Out-Of-The-Box Thinking

Western value systems are hegemonic. It is a fact of life, admitted as a part of the status quo, that one social group has leadership over others. Global capitalism's value systems are hegemonic too, in that, whether popular or reviled, certain states have dominance over the rest. These value systems don't belong to the individual, they are imposed from above by political leaders and are not recognised by many of their constituents. In discussing socialism as the alternative to capitalism it is necessary at the outset to recognise that there is no place for hegemony, leadership or dominance as part of socialist philosophy. A separation from former received values to a wide perspective embracing different cultures, values and ways of seeing and doing things is vital in order to reach a truly inclusive world society.

Out-of-the-box thinking, brain-storming sessions require open minded, thoughtful participants, prepared to drop all preconceived notions to enter into the exploration of 'what if?' Knowing that nothing will change immediately whatever ideas are thrown up, except possibly the outlook of those engaged in it, can make such sessions refreshing and stimulating. Too often when trying to entice others into an adventure of this kind the conversation turns into a 'Yeah, but - - ' session, where one attempts to expand the discussion and the other's mind has reached its limit, unable to step out of the box because of the inability to drop the old baggage, even just for the sake of a discussion – what a disappointment!

Getting out of the box can renew lost hope, can expand boundaries previously thought to be unmovable, can spark innovation – and can be fun. Remember, nothing, no thing, has to fit into our out-of-the-box projection from the model we know so well, the model that has shaped our lives to this point and with which we are intimate to the nth degree. But people do have to be able to fit in– and it is those people who will be the drivers of future developments.

There's so much doom and gloom swilling around the news media about invasions, terrorism and war, immigration and refugees, unemployment, debt, homelessness, degradation of the environment in general, global warming and climate change and the ever present nuclear threat. What are we to do about all that? I recall something from a recent article by Noam Chomsky where in answer to a question that if extinction is inevitable why bother to make efforts to carry on, he said words to the effect that we have to live in the meantime – and by doing so should endeavour to live as we would want to live and never give up on our principles.

So, what can we do? Let's try a little thinking out of the box on a topic with which pretty everyone is well acquainted. Wages. Salary. Remuneration. Pension. Discrepancies abound. Inequality is rife. Protests and strikes are continually brought to our attention. Benefits are cut. Articles and conversations abound. There is no way of escaping it. But, have you ever considered that the most equal form of wages or remuneration is none? Out-of-the-box, remember, - too soon for 'yeah, but. . .'

Within a family group consider all that gets done with no money changing hands: cooking, cleaning, washing, ironing, child rearing, baby sitting, chauffeuring, shopping, gardening, lawn cutting, minor household repairs, painting and decorating – this is simple household management or economy. OK, maybe some households hand over pocket money to kids as an incentive to do a good job but around the world that isn't the generality. Everybody does their bit. Now, if this idea of sharing the 'work' of the family is extended to the 'work' needing to be done in our area such as local services and utilities, education, health services, restaurants, laundries, suppliers of all kinds, public transport, vehicle maintenance, furniture makers, bakers, farmers, construction, road building, infrastructure and manufacturing work – all of which we have need for at some time or another - and if it's extended even further to include requirements that may not be accessed locally, such as raw materials for manufacturing, crops for consumption or specialist facilities for further education, health studies or scientific research and development, then why not begin to think out of the box and consider all of these things as part of a rational way of simplifying our local and global economy whilst simultaneously creating an egalitarian society in which all can have a place. We all contribute according to ability (and aptitude and personal preference) just as we do in the home environment and we all fulfil our requirements from the common wealth created together for people not profit.

Back inside the box it is recognised that there aren't enough jobs. Unemployment is high, especially among the young and this is viewed by many as a problem, a disaster in the offing. Inside the box we have debt, poverty, homelessness and hopelessness. Outside the box it can be seen that we don't need more jobs, but we do need more doctors and health care workers, more people capable of doing good infrastructure work, more people involved right across the board in education and public facilities work. Released from the restrictions of monetary budgets there can be no end to the numbers of extra places available to be filled by fellow community members working for the common good.

Inside the box we are trapped with our vision limited by firmly entrenched outlooks on life and all that we have been persuaded to believe throughout our lives which repeatedly reminds us there is no alternative. It may sometimes seem pointless to even begin to imagine – 'yeah, but - ' do I hear someone say?

Yes, begin to imagine – the end of wage slavery. No need for a pension, no need for savings or insurance. No worries about redundancy or short time or the kids' future. How much stress would that relieve? Outside the box right now is a thought experiment, an adventure into a world that can be reached and it just needs enough of us to give it a chance. 

JS