Stuck Between the Tao and a Hard Place: Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnosis of an Ailing Western Economy

Money itself has no intrinsic value and is called “currency” because it is most valuable when in circulation. According to the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) system, among the signs of health and life is the unimpeded and proper flow blood and “chi”. Pain is diagnosed in TCM as "blockage". Likewise, when money stops moving, as it has in the vast majority of Western nations, the economy is sick, and, in extreme cases near death. In TCM terms, the situations of excess (i.e. bloating), and deficiency need to be relieved and the patient returned to a more harmonious state to cease to be in pain.

We’re mostly familiar with the pain of deficiency. It brings to mind the title of the late Richard Farina’s 1966 now cult classic roadie novel, “Been down so long it looks like up to me”, which was taken from even older lyrics of “Turn My Money Green” by Memphis bluesman Furry Lewis. Kris Kristofferson, echoed by Janice Joplin, knew it well when he wrote, “Freedom is another word for nothin’ left to lose!” The dull pain is so familiar. You wake up day after day, with the same “nothin’”.

 

The pain from excess, on the other hand, is defined as sharp and bloating; take just one more and the whole system will burst! TCM countermands the oft-quoted statement (attributed to Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor per Vogue), “You can’t be too rich or too thin.” Well, if you’re reading this, you’ve outlived her! Obesity is having just “just one more” ... even one more obsessive less in the case of anorexia.

TCM practitioners use various modalities to rebalance the patient, including acupuncture and acupressure to stimulate meridians, energetic crossroads to release the impasses. This enables areas that are deficient to be slowly enriched, while that which is in excess, will be carefully drained away. Just as it is dangerous to point a starving man to a banquet, it is important for the exchange to be gradual and monitored.

Yahoo’s economic forecast, however, is pointing simultaneously in both extreme directions, that the rich are getting richer and the poor are gaining ranks and losing access to basic necessities. I believe that it is because the haves and have-nots are not always on the same sliding scale of life. Government can fix that, but charity cannot; the former is mandated by the people; the latter is too prone to the whims of altruism and government provoked incentives (i.e. tax deduction). Ultimately, the “patient” will not get well.

And remember,

No Matter What

Don't Forget to Ask for the Money!

Essence of Chutzpah

This is not original to me, but as it captures the subtleties of the "holy beggar" essential value to society, I felt it is important:

A little old lady sold pretzels on a street corner for 25 cents each. Every day a young man would leave his office building at lunch time, and as he passed the pretzel stand, he would leave her a quarter, but never take a pretzel.

This went on for more than 3 years. The two of them never spoke. One day, as the young man passed the old lady's stand and left his quarter as usual, the pretzel lady spoke to him. Without blinking an eye she said:

"They're 35 cents now."

And remember,

No matter what,

Don't forget to ask for the money

A Holy Beggar Koan

What's wrong with giving up?

No matter what,
Don't forget to ask for the money.