The latest revelation of AIG paying $156 million bonuses to executives and employees, illustrates the distance our country has yet to go in recognizing that the real needs of our economy are not financial, but moral, ethical and spiritual.
AIG has received $180 billion in bailout money from US taxpayers so far. Executives of the corporation committed major errors in judgment over past years that built up a financial house of cards so intertwined with other institutions in the country and around the world that Congress feared letting them fail lest the collateral damage was too great for the economy to bear.
Making mistakes, even egregious ones, is not new. Thanks to the infinite loving care of God, mistakes can be forgiven, rectified, damage repaired, and the past put behind. But for genuine healing, there needs to be recognition by the offender of mistakes committed and sacrifice made to clear up the resulting problems.
When I make a poor financial decision, I have to adjust. No one else can do it for me. I cut back expenses. I refigure my budget. I spend less and save more. Bonuses, or rewards, are cut or delayed until my financial house is in order again. If I learn my lesson well, I come out of the experience stronger and better.
All necessary lessons are learned eventually, one way or the other. Our country is not suffering from a credit freeze, a lack of money, or shortfalls in budget. These times cry out for higher moral standards and ethical decision-making in high places.
Prosperous and enduring commerce cannot be sustained by actions motivated by self-interest, greed, and “what’s in it for me,” type of thinking. A sound economy is built on solid moral and spiritual principles.
Taking responsibility for one’s actions and following through with commitments are essential for an enduring economy.
The most desirable “bonus” now, as necessary economic lessons are learned, is not lump sums of money, but work well done, errors rectified, sound decision-making that yields long term economic health, and the increased self-respect and esteem that comes from working one’s way out of a mire and not running in the other direction leaving the mess for someone else to clean up.
I pray that we all gain a clearer understanding of what constitutes a sound economy. We’re taught in college economic courses to study the flow of money, fiscal policy and other material factors, but the greatest boost to our financial future will be stronger ethics and morals in the decision-making of economic players. And that’s a bonus worth working for!
Evan,
your comments are spot on for self examination and reliance on Divine Love for all our needs. However, I am troubled with those that would rely on us as taxpayers and not do the self examination that is also required.
It feels as if we are enabling those who scramble for bonus as if there is scarcity. An attitude of “I got mine, did you get your?”.
They dont appear to be too interested in see the spiritual abundance all around us and more interested in their own self absorbed wants. I just dont see them working for the greater good and this creates a separation between self and those that choose their own self interest.
Just a thought
Woody
Hi Woody,
Yes, I know what you mean, and that brings up the topic of how best to help these people…is it to keep sending money their way, or is it to use greater wisdom and see that the real need is not primarily monetary, but ethical and moral, and instruct and act accordingly?
Jesus spoke harshly against the Pharisees, but only once did he act in (violent) physical opposition to a practice – money changers – a financial institution that was defrauding the innocent public. Sound familiar? Sometimes the right thing to do is to take a firm stand against a practice that hurts the innocent. There is more than one way to ‘teach somebody a lesson’. These unethical managers may need to spend some time ‘behind the wood shed’. Not sure how to do that… we can pray for righteousness to prevail, but we must also be ready to stand against unrighteousness.
“… how best to help these people…” Did they ask you for help? No. So metaphysically, leave them be. The AIG bonuses, bailouts, stimulus packages, etc. are straightforward matters to deal with. Call or write your congressman or congresswoman.
Gee, it seems that there is a need here to redirect the focus altogether. First, it has been my experience that healing is always, not sometimes, but always, within my own consciousness. This is my responsibility and is not ever another’s–no matter the appearance. This would mean that if I am bearing witness to anything other than God’s omnipresent good, then I am bearing witness to a lie. It does not matter what the appearance seems to be, who seems to be doing what or in what degree or quanity–this is the smoke screen that need be seen beyond. The work is for me to see the truth beyond all appearances and that this truth has not ever been changed, it has never been absent–not in what appears as the past, not in what seems to be present nor in the future for it is eternal and changeless. Second, the master Jesus clearly taught that “My Kingdom is not of this world” which begs us not then to look to the world of appearances for the Kingdom, for the truth, for the eternal but to develop our spiritual faculties so that no matter what the physical appearance we are not mesmerized by them but know them to be only appearance, suggestion and thus having no presence or power. This is not to say that we put our head in the sand but we work to see, to inwardly experience this truth and it is here and here alone that we are truly helpful and bring a healing consciousness to all. Peace
To anon,
Very nice! Thank you…
I like the most recent comment about redirecting the focus, and “what am I seeing”. Agree there’s a moral, ethical component to deal with, pray about, but I’ve been feeling for a while that this collapse came about also to usher in a new paradigm, new ways of doing business in a new world economy where old systems are ineffective. This “crisis” forces a move toward more unity as world leaders find they have to work together. On the human scene, when things “seem” to be going OK, that wouldn’t necessarily happen. But even more important, a lot of the greed, etc. comes from a sense of lack, or limits, i.e. there’s only so much to go around, but not sure I want to “blame” people who aren’t grounded in metaphysics for not understanding that Life is infinite, that it is our Father’s “good pleasure to give (us) the kingdom”. Rather, what an opportunity for those of us who are so grounded to pray to see more of Love’s abundance all around, leading to the manifestation of new ideas taking flight, new products that can base or undergird a more expanded world order, world economy, rather than have people focused on how to manipulate limited matter. Yes, what are we seeing, many minds run amuck, or the One Mind unfolding abundant goo? Is God dead? as someone apparently said at one of MBE’s lectures. This is such an opportunity for practicing the Science of Mind, hope it doesn’t get missed because of fear (even my own), apathy, and finger-pointing.
So call or write your congressman or congresswoman first, then work on redirecting your focus.