Subject: One Should Know This Proutistic Solution
Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2012 21:57:36 -0000
From:
To: AM-GLOBAL
Baba
Namaskar,
The ongoing, faltering economy continues to be a point of concern in western Europe and the US. One of the central issues is employment / unemployment. Around the globe, people are very worried about losing their job. And in some countries, where unemployment is 25%, such as in Spain, people wonder how they will ever find a job.
It seems day in and day out big corporations are laying off workers and slashing jobs. Even the big guns like Microsoft, Google, and major steel companies are cutting their workforce by the thousands. Unemployment is rising all across this region.
Despite measures to pull western economies out of its downturn for the past 4 years, still there is much turmoil. This is most evidenced by the scarcity of jobs and speed by which workers are losing their jobs.
What many fail to realise is that they have a lot more power to control the situation than they think.
Right now most people have fallen into the myth that jobs exist because big capitalist enterprises exist. Everyone has become habituated, nay brainwashed, into thinking that the corporate giants give birth to jobs. By that way people can work. This is the prevailing myth around the globe, and certainly so in the west.
This creates an extreme feeling of dependence among the workforce. People feel as if they are powerless to create their own work situation, as if their job is just a product of that capitalist system.
But that is not so.
In the corporate model, it is the workers and managers who know how to do the job and it is the owners / capitalists who exploit them to make a profit. Most often, the owners have less or no ability to do that specific work themselves. This is a key point that everyone must understand.
At present, if a worker wants to keep his job, he has to ensure that the owner is making a sufficient profit, otherwise the worker may lose his job. That is the scary situation.
Here comes the key point. Let's say one owner feels that he is no longer making enough money, or that his business interests have changed, or moved to China, and therefore he wants to shut down a factory. What workers and managers can do is to keep that factory or business open and make it into a cooperative where they all own part of the business.
After all, by themselves they can do the work. They know what needs to be done and how to do it. They have the know-how and training. All they lack is the ownership. And that can be easily gotten.
There are two ways for this to happen: Either they can organise amongst themselves and buy out the owner. Or the government can intervene and help empower workers and managers to become the owners, by creating a congenial atmosphere wherein cooperatives will grow and not collapse.
There is precedent for such types of turnovers and this is certainly going to be one key ways that we move from a capitalist economy to a cooperative economy. This is Baba's guideline.
Prout philosophy says, "In the world today different socio-economic systems are in vogue, but none of these systems are based on coordinated cooperation. Rather, in these systems social relationships are mainly based on subordinated cooperation, resulting in the degeneration of society’s moral fabric...PROUT supports the implementation of the cooperative system because its inner spirit is one of coordinated cooperation. Only the cooperative system can ensure the healthy, integrated progress of humanity, and establish complete and everlasting unity among the human race." (Prout in a Nutshell - 14)
Governments, like the US, have been pumping hundreds of billions of dollars in the form of stimulus packages in order to save or rescue the dying capitalist structure.
If that same money were used to help workers and managers turn their industries into cooperatives, then that would be a boon for the society. As the capitalist system crumbles, politicians and economists will be forced to move in this direction.
Till that time, it is our duty to highlight Prout's cooperative model. Baba wants that there should be cooperatives in all the spheres of economic life: Agriculture, farming, producers, and consumers etc.
When government gets involved in helping workers and managers create their own cooperatives, then that will certainly help in creating a smoother transition. Government officials will have to nurture cooperatives and bring about a congenial environment for their growth.
This will be one excellent way of fighting unemployment. At present unemployment increases whenever ownership feels dissatisfied with their profit margin. But when people realise that they can organise the business among themselves and all make a reasonable income, then they will no longer be at the mercy of those capitalists.
It will be advantageous for governments to help make this a reality because it goes in their favour to have citizens who work rather than have a large sector of the population that is unemployed.
Here Baba provides some insight as to how the cooperative model will develop. The following is an example related with agriculture. However, the same principles apply to all fields of economic life.
