Louis Even - PB - 410 pages
The abundance of goods distributed to all - Money problems solved.
This book, In This Age of Plenty, presents a new conception of finance, of the money system, that would definitely free society from purely financial problems. Its author, Louis Even, sets out the outlines of the Social Credit financial proposals, conceived by the Scottish engineer Clifford Hugh Douglas.
Today, when there is no money, municipalities lay aside urgent works requested by the population, even though there is everything needed—men and materials—to carry out all of these works.
Social Credit would change all of this. It would make money a simple servant, a mere bookkeeping system, but a just one, in keeping with existing conditions. Money would come into being as production is made, and money would disappear as production disappears.
Today, the production system does not distribute purchasing power to everyone. It distributes it only to those who are employed in production. And the more the production comes from the machine, the less it comes from human labour. Production even increases, whereas required employment decreases. So there is a conflict between progress, which eliminates the need for human labor, and the system, which distributes purchasing power only to the employed.
Yet, everyone has the right to live, even those who are not employed. This is why, without in any way disturbing the system of reward for work, Social Credit would distribute to every individual a periodical income, called a “social dividend”. This dividend would allow everyone to enjoy the fruits of progress.