Addition to Yesterday's Post

Thought I'd add my own perspectives that build from yesterday's post.

We would say bygone cultures that used to sacrifice people to ensure the sun rose the next day were foolishly wrong - and sadly dangerous. I would say any time we sacrifice each other to any deity we are mimicking this ancient civilization.

From my current course-book on religions: "...the adjective civil conveys something socially acceptable and well-mannered" and "...its opposite, uncivilized, is taken to stand for that which is crude, vulgar, unsanitary, or ignorant." I won't mention the irony of using 'civil war' as some type of logical description; nothing civil about it, and if we were honest, we'd call them 'un-civil wars'.

This 'civil' definition is handy to keep in mind when we compare our god, The Almighty Dollar, to the ancient Sun God. Which one is more real? Which one has seen the most sacrifices? Which one receives the most heartfelt prayers? Which is 'socially acceptable and well-mannered'?

Does any of this seem idiotic to you? (If you think it's me, quit reading. This blog isn't for you!)

What I didn't do yesterday was run some extensions on the monetary crisis we're in. And I want to apologize to Richard if I mangle 'economic system' with 'monetary system'. The two are different in nature, in that a true economic system is concerned with the production and flow of goods and services. A monetary system is intended to support an economic structure, but can morph into an overpowering, self-contained entity - pretending to be the 'economic system' but in truth devouring it.

The Ultimate Irony is when we fail to remember 'this monetary beast' (or god) is an abstract creation of human creation. Economic systems develop whenever humans begin exchanging and interacting to mutual benefit; regardless of how they choose to design this, it is as fundamental as an eco-system interacting for the animals and plants within it. It doesn't matter if we throw our gatherings and skills into one pot and share fairly, barter between ourselves, or design a symbol to facilitate economic trading - whether shells, coin, or paper.

Economic systems, then, are intended to be collectively beneficial from the contributions of the inhabitants participating and living in it. A monetary system is based on exchange-symbols to more easily exchange between individuals. While it is such, it can be a 'civil' - socially acceptable and well-mannered.

Through human depravity, including greed, power, envy and deceit, a 'civil' monetary system takes on a life of its own, becoming its own reason for existence and fueled by the ignorance of many. Those that truly recognize and flame this beast do it from greed and power; their own henchmen don't understand the true nature and believe their role is economically sound. Therein lies the error.

As much as the news is squabbling about bail-outs, bonuses, AIG, housing, and so forth, the deeper realization is "it doesn't matter". In the long run, the borrowed money will be put into circulation (that's their hope, generating new fodder to feed the predatory nature of this beast) whether it is through bonus-receiving folks or housing props. What isn't being discussed is the original state of these funds: "BORROWED." With interest. Not from or within our government, but through a banking industry separate from what is supposed to be a governing body engaged in moderating the social welfare, economic distribution, and well-being of its citizens; i.e., not sacrificing them to a monetary system of god-like proportions.

If a person borrows money, they have to pay it back. With interest. And in our current set-up (and set-up is an accurate description), this can range from 2% to over 30%, often under control of the Loaners. It doesn't matter what the person does with the money, he or she, said spouse, potentially their estate, owes it and the accrued interest. This is also true within our current paradigm of 'borrowing to get out of debt' - it doesn't matter where Obama or anyone else places this newly-created money, it is not enough to pay itself off with interest, ever. And we're all held liable for these debts.

As long as we collectively agree to continue accepting this monetary system and burdens, it flourishs and holds us in its grasp.

While it's in place, we are much like the Sun-sacrificers above. We will scrabble for our crumbs, sacrifice others, squabble over who gets the pieces, trample each other to snap up foreclosures if we are in a position to do so, hoard our gold (present company excluded - we're probably the ones being targeted by the "send your old gold now!" commercials), and engage in disagreeing over who to blame and how to feed the beast.

I ask, is this abstraction actually real? Ideal? Is it the best we can do as a collective humanity that considers itself 'civilized'? We are so immersed in these concepts, they govern our daily lives, yet is it not of human design and creation? Then cannot humans redesign and recreate it? If it's generating fear, greed, panic, desperation, sacrifice - then can it be 'healthy' for society?

Those who first contemplated sun-sacrifice as potentially unnecessary were probably slaughtered as offensive to the gods. It was ingrained into their society that this was the only way to guarantee the sun's return, and they dare not risk "the sun not coming up." They were dependent on the sun, loathe to offend it, and the huge risk at sunset of perpetual night if they didn't... We'd toss a neighbor or two in, too?

We are living in the same fear. We think they were irrational. Ditto.