BIRTHRIGHT - FROM WRINKLIES TO BABIES

The fact that 36.7 million - representing in different European regions from 18% to 79% - of 18 to 30 year olds – now live at home (Europe’s generation: stuck with mum and dad – Guardian 25 Mar 14) was forecast at EC discussions on the Information Society as early as 1995; when it was crystal clear that computers and automation would replace human jobs. Our electronic revolution mantra was “We have worked hard to abolish work - and have succeeded”. The disempowerment now of the young by the old is a consequence of our medieval economic model, reaching its zenith today with elite Mafias of Obscene Greed exploiting Unpaid Interns, Zero Hours, and Below Living Wage peasants; when the only route open to a new baby or growing child to share in society’s unprecedented immense global real wealth in this electronic age is via “a good job”. With ever increasing automation, paid jobs will further rapidly diminish. It was clear in 1995 that the Haves must share Capital as well as Earnings with the Have-Nots – a capitalist heresy. An answer is “Birthright” – simply put - a pension from birth instead of near death, as happens in upper-class families.  I shrink from saying this in The Guardian but we need Margaret Thatcher’s property and share owning democracy – from birth. It will work well without causing inflation and will double or treble the world’s current wealth. The robots are doing the work; we wrinkly, grasping, miserly, economically paralyzed, blinkered, frightened, sick, decaying and dying old people must share our wealth now with the next generations; who will invest it in innovative industries that we wrinklies cannot conceive or even dream of. If wealth from birth is good for our aristocrats' (God Bless You Kind Sirs) offspring - then its also good enough for our humble peasant babies. There is plenty of wealth for everyone - it is time and necessary for all to reap and share the rewards of 5,000 years of invention, sweat and sacrifice.

Letter to the Guardian - 25 March 2014.

Noel Hodson, Oxford, noel@noelhodson.com

Birthright:  

$32 TRILLION TO COLLECT