Economic Overview of Prout & Ecological Economics --- XJusMhTH
Economic Overview of Prout & Ecological Economics ---
Economic Overview of Prout
Leadership
Current Trends
Ecology - Sophia in Nature - Robert Bly interviewed by Roar Bjonnes
Types of Cooperatives
Ecological Economics - websites
Tobacco Terrorism - still hard at work in Australia - a satirical piece
Prout is an acronym for Progressive Utilization Theory. It is a new
socio-economic theory that is completely different from both capitalism and
communism. From 1955 to 1990, Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar gave approximately 180
discourses on Prout, which are published in the twenty-one part series,
Prout in a Nutshell.
Economic Overview of Prout
--------------------------
In a 1966 discourse, "The Future of Civilization", P. R. Sarkar set out the
six basic factors that need to be adopted by a society or civilization for
it to survive and progress. One of these essential factors is a
comprehensive socio-economic theory. In the late 1970's, P. R. Sarkar gave
four basic requirements of a comprehensive socio-economic theory. These
points were published in the booklet "Prout Gita", written by Ac. Ragunath
Prasad. The four basic requirements of a comprehensive socio-economic theory
are: an integrated philosophy, a theory of history, an economic theory, and
a political theory.
An integrated philosophy: An integrated philosophy includes the usual
branches of philosophy, such as epistemology, ontology, metaphysics, etc.,
and also includes psychology and spiritual philosophy.
A theory of history: A theory of history includes class theory, the nature
of collective psychology, the movement of the social cycle, the rise and
fall of civilizations, evolution and revolution, the meaning of progress,
etc.
Economic theory: Economic theory includes the four basic areas of economic
activity: people's economy, general economy, commercial economy, and
psycho-economy.
Political theory: Political theory includes topics such as the nature and
use of power, types of leadership, forms of government, etc.
Taken together, these four areas outline the scope of a comprehensive
socio-economic theory.
Of significant importance (although not more important than the others) is
economic theory. Economic democracy and an economic system and analysis
consists of:
1. People's Economy: ensuring the basic necessities. This is so fundamental
to economics that it must be a key duty of the government, and written into
law as such. The performance of a government should be first rated according
to criteria concerning the success and implementation of aspects of people's
economy such as purchasing capacity -- does the minimum wage cover all the
basic necessities of food, clothing, shelter, medical care and education for
all the family? Is everyone able to meet their basic necessities?
2. Psycho-Economy: dealing with the psychic impact of economic trends. There
are two main concerns: preventing degrading trends such as the subliminal
imposition of sentiments and complexes, especially through advertising; and
ensuring that economic activity translates progressively into greater
opportunities for everyone to develop the latent potential of mind.
3. Commercial Economy: concerned with efficiency throughout the economy.
Here, the contrast of Prout and capitalism is clear: under capitalism it is
efficient to ship raw materials from an undeveloped area to a developed
area, process them there, and return them to the undeveloped area for sale.
This takes no account of environmental costs or greater potential for
all-round welfare by developing the potential of all local areas. The logic
of efficiency in capitalism is based primarily on the profit-taking
opportunities for the controllers of trade. Prout applies the rationale of
all-round welfare and ensures it in the local area by processing local
resources locally.
4. General Economy: this is macro economics and includes the study of
economics through all available lenses; currently this would include
capitalism and socialism in their various forms, and Prout. Prout structures
the economy in a three-tier system: state concerns -- these are the vital
resources and services such as mining and national transport and
communications networks, which are run on a "no profit no loss" basis;
cooperatives -- the coop is the main mode of enterprise structure in a Prout
economy and would cover most manufacturing and services currently under
private enterprise; and the private sector -- in a Prout economy this is
limited to operations deemed too complex or small for coop organization. As
with other parts of the economy, limits to wealth accumulation and wage
parity agreements apply.
Any serious study of economics and implementation of economic policies and
programmes must take these four areas into account. Conventional economic
and policies rely on the superstitious and religious folly of an 'invisible
hand' - and convenient metaphor for inaction and not achieving all-round
welfare for all people.
Leadership
----------
If we understand each of the four basic requirements of a comprehensive
socio-economic theory and the topics they cover, we will gain valuable
insight into human society. As an illustration, let us briefly discuss
leadership.
The types of leadership that can be adopted by a society may be divided into
three basic categories: rule by brute force, rule by rationality, and
spiritual leadership. Rule by brute force includes various forms of
leadership, ranging from brutal martial leaders, such as Genghis Khan, to
proletariat dictatorship, a utopian leadership model that never actually
existed in practice. Prout does not support rule by brute force. Rule by
rationality includes democracy, both general democracy, which is widely
practised today, and restricted democracy, which was practised by the
Licchavis and the Greeks. It is only possible to give qualified support to
democracy because its value depends entirely on 51% or more of the
population having a proper education, a moral and ethical sense, and a well
developed socio-economic-political consciousness. These must not be a
superficial understanding. Accordingly, general democracy as it is practised
today is unlikely to elevate and increase the well-being of most people as
it is dependent on party politics and party dictatorships emerging from
elections. It also has no sense of economic democracy.
