An introduction to Resource Based Economy (RBE) by The Venus Project

A Resource Based Economy is a system where all goods and services are available without the use of money, credit, barter or any other system of debt or servitude. All resources become the common patrimony of all inhabitants, not just a select few. The premise on which this system is based is that the Earth is abundant in resources; our practice of rationing resources through monetary methods is irrelevant and counterproductive to our survival.

Modern society has access to state-of-the-art technologies and can make food, clothing, housing and medical care available; update our educational system; and to develop an unlimited supply of renewable and non-polluting energy. Through the provision of an efficiently designed economy, everyone can enjoy a very high standard of living with all the amenities of a highly technological society.

A resource-based economy would use existing land and sea resources, physical equipment, industries, etc. to enhance the lives of the entire population. In a resource-based economy rather than money, we could easily produce all the biological needs and provide a high standard of living for everyone.

Consider the following examples: At the beginning of World War II the US had only about 600 first-class combat aircraft. We quickly overcome this limited supply by producing more than 90,000 aircraft per year. The point at the beginning of World War II was: "Do we have enough funds to produce the precise war implements?" The answer was, "No. We do not have enough gold or money, but we have plenty of resources." It was the resources available that enabled the US to achieve the high output and efficiency needed to win the war. Unfortunately, this is only considered in times of war.

In a resource-based economy, all resources are held as a common heritage of all people on planet Earth, eventually transcending the need for artificial boundaries that separate people. This is the unifying imperative.

We must emphasize that this approach to global governance has absolutely nothing in common with the present goals of the elite to form a world government led by it and the big corporations. Our vision of globalization empowers all people on the planet to be the best they can, not to live on the abject submission of a corporate governing body.

Our proposals would not only contribute to people's well-being, but would also provide the information necessary for them to participate in any area of ​​their competence. Success would be measured by the satisfaction of individual activities rather than the acquisition of wealth, property, and power.

At present, we have enough material resources to provide a very high standard of living for all Earth's inhabitants. It is only when the population exceeds the earth's capacity for sustenance that many problems such as greed, crime and violence emerge. By overcoming the shortage, most crimes and even the prisons of today's society would no longer be needed.

A resource-based economy would enable the use of technology to overcome resource scarcity by applying renewable energy sources, computerizing and automating manufacturing and inventory, designing safe and energy-efficient cities and advanced transportation systems, providing a universal health service and a more relevant education and, above all, generating a new incentive system based on human and environmental concern.

Many people believe that today there is a lot of technology in the world, and that this technology is the main cause of our environmental pollution. That's not the case. It is the abuse and disuse of technology that should be our primary concern. In a more humane society, instead of machines replacing people, they would reduce the working day, increase the availability of goods and services, and prolong the rest period. If we use new technologies to raise the standard of living of all people, then the infusion of mechanical technology would no longer be a threat.

A resource-based global economy would also involve complete efforts for the development of new, clean and renewable energy sources: geothermal; of controlled fusion; solar; photoelectric; wind, waves and tides; and even the oceans' fuel. We would eventually be able to possess unlimited energy that could propel civilization for millennia. A resource-based economy must also commit to redesigning our cities, transportation systems, and industries, enabling them to be energy efficient, clean, and serve the needs of all people.

What else would a resource-based economy entail? The technology, intelligently and efficiently applied, saves energy, reduces waste and provides more free time. With automated inventory on a global scale, we can maintain a balance between production and distribution. Only healthy, nutritious food would be available and planned obsolescence would be unnecessary and non-existent in a resource-based economy.

By getting rid of the need for money-based professions such as lawyers, bankers, insurance salesmen, marketing and advertising teams, salespeople and stockbrokers, a considerable amount of waste will be eliminated. Reputable amounts of energy would also be spared by eliminating the duplication of competitive products such as tools, cutlery, pots, pans and vacuum cleaners. It's good to be able to choose. But instead of hundreds of different factories and all the paperwork and personnel required to produce similar products, only a small portion of the highest quality would be needed to serve the entire population. Our only shortcoming is the lack of creative thinking and intelligence in ourselves and our elected leaders to solve these problems. The most valuable and unexplored resource today is human ingenuity.

With debt elimination, the fear of losing your job will no longer be a threat. This security, combined with education about how to relate to others in a much more meaningful way, could greatly reduce both mental and physical stress and leave us free to explore and develop our abilities.

If the idea of ​​eliminating money still bothers you, consider this: if a group of people with gold, diamonds and money got stuck on an island devoid of resources like food, clean air and water, their wealth would be irrelevant to their survival . Only when resources are scarce can money be used to control their distribution. One can not, for example, sell the air we breathe or the abundant water flowing from the source of a mountain. Although air and water are valuable, when they are plentiful, they can not be sold.

Money is important only in a society when certain resources for survival must be rationed and people accept money as the medium of exchange for scarce resources. Money is a social convention, an agreement so to speak. It is not a natural resource nor does it represent one. It is not necessary for survival unless we have been conditioned to accept it as such.

Translated from: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Projeto_Venus#Economia_baseada_em_recursos

Extra:

What are some of the damaging effects of the monetary system?

There are many disadvantages of using this old exchange method for goods and services. We will consider here only a few and let you increase this list by yourself.

1. Money is just an interference between what a person needs and what he can get. It is not money that people need, it is access to resources.

    2. The use of money results in social stratification and elitism based primarily on economic disparities.

    3. People are not equal without equal purchasing power.

    4. Most people are slaves of jobs they do not like because they need money.

    5. There is tremendous corruption, greed, crime, fraud and more because of the need for money.

    6. Most laws are enacted for the benefit of corporations, who have enough money to lobby, or persuade government officials to create laws that serve their interests.

     7. Those who control purchasing power have greater influence.

     8. Money is used to control the behavior of those with limited purchasing power.

    9. Goods like food are sometimes destroyed to keep prices high; when things are scarce, prices rise.

    10. There is a tremendous waste of material and abuse of the resources available on shallow changes in the design of fashionable products every year in order to create continuous markets for manufacturers.

    11. There is tremendous environmental degradation due to the high cost of better methods of waste treatment.

    12. The Earth is being sacked for profit.

    13. The benefits of technology are only distributed to those with sufficient purchasing power.

    14. Most importantly, when the corporate's main factor is profit, decisions in all areas are made not for the benefit of people and the environment, but primarily for the acquisition of wealth, property, and power.

Translated from: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Projeto_Venus#Quais_s.C3.A3o_alguns_dos_efeitos_prejudiciais_do_sistema_monet.C3.A1rio.3F