Schism of the Isms

Devlin Bronte Rachele

Bedford, Pennsylvania

Saturday, October 10, 2020

Dear Evan,

Voltaire gave advice of the importance of defining terms. So, let’s do that. Knowing everyone paid close attention to economics in school I thought it would be appropriate to start things off with a quick review.

Part 1

Thesis: Welcome to the Machine

In the beginning it was simple or was it hard? You be the judge. An individual was responsible for their survival. Limited to the teaching of our parents and to shared experiences while with our parents for our education each individual had to find their food, find shelter, and protect themselves all while keeping an eye out on a horizon full of dangers. Education in itself was full of pitfalls as you had to learn from your own mistakes and most could be fatal. It turns out we were in the middle of the food chain at this time. We were an easy target as well. Having to do everything you need to survive while keeping up a very thorough vigilance is difficult and highly inefficient. Try it sometime. Go alone into an area with large predators and other dangerous animals with nothing and try to forage for food. Try to find enough food to survive for the day while constantly being on alert. Chances are you will choose to remain close to the safety of your vehicle thus limiting your foraging range as well as the quantity, quality, and choice of food.

With this in mind our ancestors who survived to breed viable offspring learned the value of living in groups. Value of a group is readily understood. You have numerous eyes, ears, and noses to scan the horizon for danger and food. In the case of danger an alarm can go up to alert the members of the group. Another is when danger is not detected until it is too late if you are in a group of twenty individuals you have only a 1 in 20 chance of being the target and a 19 in 20 chance of living to see another day. However, even though you are in a group each individual is only concerned with their safety. If you hear an alarm it is either the excited calls of the one under attack or those nearest the victim. Each individual scatters for their own safety. Because of this you are still limited in the range of your foraging and your diet choices as you must remain close to safety. Another advantage of existing in a group is you are able to learn from the experiences and knowledge of others. By the way learning from the experience of others is book sense while learning at your own expense is street sense. Having a well rounded education does include both.

As time goes on it is discovered that if some individuals took turns as look outs for the troop the rest are able to focus on finding food. After all with the ability to stand erect we are built to look out across the distances and see danger approaching. Learning to trust one another the individuals foraging are able to find and gather food they would have missed due to constantly having to keep an eye on the horizon while searching for food. Production of food increases significantly. As time goes on it is realized that certain individuals have a real knack for finding food while others are gifted look outs. A level of trust is developed and over time increases. True dependencies on one another develop. Those on look out realize that if they are able to provide the protection to those who are better at finding food there will be enough food for all. On the flip side those foraging realize that if they find enough food for all the look outs those on watch will be able to focus on their vigilance increasing the level of safety for the foragers to find food. Both groups realize that failure to keep up their side of this social contract could be catastrophic bringing the whole system down and reducing the group back to a barely subsisting scenario of everyone having to find their own food for themselves while again providing their own look out. It is also realized that when danger does pop up and at the sound of the alarm they all can present a united front to repel it. After which they will be able to continue on with their individual tasks. Individuals begin to understand the true value of working together. It should be noted groups which cannot come together and work for the communal good run the danger of falling behind and becoming extinct due to low nutritional levels and predation.

As time goes on there is a realization of spare time due to the increase efficiency of gathering food with protection. What used to take the entire day and still run the possibility of not getting enough to eat now only takes a few hours with plenty for all. Those gathering food are able to focus on finding food and thinking of their experiences in gathering food. They are able to develop new techniques for their foraging as they are able to focus on the task. They are able to discover other edible items to add to the menu. They may even notice the relationship of seeds to the plants and growth cycles. Embryonic forms of the calendar are developed keeping track of which fruits and vegetables are ripe at what time of the year. There may even be connections made between the meteorological events and plants producing food. Time tables may be formulated which direct the group to what area to look for food. At the same time those on look out are able to focus on and develop their skills as well. They learn the nature of animals as they observe them. They realize that when they raise the alarm the entire group doesn’t have to flee to safety but can drive off the predator with loud noises and the use of sticks and stones. Eventually they will learn to combine sticks, stones, and lessons learned into weapons to actually threaten the lives of the predator. With these new tools and understandings fresh meat is added on a more regular basis to the diet. With this portable protection instead of having to remain close to safety and picking laboriously over the same old ground gleaning what you can your group can increase its foraging and now hunting range. An animal which had been on the endangered species list is now taking charge of its world.

We are able to explore and experience new things while developing new ideas. Certain individuals find that they are gifted in creating tools both for foraging and for hunting which increases food production for all. Others are able to build shelters for the community which also helps to increase the mobility of the community. Foragers realize they can remove unwanted plants from an area and use seeds to grow edible plants and agriculture is born. Others are able to focus on food storage and preparation. It is found that working together we can accomplish amazing things for all concerned and through division of labor we are able to focus on our specific field and develop up to ever higher levels. We basically have a well oiled, living machine with each individual running in their own hamster wheel producing and contributing that which benefits the whole machine.

