Monday, August 15, 2011

1€ for using the elevator

It sounds like a strange cocktail of provincialism, speculation and greed.

 Walking across Barcelona I recently found that the brand new Arenas Shopping Mall has taken the opportunity to charge its visitors for using the lift (1€ per ride). Locals, tourists and families gathered on a long line to use the elevator and the reach the upper terrace. Two guys from Arenas Staff charge and provide instructions of use to excited visitors willing to pay for this exciting adventure..


   
Then I wonder why could this be successfully happening in the first world( Europe) in the 21st century when elevators, lifts, and all other transportation devices are so common. I found out that it is because people is bored, ignorant and willing to pay for thing they already have. Buying the lift ride makes it exciting, because in our minds only those things we pay for are good and worthy. Free things like the air, water, nature and our own life and thoughts are just not so good enough  as to charge for them. 

Sadly, we live our lives convinced that only things we can buy are important and valuable. That is why speculation and scam are so successful these days. We feel we need to pay for things we already are entitled to.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Entender de donde viene y hacia donde va la crisis mundial

Inside Job es el documental dirigido por Charles Ferguson, que presenta de manera muy simple y con muy buena documentacion los orígenes de la crisis económica mundial, la corrupción de wall street y el gobierno norteamericano que ha devastado la economía global y las terribles consecuencias a futuro.

 La crisis no acaba. Al parecer está apenas comenzando.

Los culpables de la crisis mundial siguen sin juicio, sin castigo y cada vez mas millonarios, ocupando cargos como asesores de gobiernos y evaluadores de riesgo en inversión. Una cadena infinita de corrupción e impunidad alrededor del mundo.

Premiada en los más importantes festivales de cine, presenta entrevistas con empleados, ejecutivos y funcionarios responsables e implicados en el desplome de la economía mundial y muestra el drama de los miles de personas que perdieron sus trabajos, ahorros y hogares como consecuencia de la insaciable sed de dinero y poder de las multinacionales financieras.