Measure for measure isn’t the answer

Obviously, this technology magazine is based on freely structured trade and business activities in Europe and other regions of the world. The streams of technologies and products involved depend on a prerequisite, meaning all partakers are working from a peaceful environment and in relative prosperity; these will positively influence all kinds of businesses. With the terrorist attacks, changes now leading to critical conditions.

We already stood in the middle of a tough slump in the high-tech business, but now, as one of the effects of this disaster, we are facing a big recession in electronics with deep cuts into consumption and manufacture, and into businesses for which the electronic manufacturers are suppliers, such as automotive, aircraft, telecommunications, consumer electronics and many more. Companies have reacted with tremendous lay-offs, or have switched over to short-time work. People who are encountering such a situation will not buy a new car, fridge, TV or Hifi set, the latest computer or digital camera technology. Having to make their living, they have to cut down expenses.

Nobody knows anything, not even those who are continually talking, about a so-called future. I would not dare to say that research on upcoming technology trends and in turn market opportunities is futile, but you have to be aware that all this is pure forecast. Future is a projection of what we intend to do, it’s nothing real and nothing we can rely upon. It’s ok for use in language grammar, but it fails for describing real life. Here, we are planning continually and doing our work, and can only adjust for deviations. If any of the victims in NY had an idea of the nearest future spanning just 60 minutes, would he/she have set afoot in the towers on the morning of September 11th?

There are no ready-made answers available on how business will develop, but it seems reasonable to not expect too much for the next months. Some people still hope that in Q2/2002 the situation will begin to bloom anew, providing an encouraging business climate. I personally would not expect such an early start in recovery because of the desolate business situation in general, maybe some months later. Just recently a friend in the U.S. passed on the following story to me which brings another insight into the current situation.

My 4 year old daughter Aine and I were walking in the woods playing a game. She was pretending that there were monsters in the forest and that they were coming to eat us. We had to be vigilant. We had to defend ourselves. I asked her, „What is the plan? What are we going to do if we see a monster?“ She replied, „Feed them.“ „Feed them?“ I said. „Yes,“ she answered. „If we feed them they won’t want to eat us.“ I think she has the answer there. Imagine if George Bush took that $40bn that Congress gave him, and take $20bn to fix up U.S. security and clean up New York, and use the other half to feed people. And not just with food. What if we decided that people’s spirits needing feeding too? What if we chose to build a beautiful mosque, right in the heart of Kabul? To gave it as a place for people to feed their spirits, and hospitals and a complete infrastructure for water and energy supply? What would the reaction be? We have choices. Seems we could bomb people to death, and thereby satisfy our thirst for retaliation. But what would that get us? A world that so admired the West that it wanted to emulate it in every way and celebrates its way of life? Or would a large part of the billion people that don’t live in the west see things differently? Would more people feel as if retaliation was the only possible response, and figure out more ways to terrorize? Or can we take Aine’s advice? There is no better way to rob the world of its anger and bitterness, jealousy and hate, than to feed people, their bodies, minds and spirits. Take plenty of dollars and spend it in every neighborhood. Put the world to work growing food, healing people, restoring land and water, building communities, creating the fibers of connection between peoples, families, communities, cities, nations. Can you think of a better form of adequate human sympathy?

The sensible people have resolutely and carefully fight terrorism, but not in the unwise way, measure for measure. For example: the Near East shows us daily that this is an endless spiral of cruelties. Instead, we have to protect ourselves intelligently, and we have to support the needy and poor in our neighborhood. We are inhabitants of the same small planet and have to share its resources. Then business and trade can be more prosperous, for all of us.

Gerhard B. Wolski; gbwriter@compuserve.com