Podcasting since 2004; Conversations, conflicts, adventures and monologues from around the world.
Matthew Dons and I sit high above one of the busiest sections of Tokyo to discuss what it is that sets Japan apart from the rest of the world and why it is noteworthy and inspiring. We get into economics, demography, aging, work, family, healthcare and so much more.
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Writer and historian Amitav Ghosh writes about the Opium Wars of the later part of the 1800’s, a time where not unlike today, the western world had wracked up a great trade deficit with China. And also just like today, the dominant discourse that was proselytized like the answer to all ills, was what they called free trade. The benefactors of this trade were some of the largest corporations of that era, the British East India Company and names like that. They all claimed that free trade was their goal and insisted that empires in the east adopt this practice for the good of the world. But with this good came a long list of problems, as western traders pushed Opium on Chinese traders, and eventually triggered the Opium Wars.
In the US education system, both primary and higher education, the Opium Wars are hardly mentioned. Children are taught that it was a British problem, a disagreement with the Chinese, and has nothing to do with the United States or these modern times we live in. But in fact, the opposite is true. The US played a major role, with relatives of presidents Thomas Jefferson, Calvin Coolidge, and even the Delano (Roosevelt) family being major investors in the Opium trade. And once we again we find ourselves in an era where nations claim free trade will solve the problems of the world, while at the same time pushing, secretly or overtly, monopolies and other “unfree” business tactics.
As people around the United States and throughout the western world occupy and retake public spaces and confront centers of business and trade, I wonder if they know how far back the practices they are raging against go. The lives we know, for well over a century have been built on top of deep traditions connected to corruption and greed at the expense of massive groups of people. How do you halt or change a system so deeply ingrained in how things function? I think its a good time to revisit the Opium Wars, especially for those of us who don’t know the lessons that were never learned.
This week Im working on a series of podcasts as well as an article for United Academics Magazine which focuses on people who have created their own home and work spaces. Those who left cities and suburbs, left houses and apartments, left conventional jobs, and moved to a rural or undeveloped place. In their new environments they have built or rebuilt their homes using a mix of traditional, proven techniques and new, innovative features. They do things like grow/raise their own food, collect their own water, generate their own power, and create their own kinds of income-generating work.
This phenomenon, at first glance, is nothing new; people have been leaving cities for the country periodically for decades. (though statistically more people do the opposite) But this generation is the unique above all for the techniques and knowledge it brings to these remote locations. Knowledge that is not only their own, but the never-ending collective knowledge one can consult via the internet. Installing a solar power system? Never built a barn before? Canned your own preserves? Check youtube, the step-by-step instructions are there waiting for you.
Of course the internet is not the only source of knowledge, the offline community that one joins when moving to a rural area also has its own experience and skills which might be called upon. Between the depth of the internet and the generations of experience in your town, whatever it is you don’t yet know how to do on your own, you can learn. And this is exactly what is happening.
Back in the urban-suburban world that so many in the western hemisphere see as the only two choices, such life changes are probably still seen as odd or undesirable. They might lose sleep over barely tenable costs of living and work stress, but they’ve grown up with the idea that this is all normal and simply “life”. Need something for the kids or for the house? Go to Walmart. Need heat? Turn up the thermostat. All needs are met by some external service or source, all of which come at a monetary cost. Again, at some point this may seem like the only way life works. But this group of people has proven otherwise, and their will to take action in this manner has inspired more people to do the same.
In the coming series of podcasts you will hear from this special group of people. They’re explain how they used to live and what led them to make a radical change. They’ll also explain the details about why this way of life not only works better for them, but why they are better prepared for the foreseeable future where the value of money decays further and the ability to grow or make things becomes more rare and necessary.
The way people talk and think about poverty has a major influence in how it is addressed in society. The problem is that there is a limited amount of research regarding perceptions of poverty in different parts of the world and throughout history. Armando Barrientos, Professor and Research Director at the Brooks World Poverty Institute (Manchester), has extensive experience with research and policy related to perception of poverty. He joins me on this podcast to talk about what trends can be identified and even a bit of possible good news when it comes to global poverty.
