A Fertile Economy | ||
A Fertile Economy Zarrin Shajari Some modern economic analysts ironically say that each time the financial system declines, it has to totally collapse before it can become efficient again. A quick return to early human history reminds us that the base of human economy was founded on “offer” and “demand”. In early civilizations commerce began when some people had grains to sell, others had hens to feed, and further along the market, the hen would became the food for a family who in turn would sell whatever it had to provide for their daily meal. Commerce was instinctive and tasks were different for each buyer and seller not because of their position but because of what they produced. Apart from royal families and aristocracies which owned the lands, and held the keys to the treasures of war, those who could not produce an exchangeable product, would become the jokers of the court, the street actors or clowns, and they would entertain the rest of the working populations. And for all those who either didn’t have any land, power, or artistic talent, they would end up stealing from the above. These same professional robbers ended organizing themselves and turned into powerful underground groups, and further along the course of history learned the laws advised by the society, only so that they would avoid going behind prison bars. “Good people don’t need laws to act responsibly, and bad people will find a way around the laws…”. (Plato) Regulating money Since the early history of mankind, the economic system became more complex and the checks and balances turned into a dangerous maze for most of the simple minds that would come to the market to sell their grain. It was no longer the rule of offer and demand but who had access to the money. Ongoing wars turned out to be more costly than gainful (there were more dead or hungry people than looted treasures) and it became hard to keep on waging wars. Societies had to find new ways of paying for the governing costs and the high price of the privileges of the few governing rulers. Taxes were advised and all those who produced any sort of exchangeable product were forced to pay taxes. In the 18th century BC, Hammurabi instituted codes of law and a system for freedom and most of all the freedom from debt, realizing, even in those early days, that when debt went out of hand it would destroy and become a parasite of the real economy. Meanwhile since then, those who knew the rules began advising the rest of the world. Everyone seemed satisfied and balanced governments lived side by side with the owners and book keepers of money. But despite the rules, the weight of unbearable injustices ruined families, broke the middle class, put the poor in dire situations of worst condition than before, and finally, provoked social uprisings and revolutions. We can enumerate countless revolutions all along human history; In 615 BC the Babylonians revolted against the Assyrian rulers; In 508 BC the Athenian Revolution established democracy in Athens; In year 291, the War of the Eight Princes in Jin dynasty of China; In 351 Jewish Palestinian revolted against Constantius Gallus and the Eastern Roman Empire; In 484 Samaritan Revolts against the Byzantine empire were led by the Samaritans; In 496 Mazdak led a Persian socialistic movement and converted Shahanshah Kavadh I of the Persian empire before the latter was overthrown by the nobility….In the 1700’s the Camisard Rebellion in France, Bulavin Rebellion in Imperial Russia, The Rising of the Priests in Malta, and the American Revolution which established independence of the thirteen North American colonies from Great Britain, creating the republic of the United States of America. Among these the French Revolution is regarded as one of the most influential of all modern socio-political revolutions and is associated with the rise of the bourgeoisie and the downfall of the aristocracy. Behind all major changes in human history, revolutions were always part of the fundamental changes of societies which were necessary to straighten the injustices inflicted on the “common” people. The essence of most revolutions that marked human history were economic reasons. Poor and unjust economic policies created wide gaps between different classes of the society which could no longer work in a balanced manner next to each other. Greedy and lustful invaders took advantage of underground wealth, or manpower, and turned occupied societies into colonies for their own benefit. Although the original banknote was first developed in China during the Tang and Song dynasties, the concept of banknotes was first introduced in European economy during the 13th century by travelers such as Marco Polo, with banknotes appearing in 1661 in Sweden. It was no longer necessary to bring your hen and grain and eggs to the market to show you owned wealth, money was by itself enough credit to offer you any of your items of choice. Closer to our era, Industrial revolutions made the flow of the money even more exponentially interesting and along the way those who made the most money, built the banks to keep the money “safe”. Money had to be stocked and protected. These “money temples” were owned by the first who also found the opportunities to invest. People put their money where the services would allow them to protect and also find more money. Loans and market shares were sold to those who didn’t know what to do with the extra amount of money they had could invest. Yet some of this money was immorally obtained by methods used to avoid paying taxes on them. Tax havens are countries that offer foreign individuals and businesses little or no tax liability in a politically and economically stable environment. Stable environments were necessary for money to stay safe therefore tax havens were also the best place to hold the “invisible” wealth some people possessed between wars. Gold and precious metals were always part of the markets but laws were created to make sure that gold and silver could no longer be carried around rather deposited in the “temples of trust”. Those who had the cash had the keys to the safe. Being poor is a harsh condition, but some say that being wealthy has become a dangerous situation. The question was no longer what to produce and what to sell, but where to invest? How to invest in order to make more money; and finally how to hide the money from “all eyes” who would be tempted to access and account for these paper and gold treasures; Globalization coined by Charles Taze Russell in 1897 refers to the largely