Greed - Avarice,- Causes of poverty and Affordability Issues

G.....Grasping or Grabbing all that one can take regardless of the needs or welfare of others. R.....Relish usually applied to food but greed can find relish only in what they can amass in the way of possessions needed or not. E.....Epicure.but really applied in the sense of the word to (Wealth). In this, For the greedy, they have a desire to possess all available wealth in Epic proportions. Leaving None for others. They would not agree that this is their desire.. E......Edacious usually applied to someone who is too fond of eating but when used in another sense it can be applied to a person who accumulates large amounts of wealth at others down fall. At their expense and Misery. I have been to functions where People have taken Lots of food at the expense of those behind them and when pointed out to them answered tough luck. D......Desire to own everything that their eyes may settle on. This could include all Power. They have a Burning, and one can say, an unhealthy desire to own all wealth and valuables tangible or intangible and control what is not theirs.

What is not considered, or even, given a second of thought is this, that The Ramification of this Rampant Greed can be and will be the demolition of a society. It destroys Love. It creates far reaching and very deep distrust. It is an enemy of Relationship. It murders Friendships and can and does cause disruption within Families. Greed is, in my opinion, an element of PURE EVIL.

Most people do not give much thought to "Greed" and what it's effects are. We may say of someone who overeats or in some other way indulges that "He/She" is greedy. We all, in some way or another, have succumbed to this malady if only in some small way. We do not consider how our "Greed" can and does affect others. We don't consider the injury that our greed gives to others. We assume that "Greed" only has an effect on ourselves. That is until we see it being used on a large scale by huge conglomerates, International Companies, or other huge groups of visible entities. We may not recognize it even then unless it is pointed out to us.

Understanding Harm Greed .Does.

The dictionary describes greed as the selfish and grasping desire for all wealth and other valuables. and adds as a side note Covetousness and Avarice.It says that greed has no concern or care for others affected as long as the desire is satisfied. It also says that Greed is being eager to excess for gain, regardless of others needs. This is a very apt description of certain happenings in our Modern world. If we then go to a thesaurus we have other words such as Gluttony, Longing, Coveting, Want and Avarice plus a few other words demonstrating the horrid depth of Greed and how this malady affects others. Phrases such as "It's Good Business", "Market forces are what dictates the prices that we Charge", "You have to look after Number One", and so on. I have overheard other phrases used to deny the acts being committed are Greed. One Should be prepared to examine one's actions in light of how these actions affect or harm others. If our behavior can not meet the light of examination with a clear and honest conscience then we should and must rethink what we are doing. To-day there are many forms of "GREED" practiced with immunity and disregard for others welfare. To justify our actions we look away. Only ME counts.

Embroiled with Greed.

When a person is consumed with the desire to acquire all wealth, they sow the seeds of their own unhappiness and the Loss of friends. They have no care, nor any concern, for people other than how they manipulate them into helping in grabbing all wealth. The grasper can not trust anyone. Not even themselves. To-day we have many phrases used to cover our greed. Phrases such as "It is the way business is", "This is Business" and "We don't determine Price. Supply and demand does that", "Market Forces". and other pieces of conscience silencing Wisdom. All of these sayings are there to salve our lack of Concern for lower Income Citizens. Especially as it concerns Food and housing. There is an attitude of "If they want a place they'll pay the price. They do not consider whether the folks looking can actually afford to Rent or to Buy at the level being asked and when wages are miles behind rampant inflation (although it is covered up) by whatever ways that can be used to disguise this state. Concealing Wrong will not change the Facts.The result is some pay the rent and have nothing for "Food" and. Some purchase Food leaving nothing for Rent and become homeless, having been evicted. We have become an Unchristian and uncaring society. A "ME FIRST" Society. We now have no Knowledge of what "to love one another" means. Indeed, we show no degree of care or concern for our neighbors. We do not Know Who are our Neighbours. It is time, we once again Found our conscience and listened to it and acted for the good of all.

