Page 8 - A Social Dividend: An Income Guaranteed to Each Citizen

u cements. But once the machine is purchased by land. The task requires transforming a dense patch
an industrialist, is he not entitled to the profit? of birch and other such trees into a homestead and
Yes, we recognize the right to profits for those productive farm. This man and his family will toil for
who have paid for machinery. But in each piece of thirty or forty years before passing down a mort-
machinery or equipment there is an invention with- gaged property.
out which the machine would be only a heap of Another example is that of a newborn child who,
steel parts. The invention, which not yet baptized and made a
we can call the “soul” of the ma- son of the Church, is already
chine, could not have been made in debt.
nor passed on if we had not lived Today’s system is illogical.
in a society with its education The more assets and wealth
system and the myriad previous accumulated by a nation the
acquisitions that profited the in- greater are its financial debts.
ventor. Workers create wealth while
19. An investor’s dividend is parasites control finance. And,
determined by the com- despite prosaic rhetoric to the
pany in which he made his contrary, finance is placed
investment. But who deter- above man; the parasite is
mines the amount of the So- We say the poor are disinherited master while the worker is a
cial Dividend? when, in fact, they are denied slave. Tell the worker that he
The amount of the Social their inheritance. is an heir and the parasite will
Dividend should be decided by convince him that he is listen-
society, since it is a gift from society to its members. ing to a utopian troublemaker disrupting morale.
This kind of distributive economy should be A system which exists for the profit of a few in-
sun-filled compared to today’s system. It should be dividuals and the enslavement of nations will not
abundant just as modern production is abundant. acknowledge the true heritage and great assets be-
An amount would be distributed to each person queathed by previous generations to the current
that was capable of meeting life’s basic needs. The one. Social Credit, which has no respect for the
Social Dividend would increase at the rate progress parasitic idols and their high priests, recognizes the
increased — while leaving a reward to those who existence of this heritage and the rights of its heirs.
participate in the work which transforms our com- 23. How will Social Credit recognize the rights of
mon capital. heirs?
20. Why is this distributive economy not clamoured Social Credit will distribute the income from this
for with greater insistence? heritage to all members of society through a Social
It has a history of being ignored or misunder- Dividend. This is a true dividend since it corresponds
stood. Mankind has been mesmerized by a Jansen- to profits. A company which makes financial profits
ist economic philosophy sustained by financial pow- distributes them among its shareholders.
21
ers who wish to maintain control over others. 24. Is this not socialism or communism?
21. We often hear that man must earn a living by “the There is not a speck of socialism or communism
sweat of his brow”. Why should there be such a in this theory. Industry and property remain private-
paradox? ly owned. Owners continue to benefit from the value
Even if goods are overflowing, there is a finan- of their property. Private capital that is well-invested
cial system that is false and absurd. It tells lies that continues to bring in an honest return. Workers con-
are in total opposition to the facts, and which con- tinue receiving their wages.
sequently makes debtors out of heirs. But heirs will draw an income from their herit-
22. Can you give us examples of some “absurd situa- age. Everyone, whether young or old, wealthy or
tions”? poor, employed or not, sick or in good health has a
right to a Social Dividend.
A pioneer in northern Canada begins to clear
This heritage belongs to everyone. If you distrib-
2 Jansenism was a theological movement, primarily in ute it to some and not to others you are favouring
France, that emphasized original sin, human depravity, the one heir over another. If you do not distribute it to
necessity of divine grace and predestination…Through the anyone, you are enabling the population’s glaring
17th and into the 18th centuries, Jansenism was a distinct needs to remain unmet and for production to be
movement away from the Catholic Church (www.wikipe- wasted.
dia.com).

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