Other Benefits of the Plan
It does not affect the sovereignty of any nation.
Instead, it enables each person to choose how to contribute to the regeneration of their own economic and social environment in ways that may not harm other people, the nation, and the environment.
It finances itself and does not cost any nation anything.
On the contrary, every individual, business and, consequently, every country benefits.
No interest payments, inflation, or speculation; less likelihood of fraud.
There is a direct link between production and consumption, with no interest payments. Therefore, there is no inflation, and so there can be no speculation. Since the rules of this SIFAplan are monitored by the development workers and by all individual people who so wish (see below), there is less likelihood of fraud using the SIFA currency than there is in today’s less transparent economies.
Decrease in pollution, safeguarding non-renewable resources
Production will be sustainable and selected accordingly, and based on the prior consent of all people. Goods and services responding to material, mental, emotional, social, cultural or spiritual needs, and the full range in-between, would be selected and made available.
Less unemployment, even as robots and artificial intelligence take over human jobs
Unemployment will decrease drastically, as the supplementary economy expands and provides increased opportunities for new producers. New horizons appear for human creativity and ingenuity.
Decisions by consent
All decisions ranging from at the grassroots level to within the governing body of the SIFA Administrative Agency will be made by consent, so that all can defend and promote their own interests, in harmony with those of humankind.
Positive effects on the individual and the world’s economies
At the U.N., one sees how relatively small amounts of well-directed money can make a dramatic difference in the quality of life of individuals and whole communities. Within a few years, a large percentage of those currently termed as economically less productive would contribute to the world economy as both consumers and producers of sustainable goods and services. World markets would thrive, and the gap between rich and poor would be less of an issue, as people’s needs would be met.
From the perspective of the individual, there would be increased health, creativity, happiness and inner balance.
This would be brought about by the enhanced ability to focus on the non-material aspects of life. As individuals become happier, more balanced and more aware of what constitutes true well-being, problems relating to the environment, human rights and the myriad other global problems that plague our world today, and are the subject of the U.N.’s SDGs, would gradually disappear.
Gradually, a sustainable, supplementary economy for all people would be created, which would help the regeneration of both the world economy and the environment,as well as the development of individual human beings.
The sustainable, supplementary economy will have a healthy effect on the existing world economy.
Both the existing economy and the sustainable, supplementary economy have something to offer the other:
- the existing economy, which is too often based on unsustainable values and consumption patterns, will be encouraged to provide sustainable goods and services for the supplementary economy;
- the supplementary economy will allow the existing economies to adopt sustainability values;
- as people lose their jobs due to artificial intelligence, the supplementary economy will empower them to find meaningful activity within the sustainable leisure economy.
The supplementary economy does not threaten existing economies. It instead helps them to become more sustainable.
It can only come into being if existing economic systems (with necessary improvements) remain in place everywhere and everyone maintains their existing source of income. This source will become less important as the sustainable supplementary economy grows in relation to the currently existing economies. Moreover, this will help the transition to the now-emerging economy where people’s jobs are increasingly being taken over by machines and artificial intelligence.
Every human, country, and provider of goods and services experiences a boost in his or her standard of living, and is protected from domination by anyone else. This happens naturally because all decisions are made by consent in the spirit of “for all and against none, including Nature.”
Nothing can be produced additionally within the sustainable supplementary economy without agreement between producers, consumers, and the development workers.
This is described in detail in Kooistra’s book The Ideal Self-Interest as well as in the book Crossroads by Lisinka Ulatowska.
Businesses can gradually redirect their research and development away from polluting and otherwise destructive goods and services. In this way, the existing economy can be safely converted and modified, without bankruptcies and unemployment.