Monday, June 12, 2006

Poverty Amidst Plenty - The Case for Social Credit

Preface

This paper is written to substantiate the existence and nature of the current economic crisis, and to offer practical and viable solutions.
I am not a professional economist. Nothing I have written here is original, but has been collected from other authors.

I believe that my fresh point of view as one who is not trained to embrace certain disciplines and pre-suppositions in the field of economics is an advantage - you may or may not agree with me - but please read on, and decide for yourself.

I will be issuing this paper one chapter at a time (since I haven’t actually written it yet!)
Even though the format will be more like an essay than a discussion, I warmly welcome (and desire) your comments.


Introduction

A few observations:
Most countries throughout the world are wallowing in debt.
The 'richest' countries in the world, contrary to what seems logical, have the biggest debt!
How can this be? How can the biggest riches equal the biggest debt?
Always, when one is in debt, certain assets and freedoms are surrendered to the debtor.
So, to whom do these countries owe their livelihood?
To whom, and to what extent, have they surrendered their assets and freedoms?
Is it possible for them to regain control?

Some further questions:
Does the current financial system work?
Are there unmet needs in our world?
Why are we taxed so high? Where do all our taxes go?
Why do the rich get richer and the poor get poorer?
If the goods are available, why can't we afford to purchase them?
Why do interest rates fluctuate?
Why do we have inflation?
Why does the government sell off public assets like Telstra & the water works?
Why doesn't the government truly represent the wishes of the people?
Why does it take most of our working lives to maintain a modest living, only to find that we must settle for a lower standard of living when we retire?

So many questions.
So much evidence to show that things are not as they should be. Even our experts in government and finance offer no real answers.
They encourage us not to live "beyond our means"; yet without accelerated spending on borrowed money our economy will collapse.
They promote full employment; yet they embrace new technologies, which put us out of work.

What is happening? Something is not right!

I believe that most countries (including Australia) have many rich resources, and can afford a good living for each and every citizen of their country.
So why doesn't the common person experience this wealth?
I have come to understand that the current financial system (which is the life-blood of our trade) has several significant, conceptual errors in it, which are causing the difficulties we see.

The following paper attempts to identify the issues and their underlying causes.
Then, to propose a better way.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

same questions, same problems, just a different post. what is social credit?
give me some answers not questions

TZ said...

Before one supplies answers, one must define the issue that the answers will address.

Please be patient, there will be plenty of time for you to ask constructive questions.

Chaper 1 will be posted soon.

TZ said...

In order to show that I am actually intending to go somewhere with this, I will publish my outline - a "Contents" if you will, of where I intend this essay to go.
It's still fluid at this time - I have a proposal but the details and the effective communication of it are not yet firm in my mind.

Anonymous said...

r u writing a book or something, hey i can't be bothered dealing with so many issues. why do want to make it so complicated and deep.

we all want to change the world but one step at a time or else u lose the problem.

TZ said...

KR,

Yes I'm writing a book or something.

If there was a slight chance that you could improve the standard of living of a million people in desperate poverty, would you be bothered dealing with "so many issues"?

I don't want to make anything so complicated and deep.
In fact this subject of money is not nearly as deep as some people in power wish you to think it is.
But whether its deep or not - its not of MY making.

I agree - one step at a time.
But we have to set a course!
Otherwise you will go one direction and I in another - we will not agree and we will get absolutely nowhere.

Yes, I want to change the world.
I want to contribute to building a better world where there is freedom and abundant life, not slavery and poverty.

That is why I write.
To call for assistance, to get the word out that some of us are not going to stand by and do nothing while our government and corporations take away our freedom and livelihood.

First Chapter coming soon (or part thereof)

Anonymous said...

it seems i have to sail the same course as u to get anyway,

well tz i getting so tired of this, i have my views and while i might not agree with yours,there may be some truth in it or it could be lies. as the saying goes. there is your view, there is my view, and thans there is the truth,

untill people change on a personal level this world will not change.
money is a problem, people never have enough and always want more.

most people in jail are there thru' greed. people lose not omly money in casinos but also friends family and jobs.

tz. do not create long winded questions that u pretend u have answers for.
write your book and put it on the shelf with all the other meaningless books that this world produces no real answers.

TZ said...

Why are you so impatient?

Will you give me a decent chance to communicate this stuff?

I know you want instant answers, but its not that kind of question.

However, if you are willing to be patient, you may see what I can see.
That is my wish for you!
It's only an essay - not a huge book.

