I've been a member of Agnostic.com for a few months now. I've posted topics, responded to inquiries, and responded to other threads. What have I learned? We need something new--and quite probably--monstrous.
The main themes to suffering in the world: Donald Trump; the elite; poverty; religion; men's penises (I've responded/replied to nearly 50 of the last one). We might all be quite wrong.
A fellow-member of Agnostic.com wondered "...what the world would be like without money." I've seen that many times too. But what spurred me to talk about this is that money is the problem.
Start from the beginning. We are all expected to earn a wage, or participate in society in a meaningful way. The way that we earn money is to work...with the exception of public-welfare assistance (for those who are unable to work due to infirmity, mental health issues, etc.). To work is to be selling away your life...to live. Irony.
Most of us are paid in the national currency(s) of our respective countries. All governments are corrupt (they are governments). More and more of our wages, our lives spent, pay for the atrocities committed every day. No country is altruistic.Governments require the submission of the people within the borders that it governs.
Methods of politics have been theorized, and implemented, in the "fairest way" possible. To whit: communism, fascism, empires, socialism, democracies, representative republics. All. Are. Corrupt.
Since all governments are corrupt--national currencies are blood-money--for the people that earn it, and use it in commerce.
To do away with money would require another form of intraction/exchange. What earthly commodity could be globally exchanged? Life.
This was expressed fairly well, in a quote from "Jupiter Ascending". The sister of a galactic cartel, Kaique Abrasax, speaks to Jupiter about the most valuable good in the Universe: "In your world, people are used to fighting for resources...like, oil, or minerals, or land. But when you have access to the vastness of space, you realize that there is only one source worth fighting over...even killing for: more time. Time is the single most precious commodity in the universe."
We are well on our way to harvesting the resources of space. The mineral wealth of our planet will decline--as technology advances to harvest the bounty of space. What then? Does "life" become the wealth of nations?
Some of this is already done. People donate plasma for money (here in the U.S). Others donate organs for money on the black market (Phillipines). The problem is that they are paid in national currencies. Would this be different if it were bitcoins? Possibly.
A global database can be set up, tapping the unseen wealth of life...and tapping into it to benefit all of humanity. I would call it "The Wellspring". It would be the most comprehensive data base of human DNA and individual health ever devised. National currencies and other commodities would fail. "Wellspring" would be the global currency.
Those tapped into the Wellspring would have "Health Indexes". The investment of there personal wealth would make them very conscious of their health and well-being. The index would be on a scale from 1 to 10...with 10 being optimum health.
Modern medicine has not been able to effectively replicate human organs or bodily fluids for transplants and transfusions. What I propose is a global network that members of "Wellspring" would be able to sell their organs and bodily fluids...to those in need of them. The quality of the organs and fluids, based upon the personal health of the donors, would be able to voluntarily donate them. Their compensation would be "Wellspring notes"...which I would hope would be the only money to ever exist. Ever again.
Unfortunately, with every good intention, there would be a black market. I have envisioned some pretty ghoulish ones. For instance: aborted fetuses/babies...not given humane protections that legally-recognized people are...would be the source of absolutely illegal organs and bodily fluids. The fetuses, I suspect, will be surgically removed from the uterus, and placed into artificial wombs. They would grow to term, the brainstem cut, and the vegetative body maintained by artificial means. Organs would be harvested at will.
"Wellspring" would be completely voluntary. The inner-wealth of individuals would be completely under their control. Eat well. Live well. Exercise. Get personally involved in community and global affairs that directly affect their health ( environmental pollution, Frankenstein food, etc).
Voluntary donations cannot, in any way--shape--or form, force the person who donates into a reduced quality of life. A kidney can be donated, along with bone marrow, portions of musculature, pieces of liver, hair/follicles, etc. Under no uncertain terms would a person be forced to participate or donate. Violators who coerce, by blackmail, threat of force, or kidnapping/imprisonment...will be tried in a world court. If found guilty? Death.
"The Wellspring" isn't perfect. However, on a global scale...it is better than we are doing now.
Religion is a tool of control. Government SHOULD represent its citizens, but it is controlled by money and, yes, religion. Religion is just as corrupted by money as government.
What is the solution? Take money out of politics (outlaw superPACs and cap campaign donations), TAX CHURCHES, and make policy based on scientific evidence.
I don't think the U.S. government is that bad. Just repeal whatever law considers companies/corporations as people. Just pass laws that forbid corporate donations OR make public donations to politicians. Just outlaw the outdated Gerrymandering process. Popular votes, some say, are better than using an arbitrary Electoral Collage. etc., etc., etc.
A huge part of the idea is that what people generally attribute 'human nature' is largely false.
Human babies are born prematurely due to our large brains. We have an incredible capacity to be shaped by the environments around us.
What would people be like if removed from the harmful influence of our societies? The potential of our race is mind boggling, if social structures were devoted to the understanding and development of ourselves, while clearing up the mess made by our troubled past.
A big question for me is how we would topple the current system. Revolutions are notoriously easy to spot, and interfere with, during their build-up. I haven't looked much into the notion of just ceasing to function within the system. A huge problem is the hooks of indoctrination that have been so deeply embedded in our minds. It is difficult for us to think outside the box under such circumstances.
I think it was einstein who said:
"We cannot solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when creating them"
I just don't understand why an extremely complex and varied world would need an imperfect mechanism to attempt to create uniform motivation to contribute to that group despite it's inconsistency. Is everyone crazy or can we not all perform uniform altruism despite our genetic predisposition to do the opposite. Or better yet we could make a system we've never tried before with no new, unforeseen consequences that would in no way be analogous to the system we already have.
I want to see a society built and governed by facts and objectivity. It seems the fairest solution to current world problems.
Yeah, pretty sure that society wouldn't have a monetary system like the one in operation today, if at all. There is little doubt in my mind that this is as good as it gets.
@GilbertusAlbans not as good as it gets, in fact I'd wager in only a few decades we'll have to radically change our economic system or remove and replace it all together. However, things move slowly on the large scale and further, we've changed the system several times. Bartering was the first trade, then precious metals and stones become currency, those then were replaced with printed currency for standardization, and now again in the process of being changed to digital currency. It takes a long time to improve anything but money isn't a problem, people are. Money is our attempt to minimize subjectivity and create standardization. I can sell leather books on etsy and spend that earning anywhere. Greedy people will steal, cheat or kill for resources, not just money, and jealous people will tell others what to do with money jealous people didn't earn.
Sorry, I meant not as good as it gets haha