Jed sez:
> Steven Vincent Johnson wrote: >> This is more or less the definition of socialism. For those >> who are fond of the capitalistic approach, the solution is to >> make everyone a shareholder, so that income is distributed as >> dividends as well as wages. That way no one complains when >> fewer people need be employed (&/or fewer hours worked), >> because dividends go up commensurately. Actually, Robin wrote the above commentary. > That seems functionally equivalent to socialism. It is socialism > that dare not speak its name. Which, again, brings me back to my previous commentary that certain sectors of society, for example, ultra-conservative right-winged Christian fundamentalists, some who may have been instilled with the concept that their sense of self-worth is wrapped up in how many gummy bears they can accumulate because God told them so in the book: "as ye sow so shall we reap". Socialism could put the kybosh on that little game-of-life, so we can't have that, now can we! Actually, the "sow as you reap..." biblical statement is a wise concept worth groking. Unfortunately, that hasn't caused many to "reinterpret" and distort the original intent in order to serve their own self-interests. ... I should clarify some of my commentary: > It would probably be useful to instill a sense of civic duty > within the citizenship - that we are all more-or-less equal. With "equality" also comes great responsibility. I think it would be important to instill in everyone the concept that its everyone's responsibility to help maintain & improve the continued health and well-being of society as a whole. IMO, it is essential that everyone be given the right to access and pursue any level of education to the most advance level that can be offered... and then to continue the tradition by adding their own contributions. It's pretty clear to me that a fully automated society would not last very long if most felt that living at the minimal guaranteed welfare subsistence level, where all of their basic needs were supplied, was all they felt they were entitled to do "in return". In a bee hive all the drones are eventually kicked out when their "services" are no longer required. Regards, Steven Vincent Johnson www.OrionWorks.com www.zazzle.com/orionworks
