We all are very much aware of the fact that how the governments, especially in capitalist countries, resort to deficit financing, and increasing tax-rates in order to mop up large resources so that the plan outlays can be hiked. Hence, when the plan outlays keep increasing, the deficit on the revenue account also keeps increasing.
Similarly, some governments, in the capitalist developing countries, indulge into public borrowings, which again goes on increasing year after year. Thus, one can say that, large-scale borrowings, deficit financing and increase in tax-rates have always resulted in the rich becoming richer and the poor becoming poorer. And, this vicious circle continues. The government increases tax-rates, which results in the increase of prices of consumer goods. The government servants demand higher pay scales or more dearness allowance and the workers demand more wages. The government and the factory managements or the wage-boards give a pay-hike and, in order to meet this extra burden, the government again raises its tax rates!
In this whole process, the poor man, who already has little earnings, is crushed. The tension of the housewife or the middle-class man increases and, due to high tension, he has to pay higher bills to the chemist and the doctor and, in order to meet the increasing demands, he indulges in bribery. All this, then, results in dehumanisation and in moral turpitude.
Thus economics, estranged from ethics, leads to man's moral downfall and to untold sufferings. Even those who have modern gadgets and goods for comfort, lack mental concentration and peace.
This is the present state of our society. This state shows that there is utter degeneration of the moral fibre of mankind. This decay in morals goes on increasing and a stage is reached when its vicious circle cannot be cut by man himself. Because, the nature of evil forces is such that one evil strengthens and supports the other.
Not only does black money run a parallel economy and result in many economic crimes but it also affects the total morality of man, who goes on to conceal his actual income, evades taxes, bribes bureaucrats, becomes dishonest and then spends money on harmful habits, such as drinking, gambling etc. In spite of knowing about these facts subconsciously, little does any government and the people realise that if man does not control his mind, there would either be high-rate of corruption, population growth, or broken homes, cases of divorce etc.
The best thing, therefore, is to observe moral norms and to base our economy on ethics, for without that there cannot be peace and happiness in the world.
The writer is a spiritual educator and popular columnist for publications across India, Nepal and the UK, and has written more than 8,000 columns. He can be contacted at nikunjji@gmail.com / www.brahmakumaris.com