Prout philosophy says, "Cooperative members should form a board of directors for each cooperative. The board should decide the amount of profit to be divided among the members; that is, the dividend to be paid to each shareholder. However, the total profit should not be distributed in the form of dividends – some should be kept for reinvestment or purchasing items such as tractors, manure, etc.; some should also be used for increasing authorized capital; and some should be deposited in the reserve fund. The reserve fund should be used to increase the value of the dividend in the years when production is low. If this system is followed the authorized capital will not be affected." (Prout in a Nutshell - 14)
Baba has graciously laid down a very practical and attainable plan. So no one feel overwhelmed; this is not a daunting task. Rather, this is well within reach. After all, the employees already know how execute the work of their company. All they need to learn is how to organise themselves into a functioning cooperative.
Already some visionary companies have begun to form themselves in this way. As the economic downturn continues, cooperatives will be the key way that people can save their jobs. If we spread the ways of Prout, the cooperative system will be a natural resultant due to pressure of circumstances.
The capitalist model is full of loopholes: The middle man, profit-motive above all else, exploitation of workers, exploitation of resources, etc All these are glaring defects of capitalism.
Now corporate ventures may use profits from one business to keep another business afloat, or they may use profits for extravagant merriment for the bosses etc. Or so many selfish things may be done with the profits. Rarely does it go back into the enhancement of the business itself and betterment of the workers. Rather it feeds the greedy owners.
This is a dead end street and the ways that Baba has described above about the cooperative system are far more dynamic and beneficial.
In this economic downturn, capitalists complain and justify that because there is not sufficient demand for their products, then "How can I hire anyone." What they fail to realise however is that they themselves are the cause. Because they swallow up all the profits and do not pay their laborers a decent salary, then those laborers do not have any money to spend. When laborers do not have purchasing capacity, then there will not be demand for the products produced by capitalists. In which case they will not hire anyone. It is a vicious cycle - all a result of capitalist greed.
In contrast, in the cooperative system, the profits get shared among the workers. Their income is thus higher than in the capitalist system. More precisely, they have greater purchasing capacity. In turn, they will spend money on products and services that they need. Money will roll and the economy will not be stagnant. With increased buying power, demand will also rise, and hence there will be plenty of jobs.
So the cooperative system is diametrically opposite to the capitalist system on many levels, including employment / unemployment. The capitalist system creates unemployment whereas the cooperative system heightens employment.
A key example of this is how Apple and other big US corporations have, in total, 2 - 5 trillion dollars in bank accounts, i.e. cash on hand. Those corporations do not want to invest that money because they are not confident that they will get a good return. So they are just sitting on their profits.
Yet, side by side, unemployment stands at nearly 8% in the US. Those companies are not hiring, even though they have stockpiles of cash. Because they do not feel that there will be demand - it will not be profitable.
This is a clear-cut manifestation of how US capitalism is on the pathway to killing itself. The money does not roll but rather stagnates, leading to higher unemployment and decreased purchasing capacity for the populace. The problem of economic stagnation worsens and the economy spirals further downward. That is the tale of capitalism's death.
So then why hasn't society begun to move on a mass-scale towards the cooperative system? The answer is simple. People are not familiar with it. Certainly they have heard the name, but they remain unfamiliar with how a cooperative functions.
Generally people only think within that paradigm in which they were born. Muslims can only fathom worshiping Allah and no other. Christians think that Christ is the only way. Those who grew up eating meat feel that slaughtering animals is the only way to fill their stomach. People get stuck or trapped in a particular outlook.
That is why in capitalist countries, people think that jobs can only be born from corporate entities. Even the government has fallen for this myth. That is why they are using all the brain-power and financial wealth to stimulate the corporate cycle all over again.
Soon though they will see that this will not work. Capitalism is a dying breed and another system is needed.
So we should get the ball rolling in the direction of Prout. We should be properly educated, ready, and inspired to show the people how cooperative can be used to save themselves from the depths of unemployment. All they need is a little bit of light to see that something else is out there. Then they will come running.
Once people understand and see how the cooperative system can save their livelihood and given them new life, such cooperatives will spring up in each and every corner of this earth.
The day is not far off - rather it is quite near - when the policies and programs of Prout will be embraced from the people. As people shake themselves free of the current myths of capitalism, they will naturally turn towards the direction of Prout.
