False Polarization = Skewed Compass

Written by rintrah and Posted in Canada, World

There are some things I understand.  There are some things I don’t understand.  I don’t understand the following:

  • Why photosynthesis works
  • What magnetism actually is
  • The appeal of Sarah Palin
  • The appeal of mushrooms
  • Why the same brainiacs who created a problem are the ones who are being consulted to fix the problem.
  • Why the solution to a problem is a new coat of varnish over the old.

Stephen Harper is going to meet with an economic “think-tank” to discuss the financial crisis. These people are cut from the same material as the ones who helped get us where we (the collective, global, we) are today.

The problem is not singular in nature.  Something like this could not have been caused by one thing or one group of people.  This could only have occurred if everyone fumbled and eventually dropped the ball.

To come up with a solution without evaluating the entire system is to put a new finish on the old system.  The banking, the insurance,  stocks and trading, and mortgage and loan industries and, in short, Capitalism itself need to be re-evaluated.  It is not a simple question and requires an even more complex and robust answer.

I am in Korea and here there are, generally speaking, no rich people and no poor people.  Wages are low but so is the cost of living.  People are happy.  They make ends meet and lead rich, fulfilling lives.  And while doctors and pharmacists do not make a lot of money, there are still plenty of doctors and pharmacists.  Some things may be lacking but others things are definitely in abundance.

Contrast that with the ideals of Canada and the West in general and you will see a stark contrast.  Westerns value their space and the stuff that fills that space.  They value getting ahead and making a name for themselves.  That name usually is demonstrated by a rise in value and pays actual dividends.

While this is, admittedly, a huge generalization, it still highlights the actual problem.  The problem with the system is and always was greed.  Unless something can be done to combat the actual problem, the credit crisis will continue.  Even if it recedes, it will take on a new form and possibly be even more devastating.

The problem is not the financial economy.  The problem is that our moral compass is skewed by a false polarization of our ideals.