The idea that a Moneyless Society can even exist, let alone provide an abundant lifestyle, is laughable to most. What’s more amusing, it would seem, is the notion that a nonmonetary society could emerge from …..this. (*gestures vaguely into the air)
Indeed, beneath the paradigm of money and consumption, it proves quite difficult to generate momentum in the other direction, but not all together impossible.
While the general consensus seems to be amused by the hypocrisy of moso sectors utilizing monetized channels to propose/build a non-monetized future, there does exist a formidable rebuttal.
Often naysayers troll moso threads of dialogue solely to interject [their] condescending assurance that such a scheme is far too contradictory to yield the desired result. Scoffing, snickering, even insulting, abounds amidst the junctures of these discussions.
‘Proving’ the feasibility of monetarily funding a namely anti-capitalist design, has become a side quest, in and of itself.
‘Proving’ the feasibility of monetarily funding a namely anti-capitalist design, has become a side quest in and of itself. Much like a scientist who’s trying to prove a hypothesis is worth research investments, the moso sector is a group comprised of all professions, attempting to convince would-be allies that funding such an unconventional endeavor is indeed feasible.
Because of this, one who decides to take on the firing squad must bring with them sufficient ammo of their own. And so, we attempt to answer the question, “How do you expect to build a nonmonetary society whilst living in a monetized world?’
The answer is simple and concrete. Though it begs many other questions to be answered. Additionally, because the underlying inquiry touts at morality, a two-part dialogue of resolve is necessary.
Part I
For instance, if someone should convict you of being dishonest in your petitions for funding nonmonetary research or what have you, an effective response is to highlight the hypocrisy of society as a whole.
‘Shall we be naked until child labor is no longer a component of clothing manufacturing?’
Shall we abandon our electric cars on the curb, until cobalt mining can be done more humanely and eco-consciously?
Shall we cease eating lest we passively approve of the social injustices and cultural violence imposed upon vulnerable populations by resource-hoarding cartels?
Most likely not. But we can decide to learn about the ‘evils’/detriments to society, thus fostering a capacity to make conscious decisions regarding consumption.
Of course, that one’s a rabbit hole, too. In a capitalist society, otherwise perfectly healthy and overall benevolent concepts (i.e. ‘Green’ products, spirituality, pro-this, anti-that, etc.) are seized up and consumed by the Capitalist machine; a self-consuming creature which swallows up everything that materializes in its path, including the path, leaving only traces of what could have been.
Got a good idea on how to (*insert example here). Great! But you can’t win, per se, considering that the moment the Capitalist machine catches a whiff of ‘opportunity ‘, your idea will be consumed by the market competition and spit out in pieces that mirror themselves, but are sold as different ‘versions’. There’s no way to curb its appetite UNLESS we change the menu. [We] can systematically /starve/ the capitalist machine in the same way it’s starved the masses of generations before us, to believe ‘this is the only way’.
“Capitalist machine; a self-consuming creature which swallows up everything that materializes in its path, including the path, leaving only traces of what could have been.”
To do that, we must first accept the fact that our current existence is no less than manufactured. Scarcity is engineered. Money is a manmade construct. Status quo is cultural violence, etc., etc.
Secondly, that science is our friend and not the arch enemy of empathetic movements. Albeit, a friend that can only be trusted as such within a nonmonetary society, since money and status undermine investments. Which is precisely /why/ science tends to appear nefarious. Funding for benevolent research is all too often held hostage by investors who wish only to fund ‘evidence’ that supports their market/agenda. Lastly, to accept that we have not only an obligation, but the capacity and the sovereignty to make choices that will navigate mankind toward an egalitarian existence.
How do we get there?
We begin with small steps applied socially, as any reconditioning of ‘group think’, begins.
We transition economic mechanisms according to their respective roles in sustainability.
Lastly, we build upon the emerging infrastructure that results from said choices, such as automation, UBI, localization, reformed democracy, etc., causing systemic awareness among the collective which leads to the ultimate reconditioning of society to be less dependent on monetary exchange, as well as less obsessed with polarizing identities.
Part II
As for the other end of the tandem dialogue required to address the opposing thesis, therein lies the fundamentals of change, achieved by utilizing existing elements.
When a carpenter builds a chair, does he not do so with pieces of wood from his workshop? And once the chair is assembled, the carpenter has a choice – to reproduce that same model of chair, or to break it down and build something new with the pieces he already has, adding in new fixtures as needed.
That is to say, the society we live in today didn’t mysteriously transpire from nothing, nor does it stem from a natural state of being. Hence, a nonmonetary society isn’t going to mysteriously and miraculously manifest out of sheer will ..out of thin air. It must be assembled and it, like anything else tangible, will require existing implements in order to materialize.
So, the ‘simple and concrete’ answer is,
Transcendence.
For more on how you can learn about or contribute to the Moneyless Society Movement, visit our How to Contribute page.
About the Author L.R. is author of the Revolt Blog, contributor to the Moneyless Society website and social media platforms, a Venus Project Regional Coordinator in training, as well as a multimedia Visual Artist.
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