Thursday, August 31, 2006

THE UGLY SIDE OF MONEY



How concerned are businesses about 5-figure credit card, family debt? Why are families buried in red ink? There are probably two sides to this question.

On the one hand, family members want the latest cell phone, car, clothes and holidays. On the other hand, the business world stays up nights finding ways to entice us to spend, to borrow and to get a better deal.

We all live in a money world. We choose our masters and spend most of our lives chasing money - at super speed on our super highways. In the process, we road kill 50,000 folks yearly. The money chase is a costly matter.

This money chase leads our corporate leaders to condone what they can’t admit to their mothers. We mortgage our homes for the good life. The legacy to our children is red ink.

We live in a world where success is measured by the toys that money gets. We buy into the business pitches that promise the good life. We spend money on experts to manage our money.

Why do we let the money chase have such a destructive impact on our families? No doubt money can be managed much better, but we’re letting the money people control our lives. Are we raising the big questions about the vicious nature of these financial systems?

- Is our family working together to control spending?

- Are we addicted by an urge to spend?

- Have we tried doing with less, delaying spending, making one less trip?

It would be good if we all learned to manage money rather than having money manage us. There must be a better way. Our family could focus one new, money-free goal. www.newhopecovenants.org can help our family with that focus. Until we get hold of the steering wheel, our money chase is taking us on a dangerous trip.

Please join us in dialogue of our THE FAMILY CHALLENGE.

3 Comments:

At September 14, 2006 9:54 p.m., Anonymous Anonymous said...

I like to work. I don't think that it is only about the money. What about working to be able to give more away to those in need?

 
At October 01, 2006 1:41 a.m., Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree with the previous comment that it is up to the individual to determine what money means to them. If someone has an all encompassing need for the pursuit of money at the expense of all else, it is not the money’s fault. Money is a means to exchange value and nothing more. It is a lot more convenient than exchanging chickens for a new set of tires.

As adults we need to understand that corporations want to sell us things, but it is our job is to be able discern fantasy from reality when we are exposed to their sales pitches. There is nothing wrong with corporations branding products in a glamorous manner as long as adults use common sense when evaluating these products.

I think there is great risk in demonizing capitalism and equating it with unethical and exploitive corporate behaviour. Capitalism is responsible for feeding more poor people in the history of civilization than any government or charitable organization, is responsible for treating more sick people in every impoverished nation, and is the system which allows discussions of this nature to take place without the fear of arrest. Even Karl Marx had to admit that ‘capitalism produces the goods.’

The problem with North American corporations is not that they are pursuing profit by the best means they know, it is that the level of accountability of senior management to customers, shareholders and employees is still back in the 1950’s. Compensation of management is not based on profitability, it is impossible for non institutional shareholders to have a voice, insider trading is rampant and the sole purpose of the HR Department is to protect the company from lawsuits. To reverse this we need a higher level of capitalism not less. Government’s job should be to provide legislation that makes the management of corporations more accountable, then stand back and see what happens.

If we are “letting the money people control our lives” it is our fault. If we buy products that we can’t afford who is to blame? No one put a gun to our heads and told us to buy them. Those people that are so enamoured by the cultural pressures and can’t make a decision for themselves should probably follow Darwin’s law and go the way of the dinosaur. If we continually elect governments whose sole purpose is to prepare for the next election who should we blame?

The family is not in trouble because of our corporations or our governments, because we are the corporations and governments. We allow them to act as they do. It is in trouble because of our belief systems which do not teach respect, introspection or decency. We are so sure (or afraid) of our beliefs that we have long given up the search for the truth.

Change the belief and everything else will follow,

Regards,

Digby

 
At October 02, 2006 10:29 a.m., Blogger New Hope Covenants said...

Dear Digby

Thank you for the most helpful and clear points about our wealth.We couldn't debate any of your sterling points

A main intent of this blog is to show that our modern needs are multiple. It is no longer a matter of looking to find blame for one wrong. It is a matter of putting together all the good things so that they work together

So individualism is great if worked out in the context of the family or corporate or govenernment processes. None can work well alone.

Thank you

 

Post a Comment

<< Home