How do we explain poverty to ourselves or to others? When conversations in our communities start about those who live in poverty, how do those conversations sound? Perception of poverty is what it is known as in the academic world and there have been a few researchers looking into this issue in different parts of the world.
The classic characterization you can find in many parts of the world is the ol’ “They’re lazy, if they wanted to they could get out of it.” The other opinion on the matter takes it as more of a systemic thing, as in – those who are poor are poor because the system (economic perhaps) keeps them that way. From there you have variations on both themes, but no matter where you go on this earth, you’ll find opinions about poverty. Some based on first hand experience, some based on direct observation, some based on what they’ve heard or how they feel.
Why does it matter? First of all because if you look at data and history, it is possible to point out where perceptions of poverty can be quite far from reality. Even when they are inaccurate perceptions, they can still have tremendous impact, for example, at the ballot box as we vote for leaders who will represent our opinion on this or other issues at the government level. From there come policies that may address poverty to some degree… again.. influenced by the perception of those who voted.
What is interesting about the research available is the differences not only between nations but within nations and regions. How background, political ideology, religion, and beyond, play a role in how people think about poverty. Who are the groups? How do they differ in terms of perception of poverty? – Those details I will assemble in my next article.
At this point in my life I am neither young nor old. Im one of those, you know, adults. Whether it seems like long ago or not to you, I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s in the United States, and one thing I remember well, is the pursuit of all things cheap.
On Sunday’s my suburban New Jersey home would have the Sunday paper at the breakfast table, and at some point someone would go through the coupon section; it seemed only wise to find deals on foods we may or may not want this week. At the supermarket my parents had club cards, because again, if you can save money on whatever item is on special this week, why not do so. In terms of clothes, whether it was through a commercial or word of mouth among the neighbors, when there was a sale on types of clothing we kids might need, off we would go to the big department stores. There is nothing controversial or strange about any of this, it was the way people lived and the way people live even today. Life wasn’t cheap, things were needed, and if you could get things for cheaper, you would absolutely do it. You’d even tell of your exploits proudly to anyone who would listen, “I found socks on sale at so and so store.. I bought the boys 2 pairs for school.”
My story may have taken place in the US, but the reality is that variations on this theme have been playing out throughout the world for the better part of the last century. Even before that, if you look back in history, the practice of trying to find cheaper ways to acquire things we need or think we need, has led to the rise and fall of nations, not to mention war, peace, and a never-ending list of historical events. Again, there is seemingly nothing to question here.
Fast Forward to today, I’m sitting on an Easyjet flight from Amsterdam to Madrid where I will spend a few days exploring, learning, and enjoying myself. The flight is cheaper than most, and when you look closely you see how the company saves. Less staff, less services, many extra costs, rapid turn-over. And voila, millions of people who perhaps would not have flown otherwise or who needed to fly to this destination, are now flying with this low cost company. Elsewhere someone buys a new computer, among other reasons for choosing this specific model, because it is priced so low. Even if that computer is broken within 2 years, it was purchased at such a low price, this is now acceptable. Getting back to the supermarket, someone buys the bundle of bananas from the big fruit producing company; They look good, they taste pretty good, and they don’t cost much. Like the airlines and the computer, there are reasons for this price, but in that moment and the short term period after purchasing, none of these reasons matter as much as the fact that you’re paying a low price.
This is only the beginning of the discussion you may occasionally have among friends these days. It may also be the beginning of a discussion you have no desire to have. It is too complicated, too difficult to do anything about, and it sounds like the answer involves you having to spend more money… money you don’t have anyway. It goes counter to how we were raised, how people have lived for generations, and how we live our lives going forward.
So for now, I will stop here. With this coarse, simple attempt at an explanation of the world we have been living in, the world where – above all the other information surrounding how we get what we need – getting it cheap is the most vital aspect. The pursuit of cheap is the way of the world, and suggesting there might be a problem with that is an irritating bourgeois or a hippy way of thinking that no rational working person is going to sit around thinking about.