The Great Subtle Economic War

There is an ongoing war. The war is extremely subtle. It is not a political war. Neither is it a religious war. No! it is not a moral battle. The war is being fought across the globe. I am neither talking about the First World War nor the Second World War. No! and big a NO! I am not talking about the Cold War or any possible Third World War. However, you are right to think that it is not about the ongoing national uprisings in some nations like Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Libya and so forth. Neither is it about the protracted subtly war between Israel and Palestine. The war I am talking is both old and new. In fact, its wagging will wallow into tomorrow (future).

The war is being fought in every nation. It involves both the citizens and foreigners in every nation. The war is economic in nature. It is a commercial war. It is national, international, and continental in nature. Buyers and sellers are its two main factions. They subtly fight during commercial transactions. Economic experts are at their wit end in resolving the dispute. There has been no legal resolution. Some spiritual leaders seemingly know the key but they are inarticulate, and unassertive. Who will help in the resolve of this war?

The facts of the case is ostensibly simple. Objectively speaking, however, it is a complex matter. It is puzzlingly harder. Harder than even the hard sentence that Daniel (in the Bible) interpreted. The doubts in the assertions of both buyers and sellers are apparently not dissolvable. The crux of the war relates to the expectations of the buyer from the seller and vice versa. Buyers want highest satisfaction from all goods and services they pay for. But they want them at a minimum possible cost. In Ghana for example, customers want utility providers to offer them electrical power and portable water at a maximum satisfaction but at a minimum possible cost. The utility providers dare not increase utility cost especially when the customers are dissatisfied with their service. The sellers on the other hand, want to offer goods and services to buyers at a minimum production cost. But they do so to achieve maximum profit.

Is it right for buyers to always insist on maximum satisfaction at the minimum possible cost? Is it also reasonable for sellers to always desire minimum production cost and high profitability? I think it is better for both buyers and sellers to be their own judges since there is no answer to this subtle war. Unfortunately, they appear unreasonable in their judgments. Buyers are unfair to sellers and vice versa. Meanwhile, this subtly war is militating against economic growth. It is crippling commercial entities. It is sabotaging business expansions. The war is leaning and fattening buyers at the same time. The war is giving unnecessary field day to partisan politicians to dictate economic policies. Sometimes they needlessly subsidize the prices of goods and services. Sometimes they needlessly stop reasonable increments. Where is help?

I am persuaded that Jesus’s Golden Rule is applicable to this case. The rule says that we should love our neighbours as ourselves. In the economic world, buyers and sellers are neighbours. Therefore, let buyers love sellers as themselves and vice versa. Both should be candid and fair to each other. However, they must beware of each other. But the bewaring must not be war(ing).

Richard Obeng Mensah, author of right your writing. The author can be reached via borncapy@yahoo.com