Seeking Truth

by Dr. James W. Jackson

Founder, Project C.U.R.E.
Author, The Happiest Man in the World: Life Lessons from a Cultural Economist

Many old, salty sea captains have managed to sail their ships back to the safety of harbor lights with nothing more than a magnetized sewing needle balanced on a cork, floating in a cup of water. That was the only compass they needed to get back to the comforts of home and hearth. And while it is touted that a compass never lies, yet, it can deceive you. The direction of "north" that your compass gives you just might be wrong. Compasses point toward the magnetic north pole, located near Ellesmere Island in North Canada. But true north is not there. It is over 70 miles away. Depending on where in the world you are located, the difference between where your compass is pointing and where you are in relation to true north can be considerable.

When I was just a kid, I learned that it was possible to take even the finest compass and make it tell you that north was anywhere you wanted it to be. All you needed was a cheap refrigerator magnet close by and you could perform miracles. No longer would the needle of the compass point to earth's magnetic north, but to wherever the refrigerator magnet was placed in close proximity. Of course, the accuracy and utility of the compass was completely spoiled. No longer would it perform the function for which it was designed. No salty sea captain would set his cup of water, cork, and magnetized sewing needle on top of a refrigerator magnet and expect to sail safely home.

Through the years I have been concerned about how easy it is for folks to employ their handy refrigerator magnet to situations of life and truth. It doesn't take much for someone to slip their refrigerator magnet onto the table and proclaim that "north" is precisely where they say it is. I have become increasingly bothered with the proliferation of "relative truth" and the difficulty of determining "True North." While growing up, I used to wonder why glib politicians were referred to as having magnetic personalities. Today, I think I better understand. With their handy little refrigerator magnet they can change the compass direction of "north" two, three, four times in a day, or even a debate. But, where precisely is True North?

I was traveling in the Bulgarian city of Hoskovo, performing a medical Needs Assessment for Project C.U.R.E. I struck up a conversation with one of the health officials, a former officer of the Soviet Union. We began talking about what it had been like to live in the country prior to the collapse of the Soviet regime. "Everything was relative," he said. "You never knew just what to expect as 'truth.' You could only depend on what you were told at the moment and you were expected to respond accordingly. Everything was relative with no unattached or independent 'absolutes.'" Then he related a story to explain his point."

There was a certain clock shop on the main street of our town. The man who operated the shop had a good reputation in the community. He was conscientious and kind, and knew a lot about clocks. On the back wall of his shop he had on display a large and beautifully hand carved clock with an expensive and precise set of works inside. It was, indeed, a masterpiece and kept very accurate time. The clock man loved the clock and was very proud of it."

My new friend went on to tell me, "Everyday, an important-looking man walked by the clock shop. He would stop momentarily and study the clock on the back wall. He would then pull out his own pocket watch that was attached to his jacket by a handsome chain. He would reset his pocket watch, place it back in his jacket and hurriedly walk away. One day the clock man stepped out of his store and stopped the man as he reset his pocket watch. 'Do you admire the clock on my wall? I see you stop everyday and look at it before you walk on.' 'Yes,' he said, 'I love your clock, and I know that it is very accurate. I have a very important job. I work at the large factory by the river and I am in charge of blowing the whistle precisely at 8 o'clock. I check the time on your clock every day so that I will know exactly when to blow the whistle.' The clock man gasped. His mouth fell open as he stumbled with his words. 'You are the man who blows the whistle each morning? But, I set my clock each day by your whistle!'"

For this coming New Year, I have made for myself a resolution: Don't get caught up in depending upon relative truth, but diligently seek, as if for the finest treasure, Truth that is unattached, loosened from and non-manipulated by the agendas of this world. 

Dr. James W. Jackson often describes himself as "The Happiest Man in the World." A successful businessman, award-winning author and humanitarian, Jackson is also a renowned Cultural Economist and international consultant, helping organizations and governments to apply sound economic principals to the transformation of culture so that everyone is "better off."

As the founder of Project C.U.R.E., Dr. Jackson traveled to more than one hundred fifty countries assessing healthcare facilities, meeting with government leaders and "delivering health and hope" in the form of medical supplies and equipment to the world's most needy people. Literally thousands of people are alive today as a direct result of the tireless efforts of Project C.U.R.E.'s staff, volunteers and Dr. Jackson.