I want to answer your question "what is social credit?"

I can answer it in 2 ways:

The first way is to give you a brief sketchy outline - one which may cause misunderstanding and allow people to make rash assumptions which will cause them to dismiss it forever! (without having stayed for long enough to see its beauty).

The second way is what I intend in this essay - to give people a decent look at the concept.

But so as not to send you away completely empty handed ...
There are only three fundamentals to Social Credit:

1) Money issued without debt (by the government).
2) The Social Dividend (an issue of money which is not tied to employment).
3) The Compensated Discount (a price adjustment which enables all consumers to buy all available production).

There are so many current issues which are affected so significantly by these concepts.
Such as Inflation, Interest, Welfare, Taxes, Unemployment, etc.

The details are in the rest of my essay if you care to wait.

Regards! Terence

Anonymous said...

i have patience if i can see a result, i do not have patience when i see no direction, sorry tz but i am moving on as your blog is very boring and meaningless if u can't even try to see that there are other views in this world apart from yours
bye from kn

TZ said...

Now now KR,

When did I say that I was not interested in anybody elses opinion?

There may be some who do not qualify for much of my attention, but then there will be some who do. We are all biased to some degree.

Since when does the fact that other people may have a different opinion prevent me from having my own?

If you find my subject boring, or too slow, or too deep, then create your own blog and express your own opinions.

Anonymous said...

how is this for patience, one week on and i still clueless about your post. i have read and reread it and still clueless!!!!

what is it with you and wealth? do you think money brings happiness?

what sort of world do you live in? one surrounded by books or people?
sorry if i got wrong but get out and listern to people, get out and see people, and see people that are different from you. try to feel their pain, laugh with them when they are happy. again sorry if i have it wrong,

Anonymous said...

hey tz, how are things going? still writing your book?

TZ said...

Hi KR,
Yes I am still writing, but the ironic thing is that I am too busy working to pay the mortgage, to do much writing!

Anonymous said...

how can one be busy paying a mortage? just once a month get the bank to deduct from your account. sounds easy.

TZ said...

No, I said too busy WORKING (ie. for enough funds) to pay the mortgage.
But yea, the transactions a sinch if the money's there!

Anonymous said...

so why should you have to work harder to pay a mortage, usualy it is to same amount each month, has your wage decrease.

anyhow at lease you have work, some of us don't.

TZ said...

Yep, I was out of work for 3 weeks or so at Christmas and now my new job doesn't pay as well.
I'm having a hard time keeping up the payments.
There are other reasons I haven't posted more ...
I think I need to re-think my strategy for the book.
It's a work-in-progress and there might be a lot to cover before the conclusion start coming in ..

So, as you have so well pointed out in the past - I wish to offer solutions but if I don't show "some light" early in the book, then I may lose the audience's interest (if I haven't already).

So, I'm still thinking about how to proceed.

Thanks for your comments KR

TZ said...

By the way KR, are you looking for work? and if so what can you do?
and what are you willing to do?
(not that I can offer anything - just interested)

Anonymous said...

i have not worked regular for almost 12 months, had a couple of temp jobs (sorting mail at xmas).

money is tight but i'm learning lesson about life. you could say my world has expanded and meeting people i never knew existed.

i try not to let things get me down but i find hard at times.

i get angry at the government who say their is plenty on work i don't see it. and meet other people who agree, working 15 hours a week at $15 an hour is considered employment, what a joke.

Anonymous said...

hey tz, how's it going, not working too hard,

Anonymous said...

hey tz, how is it going? u must be very busy.

Anonymous said...

hey tz, how are u going, keep in touch as i get bored and bit down with so much time on my hands.
we might not agree but i do enjoy a healthy debate.
take care.

TZ said...

Hi KR,
Yep, I'm still here.
Haven't had much time to keep up the blogging lately ...

Watch this space though ... I'll be back!

Anonymous said...

i have lots of time, i just wish i could fulfill it. it gets depressing filling my time reading blogs. such a waste

TZ said...

Hey KR!

Are you still there?

You recently said "i get angry at the government who say their is plenty on work i don't see it."
Once I get around to it, I think you might enjoy my slant on Employment - stick with me!

Terence

Anonymous said...

i will be looking forward to it.
sorry i can't say more on the subject but it will great to talk to u about it, it is very hard to find interesting blogs

Anonymous said...

merry xmas tz,

TZ said...

thanks kr, you too!