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Overview
In this book I take a very basic look at economics. I employ a rather expansive definition of wealth and describe the ways in which we accumulate and sometimes dissipate those things which contribute to our general well being. Using the personality analyses provided by Freud and by Maslow as frameworks, I offer an explanation as to how and why feelings of entitlement originate and how they may be converted into generally recognized property rights.
The notions of independence and interdependence are central themes which I discuss throughout the book. I emphasize the importance of our tribes in promoting the general welfare, and I place particular emphasis on the ways in which the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights have done so for Americans. I emphasize the philosophical position, expressed so well by English poet and theologian John Donne that "No man is an island entire unto itself." Though libertarians are fond of seeing themselves as self-made men,I take issue with this egocentic notion and point out that we are all to a very large extent nurtured and supported by our social group and that we all owe our success in life in no small part to the efforts of others.
I stress that citizenship in our very strong and resilient tribe for an American is an extremely valuable asset. Not everyone in this world is so fortunate; those who are on the outside looking in as a general rule view U.S. citizenship to be a most valuable possession.
In this book I argue for a balanced approach between receiving and giving. In the USA we are all entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; but we can not simply rely on others to take care of our needs and to satisfy our desires. Religious people are fond of saying that "God takes care of those who take care of themselves!" In secular terms, one might observe that those who fail to mow their own lawn will probably wait a very long time before their neighbors will does it for them.
I also stress the importance for each of us to contribute whatever we can to the general welfare of the tribe. The happiest people are those who have, in Dr. Freud's words, developed muscular superego; they have learned "love their brothers as themselves" and to give aid and succor to those in need.
While dealing with the topics in this book,I have made a serious attempt to be apolitical; but I must admit a bias toward rewarding productivity. Far too often throughout human history, perfectly healthy and capable people who produce little or nothing of value have shared excessively in the fruits of other people's labor. Perhaps this is the result of some sort of natural order, as one sees the same inequitable division of effort and of wealth in a bee hive or among a lion pride.
Some readers who are accustomed to thinking within constitutional boundaries may find the description of how tribes acquire turf disquieting, as it is a rather a rather amoral process.When one examines history, however, he soon recognizes that tribes have always operated in a survival of the fittest mode. Even though our Sunday school teachers may speak of a higher morality, a tribe that cannot occupy and defend its turf will soon lose it - no matter what good people the members of that group may be.
I am well aware that what I have written reflects a point of view which may not be shared in all respects by a reader. I expect and hope that whoever may read this material will do so critically. I have always viewed the proper role for a teacher to be an instigator of thought among his students and not an oracle who gives them the word.
The dog pictured on the title page of this book belonged to my daughter but was a favorite among the our entire family. Schroder was always a gentleman; but he had a strong sense of entitlement and was not shy about reminding our daughter and the rest of us of them. He knew his rights and patiently awaited their fulfillment.
The notions of independence and interdependence are central themes which I discuss throughout the book. I emphasize the importance of our tribes in promoting the general welfare, and I place particular emphasis on the ways in which the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights have done so for Americans. I emphasize the philosophical position, expressed so well by English poet and theologian John Donne that "No man is an island entire unto itself." Though libertarians are fond of seeing themselves as self-made men,I take issue with this egocentic notion and point out that we are all to a very large extent nurtured and supported by our social group and that we all owe our success in life in no small part to the efforts of others.
I stress that citizenship in our very strong and resilient tribe for an American is an extremely valuable asset. Not everyone in this world is so fortunate; those who are on the outside looking in as a general rule view U.S. citizenship to be a most valuable possession.
In this book I argue for a balanced approach between receiving and giving. In the USA we are all entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; but we can not simply rely on others to take care of our needs and to satisfy our desires. Religious people are fond of saying that "God takes care of those who take care of themselves!" In secular terms, one might observe that those who fail to mow their own lawn will probably wait a very long time before their neighbors will does it for them.
I also stress the importance for each of us to contribute whatever we can to the general welfare of the tribe. The happiest people are those who have, in Dr. Freud's words, developed muscular superego; they have learned "love their brothers as themselves" and to give aid and succor to those in need.