As time goes on new ideas are tried and new hamster wheels are added while obsolete ones fall into disuse and from the machine. Sciences replace superstitions. Metal replace rocks in the production of tools. Ideas are shared and developed leading us to arts and entertainment. Some individuals develop knowledge of our bodies and become healers. Education is continuously understood as a value to the whole and is developed. However we are still limited to the experiences and understandings of our community. Considering when someone tries to add a new wheel to the machine and if it fails the community will come to the rescue because it is far better to have the individual standing on their own two feet than to let them fall. The community may develop a strong sense to sticking to tried and proven practices and slow to adopt new ideas. The community may be in a comfort zone and just interested in producing what it understands it needs. Most will find a natural balance with their environment.

This is changed as we come into contact with other groups. As we learned the value of working together we also learn the value of our community working with others. We are able to trade not only goods for goods we are unable to produce which the other communities can but we are also exchanging experiences and ideas. This group has outstanding farms while this group has highly developed pottery, this other community has really developed metallurgy, and this group has access to the sea and seafood. Each community finds that through trade and cooperation there is far more to be gained and from which to benefit. With these contacts and new ideas new wheels are added to the community machine while those which are now obsolete are removed. At the same time all of these communities become on huge super machine with numerous hamster wheels. Many of the wheels are redundant in the various communities but others become far more complementary to one another in the entire machine. The communities are able to shed certain wheels and focus on what they are good at because of the interaction and trade. This is a Free Market Economy. It is also a natural Economy. It is able to breathe and live. It is able to evolve and grow as the community needs and is highly flexible as per the understandings, beliefs, and the needs of the community which is based on the community’s ability to see the benefits of something outweighing its costs. And this is the very definition of economics. It is the science of how a society fulfills its wants and needs with what is available.

It should be noted that the ideas of the community, its understandings and fears can stand in the way of it being able to evolve. Either the community is able to grow and evolve or it could fall behind their neighboring communities. Truth is the community will continue to move forward as new ideas are introduced and tried, especially if they produce beneficial results for the community. Even prior errors or ideas that didn’t catch on may be looked at with new eyes in later generations and now seen as a benefit with a new twist to it. Biggest thing is the community and the economy are very much in tune and will develop together. It should also be noted that the individual communities are autonomous even though they are trading with one another and are free to adjust themselves as they see the need. Trading itself can help to alleviate the fear of trying new things as your community may get the chance of seeing new ideas in action in the other communities. There is a reason the Middle East was so much more developed in many sciences compared to Europe.

One truly big development is people are taught to see themselves as part of a bigger picture. They are not individuals out for themselves but have learned the value of working together. They have learned to communicate and workout deals. They have learned that problem solving in a group puts more minds and perspectives on the problem and possible resolutions to the problem are more easily achieved. Even if there is a temporary fix for convenience sake the problem can still be tossed around until a true solution is reached. We have learned to work with others and understand their value. They have come to understand the importance of one another and along with appreciation there is the development of respect. As you work with others to overcome obstacles you tend to develop an understanding and empathy for what it means to be them. You understand because of this person’s efforts you are freed up to do what you desire. You realize that you are all in this together. No one person is more important than the other.

As a child my mom and her mom desired me to become a doctor. I had demonstrated the mental ability and like many they were hopeful that I would pursue this profession. My mom let me look at her nursing manuals and I had several works on the human body given to me. My grandfather even gave me his models of the invisible man and woman. However I did not hear the calling for this field but I had developed an interest in the body and science in general. One of the major things which stuck out was how the body moved blood out of the legs against the pull of gravity back up to the heart to be recirculated. I read that if the heart had to provide the power to move this volume of blood the force of its beats would burst every capillary in the head. If it had just been a matter of blood pushing blood then there would be pooling in the lower extremities and risk coagulating. Still the force to move this volume of blood would cause straining and possibly ruptures in the process. So how did it work?

In my studies I found that the answer lied within the structure of arteries and veins. Arteries have ridges which keep them open and smooth walls which allow easy flow of the blood. Veins on the other hand are flexible and throughout possess deep pocket valves. These valves only allow the blood to move in one direction towards the heart. As you move throughout the day various parts of your body such as muscles, bones, and organs press against the veins squeezing the blood on its way. This also reduces the wear and tear on the heart. In other words like our naturally formed economy all the individual parts work together to keep the body healthy and from this each part of the body receives the nutrients, hormones, and so on which it needs to prosper and at the same time dangerous waste material is removed. Without any restrictions, breakdowns, or other impairments the body can last a lifetime in great condition. The same goes for the economy. Blood of our economy in the natural community is the flow of ideas, communication, and relationships.

