Thanks to EVERYONE who took part this week! We got a pretty broad range of responses, and some of the most important points have been duly noted! SO now i feel ready to start making this movie about decentralisation, to share with the world.. and your posts will be a great help with that process!
So please do check out some amazing posts below, all of them really worth a read.. And then finally you can see who won some steem! Congratulations to the winners!
@artemislives
The Destruction of the Organic Farmers' Market
It was idyllic. The 20 farmers from around the district patted themselves on the back. The first farmers market had been a roaring success after the families who had struggled for to sell their vegetables and fruit on rickety tables at the entrances to their farms for years agreed to centralize every Saturday to sell their wares. In the village, where it would be easier for the customers and save them petrol and time. "After all", Miss Evans had commented in that first meeting, "We all have different produce to offer, and the same family which buys lettuce from me will need potatoes from her and onions from him."
There was much happy nodding, agreement and excitement.
@dmwh
I've been letting this question roll around in my mind for several days in order to observe what answers would show up. @eco-alex has already listed a bunch of answers right in the question. It is so obviously in our faces wherever we look, but as he said, many don't see the problem.
The answer that most resonates with me is that due to centralization, we've (been) disconnected from the people who would normally be the closest to us. Centralization has provided a "solution" for everything. From children starting public school at age 6 (and possibly pre-school or daycare facilities at a much younger age) to the elderly who are shuffled off to care homes to live out their remaining days in a fairly sterile environment.
My view is coming from someone who was born, grew up and lives in the US. I was fortunate to have a stay at home Mom but this is now a luxury.
@porters
Lessening the Inequality Gap
The first thing that comes to mind for me is the widening inequality. There is such a widening gap between the wealthy few and the majority of others where itās at the point the combined wealth of the 62 wealthiest people is equivalent to what half of the human population on Earth would make, their wealth ā that is a huge disparity! There is something very dysfunctional about this ā such imbalance!
When I look back on how money came about and the changes over the years, where it is meant to be a medium of exchange, it starting out as a commodity exchange (commodity money) which had itās problems of bulk and perish-ability thus it was changed to metal coins which were given a designated value. This commodity money was then turned into representative money with the introduction of paper money and non-precious coinage. Representative money was backed by the bank or governmentās promise to exchange it for an amount of gold or silver with most coming to rely on the gold standard. With the dropping of the gold standard this representative money became Fiat money where the value was given by governmentās decree and with this laws that enforced the use of this ālegal tenderā above any other form of payment. Federal Reserve and other central banks were created to supposedly provide a safer, more flexible, and more stable monetary and financial system, influencing the overall availability and cost of credit in the economy. A very centralized system putting control of the monetary system in the hands of the wealthiest bankers!
Centralisation is all about control and hierarchy. You have the guys at the top making all the decisions and pulling all the strings, whilst those of us on the bottom run around trying to keep everything afloat. All of the decision making is made at the top whilst we are left to pick up the pieces with no say in how things are done.
Money and power are the main motivators and the main goal for those who sit at the top and rule, so that we live in a world where those in power are also those who own all the major corporations around the world. Those who have the control over our health, are also those who own the pharmaceutical companies and so on and so on.
Centralisation has moved us further and further away from having control over our own lives, in every possible way. The only way we can take back that control is if we choose to live outside of the system and become totally autonomous. Something that seems impossible to so many, because this system has made most of the world's population totally dependant on them, physically, mentally and spiritually. So much so that they hand over their power without a second though.
@olivia08
I think the world now is centralized though there are part have its own democracy. It supposed to be good to be true living in a democratic society. We have the freedom to do and decides whatever we want to. But there is also a bad impact when rebellious people are on their way. It's hard to explain how it could be positively recognized.
The question of @ecotrain made me realized to share my opinion base on what I had been to my life way back my homeland compared to my life in my workplace. I won't mention the name of the country to avoid further interrogation by the authority. I am not against the way how the system but I am just sharing my thoughts. We actually have no freedom to talk about it but I had said, this is just a positive sharing to let the people know and understand how centralization failed us both in these two designated countries.
