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Word Gems 

exploring self-realization, sacred personhood, and full humanity

Editor's 1-Minute Essay:

 Economics

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There's a statement in "The Big Short," to the effect,

"The big banks use arcane finance terminology, like trauches, so you won't understand what they're doing. They try to convince you that you're too stupid to deal with investments and need to rely on them to hold your hand and get you through - for a fee, of course."

Henry Hazlitt makes a very similar comment regarding the obfuscating schemes of politicians. Economics should not be difficult to understand. The essence of all subjects is simple and elegant, for, as Dr. Richard Feynman explained, "you can recognize truth by its beauty and simplicity."

Unscrupulous leadership, enemies of civilized society, will attempt to convince a citizenry that they and their paper-pushing are the primary engines of economic growth, with the sweat and industry of those who go to work every day relegated to a distant second. Adam Smith went out of his way to lambast this shameless prevarication:

It is the highest impertinence and presumption... in kings and ministers [politicians] to pretend to watch over the economy of private people, and to restrain their expense. They [the politicians] are themselves, always, and without any exception, the greatest spendthrifts in the society.

• Editor's note: Henry Hazlitt does a masterful job explaining the basics of economics in his short-piece analogy of "the broken window." You'll especially want to read this one.

short-term vs. long-term consequences, benefits for one group at the expense of the greater good

The importance of Hazlitt's insight here cannot be overstated. The principle of that which he speaks is a prime element of propaganda employed incessantly by special-interest groups. They will bemoan this-or-that policy as unfair, unjust, neo-Nazism, heartless - even though a program might serve the entire nation fairly and justly; for them, however, unless particular narrow advantage is afforded to their group, they will decry it as mean-spirited and evil. The insanity of the Small Ego can be so rabid, such that, only short-term benefits are desired, even though the special-interest group itself might be destroyed in the long-run by its own mad rush for gratification today. 

there are only two economic camps

All economic thinking divides itself - with various shadings - into two broad schools of thought, led by Adam Smith and Karl Marx.

The former philosophical group recognizes the dignity of individuals, personal responsibility, and the creativity of the human spirit; it understands that no wealth is ever produced unless someone starts a business or offers labor to that end.

The other camp sees people as servile and dependent, not that smart, and reliant upon services rendered by an elite ruling class, with all power flowing to these select few, "the worst at the top." Drawing strength by pitting one group against another, these enemies of society attempt to incite a spirit of contention and rivalry, and if possible, manufacture crises, in order to offer themselves as savior of the masses. This cabal of totalitarianism will, of course, not speak plainly about its intentions but, instead, posturing as benefactor and "lamb," attempts to muddy and confuse economic issues that it might operate in the shadows.

in our world, consciousness-level #125 of Desire makes people believe "greed is good" and this self-interest directs an "invisible hand" to all manner of enterprise - it's not perfect, it's not ideal, but it's a whole lot better than the "road to serfdom" offered by socialism 

Our founding father James Madison said that "if men were angels," if we all lived from our better natures, there would be no need for checks-and-balances and carrots-and-sticks. If we all lived enlightened lives, we'd work and produce for the sheer joy of it, and would not, in psychological neediness, try to amass mega-fortunes for one person while others go without. This egalitarian utopian dream is not possible right now with the Small Ego running the planet, but the good news is that a better world is coming - and we know this is true, for a fact.

the cares of this world are set spinning by money; but, in the coming "real world," thoughts of money and economics will be but a distant dream

In that day of better world - with no need for money at all - we will conduct ourselves as does the spiritually-advanced service group of Elizabeth Fry, whose testimony from the afterlife soothes as oiled and perfumed balm our beleaguered spirits, so burdened right now are we with material cares. Consider once again her words, as I often enjoy to do:

There are no actual  leaders [here] as such – we have an organization which is so subtle and yet so natural – because, a person here, for instance, does not, in a sense, ‘give orders’; we have groups of souls who do special work – but we all realize, automatically, within ourselves, what our part is, what work we have to do; and we realize that we are all interwoven, one with another – I think it is [that] we are all very conscious of this oneness of spirit. Here, no one glories in being a leader – whereas in your world [in various organizations] you do get this sort of glorification of the individual [leader]; the first thing a person must learn here, if they are to progress, is to lose this idea of self-importance. Those who are really progressed on this side never, never, give that impression -- because it is not even in their nature to appear, or want to appear, important. Everything that we talk about, everything that we do, is done in a complete love, in a complete harmony, one with another. No one wants to override another person; all of our influences for good are [done] in love; and therefore we don’t have, on this side, organization, as such. We don’t recognize leaders, in the sense that you do… I would say to you, above all things, if you want to discover truth, avoid men of power and position, because … [they desire] power and position because of their material perception of things - you cannot, surely, build a truly spiritual realization of God on something which is of a material conception – God is not found, in a sense, in buildings or places … God is found within one’s soul, within one’s inner consciousness”

• Editor's note: regarding Elizabeth's "men of power and position," every person who deems him or herself informed should become aware of the hidden bureaucracy which impedes civilized society's quest for greater levels of freedom, economic and otherwise. Find yourself a dvd copy of "The Money Masters," a documentary that traces the origins of political-power structures; a hidden manipulation of international economics led by the super-rich; how the US founding fathers, Andrew Jackson, and Lincoln fought this influence and how it bedevils us today. I call it the second-greatest con-game in the history of the world.