To contact Dr. Jackson, or to book him for an interview or speaking engagement: press@winstoncrown.com


photos: istockphoto.com and Jimmy Dozer

How Christmas Affected Cultural Economics

by Dr. James W. Jackson

Founder, Project C.U.R.E.
Author, The Happiest Man in the World: Life Lessons from a Cultural Economist

Radical teachings passed down through the centuries:

We owe a great deal to the intervention of the Christmas story into our economic history. To those of us who were not born as Jews, we were introduced to an entirely different collection of thoughts and traditions. Moreover, the revolutionary teachings of Christ changed moral standards and expectations forever. We were given a nobler concept of what it is to be human and were given insights into our own weaknesses and greedy foibles. Christ shed light on concepts not available from any other source. Those concepts were indispensable for the later experiments with the concepts of a free society.

Christ’s teaching changed the vision of the “good society” proposed by the classical writers of Rome and Greece, and made possible new ideas of culture and economics. Philosophers and writers who adamantly refuse to believe in Christ’s claims to deity or the correctness of the Judeo-Christian position, are none-the-less compelled to admit their indebtedness to the unique teachings of the Christ of the Christmas story. Richard Rorty, whose parents were ardent followers of Trotsky, and he, himself, totally immersed in atheistic Marxist teachings, once wrote that as a progressive philosopher he owed more to Jesus for certain key notions, such as “compassion” and “equality” than to any of the classical writers. In Bertrand Russell’s book, Why I Am Not a Christian, he conceded that although he took Jesus to be no more than a humanistic moral prophet, modern progressivism is indebted to Christ for his ideals.

In Plato’s Republic, citizens were divided in the following way: A few were of gold, a slightly larger body of silver, and the vast majority of lead, (that sounds a lot to me like my frequent flyer program). Those considered in the group of lead all had the souls of slaves and, therefore, were properly enslaved. Only the persons of gold were truly to be treated as individuals of importance and worth. Christ taught that God, who made every single child in his image, gave every child worth and dignity, saying, “what you do to the least of these, my children, you do unto me.” It was revolutionary teaching to identify God with the most humble and the most vulnerable. Christ taught a fundamental equality in the sight of God to all human beings. Whether a person “believes” in Christ or not, it would be intellectual dishonesty to deny that his teachings radically changed concepts regarding culture and economics.

Christ taught that God sees “into” us. God sees us as having equal weight in our “uniqueness,” not because we are the “same,” but because each of us is different. Each is made by God after an original design. This concept of being equal in our uniqueness is quite different from socialist concepts of being equal because of our sameness. Christ’s teaching did not promote a leveling notion. Neither does it require uniformity for equality. On the contrary, it tries to pay heed to and give respect to the unique image of God in each person. God did not make us equal in talent, ability, vocation, bank accounts or position. He did not take away what is unique and submerge it into uniformity, as we have seen promoted in so many economic and political cultures where, traditionally, the impulse has been to pull people down and place them all on the same level, regulated by the state.

Another revolutionary teaching that resulted from the Christmas story in Bethlehem was Christ’s teaching on compassion. Historically, most teachings regarding compassion are limited to one’s own family, nation, culture or kin. Christ’s teaching nurtured and encouraged the impulse to reach out, especially to the most vulnerable, and to the poor, the hungry, the wretched, those in prison, the helpless, hopeless, and the sick. His teachings instruct us to even love our enemies and see and respect the dignity even of those who in the eyes of the world have lost their dignity.

The radical expectation of those teachings pushes to include the concept of universal compassion!

Those are a few of many teachings introduced into our cultures and economic systems because of the Christmas story. We have not only an economic venue as a setting for the Christmas story, but, also, the phenomenon of the Christmas story affecting even present day cultural economics.

Dr. James W. Jackson often describes himself as "The Happiest Man in the World." A successful businessman, award-winning author and humanitarian, Jackson is also a renowned Cultural Economist and international consultant, helping organizations and governments to apply sound economic principals to the transformation of culture so that everyone is "better off."

As the founder of Project C.U.R.E., Dr. Jackson traveled to more than one hundred fifty countries assessing healthcare facilities, meeting with government leaders and "delivering health and hope" in the form of medical supplies and equipment to the world's most needy people. Literally thousands of people are alive today as a direct result of the tireless efforts of Project C.U.R.E.'s staff, volunteers and Dr. Jackson.