While dealing with the topics in this book,I have made a serious attempt to be apolitical; but I must admit a bias toward rewarding productivity. Far too often throughout human history, perfectly healthy and capable people who produce little or nothing of value have shared excessively in the fruits of other people's labor. Perhaps this is the result of some sort of natural order, as one sees the same inequitable division of effort and of wealth in a bee hive or among a lion pride.
Some readers who are accustomed to thinking within constitutional boundaries may find the description of how tribes acquire turf disquieting, as it is a rather a rather amoral process.When one examines history, however, he soon recognizes that tribes have always operated in a survival of the fittest mode. Even though our Sunday school teachers may speak of a higher morality, a tribe that cannot occupy and defend its turf will soon lose it - no matter what good people the members of that group may be.
I am well aware that what I have written reflects a point of view which may not be shared in all respects by a reader. I expect and hope that whoever may read this material will do so critically. I have always viewed the proper role for a teacher to be an instigator of thought among his students and not an oracle who gives them the word.
The dog pictured on the title page of this book belonged to my daughter but was a favorite among the our entire family. Schroder was always a gentleman; but he had a strong sense of entitlement and was not shy about reminding our daughter and the rest of us of them. He knew his rights and patiently awaited their fulfillment.
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940015595758 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Patterson Publishing Company |
| Publication date: | 10/09/2012 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 285 KB |
About the Author
As a retired high school language arts teacher, I have wiled away many hour writing books based on my classroom notes. I spent nearly four decades in the classroom, most of that time teaching at Dwight D. Eisenhower Senior High School in Yakima, WA. I particularly enjoyed teaching English composition classes,as they provided an ideal vehicle for wide ranging investigation and thinking and learning by my students. One can not write well without reading and thinking and editing his thoughts; in learning to write, a student also develops critical thinking skills that are central to the condition that we call an education.
I hold a BA from the University of Oregon and an M-Ed from Central Washington State University; and I owe a debt of gratitude to both of these instittions. I found, however, that teaching is the best learning process of all. The role played by students tends to be other directed and passive. A teacher, by contrast, plays an active and self directed role. He must take control of his classroom, and if he does not know what he is talking about, that reality becomes painfully obvious in a very short time.
I was born in Idaho and enjoyed a relatively independent and healthy and in many ways enviable youth roaming the hills and valley floor of the Woodriver Valley in the south central part of the state. (Sun Valley is the best known institution in this area.) During the late l950s, I spent a tour of duty with the U.S. Army in Germany during which I married and learned the language and became a committed Europhile. My first teaching job was in New Plymouth, Idaho, where I worked for three years. My family and I then moved to Yakima where I spent the remainder of my active teaching career.
I consider myself fortunate to have lived the relatively uncomplicated but interesting life of a teacher who enjoyed many years of association with many fine young people in an environment which allowed us to explore and to think and to learn in the absense of onerous restraints.
I hold a BA from the University of Oregon and an M-Ed from Central Washington State University; and I owe a debt of gratitude to both of these instittions. I found, however, that teaching is the best learning process of all. The role played by students tends to be other directed and passive. A teacher, by contrast, plays an active and self directed role. He must take control of his classroom, and if he does not know what he is talking about, that reality becomes painfully obvious in a very short time.
I was born in Idaho and enjoyed a relatively independent and healthy and in many ways enviable youth roaming the hills and valley floor of the Woodriver Valley in the south central part of the state. (Sun Valley is the best known institution in this area.) During the late l950s, I spent a tour of duty with the U.S. Army in Germany during which I married and learned the language and became a committed Europhile. My first teaching job was in New Plymouth, Idaho, where I worked for three years. My family and I then moved to Yakima where I spent the remainder of my active teaching career.
I consider myself fortunate to have lived the relatively uncomplicated but interesting life of a teacher who enjoyed many years of association with many fine young people in an environment which allowed us to explore and to think and to learn in the absense of onerous restraints.
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