To the children of the modern age and beyond
By Alan Baylis
Once upon a time there were so few people in the world and so
much land that it was easy to find a place to live that wasn't
owned. The people used the trees in their area to build themselves a
house without any permits. For food they grew a vegetable garden and
also hunted and trapped the wild animals in their area. All of which
was attainable in a single summer.
It is no longer this way in the world. There is no free land and
therefore no place for each new generation of people to live, grow
food or hunt. For a while it seemed that the people could educate
themselves into a position of employment and after many years of
saving they would be able to afford a block of land and survive that
way.
But as the machines gradually take over most of the positions of
employment this is becoming increasingly hard to do. We now have the
situation of highly educated university students having to compete
for unskilled jobs. It is obvious that no matter how much we can
learn the number of available jobs is going to decrease.
As unemployment levels grows from around 8% to levels as high as 90%
who is to be expected to pay for the people's cost of living. The
10% employed will not be willing or able to support so many
unemployed and the corporations, who pay almost no tax now, will
have such a strangle hold on the world system that they will claim
to have no social responsibility for the people.
Most likely there will be a slow decline away from full social
security payments towards the American system which cuts off all
support after a period of unemployment; or another scheme in which
people are given menial work in exchange for a small living
allowance while the computers and machines do all the interesting
tasks people used to do.
These, of course, are no solution to the problem of the people's
survival and happiness. The solution may be to become self-employed.
This of course takes some money to achieve so, while some countries
are fortunate enough to still have high levels of employment or
unemployment payments, the people should be using their money wisely
to buy the tools and equipment necessary to start a small business
from their home. It should not become so large that it requires more
land, begins to employ large groups of people and then floats itself
on the market because then we return to the current system. It
should simply produce something that is needed around their local
area and can be swapped with the produce from other homes. This is a
return to earlier times in which one house would produce a staple
such as bread, which was then swapped for the other necessities of
life.
The solution may also require that the people become as self
sufficient as they can. For example, growing their own vegetables
(using hydroponics if necessary) and fruit trees. Using a water tank
and using low voltage tools coupled to solar energy panels. All of
which need a bit of money to purchase so it requires a bit of
foresight to buy these things when a person has the money to do so
and not wait until the inevitable human redundancy problem reaches
them.
Do not be mislead into thinking that by continually making and
buying amusing, yet functionless, products can sustain high
employment levels. All that will happen is that the resources of the
planet will be exhausted and the people will be left with no means
of support and a house full of novelties.
It is possible to live without money, but only if you want to and
actively work towards it. The alternative is twenty or more years of
expensive schooling, to be followed by unemployment with no social
importance and therefore, no rights.
The people are the most important thing on this planet, not the
profits of the companies. Work from home, spend your time with your
family, be happy with just what you need and, purely for your own
understanding, read the Bible.
Copyright © 1998 - 2010 Alan Baylis, All Rights Reserved
