Another View From The Back Forty
Well sir, I think that it’s about time that we human beings got things straightened out.
The past century has seen a heap of changes to our old planet, its inhabitants and their environment. Things that live seem to have a tendency to want to grow. This is one of the basic facts of life. When things grow, they also have an intrinsic desire to reproduce themselves. This is also basic to life. This is as true for us humans as it is for all other life forms. It is also a fact that our planet has a certain, limited, inhabitable land mass on which we human creatures can exist (live) comfortably with the many other life forms. Many sociologists are becoming concerned about over-population and believe that we should take definite steps to curb this growth. This may be all well and good. However when we are dealing with ‘life principles’, we must exercise intelligence and, yes caution, lest we set into motion other laws of Life over which we have no control. It seems that the human species was created male and female for the purpose of creating additional humans; thus forming a family of three or more.
Normally, we were each borne as an individual person, either as a male or as a female. As soon as we arrived, however we were surrounded by an environment to which we were obliged to conform. Thus we became an important part of society. As a member of this Human Race, circumstances compelled us to be both a contributor and a receiver of the influences of our environment. This simple natural truth of life obliges each of us to willingly partake of this partnership of humans and Nature, each giving to each, as required to maintain a natural balance.
This life principle, of sustainable balance, applies to the relationship among us humans as well, and is expressed by my often repeated phrase “Care and Share”.
For somewhat over a century Humans, in the most ‘developed’ sections of our planet, have been developing mechanisms and skills capable of producing all of the things necessary to feed, house, clothe every man, woman and child on our once superlative planet. Since then, Scientists aided by Technicians and skilled workers, have continued to develop and produce surpluses of all these things- tools and gadgets as well as clothing, nutritious food, housing and health services in an ever increasing abundance – even more than can be consumed. Why then is it, that during all of this time, many millions of our species suffered and died from the want of food, proper clothing, health care and loneliness? Why in our enlightened world, is this continuing to happen?
Ever since the dawn of human history, and human beings began the practice of trading with each other, from the ‘barter system’, over the ages to the use of coins, when the “Money Price System” was instituted. Things and services took on dimension of ‘value’. The idea of yours and mine; that which is mine is mine and not yours. If you want a share of it you must pay me whether it is something to eat, to wear, or something to do. This idea is still largely prevalent today and is no doubt the cause of much of our social problems, from stealing a loaf of bread, to stay off starvation, to wars between and in nations, people killing people as well as stealing and destroying their property and Nature to boot.
Since the beginning of the Industrial Age and “Industry” and “Business” were wedded to become “Commerce”, this idea became redundant. A new method to facilitate the distribution of goods and services of the products of “Industry” became imminent and necessary. The methods of science and technology working through Industry must produce a new “science of distribution”. Regardless of Business, every Industry has some sort of shipping facility through which the product orders are distributed to the customer, either directly or indirectly. It is apparent that every Industry must also have some sort of receiving department through which orders or requests for the product or products are received.
A technological solution for the balanced control of production and the distribution of Industry’s output could be accomplished by means of a special coded requisition. This would be made pocket size, much like our familiar Visa card, and would be registered to each individual, bearing the individual’s number and name and would become the individual’s exclusive purchasing power for any of the available goods or services required, as well as access to the holder’s education and health records. This requisition device would bear the name “Global Share Card” and as I said would be made in a standard size to fit conveniently into one’s wallet, replacing other cards and folding money. The cards would each be fitted with a magnetic strip and micro-chips, etc, which would electronically inform the supplier of the product or service to debit the supply and at the same time, credit the distribution to the card- holder. We thus see that production can be activated and the distribution accomplished quite accurately and efficiently, for any and all that our society provides, without the need for commerce or banking.
Engineering and Technology today produces both goods and services. Why should not a similar combination of engineering and technology complete the transaction by distributing these products to the consumer?
With today’s technology, given the political will, it would be quite possible and, yes practical, to have each man, women and child to be registered in their own country, and at the same time be given their own “Global Share Card”, which they should suitably sign and treasure. This would represent the purchasing or (share) power of each person.
On the basis of this “Global Share Card” would rest the structure of a new society. From a highly competitive “Free Enterprise” society, we could quite naturally evolve into a mutual, co-operative, “Care and Share” society. From a Business-Banking oriented and controlled corporate society, we could evolve into one in which we would freely recognize that: “We are all in this together”. As individuals, we are obliged to work and share with others. There is much to be done to repair the ecological damage already done to the Earth, as well as sociological damage to Humanity.
The triumphs of human endeavor and achievement that illustrate the unlimited power of human beings for group survival have been recorded many times. Philosophers of old, testify to the combined strength of a large number of individuals working together for good as well as for evil. Each human being has access to unlimited latent powers which can be multiplied many times, by working in association with others of like persuasion. “Where two or three are gathered together for the purpose of human growth and betterment, all of the powerful forces of the universe become available for our use.”
Timothy Haystubble Grass Roots Philosopher