Greed begins with this!
And ends with this!
When looking around for reasons as to why the world is in such a mess, one word keeps flashing at me in bright neon lights: GREED.
It’s interesting to consider why we humans are so turned on by greed, why those who manipulate us have found a surefire way to control us, to turn us into pig-like creatures who demand more and more of everything even if we can’t afford it.
As I have observed before, human haven’t always been this way. During my upbringing, people generally were modest in their demands and were seemingly satisfied with little. How did we get from that stage to becoming obsessively greedy? We now want it all, demand it all, but we can’t get it all, can we?
Only a few people get it all and they make up the small percentage who have most of the wealth. The rest of us trot along like the stupid donkey who has a carrot on a stick out in front of its nose. It trots along convinced that one day it will get that carrot but it never will! The system doesn’t allow it! Those running the system won’t live lives of obscene luxury if they have to share their wealth.
So, when we are at school we are encouraged to work hard, be good students so we can get to college or university. Then, when we get a job, the prospect of promotion dangles before us, getting a better office, one with a view.
We are encouraged to compete, to get a bigger house in a ‘better’ suburb, a more flashy car. Harder and harder we work but we never quite get the rewards but our bosses do!
And then, if we extrapolate from the individual, we get the war-machine so loved by some countries and you know who they are. Not satisfied with developing their own country, they invent excuses like ‘We’re bringing you Democracy’ to go out and use violence and killing against other nations to supplement what resources they have at home, an act which can be fairly labelled as ‘STEALING’. Plundering is more appropriate!
They, the imperialists, then make their citizens frightened that other nations will try to take their countries over or attack them and so fear becomes a potent manipulative force as well as greed.
The result of all this is a world at war with the strong taking from the weak and this mindlessness filters right down through every society. The outcome is that we have materialism and greed and competition driving the human race instead of sharing and cooperation and equality.
We, the donkeys, must reject the corrupt, divisive, brutal system that controls us, that uses us so that a few can have it all.
Let’s return to a time when honesty and generosity and sharing were the norm, when people lived in small communities and knew everyone and there was peace.
If we don’t, GREED will devour the world and turn it into a nuclear desert, one without carrots, flowers, birds…
There is a prize for the one who can stuff the most mince beef pies down their throat!
‘Let’s return to a time when honesty and generosity and sharing were the norm, when people lived in small communities and knew everyone and there was peace.’
Oh yeah, other half and I live in one of those towns mid north SA. Eight years ago now, is best move we ever made. Giving can become pleasantly contagious and good therapy teaching myself not all primates are inherently bad..
Go rural and you can stumble upon many a small town operates as described. It takes time to earn trust but once you become known as genuine you become part of a sharing pool does unite atheists and those of faith. By deeds done, not by words does drive this 1000 member township.
Cash is a plugin where all other options don’t apply. Can’t swap bags of spuds for fuel yet but we are working on a couple of home fuel ethanol projects.
First twenty five years of my life was done living in Adelaide urbania, last twenty five living rural. When I visit my folks these days whom still live in Adelaide it feels like being in heart of borg drone occupation.
What goes around comes around can be a good thing just builds upon itself. Be good to each other, not so hard at all, just not what we were brought up to believe is it?
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I don’t buy into greed…never have,never will.
I have what most humans need. Warmth,shelter,clothing,food,love,education & healthcare. I am happy….most of the time.
All of this is at risk,because of the greedy right wing ‘government’ we have now in the UK.
I recognise that fully 33% of the world’s population have no clean water or sanitation.
With what little I have,I feel wealthy in comparison. And what I have should be the right of EVERY single human on the planet. It’s possible,if it wasn’t for the greedy bastards who run the whole planetary machine.
I / We have the luxury of comment….many people don’t,because of all those same greedy bastards.
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The three of us think much the same. All we have to do is to convince the other 7 billion who we share the world with.
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I too feel grateful for the simple things. Like clean water and shelter and clean clothes and family. If everybody savored these things – there would be enough in the World. Greed, David, as you have reflected upon, wanting more, more, more than is needed. is a sickness devouring our World. Throwing shade at others who don’t have is sick. Alot of stay at home moms have the fancy van and the house, but they are meanies if you live in the same neighborhood and don’t have a fancy trapping. My son will inherit everything and he is wealthier beyond these pea brained people’s imaginations. He will know humble beginnings and be greater for it. I could have had it all, but I left the mean people behind early on and did not know I would have to deal with them again when I became a parent.
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Thomas Paine noted that everything “beyond what a man’s own hands produce” came to him from society, and therefore “he owes on every principle of justice, of gratitude, and of civilization, a part of that accumulation back again to society from whence the whole came.”
Tax the extremely wealthy. Nobody gets that rich without taking something from the collective society and environment we all share.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/12/01-0
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Thanks for your comments and links, Grace. Great to see you back fighting the good fight again. Your voice is filled with wisdom!
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yes very nice article most of us this days look down at our grandfathers or fore fathers life to be monotonous and hard to live with but our lives although we have all things to make life easy has got more hardship and the quality is now getting to negative . this days also we cannot even trust our own family members we are always on the look out to protect our wealth. eventually which passes to the doctors because of developing various types of diseases
yes the human body was not meant to withstand this type of life
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Good point there IMTIAZ.
Elders practice education through experience as part of wisdom sharing. The wisdom free ruling class practice profit/prophet and oppression through threat mechanisms.
As a member of a UK immigrant family of the sixties, when joining the R.A.N. as a youth I could die for OZ political decisions but not be permitted to vote (to this day) is indicative of how the system sees its citizens.
In kind I have developed a deep contempt for the systems treat us with no dignity as human beings. My decision then in fighting said bogus operations has been to abandon the systems that have abandoned us and support those entities which do good works.
Our grandparents didn’t have the internet as global tool, we do and so do our current youth. Have tool will use applies.
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