GREED

7/7/2023

Following up on the last GTG blog post I wish to point out another problem facing our environment. No, not Carbon omissions, it is Greed.

With the United States of America being a republic democracy and not a democratic democracy, we have checks and balances in place against people greedy for power, cash, and fame. However, when corruption and greed enters any republic democracy or another government, we have a cascading effect that starts to shut down all working aspects of society's prosperous operation. Greed will always lead to corruption and corruption will always lead to tearing apart everything and everyone.

Greed starts with individuals and is in all walks of government and life. With freedom comes people that relish greed. However, only a republic democracy offers the ability to keep all the greed minded governments and individuals that are infected, at bay. Being a republic democracy allows our free system the means to halt those who do not care about others or our environment, because they only want to use others and our environment to make money. Do not assume that I only mean one side of our political spectrum.

On the Phil Donahue show in 1979, Milton Friedman who was an American economist and statistician and received the 1976 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his research on consumption analysis, monetary history and theory and the complexity of stabilization policy said:

"Is there some society that doesn't run on greed? The world runs on individuals pursuing their separate interests. The great achievements of civilization have not come from government bureaus. So the record of history is absolutely crystal clear. There is no alternative way so far discovered of improving the lot of ordinary people that can hold a candle to the productive activities that are unleashed by a free enterprise system."

The only other items I know about Milton Friedman is that he was born in Brooklyn and was married 68 years. Sounds like a man who understood stability well.

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
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2 Comments

Doc

8/26/2023 03:05:39 pm

Thanks for starting the conversation Bill!

I believe this was covered in Philosophy 101 class!

GREED is a Cancer that has been eating away at our society for decades. It is, in many ways, responsible for the moral and ethical decay of the USA.

There are relatively few things that humans need to sustain a healthy life. Beyond that, most of what we yearn for is due to some degree of obsessiveness and greed in our lives.

For example, all of us who grew up in the 50s and 60s, never had cable TV or streaming services. No cell phones or computers. And we mowed our own lawns and did our own cooking! Are they great invensions and services....of course! But they are addictive. As will all addicts, we always want more.

Who wants to go back to a flip phone once having a smart phone?? Unfortunately, despite all the great ways available to us to communicate today, our society actually COMMUNICATES less and less. No one takes the time to listen to our neighbor! We are too busy trying to upgrade our devices or aquire MORE STUFF!

What we really need, most of all, is to be fully grounded in the basic necessities for life. And the one element missing most of all in our society.....is LOVE. The exact opposite of GREED!

Without it, what good is having food, water and air anyway??

WHAT SAY YOU??