Part 2

Antithesis: Me, Me, Me or Render unto Caesar That Which Is Caesar’s

Somewhere in time a person or a group of persons realized that they could command a strong influence over the community. They could use this influence to gain access to the best food. They could use it to acquire the most ideal location in the community for their shelter and for a larger shelter. They could use it to gain other items to improve their standard of living. If a large family is important to them they may use this influence to have more than one spouse. (In the ancient world it wasn’t uncommon in many communities for a woman to have more than one spouse as well.) They could have servants, employees, and apprentices. They could have entertainers perform personally in private. Most importantly they use their influence to guide the direction of the community which also includes a direction which maintains the influence they have over the community. This leads us to the question of from where this influence or power originated.

In order for you to have power over another the other person must have a dependency on you. For example: if I have more of a dependency on you than you have on me then you will have far more influence over me than I have over you. If you have no dependency on me and I have none on you then we will have little influence if any over the other. In our original economic model we have a situation where each individual in the community has an equal dependency on one another which is a state of true equality. At the same time each individual understands the importance of maintaining a loyalty to the community for their survival. So, though each individual is equally dependent on one another they are all subservient to the community. But from where does this dependency come?

In our original model we found that through the individuals of the community working together they were able to most efficiently fulfill the wants and needs of each individual. In the beginning foragers were dependent on the guards for protection which allowed the foragers to make the most of gathering food. Guards were dependent on the foragers to gather the food so by doing their best to protect the foragers more food could be gathered for all. Wants or needs are the origins of value. The more you desire something and the less of a supply the more valuable this object of desire will be to you. Take for example that you have a ton of pure gold. Because there are 101 uses for gold it is a highly desired item and because of its limited quantity in this world the value of it is high. People are even willing to pay with their lives to possess it. However, if no one in your community desires it or there is a reasonable substitute for it then it is of no value except for that value you saw in it which caused you to collect together a ton of gold.

Basically there is something, a skill, knowledge, ability, or a physical commodity the members of the community desire or need. Through gaining the control of this asset this person or group has created a dependency of the community on this person or group. Through this control of an asset which the community has a desire or need this person or group is able to create a dependency through their ability to control its supply or access to it. The person or group is able to translate this dependency into an influence over the rest of the community. Now let’s look at a situation to gain a better understanding of what is happening. Let’s say you wish to acquire a skill which only I possess in the community. My influence over you will be determinated by the level of desire you have to acquire this skill from me. If you truly desire to learn it you will be a very good and obedient apprentice for me. However, as you gain more and more of the skill to the point of mastering it, the influence I will have over you will wane. Any influence I had over you may disappear altogether when you have been able to master it as far as I am able to teach you. So with this in mind we see that influence can disappear. One of the main goals of this influential person or group is to maintain their influence in order to maintain or even increase their current standard of living.

To maintain this level of influence or to gain even more there is a need to increase the dependency the community has on this individual or group. This can be done through strict control of the desired asset and the restriction of other’s access to it. Looking at your gold situation will help to illustrate this. Let’s say that the current value of your ton is about $53,000,000.00. If you were to dump it all on the market at once could greatly diminish its value in the eyes of prospective buyers. You will need to lower your price to entice prospective buyers. If the market is unable to clear the price may take a sudden and severe downturn. Not to mention they will want to sell it at a profit for themselves. (In order for you to profit from something you must be able to get more out of it than you put into it. I want you to think long and hard about that. In order for you to profit from something you must be able to get more out of it than you put into it. In other words, hard work is not necessarily the key in a profit situation. It is the ability to inflate the value of an item in the prospective buyer’s mind while doing little as necessary to produce the item.) To make this profit they will be trying to force the price down. You can manipulate the demand for the item and its value by limiting the amount of your ton you make available at any given time. Chances are if the person is the ultimate consumer and you limit the amount available and if they have a strong demand you may be able to reap in more than the estimated $53,000,000.00 by selling it in small quantities over a period of time.

Now to limit this access to the asset you must have control over it. This means you must be able to guard it and physically restrict access to it. In a community which has no central authority to recognize ownership, ownership must be declared, enforced, and protected by the owner. In order to do this you will need help with a physical asset. As far as a skill such as metallurgy, healing a body, or having access to the thoughts of the gods restriction of the access to it could be as easy as colluding with all those involved to maintain a secret. Things could be restricted through the community’s belief system such as only the chosen ones are able to perform that task. Physical commodities would require physical barriers such as guards or walls and weapons. There will be a need for laws and regulations as well as the ability to enforce these laws and regulations. Keep in mind these laws and regulations are created to enforce control of the asset. Ownership is even declared with just act of brute force. This is the creation of capitalism which is earning a living through the control of an asset.

