Welcome to another edition of PROUT Gems. In this issue: ** The return of the Authoritarian Right and a proposal for Economic Decentralisation ** Economic democracy ** Decentralized economy ** Automation: doom or boon? ** POLITICIANS Democracy is not real without economic democracy for all. This issue again covers the importance of economic democracy which should be the platform of all progressive and humanistic social change movements. Without that platform, the perpetuation of economic centralisation in the hands of either Corporate Capitalism or State Capitalism (communism) will persist. The future of humanity cannot rely on the immoral forces behind these systems to take society forward. Deprivation of others of their due as human beings is immoral and both Corporate Capitalism and Communism have that mentality. Regards Dharma ** The return of the Authoritarian Right and a proposal for Economic Decentralisation -Prout Research Institute According to the doctrine of laissez-faire (unfettered) capitalism to which Bush Jnr subscribes, the way to avoid economic slumps or recessions is to give maximum encouragement to the rich and super-rich to keep the economy going strong. The theory goes that once the economy is going well, a hidden hand redistributes the wealth to the poor. The real question is, does this invisible hand really exist? In 'Tone Poem' by Midnight Oil (Moginie, Garrett) it is appropriately described as: invisible hand clutching at the throat statistical sham an emperor's rags its sad because equality's the only plea green fields are burning the reefs on fire and bellies are swollen they're hurting a willing victim I don't think so we won't be pinned against the wall there is no slogan that can feed you The question now arises: What are the alternatives? The central problem is the existence of a capitalist mode of production and its inherent exploitative contradictions (alienation, materialism, unemployment, homelessness, strengthening of racism and patriarchy and destruction of ecology, etc). Liberal politics essentially harbour illusions. Many simply seek to retain the concept of selfish pleasure without a proper psychological consideration of higher human needs. Liberal Democracy is based on economic and political centralisation. Political Liberal Democracy is seen to have won the day through its representative style of governance. Few people have questioned its integrity until recently. Today if we ask the sections of any society, who are disadvantaged or left behind in economic prosperity, they are not enthusiastic about the supposed advantages of Liberal Democracy. And in the developing countries, where the gap between rich and poor has grown even more, people are desperate. The main problems of political democracy are party politics and high election advertising expenditure that requires backing from Big Capital. Most people vote for the party and not the candidate and electors depend on wealthy backers to pay for campaign adverts. So it is clear that capitalists favour Liberal Democracy as they can bribe, intimidate and manipulate the people and those who they elect through money power. Liberal Democracy promises peace, equality and prosperity, in reality it puts the common people at the mercy of Big Capital, and they spend the best part of lives working for pitiful wages. According to Prout there are several prerequisites for a proper democratic system and these include: - politicians of a high moral character who seriously study the ethical dimensions of their decisions - thorough education of voters which creates a high social consciousness (of social, economic and political issues) People are fed up with false promises, they want real Democracy, Economic Democracy, where they can really control their lives! Economic Democracy requires economic decentralisation. This is based on a Co-operative mode of production and distribution together with an anti-nationalist and pro-universalist outlook. Universalism stands for love for all, not just human existence but for all life and the natural world, it is also about celebrating the diversity of life. Something only given lip service to in materialist conceptions of society. Political power can remain centralised and economic power is decentralised. Political power is with ethical politicians and economic power is with the local population. The main work of the people with political power is to remove all the political obstacles that prevent the peoples' economic needs being met. Due to the limits of physical wealth on this planet, a system like Economic Democracy will ensure that this wealth is rationally distributed. While there is room for those who work harder to enjoy higher wages, there should never be a situation like there is today, in the USA for example, where 5% of the population owns 95% of the wealth. Therefore under Economic Democracy, production is for consumption rather than for profit. This guarantees basic necessities for all, like education, health, and proper housing. Capitalists would never agree to economic decentralisation, as they would lose their control over production and distribution and thus control of surplus value profit. And likewise, the old communists, as in the previous USSR, would never have supported economic decentralisation for the same reason. Their communist system was really a kind of State Capitalism. Economic decentralisation means developing the local industry. Under an