“Stockholm syndrome is a proposed condition in which hostages develop a psychological bond with their captors. It is supposed to result from a rather specific set of circumstances, namely the power imbalances contained in hostage-taking, kidnapping, and abusive relationships.” – Wikipedia.
I’m not here to tell you what’s wrong with the world. Countless others have already done that to death. Not one solitary person on Earth doesn’t know about it. The blame game also gets us nowhere. All the morally responsible people shouting from the rooftops and laudable initiatives like the ‘Blue Economy’ or ‘Green New Deal’ do not seem to alter the status quo anywhere near as rapid or as impactful as we need. But there is something NEW we have overlooked since it came into being around the end of the last century. Not something already tried in the past and failed. Not some new morality, political ideology, or even a socially equitable monetary system, policy or outlook. Something entirely new that has NEVER EXISTED, now made possible by well-developed tried and tested methods and practices. An alternative that immediately frees people of the abuses of the monetary system but goes further, to rectify the effects of that abuse. So why have we not jumped at it?
The Abuse Of Money
Many people consider money an impartial non-prejudicial inanimate facilitator. To economists it is still thus. It is supposed to have no morals, no motives, no personality and no qualities other than a measure of value in an exchange. Humans are the ones who misuse it. So why does it foster the most blatant abuse in all sectors and at mass scale? It isn’t difficult to explain this.
The impact of the global market and macroeconomics on microeconomic practices and localisation has groomed us all into the paranoia of self-preservation and national ‘protectionism’ whilst simultaneously depending upon multi-national monopolies serving disparate national political agendas. Governments see those monopolies as the only realistic allies that guarantor the maintenance of power and influence, even where outright corruption and nest-feathering is not immediately apparent. To this endless world conflict, the general public serve as fodder, minnows, expendable collateral.
Add to this the emergence and advancement of Financialization and we have a system that not only works for a tiny minority but practically de-couples the generation of wealth from the material means of producing it. The workforce are dispensable to the tune of between 70% and 99% of the population of the Earth and only represent a fraction of 5% of global wealth generation. 95% of that being speculative by the late 1990s (source Noam Chomsky, ‘Profit Over People: Neoliberalism and the Global Order.’ 1999). The manipulation of the struggling dispossessed masses not only encouraged by neoliberal economic strategies, but held aloft as the aspirational model, or modus operandi, for every individual within those masses. Just as a person with Stockholm Syndrome elevates their captor. Who would want to aspire to poverty when you can aspire to wealth and what we have come to label ‘successes’? But now it is made a prerequisite for survival. And so we glorify and congratulate our greatest success stories instead of reviling them and holding them to account as the most heinous of criminals.
Some dismiss Capitalism as an inept system for controlling money and even anthropomorphise it, asserting it is evil and “demands” or “wants” such and such. But this assertion paints all capitalists (and who isn’t) with the same broad brush-stroke and is not nuanced argument taking into consideration all the practical and psychological factors of those who have no choice but to engage with it. The majority working within capitalism are not motivated by insatiable greed, or for the mythological misnomers of “infinite-growth” and against “post-growth” and “de-growth” ideologies, touted by the genuinely concerned dealing with what are current commercial practices, but only on the basis of how money operates. These ‘myths’ blame profiteers and even profit for denying us our true relationship with each other and our environment. But who is to say what that is for any individual? And what of the rapid industrial size growth we desperately need in the green economy? These short-sighted unrealistic admonitions call upon the very criminal elite capitalists to invest in the moral consciences they have cauterised for the gain they are determined not to separate from. No professional highly educated campaign organisation has yet convinced the elite wealthy it is even in their own interests.
Whether you are a local grocer, a social-work manager, or a supermarket sales executive, all doing jobs out of necessity and facing the pressures of meeting supervisory objectives and competing in an over-swamped and hostile economic environment – even in non-monetised health and social care – the thing that speaks more than any human quality is money. Fair-mindedness and product quality were dismissed in the ‘Noughties’ as a consideration in reaching any margin. From this the ‘success’ came from cutting corners and controlling. Like Sir Alan Sugar, who cornered a market for mass-production of the poorest quality computers and hi-fi systems, as cheaply as possible, with no regard for the practicability of the product or its impact on people’s quality of life or the environment. Mass markets for poor quality and disregard for standards became exploited then, through mercantilism and profit-maximising. Was it ever thus, I hear you ask? But we don’t have to look too far back to eras of phenomenal development, where production quality was paramount and has since stood the test of time. Our current first world infrastructures were built upon them. But looking back through that history, we have never challenged whether or not it was the manipulators or the medium that exhibited flawed logic. It is just as easy to dismiss the expansion of successive empires, architectural wonders, education, health and social care, food culture, science and travel as clear endorsement of the beneficial aspects of monetary policy, without factoring in slavery, or what could have been achieved from a far more equitable system free from forced appropriation, favouritism and oppression.
