SHOULD STOCK MARKETISM BECOMES THE NEW RELIGION?

Contemporary economies and societies are dependent on the health of the national and global stock markets for their own well being. If the share prices of the leading companies and commodities fall, it causes concerns on the markets and the economies they serve, and if they rise, it encourages optimism. Falls can result in the value of the stocks of companies being greatly depreciated, or even become worthless, which then leads to the companies having to lay of workers, or down-sizing, and hope for an upturn in the demand for their products, before they literally go to the wall. The market can either induce and/or react to contractions and expansions in the economy.

Although the individual worker might not always be conscious of it, their job security can be dependent on the health of the stock market, as much as does the security of the companies and business for which they work. So also can be the economic well-being of the individual countries, as the demand and supply of products and raw materials they produce rise and fall with the fortunes of their share prices on the world's stock markets.  

Of course, the health of the stock markets is largely influenced by the political, social and economic conditions impacting on the stocks and commodities in which they are dealing.  The markets are sensitive to investors' feelings about what they are trading in, and about the operational environments affecting their production at any given time.

It is as much about demand and supply chains operating efficiently, as it is about maintaining a stable political, social and economic environment which is conducive to the market operating with the relevant level of predictability about the future.

The markets, whether we like it or not, hold our individual and collective well-being in its hands, to some degrees. Our pension funds, and any investments we have, are all tied up in and dependent on the stock makets' good health, since pension fund and investment managers invest in stock market companies, in the hope of making profits on their investments to accumulate the working capital to pay due pensions and  returns. To this extent, at least, we are probably all 'capitalists.'

And so it seems to me that, in our contemporary societies, our prosperity and economic well-being is so dependent on the stock exchange, that, making 'stock marketism' the new religion, does have much validity; much the same way as our ancestors used to worship the Sun and or the Moon.

Although the 'market' or stock markets are unpredictable, especially when all things are not equal, with the governmental regulations and support which is given to it when it is seriously dysfunctioning, it is more likely to respond to its supplicants than any other religion, and as such, would, arguable, be a rational alternative to existing religions.

OWOHROD