Until a better system is developed, restricted democracy can be supported.
Today's democratic standards are quite low in any case. Until the
consciousness of people is raised beyond the mundane, it is likely that
democracy will continue to support essentially selfish and degraded
interests over all-round welfare. In the future, it is quite possible that
democracy will be replaced by another form of government based on merit:
meritocracy. This means that people will demand that their leaders be both
capable and ethical. A genuine meritocracy should be supported. Eventually,
as human consciousness evolves a time will come when elevated people will
guide society. In due course, spirituality will be widely accepted in
society and spiritual leadership is the best form of leadership. This does
not mean religious leadership by religious dogmatists. That era has long
since gone since the rise of the Renaissance period. Although it still
emerges today when political leaders continually evoke the name of God to
assist in their efforts for war and national victory. These blind dogmatic
notions and superstitious toadyisms do great harm to elevating the
consciousness of people - the degenerate the level of thinking to irrational
assertions that some kind of paper gods will solve international conflicts.
Spirituality requires morality and a spiritualist fights against immorality.
Earning money in a sinful way or accumulating great wealth is against the
fundamental principles of spirituality. It will be quite impossible for
people who are not following the fundamental principles of morality to be
spiritualists. Spiritualists are those who are engaged in the continued
endeavour to expand the self. By reciting holy scriptures or by acquiring a
few pompous titles, one cannot succeed in spiritual pursuit. Spirituality
bears no relationship to religion. Although religion may or may not have
some aspects that incline to spirituality.
Also, those who believe that they must first attain success in individual
life before participating in collective struggle will not succeed. They will
never bring expansion in their individual lives if they ignore collective
welfare. Individuals will have to concentrate on both intellectual and
social development. Otherwise, no matter how lofty they might sound in
theory, it will remain as a big hoax in the practical field. One will have
to make an earnest endeavour to develop oneself thoroughly; mere rhetoric
will not do. People who profess to be spiritual moralists will pick up the
neglected humanity and arrange for its revival. To them no sinner is
contemptible, no one is a rogue. All round elevation of mind and self is the
hallmark of spirituality, as well as a proper objective understanding and
application in the physical world. It has nothing to do with attaining a
spot in some mythical heaven or kingdom of God or being a chosen people or
any other social and religious dogmas that confine people to narrow thinking
about their place and existence in the human society, world or universe.
That sort of thinking is the cause of fissiparous tendencies and irrational
inclinations for bloodshed.
The type of leadership adopted by a society provides an insight into the
stage of human evolution of its members and the extent of its advancement.
It is vital that members of the human society understand the motives of
leaders and see through the veneer of dogmas that are spouted. This is
critically important today as more and more political leaders turn to the
concept of God to justify their cause. The distinction between religion and
spirituality becomes even more critical when that happens.
Current Trends
--------------
We live in an age of transition. We are moving from a materialistic age to a
post-materialistic age; out of a patriarchal era and out of a capitalist
age; from a religious age to a post-religious age in which the distinction
between religion and spirituality gradually becomes evident; from an age
dominated by the nation-state to an age of worldwide socio-economic
integration. As we look around, the old is gradually disappearing and the
new is taking an-ever-more-concrete shape. However, the old dogmas will try
to cling on hard to their fanatical stance - that will be evidenced by
fanatical economists who try to justify capitalism through superstitious
notions of the invisible handle, superstitious religious notions espoused by
political leaders of God blessing particular countries, and superstitious
and irrational notions of what is work and value in society.
This age of transition that we live has one dominant characteristic:
polarization. There is polarization between the progressive and regressive
forces, between the pro-materialistic and anti-materialistic forces, between
the pro-spiritual and anti-spiritual forces. Polarization will continue for
the foreseeable future in every sphere of life, and will continue at an
accelerating rate.
A second significant characteristic of the age of transition is that the
process of transition itself is marked by distinct phases. For example, over
the last few decades, the socio-economic systems that have dominated the
world have undergone rapid change. Communism has totally collapsed; it
remains today in just a few places (and as a shell for state capitalism),
and even there it remains in name only. Capitalism, on the one hand, is
passing through a phase of accelerated globalization, and on the other, is
struggling to survive, exemplified by the recent Asian economic crisis and
the current problems in South America. Organized religion, too, is in a
state of crisis in several places - immorality is rampant. As we look
around, we can see that the world is changing before our very eyes. Nature,
and the Earth itself, is not immune from this process.