To contact Dr. Jackson, or to book him for an interview or speaking engagement: press@winstoncrown.com


photos: The Sermon on the Mount by Carl Heinrich Bloch and Jimmy Dozer

Economics and the Christmas Story

by Dr. James W. Jackson

Founder, Project C.U.R.E.
Author, The Happiest Man in the World: Life Lessons from a Cultural Economist

In 336 B.C. a 21 year-old was placed on the Greek throne following the assassination of his father, Philip. Alexander of Macedonia, who had been privileged to have Aristotle as his own personal teacher, had been made aware of a world that was fragmented economically into countless little city states, each being crushed by high taxes and isolation. He realized the high cost of fragmentation and fear. In the next dozen years ALEXANDER THE GREAT “conquered” the known world for Greece. He conquered it with such interesting subtlety that, more often than not, the countries in his path simply threw open their gates and welcomed him in. Alexander brought with him security, protection, fairness, and the opportunity for expansion of trade. He encouraged free trade within his new world based on a dependable metallic coinage of gold and silver. The genius of that economic unification rested in the fact that it did not cost his constituents more out of their purses for those additional benefits, but less . . . a whole lot less.

Where the citizens had been paying as much as 70 to 80 percent in taxes to operate their fragmented city-states, Alexander reduced those tax rates to around 12 to 15 percent. Little wonder that they threw open their city gates and welcomed him with open arms!

But, alas, with no more worlds to conquer, Alexander the Great died at the age of 33 after a wild drinking party. His five generals took command, and before long the greed and insecurity pushed the populace back toward the mass of fragmented city-states, no longer unified by an environment of low taxes and economic stability. His empire eventually crumbled, but his dream lived on.

Two hundred seventy-one years later, Julius Caesar, an admirer of Alexander, laid claim to Alexander’s dream, overhauled it, and began to implement the “great experiment,” Pax Romana. The global economy was not nearly as fragmented as it had been prior to Alexander. The Greek philosophy, literature, and ideas of democracy had done much to break down the barriers between the “Greeks” and the “barbarians.”

Julius Caesar, like Alexander, began building his empire, not through brutal conquest, but, rather, through economic and political liberation. Five years after he had taken over Gaul, Julius Caesar entered Italy, where Rome opened her gates and welcomed him as her new champion and leader. He made the stability of Roman currency so attractive, the mildness of Roman taxation so alluring, the openness of worldwide trade and commerce so desirable, that his empire expanded by the force of demand. He treated the “conquered” nations with such secure leniency that even if they could have revolted, they didn’t!

The economy began to grow, trade began to flourish, and the Roman Empire was established. Julius Caesar perceived that individual initiative and creativity that was rewarded produced more individual initiative and more creativity . . . thus a more stable and wealthy empire. He also perceived that exorbitant taxation squelched individual initiative and creativity. He, therefore, set out on a plan to broaden the tax base so that he could lower the individual tax rate, i.e., include more people on the tax rolls but lower the amount that each had to pay on his production so that they would be encouraged to produce more, thereby making the empire wealthier and all the people better off. Caesar understood that it was production that was true wealth.

In order to broaden the tax base so that he could lower the tax rate, Julius Caesar needed to take a census of the empire. The census was completed of Italy only. In 44 B.C. Julius Caesar was brutally assassinated. But in those eight years (52-44 B.C.), Julius Caesar had established an economic system that endured the next 500 years and eventually influenced the establishing of even our American economic philosophy. After 16 years of civil war, Octavius, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, desirous of fulfilling his father’s plan, victoriously returned to Rome as Caesar Augustus, Emperor of Rome.

Does that name sound familiar? It should. Does a census for taxation ring a bell? It should:

“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, into the city of David which is called Bethlehem: (because he was of the house and lineage of David) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first born son, and laid him in a manger: because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2: 1-7 KJV)

Regarding the Christmas story, we are also told: “In the fullness of time . . . God sent his son.” During this season, I am pondering. Just what all could that statement possibly mean? Is it possible that a repeat of some sort of equally significant event of cultural economics is even now developing before our eyes? I certainly am intrigued by economics and the Christmas story.

