What is to be Done?
THE LIFE EQUATION
The Anti-life Equation makes the argument that the current course of humanity will result in a catastrophic collapse based on the preponderance of evidence provided. It directly shows how such a collapse can occur while explaining how the same system destroying our environment is the same one that is draining our humanity via the monotony of work. Part of this ultimate conclusion is reached based on the unwillingness of the masses to perceive a society that goes far beyond profit in addition to the overwhelming evidence that is found in the operation of capitalism as a system. In fact, it is a challenge to all of those who reject this notion of unwillingness and on the contrary are desperately thirsting for radical change now. Marcus Garvey once said “When all else fails to organize the people, conditions will.” Sadly, by the time conditions force us to truly organize it will be too late. The life equation serves as a powerful resolve to our current crises while additionally providing the practical ingredients to transitioning and maintaining a completely new paradigm that is focused on the human and its environment.
rEMOVING THE BOX ENTIRELY
Capitalism never was nor will ever be the panacea for society. By capitulating to the impossibilities of infinite capitalism, regardless of the mounting pressures of climate change, we can begin to understand the absolute necessity and the real possibility for advancing beyond it. With this level of acceptance it becomes far easier to disregard not only "thinking inside of the box" or "thinking outside of the box,” but also to remove the idea of the box entirely. Too often we look to politicians and the wealthy for new ways of recreating or reinvigorating capitalism, believing it will stand the test of time. We do so without considering the mounting realities that increasingly push to invalidate capitalism, but also behoove society to shift to a new system and paradigm.
What I am referring to are the numerous kinds of technology and innovation that a good majority of the masses are virtually clueless about...
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...but far more importantly is how these new technologies can be used ubiquitously for the gain of all of humanity. The concern of cost and what profit can be made is a core measure that restricts the level of ubiquity or rarity. We are arriving at a time where abundance can be produced on demand, but to have an entire society based in abundance necessitates thinking beyond the box and searching for how we can possess a new system that incorporates abundance for the benefit of all individuals in addition to the environment. So many of us look to future societies that we only have seen in literature or media as a future that is beyond us, existing as pure fantasy. For us to continuously surrender ourselves to relentless work in order to survive, expecting a new and radical society to appear by sheer hope, only places us in a position similar to that of Sisyphus (pictured above); existing in unending fruitless labor with little return or any potential prospects of real change. Now is the time for thinking of a new society that does not seek to revolve itself around profit, status, and avaricious desires.
Next topic: Techno-Humanism
tECHNO-HUMANISM
Techno-Humanism seeks to achieve the realities and the paradigm that so many of us have desired, focused on humanity as a whole, the environment, and technological resolutions.
Techno-Humanism is the vehicle of transition from scarcity to post-scarcity, keeping in mind that modern scarcity for all intents and purposes is now heavily manufactured to satisfy the basic dynamics of capitalism. It combines an accelerated and massive emphasis on ubiquitous uses of technology while at the same time prioritizing the needs of the human as well as the environment. Achieving this new paradigm demands the immediate acceptance of the human over profit, while overtly seeking to build a better world that many of the past considered fantastical or science fiction. Star Trek or Star Wars are often the first thoughts individuals have when considering this type of paradigm as the genre possesses technology which transcends universal physics and reality, but the true fantasy is a world that has eliminated the vestiges of the past by removing inherent aspects that have dominated previous systems, with profit, debt, monotonous work, and wage servitude as the most notable of our era. This by no means implies the necessity of force as the need for transition requires the cooperation and participation of all sectors of humanity; i.e. the desire to transcend to a new paradigm must be universal...
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Systems such as capitalism and its predecessors are affiliated with domination and exploitation as a means of managing scarcity whereas post-scarcity must be affiliated with deep cooperation, and most importantly the notion of universal fraternity between all of humanity.
Beyond humanity accepting a new frame of mind for the next paradigm, models of transition can be established through universal cooperation. Of course, no transition can be preplanned or predicted this early on. However, in my book The Anti-life Equation, ideas of specific modes and strategies of transition will be covered as incredible models of consideration. Transition is a subject that many avoid in social theory and futurist communities alike, yet some models need to be presented so that a greater practical understanding of how this evolution out of capitalism can occur without necessitating romantic ideas of violence or fantasy. Finally, it is significant to state that techno-humanism must remain within logic and reason and thus, adherents must accept the reality that any form of a utopia cannot exist; it is simply fantastical. The idea of pursuing perfectionism is intensely counterproductive and obtaining perfection is impossible. Accepting this understanding creates the most powerful product for a new system based in techno-humanism and pursuing post-scarcity by allowing for a loop of progress with humanity unrestrained in seeking continuous advancements and knowledge cooperatively.
