La plaga de la publicidad

Los problemas fundamentales del mundo actual (guerra, hambruna, agotamiento de recursos naturales, calentamiento global y todos sus derivados) son causados principalmente por las grandes industrias y las multinacionales, apoyados por los bancos y los gobiernos en un sistema global que se basa en una siempre creciente y voraz producción en masa, sustentado por un consumismo desorbitado. 

Este consumismo desorbitado a su vez es creado, provocado, estimulado y fomentado mediante el incesante bombardeo propagandístico, inventado por parte de las propias industrias para poder mantener o incrementar lo que para ellos es lo más sagrado: “la cuota de mercado”. 

Dicho bombardeo propagandístico se encuentra ya profundamente araigada e incrustada en todos los aspectos de la vida, incluso más que la propaganda comunista en la antigua Unión Sovietica o la fascista en la Alemania de Hitler e, incluso, en la novela 1984 donde todo lo dominaba el Gran Hermano. Esta propaganda consumista invade la televisión, la radio, los periódicos, las revistas, las plazas, las parades de autobuses, los buzones de las casas y, desde hace algo más de una decada, internet y los móviles. En el mundo “moderno” no hay escapatoria de esta plaga que ya afecta al casi 100% de la humanidad, un porcentaje considerablemente más alto que la epidemia más devastadora de la historia, la peste, y que se conoce como: publicidad.

Para contrarestar, en cierta medida, los efectos devastadores que causa la gran industria (las empresas que cotizan en bolsa - “ellos”) y ese consumo desorbitado asociado a ella que se nutre de la publicidad, se deberían introducir unas reglas (leyes) que revierten parte del dinero ganso que se ganan (los dirigentes de) las industrias para apalear los destrozos que provocan al planeta tierra y a la humanidad.

1. Si tan imprescindible es la publicidad para “ellos” a fin de mantener y ampliar ese sagrado cuota del mercado; que paguen por ello una cuota a las autoridades públicas como compensación, equivalente a lo que están dispuestos a pagar para alimentar ese espíritu consumista. En otras palabras: un impuesto del 100% sobre toda la actividad relacionada con la publicidad (siempre para empresas que cotizan en bolsa y cuotas más humanas para empresas más humanas, las PYMEs). Además, ¿No sería esta, casualmente, precisamente una de las fuentes más apropiadas de donde sacar los fondos para cubrir déficits o para financiar los servicios sociales y otros bienes comunes en vez de privados?
2. Aún así, poner límites a la exposición a ese bombardeo de mensajes tan nocivos para la mente humana (come, bebe, consume, posee, ¡compra!). ¿Acaso no le ponen limitaciones de exposición a algo tan natural, sano y necesario como el sexo?
   Por ejemplo que no ocupe más del 10% del espacio informativo donde aparece: tiempo en televisión y radio (tal vez volumen también), superficie en prensa e internet. Y que de ese 10% no más de la mitad sea de empresas que cotizan en bolsa.
3. Transparencia, veracidad y funcionalidad de los mensajes publicitario como:
   - Precio real en el mismo tamaño de letra que el precio de oferta.
   - También en el mismo tamaño eventuales condiciones (permanencia)
   - En casos de user modelos para productos de estética personal (cosmética, dietética, salud, ropa): poner nombre, edad e incluso operaciones estéticas de los modelos.
   algunos de estas reglas ya se aplican en algunos países.
   - Limitar mensajes publicitarios a la funcionalidad real del producto y no a valores sentimentales supuestamente asociados como que uno liga más o es más popular o feliz por pedir las patatas que van con la hamburguesa o comprar cierto modelo de coche.
   - No apropiarse de movimientos sociales como si lo hubieran inventado o formaran parte de ello cuando no es así.
   - Dar referencias verificables, medibles y directamente accesibles para todo el mundo en caso de proclamar ser “número uno” (de qué, dónde, cuándo) o prometer un 20% (se puede medir?) de mejora en tres semanas.

La indignada inspiración para escribir por fin lo anteriormente expuesto surgió por la reciente (navidad 2011) hipócrita y publicidad de Telefónica (nunca tragaré su patético intento de lavado de cara/imagen cambiándose el nombre) y el todavía más despreciable y triste anuncio de la 'ever' soberbia Coca Cola. Ambos, descaradamente, autoadjudicándose un supuesto apoyo a los recientes movimientos y sentimientos sociales. A saber:

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEKdjm-nvCg (como si Telefónica funcionara por la ética del 15M)

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEhd2S5GbUg (como si Coca Cola aportara algo en los sueños)

The last terrorists in Europe

I tried to post the news article on Emilio Gutierrez in El Pais on Digg but it got rejected because it was "widely reported".

I felt I had to inform them:



Hello! This case is the other way around!

I tried to submit
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/maza/silencio/elpepuesp/20090228elpepunac_3/Tes
But I am told by your system that the article has been banned because: "This URL has been widely reported by users....."

This article is from the main Spanish newspaper "El Pais" and reports about a Emilio Gutiérrez who suffered a terrorist attack on his house in the Basque Country (as you may know the last and only place where there is still terrorism going on in Europe).
This obviously is not spam or off-topic (unless you consider european news as such).