As time goes on other individuals take note and learn. They too seize assets and control access to these assets in order to gain influence over the community. They too are able to gain better shelters, more spouses, employees, servants. Before long ever more of the community is no longer looking towards the community for what they need but are looking to these individuals who control the assets which the community needs or wants. Loyalty on the community is actually being replaced by loyalty to these individuals created through dependency on their ability to supply what the community thinks or knows it needs. As time goes on people who are dependent on these individuals see these individuals as more important than the community itself because they are the ones directly responsible for their livelihood. Eventually one of these individuals is able to gain enough influence and through that is able to gain control of the greatest treasure of the community which is the community itself.

In the earlier anatomy lesson we looked at how all the parts of the body worked together. Each organ, tissue, cell, and system performs its function. All the functions come together for the health of the body and because the body is healthy it is alive and so are all the individual parts of the body. In the body the nervous system, hormonal system, and circulatory systems act as the highways which spread the wealth of the body to all its parts and removes the waste as well. In our natural economy model this is accomplished through the dependency of each individual on one another and the community. It is accomplished through communicating ideas and needs while working out deals with one another. In this new economy where a few control the economy and the community, material wealth and money are the circulatory system. As long as this continues to flow smoothly the community will continue to exist in peace. A smart leader realizes that consumption of community output can be done in a way which maintains their position without creating an over taxation of the economy. If there is too much restriction there could be problems.

Since the leaders or owners of the assets of the community are understood as the apex of the community there is a strong desire to gain their position and enjoy their standard of living. Yes, they may have money or a lot of material wealth but the true wealth is their position. As long as they maintain the position they can expect to maintain a certain level of income and maintain their living standard. Along with this they must maintain their supporters and their supporter’s dependency on the now leader of the community. This can all put new demands on the community from the top down. The economy is no longer developing with the community but the community and the economy are being directed by the needs of the leader which includes those of his supporters and the community according to the understanding of the leader and the leader’s advisors. Advisors and supporters will also reshape the community and the economy.

Now you may ask if the leader or owners are seen as the apex of the community why wouldn’t his subordinates just overthrow and takeover their position? In the process of laying claim to the community there may have been the development of myths, legends, and a belief system which shields the leader from would be usurpers. They may desire not to piss off the gods. In return the leader may protect and patronize the religious institution. Chances are they may even be the head religious leader. Protectors of the leader may see it far more beneficial to maintain this leader because they are rewarded well. A leader’s supporters may even enjoy far better conditions than those who work in the fields or mines or processes. They may be happy in their position and not have to worry about being in the crosshairs of other would be leaders. As a leader they would be required to please the many who support the leader in that position but as a subordinate you only have to please the leader and if the leader does not reciprocate it is far easier to replace just the leader than the whole support structure.

In a situation where material wealth is seen as the answer to your desires, more is always seen as better but it is never enough. This keeps people hungry and wanting. Want is a very powerful mechanism especially if you are the one in control of the object of that want. Making sure you have the ability to reward the wants of those who support you and maintaining that ability can be the main key in maintaining their loyalty and support. As long as they see you as the one who will help to fulfill their wants they will do all they can to keep you in that position. In the same way the leader will maintain you as long as you fulfill your ability to take care of the leader’s wants. Want must be answered but at the same time maintained. Once the want is fulfilled and there isn’t a possible substitution want to replace the original want the leader may not need you or you may not need the leader. History is full of cases of overthrows because a leader wasn’t able to fulfill needs which include security of the subordinate’s position and many subordinates have fallen from grace due to no longer needing them which includes refusing or inability to fulfill a want of the leader.

One of the ways a leader can maintain this fulfillment of wants is through the increase of the production of the community. Remember the leader's staff, protectors, and enforcers are actually consuming resources of the community and though they may be overseeing certain productions in the community are themselves not producing anything. They are kind of like a landlord. A landlord doesn’t add any wealth to the community if they just control existing structures or property. However, a landlord does live off of the production of others through collecting rent. Increasing the capacity of the community’s production includes increasing the population to have the labor to maintain this level of production. Along with this goes the need to produce what supports this population increase. This means more food, more shelter, and more resources. Therefore you need more productive workers to support the leader, owners, and their respective support and enforcement structures.

Another way of increasing the wealth of the community is by taking over other communities and their resources. This could be through mutual agreements or by force. Again this will require the economic output to support both the conquest and administration of these new territories. This also requires an increase in the population. Just to maintain the want which keeps someone in power will require to keep a growth of the population not only to replace workers who have outlived their ability to perform labor adequately but to increase the production to support the hierarchy, the leader, the retiring population, and so on. Before, production was as the community needed and there could be enough.

