A desperate need for social and economic reform.
You alarm goes off, waking you up. In today’s world that spells dread for the vast majority of us. It means that it is time to get up, get ready, and rush off to work, typically in a job that we don’t really enjoy, where we will then spend the majority of our day. And for most of us, the money that we will make as a result of our sacrifices will barely sustain us. However, if we do not continue on with our working, we will lose our home, our vehicles, and even our ability to buy food and clothing.
But what if instead we worked because it is for the good of our society? What if the fear and anxiety of losing our livelihood at any given turn was replaced by a sense of purpose? What if we were no longer slaves to money, but were instead in service to one another? Some would argue that people would refuse to work if not motivated by the fear of starving to death or of being homeless, but I believe (and I know I am not alone) that humans would be just as driven to work if they had a sense of interconnected community…of being a part of something bigger…of helping one another. In addition, it would be much healthier for us all from a mental health perspective if we did not have such pressing financial anxieties hanging over our heads.
Far too many of us live paycheck to paycheck with just one accident, illness, or unforeseen setback standing between us and destitute homelessness. Far too many more have already experienced that setback and now find themselves out in the elements of the street where they are mostly ignored by the rest of society, wrapped in the stigma that they must have done something wrong to be where they are at. But a lot of them have worked hard all their lives, sometimes working more than one job to make ends meet, all the way up until they met an unavoidable setback. It is through no fault of their own that they find themselves homeless. Then there are our senior citizens. These people have also often worked their whole lives, sometimes at multiple jobs at a time. However, when their golden years arrive, a time when they should be enjoying retirement and the fruits of their labors, they often are forced to continue working, in some cases right up until their bodies physically cannot, all because social security and governmental programs are wildly inadequate and at times, impossible to qualify for. What happens to these unfortunate elders? They often lose their homes when they can’t afford their day to day costs and are ejected out into the streets to fend for themselves. If there are no friends, family, or other safety network, they often die alone to be unceremoniously forgotten. We have to do better than this.
I think a good number of people would love to help. They would happily donate, but they have no extra money themselves. They would like to offer their time and labor, but they have no more to give after working to provide for their own families.
I think of all the extraordinary doctors we would have if they could only afford medical school. I think of all the nurses we could have if only they were given the opportunity.
Do you have any inclination of what the cost of being in a nursing home is? And once the money runs out, can you believe that so many of them refuse Medicare and Medicaid in favor of evicting the elderly out into the streets to fend for themselves when most of them couldn’t safely be alone in even fine housing? Where is the humanity in this?
Our system is flawed and it is failing. This capitalist, all for self, greedy, growth obsessed system is destroying our humanity as well as the very planet that we live on. It is not sustainable and will eventually drive our very civilization into ruin. Simple research will prove this.
So what can we do to change things? I think it’s pretty well known that money itself has no worth, but rather represents our labor, goods, services and physical space. This is even more evident now that society is moving away from using paper money and coins. Even the money that banks loan out is not real, but a hypothetical thing. So why not ditch an economical system based on money altogether?
But how? Honestly, it would not be that hard. Most of us would simply continue on working the jobs that we already have. It might seem a little scary at first, but no more so than where we already are. Those that own businesses would still continue to run them. If they are struggling to meet demand, they can post the need for more employees without worrying about profit versus services. We would still need some form of government to tackle hard issues, and to make sure that enough resources are being produced and distributed to wherever they are needed, as well as working to solve inevitable issues within our society and to keep relationships with other nations. In order to make sure decisions are made in accordance with what is best for society in general, I think it’s important that any governmental systems remain a democracy, and it would be most beneficial for populations to vote on most if not all issues rather than to just appoint representatives. With the establishment of the internet, I see no reason why people cannot be allowed to represent themselves.
What of those who work at banks? Those jobs could be converted to help centers for those who need assistance with finding housing, transportation, finding space for a business, and other resources. There is a greater need to make sure that farmers have all the help and resources they need and that a good deal more farms are established. Too many people are starving or dying due to poor nutrition. This is unacceptable and preventable.
People who work for insurance companies would still be needed to assist those who go through the catastrophes of auto, home and life loss to find the resources they need to have repairs done or to acquire what they need.
No one…no one should be living in gross excess. Everyone should have a roof over their head, adequate heating and cooling, plenty of food to eat, clean running water, and access to the internet. Every single person should be entitled to the basics. Every single person should have a mode of transportation and if desired, the things that they need to engage in their active hobbies. And there need to be regulations in place to keep people from taking more than they could ever need.
No, we don’t need to seize the assets and properties of the now “rich”. We just need to ensure that these gross accumulations don’t happen in the future.
Every able bodied and minded adult who is not furthering their education needs to contribute. Caring for others, such as raising or looking after children or the elderly who cannot do things for themselves counts as contribution. Entertainers and those who create things for our entertainment are also contributors to society. Honestly, most of that would be common sense. The same things that people do for money today would still be useful in a society without money. Along that same vein, time off each week and vacations to recoup, as well as a balanced retirement age would also still be essential to well being.
What if people refuse to contribute? I really do not think this will be quite as big of an issue as some might think it would be. People generally like to contribute and be seen as important. However, there is a way to ensure that everyone is doing their best to pull their weight. Everyone in the USA already has a social security number (or should) which is used to keep track of the amount of work that each person does. There needs to be a service that helps people who are having trouble finding work on their own. This service should work closely with medical and mental health providers so that people can be evaluated as necessary. Those who refuse to work would be mandated to attend sessions with a counselor to determine why they are not working and to find a solution. If there is no physical or mental reason why they cannot work and they still refuse to contribute, then they would be sentenced to stay in a facility where they can receive further psychotherapy until they’re willing to comply. These treatments and facilities will be humane and still meet all their needs, but without the extras and the freedom that come with being a productive member of society. None of this applies to people who leave a job in search of doing another so long as they’re actively seeking to contribute and aren’t just doing nothing.
A mark in the right hand or in the forehead… Actions and thoughts…
We need to abandon the evils of buying and selling and enter a truly free market of giving and receiving. This is the only way to put an end to corruption and greed. It would also likely put an end to such illegal activities as human trafficking and illegal drug sales as there would be no money to pay for these services which hold no contribution to society. This will also put an end to most, if not all scams.
We have to step out of slavery and into servitude for the sake of us all.
I am only one person. I do not know how we can bring about such a change when we are all slaves to those who now hold all the power through money. I shudder to think of what our future will hold if we can’t free ourselves from such cruel masters that would see us die on the streets with no access to help or healthcare while they live happily on the fruits of our labor. I beseech any who may see this to look in your hearts. Help me. Help us claim our humanity. We have to do better. We have to be better…
