The new economics - Post 3

We have turned our very persons into commodities: the accountant, the teacher, the mechanic, the doctor, the professional sports person, the lawyer, the CEO ... and so forth and so on ...

In a real sense we have stopped thinking of ourselves as human beings first: mother, father, lover, son, sibling, ... citizen, neighbor.

In so much of what we do we have internalized our obligation to enhance our own value as a commodity as much as possible. We have swallowed hook, line and sinker the concept that by giving ourselves the best shot at making the most money possible, we are choosing the best means of enhancing the common good. We select the "issues" and the "views" we will publicly support with a careful eye on their impact on our resume. God forbid that we would get arrested in a public demonstration! And dare we be seen at a protest rally ... about anything?

And how do we know if we have succeeded in maximizing our own value? By the wages package we "earn" as the market commodity we have converted ourselves into, of course.

In the process the whole endeavor has morphed into shortest, direct straight shot at getting the most money we can ... and skipping anything between that we can. Winning 100 milion or more in the lottery is the pinnacle of success.

And if we are going to apply ourselves at something, we justify it as a way to increase our earning power. Exercise, education, even repose and rest are not seen as enriching our lives as much as potentially enriching our wallets and purses. We even have the saying of the "trophy spouse" ... a relationship that is designed to make us better candidates for upward mobility in the wage ranks.

Need I tell you ... as the Biblical prophets told the Israelites ... that selling our birthright of humanity—the creative imagination to turn swords into plows, and selfishness into caring for others—will destroy us?

And that it takes generations—the sins of the fathers will be visited on his sons and his sons' sons (in the sexist language of the day)—to alter course?

And we have yet to experience the calamity that will get us to even think of changing course, let alone start the course correction?

The image is of driving full-speed off the cliff and not yet starting to fall ... in a state of denial.