quarta-feira, 5 de dezembro de 2012

Programa Tendências e Negócios - De Primeira - Ronaldo Carneiro

Entrevista Ronaldo Carneiro

Entrevista Ronaldo Carneiro parte 1

Entrevista Ronaldo Carneiro parte 2

Entrevista Ronaldo Carneiro parte 3

terça-feira, 17 de julho de 2012

Repensar o mundo para as proximas gerações

“Foi atribuída a nós a tarefa de manter a ordem e a decência nesse nosso pequeno e aconchegante mundo” – esta foi a mensagem do fundador de Rotary International – Paul Harris - na Convenção de 1935 no México. Estou certo que minha geração e muitas outras estão cansadas de ler as bem intencionadas Declarações universais de direitos humanos, Objetivos do Milênio e tantas outras mais – estes documentos trazem em seu conteúdo um consenso universal de que nossas crianças precisam ter acesso a nutrição, saúde e educação – condição “sine qua non” para sobrevivência e progresso. Entretanto muito pouco se progrediu neste campo. “Bem sabemos que o Rotary não tem o poder dos governos; não tem a força dos exércitos; não tem o dinheiro das grandes corporações; nem mesmo possui a mística das religiões, que prometem a vida eterna. Mas possui a fé e o entusiasmo de homens e mulheres; lideres e voluntários que estão dispostos a oferecer algo em favor de um mundo melhor, onde possa reinar a tão sonhada Paz Mundial!” Paulo Viriato Correa da Costa Presidente de Rotary International 1990-91 Esta reflexão se destina àqueles que estão convencidos que o mundo atual não representa uma herança de nossos pais, que pode ser degradada, mas um empréstimo de nossos filhos. Temos que devolver a eles algo melhor que encontramos. Temos que olhar para frente, ficar indignados com a violência, exclusão social, fome, miséria, conflitos, desrespeito a condição humana, guerras inexplicáveis motivadas por inconfessáveis interesses econômicos onde jovens são mortos em defesa de interesses espúrios!! Este texto contém uma proposta que busca substituir a cambiante lógica de idéias - ideologia - pela invariável lógica da vida – biologia. Foi com o espírito ideologicamente desarmado, mente aberta e focada em conceitos, alma tentando de forma obstinada enxergar pelos olhos do Criador e coração pulsando forte na busca da essência do ser humano alinhavando pela razão das diversas descobertas acumuladas em mais de dois séculos de conhecimento humano que esta proposta foi concebida. Retrocedo ao ambiente da revolução americana – “jamais fortalecerás os fracos por enfraqueceres os fortes” e ao clima da revolução francesa com a queda da bastilha, onde a casa dos Bourbons perde seus privilégios, acendendo uma chama indelével na mente humana de promessas de “liberdade, fraternidade e igualdade” direitos humanos ate hoje desrespeitados, porem nascidos do iluminismo, ainda latente, com forte apelo na vontade humana de participação democrática. Através das fotos dos pensadores abaixo, presto uma homenagem àqueles que deram contribuição notável para alinhavar esta proposta. Demais autores conseqüentes porem com visão parcial ou ideologicamente afetada através da semiótica do processo de desenvolvimento não são citados, embora tenham sido avaliados. Encontrei no texto abaixo de Adam Smith, oportuno comentário que define com fidelidade meu estado de espírito: “Filósofos da natureza, em sua independência em relação a opinião publica, aproximam-se bastante dos matemáticos e em seus juízos quanto ao mérito de suas próprias descobertas e observações gozam de algum grau da mesma segurança e serenidade”. ... “Matemáticos e filósofos da natureza, graças a sua independência com relação a opinião publica, tem pouca tentação de reunirem-se em facções e seitas, seja para apoiar sua própria reputação , seja para reduzir a de seus rivais. São quase sempre homens de grande simplicidade nas maneiras,vivendo em boa harmonia entre si, amigos da reputação um do outro, que não participam de intriga para garantir o aplauso publico, embora gostem de ver suas obras aprovadas, sem ficarem nem muito vexados, nem muito irados, quando são negligenciados” ADAM SMITH, (1723-1790) filósofo de formação, é o pai da Economia Política. É com ele que a Economia nasce enquanto ciência. A sua obra principal chama-se “Investigação sobre a Natureza e as Causas da Riqueza das Nações”, foi publicada em 1776 e é considerada a obra fundadora da Economia Política - entretanto o embasamento filosófico ético e moral para seu pensamento foi publicado em 1759 – “Teoria dos sentimentos morais” - um verdadeiro mergulho na essência do ser humano. Aprendi com Smith a importância da mão invisível, aquilo que hoje é chamado de mercado – indivíduos agindo por seu próprio interesse – e sempre o interesse individual é que prevalece – sem a interferência governamental – é um modelo superior de convivência humana. Aprendi também com este notável professor de ética que cada ser humano traz em seu peito um tribunal de júri – cada um de nos sabe discernir entre o certo e errado, desde que em equilíbrio com sua natureza.  "O estadista que pretender determinar ás pessoas de que maneira elas devem empregar seu capital, não apenas estará se sobrecarregando com um cuidado desnecessário, mas assumirá uma autoridade que jamais poderia ser seguramente confiada a uma simples pessoa, nem também a qualquer conselho ou senado, e que em nenhuma parte será tão perigosa como nas mãos de um homem que tem bastante insensatez e presunção para julgar-se apto a exercê-la."  "Cada pessoa, como diziam os estóicos, deve ser primeira e principalmente deixada ao seu próprio cuidado; e cada pessoa é certamente, sob todos os pontos de vista, mais apta e capaz de cuidar de si do que qualquer outra pessoa" KARL MARX – (1818-1883) - O polêmico e fecundo pensador humanista – ícone do socialismo e talvez o mais pouco compreendido dos pensadores – morreu em 1883 e a revolução soviética ocorreu em 1917. Nunca tantos especularam sobre suas intenções – em seu nome foram cometidas aberrações dignas de fanáticos alucinados pelo poder – é preciso dessacralizar sua obra – muitos tiveram a sensibilidade de reconhecer erros no capitalismo porem agiram como sacerdotes marxistas queimando incenso a seu deus. Aprendi com Marx que a força de trabalho não pode sofrer desgaste – “Operario vende a sua força de trabalho para conservá-la ilesa, salvo o natural desgaste, porém não para destruí-la”. Trabalhadores precisam de se alimentar e ter acesso aos sistemas de saúde e educação para que esta força de trabalho não se destrua – não faz sentido embutir isto no salário, pois a fome das pessoas não é uma variável de mercado, mas uma necessidade biológica. Trabalho humano é um processo de transformação de energia humana em energia física ou intelectual e para que esta transformação ocorra é preciso que nutrição, saúde e educação estejam asseguradas a priori e não embutidas no salário. Tal qual um veiculo precisa de combustível para trafegar. Ao final do seculo XIX, diante do crescimento do socialismo, o Vaticano lançou a CARTA ENCÍCLICA «RERUM NOVARUM» DO PAPA LEÃO XIII SOBRE A CONDIÇÃO DOS OPERÁRIOS - a 15 de Maio de 1891, no décimo quarto ano de seu Pontificado, sobretudo para esclarecer a posição da igreja sobre a relação trabalho – capital, o papel do estado, propriedade privada, etc. “O problema nem é fácil de resolver, nem isento de perigos. É difícil, efectivamente, precisar com exactidão os direitos e os deveres que devem ao mesmo tempo reger a riqueza e o proletariado, o capital e o trabalho. Por outro lado, o problema não é sem perigos, porque não poucas vezes homens turbulentos e astuciosos procuram desvirtuar-lhe o sentido e aproveitam-no para excitar as multidões e fomentar desordens”. “Em todo o caso, estamos persuadidos, e todos concordam nisto, de que é necessário, com medidas prontas e eficazes, vir em auxílio dos homens das classes inferiores, atendendo a que eles estão, pela maior parte, numa situação de infortúnio e de miséria imerecida”. Buscando justiça e equidade, concordo integralmente com o Vaticano na condenação do socialismo, e na defesa da propriedade privada - «Não desejarás a mulher do teu próximo, nem a sua casa, nem o seu campo, nem o seu boi, nem a sua serva, nem o seu jumento, nem coisa alguma que lhe pertença» E preconiza a caridade como solução para a “alteração das relações entre os operários e os patrões, a influência da riqueza nas mãos dum pequeno número ao lado da indigência da multidão” “Façam os governantes uso da autoridade protectora das leis e das instituições; lembrem-se os ricos e os patrões dos seus deveres; tratem os operários, cuja sorte está em jogo, dos seus interesses pelas vias legítimas; e, visto que só a religião, como dissemos no princípio, é capaz de arrancar o mal pela raiz”. “Portanto, a salvação desejada deve ser principalmente o fruto duma grande efusão de caridade, queremos dizer, daquela caridade que compendia em si todo o Evangelho, e que, sempre pronta a sacrificar-se pelo próximo, é o antídoto mais seguro contra o orgulho e o egoísmo do século” Por mais respeito que tenho pelos compromissos históricos e milenares do Vaticano pela conduta humana, não posso acreditar que alguns venham ao mundo para viver de caridade e outros para viver na opulência!!! A esmola destrói duas das mais estimulantes forças motivadoras do ser humano: dignidade e iniciativa. Prefiro acreditar que falta igualar as oportunidades – nutrição, saúde e educação – a partir daí a caridade é opcional. Responsabilidade social, sustentabilidade, equilíbrio ecológico – são as palavras chave – algo como um pensamento cheio de desejo, porém ninguém aponta como efetivar isto. Alguns focam suas propostas na alteração do DNA humano – ou acreditam no surgimento de uma nova geração que vá colocar os interesses coletivos acima de seus interesses pessoais, algo como as propostas religiosas que estão há pelo menos 4000 anos, desde o profeta Abrahao, origem das religiões monoteístas, tentando catequisar, com pouco sucesso, este curioso bípede humano. Não acredito nisto, interesses pessoais sempre irão prevalecer em relação aos coletivos. Napoleão Bonaparte, em suas reflexões sobre a alma humana, constatou que as pessoas lutam com muito mais vigor por seus interesses do que por seus ideais!! Importante é colocar o egoísmo de cada um a serviço da coletividade. Tal como política e economia não podem se misturar, economia e religião são 2 departamentos distintos, embora muitos insensatos e aproveitadores insistem em criar a religião de prateleira de supermercado, so pegam aquilo que lhes interessam para se locupletar. Não apenas religiões mas também associações que falam em nome de ética e filantropia. A estes estão destinados os lugares mais quentes do inferno. Neste contexto, merece reflexão as recomendações do pensador inglês Gilbert CHESTERTON – “ORAR como se tudo dependesse de Deus. AGIR como se tudo dependesse de nós”. Definitivamente a religião é o placebo do povo – o falso remédio funciona em determinadas situações. JOHN MAYNARD KEYNES – (1883 – 1946) é um vulto importante da história do pensamento econômico. A sua obra principal chama-se "A Teoria Geral do Emprego, do Juro e da Moeda" (1936). Este livro foi, sem dúvida alguma, o que mais influência teve na vida das sociedades industrializadas após a segunda guerra mundial, influenciado pela crise de 29 numa Europa destruída pela guerra, onde o governo passa a influir decisivamente na economia. Certamente o sucesso do New Deal de Roosevelt na década de 30 estimulou este economista ingles a sustentar a presença do estado na economia. A obra de Keynes foi a resposta à crise em que mergulhou a Economia Política de então, dominada pelas correntes marginalistas, incapaz de explicar a grande depressão que assolou o mundo ocidental nos anos trinta do século passado. De acordo com Keynes o Estado pode ter um papel muito importante no evitar das crises econômicas se aumentar as despesas públicas impedindo assim a quebra da procura agregada no momento em que esta se contrai motivada pelas expectativas desfavoráveis dos agentes privados “É preciso, portanto, dotar o Estado de instrumentos efetivos de política econômica, que lhe permitam regular a taxa de juros de modo a mantê-la abaixo da “eficiência marginal do capital”, incrementar o consumo mediante a expansão dos gastos públicos e expandir a inversão por meio de empréstimos públicos capazes de absorver os recursos ociosos.” Seria cômico se não fosse trágico imaginar que o controle de fluxos financeiros: moeda, cambio e crédito possa gerar desenvolvimento. Apenas e somente trabalho produtivo consegue gerar capital que, em sua essência, nada mais é que trabalho acumulado. Pretensa estabilidade que se consegue com a interferência do governo na economia deve ser substituída pelo pleno emprego produtivo conseguido através da liberdade total para produzir e consumir. Presença do estado so se justifica por tempo limitado para retomar o equilíbrio. Presença constante do governo significa a substituição da invariável lei da oferta e procura no mercado livre pela questionável ação da vontade humana. “A médio prazo estamos todos mortos” teria sido a resposta de Keynes sobre as implicações de suas propostas. Ele está morto e não pode constatar o desastre, após quase 7 décadas de funcionamento de suas propostas ao oficializar o governo interferindo na economia. Joan Violet Robinson (1903-1983) é das principais economistas do século XX. Foi líder da "Cambridge School", partidária das teorias de Marshall de início, keynesiana ardente depois, finalmente um membro destacado das escolas neo-ricardiana e pós-keynesiana. Contribuições marcantes foram dadas pela saudosa dama da economia européia Joan Robinson, que trabalhou com Keynes e que tive o prazer de conhecer – Ate hoje ecoa em minhas reflexões a avaliação de Robinson ao ser perguntada sobre o poder das multinacionais - ela foi taxativa: é preferível ser escravo da Volkswagen do que não ser escravo de ninguém!!! Aprendi com Robinson que economia de mercado faz o que for rentável e não o que é necessário – nesta constatação de Robinson esta a pista para a síntese entre capitalismo e socialismo. Ludwig Heinrich Edler von Mises (1881–1973) - do chamado grupo da escola austríaca, formada por Carl Menger, Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk, Henry Hazlitt, Murray Rothbard e o Premio Nobel Friedrich Hayek. Sua obra é um monumento ao liberalismo econômico, mostrando de forma enfática e irrefutável a inutilidade da intervenção governamental na economia que muitas das vezes se consegue um resultado inverso ao que se pretendia de inicio. Aprendi com Mises e Hayek que nada supera o poder da organização espontânea dos mecanismos de preço de mercado. Todos meus textos estão impregnados dos ensinamentos e constatações econômicas da magnífica contribuição da escola austríaca. "A humanidade precisa, antes de qualquer coisa, se libertar da submissão a slogans absurdos e voltar a confiar na sensatez da razão." Muito antes de um saudosismo extemporâneo, quero enfatizar minha crença nos valores defendidos por estes pensadores, onde o ser humano independente, ativo e produtivo, faz sua própria historia. Qualquer que seja sua visão de democracia, nunca a sorte dos governados pode depender da virtude dos governantes. Além do sufrágio universal e imprensa livre, a redução dos recursos em poder de uma elite dirigente, devem ser os critérios para qualificar democracia. Afinal, o que deu errado? Como podemos corrigir isto? Certamente não existe o ser humano capitalista e o socialista. Imagine uma sociedade com todos seus membros empregados, onde a oferta de empregos sobrepuja a procura, onde os jovens estudantes são procurados antes de sair da escola ou universidade, onde os salários tendem a subir e não há necessidade do governo instituir um mínimo a ser pago. Isto não é um sonho, já existiu na revolução industrial, inicio do século 19. Estou falando de introduzir a substancial