Background/Analysis
- When capitalism works it is arguably the best system economically.
- When capitalism fails (as now and for at least 30 years) it is easily the worst system economically.
- Meanwhile, capitalism has always been the worst system morally.
Thus, I cannot rationally understand how it is that capitalism, especially the current corporatist, crony capitalism (typified by Wall Street and Washington) is somehow the culmination of societal systems – i.e. how it is that humankind could have democratically chosen this system, in rational terms, over time?
I think the truth is that: capitalism is essentially so evil, it chose us. And humans are so stupid/lazy, we let it.
In practice, I argue that, because the first casualty of capitalism is always community, humankind has today been gradually stripped of its larger (and far more important to individual and collective happiness) communal interests in favor of hyper-individualism (The Century of Self). In my view, only perversions, such as hyper-individualism, can explain the relatively recent (100 years) historical success of capitalism. A more humanist perspective, on the other hand, imagines another system, based primarily on the principle of a global commons and organized around true democracy and the simple moral and communal principles inherent in major religions and by objective, human centered, philosophy.
Mission Statement
I don’t believe in corporatization. It is by definition too hierarchical and “trickle-down.” It should be impossible/illegal to be too rich and/or too powerful. Being so only benefits the individual and those having capital/connections to ride his/her coattails directly. Therefore, hyper-individualism should be a crime. Why? Because it produces only/primarily the following effects in the broad (10K years) experience of human history:
- Impedes progress: nothing ever gets truly better; not for long.
- Accelerates collapse: whereby all/most beneficial systems (e.g. transport infrastructure) eventually falls apart.
- Destroys community.
- Precludes individual (and therefore collective) happiness.
- It redounds (for vast majority – i.e. 97%) to simply working, groveling, debt, stress, humiliation, exploitation, etc., while the other 1-3% earn/inherit/luck-into 50-75% of the Earth’s “wealth.”
Constitution/commandments
- I don’t believe in private property. But I can tolerate it – as a reward for ambition -- if said ambition is combined equally with high moral integrity. Anyone deemed by a “jury of his peers” to have profited unfairly (immorally) from others or from the “commons” is immediately stripped of all holdings/wealth and must “start over” – as at birth (read on) – with but one original Earth “share.”
- I don’t believe in printed money (fiat currency). But I can tolerate it generally in lieu of having to transport gold, salt, water, housing, land, etc. for purposes of financial endeavors and/or exchanges.
- I believe in technology, but not the mass production thereof, unless by robots (never by people). Mass production typically requires human slaves (e.g. Chinese assembly line workers) to be profitable. This is immoral and should therefore be illegal (see above).
- I believe in the “global commons” – i.e. that each and every human on this planet is “entitled” at birth with one equal ‘share” of Earth ownership (wealth – in whatever form is agreed upon at the time of birth) – i.e. is entitled to 1/<current population> portion of Earth wealth/capacity. No more. No less. This share cannot be transferred or inherited. It expires at death. Additional wealth can be accumulated (but the 1 share can never be lost) by the most talented and meritorious individuals in the human society, but only during their lives, not after. Accumulated “shares” can never be transferred (except back to the commons). Upon each individual’s death, his/her original and/or accumulated “shares” return to the global commons.
- I believe in true democracy. All decisions must abide by the one-person-one-vote principal. No form of “representative” democracy shall be permitted under any circumstances.
- All other rules, codes, jobs, hierarchies, etc. -- that comply with the above – are hereby permitted. Non compliance, by decision of a democratic majority, on the part of any other system/organization will result in immediate dissolution thereof with any/all remaining assets returned to the global commons.
