Before starting this blog, I was writing Ernstraud Magazine sporadically. That climaxed on February 11, 2019 with an analysis of humans’ needs. The acronym there was the FISH, meaning Fundamental Ingredients Sustaining Humans. They are important enough to list again here, in order of urgency, as measured by how quickly people die if they lack the ingredient. As the urgency goes down, the importance might be going up; the complexity does.

The FISH

Physically we consume these items

·        Clean Air

·        Clean Water

·        Nutrition and Exercise

·        Safe Housing

·        Healthcare (we stay healthy as a group)

·        Valid Education (see the prior issue of this blog)

Mentally / spiritually we produce these items

·        Occupation (being occupied at something, not necessarily a traditional job)

·        Worth (self-worth underlies meaning—article 15)

Three principles

1. We know that every person is a consumer—otherwise we die. Sometimes we forget that every person is also a producer--we don’t survive without meaning. It’s not a problem of freeloading, it’s a matter of being needed for something.

 2. People are diverse in consuming and producing. Our economy is the miracle that balances the two. Morality lies in fairness--nobody left out. Human population is limited by available resources.

 3. Money is not on the list! It is a measuring device for commerce, but it cannot be a goal because it cannot sustain life the way producing and consuming do. A large number on a balance sheet has no meaning until it is applied to something that sustains life. High wages enable consumption that pays for production that meets needs.

Principles applied

The last post ended on the “threat” of wealth equality, meant to stimulate further thinking. Rich people, don’t give up on me! I am not here to rob you. Transferring your money to people rich or poor who don’t know how to manage it improves nothing. Using your own resources, you have more power than governments because you are not restrained by gridlock. Under Eisenhower the government built the interstate highway system and under Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon the government landed people on the moon, but the first public library in Chicago was founded by Jane Addams. The national educational cause was boosted by 2,509 Carnegie libraries. Bill Gates creates domestic and foreign non-governmental social welfare organizations. Jimmy Carter combines private donations into housing, worldwide health services and election monitoring. Resources in the right hands bless all people.

 We hate greed. Amassing mere money arouses jealousy, not admiration. On the other hand, we admire those who apply vision to their own and our resources (private or public) to distribute the FISH evenly. The reward for wealth management skill is our earth restored.

 In this happiness blog we collaborate in our common cause. Do comment!

Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels

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