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Capitalism has fulfilled its task
The situation today
Climate change and the economy
It is generally recognised that global warming, which is responsible for today’s climate catastrophes, is mainly caused by greenhouse gas emissions from the economy. Politicians and the media cover up this connection so that the majority of voters opt for further economic growth.
Despite these facts, emissions will continue to rise in the coming years due to economic growth, which will further accelerate climate change. Therefore, urgency is needed.
Return to real prosperity
The causes of the progression of climate change and the problem of dwindling resources could be eliminated in the short term if the economy were to shrink to the level of the 1980s by significantly reducing consumption. There was already prosperity at that time.
The main issue here is unnecessary consumption such as shopping and commuting. We would retain today’s scientific and technological achievements and continue to be able to use them.
Today’s economic growth is purely an end in itself, because we have not become significantly happier or more satisfied in the last 30 years. On the contrary, life is becoming ever more hectic and superficial, we have less and less time for our children and society is gradually disintegrating.
A system without a future
The reduction in consumption and increasing automation will inevitably make many jobs redundant in the future.
Within the existing capitalist economic system, there is a lack of mechanisms that would enable the future masses of unemployed people to lead a self-determined life. Out of fear of this uncertain future, the majority of voters are therefore clinging to yesterday’s economic system.
Government inaction
Economic growth is the government’s top priority in order to secure tax revenues and continue to fulfil the economy’s financial obligations to the financial system.
Governments are not taking effective action against climate change because reconstruction in the wake of climate disasters is seen as a source of future growth. Governments are stepping up armaments to prepare for the battle for increasingly scarce resources.
Rearmament and post-war reconstruction also contribute to economic growth, as we know from the „economic miracle“ after the Second World War.
Programme to end capitalism quickly and peacefully
For 50 years we have been working on conventional solutions without the slightest success. Here is an approach that absolutely must be widely discussed. This approach is an unconventional idea that could lead to success if we tackle it consistently. Capitalism has brought us to the current level of science and technology, but since it will not stop on its own, it will destroy the earth if we do not stop it. A peaceful and short-term solution is described below.
1 Root cause analysis
The real cause of global problems is not the economy, but the financial system. Economic growth is forced by international finance capital in order to secure the economy’s liabilities to the banks. A shrinking economy would not be able to fulfil these obligations and the financial system would stop making payments to the economy, which would lead to severe economic crises.
2 Eliminating production costs
The financial system would lose its influence on the economy if there were no more costs within the economy. The economy would then be free to shrink.
Raw materials and energy are provided free of charge by the earth and the sun.
Costs arise from paid labour. Voluntary, unpaid labour would eliminate the financial component of goods, so that all goods and services could be provided free of charge.
3 Voluntary work and free supplies
The proportion of voluntary work worldwide is already 40 per cent (mainly in the care and reproduction sectors). The entire civil society functions on a voluntary basis. It is possible that all work in the production sector could also be done voluntarily, which would eliminate costs in the economy. The financial system would thus become irrelevant and could dissolve.
4 Making the financial system obsolete
If there are no more costs, then the financial system is irrelevant and could simply dissolve.
This is not a problem because all employees and owners in the financial system, just like all people in the world, are automatically provided for and can lead a self-determined, carefree life. Expenses for representation are then no longer necessary.
The freed-up properties would be used for residential purposes.
5 No technical preparations required
It is not necessary to reorganise the economy for this. The economy could continue to produce as normal, with the only difference being that no wages would be paid. Because all goods and services could then be provided immediately free of charge, no wages would be required at all.
All existing contracts would continue to apply for the time being, only the payment term would be cancelled.
6 Reduced consumption
If all goods are given away for free, then of course all advertising is superfluous. Without advertising and discount campaigns, people will then only consume what they really need for a happy and contented life. Of course, this also includes leisure time.
The economy would shrink all by itself, so that the long-term climate targets could be achieved in the short term.
Goods would once again be produced in such a way that they last as long as possible. Eliminating wages would also pave the way for a fully circular economy, as it would no longer matter how long it takes to completely dismantle unusable goods. This would drastically reduce the consumption of resources and also put an end to neo-colonialism.
7 Equality
The abolition of the wage system would probably eliminate gender inequality. This injustice is historically due to the fact that work that is performed unpaid is not recognised.
In the economic system described here, the difference between paid labour in production and unpaid labour in reproduction no longer exists.
8 Global transition
The switch to voluntary labour must take place simultaneously worldwide, ensuring that all goods are immediately available to all people free of charge.
A global general strike, which is not a work stoppage but the start of voluntary labour without pay, could achieve this goal.
A global public holiday such as 1 May 2025 could also be used for the changeover.
9 Peaceful revolution
This changeover would not harm anyone and could therefore be implemented completely peacefully. It would ensure that no one is excluded from the supply of goods and services.