@stortebeker
In what way has centralization failed us? This is the Question of the Week that @ecotrain is asking us this week. A great question indeed, which they seem to feel similarly about, as they're offering some amazing prices this week for the best answers. Centralization is an important issue, that I agree is not being talked about sufficiently. For right now, however, I only want to use the first thing that came to my mind as an example: board games!
Do you remember playing old-time board games like Monopoly or Risk? How could you not? Unless you're from the latest generations who only got to see the most recent electronic editions of these games, or if you grew up in an environment entirely without them, you most likely remember playing with your siblings and friends.
Open Sourcing the Rules
If your board game experience was even remotely similar to that of me and my sister (and sure we're prone to assume the same thing about everyone else as ourselves), before actually starting the game you probably went through a short debate about modifications to the rules. At least we wanted to let new players know about how we liked to play, and at the same time offer them a chance to make their own suggestions too. It was our game, after all, so why not follow our own rules? Like the connection between East Africa and the Middle East in Risk: Is it really necessary, or even desirable? What about private loans in Monopoly? To what extent do we permit alliances between players?
@geke
I love @eco-alex and his work on Steemit, especially his Questions of the Week. The latest one ..... āIn what ways has centralisation failed us?ā might be my favorite so far and I'm excited to give my take! However, in the post that introduces the question Alex makes the following statement: "Isn't it interesting that every political system we have today, whether it be capitalism or communism, is based on a totally centralised system.." and my answer must therefore address an error in this statement.
Capitalism is not a centralized system.
It's likely @eco-alex was simply confusing capitalism with corporatism, which is an incredibly centralized system. By its very definition, corporatism is a move toward centralization: a partnership between corporations and government agencies in an attempt to remove competition, either through regulation or allowed consolidation (mergers). Corporatism is ultimately a move toward monopolies, and a monopoly is full centralization of an industry.
Capitalism, on the other hand, is an economic system based on capital. That's all it is. It depends largely on the market context in which that capital is employed. In a free market, (meaning free from government intervention) capitalism is completely decentralized
@zeleiracordero
"Power tends to corrupt, absolute power corrupts absolutely."
This week's QOTW is loaded with frustration at the perception of a problem as widespread as it is uncontrollable by ordinary citizens, as it forms part of the fabric made with the threads of Power at a world level, that tangle that concentrates everything that concerns humanity in one center in order to create and recreate strategies to keep the world as it is. This kind of theatre in which everyone plays their part, but many of the actions are predetermined by the ways in which power is exercised, seen as a centre from which connections with the periphery are radiated.
As a form of management, management from a center is nefarious in many respects, starting with bureaucracy, which is nothing more than a control of central power in order to dominate people with methodologies arranged in a standardized way.
But what is good for government control is not necessarily good for the people they "serve" and this has degenerated into chaos with all its aftermath. From this panorama is nourished the main question:
@intothewild
https://steemitimages.com/0x0/https://ipfs.busy.org/ipfs/QmSJjp3w1FS2nsHNWsDZ4b8N1FWzEqsKqGf9wLKt1kAMXw
You know those memories that stick with you in your mind for whatever reason? You can look back and envision where you were and what was said, something that was profound enough that years later you can still replay the scenario in your head over and over? Well this is one of mine...
I was sitting among my co-workers at our weekly meeting, held Wednesday's at 9 AM. Seated at the table were myself, our accountant/book keeper, our installer, and the president and vice president. We were discussing sales goals, deadlines, customer issues, basic stuff for our Wednesday meetings. Then the president asked "who was going to handle X???" It wasn't a massive issue to resolve, but it had been an on going issue that needed to be resolved once and for all. The VP said, "we'll take care of it", to the dismay of the president. Not what he wanted to hear. "We'll take care of it."
What's so bad about that answer? The problem will get taken care of, so why the big fuss from the president??? What the president said after that has stuck with me to this day...
The problem with WE, is that there is no accountability for failure. Surely if there was success, an individual would stand and take credit, but with we, there is plenty of blame to pass around in case of failure. "It wasn't my job!" And there in lies the crux of the issue. Not one person was specifically in charge of said responsibility.