Part 3 Synthesis

The Elephant in the Room

Our economy and community have experienced some major changes. Wealth in the original economy was understood as the well-being of the community. As each individual did their part for the community and it prospered each individual prospered. Now wealth has been turned into a material object which can be handled, controlled, restricted, and able to be hoarded. There has been a transformation as this new material wealth has been accumulated by the owners and the leader and the leader’s hierarchy. There has been the creation of new institutions. There has been the creation of rules, laws, and regulations which have been helping to shape the community, but mainly to create and control, and most importantly to protect the wealth. There is a sense of security. Large estates have been established and possibly even a palace and both have their full compliment of servants and staff. The community is experiencing a certain level of order and organization. However, there are also some problems with this appearance of opulence. There have been shortages. Most of the population is reduced to just a subsistence level of living. There is poverty. There has been upheaval beyond just usurpers hoping to acquire an owner’s or leader’s position. How can there be problems in a period of unprecedented growth?

I am sure almost everyone has heard of an elephant going berserk and trampling people during a show. It is not just limited to elephants. There are cases of dogs becoming violent. There have been reports of horses injuring or killing their riders. Dolphins, orcas, chimpanzees, even cows, and many others have been the center of reports of human injury and death. Throughout all human interaction with various animals there have been cases where an animal has gone “crazy” and caused injury or death. One could argue that in some cases when an animal will act out due to events in its life such as the call to mate as in elephant males when they go into must. Problem with that reason is those acting out in deadly rampages are female as well. Puzzling thing is in most situations the animal was well fed. They were not abused and given excellent healthcare. In many cases the trainer was highly knowledgeable and qualified for the task. How could a well care for animal go berserk?

Best answer I have is it is not allowed to be itself. An elephant is designed and born to be an elephant. It is meant to be large herbivore living in various environmental settings such as the savannah, jungles, and even deserts of Africa. Females developed to live in herds led by a matriarchy and males developed to live as loners vying for mating rights to the female herds. There are also species which live in various parts of Asia as well and various islands. Each of these individual species has developed over the ages to live harmoniously in their particular biomes. Their diet, immune system, everything including their psychology has been custom tailored to live and survive in their natural environment. It is meant to live as an elephant, eat as an elephant, and to actively participate in the creation and the raising of the next generation of elephants.

In a captive state the elephant is being forced to be something it isn’t as are all animals in this state. Even your dog is basically a wild animal which has learned to live with humans, but down deep inside is still a wild animal. The elephant is told when and what to eat. It is limited to where it is allowed to go. It is restrained and forced to do things other than being able to be just what it was created to be, an elephant. The elephant doesn’t realize it is property just a dog doesn’t realize it is a pet. It doesn’t realize it is a performer or laborer. It just knows it is an elephant being restrained from being an elephant in its natural environment. As it struggles to deal with the duality of its current situation and what it was born to be, frustration and fear arise. Just as your dog tugs at its leash to react to the messages received through its senses as it has been developed as a dog to follow the elephant longs to be an elephant and do as elephants.

Our original economy and community were both created side by side in response to the needs and wants of the individuals who made up this community. It was designed according to what was available in the environment. Just as our elephant was over the eons custom tailored to survive in its natural environment so was our economy and community. If the elephants had too many offspring for the local environment to support there would be suffering until either the population was reduced to a sustainable level through either death, relocation of the herd to an area which could support it, or just a few of the members in a break away herd. If our community had too many builders and not enough farmers and hunters to produce the food required by the community builders could assist farmers and hunters, even become farmers until acceptable levels were reached. Just as if there was a need to build homes and there were far more farmers, the farmers could lend a hand to the builders between caring for their crops until the need was fulfilled. If there was overcrowding, disease and personal comfort would actually teach us about spacing between shelters, the design, and size of the shelters. Our economy would correct itself for the needs and wants of the community’s individuals according to what was available. Trade with other communities would develop for things which were not available.

In our anatomy lesson we learned that everything working in unison promotes a healthy body with few problems. Each part gets what it needs and is able to produce what is required of it. But let’s sit down and eat a heavy meal of steak, potatoes, gravy, and all the trimmings with a rich dessert. Our body will divert what is needed from what is available to process and digest the meal breaking it down to the nutrients the rest of the body needs. Much like our economy and community working in unison with the idea that a healthy community is a strong community which can take care of all its members the body does the same. But let’s throw a wrench into the gear box and see what happens.

