Why do we always talk about raising the minimum wage instead of lowering the cost of living ? Is it because those making the profits do not want to stop making those profits ? Seems rather simplistic doesn't it ? The way I see it the government with all its' regulations is responsible for a great deal of this. The government establishes standards, for our own good, that we must meet. What is worse is that the government reinforces what the advertisers all try to sell us as minimum comforts. All the " needs " we are taught that are basic human needs, but it just isn't so. Both the government and the merchants creating that desire and that need for more money. For we are taught that only more money can purchase the items we need to satisfy our basic needs. We need to make more money.
I am certainly no economist but have a basic understanding of supply and demand. With the rise in supply the cost should be reduced. I think we can certainly produce goods faster and cheaper than at any time in history. Yet, the cost keeps increasing. The demand for a great deal of the goods and services is being artificially created. Consider " entertainment " alone and the billions of dollars spent on that. Even the government considers " entertainment " a necessity in its' social programs. Funds are distributed earmarked for that purpose. The popular culprit today is the upper 1% of the population . The ones that are super wealthy. It is all their fault. They are making all the money and not sharing. They should lower the prices on everything and give the workers more money to spend. And where would those workers spend that money ? On the goods and services provided by that upper 1%. Seems to me they would just get richer but I'm no economist. So what is the answer, a cap on the amount of money you can make ? Limit the wealthy to a certain amount ? Well even then you would have division. The top 1% still having more than the lower 1%.
Whenever you have others telling you what you need you will have discontent. That is because those others do not have to pay for those things that they say you must have. Happiness can only be obtained when we satisfy our own needs. When those needs are established by others that does create a problem. The problem is compounded when those creating that need penalize those that do not meet their expectations. It is further compounded when those same folks, the ones creating the need, treat the others with scorn for failing to obtain those needs. This very situation was addressed more than 2000 years ago with a basic commandment, Exodus 20:17King James Version (KJV)
17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
In other words do not be concerned with what the neighbors have but be happy with what is yours. Happiness is to be found within, not with the neighbor ! By coveting what others possess you create the need. There will never be enough money to satisfy the desire for the neighbors goods. It is as simple as that. The problem today is that our government mandates our minimum needs. Society as a whole does the same thing. In fact, those seeking to live in a minimalist way are considered oddballs and eccentric ! They are viewed as having no ambition. They are to be viewed with suspicion. And why is that ? Because we should always want more. You can never have enough. Others may have too much, but not you. If you do not have all that the neighbor has, he should share. Just give me more. More is never going to be enough however.
The bottom line for me is I do not believe it will ever change. It is the nature of man to covet. That is why the commandment against it. just like thou shall not kill. There are those that will do both. There are those that will justify both actions with the same commandment forbidding it. Man will rationalize his actions. It has always been so. We measure the fruit of our labors in dollars and cents. We desire a commodity that is limited in its' usefulness. Enough of it can provide us with everything we need to survive. We will appear successful in front of our peers. We may enjoy popularity. That was also addressed, 1 Timothy 6:10King James Version (KJV)
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows
Money is not the root of all evil, only the love of it. That is to say the desire for more than what is needed. The desire for more of anything that we do not need is a cause of evil. So yes what I have in abundance I should share with my fellow man. If we all did that we would all be satisfied. Is that ever going to be the case ? As much as I would like to see that I don't think it will ever happen. That doesn't mean we shouldn't spread that message. We must " keep the faith " in ourselves and our fellow man. That was the message delivered over two thousand years ago, we have to give it time to sink in. When speaking of eternity a few thousand years isn't much at all.
I am certainly no economist but have a basic understanding of supply and demand. With the rise in supply the cost should be reduced. I think we can certainly produce goods faster and cheaper than at any time in history. Yet, the cost keeps increasing. The demand for a great deal of the goods and services is being artificially created. Consider " entertainment " alone and the billions of dollars spent on that. Even the government considers " entertainment " a necessity in its' social programs. Funds are distributed earmarked for that purpose. The popular culprit today is the upper 1% of the population . The ones that are super wealthy. It is all their fault. They are making all the money and not sharing. They should lower the prices on everything and give the workers more money to spend. And where would those workers spend that money ? On the goods and services provided by that upper 1%. Seems to me they would just get richer but I'm no economist. So what is the answer, a cap on the amount of money you can make ? Limit the wealthy to a certain amount ? Well even then you would have division. The top 1% still having more than the lower 1%.
Whenever you have others telling you what you need you will have discontent. That is because those others do not have to pay for those things that they say you must have. Happiness can only be obtained when we satisfy our own needs. When those needs are established by others that does create a problem. The problem is compounded when those creating that need penalize those that do not meet their expectations. It is further compounded when those same folks, the ones creating the need, treat the others with scorn for failing to obtain those needs. This very situation was addressed more than 2000 years ago with a basic commandment, Exodus 20:17King James Version (KJV)
17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
In other words do not be concerned with what the neighbors have but be happy with what is yours. Happiness is to be found within, not with the neighbor ! By coveting what others possess you create the need. There will never be enough money to satisfy the desire for the neighbors goods. It is as simple as that. The problem today is that our government mandates our minimum needs. Society as a whole does the same thing. In fact, those seeking to live in a minimalist way are considered oddballs and eccentric ! They are viewed as having no ambition. They are to be viewed with suspicion. And why is that ? Because we should always want more. You can never have enough. Others may have too much, but not you. If you do not have all that the neighbor has, he should share. Just give me more. More is never going to be enough however.
The bottom line for me is I do not believe it will ever change. It is the nature of man to covet. That is why the commandment against it. just like thou shall not kill. There are those that will do both. There are those that will justify both actions with the same commandment forbidding it. Man will rationalize his actions. It has always been so. We measure the fruit of our labors in dollars and cents. We desire a commodity that is limited in its' usefulness. Enough of it can provide us with everything we need to survive. We will appear successful in front of our peers. We may enjoy popularity. That was also addressed, 1 Timothy 6:10King James Version (KJV)
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows
Money is not the root of all evil, only the love of it. That is to say the desire for more than what is needed. The desire for more of anything that we do not need is a cause of evil. So yes what I have in abundance I should share with my fellow man. If we all did that we would all be satisfied. Is that ever going to be the case ? As much as I would like to see that I don't think it will ever happen. That doesn't mean we shouldn't spread that message. We must " keep the faith " in ourselves and our fellow man. That was the message delivered over two thousand years ago, we have to give it time to sink in. When speaking of eternity a few thousand years isn't much at all.
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