July 2014
Free Enterprise and Christianity
It seems we may have a problem here. Has anyone noticed there may be some conflicting values banging against each other in countries where the aforementioned concepts are encouraged and coexist?
I am sure many will object to narcissism being included in the list for obvious reasons. Narcissism is a not to be admired, while the praises of free enterprise and Christianity have many voices singing their virtues.
The problem is simple: Free enterprise needs expanding markets to prosper. Globalization aside, domestic markets need a great deal of narcissism from its citizens for their economies to grow – how else do you get people to buy what they don’t need and may not want? Consider for a moment what the state of your economy would be if everyone only purchased what they needed. It would only be a matter of time before everyone would be sleeping underneath the freeway.
The real conflict is with the Christian virtues - certainly, frugality is among them. Purchasing only what you need is certainly frugal. How does one be frugal and still accumulate things you don’t need simply because it pleases you do to so? It seems you do what is necessary to make frugality a negative value.
It starts with “be all you can be.” Does a day go by without being reminded how important it is to live your life to the fullest? Now this has a very positive effect as a concept. What normal person doesn’t want to live the most positive life possible? However, being “all you can be” in a free market economy is to indulge yourself because you deserve it – a slight deviation from its original meaning. If you do not believe this just spend a few minutes watching or listening to commercials.
So where does this leave you. Simply defined, in a dilemma..... You have to change the meaning of frugality – because if you don’t the old “sleeping under the freeway” problem reemerges.
It starts by changing the notion of what you need. To those generations that preceded us it meant frugality – buy what you need and use it till it cannot be used again. We still practice the same frugality however what we now need has expanded exponentially.
It’s easier this way since you do not change the concept only it’s application in relation to the time you now occupy. Let’s be reasonable, we all know that time changes everything – even your concept of the poor has changed.
So why not change frugality. After all you live in a time when all things are possible – including redefining whatever you need to in order to make things work. It is the American political way.
John Frank Giovanni, commenting for “The Pizzaonian” a division of the Pizzaonian Newsertainment Network, Diverti Mento, Editor Emeritus
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