"People should work to enjoy sweeter fruits by establishing the cooperative system. PROUT raises the slogans: "We want cooperatives"." (Prout in a Nutshell - 14)
Namaskar,
in Him,
Balakrsna
"In the modern world the cooperative system is the best system of agricultural and industrial production. In the cooperative system members can pressurize the government because of their collective strength and gain financial help and various facilities to increase production. They can pressurize the government to provide better irrigation facilities and high yielding seeds and even make infertile land productive. Land with little fertility can be transformed into fertile farm land with proper care. This will increase total agricultural production and also help a country become self-sufficient in food production and cash crops, freeing it from food shortages. In addition, plots of land on the same level and of the same fertility can be turned into larger single plots by removing all dividing boundaries. However, if the land is undulating and varies in fertility, the division of land may be maintained, otherwise land cannot be properly irrigated." (Proutist Economics, Cooperative Production)
"Industry, agriculture, trade and commerce – almost everything – needs to be managed, as far as possible, through cooperative organizations. For this, special facilities will have to be provided to cooperative organizations whenever necessary. Adequate safeguards will have to be arranged, and slowly private ownership, or the system of individual management, will have to be eradicated from specific areas of agriculture, industry, trade and commerce. Only those enterprises which are difficult to manage on a cooperative basis because they are either too small, or simultaneously small and complex, can be left to individual management. Similarly, the responsibility for those enterprises which cannot be conveniently managed on a cooperative basis because they are either too large, or simultaneously large and complex, can be undertaken by the immediate state government (in the case of a federation), or by the local body (in the absence of a federation). It is desirable that the management of industrial, agricultural, trade and commercial enterprises not be in the hands of the central government or the world government (after the establishment of the world government). If it is, the common people will not get the direct or even the indirect opportunity to participate in the management of these enterprises. In such cases capitalists, opportunists or self-seeking politicians can easily take control of them and misappropriate public wealth." (Problems of the Day, pt #11)
"Regarding cooperatives, we must not forget that cooperatives only function properly under a strong government. They cannot function under a weak democratic structure. Before starting cooperatives a psychological environment has to be created. In the Proutistic structure rationalization means less labour, more leisure and more comfort. In order to safeguard the interests of these cooperatives in the field of industry, it has to be emphasised that key industries should be run by the government so that there will not be any occasion for a tool down and the consequent closure of subsidiary industries in the cooperative sector. However, slogans calling for the cooperative movement are untimely in the present system as the psychological background is lacking. If cooperatives are established at the present time, they will simply cause losses to the national wealth. It may be questioned whether it is desirable for a government to engage in commercial concerns, and if so, how can the labour problems in such concerns be solved permanently? In principle governments should not run commercial concerns, but in those cases where it is not possible to run a concern on a cooperative basis, the government should take the lead. However, such concerns should be mostly assembly factories. The manufacture of component parts for these assembly factories should be done through industrial cooperatives. In extreme cases, where industrial cooperatives are unable to manufacture certain components, they should be manufactured by the government. In such concerns there will be no net profit because it is often the question of profit which creates labour problems. The cost of production may be suitably reduced to make it a no-profit, no-loss concern. It is, however, necessary to keep both financial and commercial accounts to ensure that the concern does not run at a loss. If any loss occurs in such a factory it should be converted into an industrial cooperative." (Talks on Prout)
Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2012 21:57:36 -0000
From:
To: AM-GLOBAL
Baba
== ONE SHOULD KNOW THIS PROUTISTIC SOLUTION
==
Namaskar,
The ongoing, faltering economy continues to be a point of concern in western Europe and the US. One of the central issues is employment / unemployment. Around the globe, people are very worried about losing their job. And in some countries, where unemployment is 25%, such as in Spain, people wonder how they will ever find a job.
It seems day in and day out big corporations are laying off workers and slashing jobs. Even the big guns like Microsoft, Google, and major steel companies are cutting their workforce by the thousands. Unemployment is rising all across this region.