critica de Marx – deterioração da força de trabalho – na investigação básica de Adam Smith e reduzir substancialmente a presença do estado na economia, resgatando o clima de pleno emprego produtivo observado no inicio do século 19. Somente com pleno emprego não precisamos da supervisão do estado – mão invisível age de forma inexorável!! O governo é uma instituição economicamente inviável porque sua receita e despesa são determinadas por atos de vontade humana. A economia é uma ciência cujas técnicas são válidas e aplicáveis quando a vontade dos agentes econômicos é limitada por uma lei natural de oferta e procura. É por este motivo que as técnicas econômicas aplicadas pelo governo são ineficazes e apresentam resultados medíocres. Do ponto de vista institucional, a burocracia de governo, esclerosada em sua essência e esclerosante em suas ações, é um péssimo gestor de recursos, pois cresce á sombra do favoritismo subserviência, incompetência e servilismo, onde a amizade e influência políticas valem mais que o mérito e capacidade. Onde inexiste a saudável competição geradora de estímulos profissionais e avanços tecnológicos produzindo campo fértil para monopólios, oligopólios e cartéis. Iniciativa privada, operando num mercado competitivo e pleno emprego produtivo é um modelo superior de produção de bens e serviços. Isto não significa que trabalhadores e empresários do setor privado sejam seres superiores, privilegiados por eleição divina. O modelo da iniciativa privada é superior porque opera numa conjuntura onde a vontade humana é limitada por uma lei natural e inexorável de oferta e procura A complexidade das modernas sociedades não pode ser administrada por planejadores centrais. O chamado centralismo democrático é um sofisma que só interessa aos governantes autocratas. O inchaço do poder executivo, ou a enorme quantidade de recursos financeiros em poder do Estado a serem alocados por atos de vontade humana estimula uma corrida desenfreada em políticos inescrupulosos que buscam o poder a qualquer custo, onde “não desdenham, em certos casos, alianças com a trapaça, fraude e corrupção” usando as palavras de VILFREDO PARETO. O discurso é a democracia, porém os métodos utilizados conduzem, inevitavelmente, a encher os bolsos do Estado. Este paradoxo transformou o democrático regime “do povo, pelo povo e para o povo” na autocrática regra de um regime “para o povo”, onde a sorte dos governados depende da virtude dos governantes. O mundo assiste, nos dias atuais, perplexo e impotente, á supremacia e dominação da classe dos burocratas, pois a evolução prática dos sistemas capitalista e socialista converge inevitavelmente para um regime totalitário. Vale dizer, a desigualdade de oportunidades nas regras de convívio humano está gerando o mais terrível processo de dominação e servidão humana que é a ditadura da burocracia. Fica claro que, com as atuais regras de convívio humano, o governo precisa intervir cada vez mais, porem as reais necessidades da intervenção do governo na economia é a constatação que 3 setores: agricultura, saúde e educação não andam sozinhos – governo precisa bombear recursos para estes 3 setores – bombeamento de baixa eficiência porem necessário. Enganam-se aqueles que preconizam a redução da intervenção do governo na economia com as atuais regras – aumentaria muito a distancia entre pobres e ricos e inviabiliza o convívio humano. Porem através de novo pacto social onde nutrição, saúde e educação passam a ser reponsabilidades do processo produtivo privado e o governo, reduzindo a tributação correspondente, irá reduzir sua interferência na economia. Ao invés de transferir recursos do rico para o pobre, igualam-se as oportunidades de nutrição, saúde e educação. Não falamos de filantropia, mas num novo conceito de trabalho humano como processo de transformação de energia humana em energia física ou intelectual. Trata-se de substituir a cambiante lógica de idéias – ideologia – pela invariável lógica da vida – biologia. Certamente o empresário não ira agir por filantropia, é o pleno emprego produtivo que será o fiador deste Acordo de vontades – a dinâmica da economia ira conduzir ao pleno emprego onde a supervisão governamental não será mais necessária. O poeta e polemista inglês do século 17 John Milton identificou que a razão humana consegue distinguir as boas das más idéias, tal como Adam Smith dizia que todos temos um tribunal de júri em nosso peito – sabemos distinguir o certo do errado. Desta forma consegue-se humanizar o mercado ou responder ao poeta mexicano, Nobel de literatura de 1990, Octavio Paz: “mercado não tem consciência nem misericórdia”. Ou ainda aplacar a ansiedade de Joan Robinson – mercado passa a fazer o necessário e o rentável com liberdade total de produzir e consumir. Esta proposta precisa ser discutida à exaustão por todos aqueles que detêm responsabilidades e acreditam que temos a obrigação de entregar um mundo melhor para nossos filhos, netos e próximas gerações. A fome não pode esperar e as crianças que nascem hoje tem o direito natural de serem alimentadas, e terem acesso aos sistemas de saúde e educação. Antes que seja tarde demais é preciso humanizar o mercado para merecer o amanhã. Tenham todos um momento de saudável e profunda reflexão nestes dias destinados a uma introspecção de final de ano. Cordialmente Ronaldo Campos Carneiro – EGD 2008-9 – Distrito 4530 rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br – dez/2010 ------------------------------------------------------------ De: Gerson Gonçalves [mailto:gersongoncalves38@gmail.com] Enviada em: sábado, 18 de dezembro de 2010 11:13 Para: Ronaldo Carneiro Assunto: Re: Boas Festas - Viva 2011 !!! Queridos amigos Ivani e Ronaldo: recebemos, agradecemos e retribuimos os votos natalinos. Que Deus continue a abençoa-los em familia, negocios e também nos caminhos de Rotary. Que a celebração do Natal seja na doce companhia do Senhor Jesus Cristo. Um abraçlo, Irani e Gerson Gonçalves De: Almiro Schimidt EGD2009-10 [mailto:as.d4410@bol.com.br] Enviada em: sábado, 18 de dezembro de 2010 07:57 Para: Ronaldo Carneiro Assunto: Re: Boas Festas - Viva 2011 !!! Estimado EGD Ronaldo Carneiro Que neste natal, reflitamos sobre o passado para melhorar o nosso futuro e que a luz divina brilhe sobre as nossas decisões mostrando-nos a sabedoria. Que em 2011 continue a trajetória de conquistas com muita saúde e paz e que juntos possamos celebrar cada sucesso alcançado. Sou formado em História e me agrada muito suas mensagens, parabéns pelos textos e reflexões. Refletir sobre o passado (investigar e reescrever em muitos casos), para entender melhor o presente e preparar um futuro melhor para todos. Forte abraço Almiro Schimidt EGD 2009-10 D4410 Coordenador DQA 2010-2011 De: Antonio Celso Costa [mailto:celso@dilk.com.br] Enviada em: sexta-feira, 17 de dezembro de 2010 22:58 Para: Ronaldo Carneiro Assunto: Re: Boas Festas - Viva 2011 !!! Caro EGD Ronaldo Elvira e eu agradecemos e retribuímos com carinho seus votos de um Feliz Natal e um Novo Ano repleto de realizações. Suas considerações colhidas das pessoas que modificaram o pensamento da humanidade nestes últimos séculos é um presente de fim de ano para todos nós. Obrigado por tê-la enviado. Abraços Antonio Celso Costa EGD 1998/99 Distrito 4710 Membro do Rotary Club de Londrina De: Dirceu Schmitt [mailto:dirceuschmitt@via-rs.net] Enviada em: sábado, 18 de dezembro de 2010 11:54 Para: Ronaldo Carneiro Assunto: Boas Festas - Viva 2011 !!! Caro Governador Ronaldo. Apreciei, profundamente, as tuas considerações; apropriadas ao momento atual e respeitosas aos ensinamentos de nossos maiores. Estou repassando para todos os meus companheiros do RC.de Canela, para que também eles possam aproveitar desta lúcida manifestação. Obrigado. Tenhas e os teus um ótimo final de Ano e um proveitoso 2011, lembrando que no Natal o verdadeiro motivador da festa é Cristo, lamentavelmente substituido pela figura do papaei noel. Abraços. Dirceu ----------------------------------------------------- De: plinioslage@terra.com.br [mailto:plinioslage@terra.com.br] Enviada em: sexta-feira, 17 de dezembro de 2010 21:51 Para: Ronaldo Carneiro Assunto: Re: Boas Festas - Viva 2011 !!! Prezado EGD Ronaldo Carneiro, Sua belíssima e oportuna mensagem realmente nos trouxe muita emoção e nos fez refletir sobre o sentido da v ida. Como afirmou Charles Chaplin, a vida é uma peça de teatro que não permite ensaios. por isso, cante, chore,dance, ria e viva intensamente, antes que a cortina se feche e a peça termine sem aplausos. Na oportunidade, peço sua licença para transmitir sua mensagem a inumeros amigos e, tenha certeza irei identificar a fonte. No mais um FELIZ ANIVERSÁRIO ( 21/12) e um SANTO NATAL e VENTUROSO ANO NOVO, ao lado de sua amada esposa vani. EGD Plinio Lage De: Luiz de Araujo Filho [mailto:elbalize@gmail.com] Enviada em: sexta-feira, 17 de dezembro de 2010 21:02 Para: rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br Assunto: Boas Festas! Caro Companheiro, Governador 2008/2009, Ronaldo, Agradecemos e retribuímos, Lize e eu, os votos de Boas Festas, e principalmente, que reine no coração de todos um Feliz e Santo Natal, e que suas tão pródigas e acertadas palavras sejam prenúncios de luz para muitos que ainda caminham na escuridão. Forte abraço, extensivo aos seus familiares. Luiz de Araujo e Elizene Gov. 2007/2008 De: Geraldo Vilhena A Paiva [mailto:gpaiva@univap.br] Enviada em: sexta-feira, 17 de dezembro de 2010 19:27 Para: Ronaldo Carneiro Assunto: Re: Boas Festas - Viva 2011 !!! Meu caríssimo Ronaldo e Família, Agradeço-lhe pela gentileza de sua mensagem de Boas Festas e do texto encaminhado, fundamentado em brilhantes pensadores de nossa história, principalmente, aqueles que indicaram, no sec. XIX, rumos para diferentes campos do saber humano. Reconheço e já lhe manifestei, por diversas vezes, meu apreço e admiração à tenacidade de sua caminhada, tal qual, aqueles de outrora, trazendo a todos nós um chamamento às reflexões, de antanho e, ainda, hoje, como você bem o diz, em pleno século XXI, a esperar a luz de soluções; compreendo, perfeitamente, a conceituação presente em seus escritos, quanto aos têrmos, energia, trabalho, entre outros e entre esses outros, coloco a potência como impulsionadora do movimento, movimento capaz de promover as mudanças e transformações que todos nós desejamos, valorizando o homem, o HOMEM INTEGRAL, não pela ordem do ter, mas, pela ordem do ser. Não mensuramos o Ser Humano por aquilo ou pela quantidade do que tem, mas, pelo que êle é e pela qualidade de seus valores, Essa é, em resumo ou em tese, minha visão humanística que apreende suas colocações; não é o pêso do ouro que esmaga os irmãos, é o sentimento de se doar ao outro para que esse outro tenha as mesmas oportunidades que tivemos, só assim, é justa e humana uma sociedade. Queira, meu caro Ronaldo, aceitar nossos votos de um Natal cristão, humano, fraterno e mais justo e que 2011 possa trazer a todos nós e a toda a humanidade, a tão sonhada paz e a tão esperada compreensão entre os povos, sem quaisquer discriminações. Nossos votos, de minha esposa e meus, são, carinhosamente, extensivos a seus queridos familiares. Geraldo Vilhena Geraldo Vilhena de Almeida Paiva Professor Titular Coordenador do Curso de Serviço Social Tel. (12) 3947-1029 Universidade do Vale do Paraíba - UNIVAP. http://www1.univap.br/~gpaiva http://www.univap.br/ De: Marcilio Moreira [mailto:marcilio_mmoreira@yahoo.com.br] Enviada em: sexta-feira, 17 de dezembro de 2010 18:59 Para: Ronaldo Carneiro Assunto: Re: Boas Festas - Viva 2011 !!! Agradeço sua bela e densa mensagem Natalina,desejando-lhe um Santo Natal e um Ano Novo abençoado com Paz,Saúde e muita Luz para continuar iluminando os seus caminhos. Forte abraço amigo Marcílio De: Dr. Taquary [mailto:sbtaquary@brturbo.com.br] Enviada em: domingo, 19 de dezembro de 2010 06:16 Para: Ronaldo Carneiro Assunto: Re: Boas Festas - Viva 2011 !!! Caro Companheiro RONALDO CAMPOS CARNEIRO, governador 2008-2009, Tenho lido suas mensagens, porque elas têm forte motivação polícito-social, difundindo a ética e a moral. Todos precisamos refleltir sobre esses esteios, que são, em essência, a esperança da humanidade. Parabéns. Feliz Natal próspero Ano Novo, para Você e toda sua Família. Sebastião Borges Taquary, RC de Brasília Sul. De: toro.alp@terra.com.br [mailto:toro.alp@terra.com.br] Enviada em: terça-feira, 21 de dezembro de 2010 12:06 Para: Ronaldo Carneiro Assunto: Re: Boas Festas - Viva 2011 !!! Estimado Governador Pensador Ronado Carneiro - Agradeço e retribuo os votos de Boas Festas. Sempre recordo, com muita alegria, da maravilhosa conferência de Pirenópolis. Fico feliz por você compartilhar as suas ídéias. Reitero que você é um Governador Pensador. A propósito, no momento estou lendo "Legisladores e Intérpretes" de Zigmmunt Bauman. Em um trecho o autor, citando Radin, menciona que: "O que Radin descobriu primeiro nesse tipo de sociedade foi "a existência de dois tipos gerais de temperamento entre os povos primitivos: o do sacerdote-pensador e o do leigo; um fundamentalmente identificado com a ação, o outro apenas de maneira secundária; um interessado na análise dos fenômenos religiosos, o outro em seu efeito.". No Rotary, nos dias de hoje, temos as duas categorias de sócios. Você é um sacerdote-pensador. Abraços. Toro De: Jorge Monteiro [mailto:monteiro.jorge@uol.com.br] Enviada em: quarta-feira, 22 de dezembro de 2010 22:05 Para: Ronaldo Carneiro Assunto: Re: Boas Festas - Viva 2011 !!! Meu prezado amigo e companheiro EGD Ronaldo Carneiro Grato, muito grato por seus votos de Boas Festas, que retribuo fraternalmente, para si e sua esposa. Que Deus continue a ilumina-lo, e proporcine a realização de seus objetivos pessoais e profissionais. Como sempre, sua explanação é sensacional e oportuna para uma reflexão de todos nós. Muito obrigado e creia que não vou perder a oportunidade de divulga-la. Boas Festas e um fraternal abraço. Jorge M. R. Monteiro De: Rubens Ricupero [mailto:mpricupero@uol.com.br] Enviada em: quarta-feira, 22 de dezembro de 2010 18:58 Para: Ronaldo Carneiro Assunto: Re: Boas Festas - Viva 2011 !!! Prezado Ronaldo, Agradeço a gentileza dos bons votos e do texto de grande riqueza de ideias que me enviou. De minha parte, também lhe desejo e a seus entes queridos todas as felicidades e alegrias neste Natal e no Ano Novo. Abraço forte, Rubens Ricupero De: Ross Conran [mailto:rossconran@yahoo.com] Enviada em: quarta-feira, 19 de janeiro de 2011 13:12 Para: rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br Assunto: Christmas Greetings Dear Ronaldo, Thank you for your very moving Christmas Greetings that I received today. I am moved by your comments and have included them in part in our weekly club communication. I return the wishes and hopes you spoke of to you, your wife and family, your Club and all Rotarians everywhere. Part of my training as District Governor occurred in Anchorage, Alaska. The Governors Elect there included the District Governor Elect from the new District in Russia. The relations with Russia were newly formed and many in my country remained suspicious if not hostile to the former USSR with much reason. At the conclusion of the training, at the final session, we arranged ourselves in a large circle with arms locked to sing the Rotary Hymn, "Let There be Peace on Earth." My wife's arm was linked with that of the Russian DGE and mine with her's. It was that extrodinary moment as we sang those moving lyrics that my heart changed. It was as though I could see the decades of hostility that I had lived through melt away permanently. I began to understand that there might be a possibility of peace if good men and women of good desire could link arms and sing of that which might one day come true. It could only have happened through Rotary. Blessings to you and yours, Ross E. Conran PDG D6290 Michigan, USA and Ontario, Canada

