A Fractal Look at the Greek Crises
February 12th, 2010 | Published in Global Financial Crises
Witness the latest round of massive economic-cum-financial dysfunction in the global economy as the Greek Economy threatens to fall, setting into motion a domino effect that will potentially flatten the eurozone and other parts of the World.
I believe that the underlying cause is continued adherence to a simple linear view of things, when in fact the world we live in is, in my view, an integrated, purposeful, conscious, fractal-based world-system. Within this system, there is a special class of fractals – the physical-vital-mental fractal that I am proposing is the key to aligning with the underlying system to therefore allow the System to work its magic in our lives.
Incidentally, in the Financial Times yesterday in an opinion on the Greek Crises coming to USA (”Greek Crises is coming to America”, Financial Times, Feb 10, 2010, http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f90bca10-1679-11df-bf44-00144feab49a.html)
the author Niall Ferguson, also author of Ascent of Money, referred to the ‘fractal geometry of debt’ in suggesting that the Greek crises, Iceland crises, Ireland crises were all similar, just on different scale. This is the first time I have seen an analysis of this nature in the Financial Times – and to me it illustrates how the mainstream is beginning to move away from linear to even fractal-based systems thinking. I will also quickly mention that what the author, Niall Ferguson, was pointing out, is in fact an illustration of a contrary-fractal – a fractal that is led by the physical or vital component, rather than the mental component. If we were to replace this contrary fractal with the physical-vital-mental fractal, in effect the financial crises will begin to be more effectively solved.
Why such tremendous power has been given to one dimension of life only, the unrefined economic aim, when life is quite evidently multi-dimensional, is the underlying question. This dogma of economic growth often at any cost, and the demand that all in an economy exist as assets to further the one-dimensional goals of the economy is quite frankly an outmoded way of being quite simply rooted in a physical-vital orientation.
Its time is fast drawing to a close, and if we listen carefully enough in the silence behind the actions we see that this physical-vital orientation is seeking for completion of its fractal, to tend toward the mental orientation. Hints of what this may look like flash into the inner mind: the meaning of wealth expanded; money de-monopolized so that numerous communities, rather than Central Banks, have power over their respective destinies; Creative activity democratized – themes i will continue to return to in future entries..
Every time an economy falls the same rote actions are followed – austerity measures proclaimed, watchful eyes cast on debt repayments, stress levels amongst the common people escalated, potential fire walls set up, and vultures on the side-lines waiting to swoop in for the kill. It is interesting to note that in a staff paper from the IMF (”IMF floats plans to raise tragets for inflation”, Financial Times, Feb 12, 2010, http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/46c20458-1775-11df-87f6-00144feab49a.html“) where thinking on financial crises has been fixed for 30 years, it is being proposed that Central Bankers expand their portfolio of tools , beyond interest rate adjustment. This is a huge change – clearly moving from the Physical to the Vital. But it cannot or will not be enough.
It is time to examine the system behind the system, and enter into the deeper logic that is beginning to surface. Also interesting to note Niall Ferguson, in the same piece referred to above, reflected that it is poignant that the financial crises of the West has started in Greece, the birthplace of Western Civilization, and is spreading from there, just as Western Civilization spread from there. Let us hope that this crises is viewed for more than a spreading financial crises, to get to what it really is – a failure to perceive and align with the deeper logic of the system behind the system, and that thinking and action is taken to understand this system behind the system. This is what Fractal Systems Architecture, my book – Connecting Inner Power with Global Change (http://blog.aurosoorya.com/?p=155), and the ongoing VoiceAmerica radio series, Connecting Inner Power with Global Change at http://www.voiceamerica.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=44436, is focused on.
