From the author
This
book manifested from my imagination in my 50th year. I’ve never written a book or even though
about it. Told at a young age that with
severe ‘Dyslexia’ writing was not a choice, it took a dozen countries, 7
languages to just let it happen and within a few weeks, it was done.
I
have been away from home for most of my 28 year career and I think I needed a
way to express how I felt to the people closest to me. Almost every day I spoke with my family over
msn; my youngest son, he is what you would call a “gamer”, and he’s at
university working on an IT degree. My
older son after 3 years at university working on an engineering degree, has
decided to take a year off and work for an equipment company that has been
developing a Magnetic-fued Generator. My wife is holding down the fort, mostly
gardening.
I’m
on other foreign assignments, in a “new emerging market” this time in China.
From
a bench on a typical Sunday morning, I took out my pen and started making notes
in my journal, after a simple observation, from where I was sitting I could
see; a small shanty next to the Marriot, a McDonalds, numerous Pepsi and Coca
Cola signs, Nike logo’s on ball caps, a VW dealer, a Motorola telephone ad, and
six poorly dressed peasants going through the garbage of a KFC next to an
ancient temple.
”We’re
so much better at developing the wrong end in developing countries”, I thought.
What if there was a company with a mandate, not to exploit these “emerging markets” for the benefit of more McDonalds, KFC’s, VW’s, Hiltons, Shell gas stations, Perrier, Häagen-Dazs, BestBuy, and Wal-Mart’s. These companies come in and rain down dollars from above; sowing their seeds, displacing the weak and most vulnerable, until the locals can learn to flip burgers, drink Coke, and dream about driving a Beamer.
What if there was a company with a mandate to nurture not exploit and starts from the bottom up. Makes available the same tools used by the Fortune 500. (I got the Bill Gates and Buffet concept of “creative capitalism”. Tax the Top Companies and shower down the cash?? That money comes with strings.) Let’s not take their money let use their success formulas. Take their best minds, call it part of their career development, and let them do a different kind of foreign assignment. Bottom up thinking; clean water for everyone, toilets and sewers, education, computers, help them produce their own staple foods, and allow them their dignity and intellect. Plug them into the www. In other words bring them up to this century. Who knows, they may choose to flip burgers, drink Coke and dream about driving a Beamer, but let’s give them the choice.
This place China, at first when I got here, was not unlike Sau Paulo in Brazil, Buenos Aires or Rosario in Argentina, Valencia or Caracas in Venezuela, Johannesburg in South Africa, Kaposvar in Hungary, Zwickau in East Germany, Toluca in Mexico, Iqaluit, Nunavut in Northern Canada, Flint, Michigan in the USA. Here though, this time something is different. In Eastern China where there is a one child per couple policy. Even in the poorest conditions, the family pools what ever little they can and gets this only child an education. Today, this only child is a young adult. Collectively, they will pull the largest populated developing country, from 3rd world status and compete with the Superpowers, on their own terms, with dignity, intellect, most drinking coke and driving Beamers. There are solar water heaters on all buildings, thousands of electric motor scooters and electric vehicles. For the first time in my life I feel like I should be bringing something back, something that could improve my home ‘G – 7’ developed country.
I dedicate this book to my sons, Michael, and John, for sharing their lives with me, real and virtual.
I dedicate the rest of my life to my wife Janet for hanging in there, 25 years since we took that boat on Sunday.
Forward
Fortune 500 Companies are successful in developing Countries because they execute to a proven, well planed sequence of events as efficiently as possible; resulting in permanent physical working infrastructures that sustain and propagate continued growth. Support mechanisms are specific, and well developed to ensure absolute successful execution. All the information and physical assets are fully interrogated and fully compatible; organized and available to everyone on the team, usually on a single proprietary ‘Company CD.’
That’s what we need, ‘A Company CD’ to help developing Countries get the information so that they can help themselves. It might also get this new Alternative Energy Revolution going. There is a demand.
I’ll suggest that you could fit all the right information on one memory stick.
Let’s call it “KEY”, short for - Knowledge Empowers You.
Ø No references or information about Politics
Ø No references or information on any Religion
Ø No references or information regarding History
Facts; with no opinions, no discrimination, and no judgment.
Five Volumes; to provide everyone, everywhere, the same quality and uniform information;
The Software- KEY
Volume One – EDUCATION
Pre-school to Post Secondary (based on typical home school format, just reading, writing and arithmetic)
Volume Two – FOOD
How to farm, fish, seed, prune, graph, cook, bake, store, keep animals, etc…
Volume Three – SHELTER
How to build homes, Carpentry, Masonry, Metals, Electricity, and infrastructure
Volume Four - HUMANITY
Teaches the basics on how to paint, sculpt, dance, read music, write poetry. Including a data base with examples of all the art forms.
Volume Five – SURVIVAL
Technology, Designs, Engineering, Physics, Self defense, Personal and Community Security, Economics
This is where all the support manuals, drawings, and direction would be found to build and maintain the new products (hardware) and infrastructure.
The Hardware;
We’ll need well funded and organized Franchises, similar to IKEA, LOWES, BESTBUY, and WALMART
A Product line of only GREEN Products:
Solar panels, Windmills, Batteries, Magnetic Generators, DC Appliances, Tools, Electric Scooters, Electric Vehicles, Organic Produce, Green Houses, Gardening Supplies
*Satisfaction Guaranteed with full money back – Refund. All products include free installation, delivery and full service (like the Maytag).
