It has taken me a couple of weeks to fully appreciate the irony of Independance Day in America. As a country, we believe it is better to control our own destiny, and do it on our own terms. The irony is that by declaring our own independance, we became locked in economic dependance of the marketplace. Political ideals aside, the reality is that an economy drives the interaction among residents. Indeed, if it were not for those market pressures, we would never have thought about striking out on our own. We wanted a piece of the economic pie. It is nice to do as you wish, but the reality is that what you produce depends on what others want. If there is no market for electric potato mashers, they will not be manufactured. If someone else makes the same thing cheaper, you have an imperative to match their price if you wish to stay in business. This does not sound like independance to me.
I know the issue is much deeper than that, but the big picture is that we do have total control of our destiny. In fact, we have never lacked total control. It was the colonies that united and declared independance. They were under the control of countries that established and funded them. Even so, they had the ability to revoke that control and accept their native liberation. The old rulership was overthrown when they realized a different vision than the one they had always held. More importantly, they saw how empty and arbitrary the imperial control was. It only worked as long as everyone played along.
Catching a glimpse of the true freedom we have can be liberating, but then you must knowingly play along with the madness of crowds until you can manage an extrication. It took true patriots to knowingly play the imperial game until a moment could be seized for a declaration of independance. Upon liberation, they continue to this very day to play along with the economy of merchandise and labor. The USA may not be a model Bodhisattva on the global stage, but there are many individuals here that are.
Without seeking recognition, they freely plumb the economy to gather wealth. These riches are then turned to serving others. They keep enough to continue their real job of relief, but pass on as much as possible. If you add just a dash of self-interest, the whole process derails. It becomes easier to keep more and more, become ever more visible, and start circulating among the rich and powerful. When helping others becomes a self-identity, it would be better to just keep it all to yourself. At least then you will not be dragging others into a sense of debt. Who needs that karma?