The Winters Of Their Discontent

Okay a couple of people emailed me privately to ask – on account of the last paragraph of the last blog post here - did I maybe know something beforehand about the recently announced death of Kim Jong Il.

Yes there were some rumours around regarding the ailing health of not one, but 'several dictators' who were in some way also associated with China. I have some vintage champagne cellaring for the two I'm thinking about - two of the most malefic personas that have ever walked the stage of 'big politics.' I fear however that they will abide with us for a little longer.

But enough of such dismal stuff. And on to something more uplifting.

How does 'old money' get to be 'old?' And why is it important?

People have faced challenges regularly throughout history, challenges which shatter favourite illusions, and call into question the value of the prevailing knowledge – at the particular time - of how to solve such challenges. Fortunes are usually totally wiped out during those phases as previously well-to-do and establishment figures use up their wealth just to stay alive as the long winters of their discontent rages on towards their final destinations. Those who have ways and means of surviving with something left still intact after the winter darkness has retired – tend to possess the most ancient familial memories about life and how things really are. In other words, they have the experience to handle the challenges.

Maybe the world will encounter, new, as-yet never-before-seen, challenges? Maybe. But I find the challenges before us today, and those that I have read about in history books, and those that have been recounted to me by others who lived through them, all of a piece.

If I ever pulled the budget together to do a big film, I would be working from an ideal fantasy I have about being able to cast those intriguing, even somewhat prickly, actor/characters who rarely all appear on the world's stage at the same time. I would love to cast Klaus Kinski, alongside Marlene Dietrich, alongside John Malkovich, alongside Charlize Theron alongside... ...I dunno, there's so many; but you get what I mean.

Every one of these movie identities actually had a real life that reeked with drama and by now, legend. Klaus Kinski was a case in point, of someone, who managed to survive the most atrocious environment, and come out a magnetic, austerely philosophic, some say of course, also mad person. Not too many people today remember when Klaus was the sex god, really, of Europe. His real life was XXX-rated before there was such a film classification. Certainly, again, some say this was all a stunt for publicity. But I don't think so. I think it was pretty real.

I was once invited to go to that famous Davos Economic Conference thingy. Lots of two-bit millionaires get asked to go, and back in the day when I was one, I also got asked. But I did not go. At the time, I didn't quite get what the point was, although even then it was clear to me from the types who were going, that this was to be another elitist stunt about to be practiced on a gullible world.

Actually I did go nearby to Davos. Not far up the road to a place where lazy rich people like me (well not like me because they were a whole helluva lot richer!) went to play around each winter. Here are some pictures of the place. And this is still where I get my information from today.

Bettcha anything you like, that the types at this place are not going to go short throughout the coming euro-zone winter of every politician's and mainstream banker's discontent.

Calvin J. Bear