Wonderland X Neverland (English Version)

On Sunday, there were two intriguing ads on the newspaper inviting immigrants to settle down on distant lands. Although, one of them was 46 years older than the other, they were historically considered young nations with some similarities. Both were federal constitutional republics and had huge territories. In Neverland, a concession of 16 acres was given to any immigrant. Besides the right to use the land for the first 5 years before being finally the proprietor of it, the newcomers had paved roads, public light system, rail roads, and everything else to build up small networks to supply the big centers. The train would come once a week to collect the local production and deliver it to the capital of each State. The rail road had been privatized for 10 years already, so there were no delays anymore. The Neverland Bank  also offered very attractive long-term loans.

The recession has come to an end

There are two options to get rid of the current economic recession and get back to a normal life: option A is to pick the common man’s choice and cut all superfluous expenses or option B is to pick one of the greatest economist’s ideas. Actually, option B is not just one but a caldron of experiments which might lead to a deadlock. What would be Keynes’ idea for example? Considering that he was a very pragmatic economist, he would go straight to the point: we have to build up highways, make wars, but somehow make the government spend money and create public employments from nothing! Malthus was more realist, although cruel. In the short-term, he would immediately ask for approval a bill in which a bag of 10 kg of potatoes and 1 kg of coffee a month would be the emergency government food supply for minimum wage workers. Van Gogh painted the famous “Potato Eaters” after the bill was approved! Then, Adam Smith, a bit selfish, joined the group, holding a cup of tea. He came into the room and said: I don’t care about what you said and I think each one has to take care of your own business. That’s it, period! What is good for me is good for everyone, and if everyone thinks like this, things will work out. I would approve a bill in parliament where any person could sell anything on the streets. By doing this, I would be finally abolishing the illegality of an ancient activity and creating taxes. Don’t worry, because at the end, a “invisible hand” is going to take care of everything and self-regulate the market. Karl Marx was on the corner patiently waiting everyone to finish their discourses. At the end, he said everyone was wrong and he was against everything that had ever been said before. The problem was not the recession itself, how everyone would think, but in the system which originated it. Hence the problem comes from a weak and precarious system and it needed to be replaced. Everyone was astonished! The little man lighted his cigar, drank his coffee, and went outside Vanessa’s Dumpling: Do you guys see this “RECESSION PRICE $1.29”? There is no recession price in a “perfect” capitalist system due to the fact that it does not imply recession itself. It might be dumping. However, I don’t think this is what Vanessa is doing at the moment. 1 dollar would be already a reasonable price. So, this 29 cents, considering that we are in New York, is a celebration of the Great Depression of 29, or just a “surplus”!

The Latex Soldiers and Fordland

Garcia grabbed Sunday’s newspaper and read the headlines of an intriguing announcement which was definitely written for him, thought the enthusiastic young man. It was brief and concise but the idea was to join the ranks of a paramilitary group. The group was called “Latex Soldiers” and gathered by the Brazilian Army in order to combat a bunch of guerrilleros sponsored by Americans, interested on creating an independent country called Fordland in Acre State. The United States would finally have its share of the Amazon and also a lifetime supplier of latex for its automobile industry. Brazilian authorities had never encouraged a massive settlement towards Acre State to seal its “ownership”, but now the momentum was calling for it. Garcia wanted to be part of history! He was so excited that he didn’t even notice when the paper was on the floor in pieces. But lucky him he still had the phone number. Same day, he called and found out that a convoy was going to leave at midnight. Then, he started packing his personal items, the Manifest of the Communist Party, a pair of jeans, a red t-shirt of the Party, brushed his boots, and went straight to the bus terminal. There he was, happy in bus number 4. During the 3 days trip, he found out that 90 per cent of the soldiers were from the Northeast, Ceara State, who had previously made up their lives in Acre, but expelled by the guerrilleros. Garcia felt there was something else... All workers like him, aching hands, wrinkle faces, old young men. Fighting for Brazil, or simply looking for a spot to work and a little piece of land to raise up a family? No, it can’t be that “dry”! No idealism?!?! Garcia couldn’t imagine something without passion or idealism, he was a romantic communist! So, he had a mission, and it would be to show all those soldiers that there is something greater in that trip. It can’t be just “that”. Come on, a “Gringoland” is about to be formed! It could be at least a revolution! Garcia was predicting and daydreaming about his revolution: “In days of war when we feel union and share the little, an idealism is necessary to keep the cohesion. And this idealism is the Brazilian Communism!” He had 72 hours to light the fire of “passion”. On the first day, he highlighted the importance and why they would be traveling so far away representing Brazil in order to protect and reinforce Brazilian sovereign power over its territory. The Latex Soldiers and the Army would be expelling the guerrilleros for good. After that, national banks would be giving easy access to mortgage in order to quickly increase the Brazilian occupation of the State. Garcia had to know the exact timing for the explanations and that was mostly when all buses were having a pit stop together at a gas station or any convenience store on the way. Little by little, he was captivating his audience. The soldiers were finally ready for the second day of lecture. Once more he started his speech: “My comrades, we are going to Acre because we have a mission. And this mission is to expel the guerrilleros hired by the gringos! We will do it always stepping forwards because there is no “backwards”. There is only a way to do it: win or die! Then, he could hear in unison: Viva Acre! Garcia stepped down from boxes he had piled and started to speak with a different tone of voice. He explained that, once the territory was finally Brazilian and after the wave of excitement, the government would come with taxes. That would be also necessary to keep a permanent military base to protect them. What a surprise, the soldiers thought at a first glance. They started talking to each other. They were not real soldiers and were not really interested in keeping a military base in the area. More taxes? But if the taxes were going to be for the welfare of the community, so let it be. Protect and serve, that should be the public service, they thought. All of them went back to their buses. After 60 hours of traveling, and before getting to the final destination, Garcia asked the driver for a last stop. He said: Comrades, we are going to Acre in order to expel the guerrilleros and cease the Americans’ Gringoland! We shall win! There is only a way to do it: win or die! Again, a “Viva Acre” could be heard in unison. Now, Garcia knew he had to use a stronger tone of voice considering how dangerous a guerrilleros victory would be for the future of Acre. Next stage, if Fordland existed would be the most cruel in their history and probably in Brazilian, ever. Latex workers would have to work to big factories in order to survive, which means they wouldn’t be able to be self-employed but be employed by capitalists! After this speech, he thought he had finally sparked the flame of passion on those workers. The 10 buses arrived in Acre and all they needed was only 5 days to vanish the enemies from the map. As a reward, Brazilian government granted each soldier a house and a job. One year later, back to his daily routine as a bus driver, Garcia got back home and found in his mailbox a postcard. There was a picture of a large scale production plant and it said: “My dear friend, at the end, the Great company Ford came to the city because Brazilian government conceded to them 20 years exemption of taxes. But hey, I think you were wrong about this incredible company. Before they came, I was just a latex worker, but now I work for FORD and make 100 dollars to work 50 hours a week!

