A determination
not to engage in exploitive economics and usury.
This is primarily about
the accumulation of capital and its use to generate profit without
the owner of that capital actually providing goods or services themselves. This
is also about the onerous (one time, quick turnover) practice of buying
low and selling high; however please note, connecting product with purchaser is
a service and not exploitive when done as a business, as in hardware store,
online store and so on.
It is
simply not true
that without usury it would
be impossible to raise "capital" for individual business or community
development or community businesses. However it is clear that such "capital" raised, would
be seen as an "investment" in everyone's best interest, both communally and
individually.
It might look like something of the following: private ownership
being expected regarding anything personal-as in what is in one's room, or
things related to one's vocation or avocation, for example a building, machinery, vehicle, and
agricultural developments such as orchards but not the land. It might be
expected that expensive "capital investments" might be "owned" collectively
(as possible individual cooperatives) and/or perhaps the community
would decide to own/invest in/make available in some ways that are not
necessarily immediately clear at this point, large and expensive structures
and equipment necessary for people to learn a living.
This is not
a proposal for, in the strictest sense, an "egalitarian" community. Personal
income would not be shared, neither is it proposed that there be limits on economic activity or
personal income; except for the prohibition of usury.
However please note:
Usury exceptions should probably
be made for those who have already accumulated capital. No one being required to
surrender their capital assets or income from them. This proposal obviously
represents a dramatic socio-economic shift, and as such would require some
gradual "phase in" policies in order to be successful. In fact, this
could prove quite helpful, in that those with ready cash could
employ those with none to do their "gardening and cooking".
Now this may sound like a situation ripe for exploitation, however,
as long as people were being compensated completely fairly and
equally (everyone's time being valued equally) it is believed it
probably could be
helpful.
How
might this look and work, click here?
The bible, the Koran and the Jewish
faith all, interestingly, contain within their (sacred?) text,
prohibitions against all forms of usury. Why? It is quite simple, just use your
intuition. Usury is antisocial, anti community and is (who's kidding
who?) just an antiseptic way to have slaves in an era where we are suppose
to be beyond such practices.
Here is a quote from a most
excellent book called "A Pattern Language"
"All forms of rental--whether from private landlords or
public housing agencies--work against the natural processes which allow
people to form stable, self-healing communities."
In 1854, the "Great White Chief" in Washington made an offer for a large
area of Indian land and promised a reservation for the Indian people.
Chief Seattle's reply, excerpted here, has been described as the most
beautiful and profound statement on the environment ever made.
''How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is
strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the
sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?.... We know that the white
man does not understand our ways. One portion of the land is the same
to him as the next, for he is a stranger who comes in the night and
takes from the land whenever he needs. The earth is not his brother,
but his enemy, and when he has conquered it, he moves on....... He
treats his mother, the earth, and his brother, the sky, as things to be
bought, plundered, sold like sheep or bright beads. His appetite will
devour the earth and leave behind only a desert.
Teach your children what we have taught our children, that the earth is
our mother. Whatever befalls the the earth befalls the sons of the
earth. If men spit up on the ground, they spit upon themselves. This
we know-the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All
things are connected like the blood which unites one family. Whatever
befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not leave the
web of life: he is merely a strand in it. Whenever he does to the Web,
he does to himself....... This earth is precious to him, and do harm the
earth is to heap contempt on its creator. The whites too shall pass:
perhaps sooner than all the tribes. Contaminate your bed, and you will
one night suffocate in your own waste. But in your perishing you will
shine brightly, fired by the strength of the God who brought you to this
land and for some special-purpose gave you dominion over this land and
over the read man. That destiny is a mystery to us, for we do not
understand when the buffalo are all slaughtered, the wild horses tamed,
the secret corners of the forest heavy with the sent of many men, and
the view of the ripe hills blotted by talking wires.
Where is the thicket? Gone.
Where is the eagle? Gone.
The end of living and the beginning of survival."
What follows below is merely confirmation from those who happen
to already share this community's perspective on usury and as such
are a rich resource regarding the negatives associated with usury.
Please note: this community does not represent, nor is associated
with any organized religions.
http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/usurindx.htm
http://www.alastairmcintosh.com/articles/1998_usury.htm this is one of the best I’ve read so far
http://www.ansarfinance.com/UsuryReligion.asp another very good
explanation and history
http://www.beyond-the-pale.org.uk/wealth.htm this one is really,
really, fascinating
http://tcrnews2.com/usury.html
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/6588/usury1.html
http://illuminati-news.com/money-changers-exposed.htm
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/Summaries/V10I2P98-1.htm
http://www.shaykhabdalqadir.com/content/articles
/Art028_04112004.html
http://www.parvez-video.com/protection_of_property.asp
Also, this Henry George* site
http://www.henrygeorge.org/
is an example of this sort of thinking. We have not studied the
“Georgeist” (as they call themselves) point of view extensity,
however it looks like we might disagree strongly on their population
stance.
One can find validation at the core of most religious and
spiritual writings, as well as peaceful pre-historical civilizations
and societies. (read "The Chalice and The Blade" by
Riane
Eisler)
http://www.ru.org/71eisler.htm
Riane Eisler’s site
http://www.partnershipway.org/
Here is a quote from a most excellent book called
"A Pattern
Language"
“All
forms of rental—whether from private landlords or public housing
agencies—work against the natural processes which allow people to
form stable, self-healing communities."
We’re skeptical these changes will ever occur from the top down,
unless accepted by a very large portion of a population. It probably
stands more of a chance, if put into practice one small group of
people (community) at a time. The beauty of this approach is that
the benefits of living this way are immediately available to anyone
and everyone who are willing to live this way. Yes, a physical place
is necessary, but apparently it is finding this higher consciousness
and desire in the hearts and minds of women and men that is the
biggest challenge.
