From: browns@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Stuart Brown)
Subject: Re: FAR future programs
Organization: University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 22:17:56 GMT

In article <Bwzy6p.Iv@ucunix.san.uc.edu> balesej@ucunix.san.uc.edu (Eric J Bales) writes:
>In article <1992Oct30.085923.20896@ugle.unit.no> ta@itk.unit.no (Trond Andresen) writes:
>>
>>I think it is neccessary now to discuss programs for the FAR future, as
>>a prerequisite for not going in the wrong direction when it comes to short-
>>term proposals. Here follow some thoughts about such a far-future program.
>>If it seems like a high-tech scenario of communism in the classical sense,
>>that's quite intentional.
>
>>Here is my scenario: A society where a small percentage of the
>>population oversee automatic processes in manufacturing and commerce.
>>The industry will be running nearly without
>>human work-hours. So what do the other 95% do? Before I try to answer that
>>
>
>How are you going to pay these people?  That would be awefully expensive
>for anyone other than the wealthy!
>
>>- Researchers in anything from flowers to chess to astronomy to
>>  masks of the South American indians. A very big part of
>>  the population in university-level education and research.
>
>Who pays for all these university-level researchers?
>

Howdy, I'm new to this group, so please excuse and breach of local customs...

The above scenario reminds me very much of the Star Trek TNG universe
where Jean-Luc answers the question "What will I do now?"
by saying: "This is the 24th century.  All basic needs are provided for
all citizens by automated manufacturing centers.  You can look forward
to doing whatever interests you."

If society can painlessly produce all the basic needs for everyone, then
why this obsession with how each and every person can pay for thier needs
and get paid for thier choice of work?

What would happen if we did away with money for most transactions in America
right now?  Well first of all, everyone would rush out and grab lots of TV
sets and fancy foods and snazzy cars etc.  So we have automated factories
that churn this stuff out  untill everyone  has all of the ordinary stuff
that they want.

Next, no one who hates thier job goes to work any more.  Good riddance!
Hopefully most of these jobs can be automated.  For those jobs that
still require human attention, we have to find something special to 
offer as compensation?  Well, there will always be some things in
short supply that can't be churned out by the auto-factories. Artworks,
of course, but also choice houses in beautiful locations, special foods
that must be grown- not synthesized, and resource intensive hobbies
like dogfighting WWII aircraft.
OK, so now what does everyone do?  This has already been described
by others in this thread.  Lots of scientific research, and Art, lots
of human care (teaching, health care, etc.).  I feel that left free
from wants, a lot of people would choose to make a contribution to
society- and the net result would be technical progress at a faster 
rate than in our current fear driven capitalist system.  I'm sure that
there will be an ample supply of tecnophiles to keep the gears of the
automated industy oiled as long as some attractive compensations are
offered.
We really are not so far away from making this type of society
technically feasible. We already produce wheat and sugar, radios and
digital watches at prices so low that it would be more efficent to
give them away- if only the producers could receive thier needs in
return.
			Cheers -Dr. Stu
-- 
Stuart M. Brown                             If you can remain cool when all 
U. of Manitoba, Dept. Plant Science         Around you are in panic,
Winnipeg, Manitoba, CANADA
browns@ccu.umanitoba.ca            Then you surely misunderstand the situation
Newsgroups: alt.amateur-comp,misc.misc,soc.misc,sci.bio