mythic illusions driving development’s dysfunctions

that money is wealth and the measure of our individual and societal worth. Focused on money, rather than on the life we really want, we yield the power and will of our life energy to institutions structured to seek financial gain by any means.

What we call development is a process of alienating people from the lands and waters from which they make their living. They then become dependent on money to obtain essentials like food, water, shelter, and energy. That makes them dependent on the institutions that control their access to jobs and credit—the means of acquiring money.

As our dependence on money replaces our direct relationships with one another and nature, we turn to money as the measure of our accomplishment and relinquish control of our lives to institutions that control our access to it. We have an economy designed to make money for rich people. We need an economy designed to support everyone in making a living.”