Next topic: Sociocyberneering
sOCIOCYBERNEERING
What is the best way to describe the subject of sociocyberneering in three words? “Future by design,” is perhaps the most accurate. Jacque Fresco once described it as “the application of the most sophisticated forms of computer technology in the management of human affairs,” with its general goal focused on applying science, revolutionary technology, and innovations in restructuring society in humanistic terms and resolving many persistent problems that continue to plague us. The general idea is utilizing computation technology to do what so many of our politicians either cannot or do not do, typically due to profit. Thus, the "socio" portion points to the focus on recognizing humanity's inner social systems and designing society around that. Cybernetics or "cyberneering" means the use of essentially automated processes while carrying out additional complexities apart from just simple automation. To understand the practically of a society without work in the traditional form and even without money requires us to understand how we can design societies around that.
This is just one of many other subjects to consider for transition and has been argued as the most essential at this stage of our societal development...
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It is not a fixed concept that I am pushing individuals to unquestioningly accept, however it is an incredible example of the kinds of models to consider when thinking of a new practical system detached from supply and demand in addition to the accumulation of profit. On the contrary, sociocyberneering is focused on freeing up the individual so that they can truly live the life they had always desired or at the least providing the greatest ability to obtain it.
It is crucial to both understand the many inner social systems which hold up society and how to design new radically efficient methods that support those inner systems in order to achieve the most effective society and a significantly higher level of obtainable liberty. "The future of man and his cities does not depend on whether or not this or that design is preferred. It is determined by the forces of social and environmental evolution in which computerized approaches to human and environmental systems will ultimately emerge as the ultimate technique in all areas of the social sequences." (Fresco) This type of perspective stems from a science that sociocyberneering is based upon, known as systems theory. A highly significant aspect that will be expanded upon in, in my book The Anti-life Equation, addition to practical examples to show why this concept has been considered essential for transitioning out of capitalism and supporting post-scarcity.
Sociocyberneering places extensive emphasis on computational technology that is able to provide a relatively simplistic (on the outside) economy based solely on the exchange of resources, known as a resource based economy (RBE). In the past decade the RBE model has evolved in its own share of variations, but ultimately this science will enable the seamless exchange of resources from different regions. For the layperson such a massive emphasis on technology, specifically computing, may make some weary. However, a high degree of our computational abilities has exceeded all expectations, and with the rise of the quantum computer, the argument against the power and our lack of authority over computing becomes incredibly weak.
Next topic: Post-Scarcity
pOST sCARCITY
Post-scarcity is the most logical and practical step to a new paradigm, which for the longest time has been perceived by an array of academics, futurists, and engineers alike as an unstoppable reality. It is the tendency of “ephemeralization” or doing “more and more with less and less until eventually you can do everything with nothing.” This tendency already happens in capitalism as it is an important mechanism for competition, but on a smaller scale for example, electronics are constantly becoming smaller and increasingly gaining more power. A popular example of this is comparing the computers and circuits of the 1960s with those of today for the perfect visual example, this tendency is unquestionable. Similarly, this occurs when businesses consistently innovate in order to capitalize on reduced labor or more efficient processes. Capitalism’s necessity is infinite growth and thus entails selective progress that by default results in increasingly advanced systems that require less for operation and production.
With techno-humanism and supporting concepts like sociocyberneering it is possible to create a new paradigm that can be more organic and evolutionary to humanity and the environment. With the advances in technology coupled with its clear potentials, both readily accessible and theorized, we can create a society based on the antithesis of scarcity—abundance.
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Allowing us the ability to eliminate war, poverty, famine, social degradation, and most especially money is an ability which has never existed or has ever been realistically viable. Our future progress and adversities will not be part of anarchical entities (wealthy individuals, major corporations and governments with avaricious machinations for society), pushing and pulling humanity into different directions. We can excel in our own individual paths together as a global community. This false dichotomy of having to choose to be the “individual” or part of the “masses” disintegrates at the dawn of post-scarcity as the individual and the masses are united in the most elegant relationship dedicated to humanistic progress.
Post-scarcity is a concept that has been demonized by capitalists, establishment economists, the technophobic, sensationalist-based media, and the like, labeling the paradigm as fantastical, science fiction, hypothetical, or worse, utopian. Like capitalism, post-scarcity is simply a paradigm, not a specific specification of a society, vis-à-vis Nordic capitalism is not the same as the U.S.’s “hyper-capitalism.”
The same can be understood with post-scarcity as utopian post-scarcity is not the only absolute choice. It relies on the idealized state and it is in every form impossible at achieving. However, taking a realistic view of utopian post-scarcity in addition to the potentials of humanity and the state of our environment, we can create a society that pursues this impossibility as the motivation for progress and to achieve larger leaps in societal advancement. Our current realistic abilities already allow for us to create an abundance in a range of aspects, being able to handsomely provide nutrition, energy, housing needs, essential and luxury goods, elimination of monotonous work and more. For us to pursue an impossibility that is utopian, we can continue to push society to new levels of progress and advancement.
Why continue to dream when we can make it reality?
