What is wealth? When you think about it wealth is really the ability to do things: the ability to grow crops, to make products, to move goods, to improve efficiency, to pass on information, to help others. But it is much more than that in my opinion. It seems to me that wealth is intrinsically tied into the concept of the quality of one's life too. You can have a shitload of money but if you can't do anything with the cash it doesn't do you much good.
Economists usually speak of wealth in terms of production of goods and services and consumption of those goods and services. This is largely what constitutes the Gross Domestic Product of a country. Stock brokers value wealth in terms of the price of stocks and the value of one's portfolio. But when a person consumes something isn't that a measure of ones's wealth being drained rather than added to? I know when my cupboard is bare and I have to go to the store to re-provision myself I come home with less cash in my pocket. Production and consumption seem to be poor measures of wealth.
Let's go back to my original statement on the definition of wealth and examine things a little closer.
I posited that wealth is the ability to do things. Let's analyze the term closely from this vantage point.
What is the most important thing to have to do anything? The obvious answer is money, right? Absolutely wrong! Money is not even close to being the right answer to this question. This is the ass-backward way of thinking our capitalist culture brainwashes us into believing is the answer.
Before answering this question I want you to do a little Church of the Holy Shittters experiment for me. Take a plastic bag and put it tightly over your head. Leave it there for one minute. After time has expired remove the bag. Do you find yourself gulping in air in a semi-frantic fashion? Now you have your answer to the question. There is a saying among asthmatics. "When you can't breathe nothing else matters." It sort of inhibits a person's ability to do things. It is kind of important for "quality of life". It is, in my opinion, the most basic measurement of what constitutes wealth. Remember the saying "you can't take it with you".
Now that you're a little wiser with regard to real wealth what do you think is the second thing needed? Did you answer water? If you did you're on the right track to being very rich. How about the third thing? Did you answer food? You're going to be a millionaire before you know it. Now that you've got the hang of things your probably ready to provide the next answers of food, shelter and clothing (in that order) all by yourself. And to round out the definition of wealth as defined by the Church of the Holy Shitters we throw in good health as the last but not least component. If you have all these things you can have a very good "quality of life" and therefore have wealth.
Ultimately all wealth comes from nature. We consume something from nature by using energy. Ultimately all energy comes from the sun. Consuming inherently involves acquiring and using different things found on Earth. Consumption also involves altering whatever it is we are consuming to get what we need from the substance.
Nature operates in a circular path. There are many (life/death, eat/sleep, eat/poop etc). It is a system of self-perpetuating circles optimally in balance with each other. When the balance within a circle or between circles is disturbed nature will take steps to correct the imbalance. This is the concept that "everything is related to everything else in our universe". It is the concept that all things return to the Earth in some fashion after consumption. If they return in a natural (within the circle) state there is no problem. If they cycle back in an unnatural state there is a problem.
All of this may sound very simplistic and it is meant to be. As humans we tend to over-complicate things and loose sight of what is really important; what is the truth; what is the essence of an issue. This is especially true when it comes to our conception of wealth. We complicate it, obscure it, and confuse it because of our super-consumer diarrhea mindset.
Let me point out just a few examples of just how brainwashed and ass-backward society's thinking is in this regard.
1. It is well known that some of the richest farmland is located at the alluvial fans (deltas) of rivers. Yet at the mouth of all major rivers around the world you see major cities. Cities are not where we grow food. How much more prime agricultural land can be taken for houses and office buildings? How much more can the food circle take?
2. If you put a tailpipe into the passenger area of a vehicle, sit in it with the windows rolled up and start the engine you will die from lack of good air to breathe. It is a well-known way to commit suicide. How many more vehicles are there on the world's roads since the turn of the century? Isn't the Earth one big passenger area? How many more tailpipes can the air circle take?
3. We use water to clean ourselves and other things. How many more cars, dishes, laundry loads can be asked of the water circle?
Soft and Fluffy consumerism preached by the Church of the Holy Shitters offers a new prism to analyze our consumption as it relates to our environment.
Consumption in and of itself is not bad. Consumer diarrhea is.
Related Posts:
Consumer Diarrhea - America's Disease!
The Things We Take For Granted
Super-consumer Crap Accumulators
Ass-backward Consumerism
Decrapulation
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There is an event in New York coming up September 23, 2014 in New York City. It is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Climate Summit where he's bringing together world leaders, from government, finance, business and civil society asking them to take meaningful steps to redefine our relationship with the earth and correct the negative effects of climate change.
In connection with that Climate Summit a People's Climate March is planned on September 21, 2014.
Sign up For the People's Climate March Now!
New York City, Sunday, September 21
Have you signed up yet to participate in the Peoples' Climate March? The September 21 March is being held two days before the UN Climate Summit, where government and corporate leaders will convene to discuss taking action to address climate change.
Tens of thousands are expected to march in New York City and over 700 groups and organizations are participating.
Let's make September a game-changer for the climate movement. Sign up now for a bus, train, or ride shares (or volunteer transport.) Individuals, campuses, churches and organizations are registering to host marchers.
Sign up here!!! --> People's Climate March
In support of that People's March Daily Kos will be conducting a blogathon (series of articles about the summit and climate change) from September 19th thru 23rd.
The Church of the Holy Shitters will post articles on our holy S.H.I.T. day ( So Happy It's Thursday)
Last week: 9/4/14 - The Church of the Holy Shitters will post articles on our holy S.H.I.T. day ( So Happy It's Thursday)
Next post: Due to my participation in the blogathon starting Sep. 19th thru 23rd my next post in this series will not be until 9/25/14: Daily KOS: (CERT)ainly Worth My Time
Hoping to add some humor, provoke thought, spark debate, deepen understanding, and shed some light on the fecal side.
Remember: "If we really want to straighten out all this crap we really need to think about shit." ( Shitbit by Poop John the First of the Church of the Holy Shitters)
Church of the Holy Shitters
A secular environmental religion, scientifically based, with a focus on the psychology of it all. Our ego is the culprit when it comes to dealing with climate change. We cannot save the planet. We can only save ourselves. Our current egotistical self-perception makes that prospect a dubious one at best. Meekness, humility and a realization that our shit does stink, guides us on our path to true sustainable living and climate equilibrium.
Cross posted at http://holyshitters.com/