Page 15 - A Social Dividend: An Income Guaranteed to Each Citizen
P. 15

The Beneficial Effects of the Social Dividend



        53. How would the Social Dividend benefit soci-      country's citizens, to facilitate the acquisition of an
        ety?                                                 abundant production, in order to avoid unemploy-
            Our  entire  economic  and  social  life  would  be   ment, misery and the paralysis of Industry.”
        improved. The migration of rural folk to the cities,     Would you pocket the money and leave your
        where they live in chicken coops and breathe pol-    job for one month? Would you be envious that each
        luted air, would end. Huge factories, where thou-    of your neighbours also received the same amount
        sands of workers must                                                        of money? Or would you
        leave their personalities at                                                 call the Canadian govern-
        the door, would soon be                                                      ment immoral because the
        empty. Competent people                                                      poor would be relieved of
        who  are  now  subjected                                                     their misery rather than
        to inept rule because of                                                     have products wasted?
        the amount of money in                                                          Would you not instead
        the bank accounts of the                                                     thank God for a well-or-
        rulers, would have their                                                     ganized and well-admin-
        chains of bondage loos-                                                      istered  country  that  was
        ened.                                                                        rich in natural resources?
            Each person could be-                                                    Would you not become
        come an entrepreneur or                                                      even  more  attached  to
        join others who have skills                                                  your  nation  and  strive  to
        to conduct a profitable                                                      contribute  to  its prosper-
        business.   The    primary                                                   ity? Would you not work
        goal would be providing                                                      even more industriously,
        the community with good           A Social Dividend will be provided         like  the  person  who  has
        products. Personal entre-            to each member of a family,             received a wage increase,
        preneurship, responsibility          from the cradle to the grave.           because you recognize
        and excellent service to others are cruelly lacking in   that the very existence of a Dividend depends on
        today’s world where minds and skills are muzzled     the continuing development of production?
        by the dominance of money.                               The positive effects of the Dividend would im-
        54. How would the poor benefit from having a So-     pact others as well. Too many who regard a Divi-
            cial Dividend?                                   dend  negatively  are  either  hypocritical  or  proud.
            There are people who own nothing, despite to-    They think it would be a good thing for themselves
        day’s abundant production, because the distribu-     but that others lack the virtue to use a Dividend
        tion system treats them as if they had no right to   wisely.
        their country’s wealth. They are treated as if they   56. What would the Dividend do for the family?
        are legitimately without an inheritance.                 A Dividend would be issued to you, your wife
            Limiting the access to goods and services to     and each of your children. Would it sow consterna-
        those  who  are  paid  workers  is  akin  to  allowing   tion or discord in your family? Would you not, on
        wages and profits to absorb the Social Dividends     the contrary, consider improving the living condi-
        which rightly belongs to heirs of the system.        tions in your home?
            The fact that some of the inheritance is distrib-    You would be able to consider giving your chil-
        uted through taxation to the disinherited does not   dren a better education, or otherwise develop their
        give them back their inherited rights; they remain   talents. You might make improvements to your
        disinherited. The Social Dividend offers dignity, not   home, making life more comfortable. You would
        mere aid, to the disinherited.                       be able to increase your donations to charities, be-
        55. What impact will the Dividend have on the indi-   cause a better life did not make you any less of a
            vidual?                                          Christian. You would be able to subscribe to educa-
            What impact would it have if you received an     tional and recreational magazines.
        envelope from Ottawa containing a cheque with            Much has been said about the family wage. A
        this message: “The nation is happy to offer you      married man, who is the father of many children,
        this Dividend which was also sent to each of the     needs a larger income than a bachelor. Since       u


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