national trusts and other large enterprises of the time, and has become the wheel which turns economies today. It offers new markets to sell products and buy products. Economist Theodore Levitt is widely credited with coining the term in an article entitled "Globalization of Markets", which appeared in the May–June 1983 issue of Harvard Business Review. This concept or process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas and other aspects of culture began after the Industrial revolution. It gained its full meaning in the 1970’s and is based on four basic aspects of globalization: trade and transactions, capital and investment movements, migration and movement of people, and the dissemination of knowledge. Based on this model, global financial systems were developed to create the rules which kept the money safe in the temples of finance. They were based on seductive offers of security to nations and individuals who need to have a sense of “control” over the vast flow of money around the planet. Today we are living through the Technological Revolution, also called the Financial Capital. Carlota Perez was the first to apply this term to technology trends which existed over the past three centuries: the age of steam and railways, the age of steel and electricity, mass production and the automobile and the current information/knowledge society. Given the amount of transferred money, Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital needs to create data bases which can trace any sign of money in order to tax, access or implement new laws. Meanwhile forced bubble economies live and die seasonally carrying the signs of decline and growth. These fake markets live on the amount of exchanges and not on real products made based on the original definition of commerce. Countries begin to re-shape their structure based on the rules commanded by the “World Economy” which is basically the economy defined by the stock market and real estate dealers. Vital necessities are no longer the main reason to commerce. World War I and II were triggered by weak policies of Western governments in not being able to resist the powerful capitalistic rulers which were not satiated in making more profit and money. Wealth was never redistributed fairly since most often the true capital is invisible to the eyes of the society which trusts its decision makers in controlling the balance and justice. When governments lose control of the money, “unfair distribution” and “laundering” become the “kings”. They can decide of the fate of a whole country. Populations are considered as tools and objects of achieving projects of Pharaonic standards. “…. 53:8 Allah will never change the bounty which has bestowed upon a people unless they change what is in themselves; [by Rebellion] and verily, Allah is the Knowing Hearer…” The Holy Quran- Al Anfal (The War Spoils)
Sometimes whole buildings are destroyed to destroy all traces of the money exchange, laundering, illegal transactions and mass transfers only to the benefit of a few insider traders and groups of influence. In September 11 2001 the World Trade Center was destroyed and all traces of transactions or illegal financial movements were destroyed with the twin towers along with the 3000 employees who worked there. Although considered by some as a conspiracy theory, the result remains the same. No transparency and hardly any morality exist in these financial formulas promoted by the brokers of finance. Exploitation and war mongering abide by the rules of the greater industries which possess the “temples”, the “gold”, the “paper” and the laws which work for their benefit. A moral Revolution In 1979 and the Islamic Revolution which took place in Iran, and another one of the surprising effects of it, were the new concepts which ruled its existence. A structure of political and economic governance living side by side in harmony with a religious conception based on Islam. The Iranian Revolution changed the paradigms that were calculated to simply overthrow the Shah’s puppet ruling who had dared refuse to let go of its oil reserves. But with the longevity of the revolution, Iran became a rebellious nation and so it was inflicted global sanctions designed to force Iran to comply with the rules of the Finance Capitals. “Resistance economy” became a way to circumvent sanctions against a country like Iran which experienced not only sanctions but was forced into an 8 year war with its neighboring country. Today “Economic Resistance” has become a notion rooted in the definition derived from the Islamic revolution led by the founder of the Iranian Islamic Republic, Imam Ruhollah Khomeini. Turning these pressures into opportunities, Ruhollah or the “spirit of God” led the Iranian revolution into a far more important revolution. A divine and moral revolution. A global vision for defending the weak and eradicating the puppets of power which were given the thrones and the treasures of nations in exchange for free access to their buried treasure or potentials of wealth. In 1393 year in the Iranian calendar (2014) Iran’s Supreme Leader Seyed Ali Khamenei dedicated the motto of the year to a definition of economic development based on Economic Resistance. Many assumptions seem to make their way in the strategies that are proposed, and theories need to be put into practice, but he asked the government, executive bodies, and the people of the country that the basis that needs to be put in place, comply with the teachings of Islam. Among some of these formulas which need to be adopted by a larger majority of the population are: A wise leadership Great leaders always integrate in their decisions, the Divine rules of God and the satisfaction of Allah before any earthly necessity. They care for the people, respect them and are by their side at all times of trouble. Although the final decision for governance comes from the people of a nation, and the democratic election of their leaders, but leaders who greedily need access to thrones instead of being true responsible leaders, can easily pervert the path of a whole nation and head it towards destruction. Auto Determination (learning the lessons based on the life of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and all other Holy prophets and the Ahul al Bait) The world of Islam has offered us historical and contemporary success stories of resistant and revolutionary individuals who have set the path and presented guide lines for real positive results in their societies. We should continue to rely on such individuals who are