Universal Birthright

The Seed of Civilization

by Clifton Middleton / January 3rd, 2010

Universal Birthright is the entitlement due by the sole virtue of birth. The Universal Birthright of every child born on the earth is to have a fair share of the land and resources of the planet. This is an Earth Claim made by the authority of agreement and the simple foundation of equality. We all have an equal right and claim to the earth and the fullness thereof. We are the same and equal.

This birthright is shared and individual. All resources under the earth, water, oil, metals, minerals and treasures are the collective trust and stewardship of all mankind and are to be divided justly for the good of all. Anything grown or created above ground is for the administration of those who did it, without limit. Birthright has shared rights and responsibilities alongside the individual sovereignty of land stewardship.

This view of universal birthright has been the dream of all oppressed people of every persuasion, race and belief. Universal Birthright is fundamental to the idea that all men and women were created equal and a simple moral expression of what equality means. A fair and equal share of the collectively held resources enables the survival of adequate self government. The collected resources of history are the wealth of nations.

Wealth or Prosperity? Choose One

Wealth is the accumulation of resources. All resources come from the earth, everything we have comes from the extracted or harvested bounty of the planet thru the endless labor of people everywhere. That labor and those resources are collected by our commercial system, moved around, sold and the gain becomes wealth, gathered and stored up blood, sweat and time.

Most accumulated wealth is currently held by a very few, principalities, powers, corporations, governments, cartels, institutions and other organizations It is being wasted by a system dedicated to making the earth a den of competing, thief merchants and the people consumer drunk slaves.

The Apocalypse or opening of the idea of universal birthright is the social uncovering of the end of one way and the beginning concept of another. So we can realistically think about starting civilization afresh with a new beginning based on a simple agreement, easily comprehended by children around the world and capable of turning the course of history.

The Power of Agreement, the Power of One

Universal Birthright is an agreement that the people of the Earth can make and by making, found a new beginning, a renewed moral and social foundation, built on equality and common survival. This is authority based on conscious, free agreement and not on the power of the sword. When we agree, we become free and freely unite and together become stronger and more capable of sustaining life and creating a truly prosperous future. Whatsoever we agree to in our hearts will manifest in the outer world.

The agreement and support of the People is the beginning and end of all social authority. All political and social elements must respond to the needs of the whole and defend the sustained rights of the people. This makes possible timely and large scale economic and social change using the prime authority of agreement, across all levels of life.

Universal Birthright means we all have a share of these this resource we call the Earth. How could such an idea work? Where is all of the accumulated wealth of the past? What can we do today? How fast can we make this happen?

The Social and Economic
Theory of Wealth Tax

A Wealth Tax is a tax on the accumulated wealth of an individual, company or organization. This includes real estate, stocks, bonds and others instruments of accumulation. This differs from income or capital gains taxes and applies typically to wealth accumulated over a time period. The purpose of the wealth tax is to eliminate poverty by the scheduled restoring of economic, social and agricultural sustainability.

This is a proposal for a one time tax rate of 10% on all accumulate wealth over $10,000,000. Calculations indicate that this would result in a one time fund of approximately $168,000,000,000,000 or 168 trillion. The economic implications depend upon what exactly would be done with that much capital and what the cascading effects on the national and world economy would yield. In other words, how the resources would be used is open and makes possible a. complete restructuring of human civilization.

Wealth is like compost, it does no good in a pile and brings forth a bounty when spread around.

The New Homestead Act
Path to a Sustainable Future

The purpose of the New Homestead Act is three fold; one, to establish a sustainable, organic based food production and distribution system based on renewable methods. Two, facilitate the acquisition, distribution and sustainable development of long term, family farm ownership. And, three, the development and large scale deployment of alternative energy systems including the transition to a hydrogen based energy source.

How all of these goals may be advanced is illustrated best by example, Let us start with one, a One Thousand Acre tract of land. Today, this land is being farmed using Agribusiness practices of corporate, industrial, petroleum based farming that treats the land as a giant container for ultra large scale hydroponic production using the common water table as the last waste container for toxic runoff. The labor for these giant farms is the modern day equivalent of slavery, low pay, so called illegal immigrants or anyone willing to work in the most hazardous environment around for little pay. So this modern Agribusiness model is expensive, ecologically devastating, dependent upon foreign oil, socially sterile and morally reprehensible. Corporate Agribusiness ownership and control of farm land essential for the survival of all people is unsustainable and undesirable at all practical levels.

Garden Village: An Alternative Example

We start with the same 1000 acres and divide it up into 200, 5 acre garden groves. These small farms will be farmed by the folks who live on the land and share resources. A central community complex will provide equipment used in processing and packaging of village grown produce. These Garden Villages are designed to be energy and food producers, sustainable without degrading the environment.

Potential Benefits of Wealth Tax

The primary benefit of the wealth tax is in economic stimulation. The multiplier effect of spending that much money would be to grow the national economy by up to 500%.

• Payment and release of all debt, public and private, now at 16 trillion dollars
• New Homestead Act
• Establish sustainable food production system
• Large scale platform for alternative and sustainable fuel system deployment.

And others, this is the time for all good ideas to blossom.

Clifton Middleton is a 62 year old reformer, born the son of a sharecropper, trained to farm by the cycles and traditions. The article is part of a book he wrote Hard Seed, a collection of essays on sustainable systems and economies. He currently teaches sustainable gardening to students of all ages and operates a 5-acre garden grove outside of Homestead, FL. Read other articles by Clifton.

This article was posted on Sunday, January 3rd, 2010 at 9:00am and is filed under Agriculture, Economy/Economics, Philosophy, Taxes.