Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Economic Slavery:

Fall into job. Strive for big house, more money, health care, caring for children and so on. Sleep a third (33%) of life. Work over a third of life. Spend about 15% resting idle to prepare for more work. Spend last 15% doing whatever might feed Self and soul, if known how and other areas of life don’t suck away that time.

Why is there such a strong push to work so much? When is enough, enough? There was a time when we could choose to work half time and live more simply. No more. The choice to work part time no longer exists because costs have gone higher than incomes.

It’s like playing the game monopoly. It’s fun to get houses and hotels on your property and watch people struggle to pay; it brings a sense of winning; of power. Then winning happens and the game is over because those who can’t pay are forced into bankruptcy and can no longer play. Monopoly shows capitalism at it’s best, but in a short period of time so viewing results is easy. It’s a pyramid scheme and it does not work long term to sustain all players. It does provide plenty of competition, but at what cost?

From a book called World Changing, edited by Alex Steffen, this is stated, “If we were selling our time-and perhaps our souls- to a system that truly fed us, that would be one thing. But the economy is not designed for people; rather, people are trained to serve the economy.”

Economic slavery defined: The forced position to work at any job, regardless of fulfillment, in order to survive because societal systems are such that there is no alternative.

A strong need to think outside known reality is at hand. In order to change the system to one that works for everyone’s personal fulfillment; to one that serves all, a radical new idea is needed. RADICAL IDEA!! Someone out there has an idea. Many someone’s have ideas that could all work. Maybe it’s you. Maybe you feel like there is no point since the system is so big and those in control have too much power? There is a point. Bring it. I am willing to put in my 15% to help. Will you?

If money didn’t exist, what would you do to show up in the world? How would you want to leave the world better? Will your soul settle for anything less? It’s time.
Game over.

3 comments:

  1. I keep seeing this theme around and about... and I also notice a conundrum: victim verses empowerment. People tend to want to wallow in victimization. Truth be told, there are so many options, and I see a world of people jumping like lemmings into full conscious choice of social enslavements. The car one drives, the cable and television system, the extreme phones, the "just right" living space (often empty because everyone is at work), hours on the internet, designer foods... these "baseline" items are not baseline at all. But do people see it that way? Judy's sister lives in Outback Alaska, no power, no tv, no society. What does that cost? Not much. They trap, hunt, and garden, and visit the city once a year. Only small aircraft can drop in. We do live in a gamut of choice. And we are choosing. If the puzzle piece doesn't fit, it belongs in a different puzzle. There is fulfillment in any job, in any lifestyle, in any existence... the trick is personal focus. Know thyself, and be willing to shift. : )
    Money will continue to exist, because the majority of people are self centered, rather than self focused. Until we really get what "love thy neighbor as thyself" means,the planet will remain on a competitive journey. Bottom line? Seek full enlightenment, lose the self to the All!

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  2. Michele, Are you saying that you like the system and we shouldn't change it? I am talking about empowering ourselves. I'm saying that so many people don't like the economic system, at least that's what I keep hearing, so let's come up with alternatives and see what sticks. As for choices...there are too many people in the world for everyone to choose to live on subsistence, and not everyone is able to. It seems to me that there must be some alternatives we haven't thought of yet.

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  3. :)Nope, not saying that at all. I welcome Eutopian idealism, the moves to communities of mutuality and what love really is (acceptanc), balance. My point, moreover, is that there are a ton of people who complain that are actually feeding what they complain about. Sometimes just turning and looking within is the answer. If pesticides don't work for ya, buy organic (as an example). If modern medicine doesn't strike a person as right, then choose something different. Some of us are meant to be the (extroverted) movers and shakers that shift the overall system. But most of us will be empowered by moving step by step toward our own ideals. The problem is the ostrich syndrome, pretending that all is well if we are unfulfilled.

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