Instead of resting after the meal and allowing things to proceed without problems we decide to take a nice long brisk hike. Suddenly, blood, oxygen, and other items needed to help with digestion are now needed to feed and support the muscles of our legs, arms, and to increase our oxygen intake as our heart is now pounding. Chances are something is going to have to give because our body does not really have ready reserves of blood and oxygen to supply both these large demands. It is highly likely muscles may not get the nutrients they need and start to cramp up. You may create indigestion from the lack of nutrients needed for the digestion of the meal. You may start to belch or even throw up. You may have abdominal pains. Whatever is going on chances are you will need to answer to this strain of resources you are imposing on your body. You may come to a complete standstill and have to rest. If you are to continue you will need or at least feel the need to take it far easier than a brisk walk. As you now stroll home you may feel the muscles relaxing and your stomach stop churning. You start to feel much better as you take it easier allowing the limited supply of nutrients answer the needs in a more realistic fashion than demanding a full load each to both the gastric and muscular system while trying to maintain the rest of your body. In the same way our economy works to keep everything within a manageable equilibrium in respects to the demands of the individuals and communities which make up the economy and the environment in which it all exists. If we push things out of equilibrium we pay for it until things work their way back to being in balance. But now things have greatly changed.

In our original economy everything was in tune to the demands of the individuals while kept in checked by what was actually available. Things were created according to the understandings of the individuals and the individuals coming together in the community. It was understood that it was in the best interests of the individuals to maintain the health of the community. Loyalty was towards the community because it was understood that through the community it was easier to reach individual wants and needs. Through everyone coming together as a group effort you were free to perform your craft as your other needs were being met by the labors of the community. Our community was created by individuals coming together with their individual needs in mind and through working together; having each other’s back we were able to find a community which was mutually beneficial to all involved. Our community answered the individual needs such as our body answering the individual needs of its cells to create a healthier, stronger body.

However, now you still have individual demands but they are now being focused towards the demands of the leaders or owners the individuals are dependent. It is no longer seen as what is in the community’s best interest but that which is in the interests of the one who signs your paycheck. Individuals will do what they see as necessary to help their leader or master with the idea that helping these masters will lead to a living or paycheck or whatever the master can offer which the individual desires or think they need. They will protect their master’s interests even at the cost of the community because the community is no longer seen as the source of the workers’ paychecks. Unfortunately, it is the community which made it possible for the owner and leader in the first place. It is the community which produced and trained the labor they have claimed as theirs.

When a person produced something within the original economic model that person could retain one hundred percent of what they produced for personal consumption. They could also use it to make deals with others for what they produced. If the person wanted they could have produced it for the community, using the resources of the community with the community in mind with the understanding that the community taking care of all the members produces a strong community which can produce to the benefit of all members. However, now all an individual’s production goes to the owner, master, or leader who then decides how it is distributed. This distribution will be in accordance to what the master sees best serves the maintaining of the position of the master. Restricting access and controlling resources is the hallmark of Capitalism and it is the source of dependency and power. Further restriction of production produces the value. By controlling the resources and the final products helps to make the community and the master’s employees ever more dependent on the master. People can also be controlled and censored through their dependency on the master. They could be afraid of losing their job, source of income, and material possessions as well as their lives. You will take note that throughout history the most severe punishments have been reserved for those who threaten the leader, owners, and their hierarchies. Traitors are despised even to this day and treason is defined by the leaders and owners.

Before the introduction of money or the rougher form of indentured labor was introduced to the community individuals would work according to the needs of the community which was a collection of individual needs. You could also work out deals with other members in the community for extra items you might need or want. You got to know your community members. You got to know their wants, dreams, and fears. You also had a good idea of what they went through to produce what they did. Between the deals and working together through issues you were taught to think, understand, and plan. It challenged you to be a decent and connected person on whom they could count. Now with money the only thing you need to know is the price. Interaction with you and your neighbors isn’t about knowing what is important to them but their price.

Before where cooperation was the rule of the land with the idea of opposing ideas coming together to work things out for the benefit of the community now competition has become the new way. Cooperation still exist but in a different form. There is cooperation among owners of the resources to reduce the expense of conflict and the costs of maintaining healthy flows of income as well as power. Like Lucky Luciano calling a truce between the five families so they could focus more on making money instead of fighting for territory and control the community is divvied up. There is cooperation among the owners and the leader. There is cooperation among those dependent on a master to produce the will of that master in exchange of the individual’s paycheck or living. There is a tendency to maintain a constant in the community. If owners’ and the leader’s assets were to become obsolete it could create conflict and a power struggle between the upper class so there is cooperation to maintain a level of stable predictability. There are laws, rules, regulations created to protect wealth and maintain stability. But there is competition mainly among the workers seeking to please their masters in order to climb the master’s hierarchy and get bigger table scraps.

