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The spinning hand van social systems, dr. H. Dubbelman

 Introduction

Our society, which consists of a political and economic system, is currently difficult to control. Various groups are trying to safeguard their interests as much as possible now that budget cuts are being implemented. Yet, time and again, there appear to be groups and individuals who manage to manipulate these processes to their own advantage. This way of acting is called the spinning hand. It means "having a hand in" steering the process for their own interests rather than for the collective good. In society, products and services are created by public organizations, businesses, churches, etc. It is understandable that everyone wants to obtain a positive return. The government tries to keep this process in balance as much as possible. Therefore, due to the high public costs, the government wants to transform the current welfare state into a participatory society. One approach to this is a move towards a more free market economy, with less social security, private initiative, and self-reliance.

 

How does a free market work?

In a free market, prices and services are determined by supply and demand and by free competition. It is precisely through competition that entrepreneurs are forced to offer the best product to consumers at the lowest price. The government should remain as much aloof as possible in this process (unlike in a mixed or planned economy). Therefore, no government regulations or coercion. The market then ensures a self-regulating effect. If suppliers pursue their own interests and, as a result, more and more suppliers join, competition arises. Suppliers are then forced to maintain a low cost price. This creates prosperity for the people in society. The economist Adam Smith called this principle the working of the invisible hand (Wealth of Nations, 1776).

 

In short: the invisible hand operates through self-interest, intense competition, and liberal market forces. We see today that the government is cutting back on various public services and tasks, which it wants to transfer to the market or has already transferred. Examples include healthcare, transport, and energy sectors.

 

A spinning hand instead of an invisible hand?

There are times when a society is disrupted by an economic crisis. Economist Dr. Arthur Wassenberg argues that such a crisis can be caused by forces within society itself (Financieel Dagblad, February 22, 2014). “We have believed for too long that an invisible hand directs these important processes. It is time to look at the spinning hand. This contains the players who ensure that we all believe that the sky is the limit and that it is wise to do so. If things go wrong, these spinners have already stepped out. The “spinners” consist of a diverse group of investment banks, M&A advisors, flexible regulators, etc. They fuel the myth that the economy consists of efficient markets. They don't believe in it themselves, but they have an interest in others doing so. It's a kind of pyramid scheme, where they ensure that when it collapses, they have already stepped out.” According to Dr. Arthur Wassenberg, these players in society have their own dynamics. However, they are not a unity, as we tend to think. Within a society, organizations, companies, etc., all sorts of processes are at work, involving struggles for power and influence. These are complex systems, which we lack sufficient insight into and which are difficult to manage. It is an illusion that codes of conduct, stricter oversight, and regulations against this are the solution. Once the crisis is over, this phenomenon will resurface. We can also recognize a spinning hand in the media world. In advertisements, we often see the same people on TV, supplemented by celebrities, imposing their opinions on a willing audience.

 

International

An example between societies is the situation in Crimea. Leon de Winter writes that our European politicians are part of the bureaucratic elite in Brussels. An elite that is on par with the autocratic elite in Russia. These European politicians have played with fire and caused a major fire. It could become an expensive one. In Kiev, we saw European politicians encouraging the resistance with empty promises that the people of Kiev would adopt a Western lifestyle (De Telegraaf, March 8, 2014). The politicians' behavior acted as a spinning wheel. The result was the Russian military occupation of Crimea, and a serious crisis arose between Russia and the West. Jan van Butselaar writes about the two-faced nature of Western moral outrage (Christelijk Weekblad, March 7, 2014). Jan van Butselaar has  Jan van Butselaar writes about the two-faced nature of Western moral outrage (Christelijk Weekblad, March 7, 2014). Jan van Butselaar discusses Western cultural imperialism that imposes our Western culture on other cultures. We might also consider this a type of spinning hand.

 

A spinning hand in the church and congregation

Christian Reformed professor W. van ’t Spijker writes about conflicts in congregations (Conflictstof binnen de gemeente, 2012). He shows how the divisions within these communities can lead to crisis situations. This phenomenon has become a reality in the Netherlands since the Reformation. Conflicts also existed in New Testament congregations. Van ’t Spijker cites theological conflicts as the cause, but also because the congregation is not separate from the prevailing culture. Conflicts arise primarily from unpredictable people who seriously endanger the unity of the congregation. A lack of unity in knowledge and faith is the cause of a lack of growth in the church and one of the main causes of spiritual decline.

 

Arjan Gelderblom's article ties in with this (Onvrede en daad, January 2010). He writes that a Christian cannot do without a community of believers. But he also identifies several problems, such as what to do if I can no longer cope in church, words that don't translate into actions, and issues that remain unresolved. Perhaps this situation is partly the result of a spinning hand in the church he refers to.

 

Rev. Jan Oortgiesen of the PKN's mobility office says that communication in churches often needs improvement, and that this is why many things go wrong. This is especially true when unspoken expectations within the church are not sufficiently met (Christelijk Weekblad, March 14, 2014). From the three examples, one can somewhat deduce that this is detrimental to unity in the church. Such a climate creates a situation where the forces of a spinning hand are unleashed.

 

Conclusion

The above was about a spinning hand in social systems. These are forces within an organization that, partly through lofty promises, see an opportunity to chart their own course, ultimately leading to the abyss.

 

According to Dr. Arthur Wassenberg, the perpetrators disappear in time before things go wrong. It is recommended that organizations, including church communities, investigate the risks present in their systems. Above all, they should not underestimate these risks, be aware of them, and how they can infect the organization. They should then reflect on these risks and respond accordingly. This is necessary before it is too late for the organization to fall apart into fragments that can no longer be repaired.

 

Finally, we can ask ourselves: If a spinning hand is present in the church, could the Spinning Hand also play a role in this? Wouldn't it be better, then, that we allow ourselves to be inspired by the Invisible Hand? That gives hope. Despite all the processes over which we seem to have no control, we can know that His Hand is present.