Another murderous rampage has killed 9 people in the US. It maybe just another example of how the 'modernism' based on 'individual freedom' is slowly destroying the society. Whenever a US president tries to ban the use of household guns, the Rifle Association (which is a powerful lobby), opposes it. Even Barack Obama pledged he will do something about it but I suspect he would be allowed to do so.
The 'Right to own' guns mentality does not take into account that such guns can fall into the hands of kids (which happens frequently and ends up in murderous ramapges at schools) or people who suffer from mental illnesses or even the people cannot control their anger (which could happen to anybody really). In short, the 'Right to own' guns doesn't take into account it's impact on the society. It is blind to that. In SL also, we can see the 'rights' groups (NGOs) operating on the same concept, who are often funded by the US and Western European countries.
Monday, July 27, 2009
The Dimensions of a 'National Economy'
It is apparent that the present economic crisis is not just a temporary case of mismanagement but an outcome of the fundamental flaw of the Liberal economic policies. It re-iterates the need to form an alternative economic policiy which is not based on both the Capitalism (which is failing) and socialism (which has failed).It is high time that we defined what is a 'national economy' ( i hope one of these 'economists' would come forward and write a book on the topic). In my view, the following 3 criteria would form the fundamentals of a national economic policy.
1. It would be based on the Buddhist concept of 'contentment' (Santhrushti)-- The Kensian economic policy starts with saying that economy is an effort to match the limited resources with the unlimited human needs.
This flawed philosohphy has resulted in an unprecendented income gap and huge environmental issues such as global warming and climate change. Rather, the basis should have been 'limiting human needs to suit the limited resources'.
2. It should take the 'economy' as an inherent component of the 'culture' and 'politics'. In other words, it should not be an 'abstract' economy.-- The liberal economic policies fail to identify the impact on some 'economically sound' ideas on the environment and culture. This sometimes results in forming a negative impact when u take the holistic picture into account. For example, when they say that the tax revenue by Alcohol is essential, they fail to identify the cost incurred for treating the patients who suffer from alcohol incurred illnesses, or the total man-hours lost by an untimely death of a person from such an illness.
It is totally blind to the social impact of alcohol, which could in turn hurt the economy (the education of a child disrupted bcos of an alcoholic parent, is a loss to the economy). Another example is the hailing of the 'foreign revenue' gained by the Sri Lankan house maids in the middle east (slave trade).
3. It should be mindful of the environment and its resources and should have a financial value to the 'continuity' of resources. -- In a way this can be included in 1 and 2 above. However, this cannot be stressed more as we are faced with a situation that the earth is becoming un-inhabitable for humans and all other living beings, due to the present economic policies. We have to be mindful of the 'continuity' of resouces and not just on 'utilizing' resouces. Our ancestors built houses using clay and colonut leaves exactly bcos of this. In the last few centuries, we have built houses with concrete and cement.
Now we are faced with a situation where we don't have enough sand to build houses, and we are scraping the river beds for sand. I don't think we can go back to Clay houses. But maybe we can build houses that are not too extravegant and which use less resources to build. (or maybe form 'apartment villages'). Another example would be using public transport whenver possible to lower carbon emissions and traffic jams. The 'national economy', should have the 'environment' at its heart but not as a seperate component, rather an intrinsic thread that binds all beings not non living things together.
The 'National Economy' would not eradicate the income disparity. The 'equal society' is a eutopia that cannot be realised in the human realm. There will always be rich and poor in the society. However, it will bring down to income disparity level to a bearable and acceptable level.
1. It would be based on the Buddhist concept of 'contentment' (Santhrushti)-- The Kensian economic policy starts with saying that economy is an effort to match the limited resources with the unlimited human needs.
This flawed philosohphy has resulted in an unprecendented income gap and huge environmental issues such as global warming and climate change. Rather, the basis should have been 'limiting human needs to suit the limited resources'.
2. It should take the 'economy' as an inherent component of the 'culture' and 'politics'. In other words, it should not be an 'abstract' economy.-- The liberal economic policies fail to identify the impact on some 'economically sound' ideas on the environment and culture. This sometimes results in forming a negative impact when u take the holistic picture into account. For example, when they say that the tax revenue by Alcohol is essential, they fail to identify the cost incurred for treating the patients who suffer from alcohol incurred illnesses, or the total man-hours lost by an untimely death of a person from such an illness.
It is totally blind to the social impact of alcohol, which could in turn hurt the economy (the education of a child disrupted bcos of an alcoholic parent, is a loss to the economy). Another example is the hailing of the 'foreign revenue' gained by the Sri Lankan house maids in the middle east (slave trade).
3. It should be mindful of the environment and its resources and should have a financial value to the 'continuity' of resources. -- In a way this can be included in 1 and 2 above. However, this cannot be stressed more as we are faced with a situation that the earth is becoming un-inhabitable for humans and all other living beings, due to the present economic policies. We have to be mindful of the 'continuity' of resouces and not just on 'utilizing' resouces. Our ancestors built houses using clay and colonut leaves exactly bcos of this. In the last few centuries, we have built houses with concrete and cement.
