Greed is Not a Virtue: Profit-centered market fundamentalism has become a national religion

[marmar]

from YES! Magazine:




Greed is Not a Virtue
David Korten: Profit-centered market fundamentalism has become a national religion.

by David Korten
posted Apr 05, 2011


We humans are living out an epic morality play. For millennia humanity’s most celebrated spiritual teachers have taught that society works best and we all enjoy our greatest joy and fulfillment when we share, cooperate, and are honest in our dealings with one another.

But for the past few decades, this truth has been aggressively challenged by a faith called market fundamentalism—an immoral and counter-factual economic ideology that has assumed the status of a modern state religion. Its believers worship the God of money. Stock exchanges and global banks are their temples. They proclaim that everyone does best when we each seek to maximize our individual financial gain without regard to the consequences for others.

In the eyes of a market fundamentalist, to sacrifice profit for some presumed social or environmental good is immoral. The result is a public culture that proclaims greed is a virtue and sharing is a sin.

Having established control of the institutions of the economy, media, education, government, and even religion, market fundamentalists initiated a global social experiment to test their theory. The results are now in. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.yesmagazine.org/blogs/david-korten/greed-is-not-a-virtue

[Permanut]

1. Gordon Gekko for President! n/t

[xchrom]

2. Recommend

[The Magistrate]

3. Mr. Korten Is Spot On, Sir

[NothingRight]

4. Truer words could not be spoken

It is a horrible truth of our current society that "Me" is far more important than "We". The drive to acquire, by any means necessary, as much as we can get, regardless of the impact on another person, never mind on society as a whole, is a disease for which we have yet to find a cure, or at least a cure that we can convince people to take.

Living in Arizona, I find myself surrounded on a daily basis with NIMBY (Not in my backyard) mentality in all areas. Problem in the neighborhood? If it's not at my house, I have no problem. People going hungry every day? Not my family. People can't get a job? They could get one if they really wanted one.

It is remarkable to me that this mindset seems so common in those who refer to themselves as religious. The very concept of selflessness is supposedly their model, but they live in complete contrast of that model.

It is not a surprise when you see this on a day to day basis that this same mindset has permeated our leaders, political, industrial and otherwise.

http://wp.me/p1mIkk-5Y

[marmar]

5. Eloquently stated......and welcome to DU !!

:hi:

[NothingRight]

6. Thanks

Sincerely appreciate the welcome.

It is so nice to be among compatriots who use logic and reason to formulate analysis instead of rhetoric and ideology.

This place may be heaven!!