All Saints Day and the very real threat to the economy--

All Saints Day

"O, you're a saint!" is a common-enough phrase, often tossed around when someone does something for you, even something as simple as reaching a box off a high shelf. But that's not what today commemorates, even for someone as short as I am. Sainthood, at least in the Catholic Church, takes time, a lot of investigation, and a boatload of faith. And then, an extensive process of voting, praying, and finally, the reigning pontiff needs to make it official. 

To be like a saint requires a lot of self-sacrifice, in order to do as much practical and spiritual good as possible for the most people. I don't know too many people who would qualify, but to follow the acts of saints is commendable. I don't think we need to martyr ourselves (both literally and figuratively), but acting out of a sense of compassion for the good of others is a laudable thing. 

We had a discussion in class the other day about whether an act is a moral thing or if it achieves it's highest "good" when it is done out of duty -- Immanuel Kant's name was bandied about alongside John Locke's. And the discussion was a surprisingly good one: Locke says doing good things for people is right, because it makes the doer feel good (or less pain) as well, and Kant says that doesn't count-- that if an action makes the doer feel good, then it's somehow tainted, that the only true "good" is done when it's inconvenient or painful for the doer, but the thing must be done. 

Now, I don't know about these two philosophers' points; I follow their argument, but I think I'm somewhere in the middle. All I know is that God has given me (and all of us) a measure of time and talent, and my hard work has granted me some treasure, and if I have a surplus of any of those, and if I see a need that must be addressed, I should do so. It's called being a good human. 

This is why I'm diametrically opposed to the majority of the GOP, especially Elon Musk and his spongy adherent that is running for office. Crash the economy and rebuild is good for us? That we'll all have to suck it up for a while in order to achieve the vision they have for the country? An image built in their own best interests, for sure. I am not a fan of this idea. Nor should any of us be-- it would mean, on the practical level, hunger, pain, disease, death, homelessness, and ignorance. A poverty-pandemic, if you will. The only people who would benefit and/or survive would be the super-rich; the rest of us would suffer immensely. The whole idea of even trusting a cabal of failed businessmen (how many billions lost? how many bankruptcies?) to tell us how to run things is purely stupid.

Halloween is over, but this is the real reason to be afraid. I will do what I can for the most people I can, but only a majority of sane people can save the nation from this disaster.

Take care,

C