The profit motive will no longer be a hindrance to
efficiency. There will be no need to sacrifice quality and safety in our
products for the sake of profit. We will, like in the olden days, take pride in
our work.
Yes, there is very likely to be a shortage of people
volunteering to do the more menial tasks. One option is to offer
"perks". A perk can be of various forms such as front row season
tickets to the opera or to his or her favorite sports team. Can you imagine an
NBA basketball game where the celebrities are sitting in the back rows while
the dishwashers and janitors are at courtside? (My apologies to Spike Lee &
Jack Nicholson!) Or the perk could be the latest model boat or sports car which
would not be immediately available to the public. Another option is to draft
everyone once in their lifetime, to do a half year or so stint at a menial
task. Perhaps a humbling experience is in order for all of us. It might serve
us well in the area of character building.
Also, consider the fact that perhaps millions of
people will be freed from jobs associated with the use of money. Millions more
that are now unemployed or on welfare will also be available to help fill the
labor needs of our country. Thus, we will have the work force necessary to do
the work which is not economically feasible in our present economy such as
cleaning our environment (land, sea & air), conservation, recycling,
humanitarian work, research in medicine, education, science & space and now
we can include national security.
Perhaps the most difficult problem is in the
administration of a way of life without money. Can we learn to determine our
economic needs, allocate our resources from the federal on down to the
neighborhood levels? Perhaps some sort of economic bodies must be created to
coordinate, monitor and carryout our economic needs. These economic bodies
would exist similar to our governments, one for the federal, one for each state
and one for each local level.
Yes, in order to administrate a way of life without
money, economic bodies, boards or councils or whatever you wish to call them
would be created to absorb economic responsibility from our various
governments. They will interact and cooperate with one another to meet the
economic needs of our country and of each individual. They will be empowered by
Congress to tend to the economic needs of its constituents. Thus, a balance of
power will be safely maintained.
Our federal needs, which would be similar to the
federal budget we have today, will be resolved by an economic body comprised of
representatives of the various branches of government, our industrial &
labor resources, research (in medicine, education, science & space), our
environment, conservation, importing & exporting, and now, national
security and whatever facet of our way of life should be represented. This
economic body will arrange for the labor and material resources necessary to
meet the economic needs of our nation.
Similarly, the same will occur at the state and
local levels. The economic body at the local levels will be responsible for
providing services to the people in the neighborhood. If the labor needs cannot
be met with volunteer workers, "perks" must be offered. Also, the
economic body at the local levels will be responsible for keeping the stores stocked
with food, clothing and the common luxuries which will be available free. Thus,
the economic needs of the nation right on down to the neighborhood levels would
be determined and satisfied by these economic bodies.
How much economic responsibility will these new
bodies absorb from our federal, state and local governments? How much will be
shared? Can a balance of power be maintained? At any rate, our federal, state
and local governments will be relieved of considerable amount of economic
responsibility. Thus, our various governments will be free to catch up on all
the other domestic and foreign issues that face us.
Yes, we will still import and export goods with
foreign countries as our needs dictate; but what money will be used in place of
the almighty dollar? Would the dollar have any value if everything is free in
the USA? Would that be a problem? We would, however, still be able to use the
currency of the country we are doing business with. For example, if we export
goods to Germany, we would accept marks or euros in payment. The euros would
then be deposited in our national treasury for future use. The money could then
be used to import goods or perhaps send Americans overseas on vacation.
Yes, a way of life without money could be compared
to the kibbutz which now exists in Israel. Can you picture the USA as one big
kibbutz? However, ownership of property will remain the same as it is today.
Our government will remain the same. Our free enterprise system will remain in
place as it is today. There will be no need for money or any substitute for
money since everything will be free.
The advantages of a way of life without money
stagger the imagination; but they are real and cannot be disputed. Perhaps it
is time for us to grab the brass ring?
"The Human Race has improved everything except
the Human Race." Adlai Stevenson
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