Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Money

Besides basic tragedy, most news items are about money. Someone is about to make money. Someone made a lot of money. Someone has no money. A country grabs land so they can secure their money. Legislation to make sure someone keeps their money. Legislation to make sure the money is shared. Money here. Money there. Money.

I celebrate the free market. It's pretty creative.

But aren't we bored with all this? As a species? Endless conflict over money?
Which is really just endless conflict over--Who deserves what.
It's like sibling rivalry.

And so there are the people who shrug--"This is just how it is." And then everyone jumps along. Splat. Repeat. Deadening repetition.

I do not propose that I have an idea of how to do any of this differently. And I am not silly enough to think you can scratch it all out and come up with something else. But what I am proposing is this. Since money is ultimately shared--we all are in this huge system of money and we all use it--and money is often not shared, but squirreled off--I have mine, you have yours, now let's play nice or not at all--then why don't we just accept that we are part generous and part selfish and with that consciousness, force the issues into the light and maybe break up this pattern some? Because the issue isn't really money. It's more about whether or not you have any desire to share or not to share.

I am bored with people basically playing poker with each other, hiding their hand, grabbing what they can. But I am equally bored with the whining experts who try to shame people into giving people stuff for no reason other than it is morally a solid action.  Both methodologies cause everyone pain.

I wish there was something we could do so that our narratives weren't so much about money. But then, that might be asking us to not be this particular species. I do hope when we are extinct that packs of dogs rise up and have a very different experience. They may be calmer and less neurotic. But it is impossible to know.

No comments: