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This
ambitious name is temporarily used because it helps to illustrate the
nature of this project. Any attempt we can make to modify the status quo
of the economic system in place, whether successful or not, is worth the
effort. It might not offer
any significant contribution, but may be a source of inspiration, or
even show another road that should not be traveled.
In any case it is undeniable that contained in it should be a message that needs to be spread. The increasing level of violence is becoming the language of the economic power, and is growing in direct proportion to it. Real PEACE will be attained when ahimsa, non-violence, becomes a major component of it. Non-violence is the maximum expression of love and compassion; they are values of the soul. Non-violence should be understood as non-injury at the physical and mental levels, that means, in action, word, and thought.
Violence is rooted in the struggle for survival. Its obvious
expression is the “Law of the Jungle,” operating in the animal
kingdom, and unfortunately transposed to the human realm under different
disguises. The struggle for
survival in the human species takes place at different levels, the
lowest being those suffering from malnutrition for lack of resources,
and the highest, amongst the ones struggling for power to be attained
through their financial resources.
Whether it is the lack of resources or the excess of them, it is
the capacity for acquisition of resources which is the source of the
struggle and it inevitably ends up being translated into economic terms.
It also means that the economy more and more determines human
behavior and is shaping society. For
this reason no societal transformation or improvement of the human
condition can be expected without factoring in the economic impact on
individuals’ lives. It is fair
to recognize a deepening dichotomy between economic theory and practice.
A quick observation of the different religions shows a similar trend. As
time goes by the original principles and values that were upheld by such
religions become slack and a process of corrosion seems to take place
and the practice moves farther and farther away from its original
inception to the point that it cannot even be recognized, and on the
contrary, it becomes a source of erosion and destruction of societal
principles, instead of elevating or supporting humankind in its efforts
to improve their condition. Therefore
there seems to be a need for periodically revisiting and reinstating
fundamental principles, thoughts, and ideas in order to offer an
opportunity to coalesce those sectors of the population who are able to
maintain their ideals and are willing to join their efforts for the
improvement of society. An
economic model based on spirituality needs to emerge to bridge the gap
caused by failed political, economic, and religious experiments done so
far. Spirituality doesn’t mean the dogmatic blind faith belief system
characteristic of most religions but rather refers to the spirit within
the heart of every single being whether an atheist, convicted criminal,
or recognized saint. This
spirit tries to express itself through every heart: it is our mental,
psychological, and emotional constraints which thwarts its message,
translating it into a selfish, violent, and unkind expression.
But we have repeatedly seen that all the original messages of the
spirit, as it has happened with most religions at their inception,
resonates in the hearts of people who heed the call, and they work hard
to overcome their limitations and commune in an effort to live those
ideals. A spiritually based
economic model therefore will only be accepted by the majority at a time
when human beings, despondent from the social, economic, and political
conditions, begin questioning themselves and searching for answers
beyond the materialistic frame of reference, the source of all
dissatisfaction. That time seems to be approaching closer and closer.
The new model, though, should be designed, tested, and propagated
long before its time of implementation. What
are the fundamental elements that need to be revised? Given that
Capitalism is the prevalent system, we will take it as our point of
departure. Its main
construct, competition, should be replaced by cooperation; separation
and isolation, that are the result of competition, are not compatible
with human nature. Cooperation, that brings union and warmth, is a more
human and divine approach, which leads to unity.
Unity in diversity is an ancient yogic dictum.
But cooperation, to be truly significant, must be based on the
most ideal and highest ethics that can come of the human soul.
For example, a gifted individual should have enough awareness and
compassion to shoulder a heavier burden than those who are lacking.
Selfless action should be the motivation that replaces the
so-called “incentive”. One
of the main propellers of many economic models, the “incentive” is
greed stimulating and totally opposed to the virtue of selfless action.
The human being’s highest self should be the propeller of
actions. Michael Lerner in Spirit Matters
(7) gives an excellent
argument in favor of this approach.
Dr. Monzer Kahf (6) in
The Islamic Economy
gives us a
picture of Islamic society’s approach in this matter, not only in the
motivation for the action but of the nature of the action itself. It
says: “First, products
which deprive the human being of his moral values as established in the
Qur’an are prohibited. Also
prohibited are all types of industrial activity and relations which
degrade the human being or make him party to vices for the sake of
economic gain.” Cooperation, therefore, will develop a society based
on ties of love, respect, compassion, and understanding amongst fellow
human beings. Therefore,
an economic model ideally would include all the different aspects of
human existence, looked at from a spiritual point of view, so that the
result of its implementation brings about the satisfaction of material
needs without any kind of discrimination against any human being. The
frame of spiritual values will give the human being the opportunity to
fulfill its role in creation. In the
Western world there are two main economic systems: Capitalism and
Communism. At present it seems that Communism has lost its ground and
shows continuous decline. Capitalism
is the prevalent system; it is the source of tremendous discrimination
and unyielding use of power, and consequently the cause of widespread
suffering of human beings. It is this economic system that is reshaping
society and establishing patterns of behavior that are, as Gandhi says,
based purely in materialism, and are undermining spiritual values which
guarantee the existence of a noble society. It is not
necessary to analyze the Communist system since its lack of spiritual
content invalidates it as a means of giving man the opportunity to
fulfill his role in creation. As
stated by Gandhi, again, Capitalism is very successful in satisfying
materialistic conditions, unfortunately at the expense of human and
spiritual values; Gandhi’s perception is well presented in his
grandson’s account, Legacy of Love (5), of practical lessons
given to him by his grandfather. A
simple observation of the basic tenets of Capitalism can demonstrate
Gandhi’s assertion. As
said before, the principle of competition, equivalent to the survival of
the fittest-- clearly the law of the jungle—is adequate for the
survival of our brothers in the animal kingdom who haven’t reached the
state of human existence. Similarly, the principle of “incentives”
stimulates greed, while that of “scarcity” stimulates fear,
hallmarks of the animal nature. Globalization,
with its inherent component, mega-transnational- corporations
dehumanized by their only-for-profit shareholder owners, are constantly
demonstrating the application of the law of the jungle with its
devastating consequences. Paul Hawken graphically describes the effect
of corporations on society. Capital,
used as a source of power, i.e., the capacity to impose, and eventually
translates into the use of military strength. Fortunately,
some extraordinary thinkers, entrepreneurs, and concerned individuals
have been dedicating time and effort to create a vision of a better
world (with which we must identify ourselves); they have repeated once
and again that a new vision and a new economic model are needed.
Their work provides an invaluable background and innovative ideas
that can serve as the foundation for such a new economic model. Some of
those ideas are being presented in this document, from which hopefully
an outline can be drawn to develop the model. We start
with Paul Hawken’s Dreams of a Livable Future
(1), a very passionate
picture of the present situation, with simple and clear language which
leads to reflection, and aims to stir the conscience of the people.
Then, Fritjof Capra’s book The Web of Life, (2) which
provides a basic framework, with the concept of “Deep Ecology—a new
paradigm”; as the title of the book says, it covers all aspects of
life, economics being amongst the most important ones. It turns to
nature’s wisdom as the source of a template for societal models.
The speech of Jerry Mander to the World Affairs Council
(3)
illustrates the concept sustained by Fritjof Capra, that “a major
clash between economics and ecology derives from the fact that nature is
cyclical, whereas our industrial systems are linear…”; also it
expresses the need for redefining values as the means of attaining a new
paradigm, and reports on a growing movement that could be recognized as
“Deep Ecology”, reflected in the international meetings of the
International Forum on Globalization (IFG). The report of the Worldwatch
Institute 2003 (4) says, “ Failure to meet the needs of the world’s
poorest citizens threatens long-term global stability,” which confirms
all the aforementioned assertions. From the
academic world we include the examples of the work being done by Stephen
Marglin at Harvard, introducing Behavioral Economics (8), and Jeff
Gates, president of Shared Capitalism Institute (9), who seems to be
borrowing the concepts of Deep Ecology as a blood transfusion to sustain
the Capitalistic model. William Easterly in The Elusive Quest for Growth
(10)
confirms how the academia believe they are really concerned about poor
people’s conditions, yet-- though recognizing the failure of the
present systems-- divert the blame onto factors which are part of the
system, but are absolved by redirecting the responsibility onto the
“subjects” of the experiments. These last
commentaries are not intended as a “put down” to academia but rather
to confirm Fritjof Capra’s saying: “ Ecological literacy includes
the knowledge that both sides of a conflict can be important, depending
on the context, and that the contradictions within a community are signs
of its diversity and vitality, and thus contribute to the system’s
viability.” We also have James Weaver, Michael T. Rock, and Kenneth
Kusterer’s Achieving Broad Based Sustainable
Development (11)
approach, which seems to be pioneering the “sustainability” concept
of Fritjof Capra, and translates it so pragmatically into a usable model
for the organization of society. Since
peoples’ main concern is with survival, and satisfaction of
“materialistic” demands as a result of the present economic system,
they are not drawn to reflect or ponder on the reasons for the present
violent state of the world. To draw people’s interest away from purely
materialistic concerns and more into vital matters for the condition of
society, “New Age” thinkers such as Da Vid of the Light Party
(12)
use a fundamental notion for the birth of an ecological community, a
matter that is drawing people’s attention and concern, and that
may—as it usually does—guide people into developing further
interest, not only in themselves, but in their surroundings as well.
That is the topic of health, and it’s corollary, consciousness.
Many more individuals are certainly contributing with their ideas based on the same or similar ideals; what is important is to continue building alternatives that can lead to a better world. A new economic model can certainly be a step in that direction. This document is intended to be a source of inspiration and a starter to plant the seed for such a model. This
is a first draft, intended to serve as a source of discussion towards
designing a NEW
ECONOMIC The
documents included in this paper are exclusively for the purpose of
Om Shanti, Vyasa (Victor Landa) Washington D.C., Oct 31, 2003
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