- Capitalism and Alternatives -

My politics

Posted by: Jules ( Australia ) on June 17, 1999 at 13:45:28:

Here is my naive version of how the work should work:

I think that we should have a system where there is no money. Everyone works for the benefit of others. That is, say, a hairdresser cuts hair for free, and in return she gets her plumbing done for free. But this is without obligations or anything, she may not cut the plumber's hair, but she still receives free services. This could also apply to goods. For example one person makes clothes, and gets free plumbing or food, or whatever in return. The problem with this theory, is that people are greedy, and some people feel that they deserve more than others, for example a doctor studies for about six years and expects more luxuries for his hard work. Another problem is that people don't want to work for free, but then if everyone did, they wouldn't have to worry because they'd also get everything for free. A final problem is that we would need the system in every country in the world, as if only one country did this, they would not be able to import things for free. It would need to be a worldwide system. Do you have any idea what I'm talking about? Am I making sense? I'd be happy to work and not get paid, but I need the money so that I can buy other things. I guess it wouldn't work in the end though. Who would be working in the supermarkets and McDonalds' if it weren't for the money. A lot of their employees are students, who need the money, but if everything was free, they wouldn't be working there because they need the time to study (or socialise).
There you have it: my politics. I have the idea and then I shoot it down. It would only work in an ideal world, I know, but we can always dream. What kind of current world politics does my idea fit into? Is my idea communist or socialist? Or is it simply Idealism?


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