Where Did This Come From? versus Where Is This Going?

I’ve often thought of writing a sequel to Where Did This Come From? titled Where Is This Going? because it's hard to ask one without wondering the other. Both questions can be as spiritual or as concrete as you like. Spirituality being an individual thing, I'm going to talk about the concrete aspect, which will be a nice parallel to the theme of Where Did This Come From? That is, I will ask it primarily in reference to the things we buy.

When you first ask, "Where did this come from?" you learn that you really don't know. Every object around you has undergone several different processes before it arrived in your sphere. Then you start to wonder, well, I not only don't know where it came from but I don't really know where it's going once I throw it out, or after I'm gone. Will it pollute the world for the future? How do I get it back into the earth so future generations have something to use?

"Where is this going?" is a question partially answered, then abandoned by a few TV commercials a while ago. I refer to the ad that connected buying drugs to terrorism. The idea was that the money you spend on drugs ultimately funds terrorism, so don't buy drugs. Following that was a commercial linking buying a gas-guzzling car to terrorism. The idea there was that the money you spend on gas ultimately funds terrorism, so don't buy gas-guzzling cars.

Most people chose one side or the other, often claiming one link was correct and the other was wrong. Or more often, attacking the one without giving the other merit.

The interesting thing about the debate was that everybody was correct at the same time, just not to the degree that they thought they were. Yes, buying drugs leads to terrorism, yes buying gas leads to terrorism, but neither stop there. Buying a hoagie can lead to terrorism, buying shoes can lead to terrorism. Buying shoes and hoagies can also end up financing the Ulaanbaatar Society for Confused Ninjas as well.

It all comes down to free-flowing money. The instant cash leaves your hands, it's completely out of your control. You buy a sandwich at the local sandwich shop. Then the shop owner buys a car from the local lot, whose owner happens to be an as-yet-uncaught pedophile. Does this mean your money supports child molesters? Yes. Is it any fault of yours? No.

So what's the solution? Is there one? Should we just give up on boycotts? Should we bother to ask Where Is This Going?

We don't need to be paralyzed by our ignorance. Really, since when did being ignorant ever stop anyone?

You just need to consider what you're trying to accomplish and determine how direct the link is. For example, buying illegal drugs supports illegal activity only because drugs are illegal. It doesn't necessarily go to terrorism. Buying gas supports terrorism only in the case where the oil came from a company (Shell) or nation that sorta kinda sponsors terrorism but pretends not to (Saudi Arabia.) It's up to you determine how direct or indirect the linkage is. In cases of drugs and oil, it's there, but as stated, it's also there for hoagies and shoes.

In contrast, if you want to stop cruelty to animals, it's a sure bet that boycotting ham will lead to your goal.

Ultimately both ads were right, and ultimately both were wrong. Even if everyone stopped buying illegal drugs, even if everyone stopped buying oil, those who wanted to kill people for some agenda would find the money and they would find a way.

Leaving aside privacy concerns, it would be interesting if money could be tagged electronically and then you could see where it went. Sort of like WheresGeorge.com but on a much more detailed scale.

Just like with Where Did This Come From? we can't really know Where Is This Going? but we can still do our best to act responsibly.

Maybe it's best we don't know. You think you're mad now about the bottomless money pit that large banks have become? Imagine how angry you'd be if you actually knew where it all went!

===
Larry Nocella's novel Where Did This Come From? is available on Amazon.com as a paperback and Kindle eBook. It is also available for other eBook readers. For more info, visit LarryNocella.com.