Theory of gift economy

rtcctr,

You underestimate the human condition, the power complex that strives for consolidation of power, we cannot have a world government in place, the only thing that goes close to this is non-aggression pacts and defense pacts, as well as trade pacts between city states. There cannot be a world government because the negative aspects outweigh immensely the positives. For instance, if you do not like the current system, expect much worse from a corrupt one world government.

Crime can be punished with exile.
Treason with death.

You cannot make it a total commune, people need to have things, people need personal space and personal belongings. The communal system you propose will fall victim to too much government oversight and you'll end up with a communist state, you don't want that. (not to mention astronomical crime rates).
I agree with unlimited travel, but everything else seems like a dream, you don't take into consideration how people feel or what they want. The recycling of clothing is particularly a fail before it even springs it's wings to fly. People don't like to share clothes, poor people buy used clothes because they have no choice. You think in the terms that resources are scarce, it's a lie. The planet, as well as the cosmos, have infinite resources. As mentioned, with the implementation of automation in production, anyone can live middle income to high income lives. No need to live like a sewer rat. Technology can be a benign tool, if used accordingly.

Off topic, anyone else notice how hard it is to find this thread now without a link to it? Couldn't even find it in the thread list.

I think what you are describing is something that is about to become a reality over the next fifty or so years.

Things I have seen over the last few years demonstrates to me that humanity is in for major changes.

The big kicker is that we have reached peak oil. All my research shows that this has indeed happened, early 2008, and that this fact has been heavily covered up, and most of the world is in denial. The decline in oil will become very significant over the next five years.

Without the huge reserves of sweet light crude to feed our energy demands, the world's economy will be forced to restructure. There is no way for our society to continue to function the way it currently functions.

Currently the worlds market evolves around planned obsolescence, because that is what keeps the super rich in power. This is what creates the largest amount of waste of energy. This will end, and the corporate powers that currently dominate the markets will slowly become irrelevant. The industrial revolution created these vast monsters of the markets, because early industry required large amounts of capital, combined with the rise of oil and its effects on industry. With current technology, mass production can be done on a far smaller scale, so the need for giant corporations is already coming to an end.

Our urban sprawls were created for mass consumption of oil, and as the cheap to get get oil runs out, that will force mass changes in our social structures. Small towns will become the norm again, and factory farming will come to an end. We can produce food efficiently, but that will mean an end to factory farming, and more labor intensive forms of production that can only be achieved by smaller scales of production, smaller business models, and far less centralized control.

These changes won't come easily, but in the end it will be much better for average working people.

We will drive much smaller, electric vehicles that can be produced locally, that will last much longer. With automation, we will be able to produce what we need to live good lives. There won't be giant homes, and we will live much better lives. Without the influence of big oil to create this consumption based society of a rat race, it will be honest work that pays off, rather than this big con game we are trapped in.

It will no longer be economically feasible to ship goods around the planet from slave labor markets. Vast amounts of assets will become worthless. The bankers will loose their power and control. The time is at hand when the greed of global elites will be their undoing.

Wind power and bio-fuels that are produced locally, bio-diesel from hemp, will become the standard, and things will be built to last a long time to conserve energy usage. Small farms and cottage industry will become the norm again. It won't be utopia, but it will be a better world.

I wanted to revive this thread because I was thinking about posting such a thread myself but found this following a simple search.

Having read what is above, I have now come to realise that the core of the problem is not necessarily the 'trade function' (currently money, in Utopia, it would be favourfavour), but the human fault; that of greed and selfishness.

However, I believe the actually solution is to remove 'soppiness' and 'offensiveness' from society. This way, a criminal will be removed from society beause the larger majority will agree s/he is no longer required on this land. So, either through death or actuall life imprisonment (until dying in prison) will this individual's fate lie. It will not, however, be softened because of 'soppy' factors. He commited a communally-accepted crime (as in, everyone decided this is a crime, not some nobodies in a room in a government building with no public opinion) and he will be removed for that reason - end of discussion, majority accepts.

I like the idea of everything having the same 'value', for all intents and purposes. You go to stores of clothes which exist because people take/leave clothes at their desire. If you want a wonderful evening gown that would otherwise 'cost' 2 months salary, go and have it for free then take it back. People who design and make clothes do so because they enjoy doing it and do not seek return. Such people DO exist.

Vehicles could have a limit simply on age/experience to power of vehicle. No V8 Dodge Vipers until you have 8 years experience and are over 26, for example.

Food is available. For everybody. Everywhere. People happily grow crops on land and have helpers produce this food, slaughter animals, all for the pleasure of it (if they be so inclined to have pleasure from slaughtering, of course). Many people volunteer their time to pick grapes in vineyards for wine production because they enjoy the company, scenery and weather. Such people DO exist.

Education would be free. Professionals teach because their reward is younger generation education and advancement. They do not require money because clothes, vehicles and food are free. The teacher provides to the community so very fairly receives essentials. Many people provide free education and, once again, such people DO exist.

Healthcare is readily available and it is perfect and quick. Many people would be delighted to save members of their Utopian society and would be incredibly respected by all members. They study for years and strive to be the best to help people with their reward being 'life'. Such people DO exist.

Down and outs would not exist because resources would be so freely available. Criminals would be less numerous because theft would be utterly unnecessary. You want to steal a large flatscreen TV? Why? Go and collect one from the TV warehouse! After a short while, once society recognises your lack of input, everything will be removed from you and you will be demdanded to provide society with something. If you choose not to, you shall be removed. End of story.

I would love a discussion on this and how you would implement it.

Even the world's largest trees start as small seeds. Nothing is impossible.

Just a heads up for everyone, If you google Ted Kazynski's manifesto, you will be put on a watchlist by the FBI.

Same thing with how to make a bomb and other such things.

I am not trying to derail the thread, i just think that it is important that people know this, because the OP failed to mention this, yet asked people to google search it.

Be careful what you google guys.