God and Money

Words are chunky. The more time we spend together, the more layers of agreed meaning a work can have. Each word in a sentence can mean a sentence. Each sentence a paragraph. Each paragraph a book. If our worlds overlap enough. Like the difference between knowing how to get somewhere you go often, going somewhere often but still needing GPS, or going somewhere for the first time using GPS.

Growing up, I knew exactly what the questions, "Do you believe in God?" meant. God was a very old white dude who used to get rather angry sometimes till he had a son. God knew everything, was everywhere, and could do anything. If a friend and I both believed in God, we both believed in the same God. There were questions, but the questions had answers and we just had to continually do the work. If we both did the work, we would head in the same general direction as we ironed out our misunderstandings.

Increasingly, as Local has become more Global, and Global has become more Local... words have stretched. I don't believe in the God I grew up believing in, but that doesn't mean I am not heading in the same general direction as someone who does. A simple Yes or No doesn't carry as much information. You have to spend time together and dig deeper.

This is the same with other words. Like Capitalism. Like Neo-Liberalism. Like "The Establishment". I believe in all three of those things, but many of my closest friends and family use those words as swear words. I don't think we mean the same thing when we say them.

When I say Capitalism, I am talking about building Capital. The Capital in the "ism". I am talking about reinvestment rather than consumption, in order to build something of lasting and sustainable value. I am talking about being custodians who compound our wealth for future generations. I believe Capital is better placed to work for money than Labour is. Some things can be counted and monetised, some things can't. I believe in a world where we Labour for love.

When I say Neo-Liberalism, I am talking about compromise, best practice, and learning as we go. The new and liberal in the "ism". Where we change enough to Bruce Lee the world. "Accept what is useful. Discard what is not. Add what is uniquely your own". Liberal enough to allow change. Conservative enough to reward those who drive the change and protect the things we love. Constrained enough to restrict change to "win-win" sustainable wealth creation, rather than short-term extraction.

When I say "The Establishment". I am talking about our improving institutions, cooperation, and ability to communicate. I am talking about improving democracy, decreasing Global Poverty, infrastructure, and checks and balances on power. I am talking about the gradual empowerment of individuals and communities rather than being controlled by powers from above.

All of these things have holes. I don't believe in extracting profits while not caring about anybody. I don't believe in short-term selling off public assets to shift wealth to a few corrupt individuals. I don't believe in a political class that controls everybody else.

As Global and Local irreversibly become enfuzzed, we need to be careful with our words and our ears. Like religion and money, the primary function is to build the kind of world we want. Not to divide ourselves into teams and throw rocks.