“Justice, Peace, Prosperity and Sustainability: Why economics obstructs these goals...

Beginning Sunday June 12th ongoing, I would like to give a talk I call “Justice, Peace, Prosperity and Sustainability: Why economics obstructs these goals, and what we can do about it.”

Economics obstructs these goals because we use money to acquire the goods and services we need to survive as biological beings (food, clothing, shelter and health care) and to thrive as engaged members of society (education, transportation, communication, and the tools of one’s chosen trade or profession).

For most of us, access to money is rationed via access to jobs, and access to jobs is rationed via competition. It is this fact of competition for access that is at the basis of the economy’s failure to satisfy everyone’s needs. Every competition creates at least one loser (often more) per winner. It's the nature of the beast.

Even if all greed, corruption, discrimination and war were to magically disappear tomorrow, the fact of competition would be there. In fact, competition for resources is at the root of the other four. By trying to eliminate those four without eliminating competition for resources we are only treating the symptoms and not the disease that afflicts humanity today.

Capitalist politicians across the political spectrum, as well as socialists, talk about job creation as the answer. Job creation does not solve the problem because you cannot have infinite growth on a finite planet. Even if you could have a very high level of employment, which we do from time to time, after a while, you run into the problem of “enough”. Especially with today’s technologies that increase individual productivity, we overproduce, which is a waste of environmental resources. The Earth cannot much longer sustain our huge population (6.9 billion and counting) if we are producing things simply so people can have jobs to make money to spend so that other people have jobs to make money to spend so that other people have jobs to make money to spend, etc.

Also, when we overproduce, inventory builds up, workers get laid off, and their decreased purchasing power kicks off a chain reaction that gives us the familiar boom and bust cycle. Overproduction is the problem of capitalism that some socialists' insistence on the human right to a job does not solve.

Creating a just, peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world for all means firstly a revolution in thinking, which is why I wish to give this talk to raise consciousness. The revolution will include relegating our competitive urges to the sports and games sector, (re)building community and (re)learning how to share, recognizing that individual freedom and achievement is maximized by being in community not outside it, and ultimately abolishing monetary systems, which ration goods unfairly and destroy community.

I will talk about the values we must develop (pointing out where we have them already), encourage discussion of values and lead an exercise in community building without money.

My qualifications to undertake this project are a lifetime in the work world, where I have seen “close up and personal” the failure of economic systems based on money to provide well for people, formal education in economics (BA Fordham University 1977) and law (JD Indiana University – Bloomington, 1980), and over a decade in journalism, including work for Pacifica Radio Station KPFA, Free speech Radio News, Women’s International News Gathering Service WINGS) Indymedia and Radio4All.net (Under the names R.I.S.E. and Broadcaster At-Large. )I have also written articles for several web sites, most frequently Intrepid Report (formerly Online Journal), Center for Research on Globalisation and my own web site The End of Money: A Critique of Paying, Owing and Working “for a living” I also have a facebook page dedicated to demonetization. (http://www.facebook.com/TheEndofMoney)

I will need a free space, as I cannot afford to front hefty cleaning deposits or insurance fees. Admission will be by donation with no suggested minimum and no one turned away for lack of funds. I will donate 10% of my proceeds to the sponsoring organization or, if there is no sponsor, the hosting venue. Starting June 12th, 2011, I will be available everyday during the weekday evenings and also in the afternoons on weekends. I can be reached by email (preferred for initial contact) at theendofmoney[at]gmail.com. Phone: 510-834-9737 (landline). Note: I am dependent on public transportation.

Might your group/venue be interested in hosting such a talk?

Sincerely,

Kellia Ramares