Gratitude for gifts received will positively change social coexistence.
Notes:
Free raw materials
For many people, it is not so easy to understand that we all receive raw materials from the earth as a gift. They argue that the owner of the land on which the raw materials are extracted makes a living from selling these raw materials. Or they say that the farmer has to make an effort in advance in order to harvest the grain. In the form of economy described here, the owner of the land would not need any income at all because he receives his livelihood for free and the farmer also provides the preliminary work by means of voluntary labour; he also receives his entire livelihood for free, of course. The elimination of payments immediately frees us from the need for financial income.
The role of the entrepreneur
We must realise that it is not the „capitalist“ who is the enemy of the people, but the financial system, which has escaped human control and is putting the economy under pressure. The entrepreneur as a person is on the side of the people whose future is threatened.
The switch to a voluntary economy is therefore not a typical revolution aimed at changing power and property relations. Above all, it is about creating the conditions for the economy to shrink in order to counteract climate change and the scarcity of resources, while at the same time enabling all people to lead a secure, carefree and self-determined life.
Justice would then materialise automatically when no one is excluded from receiving goods and services. Gratitude for the gifts received will fundamentally change the way people live together in society and pave the way for global cooperation and solidarity.
The role of property
If there is no more money, then there is automatically no more profit. Consequently, property, i.e. the tool with which profit is generated, is useless. However, the owners are still responsible for maintaining their property. To relieve themselves of this responsibility, they will release the property. It will then once again be freely available to all people, as has been the case for most of human history.
In the transition period, property would be seen more as a right to respect, just as visitors use our homes, but also respect.
Current loans
Although credit remains, it loses its effect as money becomes irrelevant as a means of payment. The financial system and credit would dissolve the moment we switch to voluntary labour.
Elimination of taxes
Of course, taxes would no longer be levied because there would be no more wages. However, taxes are also no longer necessary, as all services that are currently paid for through taxes will later be provided voluntarily.
Communication in the run-up to the switch to voluntary labour
The global switch to voluntary work on a cut-off date must of course be communicated in advance. People need to understand the logic that all goods and services will cost nothing if they are produced voluntarily.
They must also understand that competition and rivalry will cease and that all people will then behave cooperatively and in solidarity. The nature of goods as a gift, for which we are grateful, will also contribute to this. We don’t have to change our behaviour for this, because in the circle of family and good friends we also behave cooperatively and in solidarity today and every day.
It must also be communicated that there will be no looting if all the goods are given away. It is not necessary to hoard anything because this state is unlimited and we would have no space to hoard goods.
Perhaps this communication would be enough to motivate people to bring about this changeover.
Reason and timing for the global switch to voluntary work
The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us that it is possible to implement global measures. As the virus spread rapidly around the world from late 2019 and early 2020, many countries responded almost simultaneously with drastic measures to slow the spread. These measures were often implemented within a few days. Countries on all continents were affected and implemented similar measures, resulting in a globally coordinated response. Despite regional differences in the severity and duration of the measures, there was a clear global trend towards lockdowns and social restrictions.
The global lockdown has shown that coordinated global action is possible in a short timeframe if a sufficiently urgent crisis requires it. This could serve as a model to understand how global action could be implemented in other crises, such as climate change.
How does the transition work technically?
The great advantage of this concept is that the conversion of the economy to voluntary labour does not require any technical preparation, nor does it necessarily lead to chaos. Initially, nothing would change in the economy freed from the financial system because the goods produced would not care whether they were produced by paid or voluntary labour. All contracts continue to run, both labour contracts and supply contracts. But the nature of the commodity as a gift means that, within a short period of time, only what people really need for a happy and contented life is produced. Less is then simply produced and people stay at home longer, they help in areas that offer them more fulfilment or they share heavy or monotonous work with other people. In a society characterised by a gift economy, people will automatically behave much more cooperatively because we will be much more grateful.
What about progress?
The most common argument in favour of competition and the market is progress. Without the power of money, there would supposedly be no progress. But what about the many famous researchers who provided mankind with their inventions in a completely altruistic way? Most of today’s research is not for the benefit of mankind but to secure market share.
If people are no longer forced to work just to get paid, then they have the freedom to do what they enjoy. That is the best prerequisite for progress. There is a talent in most people and they just need to be given the opportunity to awaken it. These talents will ensure that progress continues. This progress will then only serve us humans.
What about the risk?
The risk that this switch to voluntary labour will lead to complications is no greater than the risk that humanity faces if we wait a few more years without doing anything.
Need to discuss?
I would be happy to discuss this new concept with you. Please write me an email if you would like to discuss it.
Contact: post@LetUsBe.One
Berlin, 18 June 2024
Eberhard Licht
This is my personal homepage and my personal opinion.
