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I never thought I was the only person who thought it a little surreal that hundreds or thousands of people live short, brutish lives and die, sometimes still in childhood of various complications of poverty while some individuals on this earth have net worths in the many dozens of Billions of dollars. I can't be the only person who appears on the outside to be living an average middle class existence but does not have medical or dental insurance. Why can I buy a perfectly serviceable automobile for $800 but an advanced bicycle (human powered vehicle) costs $7,000? My GF is blind and the braille display that allows her to read this forum cost $10,000 ten years ago and she nurses it along to this day because she cannot (we cannot) even think about getting a new one. What kind of plasma screen TV do you think you could get for $10K? But here is my point: this weekend we were watching Star Trek: First Contact. There is a scene where a 21st Century woman is taken aboard Capt. Picard's 24th Century Enterprise E. She manages to ask "how much does this thing cost?" Picard tells her that in the 24th Century there isn't any money! I've said this very thing for years and suffered considerable ridicule by family and friends. I'm not a Trekkie or I would have known that the concept wasn't that far fetched, or maybe it is since it only showed up in a sci-fi movie but what about it?? Could such a thing fly? How would we even begin to turn from the various economic constructs in the world all based on money? Anyone else think that humanity's only chance is a complete revamp of wealth distribution or by extension the complete elimination of the concept of personal or family 'wealth'?
I never thought I was the only person who thought it a little surreal that hundreds or thousands of people live short, brutish lives and die, sometimes still in childhood of various complications of poverty while some individuals on this earth have net worths in the many dozens of Billions of dollars. I can't be the only person who appears on the outside to be living an average middle class existence but does not have medical or dental insurance. Why can I buy a perfectly serviceable automobile for $800 but an advanced bicycle (human powered vehicle) costs $7,000? My GF is blind and the braille display that allows her to read this forum cost $10,000 ten years ago and she nurses it along to this day because she cannot (we cannot) even think about getting a new one. What kind of plasma screen TV do you think you could get for $10K? But here is my point: this weekend we were watching Star Trek: First Contact. There is a scene where a 21st Century woman is taken aboard Capt. Picard's 24th Century Enterprise E. She manages to ask "how much does this thing cost?" Picard tells her that in the 24th Century there isn't any money! I've said this very thing for years and suffered considerable ridicule by family and friends. I'm not a Trekkie or I would have known that the concept wasn't that far fetched, or maybe it is since it only showed up in a sci-fi movie but what about it?? Could such a thing fly? How would we even begin to turn from the various economic constructs in the world all based on money? Anyone else think that humanity's only chance is a complete revamp of wealth distribution or by extension the complete elimination of the concept of personal or family 'wealth'?
Not the kind of responses I envisaged. Cryptic and crypticer. Obama isn't even close to what I am imagining (but he'll do for a start). Have either of you ever been ripped off? Ever paid for something and didn't get it? Were you ok with that? Anyone you know ever had cancer? 90% of cancer is man-made. A result of unchecked industralization because money was used to silence those who might have raised an alarm. Disease and starvation are slow, painful, awful ways to die. Better that millions of people had never been born but birth control is a dirty word in most cultures. The cutting edge birth control methods are barrier sytems. Without profit margins, pharmaceutical companies could cure a raft of problems for people now living and also slow the birthrate to something manageable. Ugh, disgusting to actually want this wonderful run of greed, waste and destruction to end.
Liesesturm, try not to be impatient with the responses. Your OP itself was a little cryptic; I'm not sure what exactly you're trying to determine in your question.
Location: Oklahoma(formerly SoCalif) Originally Mich,
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In a local restaurant my server had on a "Obama 08" tie, again I laughed as he had given away his political preference—just imagine the coincidence. When the bill came I decided not to tip the server and explained to him that I was exploring the Obama redistribution of wealth concept. He stood there in disbelief while I told him that I was going to redistribute his tip to someone who I deemed more in need—the homeless guy outside. The server angrily stormed from my sight. I went outside, gave the homeless guy $10 and told him to thank the server inside as I've decided he could use the money more. The homeless guy was grateful. At the end of my rather unscientific redistribution experiment I realized the homeless guy was grateful for the money he did not earn, but the waiter was pretty angry that I gave away the money he did earn even though the actual recipient needed money more. I guess redistribution of wealth is an easier thing to swallow in concept than in practical application.
I never thought I was the only person who thought it a little surreal that hundreds or thousands of people live short, brutish lives and die, sometimes still in childhood of various complications of poverty while some individuals on this earth have net worths in the many dozens of Billions of dollars. I can't be the only person who appears on the outside to be living an average middle class existence but does not have medical or dental insurance. Why can I buy a perfectly serviceable automobile for $800 but an advanced bicycle (human powered vehicle) costs $7,000? My GF is blind and the braille display that allows her to read this forum cost $10,000 ten years ago and she nurses it along to this day because she cannot (we cannot) even think about getting a new one. What kind of plasma screen TV do you think you could get for $10K? But here is my point: this weekend we were watching Star Trek: First Contact. There is a scene where a 21st Century woman is taken aboard Capt. Picard's 24th Century Enterprise E. She manages to ask "how much does this thing cost?" Picard tells her that in the 24th Century there isn't any money! I've said this very thing for years and suffered considerable ridicule by family and friends. I'm not a Trekkie or I would have known that the concept wasn't that far fetched, or maybe it is since it only showed up in a sci-fi movie but what about it?? Could such a thing fly? How would we even begin to turn from the various economic constructs in the world all based on money? Anyone else think that humanity's only chance is a complete revamp of wealth distribution or by extension the complete elimination of the concept of personal or family 'wealth'?
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Well I had to read your post twice but I think I get the gist of it.
It is a question that I have myself pondered a time or two and the only think I can come up with is that people are simply not socially advanced enough to live in a world where there is no immediate reward system.
Man is the missing link between the primitive savage and the civilized being and one only has to look around this forum or their day to day world to see this. Man is on one hand amazingly charitable and at the same time, brutally savage.
A society that was advanced enough to provide for all food and shelter of a population who then would be free to pursue art, intellectual endeavors, or trades, or whatever of their choice is something far beyond humans today.
Man as he is today, even given all those things would coddle what he has and pine for what he does not. Things like greed and the acquisition of wealth and possessions are part of our genetic predetermination. How many Buddhist monks are there in the world or ascetics?
Nice thought and maybe someday, many many hundreds of years in the future if we survive our own ignorance.
Well I had to read your post twice but I think I get the gist of it.
It is a question that I have myself pondered a time or two and the only think I can come up with is that people are simply not socially advanced enough to live in a world where there is no immediate reward system.
Man is the missing link between the primitive savage and the civilized being and one only has to look around this forum or their day to day world to see this. Man is on one hand amazingly charitable and at the same time, brutally savage.
A society that was advanced enough to provide for all food and shelter of a population who then would be free to pursue art, intellectual endeavors, or trades, or whatever of their choice is something far beyond humans today.
Man as he is today, even given all those things would coddle what he has and pine for what he does not. Things like greed and the acquisition of wealth and possessions are part of our genetic predetermination. How many Buddhist monks are there in the world or ascetics?
Nice thought and maybe someday, many many hundreds of years in the future if we survive our own ignorance.
I would add to this that as long as there is scarcity, there will need to be some medium of exchange to control the distribution of wealth - food, water, fuel, everything. In a magical Star Trek future they have overcome scarcity and presumably the almost natural human inclination for greed and so money is no longer needed as a moderator. Boy, conservatives will be unhappy with no one to lord it over and blame for how the world is going to hell in a handbasket.
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