A complete rescue of the Titanic's passengers would have been possible had the radio not been turned off aboard the Leyland liner "Californian" that was just 20 miles away from where the collision had occurred.  When the world-financial system unravels itself in the space of a few days, or even hours, there will likewise be no rescue force standing by to rescue humanity from its folly.

In a sense, the present world-financial and economic system is already sinking.  It has had its bottom ripped out in a collision with the unyielding reality of fundamental principles that cannot be ignored without consequences.  Like the Titanic that could not have been saved by any means from the moment on when it collided with the iceberg, so the current world-financial and economic system cannot be saved from the effect of its collision with reality, no matter how sound it still appears.  The 'ship' is doomed.  In fact, there are forces moving within it that threaten to blow it up, even as it sinks.

The current world-financial system can no longer be repaired.  Still, no one acknowledges the fact that it is sinking.  Unlike the sinking world-financial system, the Titanic's fate was not the result of any fault in engineering, design of the ship, or workmanship in construction.  It was the best ship ever built up this time.  Its fate was determined by a mental failure that is very much shared in today's world the captains of the world-financial system.  The fate of Titanic was determined the moment its captain ignored the realities of the environment he was operating in.  The moment he plotted that fateful course that would bring the Titanic through ice infested waters at a break-neck speed, the ship and its passengers were at risk.  The captain, evidently believed the mythology he was taught, about unsinkable ships.  Much of humanity believes the same about the present world-financial system.  People believe they can ignore the fundamental principles of economics, at will, without ever having to face the consequences.

The Titanic sank as the result of massive structural damage that the collision had incurred.  The same has already occurred, financially.  The rapture in the Titanic's hull was so large that the ship became flooded at an unstoppable and ever accelerating rate.  The same has occurred financially through derivatives speculation.

The Titanic, which was considered unsinkable by all the experts in the field, sank on its maiden voyage.  Can the experts in the field of financial speculation be believed when they tell the public that their economic system is shock-proof and crash-proof, while in secret, the subject of a global systemic failure is intensively debated?

In one important aspect the present world-scene differs from the sinking of the Titanic.  If one considers current developments, it is evident that a major collision with reality has already occurred.  Some people actually recognize that the ship is sinking.  They see evidence of its bottom having been ripped out.  But, unfortunately, the raging debate that has ensued is focused on saving the ship, rather than on saving the humanity it carries.

In this, today's story differs from the sinking of the Titanic.  The lifeboats are not sought out.  While people are dying on the lower decks as the ship sinks deeper and deeper, the captain announces that extraordinary 'profits' are being made in the casino at the aft launch, and that the evening movie is about to start at the theatre, and pizza is being served on the promenade.  Those who have noticed the shrinking distance between the sea and the promenade deck, may become alarmed, but are ridiculed and told to have their eyes examined.

Denial upon denial, of the reality and its unfolding evidence, has become the fastest growing phenomenon in today's world that is governed by a growing insanity and ever growing dangers.  When the financial system disintegrates, with what shall people buy food?  Without the supply trucks rolling in constantly, how long can the cities survive?

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Stories about War from novels by Rolf A. F. Witzsche