- Unless stocks are deemphasized and bonds emphasized, it is ludicrous to assume that solar energy—or anything else—can create sustainability.
- Protesting stock markets is as important as protesting air pollution—but nobody is doing so.
- The New York Stock Exchange is not an original or necessary institution for capitalism, democracy, Christianity, America or free enterprise.
- There is no magical law that requires stock markets to have happy endings.
- Overpopulation is not mandated by religion so much as by stock markets.
- No movement is making the essential moves against Wall Street to make sustainability possible.
2. Protesting stock markets is as important as protesting air pollution—but nobody is doing so. Of course, there has been an “Occupy Wall Street” movement. However, the Wikipedia article on OWS mainly lists protests against some of the inevitable consequences of overemphasis on stock markets: “wealth inequality, political corruption, corporate influence of government.” There is no suggestion to deemphasize stock market investing. With no intellectual leaders speaking out against stock markets—it is obviously not feasible for political leaders to do so. Bernie Sanders, self-proclaimed “democratic socialist,” probably is the most harsh critic of Wall Street ever to make it to the US Congress. Every little bit helps. However, his most radical proposal is a small tax on high-frequency trading. Sanders has never proposed to reduce the general tax discount on stock market investing—nor proposed a tax discount for bond investing—nor criticized our dependence on infinite growth.
3. Contrary to popular assumption: the New York Stock Exchange is not an original or necessary institution for capitalism, democracy, Christianity, America or free enterprise. This article merely points out that modern society is dominated by corporations—which are funded by stocks and bonds—and that long-term stability and peace are possible if and only if we merely deemphasize the stocks! Some people will instinctively respond that to deemphasize stocks is somehow to advocate “communism” or “totalitarianism.” This is obviously not true. Here are the facts.
- Bonds are not communist. The US government and most US corporations sell bonds.
- You can buy books on the “all-bond portfolio.” This is a respected investing method.
- China and Russia are communist or totalitarian or both—and have stock markets.
- Washington, Jefferson and Franklin were not communists—and had no stock market.
- Adolf Hitler was propelled to power by the stock market crash of 1929. Stock markets cause totalitarianism. They are not a cure for it.
- Unlike casino games, every news show frets about stocks. Because they affect everyone.
- The stock market crashes of 1929 and 2008 caused millions to lose their jobs and possibly their life savings—regardless of whether they bought stocks.
- Walk in to any office of any stock broker and ask what will happen if you do not invest? The answer is that more than 1/2 the value of your savings will be lost to inflation.
- Walk in to any university and ask any economist, why do we have inflation? The answer is that we must have inflation to support the stock market.
- If a prostitute is forced to pay 1/2 her income to a pimp, she is said to be “owned” by the pimp. Similarly, everyone is somewhat “owned” by the stock market.
- For more thoughts in this direction, Google the phrase: inflation is invisible taxation.
5. Overpopulation is not mandated by religion so much as by stock markets. Obviously, reproduction is essential for any species. Obviously, nature must create an off-switch for reason wherever reproduction is concerned. It is therefore understandable that even the most rationally-trained people are often bizarrely self-contradictory in opposing the clear mathematical imperative to stabilize the global human population. The Roman Catholic church has gradually been persuaded by scientific reason—such as that the earth is not the center of the universe. However, a religion can not be expected to abandon tradition for reason—when those supposedly representing “reason” are fanatics for tradition. It is not priests so much as economists who maniacally insist on infinitely more children. Even when the ignorance required to believe in “infinite population” is far more obvious than required for an earth-centered universe. In contrast, the Bible teaches that God created every species. Therefore, to destroy any species is to declare war against God. Not to mention the extinction of dozens of species every decade due to human overpopulation. Also, if all Christians are one family and all Muslims are one family — as both of their scriptures teach — then before having a second child, all parents should at least pay for the education of another child who is living among garbage.
6. No movement is making the essential moves against Wall Street to make sustainability possible.
- There is what I call the “High Plains Drifter” initiative. This means firstly, for one reputable economist to write one book arguing that capitalism has a future if and only if stock markets are deemphasized. Secondly, for the leaders of one underdeveloped or “outsider” nation to read said book and thus to start one new game on their own terms: encourage corporate bonds with national insurance programs and low tax rates—meanwhile discourage stocks—and thus become increasingly admired and imitated after each new, ever-inevitable global stock market crash. Russia, China, India, Greece, Cuba, Venezuela and Indonesia obviously should encourage bonds over stocks. Currently however, every nation stubbornly bellies-up to be fleeced at the anachronistic Wall Street game—regardless of whether they are a naïve novice, an atheistic anti-capitalist, a religious fundamentalist or even a chronic loser.
- Or, a “Newman Age” could be upon us if some new promotional strategy somehow enabled stock market corporations in every sphere to be eclipsed by for-charity corporations à la Newman’s Own—with a similar ferocity as My Space was eclipsed by Facebook. Currently however, there seems little significant interest in such projects.
- Or, a “Fight Fire With Fire” initiative might mean for some nonprofit foundation to manage “socially responsible” brokerages, autotrading systems, trust funds and mutual funds. If 1/3 of the foundation’s resulting income were used to finance pro-environmental politicians and organizations—while 2/3 were hoarded and reinvested—this eventually might build up a war chest with which to enable environmentalists to cross swords with billionaires and corporations. Currently however, environmentalists must forever act like the Dutch boy with a finger in a dyke.