"Thou shalt not worship false idols."
—The Ten Commandments

Many of us get very concerned when the economy starts to slow into a recession. It seems only natural as a slower economy is a sign of greater human misery, particularly for the most vulnerable in our society that may be laid off at a moments notice, and denied meaningful work or pay.

As I wrote a month ago, a recession can mean many bad things for many people, especially the poor who struggle to make ends meet. Yet, the problem of the marginal members of society is not that the economy is strong or weak, it is that such people are denied the right to fully participate in our society and work towards their dreams as individuals.

Poor people can’t afford to go to college and get the skills they need to succeed. Without education they can’t get good jobs. Without good friends, they can’t use their connections to move ahead. Surrounded by false idols of consumerism, they choose electronics and material wealth that brings no real values to their lives. They are victims not of the recession, but of consumerism itself.

We could all live with less. We all have too many things, and are too dependent on our jobs to make ends meet. We could all care a bit less about the economy, and more focus on ourselves, and what makes life special regardless of money. Everybody should have a good job, and be paid fair wages, but working should not be our lives alone.

In my lifetime, I doubt that we will ever see a system with higher values then our own, that often measure self-worth in the amount of valuables that we consume. Yet, we can make it easier for the marginal in our society to get the basics they need to survive, and ensure that they receive fair and reasonable protection of their jobs at work.

So I like everybody are worried about the economy. Yet, what I should really be worried about is our addiction to consumerism and our lack of community.