>SNIP
>>I'm really amazed at the apathy here, or is it just the media coverage which will always hide the important stuff. When we were protesting against Milosevic five years ago, we hoped the next time we go to the streets will be when the new government raises the price of gas for 0.02, as is customary in the developed world. Seems not to be the case - or it "didn't happen, because it wasn't on the TV"?
>
>
>Dragan,
>Funny that this should come up here when we had a short discussion at work about the same thing.
>We were comparing the propensity to "demonstrate" in the 60s & 70s compared to today.
>
>While there is the element of demonstrations being hijacked by 'professional' destructors who travel from one to another smashing windows and overturning cars, etc, we felt there was more to it (not done any more) that just that.
>
>We couldn't agree in our short discussion, but some things that came up included:
>- work, more than ever by all over 16 in any household, takes away valuable time;
>- similar to above, we are hostages to the banks, what with credit cards, mortgages, car loans and the "need" to keep up with the Joneses;
>- brainwashing by the media, not only by commercials but also by programming/content;
>- complacency, in that we all walk around thinking/hoping/expecting that someone else will address the problem;
>
>We got back to work

Jim;

A conversation with a friend some 30 years ago seems timely. He suggested civilization is based upon two things. First the missionaries go off to convert the heathens and then issue Macys credit cards to all. You are now part of the system and cannot escape. To relieve your frustration you use your credit card to go into debt, which also keeps the economy going. An economy based upon false gods, frustration and monthly bills.

This analogy began with the puritans arriving in America, grew and is now present throughout much of the world.

At home we own a Steinway piano, one of the finest instruments built. I also purchased a book about the Steinway family. Around the 1840,s the father moved to New York with almost all the family, and left one son in Hamburg, Germany, to run the family piano business. After working for years in New York, the family opened its own Piano factory, where it created the modern piano. To be technical the instrument of today is called Piano Forte, and the instrument before that was referred to as Forte Piano.

Steinway wrote a letter to his son in Hamburg, after he had become a success in America. He stated that, “a bowl of soup in Germany tastes better than pot roast in America”! He described the long hours and manner in which one had to do business in America in order to be a success. It is a fascinating bit of history and captures a viewpoint that America even then had a business and work structure different than Europe or the rest of the world. In fact it sounds so contemporary that it is amazing.

The question my wife and I ask ourselves is, “What is success”? Is it your material world, spiritual world or your family”? Everyone will have his/her answer to this question. Not having a balanced life will cost you somewhere and somehow. One mans apparent success is another mans hell.

Tom