In an economy where more is seen as the goal but is never enough there is competition. This arises from the fact that you need want and dependency to have controlling power. If everyone can fend for themselves and or work together to ensure that there is enough then there is no want, no dependency, and no power to be gained... There still is value but the idea of value is put on items such as life, family, and community not on things. Through the control of resources access as well as production can be limited to increase want and competition for those limited products. This increases their value and therefore the profit margin of the masters which can include power. Through competing for their master’s recognition and hopefully a promotion and more table scraps workers work harder for their master producing while keeping the cost of labor down which creates even more of a profit margin for the masters. The community is becoming divided as workers see one another as not only competitors for the now limited products and resources but also for their master’s attention.

When you have an economy based on material wealth the wealth must be limited to create demand for it and therefore its value. If everyone was to have a ton of gold there would be little demand for gold in the community. In order for material wealth to work there must be want and for there to be want you need to have people who don’t have enough so others can have enough. You also have a situation where you have masters and leaders and their support staff which may oversee production but do not actually produce anything themselves. Yet, they probably consume as much and possibly more than the average worker. This in itself places even more restrictions on the available supplies for the community to use. There are people who probably have to do without because of this greed, control, and consumption. They in turn do what they can to survive in a divided and disassociated community. For the most part people in the community may become highly frustrated as they do what they have always done except now they want to rise up the ladder but they can’t while their masters enjoy wonderful standard of living. Most are barely hanging on with just enough to survive. Others with less and little hope for more turn to other methods to gain the wealth they were taught is the answer for survival or just to get what they need. They may resort to begging, to robbery, and they may try to escape through the use of drugs and alcohol.

In the past if a person fell on hard times the community would come together and help them stand again. If one of the hamster wheels became obsolete it was replaced with one which was more relevant to the current community. The community and the economy had the flexibility to adjust and address its problems which arose. Now the economy still wants to be responsive to the needs of the individuals and adjust accordingly. Our community was brought together through the understanding that if we work together we can all benefit. It like the economy wants to step in and do what it has evolved to do. But like your dog tugging at the leash the economy and its community want to go this way and the owners and leader need it to go the other way. Before the economy and the community was built and developed from the bottom up answering the needs of all concerned but now it is answered by the needs on top and imposed down. People were encouraged to be involved and had to learn to think and develop ideas. Now, the economy is run from the top and the will of the top is imposed downward. You have a few deciding the fate of the entire community. You have had your life decided for you before you were even born. Even though the economy will attempt to readjust of reset itself those on top will do all they can to make sure it maintains the stability and predictability the top echelon of society crave in order to maintain their position. But as the economy tries to pull this way but is restrained there are victims of the competition, of the greed, the disassociation, and control of resources as mentioned above.

Now these victims of the control and greed of those in charge are now seen as a different type of asset. As a leader or owner of a resource you could say that because of these people you have to spend more on security and that is why the owner can’t pay his or her employees more. These people who have to deal with less because the economy and the community are being restricted to the desires and understandings of those on top have now become a valuable asset indeed. They have become the excuse, the scapegoat. “We can’t have nice things because of them, not me.” “It isn’t me forcing the community and economy this way or that way, it is these people who are putting a drain on us with their poverty and want.” “I am creating jobs which are of a great benefit to our community. If only these people would just get jobs they wouldn’t be poor.” Again, if there was ever enough to go around there would be little need for a master. “If you don’t listen to me and do as I say, you could end up like these individuals.”

Our economy was formed by the wants and needs of many individuals and the community was formed by the realization things are easier working together. But the individuals are now followers dependent on leaders, masters, and so on. The economy is no longer run by the community but instead by a select few.

One could make the argument that in balanced in that everyone gets what they need and the leaders and owners weren’t too greedy a system such as capitalism could go on indefinitely. If the upper echelon understood a certain level of production could maintain a certain level of living which was agreeable to them. Okay, so I don’t live in Versailles or Buckingham but I do have a nice roomy, well built home with nice gardens. Not putting a strain on labor and forcing them to do without. Unfortunately at best this is a pipe dream. In a system where material wealth is the answer as to whom goes what there is a constant struggle for more and more is never enough. As discussed earlier you need that desire, that want to produce a value from which to profit. As the leaders have families and desire their families to enjoy a certain level of living this will place a strain on the limited resources of the community. The children will need assets to use to maintain their living standard and there will be a need for want to profit from the asset they control. There is also the issue of want. Without want there is no need for the consumption and the production or the ability to maintain the perceived value. If all houses were the same and everyone had one where would be the want which would enable you to profit from the sale or award of a house?