A sense of ecological economics is vital and essential to economic
principles. That includes the psycho-ecological approach as well in which
the human self must be made ecologically whole and elevated through higher
human endeavours including those of spiritual elevation. Many good people
are working to create a bright future for all the people living on our
planet. All should work together, and join the effort to create a better
world.
Ecology - Sophia in Nature - Robert Bly interviewed by Roar Bjonnes
-------
Robert Bly is a well know American poet. These are extracts from an
interview with poet Robert Bly on ecology, spirituality and the capitalist
market-place. Bly remains one of the most hotly debated American artists of
the past half century. The psychologist Robert Moore believes that "When the
cultural and intellectual history of our time is written, Robert Bly will be
recognized as the catalyst for a sweeping cultural revolution." Robert Bly
is not only a poet, but also a translator and essayist. Some refer to him as
the father of what he has called "the expressive men's movement". Some of
his latest books are: Meditations on the Insatiable Soul, What Have I Ever
Lost by Dying?, Morning Poems, and Eating the Honey of Words. See
www.robertbly.com
Roar Bjonnes is editor of Prout Journal.
The nature of the discourse is in poetic terms.
Bly: According to the Gnostic religion, Sophia looked down upon this planet
of ours and decided to descend into it. She entered inside the stones, the
trees, the birds, and the water. She went into fire and air. This is the
story of Sophia.
Bjonnes: This reminds me of the Tantric concept of Shakti.
Bly: Yes, exactly. Sophia--like Shakti--is an active, powerful force,
all-encompassing and all-pervading energy in nature.
Bly: The ecology movement, then, is a response to the inability of the
capitalist world to understand that Sophia is also in the rainforest.
Through the loss of the story of Sophia, the Christian Church has given
permission to the capitalists to destroy nature. This was done partly by
translating the word "Sophia" as "wisdom". This destroys the story and takes
away the feminine quality. There have been many such errors in translating
the Old Testament, and we are suffering from those mistakes today.
Bjonnes: So how does modern technology fit into all of this?
Bly: Well, I think it is absolutely ridiculous to think that the computer
will bring some kind of renaissance. Technology used to move much slower
before. A Japanese poet recently said: "We have moved from walking to the
rickshaw to the horse-carriage to the airplane without taking time to stop
or pause". And that is terrifying. The speed with which technology has
developed is demonic.
I recently read a book in which the author said something like this: "We
used to build great houses, beautiful bridges and roads, but today we build
only markets". So, the only thing that can become bigger now is the
capitalist market-place. We have simply given upon our pride in building
great and beautiful things.
Types of Cooperatives
---------------------
- Based on notes by Ac. Samanvayananda
Ecological economics is related to economic democracy and the only way to
ensure that is through a co-operative economic structure.
Cooperatives are a way for people to work together so that they can ensure
the welfare of each individual in the enterprise and society at large. The
International Cooperative Alliance defines a cooperative as follows: "A
cooperative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to
meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations
through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise."
People often think that a cooperative is only meant to look after its
members. However, if we accept this view, there will be no difference
between a company, registered under the companies or corporations Acts, and
a cooperative. A company is intended to benefit its shareholders, its
"members", and is not intended to benefit each individual in the enterprise
or humanity in general. Companies run on the basis of capitalist principles,
meaning that they are run to make profit. This is generally their primary,
and often only, reason for existence. Greatest importance is given to
capital, and to those who have invested their capital in the company; very
little importance is given to the needs and aspiration of the employees.
Thus, in the company structure, there is no intention to further the welfare
of each individual human being working in the enterprise or human society in
general. If there is any intention of welfare, at most it runs a distant
second behind the desire to make a profit. The consequence of companies
placing profit ahead of people is that they generally exploit people as they
strive to make a profit.
Cooperatives, on the other hand, are intended to look after the interests of
their members. Just like any business, they try to make a profit - but it is
rationally based, but at the same time they are designed to further the
welfare of human society, especially the people in the local community.
Those who work in a cooperative own the enterprise and make all the
decisions regarding its functioning. As long as cooperatives are properly
managed and run by ethical people, there will be no scope for them to
exploit people for profit.
There are at least three main types of cooperatives: producers'
cooperatives, distributors' or consumers' cooperatives, and service
cooperatives.
Producers' Cooperatives
Countries such as India, Mexico, Brazil, America, Canada, and Australia have
large amounts of agricultural land. Farmers' cooperatives and farmers
'-and-producers' cooperatives will have to play an important role in the
agricultural production of these countries. An important type of producers'
cooperative is dairy cooperatives; another is agro-industrial cooperatives,
or cooperatives which make commodities from agricultural produce.
