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FAQ #5: But if everyone has equal money, who will do the work that is required to sustain society

Here I suggest we be very specific. Currently we have a system that consists out of uncountable jobs and tasks that need to be performed. This number of jobs and tasks is based in the starting point of the current money-system. Which is that everyone has to do a task of some sort to gain access to money, without which one cannot exist in this world. Thus if we go and look what is the nature of many of those tasks and jobs, we will see that they don’t necessarily exist to support human beings physical existence and the quality of life on earth. Instead, we will see that for instance a corporation is formed to sell a certain product that – if one is self-honest – it can easily be seen there exists no need for the product they are selling. Though the existence of such products and services is justified through the need for employment – where it becomes quite irrelevant if the product or service provided has actually any relevance to the quality of life on earth, as long as there is a market for such products and services that allow the corporation to make money and be a source of income for its employees, without which they would be unable to survive in this reality.

Take a call center job for instance: many companies employ call centers to increase their sales. But if we now look at those companies: they are merely trying to sell a product because they need to survive as a company to generate income. Many companies are actually quite deliberate in this, where they will emphasize the need and the importance of their product, knowing full well what they’re saying is not true. So the employees of such a company together with the employees of the call center are performing a task that is not actually contributing in any way to the quality of life on earth – or at least where the quality of life on earth is not seen as having any priority.

In an equal money-system such jobs will no longer be necessary to be done. Because the only reason why they exist is to generate income. We’re not even talking about those jobs, tasks and professions in the current system that are harming and destroying life on earth. Of those jobs and tasks that currently generate an income that allow people to survive in this reality, there are many. (e.g. cutting rain forests, hunting for animal fur or ivory, weapons development and trade – one merely need to consider America’s military spending to understand the vastness of this arena – ; soldiers to be trained for war and killing – would anyone join the army if they had no need for the income? – ; alcohol trade, etc.)

Now, let’s look at the kind of arena’s, tasks, jobs and professions where it can easily be seen that they are critical to the quality of life on earth.


  • The manufacturing of clothing
  • The building and maintaining of housing & living infrastructure
  • Energy production, such as electricity
  • Providing clean drinking water
  • Sewage system building and maintenance
  • Agriculture/Food production and distribution
  • Education and schooling
  • Health care
  • Organization/Administration
  • Computer and software
  • Research

Etc…

So what many argue is: who will do those necessary tasks? why would anyone be motivated to do anything? Let’s look at it this way: do people require to be payed to have the motivation to wash themselves? No, because most understand it is necessary to be done as a matter of hygiene and also because they enjoy doing it! So here we have an example of an action that is based on understanding and that is not done out of profit, because it’s part of ‘taking care of oneself’. Though, to wash yourself, you would actually require water that comes out of your tap. And because you live in a community and you understand that everyone would benefit from having water, you understand that it would be far more effective to have one coordinated system of providing water for everyone, instead of each individually having to sort out their water-issues by themselves. So within the community you come to an agreement as to who will take responsibility for making sure there is water. This is basic common sense. It has nothing to do with profit-calculations, but with looking after oneself in the understanding that ‘what is best for all, is best for me’. The same procedure can be applied to any requirement that would then form a public service.

With the current technology that is available – it would not even be necessary that everyone does a job. Because the jobs that exist would not be based on the need for income but on the understanding of what is best for all.

To practically arrange this, would require a ‘Dual-Money-system’ – because the first step is to have the basics of society organized, which would result in a Labor-system. This would then be the physical support for the entire society. To manage the access to the basic goods and services the Equal money system would be introduced: simply, everyone receiving the same amount of money unconditionally – that would allow for a regulation of the distribution of basic goods and services. Meaning, this money one would only be able to spend on what is agreed to be the necessary requirements to live a dignified life, such as: proper housing and electricity, water, food, clothing, education and health care. Those that are actively involved in the labor-system would receive an extra income. This income would be the same for every participant according to the time-units they have worked, regardless of the nature of the activity.

Note that with what we’ve established thus far – everyone is already taken care of.

Now the labor-income will be a different type of money, that has no restrictions with regards to what it can be used for. Thus a space is created for anyone wanting to engage in providing certain goods and services, that are not strictly necessary – but that many would regard as desirable in some way. This space will function as a free market within the equal money-system. People performing a job will have access to a greater variety of goods and services according to their preference. Note that, even though there will be a difference in private wealth resulting from this arrangement, actual poverty will not be able to exist, as each one has a dignified minimum, which is according to each one’s equal right to live a decent life.

btemplates

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