[GJM] #835, Richard C. Cook On A National Dividend of $12, 000/year/person.

[wesburt at juno.com]

Dear Richard,
Thanks for your e-mail of 23 Aug 2007, in which 
you wrote in part:
Yes, our problem definitely goes back much 
farther in history. I don't know if you've read 
any of my earlier articles on Global Research 
including the one where I run through the 
monetary history of the US back to colonial 
days. If you have time check it out; would 
appreciate comments.
 
RC
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Your May 11, 2007 article, "Monetary Reform and 
How a National Monetary System Should Work," 
provided a splendid summary of contributions 
from authors who followed Thomas Paine in his 
1792 Rights Of Man, Part II, and again in his 1797 
"Agrarian Justice."  My readers may find the article 
at url: www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=5615 

~~~~~~~~ excerpt from 11 May article ~~~~~~~~~
        "The remainder of the total societal gap between 
        production and purchasing power would be filled 
        by a non-taxable National Dividend of two types. 
        One would be a cash stipend paid to all citizens 
        which would also serve the purpose of eliminating 
        poverty by providing everyone with a basic income 
        guarantee. The remainder of the National Dividend 
        would consist of an overall pricing subsidy, whereby 
        a designated proportion of all purchases, including 
        home building expenses, would be rebated to 
        consumers. The total National Dividend per person 
        would probably exceed $12,000 per year under 
        today’s economic conditions. It would be a 
        calculated value charged against a government 
        ledger but would be off-budget, with no need to 
        finance it with taxation or borrowing. 
        A portion of the National Dividend would be 
        made available to all citizens reaching the age 
        of eighteen, who would receive a non-taxable 
        lump-sum of $60,000 for higher education, 
        trade school, or business investment." 
~~~~~~~ End Excerpt from 11 May article ~~~~~~~~

We have had a "National Dividend" for old folks 
since 1935.  I have been living on it since 1985.  
The 1942 G. I. Bill paid $65.00/month to veterans 
of World War II, plus tuition to any college they 
could be admitted to, but it was soon changed 
to a loan program.  Paine thought the problem 
of poverty and debt had been solved in the USA, 
and was writing in response to conditions in the 
old world where the divine right of kings had 
applied the principle of subsidiarity to the 
expense of human development for about 
twenty eight centuries.  And here we are, two 
centuries later, still trying to get a small panel 
of jurors to speak with one voice on a subject 
so simple, as Galbraith said, "that it repels 
the mind."

The attached file is one of many items which 
confirm C. H. Douglas' opinion that the banks 
and corporations in our private sector are in 
good shape, and we need change in our public 
sector policies.
Best wishes for your presentation to the AMI 
Monetary Reform Conference at Roosevelt 
University, September 27-30th.  And thanks 
again for taking such a commanding place on 
my favorite mail lists.

Kind regards,
Wes Burt

  TOP and TWP are cognoscible by sixth graders from
        Fig. 7-9.gif on Dr. W. Curtiss Priest's web site:
         <http://www.epie.org/cyber-soc/default.htm>
 TOP = 100% Capitalism --- TWP = 0 to 50% Capitalism
 
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