determined to continue the path of Islam no matter the defiance of the deviated mass which feeds on the accounts of success that are only offered by heroes of the non-believers of God. Determined people and nations can stand up against the mindset of unholy individuals who rule the mechanisms that have been put in place and which only offer platforms of recognition to their own followers. Slavery has different forms. But finding true “independent” causes of revolts which are not remotely programmed to create “provoked” change, and which also take place at the level of ordinary citizens, can also be a difficult task. Self sufficiency and Reliance on Domestic Capacities Evaluating the true capacities of natural, human and geopolitical wealth is like knowing the true amount of stocks which one can rely on for long term forecasts. It is a first step towards finding the solutions of self-sufficiency. For example, oil and gas and all the mineral wealth in a country can be easily exchangeable products for gaining wealth, but they cannot be reproduced mechanically. We must be able to rely on what we can produce based on the original definition of commerce. Also Islam tells us to “fast” during the holy month of Ramadan therefore we must also be able to “fast” on the amount of commercial exchange and consumption of anything extra (food, technology, buildings, business contracts…), ultimately unnecessary in order to reach a healthier long term effect. Defying International pressure and abiding only to Fair Rules International rules have been formulated based on non-Islamic concepts. Respecting them can only be recommended if they do not trespass the fundamental rules which can be acceptable by mono-theist religions. Evaluation of Existing Human Potential When the human potential of a country is mis-calculated, or mis-judged, and western standards of science and achievement become the rule to calculate potentials, the native and national forms of achievement will slowly be rejected. The true potential of the “entrepreneurs and human activists”, which possess the values and essential motivations to make the changes, or to find new ideas, will slowly disappear. Humans are not tools to be used and thrown away after they are broken. Humans need to be loved and cherished in order to keep the balance of the cycle of life turning. They have to be nourished and cared for. If offered space for growth many people have the capacities to become success stories. What differentiate the stories are the “methods” used to reach the goals. Creative Problem solving Finding solutions to problems can come through creative ideas. Offering new methods based on Islamic concepts could give alternatives to the western theories, to the closed doors, the blocked trade paths of free circulation, or to the products which do not correspond to the Islamic concepts of “halal حلال”. Fighting corruption Societies should refuse to give in to the rules dictated by organized groups of pressure and they should not allow opaque societies, covering up crimes or isolating the weak. Meanwhile understanding that Islam offers all humans a personal "harim حریم” to humans who have not committed crimes and that it should be respected. People are free to make choices and it is upon the consequences of these choices that they should be judged, not on their freedom to choose. Respecting Moral Values Respecting other peace abiding humans, all of God’s creatures, respecting the earth and environment (offered as a gift to humanity), protecting the needy and the weak, following divine goals and objectives…), these are some of the values that all human beings can understand and accept. They should be implemented without forgetting that sometimes perceptions of laws are based on flawed individual understanding of religion. Morality is a notion that should be based on the Holy Quran but it can also be based on lessons brought to us by basic human attitude. People still need to find the answers in the ayats (revelations) of the Holy Book, and what these true human values are, in order to “bring under the same sky” all the God-abiding believers, and even the non-believers, who have made the choice to refuse immorality.
Economic Resistance Economic resistance, based on Islam, should take into account all aspects of social, religious (moral) and commercial values which can maintain a nation in prosperity and divine satisfaction. Today the current World Economy considers itself above all divine and sovereign law. Markets and profits are regulated by legislation that is written by a few people in a few countries which dominate the markets. Whenever the world decides to consider that all countries and all political states (and all religions), which have an established existence, are to be part of the global decision making, that different views should be acknowledged in the laws that are to be enforced on the whole “world”, then we will find the blue print to a fair and balanced world. The model of the Islamic Revolution in Iran has proven to be a success story, and in the past three decades it has lived to be a high potential country, with vast underground wealth, fertile lands, experienced decision makers, a great potential of educated, motivated and young population, as well as a long history it can rely on. The Islamic Republic of Iran still has to overcome the constant hurdles that are set along its path by its enemies. If the focal point of its attention keeps maintained on the founding principles of its existence and its leaders see the path in the recognition of Islam as a cure to all the financial disasters that are caused by the biased systems of power, it can maintain a long lasting existence, and it will be able to find the solutions in the strengthening of the faith of its people in the laws of a “modern” and “friendly” version of Islam. Such an “economic model” is considered of the domain of illusion, for the pragmatic financial world, which relies on forecasts, hypothesis and self-made theories. For those who see no long term benefit on the globalized world there is a new option; A country like Iran has offered new answers and has also offered the results, therefore along with diplomatic efforts with other nations, it should continue strongly protecting its frontiers from external viruses. Such deviant viruses programmed to erase all efforts of the past, not only destroy the foundations but also place the “Trojans” which will certainly act in an even more destructive long term manner. | ||
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