from Verse Twenty-FourHelp the poor and needy, and a reputation is born. Promote what is beneficial and eliminate what is harmful, and merit is established. When there are no troubles in the world, even sages have nowhere to distribute their graces. When the upper and lower classes are on good terms with each other, even philanthropists have no projects to undertake.~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~
Wouldn't it be nice if people the world over embraced such a sentiment? Alas, that's not the way our society seems to work!! If you look at the US, the pyramid is turned upside down -- most of the help goes to the rich and powerful with a few meager bread crumbs tossed in the direction of the poor and needy.
What's even worse is that our leaders tend to promote what's harmful for the vast majority, while working diligently to dismantle or destroy that which would be the most beneficial.
Of course, the reasons for this methodology are readily apparent. For one thing, the rich NEED the poor. As long as there are people struggling to get by, those with jobs want to hang on to them and so -- unless they're lucky to be represented by a union -- they're not very apt to complain or rock the boat. It's far easier to control one's workforce if you have hungry people waiting at the gate ready to snap up any "sudden" vacancies.
The other obvious reason our leaders won't be adopting Lao Tzu's strategy anytime soon is that much of their wealth is derived from the very things that are harmful! If we decided tomorrow that we would no longer participate in war and we would clear the shelves of products and services that aren't that healthy for us, a significant number of the well-heeled would need to file for bankruptcy!
Consequently, Lao Tzu's strategy for a better world is the last thing in the world they want to hear! It's downright subversive!!!!
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
What's even worse is that our leaders tend to promote what's harmful for the vast majority, while working diligently to dismantle or destroy that which would be the most beneficial.
Of course, the reasons for this methodology are readily apparent. For one thing, the rich NEED the poor. As long as there are people struggling to get by, those with jobs want to hang on to them and so -- unless they're lucky to be represented by a union -- they're not very apt to complain or rock the boat. It's far easier to control one's workforce if you have hungry people waiting at the gate ready to snap up any "sudden" vacancies.
The other obvious reason our leaders won't be adopting Lao Tzu's strategy anytime soon is that much of their wealth is derived from the very things that are harmful! If we decided tomorrow that we would no longer participate in war and we would clear the shelves of products and services that aren't that healthy for us, a significant number of the well-heeled would need to file for bankruptcy!
Consequently, Lao Tzu's strategy for a better world is the last thing in the world they want to hear! It's downright subversive!!!!
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
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