May 1, this Millenium–this THURSDAY

One Response to “May 1, this Millenium–this THURSDAY”

1. aria on April 28th, 2014 at 6:44 am #

   The Times They Are A Changin’.

   Karl Marx lived in a time—before the advent of state socialism—when capitalists flourished because of large numbers of poorly educated workers working all together on various factory floors in a few large monopolistic industries, for 12 hours a day, most days. Capitalism was in its infancy. The battle line between the owners of the factories (that is capital) and the workers was clear. Today things are different.

   While there are indeed many large monopolistic industries whether the interests of workers in all of them—for instance public employees and computer programers—not to mention those of prisoners and the homeless—are the same—is not at all clear. What is clear is that relative to the Kings of the Universe and their minions

   (I speak of course of the financial services industry which it must be mentioned has no obvious social utility)

   none of us really have enough to live on, not decently anyway. Indeed most of us have to make due with only one house and no hired help.

   What Is To Be Done?

   State socialism didn’t work because its inventors failed to see workers as entrepreneurs. Who in 1910 could see in steel workers and factory hands the dot com owners of the future? And so those revolutionaries devised a system, well intentioned but patronizing, that attempted to care for workers instead of setting them free.

   There are ways to insure the health and well being of all citizens’ without trying to plan an economy. The state should expropriate enough profit from the private sector in the form of taxes to provide every citizen with a basic income guarantee and then step way back. Put money in the hands of consumers—say $21,000 yr—and let them make economic choices. Eliminate all other entitlements with the exception of healthcare administered by the state and suddenly there is money is hands of future entrepreneurs instead of in

   programs
   the third homes of health insurance executives
   malpractice attorneys’ portfolios
   government payrolls and
   government buildings.

   Everyone gets it, so it’s fair and there are no strings attached so there is no disincentive to work. Instead of regulating how many Snicker’s bars a welfare recipient should be allowed to buy each month, our democratically elected representatives could be influencing the price of labor by raising or lowering the basic income guarantee. This is a very useful thing to do and should not be left to the capitalist owners of any industry in any era.

   Occupy Strategy Group Strategic Objectives #’s 2 & 5:

   National healthcare
   Replace All Entitlements with a Basic Income Guarantee.

   http://interoccupy.net/occupystrategy/2013/10/occupy-strategy-groups-top-10-recommended-strategic-objectives/

   Please note that Occupy Sacramento is hosting this year’s Occupy National Gathering.

   For the Earth,

   A.