Economic Democratic system, the Constitution of every country must guarantee the minimum requirements of people (which will be progressive and increase with time) including food, clothing, housing, education and health care. This will be accomplished by full employment because all will have adequate and increasing purchasing capacity, which will in turn make the society more dynamic and unleash the potentiality of the people and make economic decentralisation more and more innovative. The local Co-operative system will ensure that proper planning and the reinvestment of surplus profits (through wages, bonuses, dividends to shareholder-workers) will keep the economy dynamic and growing. The surplus profits should not get monopolised by small elites within that locality or from outside, which is the real reason behind a stagnated economy. Economic Democracy is also the best system for protection of the environment and animals. As production is for consumption and not for excessive profits, more consideration will go into preserving the ecological balance. Furthermore localised Co-operative industry will be smaller in scale and thus not have such a negative impact on the environment. This is all necessary so that all externalities are taken into account in the production and consumption process. The major problem of course is the implementation of Economic Democracy. The pro-capitalist counterparts of the world may not give up their power without a fight. One should always try to avoid unnecessary violence. One can only deplore the terrorist violence committed against innocent people by fundamentalists and Maoist communists in various parts of the world. Nonetheless, as Nelson Mandela said of the South African freedom movement, it is the ruling powers that decide the tactics of the revolutionaries - if they suppress democratic forms of social change, then they will force the people to resort to arms. It is yet to be seen whether the Authoritarian Right will also suppress legitimate forms of democratic protest. But if the way in which the US elections were stolen is anything to go by, and the style of deceit of politicians that exists since the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, then fascism is on the rise. Such people will have to be dislodged from their powerful positions that they occupy and engaged in acts of service for their benevolent rehabilitation. In the long term though, only a revolution of the heart can make economic decentralisation really successful. A fully integrated society based on Co-operatives will have difficulty to function unless people can learn to truly care for each other and work together. That means overcoming centuries of prejudice, chauvinism and overly individualist attitudes. Taking power may well be the easy part! ** Economic democracy - Prout in a nutshell 21 - P R Sarkar The first requirement for economic democracy is that the minimum requirements of a particular age -- including food, clothing, housing, education and medical treatment -- must be guaranteed to all. Not only is this an individual right, it is also a collective necessity, because the easy availability of the minimum requirements will increase the all-round welfare of society. The second requirement for economic democracy is that increasing purchasing capacity must be guaranteed to each and every individual. In economic democracy local people will hold economic power. Consequently, local raw materials will be used to promote the economic prosperity of the local people. That is to say, the raw materials of one socio-economic unit should not be exported to another unit. Instead, industrial centres should be built up wherever raw materials are available. This will create industries based on locally available raw materials and ensure full employment for all local people. The third requirement for economic democracy is that the power to make all economic decisions must be placed in the hands of the local people. Economic liberation is the birthright of every individual. To achieve it, economic power must be vested in the local people. In economic democracy the local people will have the power to make all economic decisions, to produce commodities on the basis of collective necessity, and to distribute all agricultural and industrial commodities. This is proper bottom up planning. The fourth requirement for economic democracy is that outsiders must be strictly prevented from interfering in the local economy. All persons must feel and belong to the community that they serve. The outflow of local capital must be stopped by preventing outsiders (essentially capitalists) or an unplanned floating population from participating in any type of economic activity in the local area. Finally, it should be remembered that economic democracy is essential not only for the economic liberation of human beings, but for the universal well-being of all -- including plants and animals. Economic democracy will devise ways and means to effect the smooth progress of society by recognizing the unique value of both humans and non-humans alike. To solve the problem of capitalist exploitation in the physical sphere, we will have to ensure that the movement of money does not become restricted or immobile in the hands of a few capitalists. The present economic system should be thoroughly transformed, and a comprehensive and completely new economic system should be built in its place. In this new system money will