Golden post-Corona times for all?

Gradido also gives crisis victims perspectives

Künzelsau, 11.02.2021 - Psychologists and trend researchers expect a phase of exuberant lust for life after the Corona crisis. Winners of the crisis and all those who, due to their wealth, have remained unaffected by it anyway, will once again be able to enjoy themselves unrestrictedly across the globe. Those who will fall by the wayside - even more so then - are all those who have been deprived of any financial basis and professional perspective by the measures. Here it is important to ensure a fair balance in good time and to take paths into the post-Corona era that can prevent a social division of dramatic proportions. The Gradido model of the Academy for Economic Bionics of the same name already has the appropriate roadmap for this feat.

"Who would blame people for enjoying their regained freedom together to the best of their ability?" asks Bernd Hückstädt, co-founder of the Gradido Academy, "after all, human beings are profoundly social creatures who find happiness primarily in community." The American physician and sociologist at the renowned Yale University, Nicholas Christakis, even considers a revival of the "Roaring Twenties" conceivable, those "Golden Twenties" that followed the Spanish flu a good 100 years ago: "It will be a springtime, artistically, economically, technologically and also politically." The declared goal of the economic bionics experts at the Gradido Academy is to give not only the winners of the crisis, but all people the courage and the tools to embark on such a golden age.

Huge gap separates winners and losers

So far, however, according to a recent study by the Deutsche Bundesbank, there is a very clear division between the winners and losers of the crisis. While some accumulate savings, more than 40 percent had already suffered significant income losses in May 2020. The latest study by the Hans Böckler Foundation also shows that employed people with already low incomes will suffer significantly more from the economic consequences of the Corona measures than those with higher incomes. Respondents who have lost income also see greater dangers for social cohesion. Dr. Andreas Hövermann, co-author of the study, fears that salary losses as well as the perception of an unequal distribution of burdens could have a destabilizing effect on society as a whole.

Social inequality worsens

"As if under a burning glass, we now see the urgent need for a transformation process to prevent a large proportion of people from falling by the wayside and the social divide from becoming irreversible," Hückstädt warns: "According to a report by the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband, poverty has risen to its highest level since reunification. The wealthiest 10 percent of all German households own - minus debts - 60 percent of total net assets. The bottom 20 percent have no wealth at all, and about 9 percent of households are in debt." The distribution report of the Economic and Social Science Institute (WSI) has also worked out that around a third of households in Germany have reserves for a few weeks or months at most,
while households at the upper end of the scale could support themselves from their own reserves for at least two decades.

Worldwide only the rich get richer and richer

According to Oxfam's latest report on "The Inequality Virus," the gap between rich and poor is threatening to grow simultaneously in almost every country in the world for the first time in over a century as a result of the Corona Crisis. The wealth of the world's ten richest people has increased by nearly half a trillion to $1.12 trillion since February 2019. A spokesperson for the global relief and development organization indicates that such a gain would be more than enough to ensure that no one is impoverished by the Corona consequences. At the same time, the world is experiencing the worst jobs crisis in more than 90 years, with hundreds of millions of people losing income and jobs. Steffen Küßner, spokesman for Oxfam Germany, explains by way of example that the richest 1,000 people have been able to recoup their losses in just nine months, while the poorer half of humanity will probably need more than a decade to cope with the economic consequences of the crisis. This development must be a wake-up call to "finally tackle extreme inequality and poverty at their roots," Oxfam said. This requires, among other things, social security systems that are accessible to everyone and a greater focus on the common good in the economy, it said. "Corporations and the super-rich must now make their fair contribution to overcoming the crisis," says Tobias Hauschild of Oxfam Germany.

Gradido community currency creates light on the horizon

At the Gradido Academy for Economic Bionics, the necessity for such a course correction was recognized long before Corona and over twenty years a new economic and financial system suitable for the future has been developed, which can meet the demands that are now being voiced everywhere. Taking their cue from 'nature's models of success', economic bionics experts have developed a combination of the common good currency 'Gradido' with an 'Active Basic Income' and debt-free money creation based on the 'Triple Good'. Specifically, the transformation of the prevailing economic and financial system into this Gradido model would mean the end of the debt money principle. Instead, 3 x 1,000 Gradido would be created monthly for each person. 1,000 Gradido would be available to the national budget. Another 1,000 Gradido would be scooped per capita for the Equalization and Environment Fund. The last third would be available to everyone as 'Active Basic Income'. Unemployment would thus be history and the supply with all necessities of life would be secured worldwide.

Ephemeral nature of money makes for sensible investments

Mindful of the million-year-old law of nature that new things can only be created where something passes away, the planned transience of the Gradido (GDD) guarantees not only the stability of the money supply, but also sensible investments instead of senselessly accumulated private mountains of money. Hückstädt explains, "The planned ephemerality at Gradido is 50 % per year. Similar to a negative interest rate, the perishability is continuous. In order to preserve its cash value, one can, for example, invest in sustainable environmental projects that are supported by the Compensation and Environment Fund, create a future fit for grandchildren and also yield good returns. It's a win-win situation for everyone!"

'Unconditional participation' guarantees a fulfilled (professional) life

In the Gradido model, the receipt of the 'Active Basic Income' is linked to 'Unconditional Participation', which means that every person - for their personal basic income - can contribute to the community with the activities that they are particularly good at or enjoy doing, or would like to improve or try out. "In this way, we not only ensure a lively togetherness and a significantly improved situation in the care of the elderly and children, but also encourage people to develop their own talents on a broad basis," adds Margret Baier, the owner of the Gradido Academy. "Everyone can thus optimally develop their potential. This also increases the chance of being able to react much better to changes and find real fulfilment and meaningfulness in one's own activities."

The black swan Corona as a harbinger of golden times?

The study "The Black Swan Covid-19" by the Gesellschaft für innovative Marktforschung (GIM) shows how accurately the Gradido model depicts people's future wishes. In order to create forecasts for the future (consumer) behavior of Germans, GIM surveyed 1,000 people about their current values, hopes and desires. The results of the survey reveal a strong desire for social justice, the value of social professions, solidarity and international cooperation. In their private lives, most respondents place more value on enjoyable events than on physical possessions. Hannes Fernow, Director of GIM Foresight: "The 'golden twenties' are back. A new hedonism is emerging in society, characterized by the hope of community and enjoyment, freedom and being outdoors. It is accompanied by a greater sense of responsibility and a return to the essentials: Authenticity and attitude, choice and individuality will matter." "This coincides almost completely with the results we used as a basis for developing our new Gradido economic and financial model," Hückstädt confirms, "And it proves once again that the desire for reorientation does not stem from the Corona crisis, but is due to the inadequacy of the prevailing economic and financial system in terms of its social compatibility and basis for a fulfilled life. Unless we finally reform or transform the system at this point, only a privileged few will be allowed to hope for 'golden times' even after the Corona crisis." In an effort to reimagine the future and shape it in a way that all people can participate in, Gradido invites you to connect with the academy in a 'Great Cooperation'.

Details about the 'Great Cooperation', the 'Gradido-Model' and Gradido-Podcast at https://gradido.net

Image Source:
Bundesarchiv, Image 183-K0623-0502-001 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 en, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5365129