En memoria de Adam Smith y Karl Marx

En memoria de Adam Smith y Karl Marx En mi meditación concentrada sobre la búsqueda constante de la paz en el mundo, me pregunté: ¿qué personalidad merece el reconocimiento de mi generación? Hace aproximadamente 3 décadas, este mundo vivió una competencia absurda – la locura humana había creado las condiciones para la autodestrucción de todas las formas de vida humana en la tierra - la carrera armamentista donde dos superpotencias, con presupuestos cada vez mayores, buscaron la dominación de los demás por la fuerza. En cierto punto el líder soviético Mikhail Gorbachev interrumpió la competencia. Para los adeptos de esa competencia, fundada en propósitos egoístas, él había perdido la batalla; pero para nosotros, los humanistas, este líder tomó una medida gigante hacía la " détente" y una posible compreensión mundial. Cada ciudadano planetario le debe mucho y entiendo que debemos atribuir - reflejando el Premio Nobel de la Paz Concedido a Gorbachev - nuestro reconocimiento por sus servicios excepcionales ejercidos en pro de la causa humanitaria global. Por supuesto, hay dos más en el rol de las personalidades expresivas y actuantes de la época, quienes contribuyeron para la caída del muro de Berlin, en 1989, los cuales también merecen relieve. Se puede resaltar la actuación del Papa Juan Pablo II, que tuvo una reunión privada con Gorbachev momentos antes de la caída de esa pared – me encantaría haber escuchado los consejos de ese ciudadano polaco, quien estuvo, durante su juventud, expuesto a las atrocidades del comunismo en Polonia y luego se reveló sensible tanbién a la inmensa exclusión social en consecuencia del capitalismo. El otro fué Ronald Reagan, líder de la superpotencia de oposición a la URSS, quien al principio de su primer mandato, dijo que: "El gobierno no puede ayudarnos a solucionar problemas; El gobierno es el problema". También reflexioné sobre las principales preocupaciones contemporáneas: la nutrición, la salud y la educación. En ese ejercicio, traje a la superficie los pensadores responsables por moldar el mundo en que vivimos. ¿Cuáles de ellos podrían merecer nuestra gratitud? ¿Cuáles no lo merecerían? Yo tendría gran orgullo si Adam Smith fuera miembro de un club mío. El referido profesor escocés de ética y de moral, que vivió en la segunda mitad del siglo XVIII, es un hombre admirable no sólo debido a la maestría con que escribió su obra más importante, " La Riqueza de las Naciones", sino también debido al embasamiento filosófico, ético y moral proporcionado por su libro denominado “La Teoría de los Sentimientos Morales”, de 1759. Por otro lado el polémico pensador humanista Karl Marx, un ícono del socialismo y quizás el pensador menos comprendido, murió en 1883 y la revolución soviética ocurrió en 1917. Es uno de los autores cuyas intenciones de sus obras sufrieron la más grande especulación. Con base en variadas interpretaciones, aberraciones fueron cometidas por gente digna de ser llamada fanática, enloquecida por el poder. Por eso, uno debe desacralizar su trabajo. Lo que pasó fue el acertado reconocimiento de los equívocos del capitalismo. Sin embargo, ese reconocimiento vino acompañado de una actuación parecida con las de sacerdotes marxistas, quemando incienso para su dios. Eso ocurrió fundamentalmente porque Marx centró su análisis en un acercamiento crítico al capitalismo y no explicó mucho a respecto de como se daría el socialismo. A pesar de la evolución de su pensamiento, en el cual son identificadas dos fases: Marx joven y Marx maduro, él no explicó los caminos del socialismo. También sería un gran honor tenerlo como miembro de mi club. Muestra de su mente brillante se revela por medio de su crítica conceptual acerca del trabajo humano en el capitalismo, que no tuvo contestación hasta la actualidad – “Cuando vende su fuerza de trabajo, y el operario es obligado a hacerlo en el régimen actual, él rinde al capitalista el derecho de utilizar su fuerza; sin embargo, ese fenómeno tiene límites racionales. Vende su trabajo para mantenerlo ileso, excepto por el desgaste natural, pero tiene el objetivo de no verlo destruido.” En otro fragmento, Marx resalta: " El hombre que no tiene tiempo libre y cuya vida, a excepción de las interrupciones puramente físicas del sueño, de comidas, etc., es enteramente absorbido por su trabajo para el capitalista, es menos que una bestia de carga. Es una máquina simple, físicamente arruinada y espiritualmente animalizada para producir la riqueza ajena." Posteriormente a esos dos íconos del pensamiento, que produjeron profundas repercusiones en las maneras de convivio de la humanidad, surgió en 1936 la Teoría General de John Maynard Keynes – las propuestas monetaristas fueron concebidas en una coyuntura de post crisis de 1929 y discutidas en Bretton Woods en 1944, en un mundo caracterizado por una Europa destruida en consecuencia de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. A pesar de bien reconocida en su época, a mediano y largo plazos su teoría se mostró un desastre. Luego de 64 años de aplicación práctica, tuvo como resultado la estagflación, un comprometimiento con el desempleo y la inflación, una ofensa a la inteligencia humana. Keynes oficializó la participación del gobierno en la economía, o sea, la ley de oferta y demanda, inexorable e impersonal, fue sustituida por la cuestionable y personal tutela de la voluntad humana. Adam Smith y todos los pensadores relacionados deben haber girado en sus tumbas, tratando de entender las obscenidades de la teoría keynesiana. Yo responsabilizo a la teoría monetarista por la extensa exclusión social diseminada por todo el mundo y por todos los conflictos armados también - debido a los muchos recursos concentrados en las manos de pocos, que deciden de acuerdo a la voluntad humana. ¡Y falta a los niños la comida! La teoría no resiste a cualquier prueba seria y justa. Yo no me sentiría cómodo en un club que tuviese la presencia de este caballero. Sus seguidores fueron aún más irresponsables e inconsecuentes, pues crearon un círculo vicioso en el proceso económico: generación de capital sin trabajo productivo, construyendo castillos en el aire, que se están desmenuzando en la crisis que el mundo ahora enfrenta. Antes que sea demasiado tarde, debemos volver la mirada hacia los mejores aspectos de nuestros orígenes para que, progresivamente, podamos corregir el orden actual y construir un futuro de paz, salud y excelencia, en beneficio de todos. Que Dios bendiga a nuestros niños, uno por uno, en cada nación. Ronaldo Campos Carneiro - Ex-Profesor de la USP/FEI rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br Translated from Portuguese by Larissa – lrssfranca@gmail.com

アダムスミスとカールマルクスのメモリで

アダムスミスとカールマルクスのメモリで 私が回顧するところ、世界平和を恒常的に模索し、その性格は私の世代の再認識に値するものであろうか?今から30年前、この世界は不合理な競争のもと存在しておりました。人類の愚かさは、地球上の人間の生命にあらゆる形で自滅をもたらしました。増加する予算のもと、この2つの大国は力を持って征服する予定でありました。その冷戦をとめたのは、旧ソ連のミハイル・ゴルバチョフでありました。競争という偶像崇拝者という点においては、ゴルバチョフが負けました。しかし、私たちおよび人類主義学者にとって、その指導者は世界の緊張を緩める大きな一歩を踏み出した人だと言えます。 この地球の各市民は彼に非常に借りがあり、私が理解するところ、ゴルバチョフに対し、世界の人類学的な貢献をしたとしてノーベル平和賞授与等の行為をするよう促進しなければならない。 1989年にベルリンの壁の崩壊を促したその時代の印象的および活動的な指導者でもあったことも強調します。ベルリンの壁崩壊直前に、ヨハネ・パウロ2世がゴルバチョフと非公式会談を行いました。資本主義の副産物のように社会的排除およびポーランドにおける残虐さにより、若かりし時に辛酸をなめたそのポーランド人の幹部の声を少しでも聞いてみたかったです。 ソ連の潜在的対抗勢力であった、アメリカのロナルド・レーガン大統領は、その第一期政権の初頭に、「政府は問題を解決することはできません。政府自体が問題の種ですから」と発言しました。 私は問題について思い起こしてみます。栄養・健康・教育、そして我々の生きる世界を創設した多様な思想家、彼らのうち、いくつか加入するよう勧誘することはできるであろうか?そして、誰が除外されるに値する人なのでしょうか?アダムスミス、彼は、18世紀後半にスコットランドで生涯を送った倫理と道徳の教師であったが、その彼の代表作「国家の富」のみならず、彼のあまり知られていない、そして1759年の「道徳感理論」のその思想への倫理と道徳の哲学的考えについても、私はアダムスミスを誇りに思うことができるであろう。 論争や、想像力豊なヒューマニストの思想家カールマルクスは、社会主義の象徴であり、おそらく我々の思想家たちを最も理解し得なかったでしょう。(彼は1883年に死んでおり、ソ連の革命は、1917年のことでした。)最近のように、これほど多くの人々彼の意図を熟考する敵は決してありませんでした。彼の名前で程度の外の行動が強さの幻想に取りつかれていた人たちによってコミットされています。いくつかの人がマルクスのタブーを除いて、多くの人は資本主義のエラーを認識して、賢明されたが、彼らはマルクス主義の司祭、その半神に香を務めました。事実マルクスは、彼の研究のかなりの部分を、資本主義批判に集中しており、社会主義の運用を十分に説明することはできませんでした。 彼の思想は、若いマルクスと昔のマルクスの二人に分けることができます。私は若いマルクスを誘うことは非常に嬉しく思っています。彼の資本主義で起こる人間の労働についての批判的な概念は、誰も疑問視されていません。 「労働力を販売するとき、労働者は現在のレジームおいてそれを行うことを強いられました。彼はその労働力を使う権利を資本家に譲り渡しますが、それはある論理的な範囲内においてである。自然浪費する以外、それを無傷にするため、しかし破壊しないように、その労働力を販売する」 続けてマルクスが強調するところは以下のとおりです。 「食事や睡眠などの純生物学的な遮りを除いて、その生活においていかなる自由な時間を持ててない人間であります。資本主義ためのすべての労力によってそれは吸収され、それは劣ったラバのようなものであります。それは単に他人の富を生産するために精神的に動物かされ、肉体的に分裂された単なる機械のようなものであります。」 その2人の哲学的思考の偶像のあと、人類の共同における深い反響の元、1936年にジョン・メイナード・ケインズの一般論が現れました。それは、1929年の世界恐慌後および、第二次世界大戦によって崩壊したヨーロッパの状況に関するモネタリストの提案の真実である。その時代、彼の認識は受け入れられていましたが、中長期的に彼の理論は敗北しました。 その理論の64年の実用的な実行は次のことを示しました。景気停滞気のインフレは最高の結果であり、失業およびインフレーションの間のコミットメントの解決、そして人類のインテリジェンスへの障害。経済を政府の領域に置くとき、冷徹であり、非人格的な需要と供給の法則を人間の欲望の疑わしく、また人格主義的な後ろ盾に変えると言える。 アダムスミスおよびその結果を重んじるすべての思想家は、その非常に大きい猥褻および矛盾を理解しようとしながら、墓に葬られるだろう。紛争および、世界における社会差別は、モネタリストの理論に責任があると思います。 人間の欲求によって決定されることは、少数の支配者の手に多くの資源が存在することです。それは、まさに非民主的だと言えましょう。そして、子供達の口には少しの食べ物しか行き届いていません。 それは人類の生存の基本的な基準をクリアしていません。経済過程の継続的な原動力を発見したのであります。生産的な労働なしに資本を産み、より恐ろしく、より深い世界中で起こってる危機的状態で、空の城を建設しました。 ロナルド・カンポス・カルネイロ サン・パウロ大学、FEI大学の元教師 2009年12月 メール: rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br Translated from Portuguese by Andre - volcain@gmail.com

