What is this “economy” thing everybody’s always talking about? I hear it everywhere, but since it seems to be mostly about rich people, I tend to not pay much attention. I’m much more interested in space exploration, green issues, current trends in music, art and literature, and just precisely exactly how much reefer Miley Cyrus smokes.
Adam Smith
The Oxford Dictionary* defines it as “the relationship between production, trade and the supply of money in a particular country or region.” As Hugh Grant said in “Love, Actually” when he was giving the speech Tony Blair, may his name be always remembered with shame and revulsion, should have given but never did: “I love that word “relationship.” Covers all manner of sins, doesn’t it?”
In a healthy relationship, there would always be an adequate supply of money to keep trade and production chugging along. That is not currently the case because there is a thing called “the invisible hand” which apparently is holding an invisible shovel with which it shovels all of the available money in the direction of the rich. The invisible hand holds the strings which make the congresspeople’s mouths move. The invisible hand reaches into your pocket and steals your wallet. The invisible hand smacks you up the side of your head and the worst part is, it’s invisible.
So, how do we reach a system where the money circulates like blood instead of like iron filings? I think the first thing is to figure out how that invisible hand works and to make it visible. We need to put a glove on it, mark it with dye, sort of like belling the cat.
Because “the economy” could, actually, be a good thing for everybody. But, it’s not.
*As an American, I should be using the Merriam Webster Dictionary, but their definition didn’t fit as well with the point I am trying to make.
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