Student Debt – A Crime Against Human Rights

Student Debt is one of those things in society we all tend to take for granted. Most that go to college or university are required to in-debt themselves in order to pay for tuition and living expenses. Some countries, like Sweden, do not have tuition fees – though the majority of students are still required to take out loans to cover their living costs.

Young people in this world find themselves between a rock and a hard place. Either you take out hefty loans, make it through university, and potentially land a well-paid job afterwards. Or you come to terms with maybe having a low paid job and no debt. Both of these options are completely horrendous. To be forced into debt to make a life for yourself is a crime against human rights – and yet – this is what young people are required to do.

What should be happening is that young people growing up in this world are nurtured and receive all the support and assistance they require to make the best out of their lives. Because if we cripple an entire generation with debts, imposing unto them the choice of either debt serfdom, or unemployment, we are most certainly creating immense and global consequences in the future. Not only are we creating class warfare, we are also creating generational warfare – were those that are older and have had the opportunity to build a life for themselves without debt will be the target of resentment and blame of the younger generations.

However, one of the most fascinating points that this point with the student debt shows is how we as human beings really have a major issue when it comes to caring for other people. Because how many of us are not benefiting from student debt? Do you for example know what sort of assets your pension funds have invested in? Most certainly big parts of their investment portfolio are made up out of student debt bonds – and would you be willing to give up your pension to release students from their debt? And really – at the end of the day – this is the question we as Humanity face: Are we willing to care for another as we care for our children and ourselves? Are we willing to give up our self-interest to stand for a solution that will benefit all people, youngsters as well as old people, and are we willing to give up some of our luxury to achieve that outcome?

Debt is artificial, which means that its existence is a mental abstract creation. Debt exists in databases and registers made up out of numbers and names – to remove these numbers would be very easy. We could decide today as a society to not anymore accept and allow debt to be part of our lives. Instead of debt, we could decide to give our future generations the best possible conditions to create themselves a life of fulfillment, joy and happiness. We do hold that power – so the question we should ask ourselves is: Why are we not creating the world that we want to see?

And – Why not take it even further? Money is artificial, which means that its existence is a mental abstract creation. Money exists in databases and registers, called banks, that are made up out of numbers and names – to change these numbers would be very easy. Why then not change the numbers a little, so our youths do not have to go through their lives paying debts for which they got things that should have been theirs as part their HUMAN and UNCONDITIONAL RIGHTS. See, life, this world, our monetary system, our way of doing things, it is not set in stone – there are many solutions to the problems we face – though to see them – we have to let go of our small, confined and limited world view – our self-interest – and start seeing our reality from a greater, and more expansive perspective – and ask ourselves the daring question: What is Best For All?

I am one vote for world equality, and I am one vote for a Living Income Guaranteed – because I want what is best for youths as well as elders. I want, for all those that wish to experience higher education, to be able to do that, without incurring any debts – and I want all children to be certain that when they grow up – they will be embraced into a society that cares for and tends to them – and want what is best for them. We can create this world – and it all begins with us letting go of our self-interest and developing that real and genuine care for others.

The Era of Unemployment

For ages and ages humanity have held unto the fix idea that employment and labor is what entitles us to a dignified life. We have thought that only with a job are we able to earn money and build a future for ourselves. Now, we are reaching a new era – the technological era – and this means that machines are slowly but surely going to take over and become the new employee. More and more we are going to see people fall into unemployment unable to get back into the system – because there are no jobs anymore – machines have or will take over the positions until there are no positions left.

This places us in a unique position. Suddenly we have the possibility to sustain ourselves without having to dedicate all of our time to work and labor – the resources are here regardless. The problem is that we still hold unto to this fix idea of labor equals money, labor equals life, not realizing that our life equals the right to live which equals the right to money – as such most of us are stuck in survival mode unable to move ahead, waiting for the economic regression to turn into a growth and our jobs to come back, but this will not happen. The jobs lost to machines are jobs lost forever and as such we are waiting in vain.

Our fix idea that labor equals the right to life hinders us from seeing the possibilities that are now ahead. In my own country of Sweden the biggest obstacle standing in the way is peoples fears to the concept of the jobless society – we cling unto the belief that life can not be free from pressure, life can not just be given unconditionally, life must be a hardship, it must contain work, sweat, and tears, because without this apparently the economy simply will not work. We also believe that in giving all a right to life, somehow we ourselves will loose out and have a slice of our pie be stolen. All of these ideas and fears exists only in our minds and they are not aligned with the reality of what is here.

Because the reality is that there is plenty of resources on this earth the ensure that all are given a dignified life, the reality is that we are at a stage where machines can do the labor of man without any remuneration, and we are at a stage where we can allow ourselves to sit back, relax, and live life without the constant pressure and fear that the hunt for money entails.

The age of employment is at its end and we have in this been given an opportunity to recreate our economy to be inclusive and nourishing, instead of as is at the moment, exclusive and unhealthy – we can give to everyone a life that we would want for ourselves and the fear of us loosing our own resources is simply preposterous – we have the necessary infrastructure in place to make life on earth open for all. It is our responsibility to make sure that life is given to all because that is what we would like for ourselves – and now when the possibility have opened up there are no more excuses.

