Dear Editor,
In the last couple of weeks our economy has once again made some headlines in the media. The Central Bank presented a report, the Prime Minister discussed her time handling economic affairs and we have another new minister of economic affairs. Economists use all types of terms and figures in describing the current situation. Some of these tend to be way more complicated than they need to be. This tends to keep society at large in the dark and uninterested about what amount to decisions each member makes on a daily basis.
Let's start at the beginning, Encyclopedia Britannica defines economics as: A social science that analyzes and describes the consequences of choices made concerning scarce productive resources. Without complicating it any more than it needs to be, let's focus on four key words in this definition: Social, Choice, Scarce and Resources. Social: affecting all of society. Choice: as in having to choose what is best. Scarce: as in not enough. Resources: as in what is available for use.
At the root of it, you do not need a minister or banker to tell you whether you are better off economically. Even if they say you are, you know whether you are or not. So let's cut through all the complicated stuff and keep the economic decisions basic. If the right decisions are made at a basic level, the right results will follow. When making choices about societies scarce resources (money, land, environment), please keep in mind that these choices affect society (me, you, our kids, our parents) these choices affect our scarce resources (our money, our island, our environment, our future).
Every time you make a choice, take a moment to think about what you are doing. What are you choosing? Is it good for you? Is it good for society? Is it sustainable? Who are you interacting with? Are they good? Are they good for society? Are they sustainable? This is the economic reality that is at the root of every choice we make. This is not limited to spending money; it's about every choice we make. It's when we choose to litter. It's when we choose to be rude or lazy. It's when we choose to ignore what we know is wrong, It is when we choose that it is not our responsibility but someone else's. It's when we choose not to change.
So, you see if you think about it: EVERY choice you make has economic consequences, and if we make the right choices our economics improve. Our society becomes safe, healthy, productive, sustainable and happy.
This is not about money, on the contrary. When you choose, for instance, not to litter, you save (tax) money, you save the environment, you improve your living situation, you improve someone's vacation experience. You improved the economy! None of this will ever be reflected in a GDP or a Central Bank report or a government budget, but all of us could see, feel and enjoy the results on a daily basis. It comes back to those clips we used to see on LBCTV, "Know Better, Do Better" words to live by. It's called personal responsibility. #sxmmovement
Soualiga Social Movement