10,000 People or 10 billion euro/$

Somethimes I feel a little philisophical... like today so here is a post to read and think over and if you feel like commenting or ranting or whatever... have at it..

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If someone were to ask the question: What is more important; 10,000 people or 10 billion euro what would your answer be? What if it were 100 people or 1,000,000 euro? Is a human life of more or less substantial importance than a dollar or a euro or a pound?

Most people, I would hope to think; would answer that human life of course is of infinitely more importance than money. However when one takes a critical look around at practice, an observation can be made that would appear to illustrate otherwise. In fact, it would appear to illustrate that money is of vastly more importance than human life. From a corporate or governmental perspective the quantifiable issue is profit. If a conglomeration of entities analyze a particular issue and determine that they are able to rectify said issue at a profit to them, then further action might be taken. However if it is determined that the endeavor would create a deficit rather than a profit, the issue is then nullified, cancelled or ignored.
Corporations say they “care” about this and that, about the environment, about their employees, about whatever. That is a lie. We all know very well that these entities are hypocritical and only care about the bottom line.

Who is driving this cold harsh attitude towards all that is not beneficial to the corporate hegemony? Is it the base level people working as employees for the companies? Could it be the various people that sit in management? Probably not, as they are only working and managing for a higher executive level branch of folks and then there is of course; the board of directors. Usually these are the largest share holders and these are the folks that would financially benefit from any positive aspects of the company.

When we take a good look at ourselves, and at our level of achievements, technologically and even spiritually what do we really see? Are we to believe our eyes and ears? To attempt to place into perspective these queries one could point out several examples of study. Some of these being the achievements made in space travel.

We as a species, can place into orbit around our planet large computers we call satellites. We can map the brain, and manipulate a neuron. We can build at the atomic scale; the art of nanotechnology has been embraced. We can place a car on the moon - in the previous century mind you. We can put a robot on Mars and control it remotely from Earth; and beam information back from probes sent into space in the 1970’s but we cannot move water to the desert? Is this just funny? We can build a submarine that holds hundreds of people and can dive to crushing depths in the oceans, we can fly faster than the speed of sound, we make machines that make machines; little tiny intricate machines. We can pull oil from deep within the earth, refine it, then pipe it across miles and miles and miles of various landscape and underwater, or put it in a ship and move it over the seas; or mine gold and diamonds from rocks in mountains but we can’t get water to the desert? Does anyone actually buy into this?
Should I keep going? It would appear that yes, anyone does actually buy into this. So much so that someone else is making quite a profit.

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So back to the question at hand; are we just stupid? Are we to really think that we are unable to sustain ourselves? Is it a fact that we must pay money to someone else in the form of a faceless coporogovernmental-quasi-entity because we use too much air? Is it a fact that we must sacrifice in whatever way because we as a human species are a parasite, a scourge, a disease on the planet?

Could the argument be made that we are in fact being technologically stifled and artificially stagnated in terms of social advancement? Does the human race have within them the ability to evolve socially, spiritually, mentally, intellectually? Do we need overseers and governments to show us the way? Are we that intellectually feeble that we are so infantile in respect to the larger picture? Is it absolutely true that there is a higher social ruling class of folks that just know better?

An argument might be made that we are indeed being “held back”; that there is a censorship of technological wisdom that the common man is not privy to.

The paradigm that is the current norm is quite different than a paradigm of possibility.
There exists today the technology and the ability to sustain every person on the planet. If profit motivation were removed from the equation, if the money aspect were not an aspect, then the possibilities are endless.
We could terra-form the desert. Look at the city of Dubai. We do not need to burn oil and gas in every vehicle and home. We do not need to string wires up to transport electricity. People do not need to be stifled and locked into virtual bondage for a corporate master. People do not need to be social clones. Common folks that are experts in things that do not matter like some sport or life of some famous person or some useless hobby might use their intellect in a different manner. Virtually every aspect of daily life can be addressed and redesigned to be more enjoyable, more beneficial, and make more sense for all involved, including the environment.

Let me reiterate the simple fact that there exists right NOW as you read these words, radical advances in technological development in virtually all areas including but not limited to aerospace, energy, computational power, health and fitness, mental, intellectual and spiritual well being, ecological understanding, etc.. These advances are now and all too often classified as top secret and made unavailable to the general masses.
If I could sum it all up; I might say that this world lacks honor above all else. If we had honor for one another, things might be a little different.
Ciao 4 now… RDDS

I would rather save 1 life than receive unlimited monies. I would not sell 'spirit' out for any prize.

I think money is just one way the primitive mind needs to acquire power. Everything is about power.

Interesting thread. S+F

Thanks for the thought exercise.

When I lived in San Antonio, TX, USA, there was a man killed in a pay phone booth for 34 cents. In that instance one human life was worth 34 cents.

This is a fairly difficult argument. I don't think you can put a price on a human life, except, in a rare instance, when calculated against OTHER human lives. Is a million lives worth ONE? Probably ONLY if YOU are the ONE.

I think lots of folks are selfish, and as long as accumulating wealth is rewarded or encouraged, we have a vehicle for assigning a monetary value to a human life.

I think the deeper truth is that there is no amount of money that could 'buy' a human life. I know in practice it happens all of the time, but we humans are not know for our collective enlightenment.

Whose life would I be willing to exchange for cash? The homeless guy that begs me for change? The guy that robbed the bank to feed an addiction? The twelfth child of an unwed mother? A religious group that I don't agree with?