Post Capitalism: The Universal Basic Resources model

 

The Post-Scarcity Transition: A Systems Analysis of Capitalist Obsolescence and the Architecture of Resource-Based Governance

The Entropy of Contemporary Capitalist Structures and Institutional Decay

The contemporary global economic system, characterized primarily by democratic capitalism, has reached a point of systemic entropy where its internal contradictions and externalities are increasingly visible in the form of social instability and institutional corruption. This decay is not a peripheral occurrence but is fundamentally rooted in the structural mechanics of how private interests interact with the regulatory and legislative functions of the state. The 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer highlights this erosion of faith, reporting that 47% of Americans believe capitalism as it currently exists does more harm than good, a sentiment even more pronounced in European nations such as France (69%) and Germany (55%). This widespread loss of trust stems from a perceived "democracy squeeze," where pervasive cronyism combined with restricted political voice has created a system that feels rigged in favor of wealthy elites and large corporations.

The Mechanics of Regulatory Capture and the Capture Thesis

A primary driver of this institutional decay is the phenomenon of regulatory capture, a systemic failure where the agencies designed to safeguard public welfare are instead co-opted to serve the interests of the industries they were created to regulate. While the "capture thesis" gained prominence through the Chicago School and George Stigler’s 1971 seminal work, its intellectual roots trace back to post-World War II critiques of the American regulatory state. Stigler famously observed that "as a rule, regulation is acquired by the industry and is designed and operated primarily for its benefit". This subversion of the democratic ideal turns the machinery of the state into a coercive force and a potential resource for private entities seeking to maintain market dominance.

The process of capture is often enabled by the very complexity of the policies being developed. Lobbyists gain significantly from policy complexity because it allows them to insert narrow, industry-specific provisions into legislation under the veil of technical necessity, often escaping public scrutiny. This complexity also creates an informational asymmetry where regulators become dependent on industry experts for the data required to function, effectively handing the "steering wheel" of policy over to those being regulated.

Mechanism of Capture	Description of Process	Systemic Consequence
Information Asymmetry	Industry experts provide the primary data and technical interpretations used by regulators.	Policies are drafted based on biased industry perspectives rather than objective public welfare.
The Revolving Door	Movement of personnel between regulatory roles and private sector industry positions.	Regulators may promulgate industry-friendly policies to secure lucrative future private-sector employment.
Lobbying Expenditures	Massive financial investment in persuasion, networking, and public relations at the federal level.	Bank lobbying in the US peaked at $88.2 million in 2014, reflecting the high stakes of regulatory outcomes.
Complex Rulemaking	Generating intricate regulations that require specialized institutional knowledge to navigate.	Increases the value of "captured" former regulators who help firms avoid penalties and maintain barriers to entry.
Campaign Contributions	Financial support for elected officials to ensure alignment with private interests.	Legislators prioritize donor interests over the democratic will of their constituents.

Furthermore, the "revolving door" dynamic creates a profound conflict of interest. When regulators perceive their public sector salaries to be significantly lower than the average in the private industries they oversee, they have an inherent incentive to establish a track record of being "industry-friendly" to increase their marketability for future job offers. This creates a system where the "professional success" of unelected regulators becomes dependent on the approval of the regulated industry rather than the satisfaction of the public will.

Globalized Corruption and the Rise of Moneyland

Beyond the domestic level, the globalization of the economy has facilitated "state capture" and "grand corruption" on a planetary scale. In these instances, narrow interest groups take total control of the institutions and processes through which public policy is made, directing those policies entirely toward private gain. This systematic corruption is often led by "kleptocrats" who rule through theft, hiding their illicit gains in a globalized "Moneyland"—a decentralized archipelago of offshore secrecy havens where ownership cannot be easily traced.

This globalized infrastructure of corruption is supported by an industry of "professional enablers," including legal advisers, accountants, and public relations firms, who help corrupt actors mask the illicit nature of their actions. By laundering proceeds through offshore havens, captor elites can buy a form of global "impunity," effectively using the legal systems of high-rule-of-law countries to fight off challenges to their ill-gotten wealth. This dynamic exacerbates inequality, as the ease with which corrupt gains can be hidden encourages high-level corruption by minimizing the risks of being caught and punished.

Level of Corruption	Definition and Mechanism	Primary Enablers
Regulatory Capture	Subversion of specific regulatory agencies by industry interests.	Lobbyists, industry-dependent data streams, revolving door personnel.
State Capture	Control of the broader institutions and processes of policy formation by narrow groups.	Interest groups, campaign donors, political elites.
Grand Corruption	Systematic theft of state resources by high-level leaders (kleptocracy).	Professional enablers, offshore banks, shell companies.
"Moneyland"	A global system where wealth can be hidden and laundered to buy legal impunity.	Global financial infrastructure, legal advisors, accountants.

The current system also suffers from a "democracy squeeze" that limits the ability of ordinary citizens to countervail this elite power. Constraints on the right to vote, to run for public office, and to hold officials accountable make it difficult for the public to break the cycle of cronyism. This lack of accountability inflames popular feelings that the system is "rigged," further eroding the social cohesion necessary for a functioning democratic society.

