When is a headache not just a headache? When it is symptomatic of something much more serious and systemic, affecting the health of one’s body. If allowed to continue and treated only by a repeated dose of aspirin, the consequences will become catastrophic.
The design of our current free market economic system is that of competition, entrepreneurial enterprise, the smarts to take advantage of opportunity and self- interest. Those with more will have the competitive advantage of advancing their own interests at the expense of those with less. This feeds the major motivation to work hard and aspire to privilege, position, power and wealth (PPPW). These, within our culture, are the major operational human drivers for success and although this reality may have some benefits, it also can be the cause of major headaches, masking an underlying and serious health problem.
As a senior and a second-generation Canadian, who wears the maple leaf brand with pride, I have had the experience of going through the programming and cultural conditioning of PPPW. I have, as much by luck as work and design, had the opportunity to experience benefits and privilege that the majority of humanity can only dream of. I have also become more aware, that the fast-paced world we currently live in has become increasingly obsessed and addicted by expectations of more rather than less. The scramble for advantage continues to escalate with an increasing disregard for cooperation, sharing and empowering those with less.
The exploitive increase in value of real estate, particularly home ownership in Vancouver and Toronto is a headache that is caused by the greed and self-interest imbedded in our PPPW culture. It will only get worse if we, as citizens, show our indifference to this problem, pop another aspirin and become part of the real estate flipping game. All while hoping to score some easy money by taking advantage of loopholes that will feather our pockets and bragging about it, while making it next to impossible for a major number of our deserving children and grandchildren to own their own homes.
Unless we all see the importance of imbedding a social conscience and responsibility into our own affairs, into our free market system and expect our democratically elected governing bodies to address the injustices and inequities created by an addiction to PPPW, we will all become the victims of a stock market culture of increasing commoditization and as a result become our own worst enemy. Shelter and home ownership will increasingly become a privilege rather than a right.
Let us not delude ourselves by thinking that the remedy for our problems is more aspirin-laced Kool-Aid with the flavour of PPPW. It is time for a major change to a more healthy diet of less, responsible stewardship of our resources, greater equity and caring more about the common good than promoting our own self-interests.
Wilf Borgstede, St. Albert
