Bird Droppings February 11, 2012

Greed could be our downfall

 

“That man is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest.” Henry David Thoreau

 

            We watch the news and heads of states and heads of companies fall midst the economic crisis. All the while wealth is disappearing I am told. I recall back in 2008 somewhere along the line our then president made a statement that trillions in wealth has been lost. I was curious what the internet definition of wealth would be and looked to Answers.com.

“An abundance of valuable material possessions or resources; riches., The state of being rich; affluence., All goods and resources having value in terms of exchange or use., A great amount; a profusion:” Answers.com

What I am amused at as the stock market is not mentioned. Goods, resources, material possessions, valuable material, and other words are physical items. While it can be argued that the stock market is only paper, and it is fictitious in so many ways, I would say it is not real and yet we treat it as if it were and have made it such. A stock is worth what someone is willing to pay not necessarily what that particular company or product is actually worth. In effect we created this great house of cards and a stiff wind blew it away. We still have the original deck of cards however.

“The future of civilization depends on our overcoming the meaninglessness and hopelessness that characterizes the thoughts of men today.” Albert Schweitzer

 

I am not a banker but when the multibillionaire King of Saudi Arabia is upset because his oil is selling for a hundred dollars per barrel and not one hundred and forty five and he wants a hundred and ten dollars, I kind of wish we were back to two dollars and a half for gas per gallon right now. Why is it that so many wealthy people are upset? Yes there is a trickle down and the housing market is a critical one in our area. Construction workers who had it made building spec houses all over Georgia now we have thousands of houses sitting vacant and or falling down. Why are local banks closing and again a few months back in a local newspaper story a local banker lost eighty percent of his net worth? Who is it that is really hurt? In this case it was a local food bank that received a substantial monthly donation from the bank and local schools that were partners in education.

 

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.” Mahatma Gandhi

 

I am not an expert and by no means could claim to be but I see such excess and wonder is this right and just. Listening during the debates to multimillionaires argue tax cuts for middle class and even the whole Joe the Plumber fiasco bothered me. Most politicians are living in a world apart from the vast majority (ninety nine percent) mere mortals. We do not have ten million dollar bar tops in our fifty six million dollar yachts and seven houses and twenty cars. Most of us are looking for how to pay this month’s house payment and tuition for kids in college. We are looking for deals at the grocery store not about having a cook and shopper who goes and does that for us.

 

“The tighter you squeeze, the less you have.” Thomas Merton

 

            Thomas Merton was a Trappist monk and lived in poverty which was one of his vows and yet was a bestselling author, lecturer and poet. He died protesting the war inSoutheast Asia. I was thinking of play-dough as I read his line. If the wealth of the world was play-dough and as you squeeze trying to get more it is all pushed out of your hand and you are left with nothing. An interesting thought as it seems in trying to get more many lost everything.

 

“Three great forces rule the world: stupidity, fear and greed.” Albert Einstein

 

We live in a world of such excess and seem to simply allow this to take place. Watching reality shows most even based on that excess. I joke with my wife about the show “Atlanta Housewives”, in which a group of ex-sport figures wives and or girlfriends of extremely wealthy married men flaunt their wealth. Greed is a simply word and it seems entrenched in our mind set and being sadly.

 

“Most of the luxuries and many of the so-called comforts of life are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind.” Henry David Thoreau

 

“Possessions are usually diminished by possession.” Frederic Nietzsche

 

“Purposeless activity may be a phase of death.” Pearl S. Buck

 

We are in a difficult time as we head into a year of many politically motivated programs and undertakings by government to stem our financial crisis. Hopefully we can sustain our society in this economic revival and hopefully we have learned from it. I wonder listening to the news and job forecasts and other indicators if we could be in for more. As a teacher should I not be trying to encourage students to pursue education and going beyond where they are? Many the day I wonder or should I be simply getting them ready to be consumers in a society that focuses on spending and greed.  It really makes me wonder as I head to my classroom to write this morning what should I as a teacher be doing? But as always please keep all in harm’s way on your mind and in your hearts and always give thanks.

namaste

bird