The Resource-Based Economy: A Scientific and Holistic Alternative

As a response to these systemic failures, the concept of a Resource-Based Economy (RBE) proposes a radical redesign of human society. Coined by Jacque Fresco, the term describes a holistic social and economic system where all goods and services are available to all inhabitants without the use of money, credits, barter, or any system of debt or servitude. The premise of an RBE is that the Earth is abundant with plentiful resources and that our current practice of rationing those resources through monetary methods is both irrelevant and counterproductive to our survival.

Core Philosophy and the Common Heritage of Mankind

The fundamental principle of an RBE is that all resources of the world must be declared as the common heritage of all Earth's inhabitants. By removing the practice of private or national ownership of the essentials for life, the RBE aims to eliminate the artificial boundaries that currently separate people and lead to conflict. In this framework, the measure of success would shift from the acquisition of wealth, property, and power to the fulfillment of one's individual pursuits and creative endeavors.

The RBE is designed to use the latest scientific and technological marvels to reach extremely high productivity levels, thereby creating an abundance that makes the monetary system obsolete. This vision is not rooted in political opinion or religious belief but in the application of methodologies and technical solutions to global challenges such as climate change, famine, and environmental pollution.

Principle of RBE	Description	Intended Outcome
Common Heritage	All resources belong to the planet's inhabitants as a whole.	Elimination of war, borders, and nationalistic competition.
Post-Scarcity	High-tech automation produces abundance of all essentials.	Removal of the need for money, barter, or rationing systems.
Systems Approach	Decisions based on scientific analysis and resource management.	Efficient, sustainable management of the Earth’s carrying capacity.
Human Concern	Prioritizing well-being and environmental health over profit.	Elimination of poverty, crime, and the need for prisons.

Fresco's journey toward this concept was heavily influenced by the Great Depression, which sparked a disdain for the inequalities and suffering caused by the economic system. During World War II, he observed that while the US lacked the "money" or "gold" to produce massive amounts of weaponry, it possessed more than enough "resources" to do so once the priorities were shifted. This realization led to the conclusion that the real question for society is not "do we have the money?" but rather "do we have the resources to cater to people's needs?".

The Three Pillars of the Venus Project: Environmental, Technological, and Human

The Venus Project, the organizational vehicle for Fresco’s lifework, focuses on three main factors to achieve a resource-based economy: Environmental, Technological, and Human. Each pillar represents a necessary transformation in how society functions and how individuals perceive their relationship to the world and each other.

The Environmental Factor recognizes that human behavior is largely determined by the factors in our environment. In an RBE, the environment is viewed as the primary driver of city architecture and social roles. Cities would be designed using a systems approach to achieve maximum resource efficiency with the minimum amount of construction. Different systems would be deployed for different terrains, such as "Circular Cities" for flat land, "Total Enclosure Systems" for polar regions, and "Cities in the Sea" which would act as marine science laboratories and relieve land-based population pressure.

The Technological Factor involves the "Cybernation" of society—the linking of computers with automated systems to handle production and distribution. In this framework, technology is not a cause of pollution but a tool for liberation. Instead of machines displacing people as a threat to their survival, they shorten the workday, increase the availability of goods, and lengthen leisure time. An "electronic autonomic nervous system" for the social complex would coordinate all machinery and equipment for the world, using real-time feedback sensors to ensure efficient operation and balance production with consumption.

The Human Factor requires a redesign of our culture to move away from "technically incompetent politicians" and scarcity-oriented values toward a more humane system based on human and environmental concern. This includes stabilizing the world’s population through education and voluntary birth control and ensuring that education, health, and culture are fulfilled as basic necessities.

The Cybernetic Engine: Algorithmic Resource Allocation

In a non-monetary economy, the traditional price mechanism is replaced by a decentralized, cybernetic management system. This approach moves beyond the "Möbius" form of modern platform economies, which co-opt assets and activities without ownership (like Uber owning no cars or Airbnb owning no property), toward a system that manages resources for the public good.

From Cybersyn to System 0: The Evolution of Computational Governance

The historical precedent for such a system can be found in Chile's Project Cybersyn (1971–1973), an ambitious attempt to use computation to model, organize, and optimize a nationalized economy. Cybersyn, designed by British cybernetician Stafford Beer, consisted of a network of telex machines (Cybernet) and statistical modeling software (Cyberstride) that would feed information from the factory floor back to an Operations Room (Opsroom) for real-time decision-making.

Modern AI and machine learning have the potential to fulfill the promise of Cybersyn on a global scale. We are entering an era of "System 0" cognition, where algorithmic mediation precedes and structures both intuitive and reflective human thought. Unlike earlier tools that merely stored or retrieved information, these modern AI systems are adaptive, recursive, and capable of processing data volumes far beyond human capacity, functioning as active cognitive partners rather than passive instruments.

