Mother Pelican
A Journal of Sustainable Human Development

Vol. 7, No. 2, February 2011 Luis T. Gutierrez, Editor

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A Synopsis of Socioeconomic Democracy Robley E. George Director, Center for the Study of Democratic Societies Coordinador, Nonkilling Economics Research Committee SocioEconomic Platform Policy Adviser, Canadian Civil Rights Party Final Draft Received 5 January 2011 The purpose of this synopsis to the work of the Center for the Study of Democratic Societies is twofold. First, it is to inform (or acknowledge agreement with) you that there are indeed rational, just, democratic, and peacefully realizable solutions to the world’s increasingly painful, unjust and unnecessary societal problems. Secondly, it is to invite you to participate in the democratic resolution of these unnecessary interlinked problems. As John Kenneth Galbraith laconically observed, "The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking." Yet the mishmash of conventional views, both amateur(ish) and professional(ish), is increasingly being seen and acknowledged to be the root cause of society’s needless and costly pain. The incompatible clamor for reduction of national, state and municipal monetary debt, while insisting upon the provision of increased necessary services for the already rich or hapless poor; the demand for reduced local crime and killings with "cost-saving" and "deficit-reduction" police layoffs, while tolerating/advocating increased global crime and killings with mercenary/military-industrial buildup; the crescendo of cries for "unregulated" personal profit possibilities attempting to drown out the chorus seeking safe working conditions in dangerous, life-threatening and life-killing employment; the demand for more jobs, while neglecting the onslaught of economically efficient (and profitable, for whom?) automation; the increasingly familiar statistic that the "top" 1% of most any population controls more wealth than the "bottom" 90% serving as a point of pride for a non-thinking citizenry of a laudably self-interested society; the increasing quibble between those who claim raising the retirement age and those who suggest reducing the retirement age can "help" solve the "lack of jobs" problem, while neither side considers either the advancement in automation or the rape and reduction in natural resources, and on and on ..., all add to the confusion and confliction of humanity. Clear and unambiguous definition of these and numerous other critical matters is, of course, essential, if meaningful progress is to be realized. The definition of Socioeconomic Democracy, an advanced, fundamentally just and democratic socioeconomic system follows. It is on the basis of this definition of Socioeconomic Democracy that a straightforward politico-socio-economic Platform can be and has been articulated. It is further the case that this Democratic Socioeconomic Platform has been adopted by a presently existing political party and is now being considered for adoption by numerous other peacefully progressive political parties about the globe. Socioeconomic Democracy is a theoretically consistent and practically implementable socioeconomic system wherein there exist both some form and amount of locally appropriate Universally Guaranteed Personal Income and some form and amount of locally appropriate Maximum Allowable Personal Wealth, with both the lower bound on personal material poverty and the upper bound on personal material wealth set and adjusted democratically by all participants of that democratic society. As described at length elsewhere, Socioeconomic Democracy both creates economic incentive and provides necessary monetary funds to cause significant reduction in an almost surprisingly diverse array of unnecessary yet painful and deadly individual, societal and global problems. These problems are produced by currently inadequate, inaccurate and/or inconsistent assumptions, theories and practices of contemporary economics and politics. These unnecessary problems can be eliminated by a thoughtful and resolute application of meaningful democracy. These intimately intertwined problems include (but are by no means limited to) those familiar ones associated with: automation, computerization and robotization; budget deficits and national debts; bureaucracy; maltreatment of children; crime and punishment; development, sustainable or otherwise; ecology, environment, resources and pollution; education; the elderly; the feminine majority; inflation; international conflict; intranational conflict; involuntary employment; involuntary unemployment; labor strife and strikes; sick medical and health care; military metamorphosis; natural disasters; pay justice; planned obsolescence; political participation; poverty; racism; sexism; untamed technology; and the General Welfare. A successfully functioning Democracy requires, by definition, at least a majority of informed and thoughtful citizens participating in the political process in a wide variety of ways, ranging from essential theoretical developments to myriad practical activities. Those interested in contributing, in any sense, to the further development and realization of the ideas and benefits presented here, which are applicable throughout the world, are urged to get in contact with us, when you are ready. We further wish to reiterate our desire and determination to collaborate with all other individuals and organizations committed to all the other necessary aspects of the general survival and healthy developmental challenge confronting the human race. The following are a few relevant links connecting to material describing the evolution and exposition of the theory and practice of Socioeconomic Democracy: 1) Center for the Study of Democratic Societies 2) Socioeconomic Democracy: An Advanced Socioeconomic System 3)A Democratic Socioeconomic Platform, in search of a Democratic Political Party 4) Socioeconomic Democracy: A Nonkilling, Life-Affirming and Enhancing Psycho-Politico-Socio-Economic System, Global Nonkilling Working Paper #4, 2010 5) A Bibiography on Socioeconomic Democracy About the author: Robley E. George is Founder and Director of the Center for the Study of Democratic Societies. After enginnering school (Berkeley, Purdue, UCLA) he entered the aerospace industry and participated in the conception, design, analysis, implementation, operation and maintenance of various sophisticated computerized systems. In 1969, Mr. George left industry to create the Center for the Study of Democratic Societies, a research and educational institution dedicated to the examination and explanation of the properties and possibilities of democratic societies. He has further developed the concept and discipline of Economic Engineering, first articulated by Keith Roberts. His honors include the Dr. Khurshid Ahmad Khan Memorial Award from the Pakistan Futuristics Institute for his "long-standing services to the Futures Field". |Back to TITLE| Page 1      Page 2      Page 3      Page 4      Page 5      Page 6      Page 7      Page 8      Page 9 Supplement 1      Supplement 2      Supplement 3      Supplement 4 PelicanWeb Home Page

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