Forbidden Digital Future. What will our world be like in 50 years?

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Lately, many experts have been talking about the structural crisis of capitalism. The general meaning is this: the fuse caught fire in 2008, the world pretended to extinguish it with the printed money supply, but now the very moment comes when the rocket takes off.

The main reason is the crisis of overproduction - as a consequence of the ideals of capitalism and the development of technology. Well, what we have already talked about many times, here and here - the future in the current system can hardly be called bright. The totally controlled variant of personal chips is almost the most innocuous thing that can be seen in these scenarios. Now let's fantasize a little differently. For example, this option.

To get out of the crisis, an unconditional income for each inhabitant is being introduced on the entire planet. As they say, from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. True, according to the “basic” need. Accommodation, food, energy to maintain the necessary and sufficient life support. Well, for entertainment, moderate, a little. A kind of fireproof regular amount for "bread and circuses".

If the ability of a particular person is to sit at home and consume, then he sits and consumes. He wants to study - he studies and does not care about part-time jobs. If he wants to create, he creates and pleases humanity with the fruits of his creativity. Wants to work - works and receives more than the necessary basic need. And he uses the surplus for travel, or for any of his other wishes. But where will these untold riches come from to bestow upon every inhabitant of the earth?

After all, if everyone has the opportunity not to work, then who in their right mind will go to work? And if nobody works, then who will feed this army of unemployed? First, it is unlikely that a normal person will be satisfied with this minimum. You still have to earn money for luxury. Secondly, one of the main necessities of life, which cannot be bought for any money, is self-realization.

Young people will always look for their place in life. But when you are not pushed in the back by an acute stimulus “work or die of hunger”, then you can calmly and thoughtfully choose a profession, study, try yourself in different fields. And even if a young idiot chooses to sit at the computer in a virtual reality helmet, he will do it not with his parents' money, but with his own allowance. In addition, in the virtual world it is also possible to realize oneself without pushing elbows for a place under the real sun.

And thirdly … Apparently, in such a brave new world, the most scarce "product" will be the opportunity to serve society. And it will be issued on coupons: you work on Monday, you on Tuesday … Only those who can organize it for themselves will have a five-day work week. For example, the writers. Interesting works will be in demand by the liberated humanity. And there will no longer be such a "good" reason that "I would like to create, but I have to earn money." Of course, such a system is impossible without planning. Statistical institutes will calculate the required amount of goods and services based on the needs of society.

Imagine, after sending a message in the messenger “the electric kettle has broken. I want a new one, glass with backlight and temperature control. " In response, you will receive the date, time and the nearest pick-up point where you can get it. On the same evening, orders will be sent to factories producing household appliances to replenish stocks in warehouses. And there is no need to do more than necessary. And all the more, there will be no need to include in the goods the so-called "programmed obsolescence", which is now practiced by manufacturers.

Indeed, in market conditions, if you make an unkillable teapot, then the world will very quickly satisfy the demand for teapots and the teapot plant will have to be closed, and the workers will have to be kicked out into the cold. And in the planned digital economy mode, factories will launch their conveyors, for example, once a week, and replenish reserves for the immediate need of mankind for new household appliances. Yes, yes, someone will say - we already went through this in the Soviet Union.

Then the plans for the five-year plan were adopted, and for some reason everyone tried to overfulfill this plan. We constantly had a surplus of walking excavators, but at the same time we lacked some basic household items. But, in fact, those control systems of the planned economy that made it possible to catch up with the advanced countries in the 30s, which made it possible to defeat the enemy superior in economic resources in the Second World War - and so these control systems became obsolete by the second half of the 20th century … The vastly increased assortment of goods made planning difficult. And he made this process extremely laborious.