As a person who's not particularly religious, but with a Catholic tradition, I find it interesting that my madness closely mirrors my understanding of Jesus. The idea is to marry capitalism's drive for economic prosperity with Jesus's social good graces. That is, if they're allowed to get married.
Capitalism thrives best when the markets are allowed to work, with government involvement kept to a minimum by simply ensuring a fair marketplace operates by enforcing regulations regarding truly significant matters (in which one party is materially or socially harmed because of the misconduct of another). By allowing people to satisfy a wide variety of personal tastes and preferences, more people are employed producing a wider variety of good and services, and more people are allowed to enjoy the things they enjoy. All of these transactions are mutually beneficial, allowing both parties to get what they wanted.
Social consciousness, on the other hand, says that we shouldn't be braggarts, claiming we have the answers that apply to you, that we can dictate "acceptable" tastes, using coercion instead of reason. Being humble is better. We shouldn't throw the first stone. We shouldn't sit in judgment of others. We should help the less fortunate who desire our help. We should love our families and communities. And if we treat others with respect, dignity and compassion, they will likely reciprocate.
Lastly, government thrives best when it has to restrain or punish people who seek to con, steal, kill or destroy those who live free and in peace. That's handled by our soldiers and police.
In real wars, the overwhelming majority support the cause and enlistments go way up. You can sense that these are not real wars. They are wars of a dying cause whose only sense of bravery is through might. A better course is to conquer fear with fun, compassion, work and leading by example.
To me, this is what Jesus meant when he said to turn the other cheek: by living peacefully, even going beyond the call on occasions, people will respond in kind by being kind, too.
Some let fear run an easy course through their mind and body, resulting in war and lies and deceptive talk. Others let fear empower them to seek a greater level of civil society, in which capitalism, freedom and dignity allow more ideas and cultures to thrive and blend. This American pot was designed to melt. Let the people and the ideas and lives melt together.
Sure, some countries and al Qaeda and other terrorist groups will continue down the beaten path of hostility and control, but surely they will be beaten in the marketplace of ideas faster than being beaten in a cycle of violence.
A world opened by satellite, wireless and wired networks for speedy communications and easy access to information, and by roads for trade, will create an environment that makes it impossible to keep people down using fear mongering and deception.
Everybody, hold hands and sing Kum Bai Ya.