En Mémoire d'Adam Smith et de Karl Marx

En Mémoire d'Adam Smith et de Karl Marx Lors de mes réflexions sur la quête constante pour la paix dans le Monde, je me suis demandé : « Quelle est la personnalité qui mieux mérite la reconnaissance de ma génération ? » Voilà environ 30 ans, notre monde vivait une absurde compétition, – l’imbécillité humaine avait créé des conditions pour détruire toute forme de vie humaine sur la Terre – c'était la course aux armements, dans laquelle deux superpuissances, avec des dépenses toujours plus grandes, cherchaient la suprématie par la force. À un certain point le président soviétique, Mikhaïl Gorbatchev, abandonna cette dispute. Pour les fanatiques de la compétition il perdait la bataille; mais pour nous humanistes, ce dirigeant faisait un pas gigantesque en faveur de la paix mondiale. Chaque citoyen de la planète lui doit beaucoup et le pense que l’Humanité lui devrait faire – au surplus du prix Nobel qu'il a déjà reçu – un remerciement solennel pour les services fondamentaux rendus à la cause humanitaire mondiale. Il y a deux autres qui méritent notre reconnaissance, comme expressifs et actifs dirigeants de l’époque, qui stimulèrent la chute du Mur de Berlin en 1989 : Le Pape Jean-Paul II, qui eut une réunion privé avec Gorbatchev peu avant la chute du Mur ( J’aurais voulu être une mouche pour écouter les conseils de ce rude polonais, formé, dans sa jeunesse, parmi les atrocités du communisme en Pologne et sensible à cette vaste exclusion sociale qui est un sous-produit du capitalisme) ; e Ronald Reagan, président de l’autre puissance mondiale, qui, au début de son premier mandat, avait exprimé cette phrase : « le Gouvernement ne peut pas nous aider à résoudre les problèmes, le Gouvernement est le problème ». J’ai aussi réfléchi quant aux priorités mondiales de nutrition, santé et éducation – et pour savoir quels seraient les féconds et conséquents penseurs qui ont façonné le monde dans lequel nous vivons, qui pourraient être invités à faire partie d'un club de bénéfacteurs et quels seraient refusés. J’aurais été fier d’avoir dans mon club Adam Smith, le professeur écossais d’éthique et de morale qui a vécu pendant la deuxième moitié du XVIII° siècle, non seulement pour son oeuvre principale (La Richesse des Nations), mais surtout pour le livre peu connu qui a donné la base philosophique éthique et morale de sa pensée : « La Théorie des Sentiments Moraux », de 1759. Le polémique et productif penseur humaniste Karl Marx (icône du socialisme et peut-être le moins compris des penseurs) est mort en 1883 et la révolution russe a eu lieu en 1917. Aucun autre auteur a jamais été l'objet d'autant de spéculations sur ses intentions – (en son nom furent commises des aberrations dignes de fanatiques hallucinés par le pouvoir). Il faut déssacraliser son oeuvre - beaucoup qui ont eu la sensibilité de reconnaître les erreurs du capitalisme agirent comme des prêtres du marxisme, brûlant de l’encens à leur dieu. Marx a beaucoup insisté sur l’analyse critique du capitalisme, mais il a peu expliqué sa conception pour le fonctionnement du socialisme. Nous pouvons diviser la pensée de Marx en deux grandes phases : du jeune Marx et du vieux Marx. J’aurais un grand plaisir d'avoir le jeune Marx dans mon club, surtout parce que sa critique fondamentale sur le travail humain chez le capitalisme n’a jamais été contestée de façon convaincante: « Lorsqu'il vend sa force de travail, le travailleur (il est obligé de le faire sous l’actuel régime) cède au capitaliste le droit d’employer cette force, bien que dans certaines limites rationnelles. Il vend sa force de travail pour la conserver intacte, en dépit d'un dégât naturel, sans pourtant la détruire, ». Dans un autre passage, Marx souligne : « L’homme qui ne dispose pas de temps libre et dont la vie, en dehors des interruptions purement physiques du sommeil, des repas, etc... est toute absorbée par son travail pour le capitalisme, il est moins qu’une bête de charge. Il est une simple machine, physiquement détruite et spirituellement conduite à la condition animale pour produire de la richesse pour d’autres. » Après ces deux icônes de la pensée philosophique, qui ont eu de profondes conséquences pour les communautés humaines en général, pendant l'année de 1936 est apparue la Théorie Générale de John Maynard Keynes. Il est vrai que les propositions monétaristes furent conçues lors d’une situation post-crise de 1929, et discutées à Bretton Woods en 1944, dans un monde où l’Europe avait été détruite par la deuxième guerre mondiale. Bien qu’elle aie reçue une grande considération internationale à son époque, cette théorie s’est révélée un désastre – {les 64 années d’exercice pratique de la théorie keynesienne ont montré que « la stagflation » fut son meilleur résultat, (une solution de compromis entre le chômage et l’inflation)}, - une offense à l’intelligence humaine. En officialisant le Gouvernement à la direction de l’Économie, ce qui veut dire, en remplaceant l’inéxorable et impersonnelle loi de l’offre et de la demande par le questionnable et personnaliste pouvoir de la volonté humaine, Keynes a probablement fait Adam Smith et tous les penseurs subséquents bouger dans leurs tombes, en essayant de comprendre une telle obscénité et inconséquence !!! Je responsabilise la théorie monétariste pour la vaste exclusion sociale disséminée dans tout le monde et pour tous les conflits armés aussi: beaucoup de ressources dans les mains de peux, pour décider selon la volonté humaine, c'est une formule anti-démocratique par excellence!!! Et dans une situation de manque de nourriture pour la bouche des enfants !!! Elle ne résiste pas à la moindre preuve de rationalité. Je ne me sentirais pas à l’aise dans un club quelqconque, en présence des ce messieur (ses disciples furent encore plus irresponsables et inconséquents). Ils ont découvert d'eux-mêmes un motif additionnel pour le processus économique : la génération de capital sans aucun travail productif. Ils ont construit des châteaux de sable qui s’écroulent maintenant, pendant la terrible et profonde crise que le monde est en train d'assister. Avant qu’il soit trop tard nous devons revenir au meilleur de nos origines, pour bâtir progressivement un futur de paix, santé et succès pour tous. Que Dieu bénisse nos enfants, un par un, en chaque nation. Ronaldo Carneiro - Ex-Professeur USP/FEI/FGV rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br Translated from portuguese by Jean Marie - jmbutruille@uol.com.br

Adam Smith e Karl Marx in memoriam

Adam Smith e Karl Marx in memoriam In meinen Überlegungen und ständigen Bemühungen um den Weltfrieden, fragte ich mich öfters, welche Persönlichkeit verdient wohl die Anerkennung meiner Generation? Vor zirka drei Jahrzehnten erlebte unsere Welt einen absurden Machtkampf – der menschliche Unsinn hatte Bedingungen für die Selbstzerstörung aller Formen des Menschenlebens auf Erden geschaffen - ein Wettrüsten, wo zwei Supermächte, mit wachsenden Etats, die Herrschaft durch ständig anwachsendes Waffenpotenzial anstrebten. Bis zu dem Zeitpunkt, an dem Michael Gorbatschov diesen Konkurrenzkampf aufgab. Für die Verteidiger dieser Konkurrenz hatte er den Kampf verloren, für die anderen, wie wir Humanisten, hat dieser grossartige Politiker einen Riesenschritt zur Abrüstung getan. Jeder Bürger dieser Welt verdankt ihm sehr viel. Und ich schlage vor, dass das Gewissen der Menschheit, Anerkennung für seine hervorragende humanitäre Politik zeigen sollte, genau so wie er schon den Friedensnobelpreis bekommen hat. Selbstverständlich verdienen auch weitere aktive Politiker dieser Zeit unsere Anerkennung, da auch sie den Fall der Berliner Mauer im Jahr 1989 stimuliert hatten: Der Papst Johannes Paul II., der kurz vor dem Fall der Mauer eine private Unterredung mit Gorbatschov hatte. Gern wäre ich eine Fliege gewesen, um den Rat dieses Polen gehört zu haben, der in seinen jungen Jahren die Grausamkeiten des Kommunismus in Polen erlebt hatte und sehr sensibel war gegenüber der weitreichenden sozialen Ausklammerung als Konsequenz des Kapitalismus. Ronald Reagan, Symbol der anderen Supermacht, definierte zu Beginn seiner ersten Amtszeit folgendes Konzept:"Die Regierungen können uns nicht helfen, Probleme zu lösen; Regierungen sind das Problem". Ich stellte mir dann auch die bevorstehenden Probleme vor - Ernährung, Gesundheit und Erziehung - und dazu die kreativen und konsekventen Denker die die Welt in der wir leben, mitgeformt hatten – wer von ihnen verdient wohl unsere Anerkennung? Und wer von ihnen wäre von den humanitären Konzepten entfernt. Mit Recht würde ich stolz sein, Adam Smith, dem schottischen Professor für Ethik und Moral, zu begegnen, der in der zweiten Hälfte des 18.Jahrhunderts lebte. Und das nicht nur wegen seines Meisterwerkes Der Reichtum der Nationen, sondern mehr noch wegen seines weniger bekannten Buches Die Theorie des moralischen Gefühls (1759) – philosophisch-ethisch-moralischer Grundstein seiner Gedanken. Karl Marx, der polemische und brillante humanistische Denker, ein Ikone des Sozialismus und wahrscheinlich der am wenigsten verstandene Denker – er starb 1883 und die sowjetische Revolution erfolgte im Jahr 1917. Niemals wurde so viel spekuliert wie über Marx Absichten - in seinem Namen wurden Übertreibungen geduldet von Fanatikern, die von Machtgelüsten halluziniert waren. Es ist notwendig, seine Arbeit zu entheiligen. Viele waren vernünftig genug, Fehler im Kapitalismus zu erkennen, handelten jedoch wie marxistische Hohepriester und entzündeten Weihrauch für ihren Halbgott. Marx beschränkte sich auf eine kritische Analyse des Kapitalismus und erklärte wenig über das Funktionieren des Sozialismus! Wir können seine Gedanken in zwei grosse Phasen teilen: der junge Marx und der alte Marx. Ich würde mich sehr freuen, dem jungen Marx zu begegnen. Seine Begriffskritik der Arbeit des Menschen im Kapitalismus ist nie angegriffen worden. “Nachdem er seine Arbeitskraft verkauft hat – und der Arbeiter ist nach dem heute gültigen Regime dazu gezwungen - übergibt er dem Kapitalisten das Recht diese seine Kraft auszunutzen, aber in gewissen vernünftigen Grenzen. Der Arbeiter verkauft seine Arbeitskraft , ohne sie zu verletzen, zwar mit der natürliche Abnutzung, aber ohne sie zu zerstören.” In einem anderen Kapitel betont Marx: ”Ein Mensch, der keine Freizeit hat, und dessen Leben, ausser den lediglich körperlichen Unterbrechungen des Schlafes, der Mahlzeiten etc. ganz durch seine Arbeit für den Kapitalisten verbraucht wird, ist weniger wert als ein Lasttier. Er ist ganz einfach eine Maschine, körperlich ruiniert und geistig vertiert, nur um für andere Reichtum zu schaffen.” Nach diesen beiden Ikonen des philosopischen Denkens mit tiefgreifenden Einwirkungen auf die Form des menschlichen Zusammenlebens, erscheint 1936 die allgemeine Theorie von John Maynard Keynes. Es ist wohl wahr, dass die Währungstheorien in einer Konjunktur nach der Krise 1929 zu verstehen sind, dann in Bretton Woods 1944 diskutiert wurden, und das in einer Welt, in der Europa durch den zweiten Weltkrieg zerstört war. Obwohl er zu seiner Zeit Anerkennung fand, bewies sich seine Theorie mittel- und langfristig als unmöglich. Nach 64 Jahren der praktischen Anwendung, stellte diese ökonomische Formulierung Stagflation als sein bestes Resultat vor: eine Kompromißlösung zwischen Arbeitslosigkeit und Inflation. Eine Beleidigung der menschlichen Intelligenz. Indem die Regierung die Wirtschaft bestimmt, d.h. das unerbittliche und unpersönliche Gesetz von Angebot und Nachfrage ersetzt durch eine fragwürdige und persönliche Herrschaft des menschlichen Willens, hatte sicher zur Folge, dass Adam Smith und alle seine folgenden Denker sich im Grabe drehten, um eine derart grosse Unmöglichkeit und Inkonsequenz zu verstehen! Ich beschuldige die Währungstheorie für die weltweit verbreitete soziale Armut sowie für alle bewaffneten Konfikte - viele Reichtümer in den Händen weniger, und diese beschliessen nach ihrem Gutdünken – antidemokratisch in höchstem Masse. Und die Kinder der Welt leiden an Hunger! Diese Theorie ist den fundamentalen Fragen des menschlichen Überlebens total engegengesetzt. Und seine Nachfolger waren noch unverantwortlicher und inkonsequenter. Sie erfanden den Teufelskreis des wirtschaftlichen Prozesses – Kapitalbeschaffung ohne produktive Arbeit. Sie errichteten Luftschlösser, die nun am Zerbröckeln sind in der schrecklichsten und tiefsten Krise , die die Welt je erlebte. Bevor es zu spät ist, wollen wir zu dem Wertvollsten unserer Wurzeln zurückfinden, um nach einander die heutige Ordnung zu verbessern und eine Zukunft zu bauen mit Frieden, Gesundheit und Erfolg für alle. Gott segne unsere Kinder, jedes einzelne, in jeder Nation. Ronaldo Campos Carneiro – ex professor USP/FEI dezembro 2009 – rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br Translated from Portuguese by Ursula - bonaespero@terra.com.br