Agro-industrial producers' cooperatives vary in size and can produce all
types of goods, including commodities such as sugar, jute, banana chips,
potato chips, corn flakes, rice, flour, etc. Agro-industrial cooperatives
can produce edible oil (such as soya, coconut, peanut, mustard, olive,
cottonseed, sunflower, etc.), bakery products (such as bread, cakes,
biscuits, etc.), fruit juice, jams, jellies, etc. They can process
vegetables and preserve many types of vegetables and fruits. All types of
food products can be manufactured by such cooperatives.
Producers' cooperative also include cooperatives which produce goods for
general industrial purposes. Such coops might produce commodities such as
iron and steel goods, plastic goods, rubber goods, aluminium goods, cement,
paper products, chemicals, etc. There are many products which
agro-industrial and industrial cooperatives can produce in order to provide
employment for local people and develop their economy.
These lists above only emphasis that the scope of co-operatives is vast.
Distributors' Cooperatives
Distributors' cooperatives are generally referred to as consumers'
cooperatives. Consumers' coops can be either wholesale or retail
cooperatives. In many cases, consumers' cooperatives function as retail
cooperatives. They are cooperatives through which members of the public, ie,
consumers, buy products produced by producers' cooperatives.
Wholesale consumers' cooperatives usually function in one of two ways.
First, they bulk purchase various types of products made by producers'
cooperatives and bulk sell them to the public, thus enabling them to offer
wholesale rates. For example, if several retail cooperatives join together
to bulk purchase commodities, they will be able to pass on the savings to
their consumers. Second, they take on some of the functions of a producers'
cooperative, producing various types of commodities themselves, and then
sell them directly to consumers, often at discounted rates.
Service Cooperatives
Examples of service cooperatives include, but are not limited to, the
following: cooperative hospitals, cooperative maternity centres and nursing
homes, cooperative educational institutions, cooperative banks, credit
cooperatives, transport cooperatives, housing or builders' cooperatives,
medical and medicinal cooperatives, printers' and publishers' cooperatives,
health food cooperatives, children's homes and student's homes cooperatives,
and aged people's homes cooperatives.
In the broadest sense, service cooperatives include all the various
cooperatives that provide essential, semi-essential and non-essential
services.
Ecological Economics - websites
--------------------
The International Society for Ecological Economics
Australia New Zealand Society for Ecological Economics
Global Futures And The Future 500
The Natural Step
Tobacco Terrorism - still hard at work in Australia - a satirical piece
-----------------
Tobacco smoking is an act of terrorism, governments agree! But can do
nothing due to the economic effects. The Australian and United States
governments have agreed that tobacco companies around the world who have
killed more than 180 million people are carrying out acts of terrorism.
Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, says this has always been a specific
terrorist threat that could have been stopped by the Australian Federal and
State Governments prior to the deaths.
It is known that many Australians have been killed, but Mr Howard has not
issued his sympathy to the families of the dead and injured. Instead he has
agreed to waive tobacco taxes owing by tobacco companies in order to
stimulate the economy.
The indiscriminate, brutal and despicable way in which lives have been taken
away by an act of barbarity will deeply shock
all Australians, he said. Mr Howard says the Australian Government has
received information for many years leading up to the tobacco attacks. But
denies his government was able to specifically warn of these incidents on
actual human beings, he said. There have been some general expressions
repeated and we have expressed our concern in relation to them, he went on
to say.
There are now calls for those responsible to be brought to justice, but
there are no criminal laws in place so it is unlikely Australian Federal
Police will get involved in investigations. Instead, he said it is better
that the common person spend more money on law suits in order to resolve the
situation. He says it is more than likely tobacco companies will obtain
special exemptions for their terrorist attacks. Not to do so would be
against western interests, even though he realises all Australians are
specific targets.
An expert on the tobacco company terrorist network, Rotthen Gumdiseasa has
for a long time advised the government not to interfere with its interests.
Mr Howard says he believes those responsible for the tobacco terrorism will
prove to have links with the corporate America network. God Bless America!
has to be the catch cry he re-emphasised.
He acknowledges how good tobacco smoking is for the Australian economy. He
said it creates many externalities and extra costs for the Australian
medical system, thereby putting pressure on demand for hospital beds,
meaning shortages increases prices resulting in benefits of more profits for
everyone involved in curing the attacks. The flow on effects go right down
to the need for more bed sheets advisors have suggested.
The Australian Government in the past has not taken the tobacco terrorist
threat seriously, but the Australian Government will not respond more
effectively against the threat of tobacco terrorism, as these killers inject
to much money into the economy. Public smoking injecting rooms, however, are
also out of the question, and in a positive move - but only due to public
pressure - there will be laws that hotels and workplaces across Australia
are to be smoke free. However, Mr Howard asserted that in the name of
democracy and freedom smoking injection rooms will be allowed at home, and
people can openly inject themselves in public parks and gardens.
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