From: X@kCfh.com   
      
   Welcome back to PROUT Gems.   
      
   Proper distribution of wealth is fundamental to economic and social well   
   being. How does it apply and what are its requisites? Economic d   
   centralisation is vital for this. The dogma that exists today is that   
   acquisition of limitless property is an    
   individual right. Property is limited and the real right is that all must be   
   guaranteed minimum necessities (food, clothing, housing, education, medical   
   care etc) through proper purchasing capacity. Such efficiencies can only be   
   achieved in a cooperative    
   economy. Virtually no leaders speak of the human right for minimum   
   necessities. This is a great cloak and disguise for selfish interests to   
   prevail over the common interest and to thwart the development of cardinal   
   human values and justice (be it social,    
   economic or otherwise) for all.   
      
   While in developed countries some people may be sitting comfortably, this is   
   not the case in villages and towns across the global.   
      
   How to solve the problem? Let us see ...   
      
   --   
      
   2nd fundamental principle of Prout   
      
   There should be maximum utilization and rational distribution of all mundane,   
   supramundane and spiritual potentialities of the universe.   
      
   Purport: The wealth and resources inherent in the crude, subtle and causal   
   worlds should be developed for the welfare of all people. All resources hidden   
   in the five fundamental factors - solid, liquid, luminous, aerial and ethereal   
   - should be fully    
   utilized and this endeavour will ensure the maximum development of the   
   universe. People will have to earnestly explore land, sea and space to   
   discover and manufacture the necessary resources. There should be rational   
   distribution of the accumulated    
   wealth of humanity. In other words, apart from meeting the indispensable   
   minimum necessities of all, the necessities of meritorious people and those   
   with special requirements must also be met.   
      
   - Ananda Sutram 1962   
      
   - PR Sarkar   
      
   --   
      
   Why is this so? This universe is our common patrimony. Hence all the mundane,   
   supra-mundane and spiritual potentialities should be utilized in the best   
   possible way. Nothing should remain unutilised.   
      
   What is meant by rational distribution? When all can progress at a maximum.   
   Prout is the theory of progressive utilization. Its concept of progress is   
   movement towards all-round welfare. Resources are distributed rationally when   
   all can progress at a    
   maximum. Simple and straightforward.   
      
   What is hindering this? One thing is that the economy is centralised in the   
   hands of a few. There is no economic democracy. Economic democracy has to be   
   the catch cry and slogan of this decade!! This means a decentralised economy.   
      
   As P R Sarkar states:   
      
   The first principle of decentralized economy is that the local people should   
   control all the resources in a socio-economic unit. In particular, the   
   resources that are required to produce the minimum requirements must be in   
   local hands, and all the    
   industries based on these resources will have to be controlled entirely by the   
   local people. Local raw materials must be fully utilized to produce all kinds   
   of commodities necessary for the economic development of a socio-economic unit.   
      
   What is 'local' will depend on circumstances, populations, demographics and   
   the like. But people can come from anywhere in the world and if they identify   
   with the locality they can be considered local. The important thing is   
   identification and    
   participation in the community, whether it be the community of Australia or   
   the community of East Timor   
      
   - both can be considered local relative to the circumstances. Essentially as   
   Sarkar states:   
      
   Local people are those who have merged their individual socio-economic   
   interests with the socio-economic interests of the socio-economic unit they   
   live in. Clearly, this concept of local people has nothing to do with physical   
   complexion, race, caste,    
   creed, language or birthplace. The fundamental issue is whether or not each   
   person or family has identified their individual socio-economic interests with   
   the collective interests of the concerned socio-economic unit. Those who have   
   not done so can be    
   branded as outsiders.   
      
   Immigration policies must revolve around this new notion. And to ensure   
   economic democracy, no 'outsider' should be allowed to interfere in local   
   economic affairs or in the system of production and distribution. Why? To do   
   so, means a subservience to    
   outside interests. It means the likelihood that the outsider's interest will   
   be purely selfish - there is no real contribution to the social and economic   
   structure, other than for extracting money in the form of profits, dividends   
   or interest and the    
   like. It is also the case that a 'floating population' will develop, causing   
   the outflow of economic wealth from the local area. If this occurs the area   
   will become vulnerable to outside economic exploitation and decentralized   
   economy will be undermined.   
      
   So, how to distribute any surplus wealth?   
      
   The surplus wealth, after meeting the minimum requirements of the people in   
   the local area, should be distributed among the meritorious people according   
   to the degree of their merit. For example, doctors, engineers, scientists and   
   other capable people    
   engaged in various activities require extra amenities so that they can perform   
   greater service to society. While a common person may require a bicycle, a   
   doctor may require a car. But there must also be provision in the economy for   
   reducing the gap    
   between the minimum requirements of all and the amenities of meritorious   
   people. To increase the standard of living of common people, they may be   
   provided with scooters instead of bicycles. Although there is some difference   
   between a scooter and a car,    
   the gap that existed between a car and a bicycle has been partially reduced.   
   The economic gap between common people and meritorious people should be   
   reduced as much as possible, and ceaseless efforts must be made in this   
   regard, but this gap will never    
   vanish altogether. If the gap increases, the common people will be deprived   
   and exploitation will re-emerge in society in the guise of amenities.   
   Decentralized economy leaves no such loophole because on the one hand the   
   standard of the minimum    
   requirements must be increased, and on the other hand the provision of   
   amenities will be assessed from the viewpoint of the collective welfare.   
      
      
      
   (See discourse of 16 March 1982, Calcutta - Prout in a nutshell 21)   
      
   --   
      
   Then what is decentralisation?   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)