George Mullen – Biography

George Mullen
George Mullen

George Mullen is often jokingly referred to as the Renaissance Man of San Diego because of the wide range of interests and civic projects he is actively pursuing. He is best characterized as one who is always “thinking and creating”.

Mullen’s operational HQ is at StudioRevolution in downtown San Diego. He is a native of San Diego and a graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder. George is first and foremost a “thinker”. From this starting point he has followed a path leading him to become an oil painting artist and widely published writer. Much of his work is America-inspired as seen in his Barbed America Art and his earlier September 11 Art. His primary work mediums include oil paint, barbwire, canvas, and the almighty pen and paper.

Mullen also develops long-term branding strategies for cities and nation-states, as exemplified by City of Life and Panama is Life. Likewise, in 2020 San Diego’s iconic Museum of Man changed its name to the “Museum of Us” based on Mullen’s Museum of Us concept.

Mullen has extensive experience in the financial markets and is recognized as one of the few people in the world to accurately predict the 2007 – 2009 global economic collapse in his articles The Coming Financial Tsunami and Welcome to the Bubble Economy. He previously spent considerable time in the Middle East doing archaeological work. Based on his experiences in the region he authored the book Peace in the Middle East, which carries a noteworthy endorsement by M.I.T.’s world-renowned Noam Chomsky. He has since authored an array of published articles on world affairs, global finance, and local San Diego issues. Although political art and writing are main focuses, Mullen remains an independent-minded idea person and is not affiliated with any political party or political movement. (Photos of Mullen)

America Turning On Itself
America Turning On Itself
oil on canvas, 2022

Though involved with many community issues, Mullen currently has three civic priorities:

  1. Super-branding San Diego as the City of Life (Ciudad de Vida) and the 21 cities of the San Diego / Tijuana region as the Cities of Life (Ciudades de Vida).
  2. Establishing Sunbreak Ranch as the homeless solution for San Diego, and once proven, as the homeless solution for the entire west coast and America.
  3. Creating a second functional opening to San Diego Bay for the protection of the U.S. Naval armada ported in San Diego, as well as launching an environmental rebirth of San Diego Bay and igniting an economic boom for the entire San Diego / Tijuana region.

Mullen has been a dedicated member of Rotary International since 1988 and is Past President of the powerhouse San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary. This group has been a critical player in providing humanitarian aid to San Diego’s needy during the 2020 – 2022 Coronavirus Crisis. Mullen was previously President of the San Diego Mission Valley Rotary as well. As Mullen likes to say, “Rotary is a highly effective volunteer organization of women and men who have accomplished more community good for San Diego than all of our local political leadership combined, no question about it.”

To learn more about Mullen and the efforts he is leading, please SCROLL DOWN or SELECT from the following 19 categories:
City of Life/Cities of Life | Panama Is Life | Financial Tsunami | Sunbreak Ranch | San Diego’s Waterfront | Coronado Bridge | Barbed America | Stopping China | New San Diego Bay Opening | Protecting Big Blue | Author & Commentator | September 11 Art | Terrorism Art | Entertainment | San Diego Chargers | Balboa Park | CyberNation | Peace in the Middle East | Paintings Slideshow

City of Life / Cities of Life

Mullen and a group of civic-minded citizens recently put forth a cutting-edge proposal for a new identifier for the city of San Diego known as the City of Life.

The City of Life concept also presents us with a unique opportunity to super-brand all 21 cities of the San Diego / Tijuana region as the Cities of Life / Ciudades de Vida. Such a broad-based branding would dovetail perfectly with our region having been just awarded the title of “World Design Capital 2024”. Likewise, this is our golden opportunity to leave behind an impactful regional legacy that surpasses the high-bar legacy set by the Panama-California Exposition of 1915.

The Cities of Life / Ciudades de Vida super-branding will create a powerful global-beacon for the San Diego / Tijuana region that will be unlike any other in the world. Though uniquely inclusive of everyone and everything in our region, it will also help solidify the perception (and reality) of our region as a major “life sciences” mecca.

This super-branding effort will be voluntary to all of our region’s 21 cities…each city can decide to actively participate or not…or join in later…the choice is theirs. Bottom line, this endeavor is intended to benefit all 21 cities (and all citizens) of the San Diego / Tijuana region. And it is easy and inexpensive to implement.

Furthermore, with a targeted public art campaign (needing only a few cans of white paint) on the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge, we can cement a global-architectural-beacon that will become synonymous with the San Diego / Tijuana region in perpetuity. Think about the Eiffel Tower with respect to Paris. Think about the Hollywood sign with respect to Los Angeles. The article, Let’s Brand San Diego and Tijuana as World ‘Cities of Life’ in 2024, describes this effort in detail.

