doing that will prepare your teen to change the world. Do they have character issues that need to be addressed? Are they approachable, and a joy to be around? Do they speak well? Do they know many things about many topics? (The best way to accomplish this is to have them read good books about a wide variety of subjects. Find a "living" book about World History, American History, the Sciences, etc. A living book is one written by a single author who is passionate about a particular subject. It is written in vivid language that keeps you engaged and makes you want to recommend the book to others.)

Don't bore your kids to death with stale textbooks. If learning is not exciting to them, you need to consider what (and if) real learning is taking place. Are they learning just to be tested? The government schools are doing this ("teaching to a test"). Is that even ethical? If our children learn something just because it is on the "scope and sequence," or on the test, they most likely won't remember it and certainly won't be motivated to learn. Do you remember anything you were forced to learn in school? It seems that too often we worry about what they might "miss" if we make a detour from the "typical" high school education. Look around you and see what "typical" is producing. We have the time, not to mention the responsibility, to do much better than just "typical."

Ask God to give you a glimpse of what His plan is for your children's lives, especially during the early teen years. Then, once you understand what God is planning, mold your curriculum and extra curricular activities to complement this plan. Will they need to speak in front of people? Then get them involved with a speech and debate club. NCFCA and Toastmasters are two such organizations. If they are afraid to speak in front of people, they never will. How can they impact the world if they are scared to speak? If they feel like God wants them to be a journalist, have them read the writings of the best authors. (Reading the classics will benefit them greatly.) They will pick up accurate and excellent writing skills just by being immersed in them.

If God is leading your child into politics, begin having him read the writings of our Founding Fathers and the Constitution. Have him attend a TeenPact Leadership Schools State Class at your state capitol. If Law School is in the plan, make sure that he attends one of the very few law schools in this country that actually studies the Constitution and not "case law." Since most law terms are in Latin, it would be an excellent help to include Latin in his curriculum. There are programs, like Wheelock's Latin, that can be learned in a summer by an eager high school student. They will thank you. A byproduct is that they will be able to figure out almost every word they ever hear, since most of our English words have Latin roots. That is why Latin used to be taught in schools. This, of course, was unprofitable for producing a "dumbed-down" society that embraces socialism. Thus the reason it went by the wayside.

I think many homeschooling parents are doing what I was doing when I first began the journey. I just wanted my children to be smart, get a good ACT score and get into a good college. I have since realized that it is imperative that I train and prepare my children, not only for 4 years of college, but for the rest of their lives. I was much too short-sighted. Isn't that the ploy of our enemy? Satan would love for us to get distracted with grades, scores and college admittance (the temporal) and not be honing in on what is most important (eternal).

If our students are to "catch the fire," we need to begin igniting them. Then we need to fan the flames. A good book for them to read is Do Hard Things, by Alex and Brett Harris. Pray for your children. Pray with them. When they hear you say that you expect them to change the world enough times, they will begin to believe they can. Nothing is impossible with God.

Have a funeral for "I Can't." We did this when our children were younger. We buried a slip of paper with the words "I Can't" written on it, in a small cardboard box with a lid. I used some "funeral lingo" to make it a fun and lasting experience. The funny thing is that they actually tried to dig it up a short time later and it was GONE! They didn't even tell me that until years later, but it really affected them.

Teach your children that they are here for a purpose, that they are among the "few" that are homeschooled, and that it was God's plan that they be so. Encourage them to really contemplate what that means. Maybe we are re-writing the history of our nation and we aren't even aware of it. Maybe the next generation will read about the part homeschoolers played in turning the nation back to the principles of the Founding Fathers. With God, all things are possible!

Christy Hooper has been a homeschool mom for 14 years. She is dedicated to equipping and encouraging homeschoolers everywhere to "homeschool without compromising." You can visit her blog at: http://www.homeschoolwithoutcompromising.tumblr.com

Triple Bottom Line and One Human World on the Same Page

Triple Bottom Line is a concept that has been floated that would take into consideration "People, Planet and Profits" when assisting emerging nations and as the World grows closer together. Environmental issues and capacity on the Planet are a serious issue with 10 Billion humans expected to inhabit the surface of the planet in the next few decades.

Not long ago a graduate student approached the Online Think Tank to become a member. He is preparing for his PhD paper now and is an International Law student, as well as a volunteer in philanthropic endeavors. The Triple Bottom Line Concept is of interest and yet we have a few questions to ask about this plan. Indeed, the world should also be asking these things of those who wish to run human civilizations, or who wish to work with those who plan on using this strategy. Here are the questions to ask them:

1. Have you ever created a law for any nation-state, civilization or society that was made mandatory?

2. What are your thoughts of lawyers eventually hijacking the law, have you seen examples of this?

3. Do you believe that laws are created to maintain the status quo, increase wealth for those who run things or to help people?

4. What do you think about "pollution credit" trading schemes?

5. Do you believe in Global Warming (caused by mankind's CO2 output)?

6. What are your thoughts on property right laws for African Nations, Indonesia, Outback Australia, to increase economics?