One of the greatest misconceptions we have made is to think that life is by nature harsh and unwelcoming – this is definitely a complete misunderstanding. Hardship and strife is artificial and man made – we have created a though system – we have decided to compete with another and we have decided to make money exclusive instead of inclusive; and what we must ask ourselves is whether it is worth it? Is it worth the fear, the pressure, the anxiety, the worry, the constant uneasiness? How come we have not given ourselves the right to money? Why have not gifted ourselves with the right to life, a real life, a life where we are able to express and move about free from the shackles of worry?

We have the future resting in our palms. Let us make the best of it – make your voice heard and stand as one vote for an Guaranteed Living Income – so that we can begin living for real.

Are We Really Free?

I’ve for some time now been studying law, and in about a year and a half I’ve actually completed the entire education, and this places me in a position of considering what type of direction I should go into after I’m done, in terms in terms of finding a job.

I’ve thus been researching this point quite extensively for a couple of months and the conclusion I’ve made is that, in essence, there are no good jobs out there, most of them are difficult and arduous. Some jobs are easy to do, yet you get a low pay at the end of the month. Other jobs seems more stressful and demanding, yet they pay higher at the end of the month – yet regardless of what kind of job I select – the fact remains that I will have to spend at least 8 hours, 5 days every week, working away.

This place into question the notion we in the western world have of freedom and free-choice – because looking at this point that stands before me, can I in self-honesty say that I have a choice in regards to whether I work or not? The obvious answer is NO – there is absolutely no choice – because if you do not make sure that you have a stable income in this world then you’re simply not allowed to continue existing and we’ve thus developed a invisible form of slavery – where the slave-master is money and where we’re constantly running around trying to make sure we have the acceptance of this invisible money god.

It’s also not possible to say the freedom exists for those lucky few that have managed to accumulate so much wealth that they do not have to work a single hour more in their life – because these people are just as much as everyone else a prisoner of their own fear, a prisoner of their own greed – unable to live for real because they fear what they might loose.

We’ve thus, as humanity, managed to create a economic system that limits us as individuals, and that places us into these very small individual worlds where we are completely alone with ourselves and our fear – where we care for nothing else but ourselves and our fear – fascinating isn’t it?

What is even more fascinating is that most people will defend our current monetary system tooth and nail believing that it sets them free – not realizing that they are speaking in fear, defending their fear, honoring their fear, and strengthening the walls of their own prison.

What I’ve often heard is that, apparently, this system is based upon conscientiousness, because when there is a demand someone by their free will make sure to supply. Really, let’s take a look at it – do human beings supply by their own free will, or do they supply for the sake of their survival?

For example, why does porn exist? Some will say that it exists because there is a demand for it and naturally there will be a supply – though if all the young women that now seek their way into porn would’ve been economically stable, would there then have been such a constant stream of “new flesh” arriving into the porn industry, as we see today? Is it really a rational economical decision made by these woman based upon considering a career in porn, it’s effects and consequences? Is it really true that the demand for porn creates a supply of porn actresses?

No, it’s not true – because what creates a supply even to the most outrageous and immoral of demands is fear of survival and lack of economic stability – socioeconomic situations that push people into the most degrading of the circumstances just so that they can earn their living and survive and obviously there is no freedom what-so-ever to find in this – it’s just plain abuse.

What is important to understand is that our current economic system doesn’t work, it has never worked, and it will never work – it might seem to work for some people, though those some people are in minority and are able to prosper only because those born in less lucky conditions make it possible through their slavery.

Why then not change the system? Who has the power to change the system? Who has been part in co-creating this system?

The answer is YOU!

Thus, please make your voice heard and place your vote for a new economic system where we can give everyone the freedom that they deserve – from birth till death – investigate the Living Income Guarantee.

Q and A: How is that we are going to implement LIG?

Q: How is that we are going to implement LIG? I mean, all our politicians seems to be more interested in their own careers than standing for a system that would bring forth real change, and getting into the field of politics, getting to a position of power and influence, seems to be impossible without having the financial backing of corporations – so how can we get LIG to be implemented on a physical and practical level?

A: “When we see our responsibiity towards the state of humanity and the Earth in its totality – it’s about getting it done, no matter what. This means that either we find those individuals in a position of influence with a grain of integrity and desire for change – and one will find, such individuals are out there – or we become them. We can no longer ‘wait’ for those who have the means and power to grow a conscience on our behalf. That is why the Equal Life Foundation supports the development of leadership skills so that individuals who see the need for change, can find ways to actively work towards it.

Also – to remember – one cannot underestimate the power of numbers and our ability to demand change from those who are supposed to represent our interests. Herein, we have to realize that we require to stand together so that the voice of the people can no longer be ignored. Hence, we ask of all those who see that Living Income Guaranteed is a desirable solution – to promote it in their social networks – as the initial education that will be required for such a change to be manifested.” Maite Zamora Moreno

For more info about the Living Income Guarantee – see:
http://livingincome.me/wiki/The_Living_Income_Guaranteed_Proposal