What is meant by ‘COMMON SENSE” economics?
“COMMON”
Living in the “CITY of MAN(kind)”, we ALL SHARE COLLECTIVE economic experiences
We are “CREATURES”, “animals” that have PHYSICAL needs.
(for example – food, water, shelter, transportation, etc.)
We are “CITIZENS”,what Aristotle termed “POLITICAL animals” (inhabitants of the“polis” city-state)
We are “CHILDREN of GOD” … “beings” with a “beneath” and “beyond” …
“VISIONS” in COLLISION …
with SOMETHING “BENEATH and BEYOND” that TRANSCENDS “MATERIAL” (creatures) and “POLITICAL” (citizens) EXISTENCE …
we are SOMETHING MORE than merely PHYSICAL “creatures” and “citizens”, we are “SOULS”with a “SPIRITUAL” essence …
ANOTHER “INTERSECTION” of BOTH “FINITE” and “INFINITE” …
“TANGIBLE” (measurable) … and “IN-TANGIBLE” … (un-measurable)
“CREATURES” with an “IMAGE” of “The CREATOR” as part of our “being” … CHILDREN of GOD …
SEPARATE, UNIQUE “CHILDREN” with a “UNIVERSAL“ COMMON CREATOR ...
the INTERSECTION of BOTH “CONCRETE” and “COSMIC” …
HUMAN “RESPONSIBILITIES and DUTIES INTERSECTING WITH “DIVINE” GOD-GIVEN IN-ALIENABLE “RIGHTS” ...
the PURSUIT of “HAPPINESS” … HOPES … FREEDOM
RICHES … RESPONSIBILITIES … RIGHTS
“CITIES” of “MAN” (this world) and “GOD” (“other” world-ly) …
“MEN DO NOT LIVE LONG WITHOUT GODS …
ECONOMICS involve the COMMON GIVE and TAKE of the POLITICAL means of meeting our PHYSICAL and SPIRITUAL elements …
Economics is both PHYSICAL “science” (nature) and “POLITICAL science” (human nature) reflecting a “DIVINE” NATURE …
‘COMMON” issues include “prosperity” and poverty, … security and protection, belonging and community, … activity and self-improvement, … knowledge and education, … life styles and culture.
INDIVIDUAL (private) and COMMON (collective) and “COSMIC” NEEDS INTERSECT …
WATER (dams, irrigation) … FOOD (farms, restaurants) … SHELTER (housing, sewage) … TRANSPORTATION (cars, roads, boats) … and SECURITY (retirement, national security).
PRIVATE vs PUBLIC
Our COMMON economic experiences include the “PRIVATE” and the “PUBLIC” –
the “PRIVATE” involves– employment, … health care, … investment, … “insurance”, … entertainment, … recreation, … “retirement”,
the “PUBLIC” involves – government, … social programs, … national security, etc.)
The economic spheres of private and public “INTERSECT” to form our COMMON experiences.
“SENSE”
Economics operate by certain “LAWS”
“Sense” comes from understanding these laws and how they operate in physical “nature”
These LAWS are FIXED and UN-CHANGing.
Examples include supply and demand, scarcity, costs, economies of scale, etc.
“SENSE” involves economic “PRACTICES” informed by “PRINCIPLES”
a MIX and INTERSECTION of ABSTRACT IDEALS intersecting with the CONCRETE REALITY of the MATERIAL world with COSMIC CONSEQUENCES …
COSTS … CHOICES … CONSEQUENCES
Examples of PRINCIPLES include:
ENTERPRISE, PRODUCTIVITY, (earned) SUCCESS should be REWARDED
… people respond to SELF-INTEREST and INCENTIVES,
… VALUE – no one should expect “something” for “nothing”,
culture-lifestyle CHOICES … (“values”)
interaction of COSTS … CHOICES … CONSEQUENCES
individual humans have “RIGHTS” … “RESPONSIBILITIES” …
an inherent, in-born desire for “life, liberty, [economic] property and/or the “pursuit of happiness”)
Principles are BOTH “FIXED” and FLUCTUATE within a definable spectrum of POSSIBILITIES.
