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The Social Dividend

u the same wages as his fellow worker, and while the If everyone made their own goods no one could
bachelor would get a Dividend, plus his wages, the be blamed if an individual preferred luxury goods to
family man would receive as many Dividends as there essential ones. Modern production is not manufac-
were people in his home, in addition to his wages. tured by each person nor directed toward oneself,
57. What would the Dividend do for farmers? however.
The Dividend would allow for a farm’s products to It is through using cash credits, or money, that
be sold and the farmer to make a profit in recognition consumers give production its direction. The con-
of his hard work. He could at last consider purchasing sumer expresses his choices by buying products that
new farm equipment, fertilizer, livestock, etc. suit his needs, and production supplies the market by
58. What would it do for the worker? replacing the products that are sold.
If the consumer lacks purchasing power, he is no
The national Dividend would safeguard workers’ longer able to give direction to producers pertaining
dignity. The worker would no longer be forced to sell to his needs or his preferences. If he does not have
his services for a pittance. The security against dire the power to seek the basics while others have the
need, which is offered by the Dividend, would allow means to obtain the superfluous, then the production
people to pursue occupations for which they are best system will supply superfluous goods and the pro-
suited and society, as a whole, would gain. duction of essential goods will be limited.
59. Is the productive capacity of most nations suf- With a Social Dividend, all individuals would have
ficient to provide for a Social Dividend that would a minimum of purchasing power that would allow
meet the population’s basic needs?
them to obtain basic goods. Those who have more
The productive capacity of most countries is gen- purchasing power could always obtain more goods,
erally vast and continues to expand when it does not but production would first address the meeting of
meet interference. basic needs.
It is cruel to deny the satisfaction of basic needs Once basic needs were taken care of, there would
when nations have a vast productive capacity be- be no reason to rebel against social inequalities. Dif-
cause it is an assault on the right to life; a right recog- ferent levels of quality of life can exist, but only after
nized by everyone in society, in theory. Denying the a given level of well-being has been achieved for all.
satisfaction of basic needs is unfair since productive In Major C.H. Douglas Speaks, Douglas said:
capacity exists.
“What are we aiming at? What are we trying to
All it needs to be mobilized are two things: a suf- get? Well, now, I will put it in a very large general
ficient amount of financial credit to lubricate the gears form, as I see it from one point of view. We are en-
of the productive system and enough purchasing deavouring to bring to birth a NEW CIVILISATION. We
power in consumers’ hands so they might express are doing something which really extends far beyond
their needs effectively.
the confines of a change in the financial system. We
60. In developed countries, would the Social Divi- are hoping by various means, chiefly financial, to en-
dend not lead to overproduction? able the human community to definitely step out of
No. Social Dividends would end parasitic occupa- one type of civilisation into another type of civilisa-
tions that are tremendously wasteful. tion, and the first and basic requirement as we see it,
1
We would learn to seek out activities other than of that, is absolute economic security.”
for profit alone. We would be less concerned with ob- 62. Would Social Dividends benefit all of mankind?
taining our daily bread and could dedicate ourselves Yes, all of mankind would benefit. Social Divi-
to other aspects of life. With the help of a proper edu- dends can be called the “money of freedom” as it is
cation, we could go from a civilization of useless work free from all servitude.
and waste to a civilization of culture and art.
The capitalist who makes a profitable investment
We could achieve a civilization of spirituality and and receives a dividend can be a scientist, a poet,
the ascent of the soul. A Christian philosopher called a musician: no matter what, he will still receive his
it “a civilization of meditation”. This would be possible dividend. The Social Dividend would be distributed in
for those who wanted it once they were freed from exactly the same way.
paid employment. Freedom is a coveted right. We have freedom of
61. What if Social Dividends are spent on luxury choice and freedom to choose what to do with one’s
items and superfluous goods? time. We are free to choose an occupation and even
Social Credit insists that production must be free to take part in activities that have nothing to do
directed to satisfying needs according to their import- with economics.
ance. Essential needs would be the first priority of any
production program. 1 http://www.socred.org/s-c-action/social-credit-views/social-
credit-and-leisure/the-meaning-of-leisure

44 MICHAEL May/June/July 2019 www.michaeljournal.org