Listening

The Rev is currently struggling with the Downpressor and his ilk and will return to the blog as soon as the battle permits.  In the meantime, the Rev invites you to listen to a fine group of activist musicians who are striking a tuneful blow, our Sisters and Brothers at Jazzanova.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZZ3Ig_Ovpw

Davids and Slings

The Reverend is soaking up the first real sunshine of spring.  In this interlude, I give this small offering of a singing David whacking a corporate Goliath.

Sometimes you just have to smite them good.  Many of you have probably seen this, but check out the follow-up songs number Two and Three.  Fun stuff and a tip of the Rev Lid to Dave Carroll

http://www.davecarrollmusic.com/music/ubg/song1/

The Rev will be back shortly, fear not.

The Hunger

Good Evening Brothers and Sisters!  The Reverend hopes that this day finds each of us stronger and freer, and living large amongst our Brethren.  Tonight, I would like to talk about the fundamental path that leads us to the pitfall of consumerism.  That path is the path of desire.

Before we go further, let us reiterate our goal.  We are not seeking to renounce the world and worldly good, nor are we urging folks to run out into the desert to subsist on honey and locusts.  There are enough conservation issues in desert ecosystems without a bunch of us running around in the sun, acting like dogmatic nincompoops.  Our goal is to bring about a greater level of personal freedom amongst our Brethren.  We seek to do this by reducing our consumer debt, and by doing so reduce our dependence on the very corporate culture that seeks to blind us and enslave us.  

I am here to spread the word, Sisters and Brother!  There is good cargo, the stuff that makes our lives comfortable, that good that keep our loved ones clothed and fed and warm.  There is nothing wrong with the things that provide ourselves and our communities with a level of existence that allows us to become better human beings and more evolved citizens of the world.  

When we acquire goods for the benefit that the goods themselves can render, we strike a balance between desire and need, consumption and benefit.  When, however, we stray from that balance and acquire the cargo for its own sake, for the prestige of ownership, or to try to fill a void in our lives, we lose our balance.  In our consumer-oriented society, where we are constantly bombarded with messages encouraging the pursuit of cargo, the balance that we seek is often put to the test.  

I can testify to the travails a human can suffer when placed between the anvil of desire, and the hammer of unchecked spending.  It is all too easy to consume beyond ones means in an effort to placate that desire.  The result is debt, something that, unfortunately, many of our Sisters and Brothers are passing familiar with.  

This is not a new problem.  Many a wiser feller than myself has tackled the human trait of desire.  These wise teachings come from around our wide world and across the sands of time.  Here are just a few of them. 

From the Buddhist tradition, we can read this pearl, which has become one of my personal favorites.  I value the idea of the object, and the person that desires the object, disappearing.

Grasping at things can only yield one of two results:
Either the thing you are grasping at disappears, or you yourself disappear.
It is only a matter of which occurs first.
Goenka

From the wisdom of Islam, we may read and learn from this:

Have you seen him who makes his desire his god, and God sends him astray purposely, and seals up his hearing and his heart, and sets on his sight a covering? Who, then, will lead him after God [has condemned him]? Will you not then heed?

Qua'ran 45.23

Perhaps the folks at Haliburton should take a gander at a verse from the Bible:

What causes wars, and what causes fighting among you? Is it not your passions that are at war in your members? You desire and do not have; so you kill. And you covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

James 4, 1-3

Then there is this pithy pearl from Judaism:

Envy and desire and ambition drive a man out of the world.

Mishnah, Abot 4.28

Sisters and Brothers, it is not the cargo that is the cause of our despair.  We do not renounce the goods of the world which ease our lives and bring us comfort.  And yet, and yet Brethren, if we lose our balance, if we consume beyond our means, if we become ruled by desire for the stuff, comfort is not our reward.  The wages of desire are debt and discomfort, insecurity for our families, and even the unraveling of our communities.  Debt brings not the security and freedom that we seek, but insecurity and fear of the future, the opposite of contentment.  

It is awareness that will set us free, Brothers and Sisters.  We must see the chains before we can break them!  Until we meet again, be well, be strong, and strike a blow!

To Die For

Good evening Sisters and Brothers!  Life's lovely ironies never cease to amaze the Reverend.  Take, for example, the word Amortization.  Amortization is the process of describing or calculating an owed amount of principal and interest over time, typically a debt such as a mortgage.  This would be a mortgage not unlike that which many of our Brethren carry on a family home.  