“COMMON SENSE” involves ACTION and CONSEQUENCES …
based on an understanding and application of PRINCIPLES, PRACTICES informed with PURPOSE in aconcrete/abstract world.
P.S.
ECON-o-CATION (Econ-o-Chisms)
MAMMON … MARKETS … MEANING (Econ-o-Cation)
MAMMON – MATERIAL EXISTENCE … needs … necessities … the CONCRETE (tangible)
MARKETS – COMMUNAL EXPERIENCE … PRACTICAL PROCESS … networks … enterprise … exchange
MEANING – PRODUCTS (results … reflection) … destinies … divinity … values … virtues … IDEALS (abstractions … IN-tangibles)
CREATURES, CITIZENS, CHILDREN (of God) – Econ-o-Chism)
ECONOMIC “LITERACY” …
The THREE “C”s … CREATURES … with PHYSICAL NEEDS …
CITIZENS … with POLITICAL DESIRES … the City of Man … INTERSECTION of NATURE and HUMAN NATURE …
CHILDREN of GOD … SPIRITUAL … DIVINE … “DIMENSIONS” … BENEATH and BEYOND …
PROFITS … POLITICS … PROVIDENCE
SUPPLY (“riches”- surpluses-security), STEWARDSHIP (responsibility – yours), SATISFACTION (reward[s] – you) … SUCCESS (earned) … SERENITY (“salvation”)
DUST (and mud) … DIVINE (His “spark”) … DESTINY (called)
COMMODITIES (merchandise-“mammon”) … COMMERCE (markets) … CONNECTION … (customers – altruism)
“SIN” (paradise lost) LED TO SEPARATION … SCARCITY … IN-SUFFICIENCY
INTERSECTION of TIME (City of Man) and ETERNITY … (City of God)
WHY DO MEN SEEK to “RE-CREATE” EDEN (gardens) and BUILD TOWERS (gulags) to HEAVEN?
POWER[s] … greater than us …
IN-ALIENABLE RIGHTS … PURSUIT of HAPPINESS … ENTERPRISE …
IN HIS “IMAGE” – FREE WILL, CREATIVITY, … MORALITY (and MAMMON) …
The CREATOR and HIS CREATION … IN HIS IMAGE … the MAKER of MAMMON …
ECONOMICS “X-treme” … BENEATH and BEYOND …
“LIFE” (and Economic) “LITERACY” … (knowledge … understanding .. wisdom)
LIFE in ALL of it’s “DIMENSIONS” …
The THREE “G”s …
a.k.a. GOODS (physical), GOVERNMENT (social), GOD (spiritual)
NEIGHBORS and STEWARDS (not by brother’s keeper)
ECON-o-CHISMS … (economic “catechisms”) …
ECON-o-CATION …
SPREADING ECONOMIC “LITERACY”
KNOWLEDGE … UNDERSTANDING … WISDOM …
ECONOMICS X-treme …
CREATURES … CITIZENS … CHILDREN (of God) …
NOT “MY BROTHER’S KEEPER” …
“TWISTED” TOTALITARIANS …
NOT “SUBJECTS” … SUBORDINATES … SERFS …
of “PROGRESSIVE” PSEUDO-RELIGION (philistines and pharisees)
“SAINTS” (“separated” for HIS USE) …
“ISRAEL” … GOD (“powered”) GOVERNED …
GOD’s KINGDOM … NOT “TOTALITARIAN TOWERS” …
GOD’s ECONOMY: (His) SUPPLY … (we) STEWARDS … (our) SATISFACTION (Economics X-treme)
The “ECONOMIC PROBLEM” – SCARCITY … SUPPLY … LESS …
The REALITY of “SIN” – SCARCITY, CURSE of “TOIL” … SEPARATION (from God)
a “TRAGIC” WORLD … for now … (time)
“SUPPLY and DEMAND” – there is NEVER ENOUGH of WHAT PEOPLE WANT (desire) …
The HUMAN “FOOD CHAIN” …
“REDEMPTION” … the NEED of GOD’s “RESCUE” and “DELIVERANCE”
The [un] “COMMON SENSE” SOLUTION … MORE …
NOT COLLECTIVE NON-sense …
STEWARDS … of GOD’s SUPPLY … SUSTENANCE …
SATISFACTION … (in God’s Supply)
ACCEPTANCE and SERENITY … GOD’s GRACE and PEACE …
AN “ANTIDOTE” to “GREED” … the “human disease” (with no “cure”
NEIGHBORS … on GOD’S EARTH (Faith) … (altruism)
NOT HUMAN (socialist) “SUBSISTENCE“ (flesh) … alienation
MARXIST MYTHOLOGY (“progressive” poison) … ANGER … RESENTMENT … ENVY (alienation)
NOT POLITICAL IDOL-atry (GOD “SUBSTITUTES“) …
“PROGRESSIVE POISON” … STEAL-ing … COVET-ing … ENVY …
ALTRUISM (neighbors and stewards of GOD’s SUPPLY (the Source) …
the “ANTI-DOTE” (to “alienation”) …
“CAPITALism” … a MEANS (thru “mammon”) to a (moral) END … (meaning)
“creatures” … “citizens” … “children” (of God) –
“dimensions” of “reality” … History … Economics … “X-treme” …
the PURSUIT of HAPPINESS (the “fruits” of freedom)
OPPORTUNITY (not oppression)
The INVISIBLE HAND (of God) vs IRON FIST (of government)
SAINTS and STEWARDS (enterprise-altruism) … NOT “KEEPERS CAMOUFLAGED” (in Envy-alienation) …
NOT “ALIENATION” in “FLESH” – the human-earthly “FOOD CHAIN“…
The PILGRIM’s WALK … NOT “PROGRESSIVE” STALK …
the CHILDREN of the FLESH (fear – anger, resentment, SLAVERY – burdens) will ALWAYSPERSECUTE the CHILDREN of the FREE (Faith – God’s Promise[d] Land of Blessing)
WHICH “MOVIE” DO YOU PREFER? … “IT’s a WONDERFUL LIFE” (another “great Awake-ning during God-given life taken for granted) … NOT … SILENCE of the LAMBS … (the “Great A-WOKE-ning)
GOD’s REDEMPTION (faith) .. VS. SATAN’s RESENTMENT (fear) …
the REAL-TRUE SOLUTION … BEYOND TRAGEDY … (deceptive, yet true)
The ALMIGHTY vs ABSURD (nihilism, narcissism, non-sense, nowhere)
a NEW heaven and earth … NO “FOOD CHAIN” …where wolves will co-exist with sheep … NO “AGENDAS” … only one – HIS “agenda” this “world” re-made … re-cycled … (God is the “ultimate” environmentalist)
GOOD NEWS … to SET the “CAPTIVES” FREE …“to THOSE THAT OVERCOME … (through FAITH) … THEY WILL BE MY CHILDREN … and I WILL BE THEIR GOD …KEEP YOUR “EYES on PRIZE” … TIME … vs ETERNITY …The GOD of ISRAEL … and KING JESUS … REAL HIS-TORY … (X-treme)
Economics X-treme – Economic Literacy … ECON-o-CHISMS … ECON-o-CATION …
GOD’s ECONOMY:
(His) SUPPLY … (we) STEWARDS … (our) SATISFACTION
Economics X-treme – Economic Literacy – Knowledge … Understanding … Wisdom
“HELPing HANDs vs COVETous CLAWS: Enterprise (altruism) vs Envy (alienation)
Capitalism: Morality of “More” vs Marx-ism: Logic of Less
“The RICH GET RICH-ER … as the POOR GET … RICH-er” … The PROBLEM[s] of RICH and POOR … WEALTH is the BEST WAY to HELP the POOR …
WHAT “RESPONSIBILITIES” DO WE HAVE REGARDING “RICHES”? “COMMON SENSE” … HELPING HANDS (ENTERPRISE and ALTRUISM) … The MORALITY of MORE …
MAKING the RICH POOR-er DOES NOT MAKE the POOR RICH-er (ENVY)