* Franchise in developed countries can have the returned items donated at full value, to developing Countries for the tax Benefit.
The Result:
Modular communities, with their own water, sewage, drainage and power infrastructure.
> Education system based on ‘KEY’ software, Volume One
> Surplus food, or products or services even power to generate Community Revenue
> Small Industries with zero carbon foot prints
> Progress is sustained and available using Key Software, Hardware available on line
I predict that with the Global changes, Political Stress, Human Health challenges, and Natural Disasters, there will be a growing demand for this type of ‘off the main grid’ modular existence.
What if there was a company with a mandate, not to exploit these “emerging markets” for the benefit of more McDonalds, KFC’s, VW’s, Hiltons, Shell gas stations, Perrier, Häagen-Dazs, BestBuy, and Wal-Mart’s. These companies come in and rain down dollars from above; sowing their seeds, displacing the weak and most vulnerable, until the locals can learn to flip burgers, drink Coke, and dream about driving a Beamer.
What if there was a company with a mandate to nurture not exploit and starts from the bottom up. Makes available the same tools used by the Fortune 500. (I got the Bill Gates and Buffet concept of “creative capitalism”. Tax the Top Companies and shower down the cash?? That money comes with strings.) Let’s not take their money let use their success formulas. Take their best minds, call it part of their career development, and let them do a different kind of foreign assignment. Bottom up thinking; clean water for everyone, toilets and sewers, education, computers, help them produce their own staple foods, and allow them their dignity and intellect. Plug them into the www. In other words bring them up to this century. Who knows, they may choose to flip burgers, drink Coke and dream about driving a Beamer, but let’s give them the choice.
This place China, at first when I got here, was not unlike Sau Paulo in Brazil, Buenos Aires or Rosario in Argentina, Valencia or Caracas in Venezuela, Johannesburg in South Africa, Kaposvar in Hungary, Zwickau in East Germany, Toluca in Mexico, Iqaluit, Nunavut in Northern Canada, Flint, Michigan in the USA. Here though, this time something is different. In Eastern China where there is a one child per couple policy. Even in the poorest conditions, the family pools what ever little they can and gets this only child an education. Today, this only child is a young adult. Collectively, they will pull the largest populated developing country, from 3rd world status and compete with the Superpowers, on their own terms, with dignity, intellect, most drinking coke and driving Beamers. There are solar water heaters on all buildings, thousands of electric motor scooters and electric vehicles. For the first time in my life I feel like I should be bringing something back, something that could improve my home ‘G – 7’ developed country.
I dedicate this book to my sons, Michael, and John, for sharing their lives with me, real and virtual.
I dedicate the rest of my life to my wife Janet for hanging in there, 25 years since we took that boat on Sunday.
Forward
Fortune 500 Companies are successful in developing Countries because they execute to a proven, well planed sequence of events as efficiently as possible; resulting in permanent physical working infrastructures that sustain and propagate continued growth. Support mechanisms are specific, and well developed to ensure absolute successful execution. All the information and physical assets are fully interrogated and fully compatible; organized and available to everyone on the team, usually on a single proprietary ‘Company CD.’
That’s what we need, ‘A Company CD’ to help developing Countries get the information so that they can help themselves. It might also get this new Alternative Energy Revolution going. There is a demand.
I’ll suggest that you could fit all the right information on one memory stick.
Let’s call it “KEY”, short for - Knowledge Empowers You.
Ø No references or information about Politics
Ø No references or information on any Religion
Ø No references or information regarding History
Facts; with no opinions, no discrimination, and no judgment.
Five Volumes; to provide everyone, everywhere, the same quality and uniform information;
The Software- KEY
Volume One – EDUCATION
Pre-school to Post Secondary (based on typical home school format, just reading, writing and arithmetic)
Volume Two – FOOD
How to farm, fish, seed, prune, graph, cook, bake, store, keep animals, etc…
Volume Three – SHELTER
How to build homes, Carpentry, Masonry, Metals, Electricity, and infrastructure
Volume Four - HUMANITY
Teaches the basics on how to paint, sculpt, dance, read music, write poetry. Including a data base with examples of all the art forms.
Volume Five – SURVIVAL
Technology, Designs, Engineering, Physics, Self defense, Personal and Community Security, Economics
This is where all the support manuals, drawings, and direction would be found to build and maintain the new products (hardware) and infrastructure.
The Hardware;
We’ll need well funded and organized Franchises, similar to IKEA, LOWES, BESTBUY, and WALMART
A Product line of only GREEN Products:
Solar panels, Windmills, Batteries, Magnetic Generators, DC Appliances, Tools, Electric Scooters, Electric Vehicles, Organic Produce, Green Houses, Gardening Supplies
*Satisfaction Guaranteed with full money back – Refund. All products include free installation, delivery and full service (like the Maytag).
* Franchise in developed countries can have the returned items donated at full value, to developing Countries for the tax Benefit.
The Result:
Modular communities, with their own water, sewage, drainage and power infrastructure.
> Education system based on ‘KEY’ software, Volume One
> Surplus food, or products or services even power to generate Community Revenue
> Small Industries with zero carbon foot prints
> Progress is sustained and available using Key Software, Hardware available on line
I predict that with the Global changes, Political Stress, Human Health challenges, and Natural Disasters, there will be a growing demand for this type of ‘off the main grid’ modular existence.
