The Nature of Things

Suck it up, Buttercup. I despise that axiom.

Until we change our thinking and actions, nothing else will change.

Late last year and early this year, I was promised certain bonuses for doing extra work. I was sent to other cities to bail them out of trouble. Why me? Because I'm good at what I do. They send me in to fix other people's messes. For this, I was made promises. In the four months since these promises were made, not one has come through despite my reminders to my boss and his boss. They've gotten what they want... extra work based on unfulfilled promises. It's not as if they can give me back my time.

They've also gotten something else. After half a dozen reminders, I've given up. They dangled the carrot, got the job done and took away the carrot. It's clear they have zero intent to come through. They win.

Is this how we were meant to live? One gust of wind...

The current socio-economic system is built (is dependent) on empty promises, competition and people giving up. Promise the world, give just enough incentive to ensure we think it's improving and the machine continues to run.

I studied Economics in school. I studied accounting in school. I worked with the finance committees and accounting departments. I've been a corporate buyer of goods and a seller of goods. I've been a financial planner. I've run my own businesses. Nowhere... and I mean NOWHERE is there ever a mention of sustainability and equilibrium in any economic model. None. Why do you suppose that is?

The term economy, when used as a term in a monetary system, is intentional misdirection. It's not about economy at all. It's about getting more whether it is economical or not. It's a sales job to make us think what we are working toward is economical.

The true meaning of economy is frugality. That is, making the best decision based on the health of each individual, resource availability, resource recycling, resource replenishment and social equilibrium; using less to get more. Under the current system, none of these are taken into account. Choices are made every day based on cost. We don't feed people in Africa because it costs too much. We don't pay decent wages because the bottom line is more important than person's well being. We are losing jobs in North America because it is financially better for investors to pay people abroad a pittance even though it isn't the right thing to do.

Yes... it really is that simple. Money doesn't care and it never will... and the billions of people suffering under the weight of that system are expendable.

Economics in the monetary system will never take into account what is right. Not ever. It will always take into account what costs less. It is all based on the premise of providing something that is inherently flawed at the cheapest possible price being the best solution. The one percent with fifty percent of the world's wealth (and the control) are so far removed from what you and I deal with they have no frame of reference with which to make decisions on our behalf. Yet we elect those people to office.

Insanity is defined as... doing the same things over and over and expecting different results.

Our future?

It has been just over 100 years since the advent of the current market system (1913 to be exact). Empirical evidence shows it has inherent (intentional) gaps between the haves and have-nots. In this system, it is absolutely necessary to have a poor working class. The more people are kept poor and in debt, the more they will do your bidding to simply survive. There is no equilibrium. In order to produce what we want (not need), we must have sweat shops overseas. We must have people emigrate to our country who are willing to shovel our shit. We must have products become obsolete as quickly as possible to keep the economic machine running. We must spend more and be anxious more and become less healthy and work harder for less and go deeper in debt to keep the machine humming along.

How much of that sounds like the definition of economy (frugality and equilibrium)?

Repeat after me... “More is better. Charity begins at home. I have to take care of myself first. I'll be happier when I have... (?). Poor people should work harder. It is the way it is. I can't change the whole world. I have to go into debt to get what I want. I have to have the newest thing because it's better. Competition is healthy. Life is struggle. It will all work out if I work harder.” All of that is complete and utter fucking bullshit.

If I buy into the axiom “this is the best and only way it will work”, then I am selling myself – and everyone I know – down the river.

Hard is not relative. It isn't any harder to tell your five year old you're getting a divorce than it is to tell your spouse you cheated on them. It isn't any harder to admit you just claimed bankruptcy than it is to admit you're homosexual. It isn't any harder to pick up the phone and ask for a date than it is to pick up that same phone and ask for help. It isn't any harder to move toward a symbiotic society than it is to suffer in the caustic one that exists now.

Hard is hard... period. The question is, are we going to continue to suffer hardship because it takes less effort to give up or are we going to make some hard choices because the results will benefit everyone?

Until we change societal thinking from “me and mine” to “us and ours”, we're doomed to continue on this path. Is it easy to make the change? I don't know. We haven't really tried, have we. We all just keep plodding along like a donkey with a carrot on a stick dangling in front of our noses. We keep watching the fucking carrot while some dude rides along for free in a cart behind us.

There are plenty of people out there changing their thinking. There are plenty of people willing to help with that change. There are plenty of people out there who see the value in community rather than divisiveness. I know a lot of them who teach exactly what I am talking about. And they're right to teach those things. We do have to change our thoughts and behaviours. It's imperative. There is another part of change that is critical, though. There has to be a systemic change in concert with individual change. We must change the system that creates these abnormalities in human behaviour. We must change the system that puts a price tag on humans and environment based on an arbitrary, man-made value system.

All the personal change in the world is simply a temporary buffer against the system that is hell bent on keeping you where you are.

The only way we have equality, regardless of positive thinking of individuals, is to manifest a system which promotes equality and eliminates competition. This anxious, toxic world you live in now... is this what you had in mind for your children and grandchildren? Until the current system changes, they will get exactly what you got.

Human nature is not competitive, destructive, unfeeling and putting some arbitrary value on the suffering of others.

Human nature is love, kindness, community, connection, economy and sharing. I'm not always the sharpest tool in the shed and even I can figure out my mental and physical health are dependent on a community of open, honest, like minded people who care deeply for each other and the world we live in.

Until we put emotion into economy, the cold-hearted, detached dictatorship of the all mighty dollar will continue to pervade all we do.

I'm choosing the change.

Namaste