Fallible Planmakers

CNNMoney.com, Thursday, June 8, 2006-- CHRIS ISIDORE --The Bernanke Panic

Ben Bernanke isn't just scaring U.S. investors anymore. He's scaring investors around the world.

The recent stock market sell-off accelerated Thursday as investors from Jakarta to Bombay, and from Tokyo to Frankfurt to Wall Street, headed for the exits.

The worry? That the Federal Reserve, and other central banks, might stall economic growth around the world in their bid to quell inflation.

"Rising interest rates and rising inflation have never been market friendly," said Peter Cardillo, chief market strategist SW Bach. "Global interest rates obviously will dampen global economic activity."

The global rate hiking pandemic started battering stock markets large and small last month, after the Fed raised rates for the 16th straight time, and suggested more rate hikes might be coming.

Everything is enacted by the laws of nature, and these laws are under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The atheists, or unintelligent men, do not know this. They are busy making their own plans, and big nations are busy expanding their empires. And yet we know that in due course of time many empires have come into existence and been destroyed. Many aristocratic families were created by people in their extreme madness, but we can see that in the course of time those families and empires have all been destroyed. But still the foolish atheists do not accept the supreme authority of the Lord. Such foolish people unnecessarily concoct their own duties without referring to the supreme authority of the Lord. The so-called political leaders are busy making plans to advance the material prosperity of their nation, but factually these political leaders only want an exalted position for themselves. Due to their greed for material position, they falsely present themselves as leaders before the people and collect their votes, although they are completely under the grip of the laws of material nature. These are some of the faults of modern civilization. Without taking to God consciousness and accepting the authority of the Lord, the living entities become ultimately confused and frustrated in their planmaking attempts. Due to their unauthorized plans for economic development, the price of commodities is rising daily all over the world, so much so that is has become difficult for the poorer classes, and they are suffering the consequences. And due to lack of Krishna consciousness, people are being fooled by so-called leaders and planmakers. Consequently, the sufferings of the people are increasing. According to the laws of nature, which are backed by the Lord, nothing can be permanent within this material world; therefore everyone should be allowed to take shelter of the Absolute in order to be saved. In this regard, Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita (5.29):

bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-maheshvaram
suhridam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam shantim ricchati

"The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries."

If one wants peace of mind and tranquillity in society, he must accept the fact that the real enjoyer is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord is the proprietor of everything all over the universe, and He is the supreme friend of all living entities as well. By understanding this, people can become happy and peaceful individually and collectively.