09/07/2020
This is a call to all lovers of local economy. We each have a role to play. Please join us in spreading the word.
For the sake of the local places we love.
I encourage you to leave a comment and start the conversation about the etymology of economy and why it's important to you.
Here at Virtual Storefronts we've dedicated Monday posts for launching the question of the week. This is an opportunity to begin exploring and rebuilding the idea of local economy in ways that are perpetually regenerative. We believe these are foundational questions worth asking.
We guarantee that many weary souls will find this process wonderfully restorative, because as we stated on Friday's Flip The Switch post, "when local wins, everyone wins nationwide."
So, here's the "Question Of The Week":
"What is the etymology of the word economy?"
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We think this is the question that every American should be asking. We promise you, if you take the time to apply this information, it will be extremely relevant and useful.
Etymology is simply the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history.
For over a century, the vast majority of Americans have been conditioned to believe that purchases are basically emotional decisions. This has been a fundamental shift that has had massive implications. It has pushed economies further and further away from the original concept of the word economy, which is rooted in a very local reality. One of the major implications is that local businesses are being uprooted, and then transplanted into an environment where they will constantly struggle to survive.
If we explore and then wrestle with the answer to this etymology, we begin to wake up to the reality that we are not treating ourselves as rational thinking citizens, but irrational, easily manipulated, emotional beings. Essentially, we have complied with the cultivation of a world where we are continually compelled by the wants and desires of ourselves, daily giving less and less thought to others around us. Certainly this is not the foundation upon which our local communities can build a robust economy and flourish.
But the times they are a changing!
Is there a new way forward that is derived by considering the needs of others around us locally? What if there was a way that is an intensely local, human experience that fosters collaboration, regeneration, and flourishing of our local landscapes?
By asking this question of the week, we can discover that as the concept of economy becomes increasingly distant, complex, and global it corrupts and perverts itself. The history in the evolution of this word has proved that. It strips individuals and local communities of their liberties, and renders them slaves. We no longer have a direct say in how things are managed. It degrades relationships. It cripples the ability to steward the things we intrinsically know are good for our local community.
So what happens when the economy becomes more personal, simple, and local? What does it take for individuals and local communities to restore local economic liberties?
This requires that we act like free people. We need to leverage the ownership of the property we do have and make it more productive. We need to make decisions and take actions that manage our local affairs well - with liberty and justice for all.
If you want to learn more about the upcoming Virtual Storefronts campaign please visit www.virtualstorefronts.co. We would encourage you to join the Local All Stars Team by submitting your email there, and help us spread the word about the value of local economy.
On September 14th we're launching a campaign for building digital tools that promote local economic growth and restore liberty and justice to how local communities progress far into the future.
Thanks for helping us start the conversation!
Sincerely,
JC Christensen
Campaign Director for Virtual Storefronts
