Important!
Martin McCorkle is the author of “Youv’e Gotta Wise Up” published by Nascent Digital Press. Watch for his latest book, a political satire titled ”An American Dream” in April.
Once upon a time in the land of Plenty, the King was playing golf. His most trusted adviser came to him, bowed down and said, “Oh Munificent One, the people have no crops.”
Although he is was annoyed, he considered the problem between the 11th and 12th hole and said, “I know what to do” and finished his round.
Later that day, the Great King sent a proclamation throughout the land of Plenty demanding that farmers “Create Crops.” He spent a trillion dollars on crop “stimulus”. He gave speeches explaining that the purpose of farming was to “create crops”. Every agriculturalist who wasn’t an “extremist” thought that what the King said was brilliant and new. The wise and learned scholars who studied agriculture in the high towers of the capital city were quite enamored by the King’s elocution.
One day the King was playing golf. His most trusted advisor came to him, bowed down and said, “Oh Benevolent Lord, the people still have no crops.”
Great was the King’s anger, for few things annoyed him more than when his words did not change things. Focusing his awesome intellect between the 3rd and 4th hole, he reasoned thusly: I am not wrong and what I have done is not the problem. There were, after all, crop shortages before me. Therefore, it must be the farmers’ fault.
“Summon the farmers to my Palace,” he commanded his advisor. “They will give account for their selfishness.”
At the appointed time, the farmers of the land of Plenty met their King in the Great Hall. He was dressed in a flowing robe and sat upon the Throne of Fairness. The King’s voice echoed throughout the expanse, “I have commanded you to create crops and you have not. Why have you defied the word of your King?”
“We cannot create crops, Oh Most Wise One,” they replied.
“Why not?” demanded the King.
“We have no land.”
The King snuffed and said, “You cannot own land! We must protect the Spotted Owl and the Kangaroo Rat. Besides, no man can own a piece of land any more than he can own a piece of sky! And if there was such a thing as ownership, the land would belong to the Native Americans and the Spaniards. The only person who can own land is me.”
“Even if we had land, there are no field workers,” said the farmers.
“The land is full of workers,” the King replied, sweeping his hand expansively.
“You must pay them at least the minimum wage, meet all OSHA requirements, satisfy immigration standards and pay the modest tax for my visionary healthcare bill.”
“But then, Oh Munificent One, we would go bankrupt,” said the farmers. “So let us have technology instead of human labor. We can use tractors to prepare the soil and harvesters to gather the crops. This will also ease the burden of man and beast.”
“Technology!” The King’s eyes burned with fire. “Technology is what got us into this problem. Tractors burn fossil fuels! Harvesters rob the poor of employment. You must make do with your windmills and solar panels. They are the path to the future!”
“But even if we had land, workers and technology,” continued the farmers, “we still could not create crops, for we have no seed.”
“Under my administration,” spoke the King, “there is only one sacred law: when someone else has more than you, you can take it from them. This law is indisputably fair. It is not my fault that the winter was long and cold, forcing those who had no food to take your seed from you. It was fair. And you cannot whine about fairness. That would be unfair.”
“Hear us, Oh King. Even if we had land, workers, technology and seed, we still could not create crops, for we need water to irrigate.”
“Water must stay in the wild rivers, flowing freely to the seas. It is a sacrilege against Nature to divert water merely for the use of man.”
“May it not irritate the King, but even if we had land, workers, technology, seed and water, we still could not create crops for we have no fertilizer.”
“Fertilizers have chemicals that harm the environment,” the King pontificated. “My EPA knows this and has forbidden or limited their use.”
“If we could beg for the indulgence of the King, for his patience is legendary, even if we had
land, workers, technology, seed, water and fertilizer, we still could not promise to create crops. Devouring insects may infest the land. Our plants themselves can fall prey to disease. A few days, even hours, of frost can ruin us. Likewise, a season of blazing heat may wither our crops. A hard rain at harvest time can thwart a whole years’ labor. Fire can completely destroy us at anytime. Against such things there is little we can do.”
The King was frustrated and asked, “Can’t you do such a simple thing as create crops?”
The farmers were silent until a frail, old voice said, “May I speak freely with His Majesty?”
“I’m all ears,” said the Gracious King.
“Long have I tilled the soil in the land of Plenty and watched the ways of men. We are farmers and can grow an abundance of food, but it cannot be done as you command. We are not gods and cannot “create” anything. You may wish to command the ground, ‘Produce grain’ or demand of the tree, ‘Produce fruit.’ But only God can do such things.
“Crops are a matter of causation, not creation. As mere men, we can only produce crops by following a series of steps that must be followed. To leave out even one step invites ruin.
“Let us own our land. For when we know that the fruit of our labor will benefit our families, we will work. Although it seems obvious to you, Oh King, that we should work for you and what you think is good, the human heart is not tuned so. A man will labor for his family, but not lift a finger for the common good.
“Let us pay our workers what we think best to pay them without restrictions. Let workers freely decide to work for us without coercion. Those of us who treat our employees well will benefit from having the best laborers. Those of us who treat our employees badly will suffer from shortsightedness.
“Let us embrace technology, both mechanical and chemical; knowing that no work is ever done without loss and rare is the medicine that has no side-effects. The only way to have no impact on the environment is to cease working.
“Let us freely sell our produce to those who would freely buy it. In this way, each farmer will plan according to the needs of those who wish to buy. When we plan well, let us keep the profits we have earned to buy more land, to experiment with new crops, to give as we see fit or to save for the future.
“Let us deal with the uncertainties of life. We know the difference between a hardworking farmer who is overcome by misfortune and a lazy farmer who fails due to sloth. We are able to find ways to help the hardworking farmer so that he may plant again. We are also able to buy the land of the fool and thus bring it into proper cultivation. In this way, the wise farmer benefits from his wisdom and the foolish one is disciplined for his folly.
“Do this, Oh Wise King, and abundance with flow like a river in the land of Plenty.”
The King scowled and said, “That way of doing things has never worked.” He commanded the farmers to return to the fields of the King. He also sent his troops with the farmers to make sure that they worked voluntarily.
A few days later, the King was playing golf. His most trusted advisor came to him, bowed down and said, “Oh Glorious Regent, the people have no jobs.”
Although he is was annoyed, he considered the problem between the 11th and 12th hole and said, “I know what to do” and finished his round…
Life can get a little overwhelming; it can get a little hectic; it can get tiresome. Making Life Fun: Daily Devotions for the Fun-Filled Soul is a book of thirty-one daily devotions for readers to learn how to make life fun again; how to enjoy life; how to add a little spice to their life.
