More! (Please.)
Perpetual growth is the goal of the economy. Like a perpetual motion machine I’m not so sure it’s possible. 
If The Economy was a high school football team the slogan on their team paraphernalia would be “More!” Their mascot? Homer Simpson eating donuts – all the donuts in the world (!) to the utter amazement of the devil.
More! has led to many amazing innovations: Internet, cars, refrigerators, computers, chrome toasters… Still, my 97 year old “aunt” was telling me, just yesterday, how much things had changed since she raised her kids. “We didn’t have all the gadgets, but we had a lot of fun.” Her smile kind of makes you wonder how much better we are for all the stuff.
The creativity of More! isn’t bad or something. It’s not like innovation is wrong or bad or unholy. I was driving my “Aunt” in the car where we were both enjoying the heated seats. I just wonder if More! is the best guiding principle for a society to function on.
It made sense for Oliver Twist to ask for more. (‘Please, sir, I want some more.‘) He was an orphan – a starving orphan – who was quite genuine in asking for more. Ironically he could have said “Please, sir, I need some more.” and it would not have been a stretch. (SIDE THOUGHT: have you noticed how we have swapped the usage of the words “want” and “need” in our culture?)
Master Twist was not even asking for himself. If you read the book of his life (and bearing the same name) you’ll see he was actually commissioned by the other orphans to ask for more. They were all hungry. Oliver drew the short straw and bore the brunt of the ladle as a result.
John The Baptist addressed this issue when he spoke with a tax collector.
“Tax collectors also came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told
them.” Luke 3:12-13 NIV
In a modern age what this lesson means has somewhat mind boggling implications. Businesses could become content making a consistent profit, year – to -year, instead of having to grow every year. Some parents could stay home with their children 25% more of the time because they actually only need 75% of their income to live. Down-And-Outs might be able to start up small businesses to perform the services not conducted by the bigger companies that were now content to maintain instead of grow. Who knows? The insane pressure to “get ahead” may even diminish.
You see, what John is proposing is a budget (READ: limit) on income instead of a budget on expense (which, presumably would follow.)
Given that ninety-something percent of The Haves have more than ninety-something percent of the rest of the world it is more possible than you or I may think.
BELOW: Homer, driven by his desire for donuts makes a deal with the Devil. “Ulp, More!”
