The Credit Crunch - It's all in the Bible

[NotAllThere]

What about that bloke David? Mercenary, adulterer and murderer.

[EternalOptimist]

Don't be silly. It was caused by man-made global warming.

i'll tell you what really gets me going. hiding golden cups in peoples sacks, then arresting them for stealing. thats entrappment and state sponsored terrorism that is

[BrilloPad]

Who cares who is to blame as long as we can point the finger at someone?

[NotAllThere]

...
exactly, its all Gods fault...

Don't be silly. It was caused by man-made global warming.

[EternalOptimist]

This is ridiculous. Blaming the government for the way they respond to the crisis whilst ignoring the fundamental causes of that crisis.
Who sent the famine in the first place ?
exactly, its all Gods fault

[d000hg]

I'm sure I've seen this before, but making the opposite justification. Doesn't he get 'em all farming the land and only take a percentage cut?

There are two key parts.

Firstly in Genesis 41:

33 "And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. 36 This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine."

Then in 47

13 There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. 14 Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh's palace. 15 When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, "Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is used up."
16 "Then bring your livestock," said Joseph. "I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone." 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.

18 When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, "We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate."

20 So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh's, 21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude

[BrilloPad]

So we now now that Nicky G is DP's sockpuppet.......

[NickFitz]

I'd long suspected that Sarah Palin was DimPrawn in drag.

[HairyArsedBloke]

I'm sure I've seen this before, but making the opposite justification. Doesn't he get 'em all farming the land and only take a percentage cut?

[Board Game Geek]

Linky?

There is none.

They didn't have wikipedia in 2000 BC

[Sysman]

Linky?

[DimPrawn]

"In Genesis 47, Joseph, second in command to Egypt's Pharaoh, warned of a coming famine, and prepared stock-piles of grain to aid the people through the crisis. When the famine hit the land, the people came to Joseph to buy food stock. A simple transaction was made; the citizens used the national currency to purchase grain.

"In verses 14 and 15 we find an unusual development. After the grain was purchased, Joseph intentionally holds the money back, keeping it from being re-circulated into the local economy. The result is predictably catastrophic for the people: Economic crisis.

"According to the King James Version, "the money failed" (vs.15), and in the New International Version it says that the "money is used up." Egypt experienced intentional, government-sponsored deflation in the midst of a natural calamity. The money collapsed.

"Needing to eat, what did the citizens do? They brought Joseph their livestock in exchange for grain (vs.16-17). As an agrarian society, livestock represented the industrial basis of the people. Hence, placing this power in the hands of the government, the people's commercial activity was effectively abolished.

"In relating this series of events to others, some have asked me; "Why didn't the people just eat the animals instead of trading them for grain?"

"Refrigeration didn't exist. And while the people could have dried some of the meat for long-term use, grain would have been the most valuable and stable food source during a drought. Now the people had neither money nor livestock; and a year later they were out of food.

"Returning to Joseph, who obviously was in charge of the storehouses, the people begged their leader to take their land and themselves in trade for food (vs.18-19). Property was therefore consolidated under the state, and the citizens literally became slaves in their own country (vs.20-21). In the King James Version the language goes even further: Joseph depopulates the rural areas and moves the people into the cities.

"This is a masterful population control strategy. Once the wealth of the nation had been consolidated under the Pharaoh's banner via Joseph's actions - monetary wealth, the industrial base, land and productivity, and the people as economic assets - then Joseph instituted a new farming and taxation system (vs.20-24). How did the people respond? They gladly relinquished control of their wealth, property, and themselves (gave up their freedom) for the promise of state-dictated security.

"Keep in mind; all of this started through a debasing of the currency system. The manipulation of money is, arguably, the most potent method - outside of war - used to rearrange the fabric of society.


Doomed.