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COMMON SENSE, COMMON WEALTH
Monday, December 28, 2020 - daily column #6,620
I recall from my primeval schooling when Britain’s diaspora and onetime colonies were more energetically connected – the British Commonwealth (formally, Commonwealth of Nations).
Rarely in the news anymore, UK’s clutch on its once-empire now ebbs, ceremonious, and arcane.
As Brexit reports authenticate its European Union disconnection, too, I’ve been reminiscing on that commonwealth’s obsolescence. Or maybe it’s merely rendered irrelevant?
What it meant, whether that archaic term and organization are relevant.
Or ever were …
Also, listening to some U.S. political media recently – learning some U.S. states still use ‘the Commonwealth of.’ They are Kentucky, Virginia, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.
Which led me to ruminate, why is such a lovely word still used to mean ‘the people of?’
Commonwealth, the common wealth, implies cooperation, sharing and getting along, equity vis-à-vis equality, united by universal purposes – yet there is so much contrary reality.
Rich-poor, isolation, protectionism, us-first thinking, we vs. them thinking. Not forces for good, for prosperity or for humanity, methinks. Globalization of everything at all costs, on the other hand, has its considerable flaws too, as we’ve seen with supply-chain issues and well-intentioned but counter-productive trade relationships and blow-hard politically motivated trade wars.
Add, painfully for Canada, we’ve seen human rights and humanitarian matters comingled with these trade skirmishes – but politicians loathe to call out the bully when commodity and trade deals are employed as retaliatory weapons.
So, what’s the solution?
Balance. That common good and common aspiration should motivate us more than common wealth and common greed. Oh yeah, one more something – common sense.
Sadly, common sense isn’t so common anymore. Maybe we warrant an APP for that?
Common good?
Perhaps.
Reader feedback:
Hi Mark. Merry Christmas. Thanks for the note. I get it. When I put things off to reply to later, they just pile up so fast. To keep track, do you move the messages to its own ‘reply on a specific date’ folder? It’s good to know that you handle commercial real estate as well as personal. Do you sell businesses as well just the buildings bad leases? I’m glad you have a Toastmasters meeting you’re enjoying. Thank goodness for zoom. Any thoughts as to what you’ll do once the meetings are back to in person? Or. Did you move to Edmonton? Let’s set up a time to chat about your project in the new year. Happy new year, VE, Calgary, AB [1st response from the 139]
Mark, season’s greetings. I trust that you are in good health and doing well. You have crossed my mind in the past few months in terms of getting together; I thought it was a shared responsibility so my apologies as well. I’ve had about 3 lunch/breakfast meetings with clients in the past 4 months as I am trying to limit my personal interaction due to COVID. Once the lockdown is over, let’s plan a lunch, NN, Calgary, AB [2nd response from the 139]
Editor’s note: Suffice to say … lots of responses came in – so it was clearly a great task-box clearing exercise; I’ll not reprint any more of them – but these were typical of the prompt, genuine, and lovely replies I got before noon of the following day; this has proven to me that I’ve been leaving untapped powerful connections with lovely people in my task-box too long!
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