Too much economic growth under the Wall Street model is not good. It is rapacious and deadly.
Photo by zacden
Bad times for the United States economy.
Consumer spending is down. Economic growth is turning negative. We’re headed for a recession. Our politicians are desperate to solve this problem, to squeeze a few more micro-points of economic growth out of the American people.
This is not a crisis. It is an opportunity.
America, and the world, needs to chill out and slow down. We need to relax. We need to hug our children. We need to stop frantically racing around, constantly trying to get ahead.
We need to take a deep breath, walk down to the river or to the sea and watch the water and feel the sun. We need to remember that the world is beautiful and our needs are simple.
We must enjoy the easy pleasures of a rich, healthy, spiritually fulfilling life.
We can drive our cars less often. We can get by with hand-me-down jeans. We can let our brothers and sisters in Iraq come home.
More of us need to realize a single, essential, illuminating truth: Too much economic growth under the Wall Street model is not good. It is rapacious and deadly.
Breast-cancer rates are sky high. There is not much forest left. The air is becoming unfit to breathe. The wise people who understand the climate best tell us - they shout from the top of their lungs in fact - that we are headed for disaster.
America the Beautiful
The problem is that too often we cannot see what work our money is doing, or judge its merit for ourselves.
Even in the United States - a wide, fertile country of temperate seacoasts and golden fields - we are beginning to feel the impact of our economic curse: the frantic, desperate consumption of earth and water and forest, devastated by engines of greed.
Worse than human greed, however, is the economic beast’s newfound ability to strip away the capacity for human reason and moral judgment.
Without reason and without morality, we begin to lose the spiritual grace that makes us human.
How does the economy remove our humanity?
Efficiently.
Our Money At Work
Our money - the money we work for, the money in our retirement accounts, the money in our college funds - that money is working.
Photo by nighthawk7
It is earning interest. It is feeding 6 billion people, but it is also poisoning our lands and poisoning our government.
The problem is that too often we cannot see what work our money is doing, or judge its merit for ourselves.
We are in our homes in America. Our money is in Shanghai and Dubai and Moscow and Baghdad. It is working hard. It is telling us we NEED a new SUV, that fulfillment is on the far side of a flat-screen TV.
Our money is spilling millions of tons of poisonous chemicals on our farmland. It is building bombs and voting machines and artificial hearts.
Our money is building the laptop that I’m writing on right now. I can use this laptop to read the Dhammapada, or to learn about, empathize with and perhaps even help the bloody children in Darfur.
Or I can use my laptop (and a whole lot of my money) to buy shares in PetroChina, or Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, or perhaps Barrick Gold.
Our money is not bad. Or good. It has no morals. It is merely a tool.
Good People + Bad System = Sick And Dangerous World
The stewards of our money - the bankers, the lawyers, the politicians and the producers of corporate media - are not bad people. On the contrary, they are often among the best and brightest people in society.
The poor who work so hard to join the rich are good, strong, moral people too.
But all these good people are in the thrall of an illusion.
They are human, and even as they die of cancer, car crashes, stress and car-bombs, they cling to the belief that more money will make them happy, that more economic growth is the only answer, the sacred balm that will heal all wounds.
This is ridiculous. In the words of a wise man, “Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems.” Or, put another way, “Money Does Not Equal Happiness”.
Here is what we must do.
We must simultaneously extend our compassion across the oceans and bring our money home to our hearts and hearths.
We must use our money well, to help each other, to communicate, to heal the sick, to grow healthy, delicious food, to refine the technology of solar panels and to make better filters for our water - in short, to work to cherish and protect all the precious bits of beauty in the world.
We must relax and be happy. We must love our neighbors (and love them like Jesus meant, not like in Desperate Housewives).
So take ten deep, slow breaths. Go on. See if you can do it.
Smile. Stand up. Stretch.
This Internet session is now over. Go outside and find something beautiful in the world.
What do you think of the future? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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12 Comments... join the discussion!
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Thanks Jay, love the fire that comes through in your comment - we need to change course - maybe we need a revolution - but any bitterness or blame must be set aside - it will take a great deal of cooperation and good-will to move away from destructive and unsatisfying social and economic systems.
I’m tempted to write an article called “Let Them Eat Cat Food” about the baby-boom generation, but I love my parents and owe them everything I am.
