Why does over-production lead to scarcity?
That is the Economic Koan of our times!
In Zen Buddhism a Koan is a "Word Puzzle" given to novices by their Zen Masters. The novice is supposed to "solve" the puzzle. The only problem is that the puzzle is usually unsolvable through the normal use of words and language.
This is Zen's attempt to get the novice to see that language is useless for knowing ultimate reality and truth. Zen has know this for thousands of years, but in the West we had to wait for Wittgenstein to see that language is really a "game" that constructs a "seperate reality" divorced from what's really "out there."
Amazingly, East is meeting West now, in the US deficit and debt crisis.
As long as China keeps buying the US Bond, China will be growing. If China stops buying the US debt, they will become poor. In short over-production demands more and more consumption....but production always exceeds consumption, so eventually a crash developles.
SO, OVER-PRODUCTION LEADS TO SCARCITY.
Farms burn their crops, while the cities starve.
Factories are idle, while the public is in need of goods.
Apartment buildings are empty, while the homeless sleep on the streets outside of the empty buildings.
And so it goes......
In the 1930's Kenyes solved our economic koan, based on "full employment."
Now, sooner rather than later, a "New Kenyes" will have to solve the puzzle of why overproduction always leads to scarcity. If we can not solve the puzzle of overproduction and under-consumption---we will be right back in a condition of scarcity again!
THAT IS OUR ECONOMIC KOAN WAITING FOR THE MASTER'S EXPLANATION.
More on Koans in the link below:
Have a great holiday feast.......in Zen-like moderation of course!
http://www.ashidakim.com/zenkoans/zenindex.html
