Serious Business

What we’ll be seeing in Beijing has taken over 3000 years to stage. The Chinese tribal memory goes back that far – and further.

The individual, according to the Chinese paradigm, has to submerge into the collective. There has to be a figure at the head of the collective to act as political, social and religious focus, yesterday’s Emperor, today’s Chairman.

Chinese history, all 3000 plus years of it, is about the struggle to maintain the essential harmony of the Chinese universe. No harmony is chaos.

Our western prevailing philosophy has chosen secular democracy as its preferred model.

The current western turmoil about money, led, it seems, by some mystical US virus called “subprime”, threatens to plunge secular democracies into chaos.

The disappearance of Starbucks from Australia is a symptom of the virulence of the disease.

The real culprit is, of course, and I write here, not as a Chinese Confucian, but as a Jesus freak, not “subprime” but GREED.

Greed may well be good for the individual, but it’s always bad for the collective.

Catholics get caught occasionally, in the seductive dance of greed – rich rituals, rich infra-structure, rich lifestyle of church officials.

Thank God, help is on its way . The poorer members of our secular democracies are available and, hopefully, willing to teach our rich people how to make do with less. Our poor are, also, crying out to the rich not to panic but to exercise discipline so as to continue to make money to fund restorative programmes for the poor.

I speak from almost 50 years of experience in the field of supporting both rich and poor (I’m not boasting, as St. Paul said, just stating a fact!).

As a businessman told me last week: “You’ve got an impeccable track record – founded and ran both Open Family and Emerald Hill Mission.  Now you’re pursuing a final initiative, the Father Bob Maguire Foundation. It caters for 300 dependants. It’s serious business. Maybe you should get serious and appeal to serious “suits” for serious money.” Maybe he’s right.

This coming week I’ll be alerting the press to the difficulty of supporting 300 people dispersed throughout Melbourne.

I’ll be suggesting setting up tents in the parish garden, establishing a micro version of Canvas Town, last seen around here 1850’s.

My businessman friend won’t be impressed but I haven’t a moment to lose.

R.J.M.

Comments

[Rick Giles]

Father Bob, greed is good for the individual and for the collective.

If we're serious about lifting the standard of living for everyone we must grow the economy. When we have more than enough wealth for mere subsistence we can invest it in education and health care. When there is wealth surplus to the staples we will invest it in new businesses and consume with it goods and services that create jobs and raise wages. In a wealthy world we can also spare more for charity.

Greed- ambition- hunger to improve- is the engine behind this.

Our problem is we're against greed. We sabotage the system that has brought mankind into prosperity and teach each other that greed is morally wrong. When businesses like Starbucks fail, taking jobs and wealth generation with them into the abyss, we cheer!

And that's what's wrong with the world.

[~]

I dont think your bussiness friend would mind if you called it a carnival, and claimed you were providing employment and shelter for the needy (as in 'these people really need your help, so stop ignoring them, you... ').
Tell him to bring the wife and kids and their friends.
You could have elephants, monkeys, peacocks, a phreakshow, and kitten huffing contests.

[Fred]

Greed is good? thats a very twisted way to look at it.... Greed is why obesity is a problem in the Developed world and amongst the disgustingly "rich" in the developing world.

The problem is nobody can quantify what is "enough". Its very hard to convince people to part with what they feel they have worked so hard to get (and that is fair enough) but sooner or later people will realise that happiness is only best when its shared. Funny thing is that people with less always find it easier to give without too much discriminating.

[jackhenry]

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jackhenry

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