A Proposal to Bring Life to San Diego’s Brand – San Diego Business Journal

‘CITY OF LIFE’ IS SAN DIEGO’S TRUE IDENTITY – TIMES OF SAN DIEGO

LET’S BRAND SAN DIEGO AND TIJUANA AS WORLD ‘CITIES OF LIFE’ IN 2024 – TIMES OF SAN DIEGO

Many prominent San Diegans (Endorsement Team) such as Malin Burnham, Toni Atkins, and Tom Sudberry believe this proposal to be a perfect fit for San Diego, and hopefully it will soon be formally embraced. Why the City of Life? provides a concise explanation.

Wildly positive, uplifting and inclusive of everyone and everything in our region.
Airport Original

In the public art square, Mullen has proposed Life Unleashed San Diego Style – a 20-image rotating art proposal for San Diego International Airport.

Panama is Life

Mullen and Panamanian citizen Ester Araujo García de Paredes have jointly created a cutting-edge branding proposal for the Republic of Panama known as Panama is Life.

Panama is Life

Financial Tsunami

Financial Tsunami

In the world of financial affairs, Mullen was one of the few vocal individuals at the peak of the markets to predict what became the 2007 – 2009 economic collapse, and subsequent Great Recession. In fact, he was the first to coin the term “Financial Tsunami” to describe the crisis he foresaw in the article “The Coming Financial Tsunami” published in 2005. This term took on a life of its own in 2008 when CNBC and Pimco bond-king Bill Gross began repeatedly using the term, followed by Lehman Brothers CEO Richard Fuld publicly blaming the Lehman bankruptcy on the “Financial Tsunami”. Soon thereafter, the likes of former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, real estate mogul Sam Zell, and the Chinese government were all using the term to describe the economic collapse. Though most laughed or called Mullen an alarmist when these articles were first published, by 2007 no one was laughing anymore.  Read for yourself:

Sunbreak Ranch

A Real Solution to America’s Homeless Crisis

Mullen and long-time friend Brian Caster recently launched a major initiative to solve America’s burgeoning homeless crisis. It was first introduced in their op-ed, Sunbreak Ranch Could Be San Diego’s Homeless Solution. The concept is based on a bold new homeless strategy known as Federal Leadership, Local Control.

A Bold New Vision for San Diego’s Waterfront

Coronado Bridge City of Life

Over the next century San Diego’s population will double to 3 million in the city and 7 million in the county. How will all these people — our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren — enjoy our most sacred natural resource — our waterfronts — if we continue to wall them off from public access? San Diego Bay is now almost completely inaccessible. Think about it: where can you dangle your feet in the bay? Mission Bay is rapidly following suit. California’s tidelands are legally protected for the public under California Constitution, Article X, section 4. A Bold New Vision for San Diego’s Waterfront charts a viable new way forward.

The Coronado Bridge of Life

The Coronado Bridge has disturbingly become one of the top suicide magnets in the world – with over 400 people now dead. This is outrageous and needs to stop. Mullen has become active in the effort to do so and has put forward a viable proposal – one that can be accomplished within a month’s time and for less than $25,000. The concept was first introduced in this article: A Simple Solution to Preventing Suicides on the Coronado Bridge. The time has come to decisively turn the beautiful Coronado Bridge into the BRIDGE OF LIFE it was always intended to be.

Barbed America

Mullen’s Barbed America flag paintings are an artistic exploration of the multitude of “contrasts” and “inconsistencies” within America, especially those we are witnessing in this unique political era. The paintings are intended to inspire self-examination, self-critique, and a steadfast determination to make America better. There are 16 distinct color themes, please click here to view.

Stopping China’s Debt-Trap March to World Domination

Mullen recently weighed in with two major articles explaining China’s global debt-trapping and the grave danger it represents to the world community. The threat is far more acute than most people recognize. For this reason America needs to wake up…fast…and begin a broad manufacturing shift to the “Americas”.

Protecting San Diego’s Critical U.S. Navy Base From the Rising Threat of China

The Case for a Second Opening to San Diego Bay

The United States Navy base in San Diego is one of the largest and most important in the world, especially with respect to confronting the rising hypersonic missile threats from China, Russia and North Korea. And, yet, the U.S. Department of Defense and Secretary of the Navy have long left this base in the vulnerable position of having only one exit point for its massive flotilla of warships. The time has come to create a second functional opening for this indispensable base. Mullen and a group of regional civic leaders are leading the charge to make it happen. The following articles and Second Opening to San Diego Bay website make the case:

Protecting Big Blue

The Earth

If we hope to preserve a healthy planet for our grandchildren and beyond, our oceans (Big Blue) will be the key. With 71 percent of Earth covered by water, this should be obvious to all. As such, Mullen has launched a new movement to protect our oceans called Protecting Big Blue. This effort was first introduced in the 2022 article, Protecting Big Blue While Putting the Screws to China.

