Page 23 - HQ May June July 2020

Once economic security and

an adequent living is assured,
one can refuse to submit to
any form of slavery. As to the
person who chases wealth and

seeks to amass more and more
of it at any cost, he is a slave in
every sense of the word—
a slave to money.

the needs of all without the requirement that every- This generation is heir, like those preceding,
one be employed in production. to these wonders. They are a common heritage to
No one can deny that the capacity of modern which no one person, or one particular group, can
global production is sufficient to produce enough for claim a major share. It is a heritage belonging to all.
the needs of all when it is not impeded and shackled Thus, each member of society, along with his fel-
by modern finance and when goods are distributed lows, is co-heir to this immense capital which is the
as they should be. predominant factor in modern production.
It only remains to be decided whether or not Certainly this vast common capital must be mo-
each individual, by reason of his being a member of bilized. But each person has a share in what is pro-
society, and for no other reason, has a right to share duced because of this legacy capital since each is
in this abundant production. Let us examine if this co-heir and, in a manner, a co-capitalist along with
right is well-founded. his fellow citizens. This fact does not deny that re-
A Great Common Heritage muneration is required to those actively participating
in making this commonly-held capital fruitful in the
Abundant modern production is due in large productive process.
measure to the existence of natural resources which Imagine that only 1 percent of the population
God has placed on the earth and which we can pre- was needed to mobilize this immense common cap-
sume is for the use of all men. Abundant production ital that results in sufficient production. Is it logical
is also due to the fruit of a common cultural heritage that only 1 percent of the population should share in
that includes scientific discoveries, the application of this production? The same argument holds if, instead
these discoveries to industry, the refinement of in- of 1 percent, we said that 40 percent of the popula-
dustrial and commercial methods and the division of tion was necessary for production sufficient to meet
labour. All these factors result in a productivity that the population’s needs. The remaining 60 percent
is well-nigh unlimited. should not be excluded as they still retain the title
The discoveries, techniques and modern produc- of co-heir to the immense capital which the 40 per-
tion processes are not the work of those currently cent contributed. Even the 40 percent are co-heirs
employed in production. Nor are they the product of and co-capitalists, and as such, share in the overall
current research and development. They are not ne- fruits of this production. (Of course, the 40 percent
cessarily the fruit of the last three or four generations are entitled to wages or a salary as their compensa-
even; rather, they are the result of centuries of study- tion for working.)
ing nature and struggling to master and overcome The fact remains that the greater portion of pro-
it. They represent the history of man’s research, duction is thanks to enrichment by association, that
discoveries, inventions and innovations which led is, to the social heritage.
to new discoveries and inventions and perfection of
methods. All of these wonderful developments were We must acknowledge there is an abundance to
advanced by one generation after another, handed meet our needs and that economic security without
down from one to another, as if the fruit of com- restrictions, that is, without any assaults against per-
mon effort. These, in their totality, have given us the sonal liberty, is the birthright of every man, woman
miracles of the production of our day—and these all and child in a nation.
constitute a vast common heritage flowing from the Today’s financial elite deny this right. Socialism
very nature of society which has facilitated the re- ignores it. The application of the Social Credit finan-
markable legacy passed down the generations. cial proposals will ensure its realization. v
Louis Even

www.michaeljournal.org MICHAEL May/June/July 2020 23