CROSS Capital Group view that mainstream
economic theory has been developed based on maximizing individual’s profits, and
is assumed that all humans are always responding with "profit maximization”.
Such concepts are continuously reiterated in textbooks and introducing us "people
of rational reactions are based on maximizing individual’s own profit".
Therefore we are taught to maximize our own profit as a starting point, whenever
we are making a decision. This brought in tragedies for human beings such as "Selfishness"
and "Competition". We are
taught "to be outstanding, to be the strongest in order to survive; never be
a loser at the starting point ". On the other hand, none teaches us
"mutual cooperation" is the therapy for the society to survive. ”Selfishness
and Competition" only bring in disputes among different groups and making resources
been monopolized by a minority.
Continually financial crisis are due to the
greed came along with "Selfishness". However, the governments of many
countries attempted to save the economy based on the theory been built on selfishness,
and are unaware that this will only make the poor even poorer and the rich get
richer.
To solve the today’s economic problems, it needs
an economic theory based on "mutual cooperation”: The most valuable
reference for the economic system is in the old testament of Bible. Lord of Israel
has enacted laws for Israel people to comply with, which also includes the economic
structure and rules, from which can be observed that GOD has provided equal opportunities
for his people’s development, but still the results will have rich and poor respectively
(For there are many reasons and cannot be explained in short discussions here);
this is also the idea of "Not being a-treated to achieve equality, but
rather to provide equal access to development opportunities", which is
proposed by China’s national father Sun Yat-sen who used to read Bible diligently.
Even provided equal opportunities of
development, it still will have rich and poor. But GOD said "The rich are responsible
for taking care of the poor ", which is more important. And when Jubilee (the
fiftieth year) comes, all resources are reset, people are returned to their original
points (that is land should return to original sellers, wealth will be restarted,
and all return to equality), to develop the next 50 years. GOD has specified a period
of time (per fifty years) when the wealth will be reset for all. Everyone becomes
the same, to re-develop, to let the poor have a chance to get back resources
and to restart.
This economic system has not only the characteristics
of free development in "Capitalism", but also the principle of even
distribution of resources in "Socialism". In other words, at the beginning,
all people are distributed with equal resources (the principle of Socialism); once
the distribution has been finished, it then comes to the stage of free development,
some people might become rich while the others might become poor (the characteristics
of Capitalism), but the rich has "obligations" to take care of the poor
(the principle of Socialist), therefore it has both the “Free development
opportunities in Capitalism” and “Obligations to take care of the weak in
Socialism" during the period of free development. After 50 years of free
development, wealth for all will be reset and back to the equality and bring in
a restart. While people have accumulated some experiences from the previous 50
years, everyone will be enhanced and improve in next 50 years. When people
learned experiences from previous 50 years, the gap between rich and poor will
become smaller and smaller naturally in following 50 years, and it continues so
on and so on. Please look at the below diagram for illustration:
However, in today’s world, human beings are
not able to achieve the rules enacted by GOD. Do we have other close approaches
to narrow down the gap between rich and poor? Yes!! We can start from each individual,
and to play a role of "resource distributor", namely to make a good
allocation of our wealth to help other people in order to build a Justice
Economy with Mercy: a biblical economic structure with “to do justly, and to
love mercy ".
As for how to properly allocate the wealth of
individuals, please read the next article: Just
Economy with Mercy - a biblical economic structure with “to do justly, and
to love mercy".