Page 24 - A Social Dividend: An Income Guaranteed to Each Citizen

u possible but the auto industry occupies an important “Only when the last tree
place in our economy. If cars that could last a lifetime
were manufactured there would be economic chaos! has died and the last
How would we keep auto workers employed in the
name of the sacrosanct principle of full employment river been poisoned and
if cars did not need to be replaced regularly? the last fish been caught
If one considers financial terms alone, economic
growth appears to be a necessity, but from a realistic will we realise we
or practical point of view, it does not make sense.
Toward the end of Laudato Si, the Holy Father cannot eat money.”
wrote about the need to change our lifestyles and re-
duce our habits of consumption. But voluntary sim-
plicity and consuming less are contrary to the tenets
of the current financial system. Such a strategy would dignity of workers? These are all questions to pon-
lead to factory closures and thousands of workers be- der. Some jobs such as a doctor, teacher and work-
ing laid off. Pope Francis explained that before such ers who care for the elderly require a human touch.
a shift could be made the financial system would first Other jobs can be better performed by machinery,
require being changed so that it responded to the especially repetitive assembly line work, where there
real economy and to the common good. is no opportunity to express human creativity.
Our entire environment would be different if the Robots are not an end in themselves; they exist
financial system was adapted to the needs of the to accomplish difficult tasks, to help human beings
population. We would not need huge factories nor and provide relief. The problem arises when incomes
would people leave rural communities in search of are linked solely to employment. In these cases, the
employment in the cities. (Douglas observed that introduction of a machine means the loss of all in-
large plants are not necessarily more productive than come for a worker who loses his job. As it has been
smaller ones, and if they exist it is simply because explained many times, Social Credit would solve
banks prefer to finance large firms instead of family this problem by allocating a Dividend to all, based
businesses.) We could return to producing goods on the dual legacy of natural resources and progress.
and offering services at a human scale and in local The individual would then be in a position to choose
communities. the activity that appeals to him most. Under a Social
Machinery at Man’s Service Credit system there would be an outburst of creative
The Pope is not against the use of machinery and activity.
progress, but man must come before profit. For ex- Societal choices must be made, but the fact is
ample, he wrote, in paragraph 114: “Nobody is sug- that under the current economic conditions, all basic
gesting a return to the Stone Age, but we do need goods can be produced despite unemployment rates
to slow down and look at reality in a different way, of 10, 20 percent or more. Moreover, large compan-
to appropriate the positive and sustainable progress ies move their factories to countries where labour is
which has been made, but also to recover the values cheaper and where environmental regulations are
and the great goals swept away by our unrestrained less stringent. (This is called offshoring.) How can a
delusions of grandeur.” country in Europe or North America compete with
In paragraph 112, he said: “Yet we can once more countries like China, Bangladesh or other Asian na-
broaden our vision. We have the freedom needed tions where salaries in the textile industry are not $38
to limit and direct technology; we can put it at the per hour but $38 per month! On top of that working
service of another type of progress, one which is conditions are slave-like.
healthier, more human, more social, more integral... The introduction of a Dividend to all does not
for example, when cooperatives of small producers mean that people would stop working or will all be re-
adopt less polluting means of production, and opt for placed by machinery. On the contrary, this additional
a non-consumerist model of life, recreation and com- purchasing power would stimulate personal initiative
munity. Or when technology is directed primarily to and the creation of local jobs.
resolving people’s concrete problems, truly helping All people who care for the environment, and
them live with more dignity and less suffering.” consequently for the future of mankind on earth; all
What place should be given to machinery? When those who want to “save the planet” should study
should it replace human labour, and in which cases and spread the Social Credit philosophy. This system
is it better to employ people rather machinery? What would put money at the service of the human person
constitutes the dignity of work? When does a job while putting an end to the wasting of resources. v
become dehumanizing and no longer respect the Alain Pilote

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