I recently watched a video where someone said there are only 2 systems in this world, Capitalism and Feudalism
I will describe them, but the question is: Is it time for a new system, a different way of looking at our world?
Feudalism was/is the only system in the world for many thousands of years. The rulers controlled the world, and everyone else served them. It worked because it provided security and safety for 95% of the population, but also limited their upward mobility. Everyone stayed “in their lane.” If your family were farmers, you were a farmer, etc. There was very limited choice in what one could do.
When the “plagues” in the Middle Ages killed a significant percentage of the serfs, labor became more valuable. That resulted in more freedom by forming guilds of skilled workers. This was the beginning of the “middle class.” They had more autonomy and provided mobility by using the concept of apprentices. This greatly increased world production and innovation. Some even were granted noble titles by the influence they held. But the Nobility still controlled by granting “favors” of resources, like land and exclusive rights to certain markets.
There were experiments in democracy in ancient history by the Greeks and Romans, which had limited forms of Capitalism in them. They either failed or devolved into Feudalism, i.e. Emperors.
The merchants’ guild gave rise to the industrial revolution and then the overthrow of the monarchs in the 18th and 19th centuries. It created the first experiment in Capitalism.
That has devolved back into Feudalism with the control of the economy by government and big business.
Also, Communism arose, which is really Feudalism in another form, with a few controllers and the common man being suppressed.
The reason this happened is that we all crave safety and security above freedom. All it takes is for something bad to happen, and then we ask for someone to “save us.” There are a few people who realize that and first create the fear event and also the “solution,” which restricts our freedom.
This has “worked” for thousands of years, but humanity is “waking up” from this “dream.” They are “Dreaming” about a different way of life.
It’s not exactly clear what that could look like, because it’s so hard to think differently after so much programming and our basic survival tendencies.
There are various “systems” that have been proposed. Let’s just call them “Cooperative Networks.”
That system says everyone cooperates to find solutions in various ways. The competitive instinct is diverted into competing with oneself rather than with others. Most resources can be shared with enough room for personal needs and ambition. That ambition is turned from abusing others to serving them to get what one wants.
It is based on the principle of “one can do anything one wants so long as one does not infringe upon what anyone else wants to do.” It is called “basic rights and freedoms.”
It limits the tendency of the allocation of shared resources to become a controlling mechanism. Participation in the use of those resources is on a voluntary basis. Payment is only for the ones one want it.
All contracts and agreements for trading and security are guaranteed with bonding and insurance. All disputes are resolved with arbitrators agreed to by both parties.
All services are offered in a competitive manner. One can hire whatever security and infrastructure companies one thinks meet their needs.
There is little to no need for “government” as most, if not all, of our needs are met by private companies.
Actually, there is no moral reason to have a government if it is based on involuntary contracts and rights given to it that we don’t have. We don’t have the right to take someone else’s property without their consent, even for the “common good.” What is the common good if even one person is harmed? Really that is the “common bad.” >:)
Unless taxes and regulations are voluntary, they are immoral, so government as we know it is immoral, evil, and unnecessary.
The common good is for the benefit of everyone and is the basis for cooperation where both sides agree. They agree because they both benefit.
This concept is in its infant stages and many of the details are being worked out, but it has worked for various African tribes for many generations. It is small-scale, and needs to be seen how it can be employed on a global scale.
There needs to be one small success which spreads to other successes and then organically grows to encompass the whole world.
The organic growth is the only way it will happen because it does not use or need controllers or elite to make it work.
Will some people or communities rise to the top as there are more competent and less competent people? Yes, and that will always need to be channeled into the right direction by the constant teaching of cooperation rather than competition with others. This is one of the biggest challenges we have.
There are many other issues to be resolved, such as infrastructure and defense. With the Cooperative Networks starting locally, many of those issues will be addressed locally.
The solutions will grow as the Networks grow in cooperation with each other. The infrastructure will be maintained locally within each group and then expanded as the need arises.
Since most resources can be locally derived, such as housing, food, and energy on a small-scale basis, the need for many roads, trucks to haul goods, central sources of goods, and medical and energy will not be necessary. The excess production of goods can be traded with other communities for their excess production.
It will naturally evolve into a cooperative structure where one’s strengths are traded for another’s strengths.
That eliminates the “competition instinct” of mine, is better than yours. If your product is better than others, it will be wanted more and therefore will demand a higher price, so the goal will be to make the highest quality product. That creates competition between producers, but only at the level of quality. It is controlled by the users demand for the product, so the focus is on the user not the competition.
If there is an overabundance of a product in one region (potatoes in Idaho), resources will be diverted into other areas. (Not only can potatoes be grown in Idaho,)
Resources such as food that is available in the tropical areas can be grown in greenhouses. Also, such things just might not be available to them. Their cultures evolved without them and can thrive as they are.
Do we really need oranges and bananas in the north? We were perfectly fine without them for many thousands of years. And the tropics were fine without potatoes, too. They had other things, such as rice, yucca, and plantain.
There can be trade for those unique items, but do we need oranges flown in from Chile when they can be accessed from Mexico and other areas that are much closer? It is a tradeoff between the cost of the greenhouse and the transport.
Will people migrate to more tropical regions, as it is simpler and easier to live? Probably as a natural consequence of the availability of natural resources.
Land use will become more efficient in those areas as they become more valuable.
Migration will also become more prevalent as people follow the weather (snow birds) to take advantage of resources and escape hot, humid temperatures.
That will result in people living in a consistent 75-degree environment.
How does that sound?
Almost Utopia…well, almost…LOL. One can hope.
That is in contrast with the dystopian nightmare we have existed in for many thousands of years.
If you don’t believe that, just don’t participate in the Cooperative Network. It’s voluntary…Remember!!!
Form your own system…community…and see if people will join you, and if not, see if you can survive all by yourself.
I think we know the answer to that.
Cooperative Networks might not be THE “solution,” but it allows for many different experiments to match many different people.
Like-minded people congregate and create communities that cooperate with other like-minded ones.
Simple as that.
Simple but never easy.
It will take a complete change in the way we think, but we don’t need to have it happen all at once. Just one small success leading to others.
That’s how change has always occurred!
If you want more info or just to express your ideas, leave a comment or contact me at vsalzer@vincesalzer.com. I am on all the social media platforms as well.
Let’s start a like-minded community!!!
