“Its Not the Economy Stupid” : Culture of Greed and Consumption
We are currently experiencing a moral crisis. A failure of ethical principle and transparency (truthfulness and candor)–or rather a failure of individuals and corporate cultures to be guided by principles and purposes beyond “short term profits.”
A good friend Michael Hall recently posted an excellent examination of the current economic recession from Patrick Deneen:
Indeed, our self-delusion commits us to further self-destruction. The dominant “debate” in this country is about the best means of restoring our economic “health,” whether through tax cuts or government spending. Both major parties fundamentally agree that what is desired is the resumption of our “normal” economy, unwilling to face the fact of the matter that our economy is not, and has not, been “healthy.” Our economy – premised upon permanent growth within a closed system – is based on profound falsehood. The implicit belief that unleashed appetite and consumption represent “health” is a stunning faith commitment among our elders. The claims that we can square the values of social justice (among the Democrats) or family values (among the Republicans) and a rapacious and presentist economic order is deeply self-delusional. We still refuse to see the moral dimension of our crisis, and to that extent will only deepen and prolong it. The “stimulus package” continues the basic bad habits we have developed, premised upon the belief that deeper debt produces greater growth. If it weren’t so colossally tragic it would be risible.
Our deepest problem perhaps lies in our compartmentalization of the nature of this moment. In viewing it as “economic,” we obscure from ourselves the deeper connections between our economic collapse, the ravaging of the natural world, the lack of self-discipline of our “personal” moral behavior, the daily growing illegitimacy of our republican government. All of these phenomena – and many others, more wide to be expressed in one post or by one person – are deeply connected to, and ultimately derive from, the deepest presuppositions of our modern age – namely, the unleashing of the human appetite in the belief that it constitutes a positive good. Our incapacity and inability to exercise self-government lies most deeply across the spectrum of our current crises. All around us we face a denouement of our deepest philosophical convictions, a perfect storm of the logic of the age. To think for a moment we require the some perfect “fix” for the discrete problem in our economic system is a self-delusive luxury we can ill afford to believe and act upon any longer.
Michael is right to point out that this crisis is a microcosm of a larger issue of consumption (and a failure to define freedom in a new way and act thusly):
We live in a culture that defines freedom negatively–the absence of constraint. Massive personal and collective debt is only one manifestation of “unleashed appetite” in the name of freedom. One obvious corollary is the sexual revolution, where nearly any sexual appetite can be justified and (temporarily) satiated by appeal to personal freedom. Abortion on demand is no less a symptom of our consumptive mindset than the ocean of debt we’re trying to “stimulate” our way across.
Michael continues:
DirectTV is not going to tell you that spending 4 hours a night in front of the TV is part of the reason you have no relationship with your neighbors. Second, even when we do recognize a tradeoff and factor it into a decision, we’re encouraged to see the decision in economic terms. So, for example, even when I recognize that my Blackberry encourages me to take my work home, how do I weigh that cost against the benefit of being a more productive employee?
Hall points to an ethical challenging personal balancing act:
Regarding the tradeoffs between dutifully accepting my role as a consumer and living without my I-Pod, well, now you’re hitting me where it hurts. Seriously, I have no doubt that many of these choices would be difficult, bordering on unthinkable. I can hardly imagine living without my mobile phone, let most of the other luxuries I’ve come to think of as necessities. Even though some hard choices might be inevitable, I don’t think this is fundamentally about giving up specific technologies or starting an agrarian community in Montana. I think it’s mostly about whether our appetites are disciplined by the Creator and, by extension, our relationships with other members of His Body (this would include tradition), or by a system that reduces the glory of creation to units of economic exchange.
Reflections on Consumption
I further wonder if the rush to judgement on the stimulus package was moderately part and parcel of a consumption mindset that doesn’t allow wisdom and common sense to offer alternative courses of action. What can be done about the moral crisis or the economic crisis if greed and consumption are larger parts of the problem?
(I use the word moderate more as “independent” and one that sees both sides, not necessarily a perfect balancing of two viewpoints. And its not the economy stupid isn’t intended by me or I believe Patrick Daneen to be an insult)
I’ve included the checklist for Business as Missions as included in the book Great Commission Companies. Great Commission Companies is also available for free on Google books.
Typical Great Commission Company startup process:
• Evaluate the business opportunity
• Evaluate the mission opportunity
• Assemble a management team
• Build an advisory network
• Develop a business plan
• Develop a Great Commission plan
I think I would add four other sections as a business starts up:
• Launch
• Secure funding and/or business
• Get print and/or web collateral and a case study
• Develop collaborative relationships
Economic Viability of Business as Missions Venture
• Is there a clear statement of purpose and goals for the company?
• Does the mangagement team have the appropriate experience and training?
• Can the business create and maintain a competitive advantage?
• From a financial perspective, is the business an attractive investment?
• Is there a clear path from startup to financial sustainability?
• Are there investors and other advisors committed to helping the company reach financial sustainability?
• Is this a business concept that has worked in other contexts?
• What are the risks?