In memory of Adam Smith and Karl Marx

In memory of Adam Smith and Karl Marx Freedom is the most precious value for any human being. Your academic leadership enriches and strengthens the circulation of ideas in these transmillenial times, thus stimulating the free formation of opinions in our interdependent world. Your stature in service to society is a source of pride and inspiration for all. I hereby send you my warmest and brotherly congratulations during these changing times. Let us keep in mind one special lesson by Nobel prize-winner Jose Saramago in his "Essay on Blindness" – those who can see have a greater responsibility in their community! In the latest years I have been sendind some ideas for leaders in several fields of human endeavor to ponder, basically proposing that their credibility and planetary presence, motivated by a humanitarian and philanthropic feeling, can be strong instruments to improve this world, if only they include in their agenda a discussion on the causes of poverty. For many, nutrition, health and education have been planetary priorities year after year, along with a sensible quest for world peace. In my view the challenge we all face is simple: If the causes of poverty and hunger are not defined and resolved, their structural consequences will remain and grow in intensity! This inevitably motivates us to briefly question the basic concepts and models of some thinkers who shaped capitalism and socialism as we see them nowadays. For this consideration, please give some moments of your precious attention to these basic concepts: • Economics is a science in which all agents are governed by the impersonal and inexorable law of supply and demand, whenever there is no market manipulation; • Politics is an art in which the protagonists decide according to questionable, circumstantial and personalistic human desires. With these views in mind, let us consider some aspects of the modern world: • Two world wars; • Race to space – human visits to the Moon; • Arms race – cold war; • Carbonization of the energetic matrix; • Corruption in parliaments, businesses and government bureaucracies; • Invasion of Iraq; • Jewish-Palestinian conflict; • 11 September/2001 and the new global terrorism. Government, as the Supreme human ethical creation, in Hegel's view, should be revised – erring is not tragic, the tragedy resides in not learning from error! Whatever the posture adopted in relation to those events listed above, the villain invariably has a name and surname: the taxing system – this massive amount of financial resources made available to a bureaucratic ruling elite. I have nothing against a legitimate ruling elite, if it decides according to the collective will – but it seems that decisions usually are made according to a spurious public-private relationship of selfish interests around economic power. The collective desire, as the sum of individual wishes, many times counts the least. This is the crux of the problem: if we want to search for world peace, we have to reduce the resources raised by the tax system and increase the resources regulated by the market. Keynesian monetarists legitimated the presence of Government in the economy, in a world destroyed by war. That was like taking an aspirin to relieve a headache – but in the medium and long term results have been disastrous. Back to basics – economics and politics cannot mix – they are like oil and water – and their mixture is potentially explosive. The escalation of government interference in the economy will not lead anywhere – it will only strengthen the growing dictatorship of bureaucrats and of professional politicians – it will be strengthening the desire of a few and dodgind market laws. On the other hand, the market competition that we are witnessing today is like an athletic race: some citizens, well fed and accessing health and education systems are far ahead; most of the others are left unjustly behind: the fair and decent minimum that can be done is to put them all on the same line of departure, giving equal opportunities for the manifestation and unfolding of individual talents and potentials, so as to benefit society as a whole. All my previous texts sought to stimulate meditation and to motivate solution-finding in today's quest for world peace and for fighting the causes of poverty. Considering that the market economy always produces what is profitable and not what is needed, only a new social pact will correct current distortions - a new pact in which the private sector (businessmen and the work force) will take directly to themselves the management of nutrition, health and education, freely buying and allocating them for real market prices. This will diminish production costs, and the Government in parallel will reduce taxes on this part of social costs, reducing final prices. The lack of equal opportunities has led some governments worldwide to take from the strong to give to the weak, impoverishing the rich to enrich the poor – this robin-hoodian philanthropic view in fact destroys two of the most powerful driving forces of man: initiative and dignity. Human production is an energy-transforming process. To make it occur, human energy based on nutrition, health and education must be managed a priori, and not as payment for the work performed. Just as a vehicle needs fuel and maintenance to go, so does a human need nutrition, health and education to fulfill his god-given productive role in society. In return to the texts I sent, some comments that I received from equally concerned planetary citizens were very stimulating. Coming from leaders scattered around the entire earth, these comments inspired me to share some thoughts with you – see below. I therefore stimulate discussing the theme of poverty, not in the least propelled by pride or vanity : when the subject-matter is food for our children, pride would be the most insane and unforgivable capital sin. I was very glad to learn from some leaders that they would take the subject to discussion in the councils and associations they are part of. They proved generously sensitive to the meaning and depth of my concerns. I also extend my thanks to those who added their rich experience to the consideration of these concerns, given their very positive work done to improve human practices on this world. These two comments below were particularly felicitating for me, because they revealed a perfect attunement with my theses: • "Regarding its proposal for the health sector, that is all that US Democrats have been willing for decades -health for all- but the proposal you present is neither like the British model, where the State does everything, nor like the Canadian one, where the State pays to private initiative: your proposal follows a third model, Republican-style, directly by private initiative!" When you thus associate economic profit to the health of people, you will have a tremendously positive impact on the ecological balance of the planet; • "If the proposed criterion applies – decentralization of resources from the hands of bureaucrats and politicians, in order to qualify democracy, then there are no real democratic societies on the planet, although all call themselves democratic." Whatever the concept that one may have of democracy, the fate of citizens cannot depend on the virtue of their rulers. Dictatorships or strong regimes are defended only by those who would like to be lashing the whip; whenever placed on the other side of the whip, they will stand for democracy emphatically. Comments made by thinkers of the stature of Eudes de Souza Leao Pinto, Ives Gandra Martins, Geraldo Vilhena, Célio Borja, and many others whom I respect for their knowledge and experience, signal to me that the path I propose, innovative as it is, is bound to the proper direction. Comparing the current situation with my proposal, I came to the conclusion that the current situation is tragically unjust. Reading the comments made on my ideas by lawyers, professors, economists, businessmen, philosophers and philanthropic leaders from all over this small blue dot in the universe, I could see the potential influence of our ideas in its domain, given the force each one of us radiates, because of the quality, diversity and ethics of those motivated like us to improve the world. I do believe that we can really make the world more fair and humane as it must be. We have solid reasons to be proud of our ideals – I am sure that our idealist predecessors (wherever they are now), will be proud of our actions in these moments. It seems also appropriate to recall Plato's assertion – "the punishment for those who do not engage in politics, and call themselves non-political, is to be governed by those inferior to them". Before it is too late, let us turn back to our best origins, and progressively correct our society to build a future of peace, health and excellence for all! The quest for world peace is inexorably determined by the progressive reduction of resources in the hands of Governments, to take them to the private provision of nutrition, health and education for all. May you all have a moment of meditation on the current situation, in these transitional moments when challenges present themselves every day. May God continue to bless our children! Ronaldo Campos Carneiro Former Professor USP/FEI rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br

In memória di Adam Smith e Karl Marx

In memória di Adam Smith e Karl Marx Nelle mie meditazioni alla ricerca costante della pace nel mondo, mi sono interrogato: quale personalitá merita il riconoscimento della mia generazione? Circa tre decadi fa, qesto mondo viveva una competizione assurda – la imbecillitá umana aveva creato le condizioni per l’auto distruzione di tutte le forme di vita sulla terra – la corsa agli armamenti dove le due superpotenze con bilanci crescenti cercavano la dominazione attraverso la forza. Fu quando il capo sovietico - Mikhail Gorbachev- rinunció alla disputa. Per coloro che idolatravano la competizione, egli aveva perso la battaglia, ma per noi umanisti, quel capo aveva dato un passo gigantesco in favore della distensione mondiale. Ogni cittadino in questo pianeta deve molto a lui e comprendo che la coscienza dell’umanitá, dovrebbe promuovere – come giá il Premio Nobel assegnato a Mikhail – un riconoscimento per i rilevanti servizi da lui prestati alla causa umanitaria mondiale. Meritano anche rilievo gli impegnati dirigenti dell’epoca che provocarono la caduta del muro di Berlino nel 1989: Papa Giovanni Paolo II, che ebbe un incontro privato con Gorbachev poco prima della caduta del muro. Vorrei essere una mosca per ascoltare i consigli di quel rude polacco che vide in gioventú le atrocitá del comunismo in Polonia ed era sensibile all’ampia esclusione sociale, sottoprodotto del capitalismo. Parallelamente in quel momento storico, Ronald Reagan, capo dell’altra potenza mondiale, che all’inizio del suo primo mandato disse la frase: “Il governo non puó aiutarci a risolvere i problemi. Il governo é il problema “. Ho riflettuto anche sui problemi che ci affliggono – nutrizione, salute ed educazione – e sui fecondi pensatori che modellarono il mondo in cui viviamo. Quali d’essi meritano il nostro riconoscimento ? Avrei giustificato orgoglio di riconoscere Adam Smith, il professore scozzese di etica e morale che visse nella seconda metá del XVIII secolo. Non solo per la sua opera prima : “Ricchezza delle Nazioni”, ma principalmente per il suo libro poco noto e che diede fondamento filosofico, etico e morale al suo pensiero:”La teoria dei sentimenti morali” nel 1759. Il polemico e fecondo pensatore umanista Karl Marx – ícone del socialismo e probabilmente il meno compreso dei pensatori. Egli morí nel 1883 e la rivoluzione sovietica avvenne nel 1917 . Mai cosí tanti hanno speculato sulle sue intenzioni. Nel suo nome furono commesse aberrazioni degne di fanatici allucinati per il potere. É necessário dissacrare la sua opera. Molti ebbero la sensibilitá di riconoscere gli errori del capitalismo, ma agirono come sacerdoti marxisti bruciando incenso al loro dio. Marx mise molto a fuoco la analisi critica del capitalismo e poco chiarí sul funzionamento del socialismo!! Possiamo dividere il pensiero di Marx in due grandi fasi : del giovane Marx e del vecchio Marx. Avrei molto piacere di poder conoscere il giovane Marx; la sua critica concettuale sul lavoro umano nel capitalismo non venne contestata fino ad oggi.: “ Nel vendere la sua forza di lavoro – l’operaio é obbligato a farlo nel regime attuale -- egli cede al capitalista il diritto di impiegare quella forza, ma dentro certi limiti razionali. Vende la sua forza di lavoro per conservarla illesa, salvo l’usura naturale, ma non per distruggerla.” In un altro passaggio Marx distacca : “L’uomo che non dispone di alcun tempo libero, la cui vita, - tranne le interruzioni puramente fisiche del sonno, dei pasti, ecc.- é completamente assorbita dal suo lavoro per il capitalista, é meno di una bestia da soma. É una semplice macchina, fisicamente rovinata e spiritualmente abbrutita per produrre ricchezza agli altri.” In seguito a queste due ícone del pensiero filosofico, con ripercussioni profonde nelle forme di convivenza dell’umanitá, appariva nel 1936 la Teoria Generale di John Maynard Keynes. In veritá le proposte monetariste sono state concepite nella congiuntura post-crisi del 1929 e discusse a Bretton Woods nel 1944 in un mondo dove l’Europa era distrutta dalla seconda guerra mondiale. Quantunque abbia ricevuto il riconoscimento della sua epoca, a medio e lungo termine la sua teoria si dimostró un disastro. Dopo 64 anni di applicazione pratica questa teoria mostró che la stagflazione fu il suo miglior risultato: una soluzione di compromesso fra disoccupazione e inflazione. Una offesa all’intelligenza umana. Introducendo il governo nell’economia, cioé sostituendo l’inesorabile e impersonale legge della domanda e dell’offerta con l’egida discutibile e personalista della volontá umana, Adam Smith e tutti i relativi pensatori debbono essersi rivoltati nella tomba cercando di capire tale oscenitá e incongruenza.!! Responsabilizzo la teoria monetarista per la vasta esclusione sociale disseminata in tutto il mondo e per tutti i conflitti armati. Molte risorse nelle mani di pochi per decidere secondo la volontá umana. Anti-democratico per eccellenza!!! E pochi alimenti nella bocca dei bambini!! Quella teoria non resiste alle questioni fondamentali della sopravvivenza umana. I suoi seguitori furono ancora piú irresponsabili ed inconseguenti. Scoprirono il moto perpetuo del processo economico generando capitale senza lavoro produttivo. Costruirono un castello in aria che si sta sbriciolando nella piú terribile e profonda crisi alla quale il mondo sta assistendo. Prima che sia troppo tardi é necessario ritornare al meglio delle nostre origini affinché progressivamente possiamo correggere l’ordine attuale e costruire un futuro di pace, salute e successo per tutti. Dio benedica i nostri bambini, uno per uno, in ogni nazione! Ronaldo Carneiro – rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br Ex professore USP/FEI Tradotto dal portoghese da Giuseppe - bonaespero@terra.com.br

