Page 14 - A Social Dividend: An Income Guaranteed to Each Citizen

u This shows contempt for the human person The basis of the Social Dividend is applied sci-
and a departure from the plan of God who is the ence and progress placed at the service of each in-
Creator of all forms of wealth. Goods are intended dividual. The rationale is progress: the huge actual
for all men. and potential production of a nation. Dividends will
48. How will societies guarantee this “vital be issued in the form of money.
minimum”? Under Social Credit there would be no financial
Some radical changes will have to be made: problem where there existed no problem of pro-
not to the way we make goods, nor to the owner- duction. There is no secret. Social Credit ensures
ship of the means of production, but rather to the that money reflect production rather than limit pro-
financial system. duction.
Douglas developed proposals that offer a Today’s monetary system is used mainly to
mode of distribution that would place money at the drive individuals and governments into debt.
service of physical realities. The implementation of 52. Could Social Dividends be the “vital min-
these proposals, known as Social Credit, would imum” that would guarantee an individual’s
guarantee that all individuals receive their share of freedom and dignity?
the huge amount of modern production in a stable Yes! This is where we can address the out-
and sustainable way. standing fact that the Social Dividend guarantees
Human beings would be recognized and treat- social security. The Social Dividend is the only
ed as more important than money. The primacy of form of social security that does not humiliate or
the human person would be recognized; a primacy impede. Accessing bread, with no condition other
claimed in principle, but that no government has than that bread exists, would free people. The first
thus far protected in legislation. fruit of progress should be the guarantee that ne-
49. Are wage subsidies a more efficient means cessities are taken care of and that economic se-
than Social Dividends of securing income? curity for today and tomorrow is ensured.
Governments often grant or refuse to grant A Social Dividend, to each and every person
subsidies according to political factors. They set from birth until death, would provide mankind with
conditions and restrictions. Subsidy politics cre- the beautiful fruit that is derived from progress.
ates recipients that have their hands tied and who
are made to feel obligated to government.
Social Dividend policy does the opposite. It
renders people free. By having money to pay for
goods and services we need not turn to the gov-
ernment for aid. Free people can pay for their insti-
tutions and can, in turn, attain their personal goals.
50. How do you respond to people who say that
Social Dividends will lead to inflation?
The same people who raise this false alarm do
not worry that government subsidies will be infla-
tionary. If resources and workers are available to
establish subsidies why would they not be avail-
able to answer the need for Social Dividends?
51. Do you see a difference between subsidies Industrialist Henry Ford II once invited Wal-
and Social Dividends? ter Reuther, then president of the Auto Workers
Union, to see the first automated robots in his
The results are quite different. Subsidies create factory. Ford praised their efficiency and said
recipients who have moral debts; the Social Divi- that it would be easy to replace workers in auto-
dend leaves citizens free. Subsidies turn govern- mobile production. Reuther wisely commented:
ments into guardians while Social Dividends make “How many of these robots will buy a car?” If
governments the servants of the people. money is not distributed directly to consum-
The politics of subsidies opens the door to ers, who will buy the production that is made
favouring the “friends” of the government to the by machinery? If machinery replaces salaried
detriment of other citizens since subsidies are fi- workers, people will need a Dividend to replace
their lost income.
nanced through taxation. Social Dividends, how-
ever, treat the lowest ranking citizen regally.

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