Capitalism need saving again.
In the 1930's FDR save capitalism introducing 40H workweek, minimum wage and social security.
The effect of those measures last literally till today in America.
Europe and the rest of the developed world, Japan, Canada and Australia, respectively add to their social network programs like universal healthcare, living wages, tuition free college education and retirement programs. The benefits from those programs build strong middle class and the positive effects last also till today.
It give to capitalism much needed boost to the system that couldn't resolve the boom and the bust cycles on its own.
Until the crash of 2008 when the world went the opposite way, ripping all the safety nets wherever they were weak enough to be torn apart with various degree of austerity measures or spending cuts depending on what side of the Atlantic and the Pacific ocean one lived in.
The crises continue masked as recovery enabling mass transfer of wealth from the middle class to the rich. No-one really cared for the poor this time around, amidst the widespread slather of the middle class.
Electing Trump just put the nail in the coffin of the whole millennials generation of the middle class Americans. The brexit killed a generation of the english middle class.
Greece, Portugal, Spain and Italy are devouring their public sectors and their commons as homage to Germany and France.
Japan is in perpetual decline as economy and as nation.
What can be done to save capitalism nowadays?
Europe come up with an idea called UBI or universal basic income.
Living in America i can't really tell how popular the idea is in Europe, except that is the only idea circulating around the world as waves hitting the shores of every country.
Theres no other way they say, automation will displace vast majority of the labor force and taxing the robots to pay the labor is the only solution.
Not to mention the corporations who abandon the western countries in search for cheap labor across the globe and left the native population fighting over service jobs and diminishing standard of living.
Soon all wages will flatten to some substandard level where full time job will not pay the rent while the renters will wear I-phone watch on the wrist. Cause progress you know.So someone come up with the idea of universal basic income: use the taxes instead of wages to supplement the income of the majority of the population who are facing extinction as human beings.
It sound horrible, but that is what most of the developed countries are facing: native population decline as combination of reduced natality rates, increased suicide and homicide rates and decreased life span.
We have less babies, we kill ourselves in desperation, we neglect our bodies and therefore die younger of stress related deceases as obesity, diabetes and heart failures.
Will UBI save us?
It will save capitalism for sure.
It will give him another century or two, to sharpen its teeth and devour its host.
Host being us, the people and the planet Earth.
UBI and the renewable energy breakthrough.
The Elon Musk of the world.
Not the precariat.
And the poor people campaign that will accept anything in desperation.
The Age of Flattening is upon us.
Chinese wages will rise, African wages will rise, Latin wages will rise, and European wages will stagnate, American wages will stagnate, Japanese wages will stagnate until the whole world wage equilibrate into one flatten minimal standard of living amidst unimaginable technological exponential advantages no-one can foreseen today. It will change the way we look at class. Penniless labor force able to purchase the amazing 21 Century technology.
The exponential technologies of the future world.
And in that centuries that UBI will deliver to the capitalism, the negation will germinate.
It will not be called Socialism, cause socialism run its course and burn out in flame.
It will be the name no-one knows or use today in my humble opinion.
Cooperatives, democracy at work, resource based economy, all reminiscence of the world we live in today will come to past, and new ideas will develop to organize a world were energy will cost zero, ideas will flow freely and new conscience will be destine to follow.
I don't think i will see the light myself, i just hope it will dawn on my children children faces one day.
That or some grotesque version of Darth Vader future. Army of robots in service of one very religious man and the clergy around him. Empire strikes back: all the technological benefits lost in egotistic vanity spree.
Lets go back to the present.
Universal Basic Income is inevitable.
Inevitable for humanity and i hope my generation will be the first generation to enjoy it.
And for my generation it will be beneficial.
Those who are earning poverty wages will be given a lift into secure future without stress of not having the basic needs met. The poor will not be poor anymore. They will have money to pay the rent on time, money to buy real food, meat and veggies and fruits too. Money to go to the movies. Money to even see the ocean. They will feel stability for the first time in their lives. They may even be embolden to go back to school and follow their dreams.
Vast majority of the people will perceive UBI as that supplemental income they always wish for to pursuit leisure. Money for that house in that neighborhood with an extra bedroom for the kids. Money for that trip to Paris, or to see the pyramids of Giza.
Money for that van to fit the kids and the dog in the back and be save. Money for a cabin in the mountains. Money for that fancy dining out. Money for that that new furniture. Money for a pool in the backyard for the kids to splash in. Money for that business idea one cherish from high school. Money for....take a pick, people never run out of ideas how to spend their extra money.
That will boost the overall world economy not just the economy where the universal basic income will be introduced.
The rich will benefit cause their businesses will increase in volume. Growth: abracadabra word of Capitalism.
For the world of my generation it will be period of renaissance in art, music, travel and leisure.
The world will benefit, cause there will be no need for refugees migrations and domestic crimes.
Overall happiness will rise up due stability in one families as the building cell of the society.
And the renaissance could spur the innovation unleashing the human potential breaking new frontiers and probably saving the earth from climate change.
Why then theres so much resistance against it?
Cause no-one is more stiff in parting with their money then the rich.
Cause the money for UBI must come from the rich.
Not the middle class.
The rich. The one percent rich of this world and their Corporations.
Taxing the rich and their corporate business, impossible mission.
They will not allow the middle class to vote away their wealth.
Not as long as they have option.
The Roman Emperor and the Roman senators could have send money to pay the Visigoths tribes or send food to the outline posts and prevent their march on Rome and fall of the Roman empire, but they didn't.
Louis XVI could have unburden the serfs from taxes amidst the financial crises caused by the American war and the crop failures in France, and prevent them from storming of the Bastille, but he didn't.
Will the Bezos and the Zuckerberg of this world learn from the past?
And if they don't, what kind of revolution awaits?
Marie