Melt Down!
Posted: Tuesday, November 10, 2009
by e
Dhammabucha Rocksprings Meditation
Can you feel it? It's almost palpable, a feeling that permeates everything, hanging in the air like an impeding thunderstorm. Silent, ominous, dangerous, frightening and yet at the same time exciting and alive, and pregnant with possibility.
It all began on a sunny day in 1991. We were just emerging from a supposedly not too serious recession and everything appeared to be rosy again. But for some unexplained reason Bush One was voted out of office at the end of his first term even after a successful Iraq war and an economy apparently on the uptick.
Underlying the appearance of prosperity in our country was a sinister, hidden time bomb that would eventually go off. And people could feel it. There was something very wrong with newlyweds leaving the church and immediately buying $500,000.00 homes, designer furniture, new cars and SUVS - all with no money down and only their good looks.
Of course someone would have to capitalize on this underlying unease, a disgruntleness that was underlying our pseudo prosperity, and use it to their advantage. Therefore hatred was introduced to the middle class by very wealthy, vocal people. It was a defensive play to keep the middle class focused on false bogeymen and not the real reasons of their discomfort.
It worked perfectly. The hatred was directed toward the only hope that the poor and middle class would eventually have - their government, being convinced that big government was bad, and big business was good.
When we look back, the 90's were the beginning of the middle class depression, and because none of the indices or Government figures hinted in the least about what was coming, the middle class got blindsided in 2008. In the meantime, seeds were being planted of real hatred between many segments of society; the wealthy and poor, the religious and secular, pro-life, pro choice, Republicans and Democrats.
Something was happening as if there was a magnification of differences that all of a sudden became not only irreconcilable, but filled with hatred against those who dared to disagree. The anger and hatred began to build, and the country trended toward something that had not happened since the Civil War; a polarization destined to disrupt the very fabric of our country.
Since the 90's, foreign governments have loaned us an overwhelming amount of money, especially Japan, loans that have staved off a full depression and provided the appearance of high prosperity. But it was all based on credit. And now, just as the housing ARMS are coming due, our country's world credit card is about to be cancelled. When that happens, the middle class depression will become a national depression. There is nothing to fall back on this time.
But here is the good news; as a society, things will get better. Wealth accumulation will shortly be a thing of the past. The tiniest of beginnings of it can be seen in congress with new attitudes toward society as a whole. Without an emphasis of wealth accumulation, which will be seen as not a workable situation regarding keeping Americans happy, there will be renewed emphasis on harmony. Lest you get teary eyed, let me explain that this is not some kind of drug induced hippie dream but a reality that will be the result of people finally deciding that contention is a stupid way to live.
We believed the "trickle down economic" models and the myth of wealth accumulation being the answer to job creation, but now it all comes out; neither works for society. They only work for a small segment of society while the vast majority lose everything as all the good jobs go away. And once they go away, they go away - fifty percent never come back,
The jobs have gone overseas. So what happened to capitalism creating jobs? Capitalism doesn't really care about creating jobs, or care a hoot about people; capitalism cares about creating capital, and if it can be created in China, no problem. The American people can fend for themselves.
And this is what's happening, and soon now, common folks will catch on that nobody has their back, except themselves, and we are the only ones that we can rely on.
Attitudes are changing, but change takes time, and the time is coming closer to a real revolution. A social revolution where people will begin focusing on their personal transformation as a human being rather than what they can buy or how much money they can make for the man.
So far, few have ever gone this way of personal transformation because they have been distracted by 2% of our population, the driven wealth creators. But once they taste the satisfaction of personal transformation and the joy that it provides to the spirit, there will no going back to the striving, ambition, and stress of material accumulation.
And the new society will reflect these new attitudes toward almost everything, especially the inequality, suffering and poverty that results from cold blooded, driven capitalism.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Are you saying the underlying premise of our economy, capitalism, is petering out once and for all? I'm really fascinated with the exposure of the myths of capitalism, like how you point out that capitalism doesn't really care about creating jobs, or people, which it doesn't. Yet, somewhere along the line, someone must care about what it is you have to trade. Maybe we don't have access to the materials we used to have in abundance, or that what we have to trade isn't in demand the way it once was, perhaps because other international markets provide a better bargain, or consumers simply cannot afford it without the credit you suggest is drying up.Sounds like you've given thorough contemplation to this subject, e-Ray. A very thought provoking read. I've long been attracted to new thoughts on future trends, ever since reading Alvin Toffler's Future Shock and The Third Wave.- GHey G, thanks for the comment. Those were great books, way ahead of their time!
The fact is, capitalism is great for making money (but not always). If capitalism is not at least balanced with a lot of socialism, people suffer greatly. Capitalism by its very nature will not look out for those less fortunate - it doesn't pay. We are just marks and suckers to the high rollers.
Capitalism is okay as long as people come before profit, like small organizations; mom and pop stores, and enlightened large organizations, but once profit is God, then what happens is victimization of people, no different from the victimization of illegals who work for slave traders now in America.
You don't need money to be happy. Some of the happiest people I ever knew lived in an adjoining village from the monastery that I was residing in as a Buddhist monk in Thailand in 1981.They had squat! And I couldn't figure out why they were so happy and smiling all the time. Maybe they had little expectations and ego, and no fear. There were no medical facilities out in the bush, so they lost a high percentage of their children to diseases, snake bites, etc., and when we burned their babies' bodies at the cremation pit in our monastery, they showed no negative emotion at all, no grief, no shock.
It seems that we Americans are very fearful, which is expressed as anger and hatred. I know one thing; by and large Americans are not a happy bunch! Something is dreadfully lacking. I believe that what is lacking is an understanding of what a personal transformation can do for an individual and a society. We are trying to find happiness in things and people, and how can you count on that?
Best..........eBeautiful, man. Is the universe, though, capable of infinite bounty? Or is that concept an ill-conceived illusion? Is "The Law of Attraction" a fraud, or is the problem people's expectations of what it will do for them?Whoa! Those are two dollar questions - I have a PayPal on our website. (just kidding).
The universe is finite, subject to anicca (cause and effect, everything in flux), anatta (no entity of Self stands behind anything), and dukkha (stress results).
The law of attraction is warmed over karma, 6,000 years old. Expectations are future oriented, based on thought which is all dead, lacking true creativity, and therefore stressful. Only in this moment (oops, we missed it again!) is there eternity.
How's that for off the top of my head?Very nice article, E. You make some VERY good points, and I do agree that 'change' is coming in regard to what is important, how we live, etc. The "Age of Aquarius" type thing. I also think the sooner each of us can embrace these concepts, the less stressful the 'change' will be.Thanks Joyce for the excellent comment. I agree with you that embracing change is key, but seeing through the fog of pleasure pursuits and the fibs that they tell us regarding happiness is not easy without some kind of a shift in consciousness. It can't be logically thought out. Einstein tried to figure out the universe for years until one day out of the blue came his Theory of Relativity - just like that. He claims that he had nothing to do with it!
Best.........e
» left by efoghorjos
from Bonny Island, Nigeria 2 years 16 days ago.
18 fans. Follow efoghorjos on twitter!perfectly done research. I use to think that the display of ostentation had been mainly a problem of developing countries but now I understand that this problem is everywhere- man does not really care so long as he has the resources to waste; one day he soon discovers there is no more to waste.Well said Mr. Ezie. Thank you!Best.......e
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