-TP
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Interesting post, though I strongly disagree with most of it.
It has nothing to do with “frantically racing around, constantly trying to get ahead.” Productivity and hard work are pillars of civilization.
The problem is the manipulation of the money by the Federal Reserve, complicated by politicians who have lied us into blowing trillions of dollars overseas. The mainstream media has largely supported this effort.
The Federal Reserve deliberately causes inflation, which always benefit those at the top–investment banks, military contractors, and others–at the expense of the rest of the country, especially the elderly who saved for retirement. It’s a hidden, backdoor, special interest tax. This is why we have more billionaires than ever before, while the rest of the country slides into fear and the blue-collareds feel pressure.
There is nothing American about this treachery. Thomas Jefferson warned us this could happen: “If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.”
The solution is not “to take a deep breath.” It is not “to hug our children.” To borrow a line from the movie Network, I want you to get mad. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMBZDwf9dok&feature=related
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22 March 2008
Rosario, Argentina
Tim,
Thanks for many points worth consideration. The thread: Blaming a whole generation is a distinctly useless one, though. You hit it right that the blame game is a waste of energy. Such statements are always false generalizations that lead nowhere. Can you say tar baby? Only fools reach for it.The folks (young or old or very old) who greedily reach for wealth at the expense of the planet and quality of life will not slow down, but they could, conceivably, be tempted to invest their greed in positive projects that will make them money. Who are promising companies that might draw the green monster to projects that will not destroy us? Who are investing in real solutions regarding alternative energy, for instance? In the meantime, entirely breathing each breath and slowing down would, could, can make a difference.
Boom!
Steven J. Weinberg↵ -
Awesome TJ quote, Knight.
A very stirring piece and an interesting question. I think the recession will cause some to greatly re-evaluate what is important and necessary in life.
But not to some revolutionary degree.
Take, for example, the recent Earth Liberation Front (ELF) fires in Washington. How convenient…the housing market tanks, developers are sitting on ridiculous amount of unsold property and houses and suddenly an extremist group “conveniently” burns down their homes. Reeks of fraud and desperation.
Developers now have little to gain from developing land–so they’re offloading it to anyone who’s interested in owning land for land’s sake–such as public land trusts. This is the kind of order-from-chaos that we’ll see in the next decade or so. Peoples’ livelihoods will be destroyed and from that they will be born anew.
However, the problem with believing that everyone will suddenly simplify their lives–and the ultimate problem with socialism and isolationism, in my opinion–is desire. In a free society, we’re entitled to desire things both good and bad; sex, drugs, money, a bigger home, a better life for our children, knowledge….things that don’t necessarily fall into the “food, clothing, shelter” model of necessity. Discontent is what drives the greatest experiences and innovations in our lives…otherwise, why would we travel?
In the light of realizing that “…our needs are simple.” don’t travelers become the ultimate example of wasteful decadence?
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Bryant has some interesting points, and while I agree with most of them, I feel like they present an issue tangential to the original article.
Tim, I agree that an undeniable philosophical void is created by mass society’s consumption-solves-all approach. I wholeheartedly agree that slowing down, appreciating things, and not getting worked up about things that don’t deserve it are necessary elements to achieving some degree of happiness with modern society. However, saying that this recession presents an opportunity for society at large to wake up and realize the folly of their ways is far too idealistic a statement (even for me).
In every society throughout human history, a vast minority of the population has been “enlightened,” by whatever metric. Historically, it has been necessary for some of the people to live under some form of illusion - either as to the meaning of their present work, or as to their potential for advancement - for a society to properly function. In my year as a financial advisor, I ran into countless people whose priorities were so grossly misplaced as to be tragic. Not knowing something isn’t bad; not knowing that you don’t know something is dangerous.
A mere recession isn’t going to change the philosophical approach of the masses. They’ll continue consuming to the limit of their abilities, or just beyond, through no fault of their own. It’s just the way our system is set up. Maybe this is where Bryant’s point comes up.
Tim, if your post is about what we can do personally to weather the coming storm, I couldn’t agree more. If you haven’t already read it, pick up a copy of the Tao Te Ching - while I don’t currently subscribe to any one philosophy, the general philosophy in the Tao seems to echo your thoughts here. But if your article is a suggestion for improving the quality of life for everyone, I just can’t see how it could be practical.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going outside to try to find a moose. I hear there’s a marsh around here where they like to hang out.
