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The Forum > General Discussion > What if everything were free?

What if everything were free?

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As of now with a monetary system, people provide a service to get paid, and be able to pay for other survives to live off of or to enjoy. If everything was free that would dramatically change that dynamic. Those who want food, clothing or other goods would depend on the charity of someone providing those poducts, and either growing them or making them. Without money the system is dependent on charity without any incentive to keep production to supply goods or services high enough to sustain the people.

Not that it can't be done. I don't know if it can be done or what that would look like if it was. As of now though, I don't see the infrastructure in any society to maintain it.
Posted by Not_Now.Soon, Monday, 20 August 2018 4:27:02 AM
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Its true many people survive in the world without money. When I was a kid I'd ask the Old Man for a "couple of bob" to go to the flicks, he'd say "For Christ sake son, I've got no dosh!" I survived without money! Did't go to the flicks either. I think the Old Man without money went to the pub and got pissed!

Ah! the good old days!

I recall my early working days when an old bloke held forth with;

I remember when the tram only cost a PENNY"

And another old wit retorted with; "Yes, Curly, I bloody remember when the tram only cost a penny! And I remember many a frign' day I had to walk, because I didn't have a bloody PENNY to catch it!"

See, lots of people survived without money.

I sometimes ask myself, how good were the good old days.(without money)
Posted by Paul1405, Monday, 20 August 2018 5:05:21 AM
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Deeply honestly earnestly I want a more caring world, a safety net for every one unable to fend for themselves even a tax every one world, to fund the giving, but it remains true the world without cash works only for ants/Bee,s and those insects that live and die for the sake of the whole,humanity will never be even close to that degree of lack of self interests
Posted by Belly, Monday, 20 August 2018 7:16:24 AM
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What if everything was free?

Our world is made up of many different racial, ethnic,
religious, and regional traditions. Societies have
different values - some are highly competitive and
place great value on the achievement of power,
wealth, and prestige. Others value regular,
disciplined work for its own sake, and those who don't
work are considered lazy and even immoral.

Some people tend to be moralists, seeing the world in terms
of right and wrong and constantly evaluating the moral
behaviour of others. Whilst others are humanitarians -
regarding themselves as a kindly, charitable people,
always ready to come to the aid of the less fortunate or the
under-dog.

Many people believe that problems have solutions, and they are
intensely practical people - for them the ability to "get
things done" is widely admired.

Others look to the future than the past, sharing convictions
that things can and should get better, their outlook is
fundamentally optimistic.

We also have people who value the "good life" which they
define in terms of a high standard of living and the
possession of material goods.

Then we have people who believe in equality - especially
equality of opportunity. Freedom of the individual is regarded
as one of the most important values for some people.
However there's also people who despite their belief in
"rugged individualism" tend to be conformists and are
suspicious of those who are not.

The list goes on from - national patriotism individual
personalities to belief in democracies and so on.
The point being made is that every society will need some
system of social control - a set of means of ensuring that
people generally behave in expected and approved ways.
Therefore - everything cannot be free in all societies.
Each society is different - what is acceptable in one society
may not be acceptable in another - depending on their values
and ideas about what's good, right, and desirable.
Posted by Foxy, Monday, 20 August 2018 11:18:38 AM
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One of the Q's in the FAQ gives the game away...

"Everything is free? Great! I'll have 100 grand pianos please!

Firstly, and assuming somone had a genuine reason for needing 100 grand pianos, an appropriate level of education and responsibility towards nature would prevent most people from making such a request, due to the heavy drain on natural resources and human skills that fulfilling such an order would require.

Even so, if such a request was genuine for whatever reason, there's no reason why it shouldn't be fulfilled providing it is physically possible to do, and the person making the request accepts the length of time it would undoubtedly take to complete."

Note: someone has to "request" the pianos. Make the request to whom? A distribution committee? Some ministry? Skynet?
The 'request' will be granted if its "genuine". And who decides that?
This examples applies to 100 pianos. But what about the extra rasher of bacon over what is genuinely needed as decided by the charter controllers? Or the new pair of shoes?

In the end there has to be some sort of method to reconcile unlimited demands with limited resources. Capitalism uses money as that method. Communism used committees and 5 yr plans.

There's an old saying that in a capitalist system the rich become powerful while in a communist system the powerful become rich (eg Putin, Castro). There will still be want and there will still be poverty among those who have to do the requesting. But those deciding on the genuineness of the request won't be poor or left wanting.

And I'm bloody certain that those who push this idiocy are convinced they'll be the requestees not the requestors.

Ominously their system already calls for the people to be re-educated so as to manage their 'requests'. Anyone with even a passing knowledge of the various communist systems over the past century will know where re-education leads. Gulag anyone?

Fictionally there was a society where all wants were met for free and no one had to work to met their needs. They were called the 'Eloi'. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eloi
Posted by mhaze, Monday, 20 August 2018 3:02:12 PM
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mhaze not so free in that world the elo looked more like chickens being fattened for the day they indeed paid for their food, it would take such a world for this scheme to work
Posted by Belly, Monday, 20 August 2018 4:28:37 PM
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