A tale of three banquets

Sep 21, 2018

By Anil Netto
Malaysia is widely regarded as having a diversified fairly open trading and market economy based largely on manufacturing and services. The nation is also newly industrialised.

But its steady economic growth has largely masked income and wealth inequalities as well as rural-urban disparities. Wikipedia says somewhat sweepingly, “Malaysian citizens lead a much more affluent lifestyle compared to their peers in upper-middle income countries like Mexico, Turkey, and Brazil. This is due to a low national income tax, low cost of local food, subsidised transport fuel, low cost of household essentials, a fully subsidised single payer public-healthcare and a comprehensive social welfare benefit with direct cash transfer.”

But the reality for many in our society, including migrant workers and refugees, is quite different, especially with budget cuts and the slashing of subsidies. Rampant corruption under the previous regime has left the government cash-strapped and the nation saddled in debt. The economy, neoliberal policies have made things worse.

Like in many other parts of the world, our market economy is moving towards a “user-pay” market society where most things now have a price.

By promoting the cult of the individual, the slashing of subsidies and the survival of the fittest (with lots of generous subsidies and incentives to corporations), neoliberal policies have undermined community solidarity and cooperation.
Theologian Leonardo Boff uses a metaphor to describe the difference between the liberal economics of the past and neoliberalism especially after the policies of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan in the 1980s: “Previously, with liberalism, using a metaphor, the table was set. The wealthy occupied it first and satiated themselves. The others found places somewhere in a corner of the table. But they were at the table.”

In contrast, “with neoliberalism, the table is set, but only those who can pay can participate. The others fight the dogs for a place under the table for the crumbs.”
Now, this is quite a contrast with the vision of the heavenly banquet as Jesus described in a parable in Luke 14:21-24.

21 … Then the householder, in a rage, said to his servant, “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.”

22 “Sir,” said the servant, “your orders have been carried out and there is still room.”

23 Then the master said to his servant, “Go to the open roads and the hedgerows and press people to come in, to make sure my house is full;

24 because, I tell you, not one of those who were invited shall have a taste of my banquet.”

This is a banquet of inclusion, where everyone is not only invited to the table, but the last and the least shall be first.

If this parable is extended to the economy, we can see that an economy that excludes so many of the marginalised and the lower-income group is surely not what was intended by God.

The problem with our market society now is that we cannot continue with business as usual. This type of economy assumes that the Earth has infinite resources and can sustain endless economic growth. This growth is driven by a culture of consumerism and accumulation, in turn driven by corporate media propaganda that pumps money into slick marketing campaigns to stir even more consumer demand.

That which was free in the past has now become commodified: water, sea (for land reclamation), forests (turned into land for property islands), islands, agricultural farmland.

These are parcelled out and sold to cronies and the elite. Meanwhile, on the ground, communities lose their homes, fishing communities lose their fishing waters to land reclamation, independent farmers are turned into contract workers, indigenous communities lose their livelihoods and their connection to the land. And we have the minimum wage being raised by a paltry RM50.

The present economic system is based on relentless growth and accumulation (and exploitation of people and the planet). This cannot continue indefinitely. Something will have to give. The Earth’s natural resources are running out and climate change is upon us as we saw recently in Hong Kong, the Philippines and the east coast of the United States.

It is time we return to simplicity, community solidarity and cooperation in preparing for an alternative banquet to which everyone will be invited, and no one is excluded. Our future, the wellbeing of our Common Home, depends on it.