not be restricted or immobile in the hands of a few capitalists. The more the optimum mobility of money is kept unrestricted, the more it will strengthen and invigorate the socio-economic life of the collective body. ** Decentralized economy - Prout in a nutshell 21 - P R Sarkar The most important economic issue before the leaders of all the countries in the world today is how to increase the standard of living of their citizens through the economic prosperity of the State. This is a burning question, especially in those countries that are economically backward. The matter is not very simple because in many countries people are still directly dependent on nature for their subsistence. Only in a few countries have people been able to utilize their knowledge and wisdom to solve their economic problems. Most countries in the world -- whether capitalist or communist -- have adopted the policy of economic centralization. While the economies of the capitalist countries are centralized in the hands of a few capitalists or a few capitalist institutions, the economies of the communist countries were or are centralized in the hands of the party. After so many years of economic centralization, how successful have these countries been in improving the standard of living of the people? To assess this, the main issue is whether or not economic exploitation has been eradicated and the common people have been guaranteed ever increasing purchasing capacity. The fact is that in a centralized economy there is no possibility that economic exploitation can ever be eradicated or that the economic problems of the common people can ever be permanently solved. The common people have been led astray time and again by vested interests. Innumerable promises have been made by political leaders, but they have proved to be nothing more than cruel hoaxes. The policy of economic centralization stands exposed as merely a strategy to accumulate increasing capital in the hands of the capitalists. On the one hand the incredulous masses are kept in good humour by promising them something negligible, and on the other hand the capitalists go on amassing enormous wealth. If we examine why this is happening, we will find that the cause is clearly evident. All the economic policies in countries of the world are formulated by a handful of people who are pillars of capitalism. There is only one way to stop economic exploitation and alleviate the plight of the common people, and that is to implement a policy of decentralized economy in all the sectors of the economy. Successful planning can never be done by sitting in an air-conditioned office thousands of miles away from the place where planning is to be undertaken. Centralized economy can never solve the economic problems of remote villages. Economic planning must start from the lowest level, where the experience, expertise and knowledge of the local people can be harnessed for the benefit of all the members of a socio-economic unit. All types of economic problems can be solved only when economic structures are built on the basis of decentralized economy. The basic question is how to remove the unhealthy influence of centralized economy. The real issue is, who will bell the cat? If the vested interests fail to be guided by righteous intellect, then people will have to take matters into their own hands. They will have to create circumstantial pressure from all sides, uniting around the slogan: "Abolish centralized economy to end exploitation; establish decentralized economy". Decentralized economy is the only way that people can attain all-round welfare because it will not only guarantee economic prosperity, but also pave the way for individual and collective psychological and spiritual progress. Once people's mundane problems have been solved, they will have greater opportunities to develop their potentialities in the psychic and spiritual spheres. With the establishment of decentralized economy, economic and psycho-economic exploitation will be eradicated, the gap between the rich and poor will be minimized and individual and collective welfare will be greatly enhanced. This in turn will create greater opportunities for the psychic and spiritual progress of all members of society. ** Automation: doom or boon? - Roar Bjonnes While the Progressive Utilization Theory (PROUT) propounder P.R. Sarkar and many other social observers claim that capitalism will always have unemployment, there should be support for modernization in industry and agriculture by introducing the most appropriate scientific technology. Yet, according to Sarkar, modernization and rationalization in a PROUT economy will not lead to increased poverty or unemployment. "In PROUT's collective economic system full employment will be maintained by progressively reducing working hours as the introduction of appropriate scientific technology increases production." According to American socially responsible business journalist Alan Reder, "American capitalism is the meanest form of capitalism on earth." It is mean because it often treats its workers as disposable commodities. But Sarkar would argue that, ultimately, any capitalist society is mean, whether it's called France or the United States, because it cannot guarantee full employment to all working-age members of its populace. From a Proutist perspective, automation in a collective economy will have a liberating effect on people, it will increase opportunities to