The Synergy in Society
Kenneth Jupp
[Reprinted from Land & Liberty, Autumn
2000]
Missing in politics, and therefore in government, is an an
understanding of the simple truth that all individuals are different,
Their fingerprints and DNA codes demonstrate this. Every bit of the
national territory they inhabit is no less individual and different,
as shown by the astonishing variations of climate, fertility, air,
sunshine, water, and density of population.
The hallmark of truth is simplicity; and for this the metaphysical
viewpoint is important. It simplifies what would otherwise be
complicated; and the simple fact is that humanity and the earth are
two living creatures, whose synergy -- their combined energy -
produces wealth. Yet one and the same power animates both. The power
and the glory of the Absolute are reflected in humanity, and in the
rest of Nature - but unequally. Justice is the matching of the two.
Man is dependent on the earth for food, drink, clothing and shelter,
and the earth is the one and only source of all the materials used in
making the amazing variety of artifacts which have graced different
civilizations all over the world since the beginning of time. But only
recently has Mankind awakened to the fact that with modern technology
they have been destroying their precious source of material at ever
increasing speed. Man has plundered the earth for its minerals,
poisoned its surface with industrial waste, and its atmosphere with
nuclear emissions, endangering many of its animal species in the
process, and even exterminating some. To crown it all, millions of
human beings born upon the earth and dependent upon it for their
sustenance have been cast out into want, starvation, and disease
through being deprived of any right of access to the earth's rich
resources.
International conferences are organized to debate global warming,
conditions in the third world, destruction of the environment, and
regulation of pollution. A variety of movements have sprung up to
protect animals, preserve trees, rescue declining species, give aid to
the poor and so on. The debate goes on, and will go on interminably in
the search for a new way of working.
Yet nothing new in the way of working is needed. Through his greed
and arrogance Man has violated the earth by working against it. Yet
the secret of a good workman is and always has been that he
understands his material, and is in sympathy with it. He works with it
rather than upon it, and certainly never against it. This is obvious
to those who live in close contact with the earth and its materials.
Every good farmer or stockbreeder, horticulturist or gardener, has a
feeling for the earth, and for what it does for him. He co-operates,
making a synergy of his work and the work of nature: a combination of
energies, a joint effort. This is nothing new. The carpenter or
joiner, the sculptor or painter, well know, understand, and work in
sympathy with their material. It is not so obvious, but is
nevertheless also true of those who work with human beings: teachers
with the efforts made by their pupils, physicians with the inherent
natural powers of their patients. Salesmen too work in sympathy with
their customers, and customers with their suppliers. The scientist or
engineer making a heavier than air flying machine, might appear to be
defying and overcoming gravity. But the appearance is deceptive. In
fact he works with gravity and the other forces of nature to achieve
airworthiness.
The emphasis on this simple fact is necessary because so much useless
effort is lost today, in going against Nature. It is a characteristic
of twentieth century governments the world over. The synergy of labour
with earth creates wealth. But the extent to which any individual can
avail himself of material with which to work depends entirely on what
is available to him in the position he occupies. So does the extent to
which he can co-operate with his fellow creatures, whether as
co-partners, suppliers, customers, advisers or whatever. This is a
vitally important phenomenon, which everyone except the willfully
blind can see, but which governments simply do not take into account.
If a family is not positioned in the nation's territory where they
can use the resources of Nature and the Community, not only does the
nation lose the contribution the family might have made to the gross
national product, but it has to carry a heavy burden of taxation to
support families who could easily support themselves. How many
politicians see this? Plans to help the poor are a complete waste of
time if they do not provide for each family having space in which to
live, and space from which to get a living.
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