Its the Economy Stupid 4-13-24

For people it has always been “the economy”. When we were living in families as hunter-gatherers, we needed water, food and shelter. We lived near fresh water rivers and streams and fished and hunted for food. We lived in caves and home-made shelters.  When we lived in tribes of families, we were better able to protect ourselves from other tribes. The economy at the time was the ability to provide ourselves with water, food and shelter and nothing has changed. The Ice Age ended around 11,000BC and global warming provided fresh water, arable land and allowed migration to occur. 

Over time, we were able to discover how to melt ore into metal to make weapons and tools. We found gold, silver, iron, copper, and steel. We developed language, learned to grow crops and established trade. We no longer had to gather food, but continued to hunt. We occupied land and built permanent homes from mud, bricks, clay, wood and stone. We became farmers and shepherds. We became “territorial” and had to defend our land from intruders. Metallurgy and farming arrived between 10,000BC and 5000BC.

We went on to consolidate tribes to form kingdoms and empires. This allowed us to protect our land and build structures for permanent settlements. We supported good rulers to protect and expand our land. We suffered water and food shortages during droughts. We built granaries to store food and aqueducts to transport water.  We developed better weapons and tactics to protect us from invaders. Kingdoms arrived after 5000BC.

We continued with kingdoms and empires from 5000BC to 1800AD, when government leader began to be elected. We’ve made huge technological advances since the 1800s. We now have 200 years of history to deal with improving our systems. We have national economies responsible for providing water, food, shelter and jobs for 8 billion people. 

Each person is responsible for providing their own food, shelter and jobs.  Families continue to be the basic unit of our economies. The US has proven that family economic stability can be secured through intergenerational wealth and wars can be replaced by total economic isolation for bad actors. Communism is a failed economic system. Economies should be based on the free-market system with prices determined by supply and demand.  This requires that we readopt meritocracy. Each person is responsible for their own plan to assure self-support. Families can help when needed. This plan should be based on doing what they love to do, so they are happy, successful and independent. This requires that they know their own skills and motivations. Our path going forward is to accept personal financial responsibility for ourselves.

We are also responsible as citizens to ensure that our governments act responsibly to avoid excessive debt, unnecessary spending and inflation. This requires that we focus on our economy.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader