The inevitable financial crisis we are all faced with – an opportunity for social change?

If the world economy collapses we have no one to blame but ourselves.

A large part of our salaries go to one of two places: the government and corporations.

Having relinquished the power we have to those instutiutons through laziness, percieved helplessness or by espousing values that support “laissez faire”, it’s not surprising that the economy and in fact the world really doesn’t cater to what’s good for the people while allowing corporations to act sociopathically but still within the limits of the law.

We’ve propagagated environmental destruction and have accepted disregard for social welfare in the name of the potential for increased net worth and reduced personal responsibility and we’ve been sucked in by fear mongering to further stomp on civil liberties and government accountability.

If anything, this economic downturn is a good thing as is the increased price of oil. It’s an opportunity to re-evaluate what’s acceptable and what’s important. I’d like to see a positive change come from this unlike the opportunity we missed at 9/11.

Albeit a very traumamtic time for a lot of people, the social response of putting stranded strangers up in their homes, donating blood, food, blankets, time and the focus moving back from the “I, me, my” to the “we” was  a beautiful thing to see and unfortunately it dissipated all too quickly.

It would be a shame to see another opportunity slip through our fingers again.

Money is great but there’s only so much it can do and as we can see with Iraq and Afghanistan and record oil company profits it can do a lot more harm than good. What we need as human beings is clean air, clean water, shelter, food, clothing and a good bunch of people around us. And yes all those things take money but how much do we really need? I could go off on a tangent about reckless borrowing and credit card spending and its contribution to the current situation but I think it’s enough to say that those things have come from created needs for more and for bigger faster better. All marketing messages that appeal to our most basic urges but in the end really don’t help things.

Having travelled quite a bit, the happiest morst relaxed people I’ve seen are those who have less, not more.

I truly believe the best things in life are free. Hugs, sunsets, listening to the waves crash onto the shore….

Maybe I’m too “airy” , but honestly after much analysis these are my conclusions.

I hope I’ve contributed to this dialogue without undermining anyone or making an ass of myself…..

Cheers from Bangkok (where I am at least for now),

Arie