Society without property?

If supply far exceeded demand, what would result?

---

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Anything and everything.Supply of food, shelter, clothing. Demand for food, shelter, clothing.We are at a point (only over the last 50-60 years or so) where it is certainly reasonable to imagine such a situation. To achieve anything like that though we need to change the paradigm of how we approach the problems.The barriers to such a scenario basically fall into four categories,

1. existence of the commodity
2. communication
3. transportation
4. perceptions

First is the existence of some commodity, food, shelter, energy, health care, knowledge. We are close to a state where it is technically possible for an abundence of all to be available. But this is a very, very recent change. For example, when I was born there were almost NO antibiotics. It was still likely that a simple cut would lead to death, that every summer I faced the very real possibility of getting polio, that child birth would lead to the mothers death.The second area is communications. It's only been in the decade that we have had communications that were pervasive enough to even know where supply or demand existed beyond a very local area. As communications improves it will be possible to track both and to allocate resources as needed.Knowing where resources are needed doesn't mean much if there is not a transportation system adequate to meet those needs. Again, in the last half century, we have seen a steady growth in transportation. When I was born there were no interstate highways, only limited air travel and commodity transportation tightly held by a few distributors like the Great White Fleet and the India Company.Finally there is the issue of perception. This will likely be the greatest barrier. To make use of the things outlined above we need a major change in perception. We need a commitment to the idea of everyone having what is needed. Editeded because the computer screwed up spallang.This message has been edited by jar, 04-12-2005 10:34 AM

---

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Yes, we need a change in perceptions. That is difficult, will take time and will entail great pain. That's true of any paradigm shift. That's why I placed it last on my list. Why would it be limited to basics?Can I get you to take an afternoon and read some of the seminal writings of Leon Trotsky? You can find much of it here. Afterwards we can go further.

---

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

In looking at the writings of Trotsky (and he was a prolific writter) I'd suggest you start with these four. Remember, try to look through the eyes of the time. That's not easy, but it can be done. OneTwoThreeand Four. Like a child, there will be those who just want it. That's human nature. But part of both growing up and the paradigm shift will be learning limitations. I've owned Ferraris and would never do so again. I've had filet migon but would prefer a really ripe tomato sandwich.There is no doubt there would be those who want excess. Some may even get it, many will try it for awhile, but for the vast majority, that is simply not an issue. Folk grow up.

---

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Frankly, I'd love to be a WallMart Greeter but down here you need to speak Spanish so I don't qualify. I'm just not competent enough to be a good WallMart Greeter.

---

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Not a new question either. LOLAm I my brothers keeper? Well, from a theological perspective, yes! And it is the kind of thing that could be marketed through a theological channel.But there is yet one other underlying issue. Does anyone have to do with less?One of the biggest problems is simply acknowledging that there might be a solution. All too often we simply retreat into a world of denial.The first question that needs to be addressed is the idea that it might just be possible to achieve such an idyllic concept. As long as we believe it an impossibility, it will be impossible. It's only once we acknowledge that it might be possible for the vast majority of people now living to have all of their basic needs satisfied that we can begin dealing with the immense questions of how that might be accomplished.

---

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Does anything in your post have anything to do with me? Is there something in there I should address?

---

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

A sign of CapitalismWe don't need that again.

---

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

You might not know what that is, I forget at times. That's a mill coin, company money (Sixteen Tons and all that).Not too long ago when you were paid, you were paid in Company Script. The script could only be spent in the company store. The coin shown was a $1.00 coin issued by AC&M, a textile company in Anderson, South Carolina. Here are a few more such coins..Just in case anyone thinks these are from long ago and far away, they all date to WWII or later. The practice of company towns where the COMPANY owned everything, store, homes, schools, fire department, church, even the graveyard continued into the mid sixties.The problem was that within such a system, there was no way out. Since you never recieved anything that was generally negotiable, you could not accumulate enough wealth to break free. Even if you saved all your comapny money, it was not something you could spend anywhere else. If you wanted to leave the company, you did it as the day you were born, with only what you brought into this world.

---

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Conflate "Gross Domestic Product" and "We the People".

---

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

First, I am not in favor of communism any more than I'm in favor of Capitalism. But most folk that knock communism have never even really looked at it or the philosphic base involved. For example, I pointed you towards the writings of only one person out of literally hundreds who wrote on the subject. That shows a void in your understanding of communism. First, there is no conflict between either democracy or republicanism and communism. The difference between the two examples, the company store and a communist state are enormous. First, in the company store the consumer is restricted to a small world where decisions are made by the company for the company's benefit. In the later, the decisions would be made by the consumers themselves and would be portable beyond the small company town.Let me give you a small example. A communist state would still have currency that is recognized, portable and convertible. You would be paid in that currency. If you wanted, you could set part of that aside to use to move to another region, a different job, a new environment. In the company town that was impossible. You could not put anything aside that could be used outside the company. The token, the script, was NOT currency, was not convertible or portable. Even if you managed to save a nestegg, it could not be spent in the other companies stores or on the general market.

---

Aslan is not a Tame Lion