Knowing that most of the wealth is owned and wielded rather mightily by few people, "the elite," it is easy to fall into the trap of blaming the system-induced problems on those people. An "us vs. them" attitude ensnares our minds and hearts and leads to solutions that are unwise and unhelpful.
It is hard to be patient and reflect for the person who is starving while watching another greedily consuming all the food on the table (planet). They are justified in their anger, but hasty violent reaction to a complex system-wide problem will not resolve the underlying problem. As the disparity in access to life-sustaining resources continues to widen, communities and countries are unleashing their violence on the perceived targets and those around them. If those that are fed enough do not start working to correct this problem for themselves and those who are hungry, violence will ripple out in widening circles and eventually ripple through their own lives. Suffering and anger are warning signs of problems, and if they are ignored, their severity will grow. We should treat these signs with respect and learn about their causes.
But, back to "the elite." The elite are indoctrinated, just as we all are, that wealth needs to be accumulated. Despite all the feel-good talk that money doesn't make you happy, we all know that no money = no resources = no life = no happiness. The fact that the world out there is always trying to get more and more of the money you have means you must be cautious about how much you let go. How can you ever have enough when you live in a world that does not care whether you live or die, only that you can pay for it? If you make $200,000 a year and you feel generous and want to give away 100,000, you might not do so because you have to "save for a rainy day." What if you get cancer and cannot work? That will cost a lot more than 200K! Also, as you accumulate wealth, you will likely be surrounded by those that have similar resources, so you have to keep up with the Joneses. The consequences may be real for not conforming. If all of your colleagues have multi-million dollar homes, drive luxury cars, eat at expensive restaurants, and travel to high-cost destinations and you decide to eschew that lifestyle, it would send a signal that you condemn their lifestyle. That attitude could see your way out of a job, out of "the elite."
Even if you own your own business, you have to "make nice" with clients. You may have to put up appearances so they think you have a legitimate business. Isn't that what we do by putting on suits? Suits aren't made for comfort, they are made to give the wearer a sense of respectability that they wouldn't have if they showed up in pajamas.
"The Elite" need to be educated about the system just as much as everyone else. Actually, they may need it even more since their lifestyles are more immune to the consequences of poverty, disease, and lack of resources. They need to see that that their lifestyles of "abundance for few" is not just unhealthy for the planet and many of the world's people, but also for themselves. Within the current economic paradigm, they depend on money not just for their resources, but for their social standing and self worth. They must also realize that if they intend to have children, their kids will be at greater risk of social unrest, of never-ending worry to maintain their hold on resources, and less clean, less healthy food, water, and air. Their children will have to deal with people who want to gain their trust to exploit them. They will have the worries of keeping up with the Joneses and the stock market. They too, will know, that the world cares about the money they have, not them. They will have to squash their conscience to ensure that they keep their profits. They may have to abandon their passion to pursue wealth-generating activities, no matter how much they detest those activities.
It's not that "the elite" deserve more pity, it's just that it's important not to get trapped into the simplistic thinking that usually follows from an angry reaction. Anger has its place, and if things are left unchanged, anger and violence will grow. I hope that is not what it takes for people to wake up to the problems ahead. It may be, but I hope not. That's why I continue to be motivated to pursue the awareness raising campaign of the Zeitgeist Movement.
It is hard to be patient and reflect for the person who is starving while watching another greedily consuming all the food on the table (planet). They are justified in their anger, but hasty violent reaction to a complex system-wide problem will not resolve the underlying problem. As the disparity in access to life-sustaining resources continues to widen, communities and countries are unleashing their violence on the perceived targets and those around them. If those that are fed enough do not start working to correct this problem for themselves and those who are hungry, violence will ripple out in widening circles and eventually ripple through their own lives. Suffering and anger are warning signs of problems, and if they are ignored, their severity will grow. We should treat these signs with respect and learn about their causes.
But, back to "the elite." The elite are indoctrinated, just as we all are, that wealth needs to be accumulated. Despite all the feel-good talk that money doesn't make you happy, we all know that no money = no resources = no life = no happiness. The fact that the world out there is always trying to get more and more of the money you have means you must be cautious about how much you let go. How can you ever have enough when you live in a world that does not care whether you live or die, only that you can pay for it? If you make $200,000 a year and you feel generous and want to give away 100,000, you might not do so because you have to "save for a rainy day." What if you get cancer and cannot work? That will cost a lot more than 200K! Also, as you accumulate wealth, you will likely be surrounded by those that have similar resources, so you have to keep up with the Joneses. The consequences may be real for not conforming. If all of your colleagues have multi-million dollar homes, drive luxury cars, eat at expensive restaurants, and travel to high-cost destinations and you decide to eschew that lifestyle, it would send a signal that you condemn their lifestyle. That attitude could see your way out of a job, out of "the elite."
Even if you own your own business, you have to "make nice" with clients. You may have to put up appearances so they think you have a legitimate business. Isn't that what we do by putting on suits? Suits aren't made for comfort, they are made to give the wearer a sense of respectability that they wouldn't have if they showed up in pajamas.
"The Elite" need to be educated about the system just as much as everyone else. Actually, they may need it even more since their lifestyles are more immune to the consequences of poverty, disease, and lack of resources. They need to see that that their lifestyles of "abundance for few" is not just unhealthy for the planet and many of the world's people, but also for themselves. Within the current economic paradigm, they depend on money not just for their resources, but for their social standing and self worth. They must also realize that if they intend to have children, their kids will be at greater risk of social unrest, of never-ending worry to maintain their hold on resources, and less clean, less healthy food, water, and air. Their children will have to deal with people who want to gain their trust to exploit them. They will have the worries of keeping up with the Joneses and the stock market. They too, will know, that the world cares about the money they have, not them. They will have to squash their conscience to ensure that they keep their profits. They may have to abandon their passion to pursue wealth-generating activities, no matter how much they detest those activities.
It's not that "the elite" deserve more pity, it's just that it's important not to get trapped into the simplistic thinking that usually follows from an angry reaction. Anger has its place, and if things are left unchanged, anger and violence will grow. I hope that is not what it takes for people to wake up to the problems ahead. It may be, but I hope not. That's why I continue to be motivated to pursue the awareness raising campaign of the Zeitgeist Movement.
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