Cowed by the financial crisis, American consumers are pulling back on their spending, all but guaranteeing that the economic situation will get worse before it gets better. New York Times 06 Oct 08.
There is much quibble these days about keeping "the church" in separate terms to "the state". People are wildly afraid of spiritual aspiration and assertion, knowing little of the true vocabulary and really only being able to conjure up passe examples of fear-based religion, nunnery goes numchuck. This saddens me indefinitely because all life lived is done in effort to manifest happiness and real religious values [not those irreverently mocked on TV] have a monopoly on the search for happiness. But a sacred survey on the truth of happiness is revolutionary in one sense that keeps this "church" far apart from "the state" - contentment.
"Keep your beliefs out of my legislature!", they howl. This isn't difficult to agree with - when one claims to have expertise on such complex issues like morality, the ground is not far from their ego-boasting face. Yet, there is a different kind of religion that is painfully perseverating in our public land - The Church of Consumer Capitalism. And this one doesn't seem to be degraded so deftly, in fact it is the cornerstone of our state. If religion is a tunnel into the realm of utmost reality and a facet to search for happiness [as many people concur], then the Gospel According to the Mall of America doesn't fall distantly from that tree. Purchasing power in the capitalistic market is seen as a big key to human happiness. iphones, Pietro Alessandro, pottery barn - all pieces that are portrayed in the pursuit for peace. Yet the heart and soul of consumer capitalism is to keep us unhappy and unsatisfied so we will continue to seek the big H. A large portion of our economy is tied up in this human happiness peril. When our shopping bags are converted into reusuable handbags, and family vacations stay immobile, our financial arterials collapse.
We belong to a system that is rooted in greed. The majority of the country operates regularly in a world where enough is an appropriate description. Yet, that is a standard that is never to be met [or at least defined as such], lest we the people acquire contentment outside of taxable, grocery goods. It is a detestable when new needs are generated just so wants can be justified and the well-oiled chains of capitalism can rule once again. So if I were to revolutionarily find contentment, thus decrease my perception of need, I am attempting murder on our economy [or so goes the threat]. How sinister is a system that relies on one of the most debased human tendencies for its viability?
Either buy or get off the pot. But don't worry a new need is on the horizon so there will be plenty of opportunity to spend! Spend! SPEND!! Wait...are you proselytizing to me? Please keep your church separate from my state.
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romancing my wallet, as i endeavor to buy nothing new in the year 2008
2 comments:
Amen! Amen!
Though it does seem that some of the peeps up in Washington are "losing their religion" in the free market these days. Of course, that's only because the free market is spiraling downward and hurting their spending power. As soon as it "works" again, I'm sure they'll come back to Jesus, so to speak.
It's funny how the "free market works" infallibly, until it doesn't. And how they decry "greed" as the problem, even though it is theoretically the motivating force. The utter lack of perception of the hypocrisy is laughable.
i like your writing! couldn't agree more. thanks for linking me here.
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