spend more time to be with family and friends, for sports, arts and for various intellectual and spiritual pursuits. In such a society even the most ordinary worker would not lose his or her job to bigger and better machinery. Such persons would not be forced to move away, either. Instead, they would keep their jobs (even if it involves different skills), work less, and have more time to read and play sports with their children. ** POLITICIANS - P R Sarkar Today there is catastrophe and misery in the human society and there is one reason: defective leadership of society. People blindly follow even the unintelligent leaders. The leaders hypnotise and attract thousands with their tall talks, gestures and other dramatics. You should know that the poverty and misery of people in any country are the sins of the leaders. True leaders should always be vigilant and think how to work best for the human society; they must be ever cautious that under their guidance the people are not led to darkness, death and immorality. (Supreme Expression II, 143) Those who proceed to play "the leader" in attempting to build a benevolent society without having undergone meticulous self-preparation and self-discipline through intuitional practice, will not only bring about their own downfall but will lead the entire humanity to disaster as well. (Human Society I, 76) Those who make attempts to disturb human unity are mainly motivated by group politics. In fact, this malady is even more dangerous than germs. It gradually brings about a complete destruction of the various attributes of the human mind: fine taste, simplicity, spirit of service, etc. In this, the party stamp is more valuable than the individual ability. To politicians the main objective is not social service but the service of the self, not welfare but the ministry. To deceive the mass to exhibit political acrobatics - all these are very common with them. Without trying to mend themselves they want to do everything only through their eloquence. With a thorough understanding of the public they instigate them to quarrel with one another and by self-applause they want to take possession of, or maintain power. People should remain vigilant of them. One cannot acquire knowledge and proficiency in different walks of life only by speaking high-sounding words from lecture platforms. By virtue of these high-sounding words they want to remain in oblivion due to the allurement of power. (Problem of the Day, 41) In the end, those political hypocrites will have to depend solely on the strength of arms. In this way it is found that brute force is the only source of strength for such politicians. (Problem of the Day, 44) Many people say that different national interests are the only hurdle in the formation of a world body. In my opinion, this is not the only obstruction, rather, this is just a minor difficulty. The real cause lies in the local leaders' fear of losing their control. Upon the establishment of the world federation, the powerful influence which they enjoy today in different countries will cease to exist. (Problem of the Day, 30) In all walks of present-day life, the dark shadows of immorality are fast taking definite shapes and hampering human progress. It requires a very strong moral force to wipe out this filth of immorality. One cannot expect this moral force from a government power functioning within a democratic structure. We must expect it from the non-political side. The government, be it fascist, imperialist, republican, dictatorial, bureaucratic or democratic, is sure to become tyrannical if there is no moral force to check the capricious activities of the leaders of the party in power. (Great Universe, 251) Social life cannot be elevated merely by speeches delivered from political platforms; political leaders cannot produce moral and progressive people and leaders of higher consciousness by their rhetoric. Besides, who are those who deliver lectures from platforms? Are they not the people who sling the mud of political censure on others? Most of them are blind after power. What will they teach others? Mental and intuitional training alone can create moral, progressive and highly conscious leaders. These people are only those who are established in morality and aspirants of intuitional practices and spirituality. (Problem of the Day, 48) Those who wish to purify society of all defects will have to keep an eye on every human being; social reform can be effected only through the purification of individuals. (Problem of the Day, 48) In this transitional period of civilization, honesty in individual life is a prime necessity. We have to remain ever vigilant that the darkness of petty self-interest does not shroud this supreme human treasure. With the extinction of honesty, civilization will not survive, the long effort of the human race will go in vain, and all intellectual achievements will become meaningless. (A'nanda Va'nii, May 1958) Building anything on humanistic lines requires a foundation of real love and affection for humanity. A truly benevolent society will never come into being under the leadership of those energetic busybodies who are solely concerned with profit and loss. Where love is paramount, the question of personal loss or gain does not arise. The basic ingredient for building a healthy society is simply genuine love; how then is it possible to establish such a society through coercion or legal compulsion? (Human Society I, 73)