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Thanks for the comments everyone - I hope we can keep the conversation flowing.
Bryant -
I agree that hard work and productivity are important, but to what end? Improving ourselves and our environment through work is honorable, but so much ‘work’ today is destructive of body, mind, soul and earth. The Alberta tar sand craze is a good example.
Thanks for your other points on inflation and the Fed - I loved the TJ quote also.
Steven -
I’ve invested in renewables, but I’m not convinced that ‘green investing’ really solves much. Better to just focus on one’s breath. Enjoy Rosario and I look forward to more of your blogs.
Jacob -
Always appreciate your thoughts, man. This one is the real kicker:
“In the light of realizing that “…our needs are simple.†don’t travelers become the ultimate example of wasteful decadence?”
Yes. Yes, I think they do. There are gradations of course - jet setting to Miami or Dubai is very different from hiking the AT or PCT or going Rory Stewart style across the Hindu Kush…
I often feel uncomfortable with my position as an advocate of high-impact travel. I turned down a free cruise to Antarctica last month on moral grounds - I just didn’t want to promote such extravagance. But last week I edited and published a guide to a remote corner of the Himalayas…
Time to go off grid? Except that solution gets hard if there are ever kids on the way…
J.D. -
Thanks - I’m reminded of our Christmas Eve discussion at Lago Roca, when we went through 5 pounds of steak and 14 bottles of Malbec.
Williams in Patagonia was many things - but low-impact it was not.
Anyway, yeah, I guess having everyone just breathe deeper isn’t a practical solution. There’s isn’t any finger-snap solution. But, as Steven suggested, breathing deep is a step in the right direction.
I think I remember this bit of wisdom from the first day of Morty’s ECON 101:
“Historically, it has been necessary for some of the people to live under some form of illusion - either as to the meaning of their present work, or as to their potential for advancement - for a society to properly function.”
Kidding.
Good luck with the moose.
-TP
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Christmas Eve was awesome. I can’t say I remember all that much of the discussion, but I feel like it was similar to this. Must have been the steak.
No moose, but I did get a pretty good view of Anchorage from the top of a mountain.
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Um, I just noticed that there are John McCain for President ads on this site. Let me make two things crystal clear:
1) I like and respect John McCain
2) A McCain presidency would be a disaster for America and the world.
-TP
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“2) A McCain presidency would be a disaster for America and the world….”
Where were the ads? Were they a google thing or did the “friends of McCain” actually purchase space directly from BNT?
I’m curious as to why you think a McCain presidency would be any more damaging than an Obama, Clinton, Romney or Kucinich presidency. But of course, this probably isn’t the best forum for that discussion.
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The ads were Google generated - agreed that this probably isn’t the best forum for an extended political discussion, but in short, I think a McCain presidency would be a disaster because of reckless and heavy-handed foreign policy. His joke about bombing Iran (singing the Beach Boys song) was blood-chilling.
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I agree that the blame game is useless…after all, don’t we really only have ourselves to blame? Granted, mass media, corporations and politicians don’t make it any easier to make the “right” choices (quite the opposite, they sell you the “wrong” choice), but ultimately, we make our own decisions. I am hoping that this latest economic crisis does make people re-evaluate what is important to them. Who cares about the Joneses? Why do you have to keep up with them?
In addition to slowing down and taking deep breaths, people need to learn consideration. It’s a magical word. When you walk down a city street all you see are folks so wrapped up in their own world, completely oblivious to what’s going on around them, like they have horse blinders on. Consider your fellow human being, consider the animals, consider the environment. How did we get wrapped up in so much selfishness?
Anyway, I think I’m starting to talk in circles (at least my head’s going in circles!). As for the comment:
“In the light of realizing that “…our needs are simple.†don’t travelers become the ultimate example of wasteful decadence?”
I think traveling is now more important than ever. What people think they need is probably way more off than at any other time in history, and traveling is a great way to “get back to the roots” and discover what it really is that we need to be happy and have a fulfilling life. (And you could probably argue that traveling IS a basic need…otherwise why do so many people get that urge to not sit still anymore? After all, it is only very recently in human history that we’ve stopped being nomads).
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