Despite measures to pull western economies out of its downturn for the past 4 years, still there is much turmoil. This is most evidenced by the scarcity of jobs and speed by which workers are losing their jobs.
MYTH & INDOCTRINATION OF CAPITALISM
What many fail to realise is that they have a lot more power to control the situation than they think.
Right now most people have fallen into the myth that jobs exist because big capitalist enterprises exist. Everyone has become habituated, nay brainwashed, into thinking that the corporate giants give birth to jobs. By that way people can work. This is the prevailing myth around the globe, and certainly so in the west.
This creates an extreme feeling of dependence among the workforce. People feel as if they are powerless to create their own work situation, as if their job is just a product of that capitalist system.
But that is not so.
A GREAT WAY TO KEEP JOBS ALIVE
In the corporate model, it is the workers and managers who know how to do the job and it is the owners / capitalists who exploit them to make a profit. Most often, the owners have less or no ability to do that specific work themselves. This is a key point that everyone must understand.
At present, if a worker wants to keep his job, he has to ensure that the owner is making a sufficient profit, otherwise the worker may lose his job. That is the scary situation.
Here comes the key point. Let's say one owner feels that he is no longer making enough money, or that his business interests have changed, or moved to China, and therefore he wants to shut down a factory. What workers and managers can do is to keep that factory or business open and make it into a cooperative where they all own part of the business.
After all, by themselves they can do the work. They know what needs to be done and how to do it. They have the know-how and training. All they lack is the ownership. And that can be easily gotten.
There are two ways for this to happen: Either they can organise amongst themselves and buy out the owner. Or the government can intervene and help empower workers and managers to become the owners, by creating a congenial atmosphere wherein cooperatives will grow and not collapse.
There is precedent for such types of turnovers and this is certainly going to be one key ways that we move from a capitalist economy to a cooperative economy. This is Baba's guideline.
Prout philosophy says, "In the world today different socio-economic systems are in vogue, but none of these systems are based on coordinated cooperation. Rather, in these systems social relationships are mainly based on subordinated cooperation, resulting in the degeneration of society’s moral fabric...PROUT supports the implementation of the cooperative system because its inner spirit is one of coordinated cooperation. Only the cooperative system can ensure the healthy, integrated progress of humanity, and establish complete and everlasting unity among the human race." (Prout in a Nutshell - 14)
GOVERNMENT MUST INTERVENE
Governments, like the US, have been pumping hundreds of billions of dollars in the form of stimulus packages in order to save or rescue the dying capitalist structure.
If that same money were used to help workers and managers turn their industries into cooperatives, then that would be a boon for the society. As the capitalist system crumbles, politicians and economists will be forced to move in this direction.
Till that time, it is our duty to highlight Prout's cooperative model. Baba wants that there should be cooperatives in all the spheres of economic life: Agriculture, farming, producers, and consumers etc.
When government gets involved in helping workers and managers create their own cooperatives, then that will certainly help in creating a smoother transition. Government officials will have to nurture cooperatives and bring about a congenial environment for their growth.
This will be one excellent way of fighting unemployment. At present unemployment increases whenever ownership feels dissatisfied with their profit margin. But when people realise that they can organise the business among themselves and all make a reasonable income, then they will no longer be at the mercy of those capitalists.
It will be advantageous for governments to help make this a reality because it goes in their favour to have citizens who work rather than have a large sector of the population that is unemployed.
FORMING COOPERATIVES
Here Baba provides some insight as to how the cooperative model will develop. The following is an example related with agriculture. However, the same principles apply to all fields of economic life.
Prout philosophy says, "Cooperative members should form a board of directors for each cooperative. The board should decide the amount of profit to be divided among the members; that is, the dividend to be paid to each shareholder. However, the total profit should not be distributed in the form of dividends – some should be kept for reinvestment or purchasing items such as tractors, manure, etc.; some should also be used for increasing authorized capital; and some should be deposited in the reserve fund. The reserve fund should be used to increase the value of the dividend in the years when production is low. If this system is followed the authorized capital will not be affected." (Prout in a Nutshell - 14)
Baba has graciously laid down a very practical and attainable plan. So no one feel overwhelmed; this is not a daunting task. Rather, this is well within reach. After all, the employees already know how execute the work of their company. All they need to learn is how to organise themselves into a functioning cooperative.