The word Amortization comes from Latin by way of a few twists and turns of the French over the centuries.  Amorteser comes from the Vulgar Latin, Admortire, "to kill", which has, as its Classic Latin root, Morte, or "death."  Well then, Brethren.  It seems that the very root of the word that accountants use to describe paying down debt exhorts us to bring about the death of our debt.  

Amortization is a way to mathematically plot the progress of debt payment over time, showing the relationship between principal owed and interest owed at a given point in the debt, or loan's, term.  For example, at the beginning of a 30-year mortgage, a home "owner" will be paying almost all interest, the so-called "servicing" of the debt.  As time goes on over the life of the loan, more and more of the money paid will go to paying down the principal, the actual purchase price.  This is standard amortization.

As we all know, Brothers and Sisters, housing debt, the typical mortgage, is not the consumer debt that concerns the Rev.  The real demon is unsecured consumer debt, mostly in the form of credit cards, but also in lines of credit and second mortgages on houses.  The other big player in running up our debt are auto loans.  With very few exceptions, autos, motos, boats, big-screen TVs and family vacations are not investments.  These are not purchases that maintain value over time.  These types of purchases may retain a semblance of resale value, but they are in no way investments that will yield a return of capital.  Thus, when these items are purchased on credit, they become a double drain, one that can do us to death if we don't amortire our debts before they amortire us.

Here are a few examples of how a credit amortization schedule can bring home the cold, hard facts about the cost of consumer debt.  Let us assume that there is a hard-working Sister or Brother, living in a regular town, with a regular job, doing the best they can.  Our Brethren had some unexpected health issues and, with sub-standard insurance, ended up owing $10,000 which they put on the credit card.  This is a real-life scenario that is all too common.  Let's assume an annual percentage rate (APR) of 15% on that ole' credit card, a bit below the average rate one sees on the street.  If our Brother or Sister is still strapped for cash, working hard to keep their head above the water, maybe they can only make the minimum payment.  So it goes.

Here are the brutal facts about that situation:  A $ 10,000 debt, paid out over time by making only the minimum payments, will take approximately 27 years to pay off.  Yes, folks, 27 years.  Over the course of that 27 years, our unfortunate Sister or Brother will pay about $ 11,700 in interest, in addition to the $ 10,000 originally charged.  Yes, Brethren, that's right, a grand total of $ 21,700.

Now, I can hear the cries as I describe this space between the hard place and the rock:  "Rev! What is the Brethren supposed to do when faced with a choice like that?  Do they go without healthcare, or go into debt?"  I agree with you, Sisters and Brothers, its a bargain with the Devil. What I am asking is that all of us, each of our Brethren, be aware of the consequences of our actions as consumers.  For every scenario such as we have described above, there are thousands of purchases where credit is used without dire need, without thought of the repercussions and without awareness.  There is a reason we are a people awash in our own debt.

Yesterday, one of the Brethren reminded me of the quote by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains..."  With the ease and cunning of a snare, purchases of consumer goods can trap us in debt.  These are chains that, often as not, we forge ourselves.  It is a hard truth, Brethren, a hard truth indeed.  I have personally held the hammer and tongs and fashioned my own chains of debt.  I have been blinded by the lure of the cargo and have indebted myself in pursuit of it.  But no more, Brothers, not again Sisters!

Everyday, we have to strive to raise our awareness of the many chains, traps and pitfalls that are thrown before us by the Down-Pressor.  The corporations want us to be in debt.  The more indebted we are, the more we support and further the system of linear consumption that the corporations thrive on.  We have to see the chains before we can break them asunder.  I urge you Brethren, see the chains for what they are and strike a blow! 

Remember our mission:  Freedom through Reduction of Personal Debt! 

More Lightening

 Good Evening Friends and Neighbors.  The Rev apologizes for what might seem like slacking on the message, but, even in the midst of the struggle, the duties of life call.     


A few days back, one of our Brethren, who chose to remain anonymous, posted the following comment in response to the blog entry titled Lightening:


 "I imagine it could be difficult to "re-enter" esp. when you've identified with your East Asian Brethren. What you've shared with the individuals you met on your journey you share with folks here. Rev. SE is passionate about his Brothers and Sisters. No matter how much stuff you get rid of that won't change."

