.. . ... picostep

This was the time of the year again. Last Friday, I had dinner with Joe, the old friend that I love to hate.

Joe greeted me with his usual enthusiasm, “Hey man, I double my assets, again!”

I dutifully finished the sentence, “If only I had listened to you 15 years ago, sold my house, my wife and my kids and followed your investment advises ….” And we laughed hysterically.

Joe and I have come a long way, we have similar family and professional backgrounds, and just as smart. But the similarities end here. He is a few years older and not nearly as handsome. :-) Fifteen years ago, he inherited a good sum of money, quit his job, and became a full-time investor. He has been extremely successful in this capitalism game, riding one bubble after another, and is now the richest among all my rich friends.

Over dinner, he told me that he had bought a dozen foreclosed properties in areas hit hard by the recent recession, such as Vallejo, Pittsburgh, Stockton, and East San Jose, for as low as $60,000 each and expected to make significant profits in a short time. As much as I hate Joe for taking food from beggars’ plates, I must admit that I am a bit envious of him. After all, he has not been “working” like the rest of us, but manages to become so rich, so fast, and so “legally”.

Our conversation then turned to the financial crisis. We criticized recent excuses put forth by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, and many Wall Street experts. We laughed at their ridiculous assertion that the people of Brazil, China and India were to blame because their reluctance to spend money had “forced” us, the American consumers to engage in “high risk” investments. We talked about a recent report revealing that a good portion of the greenhouse gas emitted by developing countries was a result of providing services and producing goods for us. He even agreed with me that Obama's health care reform was good for the working class, and that the current Tea Party movement had an unmistakable racist element.

Before dessert and coffee, we came to a conclusion - we Americans borrow money from China, Japan and Saudi Arabia, we use our buying power to get rock bottom prices. We pollute their homelands. We complain about their horrible accents and sub-par product quality. And now we blame them for not spending money, causing this global crisis.

“This is an unjust and unsustainable system.” Joe signed, shaking his head.

Unjust? Unsustainable? I couldn't believe my ears. Joe is never interested in anything other than his pocket book. For as long as I can remember, he is always adamant that my involvement in social causes is useless and hypocritical, and he never fails to remind me every time we meet.

"Can you repeat what you have just said?" I asked, just to make sure.

“This is an unjust and unsustainable system.” Joe's answer was unambiguous.

This was an astonishing revelation. After all these years, Joe and I finally found something in common! I was so happy that I almost asked him to donate to World Vision and volunteer for the Food Closet.

Our dinner, unlike previous ones, ended in a pleasant tone. Before letting Joe get into his brand new Jaguar, I firmly shook his hand and gave him a big hug. I even made eye contact with him when he rolled down the window and said once again, “This is an unjust and unsustainable system.”

He put on his seat belt and continued, slowly and somewhat deliberately, “Let us keep it this way. You know son, we all benefit from it..." and started laughing. I hated it when he called me "son", but before I could mutter a word, he had already zoomed away.

I was left in the dust stunned, confused, and angry. I was fooled by Joe again.

Then a frightening thought flashed across my mind,

Do I subconsciously have a bit of Joe in me? Do I secretly wish this unjust and unsustainable system to continue? You know, as Joe said, we all benefit from it.

And, do we all?

On September 18, 2001, one week after the fateful 9-1-1 terrorist attack, I submitted my first essay to a local newspaper...

Today, for the first time, I fly the American Flag.

Growing up in Macau and Hong Kong, my childhood heroes were Neil Armstrong, Thomas Edison, Sun Yat-sen, Gandhi, Joan Baez, and soccer King Pele. They were inventors, pioneers, artists and leaders who symbolized intelligence, creativity, freedom and humanity. Many of them were American.

I came to this country wanting to become a part of it.

Then I got to know the other Americans, the John Waynes, the Joe McCarthys, people who believe in psychics, and then George W. Bush. They are the cowboys, the bullies, the warmongers, the fools and the incompetents who represent the elements of America that I despise.

I fly the American Flag to mourn the loss of lives on September 11, 2001. I fly the flag to denounce barbaric terrorism. And I fly the flag to show solidarity with fellow Americans and the rest of the world, who share the same virtue of justice, peace and mutual respect.

It is not a vote of support for trigger-happy military retaliation. It is not a vote of support for the ruthless expansion of imperial power. And it is not a vote of support for arrogant American exceptionalism.

Yes, the perpetrators of this hideous crime must, if possible, be identified, isolated, and brought to justice. But launching a "Crusade" as vowed by our tough-talking, teary-eye politicians will only provoke greater hatred, breed more martyrs and, as scripted by the terrorists, fueled misguided patriotism that will divide the country.

I fly the American Flag, for the first time today.

Almost 3 years after I registered 'picostep', I finally get it ready.  So why take so long?  Well, I have to take care of my mom, my wife, 2 children, and 3 cats, I spend a few hours every week on volunteer work, and yes I have a day job too. :-)

But his is actually easier than I thought.

So what is a picostep?

A picostep is a small step, a very very small step. In fact, one trillion picosteps equal ONE single step.

The United Nations estimates that in 2009, the planet's human population is 6.8 billions. So if everyone takes 146 picosteps for common good, we would be able to make ONE step forward.

Sounds depressing? Sounds encouraging?  Um.., I don't know about you, but I think it is both.