EXPLOITING OTHERS, WITH JOY

What does it mean to exploit others, with joy? 

Yes! exploiting others, each other, ourselves. 

     Sometimes, we ought to wonder what’s going wrong with the economy or why the sudden increase in price of daily necessities. You wake up the next day to hear that what you bought yesterday is now twice of its price. The truth is that if the money is available or surplus, you don’t care; you say “as long as I have the money in my wallet” and “God will continue to provide”.

Have you ever thought about it, 

“Dollar has increase in value, so why should the price of tomatoes, foodstuff, house rent, biscuit and other basic necessities that are not imported also increase?” 

Well, in my own honest opinion, some things are trivialized and taken for granted in our society. As we operate in various sectors of the economy - being business owners or capitalist. We determine most of want happens in the business world.

“Selling a product or commodity twice its Cost price (all expenses been added) or its original price (manufacturing and additional expense)” is not making profit; it is called exploitation. Exploitation! How? Why? What sense? “taking advantage of other” due to one reason or another. 

Some will even misquote a law in economics by saying, “…the higher the demand; the higher the price, and the lower the demand; the lower the price... ”

This is a law that was built or philosophies many years back by one person or philosopher, who was living a different lifestyle or in a different condition at that time. Most individuals have never thought of changing or challenging it because it works well for the business, selfish interest and greed. This is why even those who did not attend school or never studied economics know the law. 

Exploitation and making Profit are not the same, even though they look similar in this context. When you exploit (take advantage of) certain individuals, they also exploit others, because the flow must continue, until, it lands on certain group of people in the society; either the poor or the masses. This is one of the ways we make life hard or difficult for each other.

I came across this lately and it got me thinking. It kind of explain how business owners will say they are helping the buyer (by supplying their needs):

"The terrible immoralities are the cunning ones hiding behind the mask of morality, such as exploiting people while pretending to help them." 

Vernon Howard (evaluate the words not personality) 

      Let’s remind ourselves of two frequent scenarios in our society, as most people may still argue for or against the increase in dollar price being the major cause of the cost of living.

For instance: “the sudden need for protective or safety kits as a result of the pandemic disease. The price of such kits increased overnight, like nose cover was changed from #50 to #200 (no genuine reason or logic behind). Some people even had to improvise using handkerchief, and the same increase happened too! As soon as the need was announced, before all the economic and demand factors started setting in”

    Critically analyzing the above, you will discover that the cost of producing the nose cover never changed overnight as a result of unavailability of raw materials, demand, taxation or other factors yet. Neither is it the case that profit made when sold at the initial price was not enough. Also, am sure the manufacturer would never have ventured into such business if there was no profit involved (I mean that why its called business not charity). It was just the mere announcement of the crisis or urgent need that made sellers triple the initial price.

Another case: “In places like Lagos, you wake up on a Monday morning to resume workplace or daily duty. You will be shocked that your initial transportation free has been double for no tangible or legit excuse. Neither is there fuel scarcity nor value added, it was just traffic (because you will still see government transport system till operating at cheaper price)”

    You begin to see workers, business owners and students panic or lament. We fail to tell each other the truth and voice out. We keep managing and adapting till we can no more do so or die of worries. 

     Corruption is at your doorstep or around you, and you are worried about those at the top or political leaders who are not concern about your welfare. Some will even start accusing the government for what they are not aware of. What happened to the NURTW leaders at the motor park or agencies set up to regulate certain affairs? Most of them are humans like you and I, living among us (society), who failed to do their parts or responsibilities.

     As long as such continue to happen, everyone will continue to exploit each other (in fact with joy) until we all decide to face the problem by influencing each other’s decision in business, in the society and in the country at large. Every business owner will continue to increase their exploitation rate: in schools, foodstuff sales, supermarkets, housing/accommodation owners and every capitalist around.

     For Christians or religious minds like me, you are happy exploiting others too, because they did it to you first or to maintain your standard of living. You are different, so act like one. Don’t give excuses or plan to even “sanctify” (tithe) such money. Know what you are doing because every little change or influence you make in your world matters a lot. Your business life is not separate from the life you have, God is concern about all that you do (every aspect of life). 

Don’t say: “Business is business, God has nothing to do with business...” yet, you pray to God to bless your business.

I guess by now you understand what I mean by: exploiting others, with joy. 

How much can we influence our world and how serious are the little things we take for granted... 

Please! make sure you drop your comment. 

Fayombo Gabriel

Thought for Thoughts

 …because we will think and act.