Economie x politics

Freedom is the most precious value for any human being. Your rotarian leadership enriches and strengthens the circulation of ideas in these transmillenial times, thus stimulating the free formation of opinions in our association. Your stature in service to society is a source of pride and inspiration for all. I hereby send you my warmest and brotherly congratulations during this Season of good will and joy. Let us keep in mind this lesson by Nobel prize-winner Jose Saramago in his "Essay on Blindness" – those who can see have a greater responsibility in their community! During my term as Governor of District 4530 in 2008/09, I sent some texts for the Rotarian Community to ponder, basically proposing that the institution's credibility and planetary presence, in addition to its usual humanitarian and philanthropic actions, should include in our agenda a discussion on the causes of poverty. Nutrition, health and education have been RI Presidents' priorities year after year, along with our permanent quest for world peace. In my view the challenge we all share is simple: If the causes of poverty and hunger are not defined and resolved, their structural consequences will remain and grow in intensity! This inevitably motivates us to question the basic concepts and models of some thinkers who shaped capitalism and socialism as we see them nowadays. For this consideration, please focus your attention on some basic concepts: • Economics is a science in which all agents are governed by the impersonal and inexorable law of supply and demand, whenever there is no market manipulation; • Politics is an art in which the protagonists decide according to questionable, circumstantial and personalistic human desires. With these views in mind, let us consider some events of the modern world: • Two world wars; • Race to space – human visit to the Moon; • Arms race – cold war; • Carbonization of the energetic matrix; • Corruption in parliaments, business and government bureaucracies; • Invasion of Iraq; • Jewish-Palestinian conflict; • 11 September/2001 and the new global terrorism. Government, as the Supreme human ethical creation, in Hegel's view, should be revised – erring is not tragic, the tragedy resides in not learning from error! Whatever the posture adopted in relation to those events listed above, the villain invariably has a name and surname: the taxing system – this massive amount of financial resources made available to a bureaucratic ruling elite. I have nothing against a legitimate ruling elite, if it decides according to the collective will – but it seems that decisions usually are made according to a spurious public-private relationship of personal interests around economic power. The collective desire, as the sum of individual wishes, many times counts the least. This is the crux of the problem: if we want to search for world peace, we must reduce the resources raised by the tax system and increase the resources regulated by the market. Keynesian Monetarists legitimated the presence of Government in the economy, in a world destroyed by war. That was like taking an aspirin to relieve a headache – but in the medium and long term its results have been disastrous. Back to basics – economics and politics cannot mix – they are like oil and water – and their mixture is potentially explosive. The escalation of government interference in the economy will not lead anywhere – it will only strengthen the growing dictatorship of bureaucracy and of professional politicians – it will be the desire of a few, dodgind market laws. On the other hand, the market competition that we are witnessing today is like an athletic race: some well fed and accessing health and education systems are far ahead; most of the others are left far behind: the fair and decent minimum that can be done is putting them all on the same line of departure, giving equal opportunities for the manifestation of individual talents to benefit society as a whole. All my previous texts sought to stimulate meditation and to motivate solution-finding in the Rotarian quest for world peace and for fighting the causes of poverty. Considering that the market economy always produces what is profitable and not what is needed, only a new social pact will correct current distortions - a new pact in which the private sector (businessmen and the work force) will take directly to themselves the management of nutrition, health and education, freely buying for real market prices and making them available to all employees and families according to the proposed new social pact, where government reduces the corresponding tax charges – labor is a transforming energy process to motivate humans in our pursuit of happiness. The lack of equal opportunities led some governments worldwide to take from the strong to give to the weak, impoverishing the rich to enrich the poor – this robin-hoodian philanthropic view in fact destroys two of the most powerful driving forces of man: initiative and dignity. Human production is an energy-transforming process. To make it occur, human energy based on nutrition, health and education must be managed a priori, and not as payment for the work performed. Just as a vehicle needs fuel to go, so does a human need nutrition, health and education to fulfill his god-given role in society. In return to the texts I sent, some comments that I received from the Rotarian World were very stimulating. Coming from leaders scattered around the entire planet, they inspired me to share some of these thoughts with all of you – see below. I therefore stimulate discussing the theme of poverty, not in the least propelled by pride or vanity : when the subject-matter is food for our children, pride would be the most insane and unforgivable capital sin. I was very glad to learn from former President Wilf Wilkinson that he will take the subject to discussion in the Council of former Presidents of RI. He proved generously sensitive to the meaning and depth of my concerns. I also extend my thanks to EPRIs Clifford Dochterman, Bhichai Rattakul and Glenn Estess, for adding their rich experience to the consideration of the concerns I shared with them, given their very positive work done to improve human practices on this world. These two comments below were particularly felicitating for me, because they revealed a perfect harmony with my theses: • "Regarding its proposal for the health sector, that is all that US Democrats have been willing for decades -health for all- but the proposal you present is neither like the British model, where the State does everything, nor like the Canadian one, where the State pays to private initiative: your proposal follows a third model, Republican-style, directly by private initiative!" When you thus associate economic profit to the health of people, you will have a tremendously positive impact on the ecological balance of the planet; • "If the proposed criterion applies – decentralization of resources from the hands of bureaucrats and politicians, in order to qualify democracy, then there are no real democratic societies on the planet, although all call themselves democratic." Whatever the concept that one may have of democracy, the fate of citizens cannot depend on the virtue of their rulers. Dictatorships or strong regimes are defended only by those who would like to be lashing the whip; whenever placed on the other side, they will stand for democracy emphatically. Comments made by thinkers of the stature of Nayantara Ashok Mahajan, Sakuji Tanaka , Jeffrey Keahon ; Raffaele Pallotta, and many others I respect for their knowledge and experience, signal to me that the path I propose, innovative as it is, is bound to the proper direction. Comparing the current situation with my proposal, I came to the conclusion that the current situation is tragically unjust. Reading the comments made on my ideas by lawyers, professors, economists, businessmen, philosophers and Rotarian leaders from all over this small blue dot in the universe, I could see the potential influence of our association and of ideas in its domain, given the force Rotary radiates because of the quality, diversity and ethics of our fellow-members. I do believe that we Rotarians, given our institutional credibility and broad composition, can really make the world more fair and humane as it must be. We have solid reasons to be proud of Rotary – I am sure that our founder Paul Harris (wherever he is now), is proud of our actions in these moments. It seems also appropriate to recall Platao's assertion – "the punishment for those who do not engage in politics, and call themselves non-political, is to be governed by those inferior to them". Before it is too late, let us turn back to our best origins, and progressively correct our society to build a future of peace, health and excellence for all! The quest for world peace is inexorably determined by the progressive reduction of resources in the hands of Governments, to take them to the private provision of nutrition, health and education for all. May you all have a moment of meditation on the current situation, in these moments of universal brotherhood. May God continue to bless our children! Ronaldo Campos Carneiro 4530 EDG – 2008-09 - December 2009 – rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br Below: 1) comments on my texts to ponder; 2) Rotarian 4 way test in the Current Crisis; 3) Ethics and the Global Crisis. EPRI and outstanding RI authorities ‘comments De: Wilfrid Wilkinson [mailto:Wilfrid.Wilkinson@rotary.org] Enviada em: segunda-feira, 6 de julho de 2009 16:25 Para: Ronaldo Assunto: RE: Ethics and the Global Crisis Hello IPDG Ronaldo Thank you for sharing your article on "Ethics and the Global Crisis" I agree that ethical behavior at all levels of Government and Business is essential if we are ever to have peace. Rotary, with its emphasis on Vocational Service can continue to lead the way. This is why I appointed an R I Vocational Service Committee when I was President. I am told, that this was the first such Committee since 1991. I am pleased to see that my successors have continued its existence. It was also important that the 2007 Council on Legistlation included Ethics as one of the core values of our organization. What I am proposing to my club is that they distribute your document by e-mail one week before a designated meeting and then discuss the whole question that you raise. Assuming that this proves fruitful I will ask our District Governor to put it on the Agenda for one of his regularly scheduled meeting of his President's Club, which meets seven or eight times year. Finally, in my capacity as Chairman of the Past R I President annual meeting, held during the International Assembly, I will suggest to R I President John Kenny that this be one of the items discussed. I encourage you to keep up your good work, which is most important. Kind Regards Wilf ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ De: bhichai rattakul [mailto:bhichairattakul@hotmail.com] Enviada em: terça-feira, 30 de junho de 2009 01:19 Para: rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br Assunto: RE: Ethics and the Global Crisis Dear Governor Ronaldo Carneiro, Thank you very much for your thoughtfulness in sending me your view on"Ethics and the Global Crisis" I agree with you that the world and Rotary are facing one of the most challenging tasks which will not be easy to overcome, but at least in Rotary we have to try, and try harder at all levels. I trust you have had a good and rewarding year as Governor. With best wishes, Yours sincerely, Bhichai Rattakul ________________________________________ De: Glenn E. Estess [mailto:Glenn.Estess@rotary.org] Enviada em: sexta-feira, 7 de março de 2008 16:18 Para: rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br Assunto: RE: Rotary - Reflections about democracy.... I have read your message with interest. It obviously would require in-depth reading and study in order to make intelligent comments or evaluation. I concur with your comments of our having good reason to be proud of the service accomplishments of Rotarians and Rotary Clubs around the world. There is much yet to be accomplished. With more than 30,000 clubs, there could be 32,000 different approaches seeking similar goals. You have a great year of opportunity ahead of you as you continue your preparation and then serve as District Governor in D-4530 during the year of 2008-2009. I wish for you and Ivani the very best in the months ahead. Sincerely, Glenn Estess --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- De: Wilfrid Wilkinson [mailto:Wilfrid.Wilkinson@rotary.org] Enviada em: sábado, 15 de março de 2008 17:47 Para: rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br Cc: Ed Futa; Sharon Cyr; Patricia Groenewold; Themistocles Pinho Assunto: RE: Rotary - Reflections about democracy.... Hello DGE Ronaldo Thank you for sharing your extensive paper "Reflections about Democracy, Capitalism and Socialism" I did not have time to read it in detail but I have passed it along to our Programs Staff with a request that they see if there are ways under our existing policies as adopted by the "Councils on Legislation" and acted upon by the Board of Directors could capture some of your very humanitarian and future looking ideas. I recognize that most RI Boards would not be able to unilaterally introduce your suggested policy ideas but I agree with you that for billions of people in this world things are not very fair or just. I recently returned from your country and had an opportunity meet with both the Governor of Sao Paulo as well as the Mayor of the City. they outlined many of their problems including the size of their populations and the the fact that in the city there were 2.4 million school children in the public school system. However I did also visit the Rio Branco campuses of the school operated by the Rotary Club of Sao Paulo Foundation and saw that for sixty years Rotarians in your country were trying to assist in helping the disadvantaged. I encourage you during your year ad District Governor to bring together a group of likeminded Rotarians who might draft proposals for the 2010 COL. As DG you won't have a great deal of time but your self appointed committee could certainly assist. Proposals, such as you would be presenting, must be received by December 31st of this year. It is possible, that your ideas would not be passed the first time they are presented because Our Rotary Legislators often hesitate to adopt new ideas but when those ideas are good, they historically do receive a majority of the votes. I commend you for your recognition that the current must change particularly if we are to have a lasting peace in our world. Rotary believes that "Peace is Possible" and is devoting countless hours and dollars to try and make it a reality. Thank you for your contribution. Wilf Wilkinson -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- De: Cliff Dochterman [mailto: cliffdochterman@comcast.net] Enviada em: terça-feira, 11 de março de 2008 01:53 Para: rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br Assunto: Re: Rotary - Reflections about democracy.... Dear Ronald: It was certainly a pleasure to meet you and your wife at the Rotary International Assembly in San Diego. I appreciate your thoughtfulness in sending me a copy of your very interesting treatise on governments and the economy. You also raised a very significant question about the role of Rotary International in meeting some of the great and serious issues facing the world involving poverty, hunger, disease and extremely poor conditions in many parts of the world. I found your writings very interesting, although I am not certain that I fully comprehend all of your very thoughtful ideas. In a perfect world, I am certain that all Rotarians would wish to eliminate poverty, hunger, sickness, homelessness, low productivity and the other features of the poverty in the world. Unfortunately, the causes of poverty are extremely varied and the solutions are not fully in our control. Much of the poverty is the result of various leaders of the world with far different motives than ours. All leaders of nations, cities, and organizations are not benevolent, nor concerned about the conditions of the general population under their control or influence. Far too many are seeking wealth, power and control for their personal benefit. Other areas of the world reside in poverty because of the lack of natural resources or efforts to enhance the resources which are undeveloped. Some causes of poverty come from cultural, religious, racial and ethnic differences which frequently create differences of wealth and poverty. Many are faced with the lack of basic human freedoms or ability or education to improve their personal situations. The pure demand for personal power and privilege by some leaders of governments, religions, cultures and resources prevent an adequate distribution of opportunities, equality of distribution or upward mobility. With all of these various conditions, we often wonder where Rotary International can best fit and use our human resources and desires to build a better community and a better world. Is it possible that Rotary can be a positive influence on some the worst conditions of the world? Rotary is structured to serve humanity, and does not often have the power