The real problem is scarcity, as you say. However, how much scarcity is there, and how much of it can be avoided? Does our current monetary system in any way promote the reduction of scarcity? You’ll find that the answer is no.

Money is a tool, yes, it’s a way of marshalling material and human labour, both of which are required for projects that would not be possible for any individual to carry out alone. But how is this tool used? Is it used to reduce scarcity? Absolutely not, it’s used to make more money for the holder of that money. What that person does with the money is usually to splurge it on junk that they don’t appreciate in order to fill the gaping void within, born of a lack of love and wisdom, that drove them to pursue money in the first place.

The resources we have today, both material and human, could easily be applied to shelter, clothe, feed and educate every person on this planet (though it’s close with the population where it is now). Instead they’re controlled by the greediest most miserable people who are constantly trying to fuel the illusion that “having more than everyone else” will finally make them happy. It’s a disease caused by bad parenting, repression and social conditioning.

And possibly the most destructive part of it is that our most precious resource, human intellect, is being continously squandered in this futile game. Capitalism, at least in the virulent form practiced today, is utterly corrosive to basically any mechanism we have to exist as a civilisation and manage this planet responsibly.

Democracy, completely undermined by capitalism. The role of the media is to inform the electorate so they can choose their representatives based on their positions regarding the issues facing them. Instead, the media sells the stories that titillate a dumbed-down public, and play up to the soap opera of party politics. Corporate-owned media are responsible to their shareholders only, dependant on advertising revenue they cannot say anything their sponsors don’t like.

Education, well sure education’s great, but only enough so that the kids will be able to fit into the labour market at some point. Part of this is to follow authority unquestioningly and not to think for yourself. Of course if you don’t think for yourself, you just fit right into the system, you vote in the same politicians who turn up on your doorstep once every four years and forget about you as soon as they’re in (after all, they have bills to pay too, right?). You don’t question the way things are or feel it’s your place to use your mind and your own unique gifts and experience, because hey, you’re just John Doe, the accountant, the bartender, the truck driver.

Democracy and education, as well as freedom of the press are the pillars that any enlightened civilisation depends on and they are continuously being undermined by capitalism. The current thinking is that people need to be enslaved by wage labour to get them to do anything, but this is founded on the faulty assumption that people are at their core bad, lazy, selfish individuals, and that “capitalism works because people are greedy”. When, in fact, people are at their core good (look at a newborn infant, we are all born good, right?), and it is capitalism, and its amplification of scarcity, that makes people greedy.

People are good, and when given the chance have the potential to create, give and contribute, because it is one of the things that makes us most happy.

However people have needs, and when these needs are ignored, abused and exploited by inhuman systems of authority like capitalism and communism, then we see the dark side of humanity.

I see capitalism a bit like this. We are all treading water (working to make money to live). If you stop moving, you sink and drown. You have to keep treading water to stay alive. That’s all well and good but it’s hard to build anything while you’re treading water.

Sure, we have to start at the beginning, at where we are now. So yeah, you have to make money to live. But don’t ever forget what it is, and what it represents. Maybe there’s a better way, we don’t know that yet, but we should at least realize the shortcomings of the current way, and keep our minds open to alternatives.

How many have followed the false God only to realize that this whole ‘lifestyle’ of wealth myth is really another term for pride. How does a man need enough money for 5 lifetimes want more money? It is a trap, there is no limit to wanting more once you have it. People who are greedy generally don’t recognize their own greed.

The problem with the whole money and scarcity theory is that people forget that with money you have profit, and the peruit of profit is killing all of this planets valuable resources.

The answer to all of these problems is technology and education. Technology is what will create the abundance we have always needed. The technology already exists as well and could have been implimented years ago. Just check out http://www.TheVenusProject.com. They have had the answers to all of these problems years ago. The problem now lyes in education alone. The technology already exists to create abundance but its our dumb ass public that needs to wake up. Everyone of us was ignorant of these subjects at some point of our life but eventually something happened that made us break out of the traditional endoctrinations. Unfortunately not everyone will break out of it so we will need to help as much as we can. This is not easy to do as there are so many physcological atributes to acknowledge but there are some who are doing a very good job. You should all check out http://www.TheZeitgeistMovement.com and join the movement. Educating the masses is the path to freedom, for technology will create abundance and knowledge will set us free.

