| The predominate Western economic system, referred to as “capitalism” or “the free enterprise system” is the primary tool of control or imperialism used by those of European descent. This world-view has its roots in the harsh and hostile climates from which the predominant capitalist cultures originated. During the first millennium AD, these nations endured the brutal and barbaric “Dark Ages”. Tyranny, starvation and disease were rule throughout Europe. Europeans began exploring and invading other nations to escape the “civilization” they had created. Their economic theories were developed around the standards of scarcity, competition for resources and acquisition through war. As the name confirms, this system elevates property rights and the ownership of material assets above human, environmental or other rights. The underlying tenant of Western economics is that it is the study of the distribution of scarce resources. This belief implies that the natural state of things is shortage and scarcity. Gross profits are returns on capital or equity. Humans are considered inputs. Payments to humans are considered costs. The avoidance of cost is a fundamental requirement for maximizing profits. In essence the system privatizes profits (for benefit of a few individuals) and socializes many of the costs of production and distribution (to the detriment of employees, the general public and the tax payers). This system has led to exploitation, since owners of capital are forced to seek the lowest cost sources of raw materials, labor, equipment and distribution. They are also forced to avoid recognizing the costs of pollution, joblessness, social dislocation and many of the other costs, which their strategies create. The financial powers of the West have been able to influence the court system to classify corporations as “persons” under the law. This means that corporations have all the rights of human beings. Multinational corporations are therefore able to thwart efforts to control their activities by invoking protections against discrimination, defamation and patents. The capitalist system is only stable where financial growth is perpetual and exponential. The system becomes unstable if continuous growth in profits cannot be maintained. Since money and power are concentrated in a few hands, these people and corporations are able to amass increasing power and control. These same people use the mass media to advocate for this system and to obscure all ideas counter to their immediate interest. The police and military might of the government is used to protect their interests. The political system becomes corrupted by large contributions and paid lobbyists that result in legislation that benefits small but wealthy special interest groups. The print and broadcast media are powerful tools used to consolidate this control. The media is used to deceive the majority of the people into believing that three illusions are reality. These are: 1. That international financial institutions and multi-national corporations are the “good guys” who are attempting to raise the standard of living for everyone. 2. That those who wish to be liberated from control by the global institutions are the “bad guys”, often labeled as communists, extremists, radicals, insurgents or terrorists. 3. That the military has the right and power to control the world and can attack anyone who opposes the actions of these giant institutions, with impunity. If these illusions were not widely believed, the multinational institutions would be unable to exert control. The attempted takeover of Iraq and Afghanistan prove that these forces lack the moral or military strength to dominate the rest of the world. The so-called “war on terrorism” is in reality, a desperate last- ditch effort to avoid losing control. The new surveillance, police and military doctrines being enacted are designed to enable the arrest, imprisonment, torture and assassination of anyone they label a terrorist or supporter of terrorists. These are the measures of a corrupt, dieing and desperate system. The current direction of the American government is toward bankruptcy. The vast majority of the nation’s resources are being allocated toward covert operations, military aggression, prisons and removing responsibility from the wealthy for their actions. Social services, education, local governments, retirement systems and the environment are all being sacrificed. By definition, this economic system cannot and will not benefit the majority of the residents of the earth. Unlimited property rights means that the fortunate or unscrupulous few own vast amounts of property, while the majority own little or no property. Viewing people as costs, rather than as the purpose of economic activity, means that unemployment is the rule in most countries and communities. Cost avoidance, taken to its logical conclusion, leads to an irrational and irresponsible avoidance of the consequences of ones actions. Thus, we hear the continuing cry from the wealthy that business costs and taxes are always too high. They feel they have no responsibility to feed, shelter, educate and heal those harmed by their business practices. Maximization of profits leads to theft of resources, falsified financial reporting, fraud and deception in the management of businesses. The majority of the world’s population is then left to live with or to attempt to repair the damage through national and international agencies that are financed by taxing those who benefit the least from the free market system. The majority of the people lose their hard-earned investments and savings because, all too often, the “profits” of the capitalists were actually based upon fraud, deception and false accounting. This is not a critique of capitalism, alone. The other Western economic systems, socialism, communism, feudalism and mercantilism are all founded on various philosophies about the ownership, production and distribution of scarce natural resources. None of them is founded upon the godly nature of the human spirit and its true exalted destiny. Neither do they recognize that all of creation is holy and that the relationship of humans with nature, spirit, life and other intelligences determines the true success of human endeavors. This is why these economic systems have remained foreign and unfulfilling to African and other non-European nations. It is necessary, then, that the majority of the world’s people must employ a different economic system within our cultures. Economic democracy must be the foundation of our system. The new system must acknowledge that resources can be scarce neither in reality nor potentiality. Scarcity is an artificial condition caused by the abuse, hording or misallocation of the world’s abundant resources. Scarcity is exacerbated by absentee ownership, wherein the owners of capitol are shielded from the results of their decisions. Local control and universal participation must be required in economic decisions. The interests and wellbeing of people and our environment must take precedence over the interests of the absentee owners of capital. Real profits are the natural result of producing a needed good or service efficiently. However, profits must be allocated to employees, the immediate community, the global African community and, finally, to the absentee investors, instead of primarily to absentee owners, alone. Accurate accounting for the actual cost of doing business must be required in profit & loss statements, including damage to the environment and harm to employees and communities. Local ownership and control of businesses must take precedence over absentee ownership. Experiments in many alternative economic structures have been attempted; from cooperatives to worker- owned corporations to government ownership of resources. The system we develop for the future can borrow from these previous experiments. However, the missing ingredient in all of these systems is the recognition of the spiritual nature and destiny of humans and all of creation. Universal or cosmic spirituality must serve as the foundation for the repair and reorientation of the Africa’s economic system. All commerce must have, as its first priority, the upliftment and enlightenment or the largest possible number of people. Technology and capitol, by themselves, do not benefit humans. The knowledge and skills, or “human capitol” produced by the creations and use of technology and capitol are the true benefits of economic progress. |
| 2. THE ECONOMICS OF ABUNDANCE |