Money, Morality and Spirituality
abracad, · Categories: in the newsLate 2011 has produced numerous Occupy protests. The Occupy Wall Street Web site says their purpose is "fighting back against the corrosive power of major banks and multinational corporations over the democratic process, and the role of Wall Street in creating an economic collapse that has caused the greatest recession in generations".
Capitalism has undoubtedly produced unparalleled progress; just compare the U.S. with the former, communist, USSR. But even in the pinnacle of capitalism, the U.S., many millions do not have access to basic medical care.
The so-called credit crunch of 2008 shattered the illusion of the efficiency of capitalism, leaving major banks reliant upon public bailouts to stay afloat at the expense of a deep global recession and the ensuing suffering of the innocent majority.
Occupy Vancouver Protests
November 2011
A major flaw with pure capitalism is the degree of inequality it produces. It's a winner take all system, and as such produces a lot of "losers". The problem isn't just the inequality, but the extent to which differences in contributed value are distorted in terms of rewards generated. Does a banker really contribute (so much) more to society than a plumber, bus driver, or even doctor as suggested by the variance in remuneration?
There was expectation/hope that post credit crunch the banking industry would be more restrained. However, to the man in the street, it appears bankers are continuing to draw inflated salaries and bonuses while everyone else is paying for their misdemeanors.
While individuals cannot be blamed for the perfectly rational behavior of profit maximization, many questions must be directed at a system that perpetuates such inequity.
Money/wealth per se is neither inherently good nor evil, indeed personal reward motivates individual effort that drives the progress that benefits all.
Humanity is on an evolutionary journey at both material and Spiritual levels. From this perspective capitalism is but one stage along that journey, a stage that may well be drawing to its close to make way for a more just alternative. Predictions of the world ending in 2012 will likely prove unfounded, but we are experiencing an era of dramatic change. Nearly half a century on from Dylan's classic, the times really are a changin'.
In Britain, the Occupy protests outside St Paul's Cathedral have highlighted the discrepancy between the teachings of Jesus and the organized Christian Church. Several resignations of senior members of the British state church, the Church of England, have followed presumably as those individuals have found the conflict between their faith and the organization that represents it to be irreconcilable.
Spiritually it's fine to pursue personal wealth and wellbeing. Without money it's impossible to really live as most time and effort is spent on the struggle to survive. Wealth brings freedom, choice, and the power to do good things. But don't pursue wealth / material gain purely for its own sake - it is ultimately futile. Try to be creative in your chosen sphere. Rather than seeking unlimited self-indulgence, use wealth to promote universal wellbeing.
Don't live in isolation. Spiritually we all originate from, and ultimately return to, a single source. Individuality is an illusion of this fleeting existence of life. Don't lose sight of bigger system of which we are all a part. For those fortunate enough to be democratically governed, make your voice heard for the good of all, not just narrow self-interest.
Is Inequality Inevitable?
Humankind is characterized by the vast degree of inequality seen both between nations and within any given nation.
This inequality is both determined by birth and intensified by both choice and chance throughout life.
The supposedly most advanced nations have sought to alleviate the worst effects of inequality through various kinds of welfare system under which the more privileged contribute to the wellbeing of the less so. Despite these efforts huge inequality remains. Or is welfare merely a means by which the rich man throws his poor brother a few crumbs that he might not be a nuisance?
Human evolution is both slow and erratic, often taking 99 steps back for every 100 forward. The potential longevity of humankind is still far from assured. But as responsible individuals we can exercise our free choice to create a fairer society that reflects the true oneness of all.
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