The extent of criminal activity tolerated is excused due to one single factor – not the perpetrators of these crimes, but money itself. Money has been the core motive and mitigating influence. It is the sole motive for most crimes and treatment we do not consider, or cannot (afford to) prove to be criminal. So, the whole population are systematically groomed by that unscrupulous minority, for whom the system works, into thinking NOTHING ELSE EXISTS that can work for the majority. As effective as the Nazi pogroms of pre-war Germany (with governments acting as Sonderkommandos) we have to throw our chips in with the abusers who insist they are the ONLY ones in whom our fate lies and laud them for accommodating us, whilst they lock us away in the economic basement, often to die.
In this runaway global climate of economic conflict, supremacy is the highest bidder. Even the role of wealth and profit take second-fiddle to survival and control of markets. Price and profit also become sacrificial rams and so capitalism implodes, destroying its own base for survival to create new exclusive edifices that will hopefully survive the effects of global warming. That’s why we are transfixed by the select few – politicians / celebrities / agencies (one and all) – that can afford the entrance fee, as public services buckle under the weight of investment of public taxes into private enterprises, by government and council officials.
ALL agents, including charities, UN organisations and campaign organisations that subscribe to the view MONEY is the ONLY solution, practically sustain its abuses and have been negligent in exploring the new possibilities open to us for relief from it. All their jobs depend upon it after all and who wants to rock a sinking boat? Who would dare contradict their abusive kidnapper? (A list of all international agencies and organisations repeatedly approached can be found through the Facebook group link below). Perhaps directors and CEOs of these organisations – without examining the structure and process of this proposal – assume it would interrupt the cash-flow from their supporters or threaten their employers and wage-payers; or maybe they dismiss any non-monetary proposal as fairy-tale ideology or Utopianism. It is nothing of the kind. It provides an additional (not supplementary) stream of income. It must be said, a colossal amount of money is spent conferencing new publications, science, methods and systems, indulging those who examine the issues just to restate the abuse that is already blatantly before our very eyes. But every solution agreed upon is banjaxed or inhibited by monetary budgets. We are conditioned, like any captor, not to think but to conform without hesitation or face the consequences of displeasure, punch-drunk and powerless as anyone disabled by Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder as each successive crisis is normalised and we must be grateful.
Treating the disease
Just as clearly a decision it was to intervene in the case of Natasha Kampusch or Elizabeth Fritzl, locked in a basement by her father for 24years; or Lauren Kavanaugh, locked in a cupboard for eight years – it did not make the transformation of their mental dependency any easier to overcome. It is clear to all now, we need to intervene in the monetised abuse of human beings and all species that share this planet WITH AN ANTIDOTE AND NEW MENTALITY AWAY FROM MONETARY ABUSE.
But who will do so and with what alternative way of living? Are we so convinced nothing else out there works? Is it such a gargantuan expectation and practical mountain to climb? It is often beyond the imaginations of abuse victims to consider any better existence outside of their relationship, or such becomes a dream world, or practically unattainable. Such has become the predominant mentality around money.
We have seen vast development in alternative, complementary, circular and crypto economies – some of them non-monetary and some of them very successful. So why have they been unsuccessful at replacing money as the chief exchange mechanism? One issue is belief that money still works and none of them address this dependency, often necessitating some level of monetary solvency to begin with, or still being affected by the influence of global and localised monetary functions surrounding them. The second is the conviction that money is not the culprit and at least in civilised and so-called democratic nations, oppressors will care enough to at least keep the general public alive. Socialists and Trades Unionists proclaim everything we know to be wrong and such has been our slumber, individual voices shine starkly in the dark to wake us up to our reality. But they again idealise on old terms that no longer apply, whilst the elite smirk amused at the level of venom. They needn’t overtly oppress in a military or police state whilst there are far more subtle and ‘legal’ functions that consign people to prolonged and miserable death. Since the neoliberal policies of the ‘80s and ‘Austerity’ measures from 2008 to the present, who can be in any doubt over that now? But these are just imperfect people making the best of a bad job yes? Yes, but “for whom?” is the ever obfuscated question.
A New Life
So what can act as an antidote to money as well as counter all its characteristic motivations and peripheral effects over the global economy and environment. What is different about this proposal, to the countless political and economic methods already used or proposed and failed? And how long would it take to reverse the monetary abuses of this past century?
This new proposition borrows from the superb work of the following authors, but is still ahead of the curve of anything they have proposed since its publication in 2020: Yanis Varoufakis, Noam Chomsky, Farid Kavari, Paul Mason, Charles Eisenstein, Jeremy Rifkin, Tejvan Pettinger, Kate Raworth and older greats – Engels and Kondratieff came close and with extended unpolitical reading beyond Capitalism, Marx saw it. But they are not this. NONE OF THESE OR ANY OTHER CURRENT SOURCE PROPOSES THIS NATURE AND SCALE OF RAPID PRACTICAL AND EASY TO IMPLEMENT ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, because they ALL advocate money. And why would anyone for whom money works ever press for a non-monetary system? This is our biggest obstacle. It is up to the 99% relatively dispossessed to form this economy. It already exists (exploited by and affecting the monetary markets of the 1%), it simply hasn’t yet taken the smallest step of constituting itself a parallel economic power. The means to do so are here.
