It is difficult to talk about the benefits and implementation of a Moneyless Society without eventually referring to its Siamese Twin – a Resource Based Economy. For those of you who don’t know, and to clarify, we are not talking about the economy, defined by google, which is “the economy of a country whose gross national product or gross domestic product to a large extent comes from natural resources”. Just to clarify we’re talking about the one that is defined by Jacque Fresco, creator of The Venus Project, as “a holistic socio-economic system in which all goods and services are available without the use of money, credits, barter or any other system of debt or servitude”.
Basically, a world without money, where everything is free, most everything is automated, and if you don’t want to – you don’t have to work.
Sounds like a lazy man’s world, right? Well, you might be able to go on permanent vacation once you’re there, but creating a world without money that provides for all is not going to be a bowl of peaches and cream.
In order to turn the dream that is currently a resource based economy into a reality, there are many, many systems to be designed, and redesigned and improved upon, and then actually built, tested, and implemented. There is property that needs to be secured and multiple government agencies and red tape to hack through. There is a prevailing mindset that something like this can’t and won’t work and there is also the ignorance of the people who have never even heard of it. There is funding that needs to be procured, either by a profit-generating business to supply a trust fund or by massive donations or grants.
But these things can all be worked through, with enough effort and time and dedication. If there are enough people working on a project, with the same focused mindset, it can and it will, come to fruition. I believe we can have a moneyless society in our lifetime, if enough of us join together and simply make it happen. All it is really going to take is for a few communities that operate on the principles of a resource based economy to pop up, and eventually have some visitors, and some more, and some more, and before too long, many, many people will see what they’re missing, and they will want this, too. They will pursue creating their own moneyless communities founded upon a resource based economic principles. Once it’s in its actual form and a budding movement turns into the hundredth monkey and the following landslide ensues to adopt this truly holistic, environmentally-friendly lifestyle, we will wonder why we ever lived the way we did before. And things such as war, famine and poverty will only be topics in history books.
Imagine all the things that would change if you lived in a resource based economy –
- There will be no more war. With greater love and compassion for all creatures, including humans, all resources would be evenly distributed throughout the globe according to the quantities that are needed. Most war has been fought either over land/territory, money, resources, or if you go back far enough, even food, or fire. (I’m not sure if men will ever stop fighting over women, though, although I don’t think this technically classifies as a war) Obviously, in a moneyless society there will be no money, and all the land, food, and resources will be recognized as universally shared and owned by no-one. A resource based economy eliminates the cause of probably 99% of the wars in history.
- There will be less crime. In a moneyless society people will not need to steal in order to obtain the things they need to survive because the items they desire will be free and abundant. There will be more education about the nature of negative and counter-productive actions such as drug use and violence.
- There will be no more starvation. Food production systems would be mostly automated and its distribution will be calculated by a scientific method to ensure it goes where it is needed. In a resource based economy, land and water wouldn’t be an issue (for reasons below). There would be plenty of nutritious, high-quality food to go around for everyone, with a vast diversity and selection far beyond what we find in our local grocery stores.
- Borders and governmental regulations are in place that are currently preventing water collection systems which will help replenish underground aquifers and easily provide enough clean, fresh, safe, drinking water for every person on this planet. In a resource based economy, these regulations and boundaries will be removed and we will easily reverse the trend of over-consuming our water supply and draining our underground aquifers. Through these and other water collection and conservation methods, we will secure an abundant supply of our most precious resource that actually replenishes itself.
- Healthcare will be free. In a resource based economy, not only will healthcare be free, it will be better, utilizing holistic methods as well as state-of-the-art technology. Current limitations and restrictions on how doctors can treat their patients will be lifted, enabling research regarding the viability and implementation of a vast array of practices that are currently restricted or banned altogether.
- People will be healthier in a resource based economy. This will be due to a variety of reasons. The food will be more nutritious. People will have more of an opportunity to perform physical activity and exercise. People will be better educated on exactly how to stay healthy and what to do to live a long, active life. Since essential support systems will be in place and provide for everyone without the strain of a forty-plus-hour workweek at a job that you despise, there will be less stress, which will also help people stay fit and healthy.
- People will be happier. In a resource based economy, people would have more free time to pursue the things that are most important to them, and spend more quality time with friends and family, resulting, naturally, in a happier, more fulfilled life.
- People will contribute more. Contrary to most people’s beliefs, a resource based economy would actually end up being more productive than the current monetary system. Work will be more focused in the areas that are needed in order for society to make notable progress. There will be far less wasted effort on non-productive tasks like paper shuffling and monetary-based systems like finance and insurance. People instead will contribute in more useful ways, such as technological advancement and implementation, developing a greater understanding of human psychology and the psyche, producing beautiful works of art and music, and enhancing our understanding of spirituality.
- Transportation will be faster and more abundant. Eventually high-speed mass transit systems and openly shared, on-demand vehicles will be implemented that will provide world-wide travel that will not only be faster, but safer as well, with far fewer accidents.
- Products will be built better and last longer. In a resource based economy, there is no need for profit, so there is no need for the planned obsolescence that is manufactured into nearly every product sold on the market today. Products will be built to last as long as possible
- Products will be universally designed and parts will be interchangeable. In a resource based economy, there will be no need for thousands of different companies to make different designs of the same products, many of which parts which cannot be easily obtained or exchanged. The products that are designed the best and are deemed the most in demand will be manufactured on the basis of supply and demand. If consumers demand that a product be upgraded, then it will be upgraded. If a part breaks in something, it can be interchanged with a new part instead of being discarded.
- Things will be more efficient. Many systems that require a good deal of human labor today will be automated by machines. There will be more products available when people need them. There will be less waiting for things, less waiting in line, and fewer things to wait in line for.
- There will be entire processes for acquiring many things that will be far simpler or completely eliminated. Things like acquiring funding and all the paperwork for place to live will be practically non-existent. Funding for projects, and acquiring money for basic necessities will also become an unnecessary expense of time and effort and will cease to exist.
- The environment will be healthier and people will recycle more. Many things that are currently discarded that go directly in a landfill will be sorted out automatically and recycled. Not only that, in a resource based economy, without giant corporations having profit as their highest motive, the intention and overall mission of society will be to preserve all of our natural resources for everyone, so activities such as dumping toxic waste directly into our environment will be a thing of the past.
Once we get a taste of a resource based economy, we will never go back. If you are looking forward to helping form this type of society, please read the How To Contribute page and help us change the world.
If you can think of any other ways that a resource based economy would improve our lives please feel free to leave a comment below.