ENVY used to fight “GREED” is IN-effective and … IM-moral … DO NOT FIGHT DARKness with DARK-ness … FIGHT DARK-ness with LIGHT … NOT DARK-ness …
ENTERPRISE … “RICHES” and RESPONSIBILITIES … ETHICS thru the “WORK ETHIC” …
ALTRUISM … NEIGHBORS … STEWARDS … a helping HAND …
ALIENATION … ENEMIES … “LOBSTERS” … covet-ing CLAWS …
The INVISIBLE HAND … VS. IRON FIST …
The ECONOMIC “PROBLEM” – SUPPLY … SCARCITY …
The “SOLUTION” – MORE … GENERATING “WEALTH” if the best “solution” to SCARCITY … POVERTY … ECONOMIC “LIGHT” is the “CURE” for fiscal DARKNESS” …
ENTERPRISE – A RISING TIDE LIFTS ALL BOATS … ENVY – SINKing SHIPs … CAPITALISM … BLESSINGS (UN-equal) …“BE FRUIT-ful and MULTIPLY” … ENTERPRISE … “INTERESTS” UN-leashed …
ENTERPRISE (virtues – altruism) vs ENVY (vices – alienation)
CAPITALISM … BLESSINGS (UN-equal) … “CREATION” … free-will … God’s “Divine SPARK” …
CREATURES … CITIZENS … CHILDREN of GOD …
(His) SUPPLY (riches) … (we) STEWARDS (responsibilities) … (our) SATISFACTION (rights and rewards…
“RICHes” … RESPONSIBILITIES … “RIGHTS” … REWARDS” … The Patriot Cause – Declarations of Independence … Capitalism – STEWARDs – SUSTENANCE … SURPLUS … SUCCESS (earned) … “ENTERPRISE” (free markets – “malls”) “A RISING TIDE LIFTS ALL BOATS”
the “alternative” (choice) ??? COLLECTIVE NON-sense:
Communism-Marxism (slaves) – SUBSISTENCE … SHORTAGE … MISERY (“equal”) … ENVY (totalitarian “gulags”)
The Progressive Crusade … Manifestos of Misery A WORLD of “LESS” … REJECT ENVY … greed is bad … envy (collective greed) is WORSE … REJECT the IDOL of EQUALITY … SOCIALIST EQUALITY in MISERY …
“LOBSTER SYNDROME” – Everyone LEVEL-ed low … REJECT the “ZERO SUM” … IF YOU WIN, I necessarily LOSE, and vice versa … “ZERO SUM” is an “ARTIFICIAL“, SOCIAL-POLITICAL “CONSTRUCT” … NOT a AUTOMATIC “NECESSITY … it’s a PERVERSION of FREEDOM and PROSPERITY …
COMMUNIST CONS and SOCIALIST “SUCKERS” … “lobsters” of LESS
MARX-ist “AGENDA” – Overthrow God … Destroy Capitalism … COVET … CONFLICT … CAMOUFLAGE … CONTROL … CONQUER
ECONOMIC CANNIBALism … famine … futility … (vs capitalist “feast”) … a DIABOLICAL DESTINATION … the ROAD to SERFDOM … If we can’t make everybody rich, we’ll make everyone poor” …
BETTER to RULE HELL … POWER … by any means necessary … RESPONSIBILITIES … NEIGHBORS … STEWARDS … ALTRUISM
FIGHTING … the PROGRESSIVE CRUSADE … ATHEISM … “AGENDAS” … AGITATION … ALIENATION SATAN … a LIAR … MURDERer … THIEF … SOURCE of SICKNESS … (from the beginning) DEPREVATION … DESTITUTION … DESOLATION … DYSTOPIA … DEVOLUTION … DESTRUCTION …
Tocqueville said “back when” some (“depraved”) prefer slavery in equality than freedom in IN-equality …
Churchill described CAPITALism as BLESSINGS UN-equal to SOCIALIST equal sharing of misery… a “Gospel” of ENVY …
the “DEPRAVED” (idols of equality) seek the DEPRIVATION of ALL …
SOCIALIST SUBSISTENCE … the [NEW] ROAD to SERFDOM …
REJECT MARXIST “CLASS WARFARE” … EQUALITY in MISERY … ALIENATION …
the MARXIST “AGENDA”: (Overthrow God and Destroy Capitalism) – COVET, COLLECTIVIZE, CAMOUFLAGE, CONTROL, CONQUER …
“COLLECTIVE NON-sense) …
ASSIMILATION (a “divine dialectic”) into “The BORG” – “RESISTANCE is FUTILE”
DYSTOPIAN DYSFUNCTION, DIVISION, DENIAL, DELUSIONS, Diabolical Destinations …
POWER … by ANY means necessary … BETTER to RULE HELL … (than serve in heaven) …The DEVIL COMES CLOTHED, CAMOUFLAGED as an ANGEL of LIGHT …
INSTEAD, a “RISING TIDE” RAISES ALL BOATS … (in an “OPEN” and “FREE” society) CHOOSE “COMMON SENSE” – ENTERPRISE … EARNED SUCCESS … ALTRUISM … LIMITED GOVERNMENT
“COMMON SENSE” ECONOMICS …
COMMON SENSE vs COLLECTIVE NON-SENSE
IGNORING basic economic laws and principals leads to NON-SENSE
Human nature often IGNORES and seeks to “INTERFERE” (often) foolishly with “nature”.
What we “NEED” and what we “WANT” are often confused and result in NON-SENSE
A “SENSE” approach isbased onobservable OBJECTIVITY in a theoretically ‘SUBJECTIVE” world.
FACTS vs FEELINGS – a “COMMON SENSE” approach is based on EMPIRICAL OBSERVATIONS on WHAT WORKS, NOT how one FEELS economics MIGHT OR SHOULD work.
“SYSTEMS”
“INTERSECTIONS”
“MEASURES” of ECONOMIC “LITERACY” …
CREATURES (physical needs) … CITIZENS (political desires) … “CHILDREN” of God (spiritual-divinity)
“DIMENSIONS” of “REALITY” …
GOODS … GOD … GOVERNMENT
men do not live long without …
PROVISION (creatures) … PROVIDENCE (their Creator) … PROTECTION (politics-government from each other)
PRIVATE vs PUBLIC
The ECONOMIC “ARENA”[s]
COSTS … CHOICES … CONSEQUENCEs
SYSTEMS … The “GAME” – Playing Fields
CAPITALISM (“free”) … COMMUNISM (fair”) … FASCISM (“fixed”)
“FREE ENTERPRISE” (start same-equal-opportunities)
… COLLECTIVE ENDEAVOR (finish same-equal outcomes) … CORPORATE COLLUSION (“fixed” open-closed, profits-“fixed” results – ENFORCED IN-equality)
“OPEN” COMPETITION … CLOSED COMMAND … “COLLUSION” CARTELS
“CUSTOMERS” … “COMRADES” … “CRONIES” …
WHAT YOU DO (jungle – “survival of fittest”) … WHO YOU “REPRESENT” (nobody “wins” … WHO YOU “KNOW” (nepotism)
“league” [e.g. NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL] competitive games (neutral referees) … pro wrestling “matches” – “fixed-scripted” result … Vegas-gambling “fixed-gamed” referees
ZERO SUM gaming …
all GAMES END 0-0 (no “winners or losers”,
PLAYERS “handicapped” (like jockeys with weights, left-handed only basket-ball shooting, baseball hitting-pitching)
biased REFEREES -“OFFICIATED” (“fixing” IN-equalities and calling infractions for exploiting “UN-fairness“)
“The first lesson of ECONOMICS is SCARCITY: There is never enough of anything to satisfy all those who want it.
The first lesson of POLITICS is to DISREGARD the first lesson of economics.”
– Thomas Sowell
