Productivity in economic term is measured by GDP which
measures monetary income of labour force. Thus the current economic model cannot
measure productivity in terms of advancing personal utility through self-reliance.
As such when you pay for childcare, health insurance, dental insurance, life
insurance, car insurance, home insurance, boiler insurance… (you got the
picture, this list has no end) while working difficult hours, then you are considered
productive but if you spend time with your child, look after your health, exercise
and eat healthy, learn to fix your own boiler… (you got the picture) then you
are not productive.
Government imposes taxation on the money you spend and the
money you earn. It is between 10 to 50% (unless you live in France), the
institutions of the state are established to collect that money and would only
recognise you as productive if the government gains from your efforts.
Then who says we are in a recession, maybe this is an
economic transformation. If that is the case then we are just dealing with the symptoms
of an ailing economic model that is flabbergasted by the new world flash bang.
You dare not utter that word of horror, self-reliance, a
concept considered so pernicious the mere mention of which raises hair on the
back of the neck of both right and left. The left would turn further red and take
it as an offence to the fundamental principle of “human agency”. Where they see
individuals thrive within their economic context. Instead of liberty the left
would urge for remaking of social and economic system to enable individuals to achieve
full potential. I describe the right as a drunkard which has just lost a gamble,
sad but mostly empty captivated and under constant pressure from extremists. To
the right self-reliance would be an egalitarian notion that is unattainable. To
the right such a transformation is inconceivable while maintaining the rule of
law.
I find both sides of political spectrum patronising. Both lack
a project that is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time scaled). Fuelled
by vulgar Keynesianism and focused on the micromanagement of an unsustainable
state.
I
find the continuous focus of mainstream society on the money making avenues
stressful. Instead I propose to shift our focus to activities the primary aim
of which is not to generate money but make us happy and enable us to live
comfortably without spending money.