Author & Commentator

George Mullen was one of the few vocal individuals at the peak of the markets to predict what became the 2007 – 2009 economic collapse, and subsequent Great Recession. In fact, he was the first to coin the term “Financial Tsunami” to describe the crisis he foresaw in the article “The Coming Financial Tsunami” published in 2005. This term took on a life of its own in 2008 when CNBC and Pimco bond-king Bill Gross began repeatedly using the term, followed by Lehman Brothers CEO Richard Fuld publicly blaming the Lehman bankruptcy on the“Financial Tsunami”. Soon thereafter, the likes of former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, real estate mogul Sam Zell, and the Chinese government were all using the term to describe the economic collapse. Though most laughed or called Mullen an alarmist when these articles were first published, by 2007 no one was laughing anymore. Read for yourself:

Other noteworthy articles Mullen has authored include:

September 11 Art

Mullen worked and spent a great deal of time in the World Trade Center in New York City in the 1980’s and 1990’s, his employer at the time being headquartered there. As such, September 11 prompted a large body of art work from him. Mullen’s “American Scream” painting first appeared in ARTnews magazine in 2002. Click here to view the September 11 Art pages. Mullen’s September 11 Art is also featured at the 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero in New York City: Mullen Art @ 9/11 Memorial.

American Scream

Terrorism Art

Based on Mullen’s prolific September 11 Art from 2001, he has long been a leader in what is known as “Terrorism Art”.  With the renewed 2015 wave of terrorist attacks on western targets, he has launched two new art efforts entitled as Paris Terror Art and San Bernardino Terrorism Art.  Mullen is an admirer and frequent traveler to Paris, and San Bernardino is in his backyard.

Paris Terror

Entertainment

TARGET MONA LISA – a screenplay “Terrorism + Art collide in an international political thriller”

In the entertainment arena, projects of interest Mullen has been working on include his recently finished screenplay, Target Mona Lisa, as well as his concept for a reality-based TV show, American Bailout. On the musical front, Mullen was the rhythm guitarist and songwriter for the now defunct alternative rock band Dynamic Edge. For a sample of his songs, please visit his Song List.

San Diego Chargers

Man Who Lost the Chargers

The Man Who Lost the Chargers

As a native San Diegan and lifelong Chargers fan, Mullen was actively involved in the efforts to keep the San Diego Chargers football team in San Diego. His final attempt was published in The San Diego Union-Tribune(Could So Cal Chargers Be Answer For San Diego?) and attracted significant attention. Sadly, the opportunity for a deal was frittered away by San Diego’s mayor.

Balboa Park

Balboa Park

As a native San Diegan, Mullen has been a lifelong Balboa Park fan and activist. He has authored numerous published articles and proposals with respect to the park:

The CyberNation of Freedom

Mullen was founding chairman of The CyberNation of Freedom, one of the first major global freedom movements in the early days of the internet. The CyberNation received widespread internet attention at the turn-of-the-century with its laser-like focus on individual sovereignty versus the socialist nation-states, as defined by its Liberation of the Individual founding document. This entity is viewed as one of the precursors to the cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Libra, et al.) and the broader global philosophical movement to end the unjust hegemony of the socialist nation-states over the individual. It was even featured on Microsoft’s main website.

Flag of the CyberNation

Peace in the Middle East

“…I read with interest and appreciation…a thoughtful and constructive contribution, timely and important.”

Noam Chomsky

Department of Linguistics and Philosophy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Chomsky Named World’s Top Intellectual – October 18, 2005)

Summary: In the spring of 1992, well before the breakthrough Middle East peace agreements of 1993-1994, George Mullen authored a controversial article in the weekly Palestinian newspaper Al-Fajr entitled, “An Israeli-Palestinian Peace Proposal.” Mullen, being neither an Arab nor a Jew, provided a uniquely unbiased and highly detailed proposal for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that directly faced the most controversial issues – Palestinian statehood, the status of Jerusalem, the Jewish settlers, et al. Because the contents of the article stirred such strong emotions within both the Palestinian and Jewish communities, Mullen used it as the basis for Peace in the Middle East. This book outlined a realistic and comprehensive proposal for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Ican Press, 1994)

Paintings Slideshow

Mullen’s Artist Statement: “Artist statements, biographies, and awards are meaningless hyperbole. Either the art is compelling, or it is not.”

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