Now we are faced with a situation where we don't have enough sand to build houses, and we are scraping the river beds for sand. I don't think we can go back to Clay houses. But maybe we can build houses that are not too extravegant and which use less resources to build. (or maybe form 'apartment villages'). Another example would be using public transport whenver possible to lower carbon emissions and traffic jams. The 'national economy', should have the 'environment' at its heart but not as a seperate component, rather an intrinsic thread that binds all beings not non living things together.
The 'National Economy' would not eradicate the income disparity. The 'equal society' is a eutopia that cannot be realised in the human realm. There will always be rich and poor in the society. However, it will bring down to income disparity level to a bearable and acceptable level.
The 'Third World' mentality
Ven. Ajahn Brahmawanso told the following story, in one of his talks.
A group of educational phsychologists did the following experiment. At the beginning of the year they divided a class into two based on previous year's results in the following manner. The student who got the best results was put to Class A and the second student into Class B and the third student again in to Class A and so on. The two classes were completely equal, the only difference being one class was called A and the other was called B.When the end of the year results were out, the Class A students had done much better than the Class B students, and the Class B students had performed very poor. The students in class B thought they were 'class B' students and thought like 'class B' students and they finally became 'class B' students.
Likewise, we call ourselves 'third world countries' (of course it is the so called 'first world' countries who started calling us 'third world'). Even our media personnel just repeat this as parrots without ever thinking about it. In the end, we think like the 'third world' and finally we become the 'third world'. It is true that the Western countries have better economies than us, but still we are better than them in some aspects. I think we should make a concious effort to stop using this rubbish, and advice others not to use such terms.
A group of educational phsychologists did the following experiment. At the beginning of the year they divided a class into two based on previous year's results in the following manner. The student who got the best results was put to Class A and the second student into Class B and the third student again in to Class A and so on. The two classes were completely equal, the only difference being one class was called A and the other was called B.When the end of the year results were out, the Class A students had done much better than the Class B students, and the Class B students had performed very poor. The students in class B thought they were 'class B' students and thought like 'class B' students and they finally became 'class B' students.
Likewise, we call ourselves 'third world countries' (of course it is the so called 'first world' countries who started calling us 'third world'). Even our media personnel just repeat this as parrots without ever thinking about it. In the end, we think like the 'third world' and finally we become the 'third world'. It is true that the Western countries have better economies than us, but still we are better than them in some aspects. I think we should make a concious effort to stop using this rubbish, and advice others not to use such terms.
Alcohol, Cigarettes and Cultural Imperialism
It is said that the British used to throw cigarette packs along the railroad, which the Sinhalese youth would pick up and use. Also, popularizing alcohol was a priority during the colonial rule. We have dutifully carried forward that practice even after the so called independence and now one of the highest alcohol consuming countries in the world.Western imperialism has 3 aspects. Political, Economic and Cultural (including knowledge). There are those who consume alcohol and/or cigarettes and at the same time show very patriotic/nationalist views.
These ppl would be against the political and/or economic imperialsim, yet they are cultural slaves. Cultural imperialism is maybe the most powerful aspect of the Imperialism of the Western Christian Modernity. To fully liberate from Western Christian modernity's imperialism, one has to liberate one from all 3 aspects of imperialism. If the majority of the Sinhala Buddhists can give up alcohol and/or cigarettes, that would be a move that would trigger reversing of cultural imperialism. Other communities too, would then get influenced by such a move and would follow that example.
We have been trying to give up these habbits for decades based on the advise given by Western Medical science or Western social science without any results. These 'sciences' again focus on the individualistic view based on Jeudo Christian chinthanaya, which is useless in making a difference in the way people think, of a society based on Sinhala Buddhist chinthanaya. Instead, we should expand the practice of pansil as a social standard and use it as a base on giving up these two vicious tentacles of Jeudo Chrisitian Cultural imperialism. Are we ready to do that yet?
These ppl would be against the political and/or economic imperialsim, yet they are cultural slaves. Cultural imperialism is maybe the most powerful aspect of the Imperialism of the Western Christian Modernity. To fully liberate from Western Christian modernity's imperialism, one has to liberate one from all 3 aspects of imperialism. If the majority of the Sinhala Buddhists can give up alcohol and/or cigarettes, that would be a move that would trigger reversing of cultural imperialism. Other communities too, would then get influenced by such a move and would follow that example.
We have been trying to give up these habbits for decades based on the advise given by Western Medical science or Western social science without any results. These 'sciences' again focus on the individualistic view based on Jeudo Christian chinthanaya, which is useless in making a difference in the way people think, of a society based on Sinhala Buddhist chinthanaya. Instead, we should expand the practice of pansil as a social standard and use it as a base on giving up these two vicious tentacles of Jeudo Chrisitian Cultural imperialism. Are we ready to do that yet?
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Prof. Nalin De Silva's Facebook group
You may join Prof. Nalin De Silva's facebook group at,
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=71732050518&ref=ts
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=71732050518&ref=ts
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