The economics of enlightenment

Written at the height of the Barclays Bank LIBOR exchange rate scandal this Autumn. I have some sympathy with Smith's analysis of human economics affairs - how can something so abstract bring so much real hardship to so many?

And say hello to our next door neighbour on Comics Sherpa, Snow of T. Shepherd's excellent 'Snow Sez...' I've always been struck by Snow's acumen when it comes to the economics of enlightenment. It's always seemed to me that every guru's advice has boiled down to these two sentences:

1: To achieve contentment let go of all material things.
2: £1,000 quid, please.