Sisters and Brothers, The Rev will straight up admit that he is missing our Southeast Asian Brethren in the worst way.  S'Truth, I'm here to tell you.  The Brother or Sister who posted the comment quoted above has obviously been reading one of my other blogs, the SE Asia Re-Dux.  In the interest of full disclosure, I will post up the link:

http://se-asia-redux.blogspot.com/

What is also true is that what I share with those I meet on my journey, I share with each and every Brother and Sister on the planet.  Today, via the wonders of the internet, I was discussing this very thing with a most Righteous Sister who is presently in Bangkok.  We were talking about the "Heart Voice," that quiet, inner voice that guides us at a deeper level, gives us empathy for our fellow travelers, and informs us when the "Mind Voice" is chattering away, distracting and confusing things.  

We have discussed the concept of Indra's Net in past blog entries, but it seems particularly apt at this moment.  If we think of all of the beings in the world as glowing jewels cast across the night sky, and then imagine a net of beautiful strands that link all of the jewels to all of the other jewels, we have an image of Indra's Net.  Pluck at one jewel, and the entire net vibrates, affecting all of the other jewels.  We are, each of us, connected to all of our Brethren all across the globe.  Our actions cause reactions that reverberate outwards across the Net, for good or ill.  Whether we call it the Collective Subconscious, as Jung did, or Indra's Net, or any of the many differing descriptions, the concept runs through mystical teachings in many cultures, lands and peoples.  

Yes, The Reverend is passionate about his SE Asian Brothers and Sisters, just as he is passionate about each and every one of our Brethren across this amazing planet.  And what the Rev is most passionate about, is that each of our Brethren has the opportunity to live a freer and more fulfilled life.  There are many ways to strive for these goals.  My purpose, my sole reason for coming to you, is to lay out a message.  The message, the message Brethren, is that one powerful way to lead a freer life is to cast off the chains of consumerism and its foul counterpart, consumer debt.  

To break the chains, Sisters and Brothers, we have to see the chains.  The gossamer net that links us all together is a wondrous thing.  The chains of debt that bind us to the corporations are foul.  One connection is empowering, the other is enslaving.  

Fight the Power!  Strike a blow by paying down the debt!  Remember, "If 20% Pay Down 20% We Strike A Blow!!"

Re-entry Re-Dux

Commenting on the post "Re-Entry", one of the Brethren said:


"I imagine it would be difficult to come from a land of "Big Humanity Little Resources and Consumption" back to a familiar "Maybe Less Than Big Humanity Molto Resources & Obscene Consumption" esp. when you identify with the little guys and call the obscene guys home. Do you feel ashamed? Do you feel you are here by chance and it's not right that so many take the material for granted? It's not really the Rev's agenda but it's worthy of a conversation"


The Reverend does love dialogue, especially when it comes from one of the Brethren, so let's dive on in...

There is, of course, a significant disparity between the resources of the First World and that of the Third World.  (I know that some folks object to the "first-third" terminology but I don't have a better alternative at hand, so bear with and excuse me)  The Rev has made this re-entry before, as many other good folks have.  This is not a new struggle, and better writers and more agile thinkers than myself have tackled this very same issue.  Nonetheless, for me, the return from this latest journey has been the hardest yet.  The transition between the two worlds casts the varying degrees of consumption into a glaring light.  There is, in fact, a sharp contrast to the level of consumption between a villager in Northern Lao, and a city dweller in Seattle, Washington.  No matter how much a First World citizen tries to live in a small-impact way, the very fact of being a member of the most consumer oriented group on the planet virtually guarantees that his or her impact on the planet's resources will be greater than that of a Lao villager.  

The Brethren refers to the difference of the "Big Humanity -vs- Maybe Less Than Big Humanity"  It is true that  there is a fundamental difference in the way folks interact as villagers, and how folks interact as members of the First World.  Lao and Thailand are primarily Buddhist countries, and that explains part of what our Brethren may be referring to as "Big Humanity."  There is, however, more to it than that.  I believe that a rural lifestyle, based on a village society, requires intense cooperation.  Khmer or Hmong people in Lao simply don't have the capital to buy their way out of problems.  They have to barter, ask for help, or work together as a family or extended community to solve a dilemma.  In modern urban societies, citizens are often able to simply call someone, pay them, and the problem is fixed.  We are not as dependent on our friends and neighbors as we once were in the past, when our western society was also primarily agrarian.  

