Burn the Bridges

It wasn't an interview, it was a "get to know" sync, but it was a step in the right direction - and it went well I believe. There is no role in the company for me, but there was speak of creating a role to fill a gap, or taking me on as an external consultant for piece work. Either way, it was enthusing to get even a little bit of traction with someone who was ultimately a stranger to me at the start of the meeting. And, based on my own experience and their current situation, I think I would be ale to bring some value to them quite quickly - if I get the chance.

A bridge built.

Bridges burn all the time.

Yet we are told to not burn our bridges, just in case we need them in the future. But in the current economic and political climate, there is a lot of volatility at both the business level, and the personal level and currently, there is a handful of volatile people making decisions that trigger erratic activity globally. They get away with it as they are like bullies, who use fear to intimidate people into compliance or even to support them, in the hope the eye of the bully will not turn in their direction. They might not like looking at others suffer, but they prefer that to themselves.

Don't fight back?

That is the advice given in response to bullies, especially if the bully has a size advantage. However, it is pretty good advice for when it is non-physical violence, because essentially the bully runs out of steam. But, you know what is even better? Undermining the power of the bully itself, taking away their advantage and leave them with no ammunition.

Currently, the US is using trade tariffs as the "make a deal stick" to steal kids' lunch money, and the response has been an in kind reaction, which is only going to be met with a larger pummelling. Instead, what should perhaps happen for the person who is so great at making deals, is take all the deals off the table completely. Don't impose retaliatory trade tariffs, stop trading altogether.

Yes, this is disruptive to all business considering the US is the single largest consumer on earth, but it might just be the panacea that is necessary to build the relationships and trade routes that reduce the reliance on the US completely. And, while it would create a very challenging environment in the short-term, it would lead to a balancing of the global economy and perhaps even a return to a more aligned trade value, rather than the hyper-inflated economy driven by debt and derivatives.

And this would also provide the business environment and incentive for countries and regions to better cooperate and be more self-reliant. Because currently, what is holding back a lot of the cooperation, is the competition to vie for the US consumer market, and to keep the US government happy. Stop trying to make them happy, leave them to their own devices, and get on with building a better world without them.

The interesting thing about the US economy is that it can only exist as it does because of the Rest of the world. If they were locked out of the majority of global trade for a significant period of time, their books do not come close to balancing. Even now they don't with spiralling debt, even though they are pulling in trillions through their global monetary mechanisms each year. The current cutbacks in the government are not going to change this, all it is going to do is leave more of the population struggling long term, as the privatisation of all of these services become aggressively profit-seeking. But if the flow of trade into the US slows significantly or stops, where do those profits come from?

The US becomes a hermit kingdom.

Not by choice.

But isn't this what happens to many bullies? They get isolated and ostracized, unless they change their behaviour. Because if they don't change, eventually those around them are forced to grow up in order to fend for themselves, or cooperate to defend together.

We live in a world of short memories, despite us knowing history from ages past. What is clear from history is that no matter the size or reach, all kingdoms fail eventually. Many in the US and outside believe that because of the level of control held now, they are too big to fail. But the situation is more fragile than they believe and things can change rapidly in terms of shifts in culture and civilisations. We might not recognise it from the position of our own lives and localised experience, but if we were to zoom out, we would see - change is inevitable.

It would be great if rather than supporting governments to spend our resources on competing with other nations, we could combine our resources to further the development of humanity. But, we seemed doomed to repeat the past. Maybe it isn't because we have forgotten, but maybe it is because many of us have never known. Or maybe, those they know, also know that in the short-term, they can benefit from selling the rest of us out.

Burn the bridges.

Not all bridges. We should be looking to build bridges at local levels and at global levels between each other, the citizens of the world. But, if we want to have peace amongst us, we may have to be prepared to burn the bridges to those who are using them to peddle hate and violence in return for wealth and control.

We all fear the unknown.
But if all that is known isn't working, we have to learn more.

Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]