The omnipotent capitalist?

So... money drives the world. Firstly, there are three primary reasons to make money; survival, material comforts and power. The first two factors are quite straight forward and free of controversy unless we consider the means to these ends. The third factor is more thought provoking. Money for power... power over people.

What is power over people? The capacity to control them? It is important to understand the kind of people you would control (their motives) and also whether you control them in the truest sense of the word. The kind of people you control would be just like you... wanting to make money for mere survival, material comforts or power. I attach no moral connotation to making money for power over others. I only stipulate that it is not possible. Why? In one of my previous posts, I wrote about freedom. I wrote that we were all born free and are always free and most of us just don't realize it. You can only control a free man to a certain extent and that extent is purely physical. Even that isn't guaranteed. You can control a man's actions with the power of your money. But, can you control his thoughts and feelings?

"As you think, so you are" - Gautama Buddha

I feel this thought is very relevant here, though not complete. I'd rather say; as you think, feel and act, so you are. The crux of the matter is the same though. To control mankind, you will have to control not only the actions but also the thoughts and emotions entrenched in the human psyche.

So, does money move the world? Of course it does. It is beyond doubt that the world is primarily composed of those who lack self respect in some form and who seek approval from outside for a 'self' they do not believe in themselves. Such people will be only too glad to be drawn by the money power you wield. That is a world where money gains you approval. But, does it? You will definitely get nods of approval from most (not all) but, will you get thoughts of approval? Is it really approval if the nod and the thought don't complement each other? We already know the answers to these questions. But, most prefer to turn a blind eye to them, live in denial. It is from such people that the phrase "ignorance is bliss" was born.

So, you can safely assume that you have reasonable (not complete) control over my actions through your capital power. But, this is only until I value your capital power more than my freedom of action.

Money is the means to an end and power over others is not an end. It is a myth.

Freedom

Apart from the political implications of this word, it has a very critical personal connotation as well. What do I mean by a personal connotation? I mean the implications of this word on an individual and his being.

What is an individual apart from being a complex mass of flesh, fluids and bones? In addition to this biological perspective, what makes a human unique is his thoughts, values and actions.

Gregory David Roberts put it beautifully through the first few pages of Shantaram. Man always has the freedom...the freedom of choices. Even when he was chained and beaten by the cops, he had the freedom... to hate them for it or to forgive them.

The lives and our being are a product of the choices we make. We can enslave a man's body, but enslaving his mind is not in our hands. That's a decision made by him alone. He could choose to be aware of his enslavement and hate it or adjust himself to it and play indifferent. His entire being might choose the former, but he will convince himself with the latter. Why? Because he thinks he will suffer less cheating himself of his own feelings.

Everyone has freedom. With that freedom, comes the necessity of being aware of one's actions and taking full responsibility of the consequences.

What I have observed amongst people is the tendency to prefer losing their freedom. Why? Because they prefer avoiding the responsibility of being themselves. Why? Because being oneself involves standing up for and living by your own convictions. That is not going to be taken well by some faction or another. Perhaps, they don't have the courage to stand up against the current. Perhaps, thats a compromise they are willing to make for that evasive concept called comfort.

These same people try then to impose the general, all encompassing ideologies onto anyone with the tendencies to individuality. Why? Because, they are a threat to their comfort.

Freedom realised is freedom lived. The very awareness of freedom is freedom even if one does not exercise it. This holds true as long as one is aware and true to himself.