Anytime someone says, "It's good for the individual, but bad for the economy," we know something is out of wack! An economy and society that says the person must be put in a worse situation (slavery to debt), for the salavation of the economy must be questioned.
Let me be clear, I'm a firm believer in classical education, but we also need common sense education. How many people don't know how to save for the future? How many people don't have an emergency fund? How many people put their happiness in material things, often at the financial risk of their families?
This crises is being blamed on failure to regulate. Some are calling for a New World Order, and the Obama Administration has been quoted as saying, "Never let a serious crisis go to waste." We don't need a New World Order, we need a return to Common Sense! This crisis should not be used as an opportunity to push an ideological agenda, instead, this must be a return to the foundational principles that create responsible wealth (from the Richest Man in Babylon - I still have to give this back to Tyler):
- Start thy purse to fattening. Take one-tenth of what you bring in and save it for the future. The book uses a coin analogy: for every nine coins you spend, take one and put it away for yourself. This is very sensible; a goal all of us should have.
- Control thy expenditures. Don’t buy frivolous things even if you have enough money to pay for them. Instead, make sure that you can continue to save one-tenth of what you bring in.
- Make thy gold multiply. Once you start to build up some savings, invest that money so that it will make more money for you. Another pretty clear point; if you start saving money, it shouldn’t just sit in a mattress. Even a high-yield savings account is much better than that, and it can double your principal in about fifteen years.
- Guard thy treasure from loss. This one is interesting: you should only invest in things that you understand.
- Make of thy dwelling a profitable investment. One should own their own home rather than renting because then money can be invested in the home or invested in other things rather than handed over to the landlord. Something tells me that this lesson applied better before people were looking at homes that were three or four times their annual income.
- Insure a future income. In other words, invest for retirement and your family’s well being after your passing. You should be dropping some Benjamins right into your retirement account if you can afford it.
- Increase thy ability to earn. Work hard, look for opportunities, and educate yourself. Today, a college education is one of the best investments you can make, but it's only one piece of the puzzle. Keep look for opportunities to grow and increase your ability to add value.
Final paradox of the day: "stop having children, people are killing the earth, instead we should kill people in order to save the planet."
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,486390,00.html
It's scary to think that the Green Peace movement has nothing to do with peace, and in fact considers humanity to be a deadly disease. These people are really in the government and are behind many anti-human policies that are positioned as "green." This is an important reminder that even good (green policies), can result in bad (limiting human freedom and elminating human life) and we may not even know it.
A good reminder from St Paul (2 Timothy 4)
For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but,
following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, 2 will
accumulate teachers
4
and will stop listening to the
truth and will be diverted to myths.
5
But you, be
self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of
an evangelist; fulfill your ministry.
6
3 For I
am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at
hand.
7
4 I have
competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.
8
5 From
now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for
his appearance.
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Awesome post, Ryan.
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