Dr. James W. Jackson often describes himself as "The Happiest Man in the World." A successful businessman, award-winning author and humanitarian, Jackson is also a renowned Cultural Economist and international consultant, helping organizations and governments to apply sound economic principals to the transformation of culture so that everyone is "better off."

As the founder of Project C.U.R.E., Dr. Jackson traveled to more than one hundred fifty countries assessing healthcare facilities, meeting with government leaders and "delivering health and hope" in the form of medical supplies and equipment to the world's most needy people. Literally thousands of people are alive today as a direct result of the tireless efforts of Project C.U.R.E.'s staff, volunteers and Dr. Jackson.

To contact Dr. Jackson, or to book him for an interview or speaking engagement: press@winstoncrown.com


photos: image1 and Jimmy Dozer

Defined by Passion

by Dr. James W. Jackson

Founder, Project C.U.R.E.
Author, The Happiest Man in the World: Life Lessons from a Cultural Economist

Our lives are defined by where we direct our passion.

I had been given a prestigious award by Chanel 9, Denver’s NBC affiliate. They had produced a lovely feature segment on the work of Project C.U.R.E. and had aired it on their evening news program. At his home watching the Project C.U.R.E. segment was a gentleman named “Bob.”

Bob was a successful businessman who owned his own painting company. When the Denver Broncos NFL football team made it to their first Super Bowl game, Bob was so excited that he chose to paint his whole residence the blue and orange team colors of the Broncos. The unusual site was featured by a front-page picture in the Denver Post newspaper. From that time on Bob was dubbed with the affectionate nickname, “Bronco Bob.”

A few years later, Bob decided to sell his painting business. An unexpected thing happened. With his business gone and the new owners not needing or wanting his involvement or advice, Bob began to sense his loss and began to question his future and his own personal value. He began to experience depression and those feelings of depression deepened. His wife later told me of how he would some days never even want to get out of bed. Here was a man with giftedness in marketing and abilities enough to run a very successful business.

On the night the television station featured Project C.U.R.E., Bob sat up at attention and said to his wife, “That’s it! That’s what I want to do. I’m going to help Project C.U.R.E.” The next day he called the Project C.U.R.E. office and set a time for an interview and a tour through the facilities. Dave, our Vice President of volunteers, guided him on his tour. About half way through the warehouse tour “Bronco Bob” asked, “Do you have gloves here?”

Dave, thinking that Bob was inquiring about the millions of pairs of surgical and sterile latex gloves that Project C.U.R.E. was sending out all over the world, answered, “Oh, yes, Bob.” Dave went on, “Right over here are the pallets of latex gloves ready to send out and save lots of lives.”

Bob quickly answered back, “No, I’m not talking about latex gloves. Do you have a pair of good leather gloves? I’m ready to start volunteering for Project C.U.R.E. right now! Let’s get started.”

Even after many months of volunteering in our warehouse, the other co-workers would tell me how exciting it was just to work with “Bronco Bob.” He would be walking down through the aisles of the warehouse, arranging the pallets of items to be loaded onto the next huge ocean-going cargo container. He would raise his leather gloves into the air and shout, “Hallelujah, I just love my new life at Project C.U.R.E.!” Later on, Bob and his wife even bought a diesel truck and gave it to Project C.U.R.E. for the collection of medical goods in the Denver area. Bob’s newly directed passion had dramatically changed him. New worth and meaning had now invaded and defined his life.

For as many years as his health allowed, Bob showed up at the warehouse to volunteer. Every day “Bronco Bob’s” passion, enthusiasm and love of life energized everyone else around him. He was a constant reminder to all of us that, “OUR LIVES ARE DEFINED BY WHERE WE DIRECT OUR PASSION.”

Dr. James W. Jackson often describes himself as "The Happiest Man in the World." A successful businessman, award-winning author and humanitarian, Jackson is also a renowned Cultural Economist and international consultant, helping organizations and governments to apply sound economic principals to the transformation of culture so that everyone is "better off."

As the founder of Project C.U.R.E., Dr. Jackson traveled to more than one hundred fifty countries assessing healthcare facilities, meeting with government leaders and "delivering health and hope" in the form of medical supplies and equipment to the world's most needy people. Literally thousands of people are alive today as a direct result of the tireless efforts of Project C.U.R.E.'s staff, volunteers and Dr. Jackson.

To contact Dr. Jackson, or to book him for an interview or speaking engagement: press@winstoncrown.com