Economics 101 - For the Humanities Major

In Mightier Than the Sword, author David S. Reynolds gives a scholarly, in-depth portrayal of the life and times of Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of the famous and infamous Uncle Tom's Cabin. What a fascinating look into American history by way of work of fiction, turned mythic.

For whatever else one may think of Uncle Tom's Cabin , published in 1850, it did raise popular consciousness about the grisly, perverted, sickening aspects of slavery in the United States - slavery happening in what we now call 'real time'. Up until the advent of this epic novel, slavery was viewed as an economic institution, protected by the laws and force of the U.S. government.

I read Stowe's book as a young idealistic teenager, and other books, by Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass and other former slaves. What I was left with, because I am a woman for whom motherhood and family are the highest aspirations, is the brutality and injustice which is inherent in the system of owning humans as chattel.  I did not yet make the connection to economics, which is the strongest link in the chain.

Now, with  #Occupy Wall Street, and many solidarity occupations in other U.S. cities happening in real time, I can see that 'economics' is still at the heart of human suffering and exploitation.

When Harriet Beecher Stowe began to form the seeds of her famous characters, it was through hearing the stories of morally good black women servants in her kitchen who told the tales of being 'owned' by a master, who then became what they referred to as a 'husband'. Their bodies were co-opted for gratuitous sex, and as slave producing vessels. They did not want this life, but they managed to live and have children they dearly loved. Children for whom they wanted a different life, but who were, often as not, 'sold' away from them when the child reached working age.

So slavery is an economic model. The people who enforced it were protecting the 'investments' and the 'assets' of white business men. One epic novel, written by a housewife and mother of five, read by thousands, maybe millions, was able to turn the hearts of at least part of a nation. The pen vs. the sword, a human story vs. esoteric dogma.

History is fascinating, and right now we are seeing it play out in the form of people taking to the streets, many of whom have not much left to loose. Economics might be framed in any way which benefits the rich and powerful. Human suffering might only be understood on the street.

Will There Ever Be Interest on Savings Accounts Again?

In the very first entry I posted for this blog, 2 long months ago in July, I noted that my themes would sometimes lean toward the political. Tonight, as I write, on this lovely August evening after a 95 degree day here in the Pacific Northwest, which offers the brief other-worldly feeling of living in a different climate zone, (as in the kinds of places one might save for months to reach on a vacation), with only a tiny bit of irony I am involved with a political cause.

Enter The Working Families Party of Oregon, establishing itself as a political party in Oregon since 2006, and now taking off with high hopes into the 2010 Oregon Voters Pamphlet.

Currently, we are stuck with the 2 parties, democrats and  republicans, from which our National elected officials are comprised, mostly millionaires.  This cannot be separated from the facts of our terrible economic situation at the present. When those who own the gold make the rules, it will follow that the rules will favor those who own the gold.

The Oregon Working Families Party currently must gather 5000  Oregon registered voter's signatures to gain ballot access to publish a platform in the next general election Voter's Pamphlet. The OWFP wishes to foster 'fusion' voting, which means they will publicly endorse a candidate based on working people's issues, and not always run an opposition candidate, thereby elevating the level of accountability while not 'spoiling' the 2 party balance.


The OWFP aspires to become the influencing party to hold the main party candidates to values like living wage jobs, affordable college tuition and health care, funding for schools and the arts and a state owned bank to keep our money working for us.

A state owned bank is not a novel, untried concept.  North Dakota has one.  They are funding community programs, and bolstering state coffers at the same time.  We have reached the time to take back our economic fortunes, have we not?

If your interest has been aroused, please visit :  oregonwfp.org

So, what does this have to do with yoga, love and heaven?  Well, wouldn't it be wonderful (heavenly) to have a bank which paid the saver an interest rate... even 3%, and put dollars into the state coffers to offset our taxes to fund the programs we really want... instead of skimming profits into the CEO's multi- million dollar bonuses? Wouldn't it be love to give all kids great programs? Yoga is about health, integrating all the facets of life.  We cannot hold our practice apart from the suffering of others.

We work hard, and we deserve to share in the wealth of our labors and our savings.

Another world is possible. Breathe and read. :) Namaste~