In order to have an understanding of any kind of human activity, a sense of the three layers of the human bio-psychicic structure, the superficial layer, the destructive middle layer and the biological core is absolutely necessary. Economic activity is no exception. Originating from the biological core, all economic activity is a result of the productive work function operating between people.
Money has no intrinsic value. The value of money is ultimately derived from and is sustained by people’s ability to work productively. When the quality and the quantity of people’s work function deteriorates in any way, the value of money also declines and the nation becomes a little poorer. Stated differently, it takes more money to do the same amount of work than before. A commonly overlooked but serious manifestation of the general deterioration of the work function in today’s society is people’s willingness to assume a state of indebtedness to a far greater degree than a level of responsibility required to discharge the financial obligation through work. Thus, the economic recession that is currently upon us is a direct manifestation of people’s work disturbance in the workplace. It is an example of an expression of the secondary destructive layer of armored humans.
The stimulus package that President Obama signed into law in 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment act, ABRA, has as alleged primary objective to save and create new jobs. It’s actual way of bringing about this goal is to provide temporary relief (welfare) programs for those who are most impaired by the recession and to invest in infrastructure, education, health and “green” energy programs. The rationale of the stimulus package is from Keynesian macroeconomic theory which argues that the government should offset the decrease in private spending by an increase in public spending in order to stop further economic deterioration. It is an example of how liberals see all problems from the social surface and deal with social and economic problems exclusively from their superficial layer.
Furthermore, ABRA is a clear expression of the emotional plague. The alleged objective of the stimulus package (to save and create more jobs) is one that no rational person can have any argument with. However, the way that this highly idealistic goal is to be implemented, the true motive (through increased governmental spending and instilling increased dependency of people on the Federal government through welfare and other socialist programs) is cleverly pushed into law and overlooked by almost everyone. Nothing is mentioned about people’s emotional neediness or of their inability to work for what they want. These are primary manifestations of people’s emotional sickness originating from their secondary destructive layer that are expressed in the social realm as the emotional plague.
By ignoring this reality and not dealing with the source of the problem (people’s underlying work disturbance) the stimulus program is likely to worsen the current economic situation. The economic recommendations of the political right, fiscal responsibility by cutting spending and taxes and letting the market regulate itself comes closer to addressing the current economic problems of armored humanity than all the “solutions” provided by today’s leftist ideologues.
Neither Left Nor Right
The Emotional Plague
Charles Konia, M.D. 