Prout “Anchors” Exercise
This was initially inspired by Sohail Inayatullah’s book, Prout in Power (Proutist Bloc India Publications, New Delhi, 2017). The digital pdf version is available here.
Global capitalism is fundamentally unjust and exploitive. It is often difficult to judge whether different proposals and theories in government, social media, or corporate media are credible and deserving of our support. Prout’s focus is always on what is benevolent for humanity and the planet. For this reason, we suggest using the following eleven criteria as a tool to help evaluate the worthiness of real world proposals.
Does it:
Strengthen social unity?
Build economic equity?
Promote diversity and inclusion?
Support gender equity?
Uphold science and rationality?
Foster cooperation?
Accelerate progressive change?
Inspire benevolent action?
Forge ecological and spiritual connections?
Encourage neohumanistic love for all creation?
Improve the quality of life of future generations?
Prout Anchor Exercise
Read one of the following questions. Together discuss whether it meets any of the above ten Prout “Anchors.” Write down why or why not it seems credible and worthy of Proutist support. If, after completing your task, there is still time, consider another question.
1. Should the government adopt the Green New Deal?
The Green New Deal is a proposal in the U.S. Congress of a coordinated national program to transition from carbon-based industrial processes to non-polluting, non-carbon based industries and renewable energy. Its goals are to significantly reduce the national carbon footprint, in an effort to stop
climate change caused by global warming, and to reduce economic inequality. The scientific, technological, and human input required are analogous in size and scope to the resources and finances devoted to World War II. A critical element is the government acting as “the employer of last resort” to guarantee a job with a “living wage” to all individuals displaced from their jobs in energy, transportation, mining, agriculture, and food distribution as society transitions to non-carbon based industries.
2. Should the government pay off student loans?
University fees in the USA are the highest in the world and climbing, while state and national government financial support is shrinking. 16.6 million Americans attend college each year, and close to 11 million or 65 percent borrow annually to help cover costs. These students have on average $30,000 of loans, though some owe much more. In June 2019, the total amount of money owed in student loan debt exceeded $1.6 trillion [Kerr, Emma, “See 10 Years of Average Total Student Loan Debt.” U.S News & World Report, Sept. 15, 2020]. Cancellation of all student loans would offer a fresh start to millions of young people, who have been burdened with loan payments for many years after graduating from college or university. It would also inspire many poorer people to pursue higher education who today cannot due to its prohibitive cost. Conservatives argue that paying off student loans would not benefit everyone, and that it would invariably benefit wealthier students with graduate degrees and a larger debt.
3. Should the government adopt Universal Basic Income?
Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a popular idea proposed and debated by many progressive groups and politicians around the world by which every citizen gets a guaranteed sum of money as income, regardless of whether they are employed or not. Iran and Macau have this, and pilot programs have been successful in Brazil, India, Namibia, Finland, Alaska, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina, USA. Proposals differ whether the amount should be sufficient to meet a person’s basic needs or less than that, and whether all citizens, even the wealthiest, should be included. A negative income tax is a a type of UBI in which earners above a certain level pay money to the state while earners below that receive money. UBI lifts everyone out of poverty, though it does not give everyone a job.
4. Does the U.S. Criminal Justice System need major reforms?
More than 2.3 million people are incarcerated in the United States, and another 4.7 million are on probation or parole, much more than any other country. The Criminal Justice System is designed to punish criminal offenders in the belief that punishment alters one’s actions, that the infliction of pain will deter future criminal behavior, and that if someone kills, they should be killed to deter others. None of these beliefs are supported by research. Reforms that are needed: End pretrial detention for most defendants awaiting trial and use alternatives to arrest and incarceration for low-level offenses. Shorten excessive prison sentences and improve release processes. Sentence fewer people to incarceration, abolish mandatory sentencing, and make sentences shorter. Redirect public funds to community organizations that provide social services. Stop probation and parole systems from fueling incarceration. Keep criminal justice, juvenile justice, and immigration processes separate. Promote restorative justice and give all communities equal voice in how our justice system works.
5. Is climate change a hoax?
Climate change skeptics deny, dismiss, or cast doubt on the scientific consensus on climate change, including the extent to which it is caused by humans, its effects on nature and human society, or the potential of adaptation to global warming by human actions. The fossil fuels lobby, the Koch brothers, industry advocates, and conservative think tanks in the United States organize climate change denial campaigns to oppose the regulation of carbon emissions. These are supported by conservative media and skeptical bloggers to manufacture uncertainty about global warming and show scientific controversy.
6. Should the Tech Industry Create Billionaires? Covid-19 pandemic has triggered an economic crisis of a magnitude not seen since the Great Depression. Millions of people have lost their jobs, homes, and livelihood. Yet many CEOs in the tech industry have added tens of billions of dollars to their net worth. For example, Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO ($187 billion), Elon Musk, Tesla & SpaceX CEO ($149 billion), Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft ($120 billion), Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder & CEO of Facebook ($100 billion), Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle ($87 billion), Larry Page, co-founder of Google & CEO of Alphabet ($76 billion), Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google & president of Alphabet ($74 billion – Forbes “The World’s Real-Time Billionaires”). Online technologies provide useful services in a pandemic-stricken, lockdown-hit, and socially-distanced world. However, does this justify the astronomical accumulation of wealth by a handful of individuals in the tech industry? Is this sustainable?