• Is the business model flexible enough to allow for expansion, changes in direction, or alliances with other companies?
• How wil the net earnings be distributed?
• How and when can the investors expect to be repaid?
Missional Viability Business as Missions Venture
• Is the business concept consistent with missional focus and objectives?
• Is there adequate potential for making a significant kingdom impact?
• Does the company have a multicultural, multigenerational team of kingdom professional in place that has a track record of effective ministry inside and outside the workplace?
• Has the management team identified other mission organizations working in the area, and are they open to partnering with them?
• Does the plan demonstrate an understanding and respect for the legal and ethical boundaries between for profit and non profit activities?
• Does the business create socially beneficial “backward linkages” with local firms?
• Is the net impact on the host economy’s balance of payments positive?
• Is there a plan to turn over as much authority and responsibility as possible (missions and business) to local professionals?
• Is the management team committed to serving under the local church (if one exists)?
• Is the management team committed to communicating regularly with other stakeholders so that they know how to pray and know what things they can do to benefit the work (for example, short-term trips)?
Reflective Business as Missions Questioning:
What do you think of the questions? To me, they seem to serve more as a general guide as your develop your overall business plan. I think its easy to get discouraged from a big Kingdom undertaking–so I don’t think checking every one off the list is necessary–however a fantastic guide–especially for those low on startup cash and consulting. So, on the upside I think the checklists can help create a heads-up about issues one might encounter. A more through development might discuss the tangible types of conflicts and hurdles that Great Commissions Companies on a day to day basis, and particularly that they encounter when they startup. By the way, I highly recommend picking up this book on Amazon (I think its $12 to $14). A real steal for all the insight and experience that are in the mix. (I also recommend Base of the Pyramid by Prahalad and Out of Poverty by Polack, which you will find posts for on Compassion in Politics) As always, thanks for reading!
Related Blog Posts and Christian Business Resources:
Faith-based Causes for Social Justice : Nonprofit Organizations, Charities, and Philanthropies
I’ve assembeled this list of Christian charities, non-profit organizations, and philanthropies in an attempt to help out lesser known Christ-centered organizations which are pursuing social justice, missional, and compassionate giving to the poor and disenfranchised. I’m particularly interested in the work of the Mocha Club, Blood Water Mission, and Hands and Feel who all happen have Nashville ties and do their work with great return on investment. (even if that in Kingdom terms is still a pretty messy term…)
When I think of Africa, the following images immediately come to mind: Starvation. AIDS. Child soldiers. Genocide. Sex slaves. Orphans. From there, my thoughts naturally turn to how I can help, how I can make a difference. “I am needed here,” I think. “They have so little, and I have so much.” It’s true, there are great tragedies playing out in Africa everyday. There is often a level of suffering here that is unimaginable until you have seen it, and even then it is difficult to believe. But what is even harder is reconciling the challenges that many Africans face with the joy I see in those same people. It’s a joy that comes from somewhere I cannot fathom, not within the framework that has been my life to this day.
Bussau challenged the conventional thinking that poverty is inevitable and hopeless. Instead he adopted a view that there are many creative and talented people among the poor and they do not have to be perpetual dependents.
“Each of us has the capacity to be incredibly productive and those who realise this are the ones who make the difference in the world,” says Bussau. “For me the challenge is to find ways to release that incredible potential in human beings, to enable that creative force and drive to be expressed.”
Recognising that the key to building any small business is access to credit, OI has distributed over one million loans since it began nearly 30 years ago. Since 1997, OI has created more than 2.4 million jobs and in 2003 alone the organisation distributed over $200 million to 700,000 loan recipients creating or sustaining over 920,000 jobs.
According to the World Bank, by tackling the causes of poverty at the grass roots, this method has proven to be one of the most effective and sustainable ways to solve poverty. A Manchester University study has shown that for each job created, on average six people are permanently taken out of poverty and 13 people in the community benefit, so over five million people were potentially helped by OI in 2003 alone.
Excess consumption is practically an American religion. But as anyone with a filled-to-the-gills closet knows, the things we accumulate can become oppressive. With all this stuff piling up and never quite getting put away, we’re no longer huddled masses yearning to breathe free; we’re huddled masses yearning to free up space on a countertop. Which is why people are so intrigued by the 100 Thing Challenge, a grass-roots movement in which otherwise seemingly normal folks are pledging to whittle down their possessions to a mere 100 items.
I ran across these interesting and provocative quotes though Greg (who incidentally is a great photographer):
“The whole purpose of the Bible, it seems to me, is to convince people to set the written word down in order to become living words in the world for God’s sake. For me, this willing conversion of ink back to blood is the full substance of faith.” – Barbara Brown Taylor, Leaving Church
“When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist.” – Archbishop Helder Camara
Thoughts? (h/t to Daley Hake blogger and photographer)
PS. His performance builds in intensity, so you have to watch it all the way through to feel the full punch of the poem.
Thanks for visiting. I hope my research and ideas provide insight into social entrepreneurship, innovation, and positive social change.
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Thanks and have a great day!
