Switzerland And Cyprus’ Journey Towards A Living Wage For All Citizens
This is a topic discussed ad nauseam on here. I hear all kinds of bullsh$t about why this is bad policy or that raising wages will simply raise the cost of goods and, thus, won’t work. This is utter bullsh$t. The Internet is both good and bad. Bad because people can influence the thinking of others with bullsh$t. Okay, three’s a charm so enough bullsh$t. By the way, off topic, paying a living wage drives economic innovation and massive productivity enhancements through countless dynamics. Something I wrote on here eight years ago in a detailed set of manufacturing posts on the Toyota Way (which was actually the Ford Way from a century ago) and lean production methods.
Productivity is the greatest gift of science because it means I don’t have to work or don’t have to work as much. I can spend more of my time qualitatively on higher value propositions building a more spiritually and emotionally fulfilling world for myself, my family, my community and the community of all life.
A quote that has been posted on here half a dozen times…
"We are justly proud of the high wage rates which prevail throughout our country and jealous of any interference with them by the products of the cheaper labor of other countries. To maintain this condition, to strengthen our control of home markets and, above all, to broaden our opportunities in foreign markets where we must compete with the products of other industrial nations, we should welcome and encourage every influence tending to increase the efficiency of our productive processes" --Henry Towne, President of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1911
Certainly, you cannot pay out more income than the national income. Certainly, you cannot pay out more income than is required for reinvestment. Certainly, you cannot pay out income UNDER THIS SYSTEM ONLY such that it discourages entrepreneurs. But, let’s get real. Lloyd Blankfein and Jamie Dimon run legalized extortion rackets and have paid themselves cumulatively hundreds of millions of dollars for creating zero wealth. I think we can find a way to pay every American a living wage. And if pay for corporate executives is limited because we are paying everyone a living wage, then megalomaniacs won’t have any monetary incentives to build corporate empires. Thus, we naturally help contain the growth of monopoly. A living wage doesn’t even need to paid with money. It is quite simply granting everyone a minimum access to society’s resources and its economic output. Money doesn’t have anything to do with that. Isn’t this what democracy, freedom and equality are all about?
That means we can end dehumanizing programs associated with unemployment benefits, with low income housing, with food stamps and with welfare benefit programs. And, we can end Social Security as we know it. Now people can be empowered and personally-responsible by replacing these programs with living wage opportunities for every single citizen.
Many ideologues and close-minded people view these programs as handouts. No, they are not handouts. But there is no doubt that everyone in this system, especially corporations, are institutionalized to the welfare state. No one more so than corporate CEOs. But, the need for government “welfare” programs is really a result of corporate capitalism. Corporations and the plutocracy are the largest recipients of welfare both directly through subsidies and rigging the game and indirectly. Welfare program allow corporations and the plutocracy to socialize losses while privatizing the massive gains created by our disposable or throw-away society. They allow corporations to dump people on the public dole of indignity and enrich themselves in the process. The welfare state benefits corporations and the plutocracy more than anyone else.
Just as importantly, by ending these programs we can slice government bureaucracy to zero in these areas and redeploy those government workers into much more productive, humanizing and emotionally-fulfilling endeavors. And we can take away the political manipulation involved in pandering to those reliant on these programs and those administering them.
Every single person in this nation is capable of giving back to society and humanity in some way in return for a living wage. If you have personal issues that are keeping you from giving back or participating, then get your situation taken care of, with the support of society, and join humanity in being personally responsible and connected to the world around you. There are enough needs beyond the actual act of work that will always exist to pay people for participating in a cooperative rather than competitive society as noted on here many times. Not only can we see the tangible benefits to doing so, but we can see the intangibles. One example is children raised by adults that have the time to invest in their emotional and educational development. Another example is the isolation many retirees experience. Giving them a purpose for existence and an ability to stay connected and to give back in return for a life-long living wage helps create a more emotionally-connected and compassionate world. It gives our citizens a reason for being beyond watching Jerry Springer. Another is that we can force other nations to raise their human rights and living wage programs in order to trade with us. Although, in a world controlled by our citizens rather than corporations, most global corporate trade would collapse. Most trade is completely unnecessary make-work made up by corporate capitalism and its overproduction-overconsumption. The benefits to paying a living wage for our society, our citizens and the citizens of the world are endless.
Many still underestimate what is happening in the world today. These announcements in Cyprus and Switzerland are in the winds of change that most certainly are coming to the United States. The plutocracy’s party is over. Capitalism as we know it is dead. This as the plutocracy is more bullish than ever. The plutocracy and their political toadies in both parties have already lost their right to rule. Congressional approval ratings for Democrats hit a record low five percent this week. Obama’s approval rating hit a record low. Republicans approval rating hit a record low.
Public servants derive their rights to govern via the consent of the governed. I don’t personally view any of them as my public servants. I don’t recognize their right to rule. I am sovereign. You are sovereign. Those rights were granted to us by our Creator. I decide and you decide who our public servants are. Now, I still follow the rule of law but I nonviolently reject their right to govern. They are criminals, takers, sociopaths, narcissists, predators, looters and enablers of the corporate plutocracy. The American people are well aware of what is going on.
The plutocracy has lost its right to rule. They just haven’t gotten the memo yet. They will.
Cyprus president announces guaranteed income for all citizens
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