"A universal language would doubtless save us more than the cost of all
our earth wars, and maybe it would help to keep them away.
"We will not need or use the economic waste to advertise or push any
product. All of us realize the enormous amount of time and energy
spent in advertising. It is not always the quality but most often the
publicity which sells a product. Much labor and materials are being
used and wasted in this boundless non-productive service.
"No. IV--We will have no gambling of any kind, or alcohol, dispensing
with gambling houses and devices, no breweries, distilleries, bars,
saloons, night clubs and their equipment and supplies. In fact, we
will do away with all unethical, unprincipled, and immoral business and
their workers.
"I can give you a list three times as large, but I do not wish to take
up your valuable time.
"Can you roughly estimate the great percentage of our inhabitants that
are employed in all the above dispensible and non-productive wasteful
services? It must certainly be very large. The amount of materials used
and wasted is enormous. If all of them could be shifted into productive
labor and services and these materials used for the benefit of mankind,
what a beautiful world we would have."
The president asked, "What will you do with the excess workers that you
expect to save from all these side-line and unproductive employments?"
"Why there are hundreds of professions, crafts, and trades that need
them. We need a great many more doctors, dentists, nurses, architects,
engineers of all kinds, draftsmen, teachers, chemists, and all kinds
of laboratory research men, many reclamation and highway workers,
and workers in crafts and trades. We need a great many farmers, farm
laborers, farming implement makers, construction workers, concrete and
cement workers for homes, buildings, bridges, machine tool workers,
tinsmiths, iron and steel workers, electricians, telephone mechanics,
steamfitters, plumbers, airplane and parachute makers and mechanics,
railroad and transportation workers, roofers, radio, refrigeration
and air conditioning mechanics, fireproofing and insulation workers,
shoemakers, tailors, dressmakers, milliners, hat makers, and hundreds
of other workers that we can keep busy provided that we always try to
construct, improve, and expand, to produce and build, and to better the
conditions, convenience, and comfort of us all."
"Do I understand that you will obtain all this without paying for it
and that all of you will live on the same standard, regardless of
the better workmanship and ability of others of you?" The President
questioned, "And how will you compensate those of you who excel
in their endeavors, and others of you who may invent an important
mechanical improvement, discover the cure for a disease, or contrive
some chemical development which will save labor and materials. In
other words, what incentive will any of you have to excel?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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