Already some visionary companies have begun to form themselves in this way. As the economic downturn continues, cooperatives will be the key way that people can save their jobs. If we spread the ways of Prout, the cooperative system will be a natural resultant due to pressure of circumstances.
DEFECT OF CURRENT CAPITALIST MODEL
The capitalist model is full of loopholes: The middle man, profit-motive above all else, exploitation of workers, exploitation of resources, etc All these are glaring defects of capitalism.
Now corporate ventures may use profits from one business to keep another business afloat, or they may use profits for extravagant merriment for the bosses etc. Or so many selfish things may be done with the profits. Rarely does it go back into the enhancement of the business itself and betterment of the workers. Rather it feeds the greedy owners.
This is a dead end street and the ways that Baba has described above about the cooperative system are far more dynamic and beneficial.
CAPITALISM KILLS ITSELF
In this economic downturn, capitalists complain and justify that because there is not sufficient demand for their products, then "How can I hire anyone." What they fail to realise however is that they themselves are the cause. Because they swallow up all the profits and do not pay their laborers a decent salary, then those laborers do not have any money to spend. When laborers do not have purchasing capacity, then there will not be demand for the products produced by capitalists. In which case they will not hire anyone. It is a vicious cycle - all a result of capitalist greed.
In contrast, in the cooperative system, the profits get shared among the workers. Their income is thus higher than in the capitalist system. More precisely, they have greater purchasing capacity. In turn, they will spend money on products and services that they need. Money will roll and the economy will not be stagnant. With increased buying power, demand will also rise, and hence there will be plenty of jobs.
So the cooperative system is diametrically opposite to the capitalist system on many levels, including employment / unemployment. The capitalist system creates unemployment whereas the cooperative system heightens employment.
A key example of this is how Apple and other big US corporations have, in total, 2 - 5 trillion dollars in bank accounts, i.e. cash on hand. Those corporations do not want to invest that money because they are not confident that they will get a good return. So they are just sitting on their profits.
Yet, side by side, unemployment stands at nearly 8% in the US. Those companies are not hiring, even though they have stockpiles of cash. Because they do not feel that there will be demand - it will not be profitable.
This is a clear-cut manifestation of how US capitalism is on the pathway to killing itself. The money does not roll but rather stagnates, leading to higher unemployment and decreased purchasing capacity for the populace. The problem of economic stagnation worsens and the economy spirals further downward. That is the tale of capitalism's death.
MUST THINK OUT OF THE BOX
So then why hasn't society begun to move on a mass-scale towards the cooperative system? The answer is simple. People are not familiar with it. Certainly they have heard the name, but they remain unfamiliar with how a cooperative functions.
Generally people only think within that paradigm in which they were born. Muslims can only fathom worshiping Allah and no other. Christians think that Christ is the only way. Those who grew up eating meat feel that slaughtering animals is the only way to fill their stomach. People get stuck or trapped in a particular outlook.
That is why in capitalist countries, people think that jobs can only be born from corporate entities. Even the government has fallen for this myth. That is why they are using all the brain-power and financial wealth to stimulate the corporate cycle all over again.
Soon though they will see that this will not work. Capitalism is a dying breed and another system is needed.
So we should get the ball rolling in the direction of Prout. We should be properly educated, ready, and inspired to show the people how cooperative can be used to save themselves from the depths of unemployment. All they need is a little bit of light to see that something else is out there. Then they will come running.
Once people understand and see how the cooperative system can save their livelihood and given them new life, such cooperatives will spring up in each and every corner of this earth.
PROUT IS ON THE HORIZON
The day is not far off - rather it is quite near - when the policies and programs of Prout will be embraced from the people. As people shake themselves free of the current myths of capitalism, they will naturally turn towards the direction of Prout.