to act in changing or influencing governments, if the leaders are power-hungry or do not have a real concern for the people. I am afraid that Rotary would soon cease to exist as a world organization if the organization attempted to change governments, except as serving as a means to serve humanity through our activities of humanitarian service. When we work to meet some of the basic human needs of water, food, medicine, shelters, sanitation, disaster aid, education and other similar needs, we are working to eliminate poverty and hopefully build a better and more peaceful world. At least these are some of my thoughts as I read your article. I wish you great success in the year ahead. With warmest regards, Cliff Cliff Dochterman, RI President, 1992-93 cliffdochterman@comcast.net De: Bill and Lorna Boyd [mailto: bill.boyd@xtra.co.nz] Enviada em: sexta-feira, 14 de março de 2008 22h12min Para: rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br Assunto: RE: Rotary - Reflections about democracy.... Dear Ronaldo, A sweeping analysis but not a task for Rotary. We improve the world when we help people and I personally believe that we need to keep our focus simple. I congratulate you on the work you have put into your thesis. Regards, Bill ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- De: Nayantara & Ashok Mahajan [mailto: nayan729@yahoo.com] Enviada em: sexta-feira, 5 de junho de 2009 06:57 Para: Ronaldo Assunto: Re: The Quadruple Rotarian Test and the Current Crisis 5th June, 2009 Dear Ron, Greetings. Hope you find this in the best of your health and good wishes. Thank you very much for mailing me your thoughts on “The Quadruple Rotarian Test and the Current Crisis” which I have gone through verbatim. I do appreciate your feelings, your thoughts and your deep rooted emotions. I liked when you said “Before it is too late, let us go back to our best origins to progressively correct our establishment and build a future of peace, health and excellence for all “ Indeed, this is the need of the hour and we the Rotarians will have to put our right foot forward. I can assure you Ron, with your permission, I will certainly use some of the points of your speech in my future communications. I hope I have your permission to do so. Well said Ron! We need Rotarians like you to achieve our lofty goal of world Peace. With personal regards, ASHOK Trustee, The Rotary Foundation (2009-13) Director, Rotary International (2007-09) Smile, Serve, Sacrifice, Satisfy www.ashokmahajan.com De: sakujitanaka [mailto: sakujitanaka@nifty.com] Enviada em: terça-feira, 11 de março de 2008 03:43 Para: rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br Assunto: Re: Rotary - Reflections about democracy.... Dear Ronaldo, Greetings from Japan. Thank you for your e-mail along with academic thesis. I think this is wonderful ideas, but I am sorry that I can't send you my comments at the present time. I pray for continued health and prosperity for you and your family. Thank you again. Sincerely, Sakuji Tanaka ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- De: Jeffrey keahon [mailto: jeffreykeahon@optonline.net] Enviada em: sexta-feira, 27 de fevereiro de 2009 13h04min Para: Ronaldo Assunto: Re: Rotary and international crisis Dear Ronaldo Carneiro, I have finally read your address. I enjoyed it. It was thought provoking. My Degree is in Philosophy. I do enjoy "interpreting" the world rather than transforming it. I am motivated by opportunities to be useful. I have, as you, 123 days left to be useful as a District Governor. I am not motivated by grand schemes of change. I believe that there is much in Marxist thought that is useful in interpreting the "modern world". While I do not think that the rich should be impoverished I believe that people like Bernard Madoff who stole 50 Billion dollars worth of investors money and who has as yet not spent one day in jail should be severely punished for his criminality. While I am fascinated by the big picture of human history, I choose to act in a "smaller field". Right now that field is District 7210. One of the values of Rotary is that it does allow you to act on the "world Stage" should you choose to. A perfect example is Polio Plus or The Peace Scholars. In any event , I hope your year is successful in terms of how you define success and that you continue to look at "the Big Picture". Rotarily, Jeffrey Keahon District Governor 2008-2009 District 7210 "The Heart of the Hudson River Valley" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- De: RichardsRF@aol.com [mailto:RichardsRF@aol.com] Enviada em: quinta-feira, 5 de fevereiro de 2009 20:57 Para: rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br Assunto: Re: Rotary and international crisis BRAVO!! My fellow Governor Ronaldo Carniero! Thank you for sharing your ideas with us! Every day lately I live in fear that our noble experiment called America that has survived over 200 glorious years has fallen into the hands of socialism and will ultimately fail as a democratic society. It grieves my heart to say these words but in my heart I feel that this is our destiny. Your message is clear and I applaud your insight and vision! My faith, as yours, is restored when I think of the good work of Rotarians throughout our world and how this great organization has brought us all together. I regret that we did not have occasion to meet at the International Assembly last year as I would have enjoyed speaking with you. Perhaps our paths will cross again in Birmingham, England or Montreal, Canada but regardless of where it will be, I will look forward to making your acquaintance. Sincerely yours in Rotary service, Ronald F. Richards, CFP District Governor 2008-09 District 6940 Florida, USA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- De: Raffaele Pallotta [mailto: paraffae@tin.it] Enviada em: quarta-feira, 12 de março de 2008 15:30 Para: rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br Assunto: Re: Rotary - Reflections about democracy.... Dear Ronaldo, I thank you for the mail that you have sent me. I am very concordant with what you say and I have founded all of my life of Rotarian upon the concepts that you express very well in your interesting thesis. You now have the gratifying and difficulty assignment to govern your district and me I implore to want that you to address the activity of your clubs according to the healthy principles that you have. The Rotary of the whole world to you will be thankful. A dear affectionate wish of Good Job from your Italian friend. Raffaele De: Sergio Tripi [mailto:s.tripi@tiscali.it] Enviada em: segunda-feira, 6 de julho de 2009 06:45 Para: Ronaldo Assunto: Re: The Rotarian four-way Test and the Current Crisis Dear Ronaldo, Thank you for your very meaningful and timely reflections, that once again testify man's ability to rationalize, understand and renew the general path to the common good. I think your point of observation, .i.e. the perspective of liking or not certain high caliber persons as new members of our Rotary, is a fresh new perspective that poses in practical terms the kind of contribution we all would welcome in order to recognize and support the progress we strive for. To the outstanding people you mention - some of whom I do not know so well to express an opinion, like Regan for instance - I would certainly add Barack Obama, who has been elected by the real 'voice of the people' for his vision of the common good based on unity in diversity and on sharing. As to the basic distortions that account for the present crisis, you rightly place an emphasis on 'capital without productive work', which I fully agree on. But I would also emphasize strongly the root for that, i.e. sheer greed. Which can be exposed to by an enlightened public opinion, the only social force, I think, capable of opposing those threats and of fostering opposite trends based on a true responsibility for the common good. Sincerely, Sergio Tripi De: hansjoerg.melchior@web.de [mailto: hansjoerg.melchior@web.de] Enviada em: sábado, 20 de dezembro de 2008 06h48min Para: rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br Assunto: AW: Rotary and International Crisis Dear Rotarian Friend, Many thanks for these outstanding reflektions. I agree with You! Merry Christmas and an Happy New Year with Peace in the World Hansjorg Melchior Hansjoerg Melchior DG 1820 - 2008/09 Terrasse 15 / D-34117 Kassel Tel: +49 561 771407 Fax: +49 561 16682 hansjoerg.melchior@web.de De: joseph@hoffscholte.nl [mailto:joseph@hoffscholte.nl] Enviada em: sábado, 7 de fevereiro de 2009 15:58 Para: Ronaldo Assunto: Re: Rotary and international crisis Dear Governor Ronaldo, Thank you for your messages and your great concern about the great differences we have in this world about poverty, health and education. I agree that we have to work at it worldwide in cooperation with the United Nations, the NGO's , the Service-Organizations like Rotary and of course with the participation of private persons. Only when we work together and we have high moral and ethic standards we can improve and realize good and useful things. The financial crisis we now have in every part of the world is caused by the greedeness of to many people. Let us share our richness with those who have so little. Rotary Greetings and all the best, Joost Hoffscholte, DG. 1580 De: Leif Nordenstorm [mailto: nordenstorm@glocalnet.net] Enviada em: sexta-feira, 20 de março de 2009 04:24 Para: 'Ronaldo' Assunto: SV: World Awareness Dear Ronaldo, Thank you for your letter. Yes, your reflections are very important. It is important that Rotary isn’t only a club for people, who would like to meet each other, but for people, who would like to do something for the world. In fact there are two reasons that our Rotary club wants to support Bona Espero. The first is the words of Dong Kurn Lee, which you quoted: ” "In 2008-09 I will propose to put children at the top of our attentions” The other reason is that I speak Esperanto, and some esperantists support Bona Espero. Yours Leif Nordenstorm De: Tony Hayes [mailto: tony.hayes2@bigpond.com] Enviada em: quinta-feira, 5 de fevereiro de 2009 20:33 Para: Ronaldo Assunto: Re: Rotary and international crisis Thanks Ronaldo It is obvious that you put a lot of thought and research into your presentation. It is likely that I will plagiarise in some future presentations and also re-open some of the works of the philosophers that I haven't really considered for many years. Yours in Rotary Service Tony Hayes (9640) De: Sergio Tripi [mailto: s.tripi@tiscali.it] Enviada em: sábado, 21 de março de 2009 11h54min Para: Ronaldo Assunto: Re: World Awareness Dear Ronaldo, I think one would be blind not to see that your writing reflects the feeling and belief we all share, that is that we must go beyond the present schemes and focus on what needs to be re-addressed in the human life: values, ethics, behaviors, expectations, commitments, readiness to help, to heal, to share... As to the Bretton Woods agreements, it is appropriate we bear in mind they were written in a very different period of our history, almost for a different kind of men who had not brought yet their greed to the extreme consequences of the past two decades. Regards, Sergio Tripi ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- De: John Pike [mailto:john@russellpikemedia.co.uk] Enviada em: domingo, 20 de dezembro de 2009 08:40 Para: Ronaldo Carneiro Assunto: Re: Humanism and Rotary Good morning Ronaldo. Thank you for your excellent message. I share this with you and this will be reflected in 'Rotary Today' in 2010. I also thank you for your good wishes at this festive season, and in return, I wish you and your family a happy and peaceful Christmas. You are many miles away and yet we share in the same ideals. With such a strong message I hope to hear from you again. Regards John Pike, Editor, 'Rotary Today'. De: Ulrich Baberg [mailto:baberg@beco-online.de] Enviada em: terça-feira, 31 de dezembro de 2002 21:26 Para: 'Ronaldo Carneiro' Assunto: Rotary: Christmas Greetings Dear Ronaldo, thank you for your christmas Greetings and your most interesting letter with the perfect translation in German language. I agree with you , for the multi-district of all German speaking Governors 2007/2008 work on this questions since two years. In two weeks we meet at a workshop with important members of the German churches, Public and Politik ( www.seminar-1960.de ). I wish you, your family, your friend, your Rotary club and all Rotarians of your District a merry christmas and a happy New Year. Sincerely yours PDG Ulrich Baberg, District 1900 Ulrich Baberg Am Ramsberg 23 58509 Lüdenscheid Tel: 02351 23321 Germany ------------------------------------------------------------------ De: sakuji tanaka [mailto:sakujitanaka@nifty.com] Enviada em: terça-feira, 22 de dezembro de 2009 23:01 Para: Ronaldo Carneiro Assunto: Re: Humanism and Rotary Dear PDG Ronaldo, Thank you for your e-mail. Much inspiration can be drawn from it. It is encouraging to know that we have someone of your intellectual stature in our midst. Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Warmest Regards, Sakuji De: Dr. Peter Iblher [mailto:peter.iblher@rotary1880.org] Enviada em: terça-feira, 22 de dezembro de 2009 20:25 Para: Ronaldo Carneiro Assunto: Re: Humanism and Rotary Dear Ronaldo, thank you for the essay you sent as a perspective to the new year It is something to consider during the quiet days until the turn of the year. Thank you very much and all the best to your whole family and especially yourself in and out of Rotary. Peter Dr. Peter Iblher RC Nürnberg-Reichswald PDG 2008/09 RI 1880 peter.iblher@rotary1880.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- De: droliver [mailto:droliver@singnet.com.sg] Enviada em: terça-feira, 17 de agosto de 2010 23:50 Para: rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br Assunto: from PP Dr Oliver Hennedige - RC of Spore PDG RONALDO CAMPOS CARNEIRO PDG 2008-9 – DISTRICT 4530 BRAZIL Dear Ronaldo, Your philosophical thoughts are very much appreciated. It is certainly inspiring and should act to motivate like minded individuals to care for their fellowmen. My greetings and best wishes to you and your family. Warmest Regards Oliver DR OLIVER HENNEDIGE PAST PRESIDENT ROTARY CLUB OF SINGAPORE De: sakuji tanaka [mailto:sakujitanaka@nifty.com] Enviada em: quinta-feira, 19 de agosto de 2010 19:53 Para: Ronaldo Carneiro Assunto: *****SPAM***** Re: Humanism and ethic Dear Ronaldo, Thank you for your kind e-mail. As the challenge period is still remaining until October 1st 2010 I haven't yet officially been appointed, but I am grateful for your message. I will leave Japan on Saturday 18th November 2010 to Nigeria in Africa to attend the Polio Summit. Kyoko joins me in sending our warmest regards to you and the staff. I look forward to seeing you in Brazil in the near future. Best regards, Sakuji De: Joaquin Mejia [mailto:Joaquin.Mejia@rotary.org] Enviada em: quinta-feira, 13 de janeiro de 2011 20:24 Para: 'Ronaldo Carneiro' Assunto: RE: Humanism and freedom Dear Governor Ronaldo, Muito obrigado por seu messagem e por compartilhar seus ideias! After reading your very thoughtful and profound message I realize that there is much depth in your thought provoking message. One would need much time -and then dialogue- to completely assimilate your message, so as to properly understand and eventually share your points. Your profound concern with poverty and with the unjust conditions of our global society is very moving to me. I certainly hope that through Rotary and through our efforts we all will see a better world emerge one day. I could not agree more with you: humanism and freedom are two basic components of tomorrow's world. I trust tomorrow we all will see a better, more understanding and fair world, thanks in part to the efforts of volunteers of good faith around the world. That is, thanks to the men and women who call themselves Rotarians. With best Rotary wishes and much friendship, Joaquín Mejía Coordenador Geral do Doadores Extraordinários na América Latina The Rotary Foundation De: Sergio Tripi [mailto:s.tripi@tiscali.it] Enviada em: terça-feira, 25 de janeiro de 2011 08:29 Para: Ronaldo Carneiro Assunto: Humanism and freedom Dear Ronaldo, Thank you for sharing your reflections and insights at the beginning of this new year. I think this precious effort on your part will contribute substantially to maintain high in the consciousness the priority for the world of values and will stimulate further reflections on the world of causes on part of others in synch with this wave length. Best wishes, Sergio ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi , regards from Brazil. I´m sending below, with the purpose of inspiring your meditation, my speech made on April, 30th , 2009 in Pirenópolis – State of Goias, Brazil, at the opening session of the 54th District Conference. Your comments will be welcome. Sincerely, Ronaldo Carneiro - 4530 DG – 2008-9 - rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br. Obs.: Text available in several languages. The Rotarian Four Way Test and the Current Crisis In my meditation on the major goal of Rotary, this formidable institution with about 33,000 clubs in 208 countries, constantly searching for peace in the world, I questioned myself: which personality deserves the recognition of my