<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Thomas Greco</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:thg@mindspring.com">thg@mindspring.com</a>></span><br>Date: Tue, Jul 5, 2011 at 10:38 AM<br>
Subject: My 2011 Summer newsletter<br>To: Thomas Greco <<a href="mailto:thg@mindspring.com">thg@mindspring.com</a>><br><br><br><u></u>
<div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><b>2011�Summer Newsletter</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><b>The long silence</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">It�s been a long time since I sent out my previous
newsletter in
mid-February. That doesn�t mean I�ve been inactive�quite the
contrary, I�ve
just been too busy to document all the things I�ve been doing or
to compile the
list of important links and resources I want you to know about.
This edition is
intended to remedy that.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">I returned to the U.S. from Asia in mid-February for a
four month
stint, but am now back in Thailand for an indefinite period. While
in America,
much of my time and energy was taken up with preparing and
delivering some new presentations,
providing media interviews, and trying in vain to keep up with
email and other
correspondence. The first few weeks in Tucson were devoted to
resting up,
reconnecting with friends and colleagues, and taking care of some
personal
business details. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">By the middle of April, I had completed a new
presentation which
elaborates the themes that I began expounding more than a year ago
about
societal metamorphosis and the �Butterfly economy,� and added more
material
about �new finance� to my perennial topic of alternative exchange.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><b>The North American tour</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Long-time friend and associate, Les Squires, made it
possible for me to
venture up to Colorado for a few days in April to conduct a series
of
presentations, discussions, and consultations. Highlights of that
trip included
my presentation titled, <b><i>Money and Finance
in the</i></b> <b><i>Emerging
Butterfly Economy, </i></b>which I delivered<b> </b>to
the Highland City Club in Boulder, and another presentation on <b><i>The
Butterfly Economy</i> </b>at the Louisville Public Library.
These were
co-sponsored by various Transitions groups and individuals and
will eventually
be made available on my website <a href="http://beyondmoney.net" target="_blank">http://beyondmoney.net</a>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><img src="cid:part1.02030201.09000908@mindspring.com" height="176" hspace="12" width="141" align="left">I had a
rewarding but
exhausting trip back east in May, with family visits sandwiched in
between presentations
in Florida and Toronto. The first of these was a workshop that I
was asked to
provide for members of the Financial Planning Association at their
annual
retreat. I titled it, <b><i>Financial Planning
in the Emerging Butterfly
Economy: Realities, Trends and Discontinuities.</i></b> You
can view the power
point slide show at <a href="http://beyondmoney.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/greco-fpa-powerpointrevpost.pps" target="_blank">http://beyondmoney.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/greco-fpa-powerpointrevpost.pps</a>.
I have a recording of my narrative which I would like to combine
with the slide
show but I�ll need some help to do that. If anyone has the skills
and the time
to work with me on that, I�d greatly appreciate it. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">�<img src="cid:part2.09090101.08090606@mindspring.com" height="144" hspace="12" width="134" align="right">The hardest
part was
the last 4 days in Toronto where I gave a lecture at the MINT film
festival on
the first day, two TV interviews on the second, and workshops on
the third and
fourth days, with a lot of consultations in between. That trip was
hosted by
Glen Alan who, as the new director, has put renewed vigor into the
Toronto
Dollar currency project. Glen, who happens to be a musician and
operates a
professional recording studio, is well-connected, very effective,
and a
fountain of energy. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">�All of the Toronto proceedings were professionally
recorded and are in
the process of being edited. Alan and Ron Elmy are putting
together a DVD that will
be available from The MINT Film Festival website in less than a
month. Watch
for it on <a href="http://mintff.org" target="_blank">http://mintff.org</a>. You
can download a
short video teaser now at <a href="http://www.ronelmy.com/files/thg.zip" target="_blank">http://www.ronelmy.com/files/thg.zip</a>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">�Already posted are my interview with Frank Touby (at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvCruoYcN4Q" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvCruoYcN4Q</a>),
and
my interview with Hugh Reilly (at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7nOYCRHjOY&feature=player_detailpage" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7nOYCRHjOY&feature=player_detailpage</a>).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">My particular vision, interests and expertise are, I
