If evil is deeply rooted in the love of money, how is evil to be monitored, countered, even defeated -- in ourselves, our communities, our governments?

The love of money is primarily the love of the means to accumulate. I own 3 guitars and 2 amps, and could easily justify additions and would be sorely tempted to  purchase accordingly, if funds allowed. My thirst for things is not easily quenched.  However, I don’t like indebtedness in my accounts and disrespect my government for its  unwillingness to balance theirs.

 

 I would like to live long enough to see how Western labor, en masse,  handles the coming, relative austerity  dictated by global competition.  And how much longer democratic politicians will promise the American dream when American workers are just part of a global work force,  most of whom will find themselves eventually competing against the non-human work force.  Yes, capitalism incentivizes and fills the shelves, but discards “the help” so blithely – and depends on excessive accumulation to keep it somewhat  humming.

 

Whatever resolve we might have to fight off the love of what money will accumulate, we are overwhelmed by sales pitches recommending yet another purchase to meet an ever-expanding set of felt needs -- within a system that depends on unnecessary purchasing to keep so many of us employed.

 

Yet when machines and robots do most of the work, even fight our wars, by what cheap thrills will the rulers distract us?  How long before the NFL is on every night of the week, before no medications are illegal, and a casino is within walking distance of all?  Oh, what Huxley could see with a 1932 lens!

 

I pine for the days before free-agency in baseball, for the decades when corporations considered  taxation a part of community obligations, when blue-collar workers could count on a union to help secure a living wage – and yes, when America produced nearly half the world’s goods. ;-)

 

Though I’m a selfish person -- who nonetheless admires the communalist --  “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs” sounds like the kingdom of God to me.  Marana tha.

 

What opportunity the Church will have to preach contentment -- in plenty or want.