Resource-Based Economy
“Our entire survival is based upon resources.”
-Jaque Fresco, Founder – The Venus Project
The monetary system, which relies on exponential growth and profit due to scarcity, is, by nature and design, not sustainable. The preservation of Earth’s resources, sufficient living standards for people, and technological innovation are all either opposed or hindered by this system, as they do not correlate to the maximization of profit. Likewise, the monetary system clashes, fundamentally, with morality. There is no room in a system that is based on competition to be moral — if there was, we wouldn’t be able to do business! Just the fact that we out-source jobs illustrates this point. It is clear that the value of monetary wealth has been separated from the value of true well-being; that the mindset behind monetary gain does not suit the mindset for lasting fulfillment; and that the monetary system itself does not account for the era we are currently in. It is for these reasons that I believe re-inventing the economic paradigm is very important; and it is for these reasons that considering a Resource-Based Economy would illuminate areas which we have been overlooking for centuries.
For the first time in history, we have the capability, the technology, and the knowledge to achieve a global society of abundance for all beings. Jaque Fresco, the founder of “The Venus Project” and the term “Resource-Based Economy” describes it better than I can. The short video below should explain the RBE quite well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHUc9GuWhms
It is the fundamental clash between the current monetary system and the laws of nature that are hindering our progress and creating an unstable, unsustainable, highly oppressive world. Below are three of the most common criticisms of the RBE and my responses to each. The quick dismissal of the RBE is understandable. It is a complete turn-around from anything we have ever known, and that is always scary. But I invite you to consider it from as unbiased of a place as possible.
- Without competition, people aren’t going to have the desire to work and there won’t be enough structure for society to function.
I think we are a very skeptical culture. We seem to think that people are naturally lazy, greedy, selfish — that we will choose the low-road when given the choice. Though I disagree with all of this, and consider it a fundamental issue of our culture, I believe that we can all get behind one idea. That is the notion that humans want to survive, prosper, and make positive lives. Nobody wants to be harmed from environmental degradation or terrorism or poverty. If we just acknowledged that our current system is perpetuating these issues at exponential rates, I believe we would re-consider what an “era of sustainability” might entail. If we intend to protect our and other species’, we have to consider this an era focused primarily on sustainability. We have to form a system that naturally promotes love, compassion, generosity — a system that is, itself, sustainable! Humans are incredibly adaptable — we will adapt to any system that is in place, and that is why creating a system that promotes positive values will create a productive and unified society — one where the incentive to work hard is not just to promote oneself but truly for the benefit of all beings.
2. If this was a better system, it would be more popular / we would have switched to it.
The Monetary System digs a continually growing hole of debt and inertia that make change very difficult. It creates a system in which those appointed to powerful positions are instructed to uphold the status quo. This “Conservatism” is not in line with the transient nature of all things. Not so magically, we have adopted a mindset of Conservatism, or “stubbornness” — an attachment to what we are comfortable with. For these reasons, it will be very difficult to shift paradigms on a large-scale. However, I believe that as awareness spreads about the potential in the RBE, and simultaneously people begin to acknowledge and work with transience, we will be laying the foundation for the system of the future.
3. The RBE fundamentally clashes with human nature.
The most common. Personally, I do not believe in human nature. However, if you do, consider how you would define it. To me, at any level, harming the very environment in which we dwell, shittin’ where we eat, is not possibly in correlation with our “human nature”. At any level, promoting a system of conservatism in the midst of constant change, is not human nature. What we are overlooking is the relationship between human “nature” and human “behavior.” We all know that we have the capacity for love and compassion, and simultaneously the capacity for greed and egotism. Since we are not confined to a single way of being, what we choose to act on is not “nature”, it is “behavior”! If we acknowledged that Scarcity is a platform for human behaviors such as greed, crime, and oppression, we will see also that Abundance is a platform for love, peace, connection to Earth, and general well-being of the species. We are adaptable, vastly expansive beings, with the potential to perpetuate any ideals we choose. It’s time to change our ideals — it’s time to change the paradigm to revolve around sustainability, freedom, and progression — three ideals naturally imbedded in a Resource-Based Economy.
The Light Corsica, France
For the first time in history, we have the technology to create a “sustainable” societal model that parallels a high quality of life. We are in a place, today, where we see the negative effects of a Monetary system in a rapidly evolving world. Right now, we are in the early stages of a profound societal awakening in the midst of a series of potential cataclysms. This is an era where we evolve to fit the niches necessary to sustain ourselves and our fellow beings. We can only do this if we commit to positive values, and we can only make this commitment when we implement systems that promote a unified society. And that is my case for a Resource-Based Economy.
For more on the Resource-Based Economy, check out the following links.