Interesting story Andrew. I'm thinking more of knowledge being embodied in such a way we might 'drive it as a car' and remove it from competitive advantage systems exploited by various professions. My guess is we are dominated by monopoly economics because we won't address the issues rigs raises - though I tend to heap them under the label democratic foreign policy prevented by fear of the Other.
On Jan 10, 2:04 am, rigs <[email protected]> wrote: > Life has already been a game of Monopoly! That's a major part of the > problem(s). > > I would implant the chip in another spot. > > You will have to address religious and cultural systems that promote > sexism, racism and ageism. > > On Jan 9, 2:36 pm, andrew vecsey <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > In my science fiction novel "A Short History of a Long Future - A Guide for > > New-man", I wrote a scenario that applies to this discussion. Before Allan > > starts to let off his gas, the "I" is not "me" and it IS a science > > fiction. Below is the relevant excerpt from my novel. > > > "One unexpected day the centralized data banks were infected with computer > > viruses that erased their entire data banks. The multiple backups of the > > last 10 years were also suddenly discovered to have been compromised. > > Overnight electronic data of all money was irretrievably wiped out. Money > > in all of its form and all its trace disappeared. The banks and their > > services shut down immediately and all flow of money seized. > > > I developed a device that measured mental and physical exertion done for > > doing a series of tasks. I developed a financial system that did not > > include banks. It was a decentralized system where everyone was his own > > bank. It was based on my device. This measurement device allowed money to > > be based not on gold, oil, or promises, but on human exertion. The amount > > of this new money was to be based on the number of users. There was to be > > no central governing point and the only regulation were in the algorithms > > governing the issuance of money and in the initial registration. It was a > > just-in-time system that issued just enough money at just the right time > > and place to just the right person to ensure educational and health well > > being. The system was to be open and algorithms were to be proposed and > > written by users themselves. > > > I also developed a workable replacement for the once existing centralized > > banks. It was a peer to peer networked system that allowed everyone to be > > his own bank. It was free to join with only one requirement. - you had to > > have a chip inserted into the forehead under the skin. The chip came with > > an account containing 1 million dollars to last you a lifetime and pay for > > your basic living needs. > > > All countries adopted the implantation of the chip as a basic human > > right. My system provided all the requirements that make money workable. > > It could not be counterfeited and could not be stolen or lost. It was based > > on a unique code signed with each person's unique biometric signature. It > > could be saved and it was always redeemable anywhere anytime automatically. > > > Everyone who wanted to work and get paid had to use his system which was > > implanted into the forehead. Everyone who wanted to buy anything had to > > have this implant as well. It acted as a electronic money bank account. To > > fill it you had to work as usual. You could invest your capital by buying > > company stocks. You gambled your investment betting to profit by buying > > into a hopefully successful venture but risking to lose it should the > > ventures fail. > > > Your inheritance was limited to family heirlooms and houses. Your total > > accumulated wealth was also limited to a certain amount guaranteeing a very > > high standard of living. Anything over this was redistributed back to the > > people who you got it from. You were rewarded for this contribution in the > > form of highly valued merit awards that came with valued prestige.There was > > no income tax but you paid a sales tax on all items you bought. Food, > > clothing and other living necessities were exempt from tax. Sales tax paid > > for all public facilities and services like government, roads, hospitals, > > schools, fire department and police. > > > Within a few months of offering the accounts, everyone wanted an implant. > > It was free, came with a start-up capital of $1,000,000, and gave you the > > promise of a secure future, and the hopes of becoming wealthy. For the > > skeptical there was an opt out possibility. Their accounts would be locked > > and after a year they would be able to re join and continue where they left > > off. By replacing banks and eliminating money speculation, poverty was > > greatly reduced world wide. Everyone became their own bank. Everyone became > > an account. > > > Accounts below the start-up capital could spend only a maximum of $2,000 a > > month on products and services. But could still invest a part in stocks. > > Accounts over the start-up capital could form public companies and sell > > company stocks. Accounts over $10,000,000 automatically overflowed to the > > accounts with the least capital and were duly credited with distinguished > > awards of achievement and merit. > > > A few people refused to become accounts and to have the implants because of > > religious beliefs. They usually lived out in the country and tried to live > > off the dying land. They believed that the implants were prophesied in > > their bible as the sign of the devil. Greed took on a new meaning for many. > > It was no longer desirable to have as much as you can but to give as much > > as you must and thus get as many merit points as you can. New aims and > > goals surfaced. Competition changed to cooperation. Many rich ended up to > > be great philanthropists. Life became like a game of Monopoly." > > > On Wednesday, January 9, 2013 4:16:47 PM UTC+1, archytas wrote: > > > > The human world is in a mess. It's hard to express what is going on. > > > My guess is we are being ruled by a small, unelected, hidden politburo > > > we could call banksters. I take this as metaphor, much as I would the > > > notion the rulers are alien lizards. I also guess they have skewed > > > any dialogue we have to make it very difficult to identify the real > > > problem we face through argument. This is more or less a 'Dr Who' > > > predicament, though I suspect it is the real one we face. > > > > Those of us who are democrats (small d) know the answer. We want a > > > human world at peace and our institutions based on real democracy with > > > government as unobtrusive as possible in the lives of reasonable > > > individuals. This, sadly, is the easy bit. Even something as easy as > > > this is potentially totalising and fascist. > > > > Much, of course, has been written on this, and my conclusion is this > > > can't be helping much. My own country, Britain, has made some kind of > > > decision to give up empire, but we clearly cling to the coat-tails of > > > the USA through the dupes or war criminals we elect - or who know a > > > secret case not made to us that justifies war and other rotten > > > policies. If I was capable of listing all the literature I've read on > > > this matter I wouldn't finish until sometime after a week tomorrow and > > > I'm by no means a specialist. Even if the democratic parts of this > > > literature is right, it doesn't convince me of any course of action, > > > as almost none of it explains how we might lay down the arms of the US > > > umbrella without giving up to something worse or simply as bad run by > > > people less favourable to my ethnicity. > > > > My belief is we must change what dialogue and argument are to address > > > a move to real, global democracy. We have new technology that would > > > allow this, but currently it is being subsumed into the skewed form > > > that has allowed domination through the ages. It could be that this > > > technology would tell us we need the American Empire. I rather hope > > > it would rather be a call to democratic arms and very substantial > > > changes in what we do and can be. Any suggestions as to what this > > > technology is or would be?- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text - --
