Imagine for a Moment
An idea has been grounded in human thought and philosophy
for many millennia. The message has been heard in song and speech, read in
poetry, and seen in person or on a screen. Why, then, does a society with
access to this message that is a foundation to their moral scale, a message
that has been heard and seen and taught throughout history, refuse to
practice its teachings? Imagine a time when children do not need to starve in
order to feed the gluttonous. Imagine a time when the homeless do not need to
live in squalor in order for the privileged to live luxuriously. Imagine a time
when people can live free of the oppressive opinions of others. Imagine a time
when the pursuit of information did not indebt someone to another for the
remainder of their life. Imagine for a moment what this world might look like
if we valued life, not for its worth but for its existence.
Humans currently produce nearly two times as much food as
the whole planet needs to survive[1][2], yet we have a well-known phrase called
"world hunger." Over 1.3 Billion tonnes of food is either thrown away
or lost worldwide[3], yet people are starving to death and suffer
malnourishment. There are approximately 31 vacant housing units for every
homeless person, just in the United States[4]. How many do you think there are in the whole of
Earth? In a world with 7.9 Billion people[5],
one individual owns one-sixth of the land surface[6]. In a nation where the average person accumulates
nearly $2.7 Million in their lifetime[7], one individual could live for 72.6 Thousand
lifetimes just on what they currently possess[8]. In a world facing destructive climate change,
the wealthiest 10% of the population produces 50% of the Earth's carbon
emissions, whereas the poorest 50% only produce 10%[9].
We are born to and expected to live in a society that exists
with the belief that everything has some amount of worth applied to it, and you
must offer that amount to acquire it, lest you not be worthy of having it. In a
world where 73% of people die in some form of debt[10],
the lifelong pursuit of wealth then means nothing, when that wealth gets
redistributed to those who already have it. In a world where the richest 1% own
more wealth than the poorest 90%[11][12],
and that gap has been steadily growing[13][14][15],
what then happens when there is nothing left for anyone who isn't hoarding
their "worth?" How many people are there that are working a job just
to "get by" that could be doing something truly beneficial for all people?
Many freethinkers have tried to spread their message, and many of them have
died for it[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. People who tried to make changes that benefit
all people and tried to protect the environments they live in. Life is cheap to
those who own everything when the majority are not paying attention because
they’re too busy being distracted by everything in life.
Is it possible to build something without money? Is it
possible to invent something without money? Could we feed a family without
money? Could you learn something new without money? Can you get along with your
neighbors or peers without money? Can the human species exist without some form
of worth? Do we need to be paid something to not destroy each other and the environments
in which we live? I would argue that one could lift a hammer and strike a nail
for no gained wealth other than the act of housing the homeless. I would argue
that one could harvest a plant for no gained wealth other than the act of
feeding a hungry child. I would argue that one could apply their knowledge to
heal the sick for no gained wealth other than to have a healthy community.
I challenge you to name one thing in our knowable existence
that could never be possible without some form of money. Does it give you
nourishment? Does it supply you with oxygen? Do you construct buildings with
it? Is money solely responsible for the knowledge and technology we possess?
What exactly does money allow us to do that we could not do without it? We have
the means and technology required to produce and build thousands of products,
including entire buildings, with easily renewable resources[26][27][28][29]. So why
do 99% of the human population continue to allow themselves to live in a way
that could only ever benefit the other 1% that arguably does nothing for anyone
other than themselves?
Imagine, for a moment, a world where there are no limits to the possibilities and none are hindered by the existence of "worth."