When Money Speaks the Truth is Silent.

Posted 1 year ago at 1:22 pm. 8 comments

I’m going to start with the lighter stuff this time round and should you wish my self indulgent opinion is below. As always it’s great to get your feedback good , bad or indifferent. I’ve had a busy month in Dubai with TV commercials for the Saudi Football League and Abu Dhabi Sports as well as a small feature in the Amazing Race reality game show. Which will be aired very soon on CBS. The show averages about 10 million viewers per season and has won nine Emmy awards. Being part of it was great fun and it’s easy to see why it’s been such a huge success.



Here are a couple links for recent interviews with Qatar airways in-flight magazine Oryx and also Dubai’s essential guide to nightlife Infusion. To read the interview in full: http://www.infusion.ae/20090725904/DJ-Booth/issue-112-dj-booth.html



Here are a few pictures taken by the magnificent Eros Goze. I find his work so animated and inspiring. I just love the natural use of light and at times the simplicity. Then there are others which look dark and provocative like something straight from a Guillermo Del Torro film. It’s real edgy, raw and thought provoking. Check out his blog: http://eros210.multiply.com/



It’s always interesting to me how newspapers report particular stories. Being brought up in Scotland and having lived for most of my life there I’ve paid particular attention to the Al Megrahi release. My first thought was how could a man responsible for killing 270 people be granted any compassion? But the more I read about the story the less convinced I was of his guilt.

The evidence he was convicted on to say the least was contentious. Both the UN and a Scottish Court acknowledged he suffered a “miscarriage of justice” But after spending 75 million on the legal proceedings someone had to pay. Of course Libya took responsibility under crippling sanctions, being forced to compensate the families and admit complicity in the process.Now upon his premature return the world seems shocked that there may have been some sort of trade agreement attached to his release. Is it so hard to believe?

What’s even more comical is being lectured by the US about morality and our legal system. After fictionalizing reasons to go to war with two countries, bombing them, occupying them, rebuilding them with US contractors paid for with World Bank loans. Then leaving the countries themselves to pick up the bills with interest. While installing their preferred leaders in there and hopefully privatizing their most profitable industries at a later date and calling it democracy. For me what it all comes down to is money and our greed, individually, collectively, nationally and internationally.

It’s only recently I thought about how money relates to me and my life. I make money to pay off debt. It’s a system set up to profit a small minority and keep the majority enslaved. One percent of the population earns forty percent of the world’s wealth. The collective amount spent on war in the last 5 years could have easily fed the population of the world. In terms of GDP fifty one of the top one hundred in the world are now companies and forty nine countries. Again using the US as an example when politicians are put in power by private contributions for campaigning it’s no coincidence that favor is shown to those donating. Especially when those politicians are also shareholders in the same companies. Who’s really making the decisions and dictating policy?

Our monitory system is based on debt. It’s loaned to us by banks who don’t really have it. We work our whole lives in the hope of repaying it and thus ensuring the money owed always exceeds the money in circulation. That way inflation is always maintained and defaults and bankruptcy a part of the process, seeing the property or finance return to the banks or lenders even though they didn’t really in essence even really have the sum in the first place. I suppose recently the real problem occurs when we reach the tipping point on defaults. The solution then is to print more money. I’m not sure where this is going? If I really have a point or what your thoughts on this will be. But it relates back to the original rant about how we perceive things, how they are reported. Who in fact decides upon them and how history will record it. For the most part the real truth lies somewhere between all that. It may even have its price.

Written from the room I grew up in. looking east towards the sea and rising sun. Listening to the waves, the wind seagulls and Abri’s Blanknotes. Also reading Confessions of an Economic hitman and watched Zeitgeist last week oops. I need a good comedy or something to maintain some balance. I’ve definitely got too much time on my hands today.