Yes, I identify with "the little guys" as mentioned in the comment.  I strive to identify with all of our Brothers and Sisters in the world, but the Rev has a special place in his heart for the small villages of Northern Thailand and Lao, mostly as a direct result of how the folks there have received and treated me.  I do not know that I "call the obscene guys home." but I think I know what the comment refers to.   I was born in the First World, and no matter where I travel, that is my background.  My country of birth, the United States, is certainly home to a great many of the corporations that are an integral part of the obscenity of over-consumption.  It is important to remember the multi-national nature of the modern corporation, but many of these huge entities started out in the States.

Our Brethren ask me if I am ashamed.  The answer, simply, is no.  Where I was born, and when, are details of my life that were out of my control.  Hence, there is nothing to feel shame about. 

It is the Reverend's belief that guilt and shame are not the most useful tools for accomplishing change.  My goal is to call attention to the pitfalls of over-consumption and consumer debt amongst our brethren.  With over-consumption and consumer debt comes the intrusion into our lives, and control over our lives, by corporate interests.  My belief is that increased corporate control over society and government has a negative impact on all of us.  Being shameful over being born in the United States, rather than a Lao village, does not further the accomplishment of my goal, nor does it make me a better person, nor does it even make sense.  Feeling guilt over whatever position I hold in the world does not make me a better citizen of that world.  How I choose to act determines whether I am worthy to be a citizen of the world.

The Rev does indeed believe, as mentioned in the comment, that he is "here by chance."  I have no more right to the resources of the world than any other of our Sisters and Brothers.  Much of what I possess comes to me by the very chance that caused me to be born a citizen of the First World.  I know that people will say that they worked hard to earn what they have, and I applaud them for that.  The simple truth is, starting out in the First World is a whole lot easier than starting out with the same set of talents and abilities in the Third World.

Lastly, yes, The Rev is appalled by the level of consumption in our society and by the amount of cargo that society takes for granted.  This does not mean that I am advocating all of our Brethren to renounce worldly goods and wear sackcloth in the desert.  The Rev is not against our Brothers and Sisters having the stuff that makes life pleasurable and good and safe.  What we are talking about is raising our level of awareness about the nature and impacts of consumerism.  Acquiring the goods that help make our lives comfortable and safe for ourselves and our families is one thing.  Acquiring more than we need, without any regard for the impact that we are having on the rest of the planet, is another thing entirely.  

Thanks for the comments.  Please keep them coming!

In the meantime, be strong, be aware, be well, and Fight the Power!!

Lightened

Hello Friends and Neighbors.  The Reverend is forced to admit to nursing a heavy heart.  The process of re-integrating into the First World is proving more daunting than previous experiences.  Life goes on, however, and whether I wish it or not, so do I.

Sisters and Brothers, we have had discussions on the nature of stuff.  I find myself, once again, dealing with the lure and bondage of possessions, and woe it is.  As Hamlet cleverly opines, 

"For 'tis the sport to have the engineer

 Hoist with his own petard, an shall go hard..."

Once back in the First World, amongst my cargo, I am confronted by the futility of my utility in amassing.  While the moves of the last year have seen my goods sorted and boxed, and some junk returned to the gyre of worthless circulation, there is still simply too much stuff.  Forgive me Saint George, for I have sinned.  

In truth, I have parted with the easy things, trinkets and bits in boxes and bins that were unknown or forgotten, until disturbed by the need to tote them.  This box of moto pieces, and that bin of tarnished treasures, once discovered, were dealt with.  Trifles that caused not a backward glance, Brethren.  It was shallow work.

No more.  The Rev, more than anyone, has to walk the talk.  Here in the Fortress, I have even more room in which to store acquired goods, so I must be even more vigilant against the temptation of The Stuff.  So I am selling the Ducati.  Not the work-a-day modern moto, but the real treasure, the 1977 900 SS.  Its true, and the deal is done.  Regardless of our mutual past glories, it has become a treasure that I do not cherish. It is time to pass the treasure on to someone else who will.  This parting is not without price, and as such has a more solid value than another dusty box of forgotten kit.  

I am not advocating that all of our Brethren run out and divest themselves of all of their swag.  The goods that bring us joy, that make out lives sweeter, these things are, indeed treasures.  We can, and should, revel in them.  When the time comes to lighten the load, I only wish for the wisdom to see it, and take action with a lightened heart and no sense of regret.  

I cannot hope to free myself from all of the chains of desire, the pull of the Stuff.  But I do want to strive, Brothers and Sisters, to be able to recognize the chains for what they are.  When I see the things as they really are, it makes it that much easier to spit in the Down-Pressor's eye, when snake-oil he does try to sell. 

Be strong Brethren, Be real, and Strike a Blow !!