Another Look

Look at greed from another perspective. I live in an area where the ability of long time local residents to buy or rent Homes in the Area has been erased. Here I speak of "Vancouver" BC Region. Prices gone through the Clouds and kissing the sun. A great number were Born and raised here but they cannot afford to live here because of factors that could have been easily Avoided. We have large "Offshore" ownership, the result of Speculation purchases, with empty units as the product. City Councils that issue Demolition "Permits" to destroy Perfectly good Homes, then issue permits to Build "Over sized houses on Normal sized Lots. Not many locals can afford the asking price for these "Monster" homes, as prices outstrip the wages paid locally from trades down to minimum pay. Minimum pay is a joke. We then have "Banks" with fees to withdraw some of your money and also fees to deposit. They have Fees to cover more and more of services provided. One has to pay to buy Cheques and then there is a fee to use each Cheque. also There are fees for Bank Statements. Fees for using bank Machines. Fees to use your Bank Card to purchase anything retail. Banks also make money on the moneys deposited into your account. To close your account there is a Fee. To deposit also a fee. when an account goes dormant for a period they whittle that account away a little at a time until it is gone. They then try to collect from you for keeping the now empty account. An Account that (THEY'VE) whittled away. Credit unions are not much better. Some time back I received a Bill for a total of $75.00 that I supposedly owed a credit union because an account had gone dormant. An Account I had not opened and one I was not aware of. (The bank had opened it themselves). I got annoyed. Paid them a Visit. Demanded they show me how I had incurred this Debt. The account had been opened by them with $20.00 and then they had run it up by taking a couple of dollars a month off the account until it was in the red and kept ongoing till they had run up $75.00. I pointed out to them that they had no authority to open an account in my name and also that they did not have the right to RUN up a debt on my account (Especially one I had No Benefit From). They gave the $20.00 eliminated the $75.00 Debt they built up for me. Where they Found the $20.00 originally I have no idea. I was never consulted originally on any part of the transactions.

Culprits of Greed

Then there are credit card companies, with some charging exorbitant Interest rates. Rates that a short time back, not so long ago, were called usury. Some have high Members Fees but also they have Late payment fees that are high and sometimes the late payment is their fault. In this state of being (I call it Economic Slavery) people are a complicit in their own enslavement. But we have to factor in the use of High Powered Sales folk and an element desperation on the part of the one taking the credit card. Finally if a payment is held up for a day or two, they increase the already exorbitant interest charges significantly. I put this whole scenario down to the Fact that Banks want to have all the wealth. We talk Glibly about How from the rich and so called powerful we must allow the trickle down theory to work its piece of magic. (Trickle Down Has NEVER worked). As one old Anglican Priest once put it "The trickle down Theory Might have Worked Were It Not impeded by The SPONGES at the TOP). We should remember that a river that has gone to a trickle is drying up and is the beginning of a drought.

Then there are.

Now take "Realtors" and the recent call for The 3000 registered members of the Vancouver Real Estate Board, to protest the (15%) buyers tax imposed for offshore purchasers of Real estate in the "Vancouver Region". This is a group that has on a continuous basis claimed that sales made to offshore Purchasers amount to less than 1% of real estate sales. (Question:: [Why would those same Realtors maintain offices in Asian countries and Cities if their case was correct]).] It is also my wonder if those same 3000 members of the "Real Estate Board" really want to take issue with the millions of citizens that have been hurt by their actions.

Also in medical

We have the big drug companies who develop drugs or revamp old drugs that have huge markups on the product and will continue to make medicine costly for a lot of our people. This is not just peculiar to Pharmaceuticals but in all areas of medicine. Even with what we have in the way of Government (Universal Health Care) there is a problem for some to afford to buy the medicine prescribed.One of the most important parts of any Health care system is "Dental Care" and this is not covered under the government plans. So left to Insurance companies "Dental" becomes "Prohibitive" for some of our People. And especially seniors reliant on the old age Government Pensions. We have before the courts a case where a Doctor wants to have people go to private clinics and pay to avoid wait times for treatments. What is wrong with finding solutions to long wait times rather than a bigger profit. Where are all the caring Doctors now...

Basic Rights slowly being denied.

