“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…” IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776
As the Declaration of Independence states: “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness….” But what is happiness? Ask a hundred different people in different parts of the world and most likely we would get one hundred different answers. Happiness is very intrinsic to each individual. I was happy when I discovered the link between Bohm’s cosmology theories and the Norse-Germanic myth of the Well and World Tree. But that’s me. Happiness flows through me with the togetherness, wellbeing and love of my wife, children and grandchild. But that’s me. I’m happy visiting new and old lands with my wife ever seeking primordial knowledge. But that’s me. How about you?
According to Timothy J. Shannon, chair of the History Department at Gettysburg College, “Jefferson and other Enlightenment thinkers came up with was that happiness had its roots in humankind’s inherent capacity for reason and desire for material security.”[i] I would have to partially disagree as there is more to happiness than reason and material security. However, we may understand their thinking as the wheels of capitalism were just beginning to gain “steam” with the invention of the steam engine by James Watt in 1765. Watt’s invention powered the Industrial Revolution. Eventually, the desire for material security would lead to the concept of the “Great American Dream.”
Since many people are driven by base level desires of safety, security, power, and sex, the common consciousness is material security—wealth and power. Our physical, emotional, and spiritual security is seldom focused on family, friends, and ancestors. It’s all about money (wealth) and the so-called power that goes with it.
The common vision is towards the future not the past. But the future is not real; the past is (this is another whole blog in itself). This future oriented consciousness drives the engines of capitalism. As is very evident today, this drive for the Great American Dream is fool’s gold for the majority.
The premise of capitalism has nothing whatsoever to do with happiness. The capitalistic paradigm is not based on equality. On the other hand, it is a doctrine of exploitation of people and natural resources—i.e. research the current situation in Puerto Rico[ii] concerning The Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act, or PROMESA.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders slammed PROMESA in a heated speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday, June 29. It’s important to note that Hillary Clinton has previously expressed support for the colonial-style bill. The following are segments of his speech:
“I rise in very strong opposition to the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act, the so-called PROMESA Act. This is a terrible piece of legislation, setting horrific precedent, and it must not be passed…
“This legislation strips away the most important powers of the democratically elected officials of Puerto Rico, the Governor, the Legislature, and the municipal governments as well. We must not allow that to happen…
“The bottom line is that the United States must not become a colonial master, which is precisely what this legislation allows. This legislation, I should add, is not just about taking away the democratic rights of the people of Puerto Rico. It is about punishing them economically. Since 2006, Puerto Rico has been in the midst of a major economic depression. In the last 10 years, Puerto Rico has lost 20 percent of its jobs. About 60 percent of Puerto Rico’s adult population is either unemployed or has given up looking for work. Over the last 5 years alone, more than 150 public schools have been shut down and the childhood poverty rate in Puerto Rico is now 58 percent.
“In the midst of this human suffering and economic turmoil, it is morally repugnant that billionaire hedge fund managers on Wall Street are demanding that Puerto Rico fire teachers, close schools, cut pensions, and lower the minimum wage so that they can reap huge profits off the suffering and misery of the American citizens on that island.
“We have to understand that Puerto Rico’s $70 billion in debt is unsustainable and unpayable. That is just a fact. You cannot get blood out of a stone. The reason — or one of the major reasons that it is unpayable — has a lot to do with the greed of Wall Street vulture funds. In recent years, vulture funds have purchased a significant amount of Puerto Rico’s debt. In fact, it has been estimated that over one-third of Puerto Rico’s debt is now owned by these vulture funds that are getting interest rates of up to 34 percent on tax-exempt bonds they purchased for as little as 29 cents on the dollar. Let me repeat that. Vulture funds are getting interest rates of up to 34 percent on tax-exempt bonds they purchased for as little as 29 cents on the dollar…
“Let us be clear. This issue is a significant part of what the entire debate regarding Puerto Rico is about. Billionaire hedge fund managers who purchased Puerto Rican bonds for pennies on the dollar now want a 100 percent return on their investment, while schools are being shut down in Puerto Rico, while pensions are being threatened with cuts, while children on the island go hungry.
“That is morally unacceptable. That should not be allowed by the Congress.”[iii]
The bottom line: Ask yourself—are the people of Puerto Rico happy?
[i] Timothy J. Shannon, What it means to pursue happiness, Seattle Times, July 4, 2016, A15.
[ii] Sanders Blasts ‘Colonial’ Puerto Rico Bill and Wall Street Vulture Funds in Powerful Senate Speech concerning The Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act, or PROMESA, http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/watch-sanders-blasts-colonial-puerto-rico-bill-and-wall-street-vulture-funds-powerful
[iii] Ibid.