So the president looked at all of us around the table and said, "who is going to own this?"
Oh snap.
@eco-alex
Now there's a question and one which isn't being asked enough. When something is ubiquitous, all-pervading and all-encompassing it can be hard to even notice it. Do people understand what centralisation is, or how it operates? I believe most people have no idea of the depths and effects that centralisation has had. Go and look on youtube and try to find me one decent video with someone explaining the issues at hand? Well, I couldn't!
Did you ever notice that every system of political persuasion ends with the letters ISM. Did you ever wonder what that ISM means, and why it is used to define the dogmatic systems of power that rule our entire planet? And ISM, whether it is Capitalism, Socialism, Marxism, ends in these words? AND isn't it interesting how the word Anarchism is rarely used, and instead people usually say Anarchy? These ISM's are a sign of a centralised and polarised world. When we add an ISM to anything it becomes tainted, even the word Social, which is a great thing in general, becomes tainted and destroyed by Socialism.
Take anything and make it an extreme and you will have too much of it.. And as any wise person knows, too much of anything is a bad thing!
THE WINNERS SHARING 100 STEEM ARE .....
@geke
26 Steem is coming your way
@stortebeker
26 Steem is coming your way
@porters
12 Steem is coming your way
@trucklife-family
12 Steem is coming your way
@olivia08
12 Steem is coming your way
@zeleiracordero
12 Steem is coming your way
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR EXCELLENT POSTS!!
CHECK OUT OUR PREVIOUS QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Who do you trust and how do you trust?
https://steempeak.com/ecotrain/@ecotrain/ecotrain-qotw-tie-up-post-who-do-you-trust-and-how-do-you-trust
What do you think is as the root of conflict between people?
https://steempeak.com/ecotrain/@ecotrain/ecotrain-qotw-season-2-6-what-do-you-think-is-as-the-root-of-conflict-between-people
What is stopping you from moving to the ecoVillage of tomorrow?
https://steempeak.com/ecotrain/@ecotrain/ecotrain-qotw-tie-up-post-what-is-stopping-you-from-moving-to-the-ecovillage-of-tomorrow
ecoTrain QOTW AWARDS AND 75 STEEM IN PRIZES!! What 3 things are most important to you in the eco-village of tomorrow?
https://steempeak.com/ecotrain/@ecotrain/ecotrain-qotw-awars-and-75-steem-in-prizes-what-3-things-are-most-important-to-you-in-the-eco-village-of-tomorrow
Share about something or someone that you have discovered on the Steem blockchain that has inspired you or taught you something...
https://steempeak.com/ecotrain/@ecotrain/ecotrain-qotw-tie-up-post-share-about-something-or-someone-that-you-have-discovered-on-the-steem-blockchain-that-has-inspired
What is more important for good health... emotions, diet, exercise, positive thinking, or something else?
https://steempeak.com/ecotrain/@ecotrain/ecotrain-qotw-tie-up-what-is-more-important-for-good-health-emotions-diet-exercise-positive-thinking-or-something-else
Share a story about how you overcame a life challenge
https://steemit.com/ecotrain/@ecotrain/ecotrain-qotw-tie-up-post-share-a-story-about-how-you-overcame-a-life-challenge
Would You Like To Be A Super Hero? No Really!?
https://steempeak.com/ecotrain/@ecotrain/would-you-like-to-be-a-super-hero-no-really-ecotrain-qotw-tieup-post
YOUTUBE Vs UNIVERSITY
https://steempeak.com/ecotrain/@ecotrain/ecotrain-qotw-tie-up-post-youtube-vs-university
ResPect!
https://steempeak.com/ecotrain/@ecotrain/ecotrain-question-of-the-week-respect
4 surPRIZE Awards For the ecoTrain QOTW: Poem on Hope Tie Up
https://steempeak.com/ecotrain/@ecotrain/4-surprize-awards-for-the-ecotrain-qotw-poem-on-hope
Ā
HOW TO SUPPORT THE ECO VILLAGE PROJECT
Disrupting the "Cost of Living" Industry
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