This is a system which fires on consumption and at a level which taxes the local resources creating wants which leads to value and dependency. With the need for resources and their dependency on those who can provide these resources people are placed in competition and are pitted against one another going against the earlier need of people to work together. Respect and understanding and empathy for one another are replaced by the need to please the master. Demand for consumption requires constant growth in population to support the growth in production and therefore a need to expand into other territory and the possible domination of it. Regardless of how much resources you have there is a need to restrict production to increase value while decreasing workforce to increase profits meaning there will be those who will just have to deal with less in order for some to have more.

Before when people ran into conflict they had an impetus to work things out. They were dependent on one another. If you produced something and a person came into your shop and treated you poorly you could refuse to serve them. In an effort to gain your services they are encouraged to work with you and treat you with respect. The customer as well as the producer had a need to develop manners. Now a customer can come into the store where you work and treat you rudely and if you desire to keep your job you must just swallow your pride and take the abuse unless the abuse is illegal. But there is no need to develop empathy or manners.

With the rise of this dystopian community where the will of the economy and the community have been muzzled to suit the needs of those on top there is a need to maintain a certain level of stability. You have people who depend on the masters for their livelihood and you have people who have to deal with less so others can live in opulence which is the motivation for the people to idolize those on top and aspire to be them. But here is the tricky part. If I was to maintain a certain level of profit I need to control the level of production. However, I must have enough produced to keep my workers happy. But to keep the sells going where most people are just earning enough to get by I must increasingly cut into my profit margin. However, if there were programs which enabled people in need to also enjoy my products this will keep demand strong, production up and prices at a level which I can keep my employees happy and still maintain my standard of living. At the same time by giving these people who are living below a poverty line enough to enjoy life will reduce crime and other drains on the society in general. The idea that my employees can get help from outside agencies helps to reduce my labor problems which flare up now and again.

This is the birth of Socialism. Socialism comes in many forms just as Capitalism can range from a solitary person and organization enveloping an entire country as in the case of the Saudis or Kim Jung Un to a land where many families own all and divvy it up, Socialism can have a vast range from where the government controls every aspect of your life as in an Orwellian nightmare or Monopolistic Capitalism which owns all to just select programs to tweak out the disadvantages created by muzzling a community and economy preventing the poor from ripping apart the rich and the community. Socialism is the substitute for a community which worked together for the mutual benefit of all. Instead of the community deciding what it needs you now have a government which recognizes ownership rights and takes care of community needs which either aren’t being answered by the Capitalists or have been created by the need for want and making sure the want is healthy by never having enough.

Capitalists do benefit greatly from Social programs. Again, some programs such as healthcare reduce problems for the Capitalists. Roads, Police, Fire Departments, Schools, Military, and special institutions all are social programs which benefit Capitalists by reducing labor problems, ensuring safer transportation for resources and products, protection or help from other competitors, safer communities, a larger demand for products for these programs and institutions as these agencies and programs also consume and this consumption helps to maintain strong stable prices. This demand also helps to keep production and income of the workers at a level they find acceptable. Thing is, these owners, and this has occurred throughout history, believe that the working class should be responsible for the costs of these programs and not the ones who actually control the community and economy. In short a community and economy which had found strength from the individuals coming together or the mutual benefit understanding a far large picture has degraded to myopic individuals who see each other as competitors.

I have studied the fall of the Roman Empire numerous times and from different angles. Some people insist it was from invasions and the truth is Rome had faced invasions over and over and had successfully defended herself. The central problem to the fall of Rome was that no one cared. People had gotten tired of busting their butts to produce only to have all their production go to rich elite while the actual producers were going nowhere. They had tired of having all their decisions made for them by others. They were tired of being a part of something bigger than themselves without realizing the benefits of all their work. They were tired of having to rely on handouts, being told what and how to think. It had gotten so bad that Rome couldn’t even field a purely Roman Army. They had become dependent on foreigners fighting for them. Real Romans citizens just didn’t care anymore.

No matter how you look at it the problem with the elephant, the community, the economy, the individual, the average Roman the problem was they were not allowed to be themselves and were being pushed, coerced, pulled into the directions which the ones on top desired. In some cases they would create a handout system to keep people quiet but never fully addressing the frustrations. Sure the elephant or person might be taken care but it still doesn’t answer the frustrations of not being able to be an elephant or a person or an economy or a community. It should be noted as well that any Social Program has the desire to remain and will answer question in a way which helps to maintain that Social Program.

It takes a community to answer the needs of a community and there is no one person or group of person which have the ability to even understand the needs of a community so they pull it in the direction which suits their needs. You need a community to answer the needs of a community.

Sorry so long but it needed to be said in order to understand the rest of the letters to follow which are amazingly brief compared to this one. Hmmm, did you know that Brief is German for Letter? Anyway, than you for your amazing patience,

Devlin