RE: Finland Pilots Universal Income Project For Unemployed
A basic income guarantee (BIG) is an interesting concept, and one that could prove very beneficial for society on the whole.
Of course, it is a subject of much controversy, but so is our current crony capitalist system. And in fact, the statement of the one man that "higher taxation means lower incentive to work" is nonsense. If those people who may need some support are given a certain amount of support, most of them will do something productive or creative or beneficial for their neighborhood or society.
On the other hand, if their jobs are sent overseas, and if they are then left jobless and maybe homeless (which is happening more and more nowadays), then they will not be able to do much of anything productive for themselves, for their families, or for society. In fact, they may end up being a drag on productivity and development.
For those who jump up and retort "That's socialism!" and claim that socialism does not work, I'd say "Neither does capitalism work."
Both socialism and capitalism would work perfectly in their ideal forms. But most examples of socialism are far from the ideal, and of course, they have failed. And a very brief overview of the past 20 years of capitalism shows that it too has failed. Miserably, we might add.
The cause of all approaches failing is the presence of denial and heartlessness. There's no way to mandate the end of heartlessness since it starts inside each of us and so the best we can end up with is a system designed by and for people who are partially (or even totally) heartless. The solution requires us all to identify our heartlessness, feel into the gap within us that heartlessness left behind and gradually increase our felt presence and capacity to feel the truth and for intuition/empathy.
Once this is done, the way forwards into a new balance will become clear. <3
You have a great way of getting to the crux of the matter. I've never heard the term "heartlessness" used when discussing these issues, even though that should be at the core of such thought.
The way I see it, we will need much development, much evolution, and maybe even some form of revolution before society abandons its emphasis on greed. But you're right when you say that it must come from within.
Of course, we can guide, instruct, and educate people from outside, but the changes must be effected INSIDE each person. When enough people change internally, society will change. That's evident from history, and we simply have to acknowledge it, then work towards our ideals while keeping that dynamic in mind.
Thanks - yes, the heart is the most important and most misunderstood aspect of human life. The mind without heart's guidance is essentially infinite and can easily get lost with the trillions of things we encounter.. but the heart is a compass that draws in simplicity when needed and expands to accommodate the complexity when needed too. It's our connection to each other and to all of life.
Understanding what you have described eloquently here - that change comes from within - and by extension that 'the outer reality reflects the inner reality' is a valuable understanding indeed. From it we can find great peace and redirect our energies into their right place which also feels good. :)