think, fairly well
expressed in these interviews. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">I�m hopeful that my Toronto visit and the follow-up
activities will
have a far reaching positive impact.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">�<b>Funding the Common Good </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><b><i>CREW</i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Sometime toward the end of last year I mentioned an
exciting new
project called, CREW, the purpose of which is to provide a
perpetual pool of
capital to finance both for-profit and non-profit enterprises that
help to
create resilient, sustainable communities. It is one instance of
an emerging
phenomenon called <i>crowd sourcing</i> or <i>crowd
funding.</i> CREW is not intended to
provide any direct personal gain. Money we put in is not a loan,
nor is it an
ownership share, but a gift that is intended to be a permanent
investment in
the common good.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">�I have great expectations for this initiative, and as a
member of the
CREW Founder's Circle, I invite you to join <b>my </b>CREW. We
will together
decide how the funds in our joint stewardship account will be
invested. Just go
to <a href="http://www.CREWfund.org/tomg" target="_blank">http://www.CREWfund.org/tomg</a>,
watch the short video, and click on the orange <b><i>Join
Now</i></b> button.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">�<b>Recent Posts to my Website</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">For those of you who do not regularly follow my posts,
I�d like to
highlight a few especially important ones. You can be notified of
new posts by
following me (tomazgreco) on Twitter. <br>
</p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><b>The war against the
middle class. </b>It is ever more apparent that there is a
deliberate policy to impoverish and disempower the middle class.
As far back as 2006, billionaire Warren Buffet was quoted in the
New York Times as saying, �There�s class warfare, all right, but
it�s my class, the rich class, that�s making war, and we�re
winning.� More recently, Senator Bernie Sanders, in a speech to
his Senate colleagues<i>, </i><i><span style="font-style: normal;">plainly described the war that
is being waged against the middle class by the super-wealthy
elite and their minions in Congress</span></i><i>.</i>
Find it at this post, <a href="http://beyondmoney.net/2011/03/28/what-happened-to-class-war-in-america/" target="_blank">http://beyondmoney.net/2011/03/28/what-happened-to-class-war-in-america/</a>,
and search �Sanders� on my site for additional material on the
subject. This is not simply an American war, but one that is
being waged globally, as we see from the austerity that is being
imposed on Ireland, Greece, and other �developed� coutries.</li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">One aspect of that
war is the
ongoing shifting of the tax burden from corporations and wealthy
individuals onto
the backs of the poor and middle-class. Former Labor Secretary
Robert Reich
explains that part of it in a 2 minute video. See it at, <a href="http://beyondmoney.net/2011/06/20/the-truth-about-the-economy/" target="_blank">http://beyondmoney.net/2011/06/20/the-truth-about-the-economy/</a>.
</p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b>Community.</b>
The answer to that situation lies in mobilizing our energies and
resources to build community. See my post on that at, <a href="http://beyondmoney.net/2011/04/29/coping-caring-and-building-community/" target="_blank">http://beyondmoney.net/2011/04/29/coping-caring-and-building-community/</a>.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><b>Libya.</b> Regarding the ongoing assault by
NATO forces against Libya, there is no doubt a hidden agenda.
Hmm, what might that be? See my posts at <a href="http://beyondmoney.net/2011/04/07/what-is-the-truth-about-libya/" target="_blank">http://beyondmoney.net/2011/04/07/what-is-the-truth-about-libya/</a>
and <a href="http://beyondmoney.net/2011/04/08/money-and-oil-the-agenda-in-libya-becomes-more-evident/" target="_blank">http://beyondmoney.net/2011/04/08/money-and-oil-the-agenda-in-libya-becomes-more-evident/</a>.
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><b>Cashless Exchange Coming of Age.</b> And
here�s an important article I wrote <span>in response
to a request from Green America that was posted on their <a href="http://www.greenbusinessnetwork.org/daily-trade-blog/item/219-stop-chasing-the-buck-and-change-your-luck-1-of-4.html" target="_blank">Green
America Exchange blog</a>. It describes what I see as the
necessary conditions for the </span>cashless exchange r<span>evolution </span>to go viral. My article, <i><span><a href="http://beyondmoney.net/2011/04/04/stop-chasing-the-buck-and-change-your-luck/" title="Permanent Link to Stop Chasing the Buck and Change
Your�Luck" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Stop Chasing the Buck and Change
Your Luck</span></a></span></i>, can be found here: <a href="http://beyondmoney.net/2011/04/04/stop-chasing-the-buck-and-change-your-luck/" target="_blank">http://beyondmoney.net/2011/04/04/stop-chasing-the-buck-and-change-your-luck/</a>.
