Humanity now sits at the point where we must evolve. As with part one, this is not a suggestion of a physical change, but rather a mental change.
The biggest single problem we have with humanity is Greed. Our societies and economies are based on greed. We see it all around us, though we may not immediately recognize it. We are constantly flooded with ideas and concepts telling us that we need more stuff, and that there is no such thing as having to much stuff.
We have harmed our economy and environment with this mentality in more ways that I can possibly count. People constantly harm others for a little bit more wealth of some type. A brief example is the big push in the last 30 years to increase profits by sending jobs overseas in the US. This is done at the expense of consumers, and the expense of the Economy as a whole.
A Simple Example
The best single example I can give for this is the US Automotive industry. Factories in Michigan were literally packed up and moved over to China and Mexico from the 80s to the 90s. All of the automotive workers laid off were vital parts of the economy, as well as consumers of the products they were building. Hundreds of thousands lost their jobs because of this directly, and millions lost their jobs indirectly.
The reason for it happening is simple: Companies lost touch with the reason Henry Ford's model was such a success. (Pay people a decent wage to build the cars, and they will also buy the cars. They will also support an economy that can purchase cars). Henry Ford had it correct, and anyone that studies history and economics will agree with that point (if they are honest anyway). What we see through the 80s and 90s is this concept being broken so that the large earners in the economy could earn a little bit more in the short term.
When people were laid off in Michigan (and to be fair there were other states impacted as well) they were displaced from the economy. The top earners saw short term stock prices increase, as profit margins were increased. Long term, the volume of vehicles sold turned down. It would be interesting to see the correlation between number of people laid off and number of vehicle's sold decrease though I lack the time to do so.
Back on track - That example and lessons could go on for a long time, perhaps a different article.
Greed's impact on our economy: Demand for more things at less money has been done at the expense of quality, health, and natural resources. It has cost each country jobs, as we farm out work to the lowest bidder instead of craftsmen and craftswomen that used to do the jobs locally. If someone in a foreign country is being exploited to get us something at the right price, we tend to look the other way. Not always mind you, but often enough where our desire for stuff has had a human toll.
We destroy nature to get at resources instead of caring for the surroundings. It's all about cost, not about what we destroy in the process. How many millions of acres of the Appalachian Mountains have been poisoned by Mountain Top removal for Coal extraction processes? We can't possibly know the long term impact of this, but short term we know it's devastating to humans as well as the ecology we destroy in the process. We know it, but yet the courts allow it to continue and many times end up punishing those who are fighting for what is right.
Commodity has additional costs. Greedy people and environments don't want quality products. This is especially true today, where everything has become a commodity. If I make a chair that lasts a lifetime, I only make money from you once. If I make a chair that is lesser quality and lasts lets say five years, then I will make money from you every five years. Of course I can sell you the 5 year chair cheaper, but at the same time is it really in your best interests to spend money every 5 years for a chair? We as humans, and our economy, has lost the distinction.
The great psychological war is being waged against us, and has been waged against you for years and years. Every day we are hit with advertisements showing how every house has a computer for every member of the house, plus a cell phone for every member, plus a TV, gizmos, gadgets, etc. We all know what all of us are supposed to have because an advertisement told us what everyone else has, or at least what the advertisers want us to perceive that everyone else has.
The rampant exploitation of natural resources is the biggest fear we should have. Everything we know of is in finite supply. Some of those resources can not be recycled, and can not be replaced. Oil will run out, Coal will run out. Right now, we burn staggering amounts simply because people are making a huge profit from it. Even though we know the supply is limited, advertisements tell us that we are dumb to look for alternatives. It's a part of the psychological war being waged against everyone. But is it in the best interests of our long term survival.
In my first article, I said that population is impacted by the same mindset of Greed. Greed is why you won't hear about the Earth being overpopulated. There is a tremendous amount of profit being made due to overpopulation. Not only sales on goods for middle class. That part is very easy to see. The other way profits are made is a bit more underhanded. Companies receive money to send goods to impoverished areas. Companies exploit natural resources in areas severely impoverished. This is easily seen if you do some research on Oil in Africa, and Blood Diamonds.
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