The key to the Parallel Non-Monetary Economy is –
1, it needs NO MATERIAL FACILITY / CURRENCY;
2, it DOES NOT OPERATE A MATERIAL VALUE SYSTEM based on commodification and services, to compete with or alter monetary values. (Read carefully: this does not mean it does not achieve those effects as it always outperforms money).
3, it is NOT DEPENDENT UPON MONEY, OR IMPACTED BY MONETARY PERIPHERALS.
4, it is NOT DEPENDENT UPON CENTRALISED CONTROL but is controlled by and facilitates ONLY the eco-friendly agendas agreed upon by the global community of the GENERAL PUBLIC.
5, it is INDISCRIMINATE except for the publicly agreed purposes it either facilitates or prohibits.
6, it is READILY AVAILABLE to EVERY INDIVIDUAL AUTOMATICALLY, once society adopt it and set its parameters.
7, it is an AUTONOMOUS, AUTOMATED SELF-GENERATING WEALTH system of accountancy. But it generates so much economic security, even the accountancy eventually becomes an unimportant nonsense.
8, it does not require MENTAL RADICALISATION, REGIME CHANGE, OR RE-EDUCATION to operate successfully.
9, it changes the REWARD INCENTIVES to produce what is truly valued by society and our collective care for our environment and each other.
10, it facilitates the IMPLEMENTATION OF individual and collective INTELLIGENT CHOICES, making them MORE PROFITABLE than any industry money currently rewards.
The Parallel Non-Monetary Economy (PNME), as named, does not await the demise of monetary capitalism or depend upon it to function in ANY measure. Being parallel, it never mixes with the monetary economy, but it does affect it by a process of osmosis. It does not seek to undermine monetary functions or wealth – it simply exposes them as inferior and inept, whilst freeing all participants of its influence IMMEDIATELY they adopt the PNME.
PNME participants will not be made up of only the “99%” but also the “1%” as it becomes the dominant economy for everyone, alongside the choice to keep whatever money remains. But that economy will be massively altered by the PNME in a positive way. The difference in how it operates is not simply a different form of capitalism, with its attendant factors of ‘inflation’ ‘deflation’ ‘interest rates ‘ ‘debt management and procurement’ ‘taxation’ ‘exchange rates’ ‘assets and asset-stripping’ ‘profit-maximising’ ‘ownership’ ‘price-fixing’ ‘resource-stripping’ etc. At the same time, it does NOT require a new economic method people need to be re-educated and convinced about. It rapidly addresses what we need now, with what we have now, utilising already familiar processes and technology, because NOW is when we need to act and rapidly.
Practically overnight, the PNME would transform the world’s biggest refugee camp or disaster-area into a thriving economically engaged and equitable community, rebuilding its infrastructure without any hand-outs or monetary oversight. Nobody gives a person this income – they generate it unilaterally without consent. It could transform places like Syria, Turkey, Haiti, Lebanon, Belarus, Kuwait, Philippines, Hong Kong, without the exchange of a single penny. What we need to do NOW is workshop just what having that control over our future and choices would mean practically for any individual – its effect on local businesses – on politics and public-interests – on recovery of our ecosystem – on the global economy, monopolisation, mono-culture, productivity, mercantilism, neoliberalism and financialization. And finally, its effect upon money; how and what it motivates on a micro and macro scale.
How do we go about it? Simply come together as ANY sizable collective or organisation, to examine and adopt it. Pressure your community relief or support organisation, or charity, to examine what it will do for them. Press for UN organisations, anti-poverty and environmental campaigners to workshop it. It will only take one group to adopt it and every other community will want it when they see its results. There is no longer ANY legitimate reason for us to be held to ransom by money. IT IS WAY PAST TIME WE RETOOK CONTROL AWAY FROM THE ABUSERS OF MONEY and started properly living again, as free autonomous individuals supporting one another and our planet.
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ALL of these aspects are ONLY addressed in the book ‘A Chance For Everyone: The Parallel Non-Monetary Economy’ by this author. It is available for free in download versions from the SECURE website and all third-party sources.
Articles, discussions, Q&A, video and audio presentations – achanceforeveryone.com
ILLUSTRATED SUPPLEMENTS and discussions of specific topics at the Facebook Group – ‘The Parallel Non-Monetary Economy of the 99%’ https://www.facebook.com/groups/641184856394195
Author: Kendal Eaton
Excerpt from ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’ – Hieronymus Bosch