For those who have not quite
noticed it yet, we seem to be living in a world that is upside down. We produce
more than enough food to feed the world but millions or starving every year.
Millions are even starving in the
United States the richest country on the
planet. We have the capacity to produce an abundance of all kinds of goods and
services yet many of us will go without while stockpiles build and then go to
waste. Something is wrong.
40 million people in the richest country on earth can’t afford health insurance
and or medical attention. This means it is much worse for countries that are not
as fortunate if I can call it that. All over the world there is plenty of work
that needs to be done but there are 3 billion people all over the world under
and or unemployed. 36 million Americans live in poverty. There are an estimated
760,000 homeless Americans. These are all things we have the resources to handle
but yet we don’t.
Stagnant and failing
wages along with moderate to high rising costs every year for most goods and
services are starting to have a compounding effect on the middle and the poor in
all countries. There is an ever widening gap between the rich and the poor where
the top 10% holds 57% of the net wealth in the
United States. (…
more details)
There are many other
examples like above that we could add but it all comes down to this. Nothing
significant will change unless we have a way to make some fundamental changes.
These are all huge problems that we will never be able to fix unless we can
address the root cause. The root cause
is capitalism fueled by technology. For more clarity on this subject read "Death
By Technology" if you have not already. If you are more
scientifically/technically inclined you should also read “Digital
Failure”. This is a scientific explanation of the what, why and how we got
here. Let there be no mistake about it, democratic capitalism has never been an efficient
way to distribute wealth or resources. However, democratic capitalism was better than nothing and
the alternative (totalitarian socialism/communism). Don't be confused. All forms and uses of socialism are not bad
or evil. Just ask the banks after huge bailouts and the rich, after huge tax
cuts. But there is a better way. What is that better way? That has to be the bazillion dollar question.
What I am about to
tell you has never been heard, written or seen before anywhere else.
In order to solve
our problems we will have to do the unthinkable and the unheard of. “We will
have to buy ourselves out of capitalism.” That’s
right; we will have to buy our freedom. "It takes a capitalist to beat a capitalist." Capitalism was probably a necessary
evil, but we've become slaves to it. I wouldn't dismiss this statement as just a
piece of unwaranted rhetoric. All of us have only known a life of pure
capitilism, and we are doomed to die by it becuase we can comprehend no other.
We bought into
capitalism and we can buy our way out. It has become a form of slavery. The list
of things I discussed earlier are signs that capitalism is failing. Karl Marx
knew as early as the mid 1800’s that capitalism would fail. He spent his whole
life advocating against capitalism. The only problem was that the replacement
(totalitarian socialism/communism) was worse. Capitalism keeps us on a
treadmill. It is roller coaster of consumption which we can no longer afford or
sustain. The only
way to buy ourselves out of capitalism is to augment it and eventually replace
it with something better.
I don’t expect you to except or understand this all at once. Computer
scientists, Economists and Rocket scientist don’t even get it. If they did we wouldn't be in this mess. I just gave you the
what, why and how. At least now, you know you have a choice.
Many people will
think this is too fantastic. They will say there is no way we can fix this mess. Then why are you here. If you have no hope are disire, why are you here.
Many of us have given up long ago. They prefer to wait for some apocalyptic
Armageddon. Some of us are looking for some simple explanation and resolution
requiring no effort or sacrifice. Our problems are not simple, so grasping and
dealing with the full depth of the solution will not be as simple as reading a
few web pages. We've completed 2 books to draw a complete picture of what the world could be like and more important, how to get there.
The rest is up to you. Now for the first time we have a choice. We don’t
have to live like this if we choose not to. Human beings no longer have to toil
as we have done for thousands of years. Computers are capable of executing
trillions of instructions per second. This is the shear ability and power to do
work. We are no match for computers, but we've foolishly allowed ourselves to be
pitted against the ultimate machine. Computers and other technologies can take
the brunt of our burden right now. That has always been the promise of
technology. We don’t have to wait any longer. The time is here, the time
is now, the time is now….