How to prepare for the crisis

According to Chinese astrology, 2008 was the year of the brown rat: a time of expected and great changes. Some of them became quite remarkable when the crippling American real estate started to capitulate, as well as the greed-is-good mantra of the free-trade in which it was inspired. But, currently, how to prepare for the crisis?

In fact, the undergoing financial and economic crisis already seems so yesterday, and still one may claim neither heads of States nor the average citizens are aware of how to tackle the current issues. The more news on the crisis is massively broadcast, the fewer reasonable alternatives seem feasible. Therefore, no one is able to predict what will come next in this crisis of capitalism.

Undoubtedly, the nationalisation of the banking system in virtually the entire Western industrialised world and those millons of unemployed citizens worldwide are at the core of the current crisis. Even if one has a job now, no one is able to predict for how long. It is a time of unpredictable, great changes, which demand new paradigms to cope with them.

As the world started to dramatically change in 2008, like expected by Chinese astrology, what may one do in order to survive the current crisis? Since no one has conceived such paradigms so far, a believe would suggest praying for now.

It is the end of the world as we know it

The severe downturn most countries have faced for the past few months is the worst crisis of capitalism, at least since Great Depression. As the nationalisation of the banking system takes place in virtually the entire Western industrialised world, the greed-is-good mantra of the free-market capitulates.

Neither governments nor the average citizens are aware of how to tackle the financial and economic issues properly, especially in countries in which the downturn is supposed to deepen in 2009.

One may claim that the President-Elect Barack Obama, the first African American who ascended to the White House, will be able to cope with some of the current financial and economic problems. Nevertheless, no changes will come without pressure for them. Aside from the fact that Obama has no previous administrative experience, which may indicate lack of proper knowledge on how to manage to, at least, bail the American economy out of the crisis, created by itself.

Undoubtedly, if one hah such expertise in order to technically predict what near future will be like, we could expect capitalism to thrive once again, sooner or later. Unfortunately, there is no expert willing to take a chance. Once and for all, "it is the end of the world as we know it".

Is Brazil doing its part to mitigate global warming?

One may claim media has relegated global warming recently. Since the de facto nationalisation of the banking system in virtually the entire Western industrialised world, it seems that coping with the current crisis of capitalism is all that matters.

In Brazil, rising levels of deforestation indicate not only inefficient environmental policies yet established, but also that Brazilian government has rather important or urgent issues, such as the immediate financial and economic ones. Who cares about climate change and global warming when the world goes bankrupt?

Twenty years ago, one of the greatest Brazilian heroes was murdered for defending the idea that the Amazon rainforest was worth more alive than dead. Currently, Chico Mendes would have much to teach worldwide investors and financial speculators about sustainable development, but was shot dead two decades before. Even though, no one has remembered him nor the anniversary of this death, occured on the 22nd of December, 1988.

Undoubtedly, the current crisis of capitalism, as the greed-is-good mantra of the free-market capitulates, has made the mitigation of economic and financial problems more urgent than saving trees. One may say Brazil will regret having let deforestation go so far. Maybe too late.