A Basic Right to Justice is denied to the vast majority of citizens because of the cost of going to court. The justice "System" has been made to expensive for about 70% or the greatest number of our citizens. Court Fees that are out of range and Lawyers fees make lawyers only affordable to the rich, powerful, and major Corporations. Justice, saying least, denied by costs in many venues to vast numbers of citizens. My understanding being, that a lawyer charges for his time and a there is then added the cost of paper work and other fees. Such as phone calls etc. (I could be Completely WRONG in this). But that is how I understand what Happens when one gets involved. There is Legal Aid but From what I have Heard The only purpose of a legal aid lawyer is to have the whole thing processed Quickly. I am told this assistance is only available to criminal cases but there again, I cannot be sure.

We are not dealing with "Justice" but with Greed. Greed not only hurts the Greedy but also a myriad of People are affected by it, Innocent people, both Adults And CHILDREN.

Can we reverse this State

Yes we can but It will take both Effort on the parts of the People and Concrete action by all levels of The Government. Education, plus Action will work.

What should have been done. In the case of the "Real Estate" and the affordability of Homes? Should have been a complete "BAN" on Absentee Offshore Ownership of Real Estate. A Tax placed on all realtors selling to Offshore Speculators Plus the tax for Offshore absentee Buyers. A tax should be imposed on all units remaining empty for long periods of time and that tax should be from the Federal, Provincial, and Municipal Governments. It is my opinion and I am convicted in this belief, that it is criminal; to have large numbers of empty units, when we have huge numbers of Homeless people, because of the actions of a few Miscreants.

Sometimes we should follow the Past.

In the not to distant past we had 20% of the people working for the other 80%. Then came the industrial revolution and this was slowly reversed and soon 80% of folks were working for the other 20% and now Even that number has been changed and it could be close to 85% now working for 15%, but a lot of the 85% is kept largely unemployed. This is not in the interest of the economy but in the interest of Control and that by Fear. When too great a percentage of the workforce is unemployed then the Elite lose Control, also if every one is employed control is in the hands of the masses, of the people. Real Democracy is and I Quote.- "Government of the People, By the People, For the People". This means that Government should be for the good of "All the People" and of the "Good of Our Environment" to the "Benefit" of All living things (HUMAN; Animal; and Plant) in our oceans and on our land surface. All life is valuable and has great worth. Our Ecosystem NEEDS all of this. We are the stewards of our world to keep it alive.

Other unethical profit Practices

We have forestry Companies who destroy large tracts of Forest in the interest of the bottom line. We have fishing groups and nations that over fish sensitive areas and large mining groups and other industries who pollute rivers and oceans to glean the last Dollar.Thus we have a whole society of uncaring individuals rushing headlong towards their own Doom and the doom of many not associated with the industry or even close to. We also have to include the demise of these uncaring acts. We have our sewage being emptied into the sea from our cities without the benefit of a very complete treatment system that is Biologically designed to fully disarm that sewage and make it safe. I know that the technology is available to do this. This means that all countries have to work together to speed the cleanup process. If we all are really prepared to work together and to work Diligently towards a better and more healthy, happy world for the good of all. This can, with determination and concerted effort be fully achieved. The proof is in the Pudding..

Governments Role.

Government must develop the ability and the skill to listen and to perform in the interest of the Good of all. We must start now with Education and Action on an equal scale. We need a very special someone with the Balls to face the World and challenge it to improve in the way that we know it can. Who shall we Send. Who can we call to take the lead. There are many voices that are loud and clear on this matter. People who are taking parts and attempting to build for a better future. Listen to them. Join all Ideas Together to improve our life and be part of God's plan...

A hard and destructive Master.

We must always keep in mind these points.- Remember always that Money and Wealth are great and Good Servants but Hard and demanding Task Masters. It is always wise to Keep in mind that our silence sometimes is Golden and of diamond quality; But there are other Times when it is just plain Yellow and Cowardly. We must exercise our voices for the improvement of life, of the environment and Justice. For the Betterment Society and the Ecosystem. But keep our tongues locked when there can be unnecessary, unjust, harm done to others. It is always the sign of good and fair wisdom to listen at least twice as much as we speak. But also when our words are few.

We must exchange the society where reigns "Greed" to one of caring sharing and of Love. A World where everyone is counted of Value. Only when we bring Love, Faith, and Hope to the mix will we have the society we need and should be striving in all our strength to bring about.A world where all living creatures and things count and their Value Recognized. We must be love and we must demonstrate love. And we will have returned to us more than we give.