<i><span></span></i></li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><b>Inflation</b>. About the inflation threat,
you should read this, <a href="http://beyondmoney.net/2011/03/29/fed-buying-bonds-hyper-inflation-on-the-way/" target="_blank">http://beyondmoney.net/2011/03/29/fed-buying-bonds-hyper-inflation-on-the-way/</a>.
</li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><b>Miscellany </b></p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">I�ve written a new article, <i><span>Reclaiming
the Credit Commons, the Key to a Peaceful and Happy Society</span></i><b>,</b>
that will be included in an anthology tentatively titled, <i>Self-Sustaining Abundance: The Commons, Beyond Market
and State</i>. The book project is being supported by The
Heinrich Boell Foundation of Germany, and is being co-edited by
Silke Helfrich and David Bollier. It will be published early
next year in English, German and Spanish.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><img src="cid:part3.05020906.05080603@mindspring.com" height="96" hspace="12" width="64" align="right">One of my
published articles will be included in the upcoming anthology <i>What Comes After Money?</i> which will be published
later this year by Evolver Editions (<a href="http://www.evolvereditions.com" target="_blank">http://www.evolvereditions.com</a>)
in partnership with North Atlantic Books, and will be
distributed by Random House. <br>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">The Chinese translation of my book, <i>The End of
Money and the Future of Civilization</i><span>, is
now in print.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">One of the most interesting and useful books I've read
this year is <i>PayPal Wars.</i> You can find my
comments about it, <i><span>Pay Pal Wars�Some
Important Lessons for Entrepreneurs,</span></i> on my blog,
<a href="http://beyondmoney.net/2011/02/10/pay-pal-wars%e2%80%94some-important-lessons-for-entrepreneurs/" target="_blank">http://beyondmoney.net/2011/02/10/pay-pal-wars%e2%80%94some-important-lessons-for-entrepreneurs/</a>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Finally, I also recommend that you view this inspiring
video, <a href="http://tomazgreco.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/nick-vujicic-no-arms-no-legs-no-worries/" target="_blank">http://tomazgreco.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/nick-vujicic-no-arms-no-legs-no-worries/</a>
<br>
Next time you think life is hard, remember Nick.</li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">I'm reassessing how I want to spend my time and energy
from here on
out. I'd like to be a little less busy, and direct the bulk of my
attention to
aspects of my work that are most creative, enjoyable, and
effective. I'll be
cutting back on correspondence and lecturing, and emphasizing
consultations and
collaborations with groups and individuals working on projects
that show
promise of making major breakthroughs toward interest-free
cashless trading, equitable
finance, and economic democracy.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">May we all find the courage to do what needs to be done,
in a joyful
spirit and with love in our hearts,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Thomas<br>
<br>
</p>
Mobile phone (Thailand): <a href="tel:%2B66%2084%20373%205645" value="+66843735645" target="_blank">+66 84 373 5645</a><br>
Skype/Twitter name: tomazgreco
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">�</p>
</div>
</div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>P2P Foundation: <a href="http://p2pfoundation.net" target="_blank">http://p2pfoundation.net</a>� - <a href="http://blog.p2pfoundation.net" target="_blank">http://blog.p2pfoundation.net</a> <br>
<br>Connect: <a href="http://p2pfoundation.ning.com" target="_blank">http://p2pfoundation.ning.com</a>; Discuss: <a href="http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation" target="_blank">http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation</a><br>
<br>Updates: <a href="http://del.icio.us/mbauwens" target="_blank">http://del.icio.us/mbauwens</a>; <a href="http://friendfeed.com/mbauwens" target="_blank">http://friendfeed.com/mbauwens</a>; <a href="http://twitter.com/mbauwens" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/mbauwens</a>; <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens</a><br>
<br><br><br><br><br>