Materialism, the valuing of goods and services over personal relationships. is spreading throughout the world, and with it comes an arrogance of the rich and famous, the Nouveau-Bourgeoisie.  Some will be generous in the Public Eye while hiding miserly hearts, looking for a profit in every endeavor, even if detrimental to someone else.  (“Fuck ’em,” they said.) For many, caring for the well-being of others is a facade that hides self-serving intent.  Lust for wealth and fame poisons our thoughts, fostering addiction to extravagances and paving paths of ostentation.  We encourage our children to wear designer clothes and have the most admired accouterments, and in some societies people have become all-exclusive, snubbing anyone who hasn’t been approved by “their kind,” but rational people are eventually ashamed and regret harm caused. Whether they will atone is a matter of character or an invitation for Karma to settle the score.

The Elite in America aren’t through royal bloodlines like in many other countries, for our Democratic Republic tends to equate opportunities for all income levels of people, giving even a poor child a chance to become President.  Our burgeoning Media sources have blessed us with greater knowledge and cursed us with materialism, self-centeredness and nihilism.  The Entertainment industry does more than entertain, it informs, making us happy or sad, angry or pleasant, too often giving credence to deceit, jealousy, treachery and violence that harms others. Our Media teaches us how to cheat and have little conscience for things that are unethical, promoting that “money talks” and “everyone has their price.” I have faith in our younger generations who’re realizing the true values of their lives and, even through their fears, they’re honoring everyone’s civil rights, spiritually balancing us from our wildness, bringing justice to the injustices we committed.

Corporations have earned reputations of greed, being uncaring about the circumstances and welfare of people’s lives, as long as their profits remain and periodically increase. CEO’s are targeted as villains for accepting excessive salaries and supporting denial of employee benefits, but Boards of Directors make most rules, and stock market investors also earn a substantial share of profits. Unions are ostracized and degraded, made to look weak and foolish, and when a strike is threatened, those at the top simply say, “So what? There’s always someone to take their place.” (“Fuck ’em,” I heard them say.)

The collective purpose of any Union should reflect the voices of the workers, seeking higher standards of living with increasing income, providing benefits that cover all family members regardless of age, life insurance and affordable healthcare. After all, it’s the “hands-on” workers who’re the foundation of a successful company. But before getting mad at the CEO’s, who’re Human Beings — spouses, parents and beloved by many — we must consider one of our CREATOR’s First Commandments, that we cause NO HARM to any life-form beyond it’s natural purpose, and certainly don’t kill another Human Being. There are many business owners who find ways to share their profits with periodic bonuses and other perks. Another excellent option for companies being traded in the Stock Market is to match employees’ stock purchases, for people will work harder when they feel part of achievement and reward.

“Greed at the top” was evident when Sears, Roebuck & Company effectively discontinued it’s popular Profit Sharing program in the 1980’s, as profits had decreased due to large payouts to retirees. One by one, corporations offered less to their employees, and Sears had its own Karma. Showing hope to make this world a better place is one of my heroes, Dan Price, owner and CEO of Gravity Payments, who took a $1 Million pay-cut in 2015 in order to guarantee his employees a minimum salary of $70,000 a year, increasing as to seniority. His employees felt so blessed that they empowered company growth, but when Covid hit and they worked from home, they volunteered to take pay-cuts. As soon as business picked up, CEO Price reimbursed everyone and made sure all their needs were met.

Materialism has spread to the world’s larger cities as well as private resorts found on bodies of water, ski areas and in locations with adult clubs or gambling casinos, proliferate with alcohol and drugs. The allure of extravagance is fed to our children in cartoons, commercials, drama and comedy, reality series, celebrity fashion, sports events, and in all aspects of games, movies, and videos that attract us by appealing to our desires and ambitions, using the material things we want to make us happy, even to satisfy our selfish tendencies. But those things mean nothing when they’re taken away, only the people in our lives who love and care for us.

Every day we see American families suffering from floods, fires and severe winds that demolish everything in its path, but sincerely caring people have helped them rebuild and place them on a path to thrive and flourish. Around the world, particularly in Gaza, Africa and southeast Asia, we see Americans flocking to help those in need, providing medicine and basic necessities of life. People helping people, unselfishly, is the example given by Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) while on Planet Earth, and he asks that we strive to achieve his level of acceptance, kindness and loving service. He loved everyone, regardless of religion, politics, nationality or color, and he never refused a request, giving more than asked.

We’re Spiritual Beings inhabiting Animal bodies, and while our Spirits align with the Holy Spark all Living things, plants and animals alike, our Souls are from our Creator, the ONE GOD of many Names, being made in THEIR IMAGE (Genesis 1:26-27).  Each of us is one of twelve different personality types falling from the Tree of Life (Revelation 22:2), also from other Cosmic Astronomical influences at the moment of our birth, each offering personality traits that make us the same or different from others of the same Astrological month.  Even twins may have separate Ascending signs, and we develop our unique personas through Life’s varied experiences, evaluating and adjusting our beliefs and actions as we choose. Yet we change, often day to day, depending upon our joys and traumas, using individualized psychological defense mechanisms to manipulate others and to alter our personalities.

We’re completely separate individuals, and we tend to gravitate towards people that we admire and respect, some just like us or opposites who challenge us. It’s true that we all want the same things — a comfortable home, loving friends and family members, and enough money to thrive and obtain things in life that make us happy. The physical things of this world — money we need to pay our living expenses, to play games or otherwise entertain ourselves, to exercise, to eat delicious meals, and to purchase household goods, clothing, and other private indulgences — these are the building blocks for materialism. Of course, there are things we need and want, and we deserve to have them, but we must never infringe upon the rights of others or treat people with less dignity and respect than we expect for ourselves. El Shaddai provides.

Don’t worry about your life, what you’ll eat or drink, what you’ll wear, nothing for your body. Isn’t life more valuable than food, and your body worth more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air — they don’t plant, harvest, or gather food into barns, but our Heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than them? Can any of you, by worrying, add one hour to your life?

Why be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t weave or sew, but even Solomon in all his splendor wasn’t as beautiful as one of them. So if GOD clothes the grasses of the fields, there today but tomorrow burned by fires, will HE [Havah Ezra] not clothe you better? Why do you have such little trust?

Don’t be anxious about what you’ll eat or drink or what you’ll wear, for your Heavenly Father knows your needs. Think first about the Realm of G-D and H-S [Havah-Simon] righteousness, and all things will be given to you. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. We have enough Evil to deal with today.

Matthew 6:25-31