The Omnius Manifesto argues that in a model in which the world needs to be seen as one shared space, all productive capacity has to be accounted for in terms of ecological balance, with rewards and penalties for those not in balance.
This is one of those proposals that seeks to re-shape, at fundamental level, one of the great anomalies that shape global society in the 21st century, loss of proper accountability by the corporate world. I appreciate the fact that it is based on down to earth insights into the nature of human beings, and involves steps that are immensely practical and for which precedence exists. And it is based on the still not put into practical action fact that we all share one tiny planet and therefore each have the right to demand that nobody puts its ecological balance at risk, or more at risk than it already is. It is one of very few whole-planet solutions currently in circulation.
As we are unlikely in the short term going to be able to change certain fundamental aspects of human nature, the Manifesto suggests we leave the elements required to satisfy current human desires in place, and simply change the parameters that deliver and measure what these desires seek.
The author, Dr Jeffrey Eisen, lucidly argues that we are applying false accounting criteria to evaluating the profitability of companies and corporations : at the moment the make-up of figures on either side of a balance sheet does not take into account what the effect of the organisation’s activities (that produce conventional profitability) are on the planet as one single unit of “Lebensraum”, or in his terminology, the humansphere, the space humanity occupies with nature.
He proposes that in future companies be judged by their consumption of resources, both natural and human. ‘Resources’ are defined to include – fresh air and clean water, as well as the more usual items and the cost to repair any damage caused (assuming possible). Once these new accounting elements are agreed, a company would then be assessable as ecologically in surplus, in balance or in deficit. While all natural life is ecologically balanced, capitalism and its economic tenets are currently decidedly negatively balanced. Society will under the new proposal be expecting at least ecologically balanced delivery of goods and services; corporations achieving this will be awarded by an adjustment in taxation rates, ranging from tax credits where the output is achieved is ecologically positive, to penal taxes the greater the ecological negativity. Balanced output will potentially be awarded with zero taxation. The author even suggests that because it demands balance or positivity, global society might even go as far guaranteeing a profit to companies that achieve the required balance [potentially for a number of years from start-up, commentator’s addition].
To be truly effective such a measure of profitability would need to be introduced globally, which in turn would require not just an international treaty, but also a global standardisation and monitoring body, with potentially executive power.
There is a central idea to this proposal that is overdue for implementation; it deserves support and further development, go to http://psychonoetics.com. The entire Omnius Manifesto is available for download from here (9-pages).
