We currently witness a world-wide financial and economical crisis that came about through rather adventurous, yet apparently socially accepted readiness to live on borrowed money. An entire industrial sector took advantage of an (often fulfilled) general greed and found ways to outshine itself again and again when it came to construing grotesque financial products.
A short time ago, I found some really wise words that get a special meaning in this particular context:
The entirety of economic activity shall serve the common wellbeing, in particular a guarantee of dignified existence for all and a gradual enhancement of living standards for all sections of the community.
Within this aim, freedom to contract within the law shall be upheld. me fundamental individual freedom to develop personal enterprise and to engage in independent economic activity shall be recognised. Economic freedom of the individual shall be consistent with consideration for others and the moral demands of the common well-being. Socially damaging and immoral economic activity, in particular any economically exploitative contract, shall be illegal and void.
and
The accumulation of capital is not an end in itself, but rather a means to the development of the national economy.
Finance and credit systems shall serve the interests of wealth creation and the satisfaction of the needs of all residents.
Can you guess which book these words are taken from?
It is the Bavarian Constitution. In it, the independence of the Free State of Bavaria as federal state of the Federal Republic of Germany is regulated. It was brought before and passed by the state assembly on October, 26th, 1946. After the council of ministers officially read it on December, 4th, it became law through publication in the Bavarian Code of Law on December, 8th, 1946.
The aforementioned sections are a translation of two constitutional articles:
Article 151 Economic development
and
Article 157 Finance and credit systems
All we (and the state) have to do is act according to the constitution!
All texts in cursive letters: © Bayerischer Landtag
RMD
🙂 Such a fine constitution should almost be reason enough in itself to favour an independent Free State of Bavaria!
(translated by Evelyn Gemkow)
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