the Bitch in the house

… to drink to somebody’s health. Which means that I am offering a much-belated happy st. patty’s day!… Because I tried to finish this on the day of green beer, but though I did not partake, I was sidelined from completing the post until now. So I am getting a jump on next year…Some Popular Slaintes are:May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been,The insight to know where you are,and the foresight to know when you’ve gone too far. What sidelined me this week was the realization that we have gone too far. That morning, as I drove TeenPrince to school, passing by our local pub (yes we do have one)…. the pub was packed at 7:30am. Someone swerved out of the parking lot in front of us and I let him get ahead of me where I could safely distance us from his teetering on the dotted line. Formerly this religious festival was to celebrate Naomh Pádraig’s efforts to drive snakes from the island. Pious legend credits the Sainted Patrick (Pádraig) with banishing those snakes, but actually refers to the serpent symbolism of the Druids. The Druids were known for beliefs such as Pelagianism, symbolizing “serpents”. So why do you suppose that I think we’ve gone too far? I was watching the newsreports of drinken mauraders downing gallons of green bubbles from a pint followed up by the economic reports of the stock market evidencing the lost grip of American imperialism. Though we can ignore the obvious, it seems foolish to pretend that this country can maintain the outstanding debt and loss of real production while controlling world events as we have in the recent past. Though we act and speek of world dominance – or at least influence – our presence is but a blip on the map of history. When I read the newspaper (and I still do for the sunday edition from NewYork), or I talk to people I am struck by the short-sighted and blinded willingness to miss this blaring fact. We have not cured and developed the flavor of authority so it is far more likely that we will not maintain it. Just as the 19th century americans struggled to establish an identity in the world – so too will this generation who are 5 years into the war in Iraq that has no logic or supervision by which to guide the actions of the poor and under-educated on the ground. Ignoring the economics of power and money has not cost us yet. But we will pay a price that may cost us dearly because the credit crisis of Monday has only just begun. Though our befuddled presidented leader thinks he can send us a small pittance to quiet the masses, it the masses who have been living far – far – far beyond their means without regard to the growing debt and interest that needs repayment. Everyone has been happy to spend and spend some more… Lots of new car stickers and fancy ridulously expensive goodies. Is there an equal commitment to paying back the lender? The credit crisis says it all. A definition that captures much of modern economics is that of Lionel Robbins in a 1932 essay: “the science which studies human behaviour as a relationship between ends and scarce means which have alternative uses.” Scarcity means that available resources are insufficient to satisfy all wants and needs. Absent scarcity and alternative uses of available resources, there is no economic problem. The subject thus defined involves the study of choices as they are affected by incentives and resources. One of the uses of economics is to explain how economies, as economic systems, work and what the relations are between economic players (agents) in the larger society. Methods of economic analysis have been increasingly applied to fields that involve people (officials included) making choices in a social context, such as crime, education, the family, health, law, politics, religion, social institutions, and war. May you get all your wishes but one, So you always have something to strive for.So how do we live with what we’ve done to the world and ourselves? I think some re-evaluating the importance of relations and genuine human connection are going to be important. If we don’t act now the relating and connecting may be forced onto us in ways that seem impossible to imagine.May your blessings outnumber The shamrocks that grow, And may trouble avoid you Wherever you go.