Economics

So I was just thinking about a conversation I had a couple days ago at lunch about the economy and competition and such. And it was really interesting because Skelly and I were talking about capitalism and such and how it benefits because it pushes prices lower etc etc. But the debate (it was very friendly) really was about competition and whether it's good or bad. I was saying it's bad depending on the intentions of the one within the competitive field. I don't think it's straight if someone sees another persons owning a bagel shop thinking they can make a better bagel shop themselves, so they create their own shop to capitalize on the other shop's customers and steal their business ultimately making their establishment better. If that's the maker's intentions then I don't think that competition is good. I don't think it's good because you see this throughout history but not just in economics. This type of competition and greed and exploitation has led to so much conflict. All conflict starts from someone's greed. Someone wanting more than what they already have, someone wanting control of something they don't already control, or someone wanting what someone else already has. I see conflict throughout history as one person having a plot of land with some friends, and seeing another plot of land that a stranger has by himself. Well the guy with friends says... "What's stopping us from having his land? We can grow more crops and make more money." So they go and decide that the land is what they want and it becomes such a driving factor that they take it at whatever cost. And here we are again at war.... SUPER!

Whether or not you agree with me today is really irrelevant because this is how I feel. I do see benefits of competition as long as it's intentions are not to beat people out, monopolize a trade, and become top dawg. Cause like I've stated previously in a different post, life is truly meaningless. You can't control after your death whether the wealth you accumulate on earth goes to someone that is deserving and has worked as hard as you have. So how is life really fair? To tell you the truth, it's not. Just as the idea of the "american dream" will never truly have equal opportunity among all those within America. It's just the way it is.

Well... when I get in a bind like this mentally usually within the next couple of days the bible will have something to say about it. This time around I actually had to look back in some notes that I wrote last week to re-read a passage that really made sense for how I think about money and life.

"...Use wordly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings." (This is Jesus talking)
Luke 16:9

This passage truly sums up how I feel about money and accumulation of wealth at the moment. I know the wealth I accumulate on earth is to a degree meaningless because I'm just going to die, so here Jesus says use your wealth to get closer to people. So when it's gone you will have the eternal bond of friendship and fellowship, or maybe something a little different but that's what I get out of that. And honestly that's how I see, money to me is more of a tool than anything. I can leverage it to gain certain things and to reach out to other people. It can be used to change lives positively or negatively, but it is not to be worshipped because its value is not eternal. This way I know that whatever I accomplish or don't accomplish as a man will not be reflected by the amount of money I accumulate. So why should I put my brother down to gain more than him? We should instead be springboarding off eachother and using eachother to make the best bagel shop possible right? If only people were down for sharing these days...

Keep The Peace