[progchat_action] Economic Policy Proposal From TOEs List

I pass this on from the TOEs list for your consideration.  Anybody 
have a comment (pro or con) on this proposal?

Michael

From:  Alanna Hartzok <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
Date:  Thu Dec 2, 2004  12:09 pm
Subject:  Earth Rights Economic Policy Vision Statement

Earth Rights Economic Policy Vision Statement

The biggest challenge for social democracy today is to articulate 
coherent policies based on a unifying vision for society. The policy 
approach should transcend the usual right/left divide and articulate 
a clear analysis of the problems inherent in the neoliberal 
macroeconomics structures.

The major problems to address include: (1) the enormous worldwide 
wealth gap and the underlying concentration of land and natural 
resource ownership and control;  (2) the privatized monetary 
structures;  and (3) building global governance institutions and 
financing governance and development in such a way as to divert 
funds from military industrial profits and into social development 
and environmental restoration.  

We need a basic clarification of First Principles on the concept 
of "ownership", starting with the principle that the land and 
natural resources of the planet are a common heritage and belong 
equally as a birthright to everyone.  Products and services created 
by individuals are properly viewed as private property. Products and 
services created by groups of individuals are properly viewed as 
collective property.

We can  hatch many birds out of one egg when we shift public finance 
OFF OF private property and ONTO common heritage property. From the 
local to the global level we need to shift taxes off of labor and 
productive capital and onto land and natural resource rents. In 
other words, we need to privatize labor (wages) and socialize rent 
(the value of surface land and natural resources). This public 
finance shift will promote the cooperatization of the ownership of 
capital in a gradual way with minimal government control of the 
production and exchange of individual and collective wealth.  
Natural monopolies (infrastructure, energy, public transportation) 
should be owned and/or controlled or regulated by government at the 
most local level  that is practical.

The levels of this public finance shift can be delineated thusly: 
Municipalities and localities to collect the surface land rents 
within their jurisdiction. Regional governing bodies to collect 
resource rents for forest lands, mineral, oil and water resources; 
the global level needs a Global Resource Agency to collect user fees 
for transnational commons such as satellite geostationary orbits, 
royalties on minerals mined or fish caught in international waters 
and the use of the electromagnetic spectrum.

An added benefit of this form of public finance is that it provides 
a peaceful way to address conflicts over land and natural resources. 
Resource rents should be collected and equitably distributed and 
utilized for the benefit of all, either in financing social services 
and/or in direct citizen dividends in equal amount to all 
individuals.

A portion of revenues could pass from the lower to the higher 
governance levels or vice versa as needed to ensure a just 
development pattern worldwide and needed environmental restoration.

In the area of monetary policy we need seignorage reform, which 
means that money should be issued as spending by governments, not as 
debt by private banking institutions. We also need guaranteed 
economic freedoms to create local and regional currencies on a 
democratic and transparent basis.

To discuss our Economic Policy Vision Statement contact:

Alanna Hartzok, Co-Director
Earth Rights Institute
United Nations NGO Representative
Box 328, Scotland, PA 17254 USA
Phone: 717-264-0957
Fax: 717-264-5036
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Website: http://www.earthrights.net

 

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