"People should work to enjoy sweeter fruits by establishing the cooperative system. PROUT raises the slogans: "We want cooperatives"." (Prout in a Nutshell - 14)
Namaskar,
in Him,
Balakrsna
Note 1: MORE PROUT TEACHINGS ON THE
COOPERATIVE SYSTEM
"In the modern world the cooperative system is the best system of agricultural and industrial production. In the cooperative system members can pressurize the government because of their collective strength and gain financial help and various facilities to increase production. They can pressurize the government to provide better irrigation facilities and high yielding seeds and even make infertile land productive. Land with little fertility can be transformed into fertile farm land with proper care. This will increase total agricultural production and also help a country become self-sufficient in food production and cash crops, freeing it from food shortages. In addition, plots of land on the same level and of the same fertility can be turned into larger single plots by removing all dividing boundaries. However, if the land is undulating and varies in fertility, the division of land may be maintained, otherwise land cannot be properly irrigated." (Proutist Economics, Cooperative Production)
"Industry, agriculture, trade and commerce – almost everything – needs to be managed, as far as possible, through cooperative organizations. For this, special facilities will have to be provided to cooperative organizations whenever necessary. Adequate safeguards will have to be arranged, and slowly private ownership, or the system of individual management, will have to be eradicated from specific areas of agriculture, industry, trade and commerce. Only those enterprises which are difficult to manage on a cooperative basis because they are either too small, or simultaneously small and complex, can be left to individual management. Similarly, the responsibility for those enterprises which cannot be conveniently managed on a cooperative basis because they are either too large, or simultaneously large and complex, can be undertaken by the immediate state government (in the case of a federation), or by the local body (in the absence of a federation). It is desirable that the management of industrial, agricultural, trade and commercial enterprises not be in the hands of the central government or the world government (after the establishment of the world government). If it is, the common people will not get the direct or even the indirect opportunity to participate in the management of these enterprises. In such cases capitalists, opportunists or self-seeking politicians can easily take control of them and misappropriate public wealth." (Problems of the Day, pt #11)
"Regarding cooperatives, we must not forget that cooperatives only function properly under a strong government. They cannot function under a weak democratic structure. Before starting cooperatives a psychological environment has to be created. In the Proutistic structure rationalization means less labour, more leisure and more comfort. In order to safeguard the interests of these cooperatives in the field of industry, it has to be emphasised that key industries should be run by the government so that there will not be any occasion for a tool down and the consequent closure of subsidiary industries in the cooperative sector. However, slogans calling for the cooperative movement are untimely in the present system as the psychological background is lacking. If cooperatives are established at the present time, they will simply cause losses to the national wealth. It may be questioned whether it is desirable for a government to engage in commercial concerns, and if so, how can the labour problems in such concerns be solved permanently? In principle governments should not run commercial concerns, but in those cases where it is not possible to run a concern on a cooperative basis, the government should take the lead. However, such concerns should be mostly assembly factories. The manufacture of component parts for these assembly factories should be done through industrial cooperatives. In extreme cases, where industrial cooperatives are unable to manufacture certain components, they should be manufactured by the government. In such concerns there will be no net profit because it is often the question of profit which creates labour problems. The cost of production may be suitably reduced to make it a no-profit, no-loss concern. It is, however, necessary to keep both financial and commercial accounts to ensure that the concern does not run at a loss. If any loss occurs in such a factory it should be converted into an industrial cooperative." (Talks on Prout)
PRABHAT SAMGIITA
"A'ma'r ghare tumi ele, cale gele keno..." - P.S. 778
Purport:
Baba when You have come to my house then why did You leave. If You had the desire & plan to go within such a short period, then why did You bother
to come. It is so unbearable and painful for me.
You ignited and illuminated thousands of stars in this vast sky. And as I look towards them in this dark midnight hour, they are all encircling around me and questioning me that why I allowed You to go. What can I say - I told them that in the future You may be coming again.
Now it is dawn. Look, the night jasmine is lying in the dust, crying in frustration. It cannot speak because of the cold weather; but it is crying in longing for You. The same thing has happened to the lotus flower in the pond. It does not like to bloom anymore; it is still crying in longing.
Baba, O' my Dearmost, when You Yourself took trouble to come to my house then why did You leave so soon...
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