Global Crisis

At the risk of being an arm-chair economist/politician I will offer my perspective. “[G]reat companies and great dynasties and great empires, most of those were not defeated externally….they were defeated from within” (CEO of JetBlue, cited by Fawcett et. al., 2008, p. 2). I realize that responsibility of destruction is a result of many years of corruption and poor decisions, simplistic but to the point. When the highest pursuit is to line one’s pockets, moral depravity has won. Democracy is dead and socialism is tantamount to communism. A ruling society seems to be taking shape, bankrupting more than the economy. Socialism according to Webster (2007): “any various economic and political theories or social systems based on collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods 2: a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done” (p. 932). Communism according to Webster (2007): “a social system in which property and goods are owned in common; also: a theory advocating such a system 2a: a doctrine based upon revolutionary Marxism-Leninism that was the official ideology of the U.S.S.R. b: a totalitarian system of government in which a single party controls state-owned means of production with the professed aim of establishing a stateless society: (p. 190). Taxing a recession equals depression. Bailing out the economy and every big business does not save the economy or the business it creates government ownership. The stimulus package exceeds our GDP and I certainly don’t see how this is numerically, economically, or financially possible to stimulate anything hold bankruptcy. There is a loss of the individual to the collective and we are all being assimilated, so resistance is futile it seems.

I think there are going to be more and more people getting back to basics. Extended families may need to pool their resources in order to survive and live in a compound or community environment hearkening back to past eras where multi-generational family living was the norm. Many are and have been distrusting of government and big business. They feel a need to pull back and they are going to be doing business with the mom and pop businesses (if they survive) but new bartering systems will result from our crunch, and squeeze. There will be many phoenix’s rising from the ashes of this economic turmoil and consumers will want to spend their money with people and establishments where they feel they matter. Home-based businesses are going to boom and the cacooning trend will continue where people seek safety and comfort in the walls of their own home and if industry does not know to find the consumer in their home they will lose market share. However, technology and the internet has already been able to exploit this opportunity. But the bottom line is that with geographical boundaries receding and globalization upon us, the political and economic heat will continue to rise until the burn destroys one or more of the players. It is a time of political and economic arson and even though fire destroys, it also cleanses, so my hope is that even though things may appear grim, I am working to focus on my microclimate while being vigilant about the macroclimate and hope that the emergence of something worthy will transcend the inevitable destruction.

Reference:
Fawcett, S.E., Brau, J.C., Rhoads, G.K. & Whitlark, D. (2008). Spirituality and organizational culture: cultivating the ABCs of an inspiring workplace. International Journal of Public Administration; 31: 420-438, 2008. Retrieved March 5, 2009 from EBSCOhost Database.
Merriam-Webster (2007). Webster’s New Explorer College Dictionary New Edition. Federal Street Press.