7. What are your beliefs on Micro-Loan Programs?

8. If the Humans are to have one set of laws on such things as human rights, environmental issues, monetary flows, and property rights then do you believe that these should all encompass a basic fundamental set of principles in your 3TBM theory?

9. When you say 3BM at the unit level or individual human, do you mean "responsibility- do what is best for all concerned including the environment" or actual law, how will you enforce this? Withholding of money, food, status or thru some sort of social control mechanism or mob mentality respect scheme?

10. Can you explain in your own words how you see the integration of People, Profits and Planet? Marketing issues, to get everyone on the same page?

11. Have you read Ayn Rand and considered the reasoning against the 3TBM strategy and how to overcome human nature?

12. Would you advise to withhold WTO participation, EU joining, use of a one-world currency, banning of certain capital markets if a nation-state failed to comply with minimum environmental requirements? If so have you considered the damage to the individual citizens of those countries? If the citizens overthrow the government for non-compliance, deaths will occur, is this justified?

13. If every nation attempts to become a knowledge based society, in an effort to curb pollution, will the supply of knowledge and technology (clean industries) be so competitive artificially, that it will not be worth anything, thus price points will not support a positive quality of life?

14. If the nations who do not comply make things, without consideration of environment or discharge themselves from the rest of the world, will the black market for those products they make, make these nations so wealthy that they do not need capital anyway, thus holding it back will be irrelevant?

15. There is nothing wrong with making a profit, indeed Triple Bottom Line states this, however if some nations now are making a profit partly thru lax pollution mandates, will they comply or will they crumble during the change-over?

16. Who will pay the costs of upgrading the polluting factories, energy making companies, transportation items? Will these costs act as an overall cost and increase inflation artificially?

17. How much inflation can the industrialized nations take, how much can the third world endure?

18. Does Triple Bottom Line have a scheme or plan for reducing the production rates of human beings - will people be paid not to procreate?

19. What are your thoughts of setting up the Triple Bottom Line concept as part of a "nation-state Franchisee Package" which included benefits upon signing of capital, legal system and government set up, with expertise for infrastructures - Education, Transportation, Distribution, Communication, Water, Sewer, Security, Health, Common Currency, Energy.

20. What happens to a country, which fails to comply with a World Wide Triple Bottom Line agreement? Do you repossess it? Who would do this? Do you discharge it? What happens when all the rogue nations get together and have political impasse with the Triple Bottom Line member nations in good standing.

21. What are your thoughts on the collapse of the league of nations? What are your thoughts on the UN in the present period? Is it time to upgrade? Are we doomed to repeat?

22. What Triple Bottom Line policies do you feel are needed for environmental protection in the Nano-tech manufacturing of materials or in Bio-tech?

23. How does Triple Bottom Line view nuclear energy and the long-term storage of depleted material?

24. Who will decide how much a nation's "Natural Capital" is worth? What is the scheme or actual numbers of this, more importantly who gets to decide and Why?

25. Will leaders of a nation be held accountable for some law that depletes social capital? If so, does that mean all nations have no choice but to be democracies? If so, who controls the media? Will the media be held accountable or controlled by the system? Who runs the system? Since they will be running all human civilizations at that point, will they be held accountable to the society? If so what will be their penalty, who decides, how can we trust who decides? If the media is controlled to control the minds of humans in justification of the Triple Bottom Line plan, then what are your feelings of freedom of the press? If someone goes against the social control, how can they be penalized? Will they be dismissed from society and be forced to join the rogue nation state block?

26. So that we understand you points in these questions, would you call your perspective coming from that of a Communist, Socialist, Capitalist, Anarchist, or some other hybrid label?

27. If the Kyoto could not be ratified, why does the Triple Bottom Line have a better chance?

28. Will the Triple Bottom Line concept pay for the people in the nations who are forced to stop producing, since their production pollutes, until which time they can be switched over? If the switch over takes 20 years due to training and generational issues, will that now welfare nation-state ever be able to produce at optimum in the future? Is the total GDP for the entire world enough to pay for 50 nations that produce little or nothing for the next 30-40 years while their upgrades take place, in order to prevent them from clear cutting, over fishing, strip mining, etc.? How much money is committed already to this Utopian plan? Since the number is Zero, where do you propose we get it? Will you make laws on some nations to foot the bill? Will this tax on those nations hurt their quality of life?

29. Do you believe that those who live well in the first world are willing to give up what they have built to pay other nation's people to re-train, stop polluting, etc.? What do you base this belief on?

30. Being a good corporate citizen is indeed a Branding issue, which means some social control is exerted thru purchasing power, voting with their money, but when some corporations do not care, they might choose to benefit by lower costs and increase market share over "good" competitors?

These are questions that our Online Think Tank would like to ask them about the Triple Bottom Line plan. Perhaps they might ask themselves the same thing? What questions do you have for them today? It is important to plan ahead and it is paramount not to fail. Sincerely, Lance.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.