Tapioca Republic

Husband, wife and kids; everyone sleeping together in the same room. Sometimes, all as one body, hugging each other on the same mattress. Nothing uncommon when a family is united and love is present. The backyard was so carefully made that it could be in one of those garden magazines. They had almost a self-sufficient economy except for some clothes, shoes and itens of personal care. Alfred and his wife didn't depend on, for example, any means of transportation. When there are no many things to be attached on, you don't need much to survive. And that was another reason, their lives were so simple and humble; no existence conflicts or such dilemmas. It seems complicated, but the idea of "superfluous", was out of their dictionaries. He used to work every Monday and Tuesday at the local grocery store. And she was at the street fair on Wednesdays and Thurdays. For both of them, the rest of the week, was very happy and would consist pretty much on helping the kids on their homeworks, take care of the backyard, feed the chicken and the cow, do some repairs, some handcrafts, etc. However, one day, something strange happened. Young Carol got home after school and asked Dad if he had heard about a philosopher called Plato who had written about "The republic". A little bit concerned because his daughter could be learning unappropriate subjects for her age, he wondered what was that all about. The 10 years old girl said that the philosopher predicted that in the future there would be workers for every single task, from making a pair of shoes to making politics, and that would bring more productivity to society. And once this is done and everyone finds their jobs and dedicates a part of their time to that, the rest of their time can be exchanged for other goods and then, they can survive. Alfred couldn't believe what he was hearing from his baby! The girl was probably going too far on her readings, and what if her teacher gives her more? The following night, he had nightmares with knights in armors on their big horses all over the place. They brought violence, corruption, envy, and sifilis to the society! And even worse because they installed big factories with large scale production, low wages to workers, union, strikes, flags... Alfred was trembling, but he woke up in the middle of the night and went straight to a 24 hours-open Mac Donalds to buy his daughter's favorite sandwich: a Big Mac.

Boots

Garcia woke up this morning concerned about his life. Actually, he was wondering how he could fulfill his life in order to be a complete, a super satisfied "man". Maybe, this could be a general rule to humanity, he thought. It was his "soup of the day": to find the answer that was killing him from inside. Alright, he started walking to the University of Brasilia (UnB) where a lecture about The Age of Capital by Eric Hobsbawn was going to take place at the Department of Economics. All the time, scratching his left arm, thinking about "the answer", he couldn't come up to the end of it. However, walking down on the North Wing neighborhood of Brasilia, he saw a homeless begging for money... Stopped, stared that poor man for a while and turned right to watch a 12 years old girl selling candies at a stop light. That's it, I found my "soup of the day": everyone needs an occupation, something to do, a job! Garcia was so happy that he was being able to follow a track, but it was still too wide. It needed to be sharpened... A worker, for example, to be happy, needs a family, a house, a car; as anyone else. And in order to have all of this, he or she needs a job. But if he or she doesn't have a job, in first place, where is the money going to come from? Well, a "family" costs money, and "if" there is some leftover, maybe a car? Then, the successful worker can apply for a subprime mortgage and finally buy a house. The question is: Is it really what he or she wants? Hobsbawn said that the workers were taken apart from their primitive and family core. Extirpated, isolated, he became, again, Garcia. "The hairy" got back home, opened his closet, grabbed his boots and proudly screamed out the window: I am going to work today! Went out and slammed the door! But wait, he thought. Where am I going to work if I don't have I job? Well, my boots can bring me some good luck, who knows. In the Age of Capital, the author mentions the symbologies and social codes such as the worker hat, pants, boots, etc... Garcia, "the hairy", didn't have a job, a family, a house, a car, but at least, his boots!