The bottom line is this, you still need to create a life for yourself within this monetary system. So you definately need to get money or your life will only get worse. There is no escaping this fact at the present time so do not get all depressed about it. Go out and make your money but never give up an opportunity to educate someone about the truth. This is what we can all do to change the world, teach people who are not informed. Even if they do not listen, you have to always try your best. This really is the best contribution you can do to move towards some kind of transition. People will not put up with all of this shit if they truely understood the truth, and the truth is that we can create abundance through technology so money should be on the way out but its not.

I always tell people, “make your money but don’t ever respect it.” You need it because you will die without it is not worthy or respect. It is the root of far too much suffering to ever be worthy of any respect.

I think in general, I can very much understand what Jon (the writer of this controversial-yet-fantastic-and-stirring article) said, and perhaps also experienced.
And of all the wonderful comments above, I also can really relate with almost all Trudy Ford said.

And here’s my straight-to-the-point commentary (& perspective) for this sort of “sad-but-true” fact/reality:
Any of you who has at least hear, know, and especially follow those Personality & Aptitude tests (my favorite being Myers-Briggs (MBTI) Personality test, you guys should try it, just google it!), there are in fact different kind of “smarts”.

There are people who are smart (& I mean, really, really smart, & also focused/passionate) in mechanics,
There are people who are smart (& I mean, really, really smart, & also focused/passionate) in economics,
or history, or any other intellectual pursuits such as philosophy, metaphysics (I myself am an enthusiast in these latter fields),
There are people who are smart (& I mean, really, really smart, and perhaps I’d say: very talented) in Arts, such as Music, Graphic Design, etc.
And, last but not least,…
There are people who are ‘smart’ -you guessed what- in making money, AND investing, AND managing it.

Of course, there are some recent studies that shows how being “smart” at one thing, and “inclined/passionate” at it, both have a huge correlation,
but my point is this: It is indeed quite ‘sad’ (or ‘unfortunately’), -like Jon & some other commenters here also seemed to agree, directly or indirectly- that since this REAL-world needs MONEY in almost everything, thus, it is those type of “people who are smart in making money, & investing & managing it” (not to mention also very inclined/passionate) whom in the end, seems to get the *MOST* in this REAL-world.

A real-life example: those people who’ve known me quite well, would easily describe me as a “smart young guy”, and some of them seem to ‘get it’ that I am “smart” (& also passionate, or inclined) in particular/specific fields such as: Philosophy, metaphysical, religions, imaginations, Art, and generally in questioning-little-things-in-life, but most especially, in Music.

But alas!
Very similar with what Trudy Ford (& I bet many other kind of “smart” people!) have experienced,
‘unfortunately’, I am still even admittedly sucks, or even at worst, in those “making money, investing, and managing it” things!
and DON’T ASK ME WHY is this!.. As far as I know, it seems like I’m just *not* naturally inclined to it (even after some learning & my several attempts TRYING to *like* to pursue Money!).
And this, unfortunately, is just like what Jon described above very well: it elicits reactions from many, many people who don’t seem to understand me, of why I don’t use my “smart-ness” for the pursuit of money, for my personal GAIN!

And my response/answer?
It’s also just like what many of you seemed to agree here: to me, Money is definitely *NOT* everything in my life, and at my current age of 28 yrs old, and after several attempts at *trying HARD* to love the idea of “living only for accumulating the biggest money/wealth” , I have come to a conclusion now that to me personally, the “costs” is just not worth it!
Sure, you can spend many of your time to study, and get the so-called “big money” and/or “big career”, or status -whatever-, but I would wholeheartedly agree that this Life simply can’t be ‘cramped-down’ into only ONE little path of “making-money-till-we-die”.
There are many different kind of people (thankfully),
There are also many different kind of “smarts”, and “passionates”,
There are, consequentially, many different PATHS one can take in life.

I think, the worst that an individual/person can do in his/her own life, is to reject, or abandon his/her own ‘natural smart’ (or talent, etc), just to ‘fit-in’ into the mold of OTHER’s, and hence, wasting it all, just to become who he/she is not,….especially if all done in-the-name-of-Money.

Thank god that this world (& Life) is not ALL filled with only “money-smart” type of people,
but it’s also filled with many, different variety of “smart” types!

Love this piece of blog-writing,
and I think I will share this to many friends of mine.
Keep writing, and sharing!
-Nik-

The solution to being smart enough to see the downside of money isn’t to alter your perceptions so that you’re okay having monetary power over the less intelligent for the purpose of creating your own insulated world at the expense of theirs.

The attainment of money by one decreases the survival potential of many others, or, at best, puts that potential against their will into the one’s hands.

It’s abominable.