For a new economy of self growth, giving and living things --
Whom does an economy serve?
The present recession, the financial crisis and the foreclosure debacle raise the issue of what kind of economy we are heading to.
For a Post-Mortgage, Post-Consumerist Economy
Banking must be restructured on a new basis. But this leads us to ask what kind of economy we will want once we have much more cash available, because it is not transferred to Wall Street in a process designed to get still more cash out of us.
America should give some thought to this. The wisest solution is to get out of our addiction to credit and consumerism. Once we have more real wealth at home, what shall we do with it? Homes will be cheaper. Taxes upon corporations will be higher, so your taxes will be lower.
If we launch again into another version of consumerism, that would be a mistake. It is time think about the fundamental and real values of life, instead of amassing closets of toys, buying larger and larger houses, or more expensive cars, or so on.
Self Growth
Consider a “Self Growth” economy where individuals develop themselves as human beings – where we attend continuing education throughout our lives, where we travel, where we learn about diversity and multi-culturalism, where explore and learn about our own emotions, psychologies and identities, where we seek the philosophic and spiritual, where we learn to be creative, where we expand our thought methods and skills, and more...
Such an economy would be much more satisfying and rewarding than a consumerist economy of goods and things and toys. It is part of our Human nature to want material things and affluence, but an economy that makes this the prime focus does not serve all of our nature. In the end, things, material things do not satisfy us. Technology in itself and for itself and by itself serves no purpose; it should be a tool to increase communication, creativity, cooperation, knowledge and happiness.
When modern nations achieved the long sought goal of affluence, then ironically affluence negated itself as a fundamental value. Affluence merely forms a platform to stand on so that we can reach for the higher needs and values. The transcendent issues are the temple in which we strive; the material issues which are highly important form the templum upon which the temple rests.
One more point, physical and mental healthcare are essential needs of Human beings and are fundamental components of this platform of affluence. Without healthcare you cannot have an economy of self development.
Giving
In addition to the notion of a self growth economy, we must go beyond “self” and think of community.
Consider a “Giving” economy where people give time and energy to help others, to help Nature and the environment, to help less fortunate people around the planet. And giving also would mean giving money in the form of charity or voluntary higher taxes to solve some social or environmental problem. Further, in a giving economy, people would save more and these funds could be made available for others as loans for self help.
A new economy of Self Development and Giving would be an interesting change.
An Economy of Living Things
It also may be helpful to look at an economy as something that serves living things. These would include the individual, the community, the needy, the whole Human race and Nature. Primarily an economy should not serve dead, inanimate, pure physical things like technology, goods, money and so on. The service of dead things is the path of marketing and consumerism and easy credit. The support of life would be the goal of a humane and wise economic system.
The present recession and its structural crisis have a good side, it can cause us to pause and rethink our values and behaviors. We are at a crossroads where choices have to be made. We can choose to go down the familiar and dismal road and rebuild old institutions so they can fail again, or we can create new institutions like new businesses and new banking and finance that will support new ideals and dreams. We are at a stage in history where affluence is of secondary importance because it has been achieved. For the poor who have been locked out, they too can participate in this leap.
Historically, affluence now drops down into a foundation, it provides a platform to reach from, it becomes an infrastructure for happiness. Next we can build the superstructure of happiness which is not material but spiritual.
Cage Innoye
Axxiad News