THE COMMON GOOD

THE COMMON GOOD Surprised that the American economy is in trouble? Today the media reports that the trouble is recent big news. Yet the present economic downturn was evident as early as the 1970’s and millions of people on the bottom of the pyramid have been in recession ever since. From the end of World War II until the 70’s, the income and wealth of most Americans was improving at a comparable rate. Perhaps it was a legacy of the Second World War when the fate of the country depended on everyone working together that in the two decades following the war people in each of the five economic quintiles were benefiting equitably from a growing economy. Actually the statistics show that people in the bottom quintile were improving their lot somewhat faster than those in the top quintile. But then something happened, and “the few” found new ways of making bigger profits off the labors of “the many.” Credit cards and mortgages and student loans became not just a way to help people meet their financial obligations, but a way for the lenders to make big profits in the process. When credit cards first appeared, in my naiveté, I couldn’t understand how banks would make any money. For me, a credit card was a convenience. Pay on credit for my shopping and at the end of the month, pay the bank. Spending more than I could afford at the end of the month was not an option. But then retailers and lending organizations put immense pressure on consumers to buy more than they could afford. And the lenders were constantly finding new ways to benefit from the debts of the borrowers. Living on credit became the cultural norm, both for the nation and for individuals. Workers were then held hostage to their debts. They stayed in jobs they didn’t enjoy because they couldn’t afford to quit. Other members of the family had to take jobs to meet mounting interest payments. To pay off education loans college grads had to settle for jobs that paid the most rather than do the work they believed in. No longer was there any sense of economic solidarity – that my well-being is related to yours. Big profits, excessive profits, wealth at any price became the norm. The Congress that might have regulated economic justice was dependent on big money to get elected. Capitalism (get all you can for yourself and to hell with everyone else) had gone wild, without any moderating influences – without regulations or constraints. Often the government officials charged with providing for the general welfare were found to be profiting at the expense of the public. Today the sad reality is that the decision makers in the economy show no indication that they will learn anything from this present injustice. There will be some tinkering with the economy – duct tape and bungee cords -- until once again people will be free to exploit the system in any way they can. There is little chance in America that the spirit of the “common good” will prevail. Quite the opposite. Instead the nation will move pell-mell to privatize as much of the economy as possible. Privatization results in higher prices to create extra profit for stakeholders. Health care is a good example. Care provided by HBO’s include 17 percent for overhead; Medicare, 5 percent. There is an alternative way of living. Like the air we breathe, the earth’s surface once belonged to all inhabitants for their common use. Cattle could freely graze wherever there was food. Think Glasgow Green or Boston Common. Ships could freely sail on any ocean. Music, the arts, scholarly works were not copyrighted. Yet throughout recorded history the few continue to find ways to appropriate for their own use what rightfully belongs to all. In Great Britain this movement to privatize is seen in the enclosure movement, when the lords of the land seized the property of the peasants for their own private agricultural or recreational purposes. And many nations have laid claim to the ocean beds off their coast – at first three miles and then as much as 200 miles. Owning a home, enjoying art, travel, formal education, high tech communication, attending performances, health care and even the right to hold public office -- these ought to be available to everyone, yet they are increasingly limited to a wealthy minority of the earth’s citizens to the exclusion of the majority. In Scotland, policy is guided in part by a dedication to the common good, the commons, the common well-being (which is intended by the word Commonwealth – the name given to Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia.) Public transportation is more generously subsidized than in the US, museums are free, housing is available for everyone as is health care. Education is affordable. People consider it a scandal that some people are marginalized, excluded, left behind without the options open to others. Re-read the 2008 statement of the Scottish Parliament in my last blog posting. If decision-makers in the US could test their decisions against the plumb line of the common good and decide in favor of the commons, we’d be taking a giant step toward economic justice. This is not without a struggle. In the Church of Scotland, where all clergy receive the same pay, adjusted only by their length of service, the wealthier churches help to subsidize the poorer churches. When some people wanted to re-think this policy, the majority voted that any change in policy should have no negative effect on the poorer churches. This is a culture of economic justice which appears to be lacking in America. Beware! The assault on the common good hides in many disguises and may be implicit in tax reforms, wage and price controls, privatization, free market initiatives, anti-inflationary measures and what is euphemistically called welfare reform. A simple question should always be asked. Does this measure, this change, benefit the majority or just a few? Economic justice requires that we work constantly towards a redistribution of the earth’s resources.