generation? About 3 decades ago, this world lived an absurd competition - human folly had created conditions for the self-destruction of all forms of human life on Earth - the arms race where two superpowers, with ever-growing budgets, searched for domination by force. Then the Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev - quit the competition. For those idolizing the competition for selfish purposes, he had lost the battle, but for us, rotarians and humanists, this leader took a giant step towards "détente" and possible understanding. Each planetary citizen owes him very much and I understand that Rotary, as a global institution endowed with responsibility for Mankind in each society we belong to, should promote - mirroring the Nobel Peace Prize already granted to Mikhail - some recognition for his outstanding services rendered to the global humanitarian cause. Of course one must stress the expressive and dynamic leaderships of that time, that stimulated the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989: Pope John Paul II, who entertained a private meeting with Gorbachev just before the fall of that wall - I wish I had been a fly, listening to the advices of this Polish citizen, who saw during his youth the atrocities of communism in Poland and was sensitive to the vast social exclusion that had resulted from capitalism as well, in the parallel historic moment. Ronald Reagan, leader of the opposing superpower, at the beginning of his first term defined his concept: "Government cannot help us solve problems; Government is the problem". I also pondered the rotarian presidential concerns: nutrition, health and education, as well as the creative and future-minded thinkers who molded the world we live in today. Who among these thinkers could be invited to join a rotarian club? And which of them would be excluded by rotarian values? I would proudly welcome, in my own club, Adam Smith, the Scottish Professor of Ethics and Moral who lived in the second half of the 18th Century. Not only for his masterpiece, "An Essay Concerning the Nature and Causes of The Wealth of Nations", but mainly for his little-known book that was the philosophical, ethical and moral bedrock for his thought: "A Theory of Moral Feelings", of 1759. The polemic and fertile humanist thinker Karl Marx, an icon of socialism and probably the least understood of our thinkers [he died in 1883 and the Soviet Revolution occurred in 1917]. Never so many speculated so much about his intentions as recently. In his name abhorent acts were commited, by fanatics hallucinated by power. One must dessacralize his work. Many were sensible enough to recognize errors in capitalism, but they acted as marxist priests, burning incense to their demi-god. The fact is that Marx focused much of his analysis on a critical approach to capitalism and did not much explain the operationalization of socialism! One can divide his thought into two ample phases: the young Karl and the old Marx. I Would be much pleased to have the young Marx in my rotarian Club. His conceptual criticism of human labor in capitalism has never been contested: "Upon selling his labor [and the worker is forced to do it in the current regime], he yields to the capitalist the right to expoit this force, but within certain rational limits. He sells his labor to keep it sound, save for the natural wear and tear of passing years, but not to have it destroyed." In another passage, Marx stresses: "The man who does not have any free time and whose life, except for the purely physical interruptions of sleep, meals, etc., is all absorbed by his work for the capitalist, is less than a beast of burden. He is a simple machine, physiclly wrecked and spiritually animalized to produce alien riches." These two icons of western thought, who had deep and broad socio-anthropological repercussions for Humanity, were followed by the General Theory of John Maynard Keynes. One must recognize that the monetarist proposals were conceived in a post-1929 crisis and discussed in Bretton Woods in 1944, in a world where Europe had been destroyed by World War II. Though recognized in its time, in the long run the Keynesian theory proved to be a disaster. After 64 years of practical application, this economic formulation exposed stagflation as its best result: a compromise solution between unemployment and inflation. An offence to human intelligence. By enthronizing government in the economy, that is, by replacing the inexorable and impersonal law of supply and demand by the questionable and personalist aegis of human will, Adam Smith and all responsible thinkers must have revolved in their tombs, trying to understand the obscene inconsequences of the Keynesian theory. I blame the monetarist theory for the vast social exclusion disseminated all over the world and for all the armed conflicts too: many resources in the hands of a few, to decide according to human will is anti-democratic by definition! And children are lacking food and minimal comfort! Keynes made a heresy possible. It will not resist the Rotarian four way test. I would not feel comfortable in a rotarian club, in the presence of this gentleman: his followers were even more irresponsible and inconsequent. They created a vicious circle in the economic process: capital generation without productive labor. They built castles in the air, which are crumbling in the deep and widespread crisis the world now assists. Before it is too late, let us go back to our best origins to progressively correct our establishment and build a future of peace, health and excellence for all. May God bless our children, one by one, in each nation. Ronaldo Carneiro - 4530 DG - 2008-09 - rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear , We are now finishing this beautiful trip through our rotarian year. This is my last text as governor of district 4530 in Brazil. It presents a proposition for a new world, more fair and human and free from conflict, where peace will finally prevail. These ideas are sent to you for your consideration, because I esteem you are sensitive to them, as a rotarian. It is my understanding that our institution can include after-crisis attitudes in its world agenda, to be broadly discussed. As our thinker said: "Philosophers limited themselves to interpreting the world; it is now necessary to transform it accordingly". Force is the weapon of incompetence, whereas intelligence is the instrument of the sensible. Whatever cannot be improved by intelligence, will never be transformed by force. Contemporary Man is homo sapiens, according to the classification of anthropologist Linneu, and we can only thus call ourselves in Latin. We managed to co-create superb technologies in some sectors of our society and are toddling to define proper rules of coexistence for ourselves. There are solutions, however, if we become aware of the fact that the hottest places in hell are reserved for the undefined, the passive and the opportunist. The world assists today, between perplex and impotent, the supremacy and domination of the class of bureaucrats, because the practical evolution of capitalist and socialist models tend to converge inevitably to authoritarian regimes. That is to say, the inequality of opportunities under the rules of human interaction has been generating a terrible process of domination and of human bondage: the dictatorship of bureaucrats. I am certain that your group within Rotary has much to contribute for the discussion of the ideas contained in my text below. I hereby authorize each rotarian reader to use the concepts and values herein exposed with no mention of authorship - the least important. An author is a mortal human being, like all others: neither better, nor worse, but in my case, determined to create conditions for the equality of opportunities for all, especially for all children who did not ask to come to this world. In case you agree with the ideas here considered, it would very much please me if you tried to discuss this proposition in your rotarian club, in your office, in your family, or even send it for people in your community who show interest in the matter. We need concrete actions, I think, to disseminate and make possible this proposition. In case you disagree, please just delete it and forgive me for invading your computer with a good intention. But please do not forget that "It was granted to us the task of maintainng order and decency on our small and cozy world." This was the message of our inspired Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary International - during the Convention of 1935 in Mexico. At the Convention of 1921 in Edimburg, Scotland, he had stated: "Much has been said since the beginning of civilization. In my view, however, if there exists a quality distinguishing Rotary from other organizations, it is our capacity to act." Never forget we are discussing about the plate of food required by millions of children all over the world. With Ivani's and my best wishes, Ronaldo Carneiro – 4530 DG 2008-9, – rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br Ethics and the Global Crisis What do we rotarians have to do with the global crisis? What is the role that Rotary must play in this context? It is certainly prudent not to bring to discussion, in the rotarian milieu, matters that divide us, such as partisan politics, religion, etc. Nevertheless, whenever the subject involves presidential mentions, I understand that we are forced to adopt a consistent posture - we have values to defend and to explain to the communities we belong to. To search for the causes of poverty, without ideological divisions, or to abandon the doubtful logic of stratified ideas, so as to replace them by the unvarying logics of life everlasting is, yes, a task for Rotary. If we cannot or will not stand for our values, then what is the purpose and meaning of our institution? The world now assists, between perplexed and impotent, scandals in our parliaments and in the bureaucracy of our governments - the matter is: will we change anything by simply replacing the powerful on duty? The truth is that this curious biped, the human being, has been catechized since the times of Moses and later, 4000 years ago, since Melchizedek and Patriarch Abraham, who originated the 3 main monotheistic religions, but selfishness seems to have prevail. This is not a grief-stricken complaint, but a matter of fact. If only everyone obeyed the religious Commandments, human coexistence would be made really felicitating. Our problem is of a systemic nature and it is urgent to protect this enormous amount of financial resources from frail human will. Rotary is not, definitely, a charitable institution only, no matter how proud we may be of the thousands of humanitarian projects conceived and developed by rotarians around the Earth. I think we are the conscience of each community, trying to rescue the values dear to our founders. Discussing the global crisis is, above all, a necessary ethical exercise: comparing the invariable market economy with the questionable and vulnerable command economy. The presence of government in the economy revealed itself as necessary, only because we have three economic sectors that cannot work alone: agriculture, health and education. All governments, around this blue dot, must somehow stimulate these sectors so as to make them properly operational. This seems surprising, but these are exactly the three areas in which government intervention is legitimate, in addition to the infra-structural domain, such as road and bridge-building and maintenance, water supply and residue treatment. All other interventions by the government result from the inequality of opportunities so evident among us. As an irony of sorts, these three sectors are exactly those that may determine an equality of opportunities for planetary citizenry: people need to eat every day and to have access to the health and educational systems. Market Economies Will Produce Profitable Goods and Services, Not Products Needed. The unforgettable Dame of european economy, Joan Robinson, identified this paradox very clearly, but she did not present a solution at that time. This paradox of western capitalism can only be overcome with a new social pact, where labor is viewed as a process of transformation of human energy into physical or intellectual energy for the good of the broad community. For this transformation to occur, one must ensure food, health services and education to all workers and their families. This is a "sine qua non" condition for the economy to have real human labor. It means recognizing that hunger and disease do not vary according to the market: they are biological needs, in tune with the logics of life. Nobody is born to live from charity and we shall not strenghthen the weak at the cost of weakening the strong. All can spiral up in balance, I am certain. This appeal is not of an emotional-philanthropic nature, but the only way to minimize governmental presence in the economic process. Once more we are dealing with ethics: this is an acknowledgement of problems in human nature. We must evaluate Creation, so as to understand the Creator. These 3 sectors: food, health and education are interdependent, non-accumulative and independent from human will. They are pre-requisites for staying alive. Just as the vehicle that needs combustion fuel, the human body needs food and health in order to study and work and engage in progress to perfection. This can be seen as a volunteer public-private agreement, in which private initiative takes these social responsibilities when it purchases what we mentioned, for free market prices. To close the equation, it is evident that the government will reduce all taxes referring to these new social responsibilities taken by the entrepreneurial sector. Governments can thus withdraw from the economy, because agriculture, health and education become self-propelled. Let us name as Humanism this new regime, in relation to capitalism and socialism, and then analyse the deep changes that can be brought in. In a free economy with the government out of the market, we shall have full productive employment. This generation and many others that came before, do not know what this means. Salaries will tend to go up naturally, according to market forces and it will not be necessary to establish a minimum wage. All economic equations will invert themselves, inflation will vanish and armed conflicts will be made impracticable. Universal voting will qualify democratic societies among us - free and sovereign voting, but with a healthy deconcentration of resources under the control of government bureaucrats. We will be very close, in many aspects, to the conditions prevailing at the beginning of the XIX century, as predicted by Adam Smith, but incorporating the uncontested criticism made by the young Karl Marx - the working force must be preserved and not worn out or destroyed. Here we come once more to the domain of ethics. Those two thinkers are classic, that is, their work is like a Beethoven symphony or a statue by Michelangelo. The excellence of their work is not time-dated: they are of perennial value. They will be appreciated in a thousand years, so our mention of the two thinkers who influenced our recent civilizational advancement comes not out of an extemporaneous cult of the past, but out of the yearning to expose and value ethics in a pure condition in contemporary society. In this way we will make honestly aplicable the well-meaning and highly inspired collective decisions adopted in the United Nations Organization, mainly the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Declaration of the Rights of Children and Teenagers, as well as the Goals for the Millenium. They beautifully revealed a consensus founded on ideas shared sacredly, but we seem to have forgotten to determine who really pays for the bill!!! Let us not be fooled. Current models of human interaction, as they are, tend to converge to an inevitable totalitarian state. I would dare try to complete the call of Marx, saying: "Workers and bourgeois of all the world, unite!" In the name of ethics, we cannot allow the class of government bureaucrats and some unethical professional politicians monopolize the supremacy and control of societies. Human will must not prevail over the invariable and impersonal market economy. Each one must have enough for his biological needs and afterward, according to their capacity." In this way our rotarian work shall be reduced, dear colleague, and we will be able to dedicatedly integrate our communities' conscience, instead of limiting ourselves to philanthropy and charity. This is my contribution to take the matter to the rotarian agenda. It s my understanding that this must be exhaustively discussed, given the importance of these ideas and the deep consequences they may have in these challenging moments of correction. George Bernard Shaw, the bright Irish thinker pontified: "No one is entitled to enjoy happiness without creating it, neither to consume wealth without producing it." Each child coming to this world shall be welcomed with solutions for its future, not hindered by problems we have not agreed upon to solve. Each one of them will once again come as a divine blessing. Let us celebrate life!!! Ronaldo Carneiro – 4530 DG - 2008-9 - rcarneiro@salutecafe.com.br