The only "users" that would be interested in banning such an article are the terrorists themselves and their followers. They are extremists and fanatics and an absolute minority, but most probably ALL of them have been instructed to scam the web for any publication on Emilio Gutiérrez. That is the only reason why this article is "widely reported".
If in any way you want to help reduce terrorism, you should not ban the article, you should ban those users instead.
For further reference you can check the amount of supporting groups in favor of Emilio Gutiérrez at facebook, doing a search for his name. The biggest one has reached close to 20.000 supporters in just a few days:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=53107989311
Even voluntary fundraising has started up for Emilio in several places in Spain.

I am an expat from Holland, living in Spain (fortunately not the Basque Country), I am just an occasional user of Digg and have nothing to do either with Emilio or the Basque country, but as most ordinary world citizens I want justice to prevail and feel that the least I can do is to inform you that most surely your system has been misused by terrorists and their followers.

Thank you and warm regards from Seville, Spain.

Unfortunately is seems hard to find info on the whole story in english, just one for the moment
http://lippincott.wordpress.com/tag/emilio-gutierrez/

Stuff to read (now it's late)

http://wpunderwood.blogspot.com/

Religion

In my opinion religion has been one of the mayor setbacks in human progress along history.

Religion kept Europe in the middle ages. Religion is most surely the most frequently used excuse for war in human history. And for torture. And for child abuse. And for corruption. And retracted morals...

I do not believe in god, in a god whatever name is used for him/her/it (what if it turns out to be a dolphin?).
I do not have a problem with people believing in some superior being, as long as they keep it to themselves. As long as they do not use it as an excuse like mentioned above. As long as they do not want to impose this belief on me or anyone else.
How come most religions seem to want to impose themselves upon others?
How come people can do harm in name of religion?

I believe in observation and measurable causes and effects.
I believe in science.
I don't know of any war that has ever been fought in the name of science...
Scientist do normally want to convince others, but not impose.

... it's late, but I'm not done!
Goodnight.

link to remember: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=darwin-on-the-right

Human priorities

Another sketch...

Priorities to solve to maintain and stimulate human progress:

1. Stop war and hunger (= end large scale, collective suffering)
   
2. Human rights
   Freedom of speech (internet!) and freedom to act (respecting others of course)
   
3. Sustainable development politics
4. Fair trade
   
5. Educate for harmony, not only to earn money or be productive
   
6. De-comercialize and improve Health care (= end small scale, individual suffering)
   
7. Living standard
   
8. Crime (the 3 former ones are a help in this)
   

Up to here and further

This is just a sketch get to it out of my head. I might do something with it later

Main processes in the history of human evolution

1. Big Bang
2. Forming of galaxies and planetary systems (our solar system is just one of x00.000.000)
3. Life appears on earth
   
4. Evolution leads to homo sapiens
5. Homo sapiens progresses from small unorganized tribes to organized societies and politics
6. Society and politics develop, between drawbacks and small steps forward, to democracy
7. Arts & science advance and knowledge spreads thanks to the invention of print
8. Increased democracy and science lead to the industrial revolution
9. WO II definitely initiates large scale awareness of errors of the past - war - and the conscience of one human race - the declaration of human rights
   
10. Industry leads to the free market mechanism
11. Free market mechanism stimulates technological development and pushes consumerism in ever faster cycles
12. Technology delivers internet
13. Internet grows to the global storeroom and exchange of human knowledge, thoughts and visions.
14. The cash-crash, the credit-crunch and the threat of global warming definitely start to grow large scale awareness of errors in the free market mechanism and politics in a collective sense - unlimited speculating/capitalism - and in an individual sense - greed/selfishness
    ---present time -------------------------------------------------------
    
15. Exchange of knowledge and visions lead to accelerated progress in science (technological and social)
    
16. Progress in science leads to better understanding of oneself, each other and the world and universe that surround us
    
17. Better understanding lessens conflicts on an individual and collective scale and leads to higher living standards for more people
    

Good causes

Google is now allowing its users to create themes that showcase the change they are helping to create with an application called iGoogle for Causes.

This is a good initiative, but even if the intention is fantastic, it worries me is that most causes, unfortunately, are not really a solution to the fundamental problem but a soothing of the symptoms.

I understand that the fundamental problems of war, hunger, underdevelopment, endangering nature and the planet are all direct or indirect results of western modern society's (individuals, multinationals and governments) greed and need for an ever growing production with cheap resources.

I wonder if there isn't any "cause" that addresses this directly?

As long as the fundamental problem does not disappear, a small bunch of good intentioned people will always need to reforest on one hand, while some industrial giant deforests at 10 times the speed on the other hand. That's a hard battle.

But of course, as long as we don't know how to tackle the fundamental problem, it's worth the effort to at least diminish the effects by sending money, food, medicines, doctors, teachers and scientists through all kinds of causes and networks, and hope that the global public opinion and awareness ends up overthrowing or restructuring the established system that caused the need for causes in the first place.