System Component	Role in Algorithmic Management	Functional Outcome
Cybernet / IoT	Networked communication infrastructure for real-time data flow.	Eliminates data lag and provides a unified view of the global supply chain.
Cyberstride / AI	Statistical modeling and predictive analytics.	Optimizes inventory levels and automates replenishment.
Opsroom / HCI	Interface for human-computer interaction and intelligence amplification.	Grounds expert knowledge in data-guided policy and democratizes design thinking.
Blockchain	Immutable digital ledger for transaction recording.	Ensures data authenticity, transparency, and security without central intermediaries.

In a Resource-Based Economy, this algorithmic management would replace the "distorted" feedback loops of the market with a direct, data-driven link between resource availability and human needs. The system would operate as a "liberty machine," using expert knowledge grounded in data-guided policy to maximize performance across all sectors. By integrating these technologies, society can achieve "dynamic equilibrium," where production is continuously tuned to the Earth's carrying capacity and the fluctuating needs of the population.

Logistics and the Blockchain-IoT Nexus

The technical foundation for this post-monetary allocation is the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain in what is often called "Supply Chain 4.0". IoT sensors attached to containers, pallets, and products allow for the real-time tracking of location, temperature, humidity, and condition. This "digital flow" of information transforms the physical supply chain into a transparent, monitorable system.

Blockchain technology provides the necessary security and authenticity for this data. By creating a decentralized "single source of truth," all parties in the supply chain can see the same data instantly and immutably. In a non-monetary system, "smart contracts" would autonomously trigger the movement of resources once certain delivery milestones or need-triggers are met, eliminating the need for working capital, invoices, or manual verification.

Logistics Innovation	Mechanism	Impact on Resource Allocation
Smart Warehouses	AI-monitored inventory with real-time analytics.	Reduces errors in management and minimizes storage waste.
Autonomous Transveyors	Network of maglev trains and autonomous vehicles.	Efficient, low-energy transportation of goods and people between circular cities.
Digital Inventories	3D-printing components as needed rather than stockpiling.	Slashes equipment downtime and reduces resource consumption by over 40%.
Zero-Knowledge Proofs	Authentication mechanisms that protect privacy while verifying data.	Ensures legitimate logistics parties can access information while maintaining system security.

This system would effectively solve the "coordination problem" that plagues modern capitalist markets. Instead of relying on the slow and often manipulated price signal, the cybernetic system uses real-time resource data to ensure that food, medical supplies, and building materials are routed to where they are needed most with peak efficiency.

Post-Scarcity Production: AI, Robotics, and the Zero-Marginal-Cost Model

The transition to an economy where essential needs are met for all requires a fundamental shift in our productive capacity. We are moving toward a period where the market value of human labor in producing material goods collapses, and the economy shifts from production to experience and social contribution.

Automation in Agriculture: From Efficiency to Regeneration

AI-driven agricultural automation is a critical component of achieving universal food security. Drones equipped with hyperspectral cameras can survey vast fields to identify nutrient deficiencies or disease outbreaks before they become widespread. Robotic systems can manage irrigation down to the individual plant, conserving water and ensuring optimal growth.

Furthermore, AI can manage complex agroforestry systems that mimic natural ecosystems, ensuring optimal light, water, and nutrient distribution for multiple species grown together. This holistic approach moves agriculture from being a driver of environmental degradation to a powerful engine for ecological regeneration. By 2026, it is projected that 3D printing will enable farmers to produce 80% of custom tools and spare parts directly on-site, drastically reducing the dependence on distant dealers and fragile global supply chains.

Agricultural AI Tech	Functional Role	Long-Term Benefit
Precision Irrigation	Plant-by-plant robotic management.	Significant reduction in water waste and chemical runoff.
Hyperspectral Drones	Early identification of disease and nutrient needs.	Higher yields and reduced need for mass pesticide application.
On-Farm 3D Printing	Fabricating tools, clips, and brackets locally.	Cuts machinery downtime by over 40% and reduces transport emissions.
Agroforestry AI	Monitoring soil health and managing complex polycultures.	Restores degraded land and maximizes resource efficiency.

The Construction Revolution: 3D Printing and Modular Design

To provide housing for all, construction must move away from labor-intensive, slow, and expensive traditional methods. Large-scale 3D-printing robots can now construct the walls of a new home, including integrated electrical and plumbing systems, three times faster than traditional methods and at up to 30% of the cost. These homes are not only more affordable but also have higher energy performance, increased resiliency, and better design.

Advances in AI architects, such as "Vitruvius," democratize access to personalized design, allowing individuals to create their "dream homes" in seconds without the luxury expense of a private architect. The use of eco-friendly, biobased materials and 3D concrete (like ICON's "Lavacrete") further enhances the sustainability of this model.

Construction Metric	Traditional Method	3D-Printed Robotic Construction
Build Speed	High labor hours, months per unit.	3x faster wall and systems construction.
Relative Cost	High overhead and material waste.	Up to 30% of traditional cost; reduced transport logistics.
Design Flexibility	Standardized, uniform suburban models.	High personalization; complex shapes at no extra cost.
Labor Requirement	Large crews of manual labor.	Approximately 3 workers to operate onsite robots.

While technical challenges remain, such as vertical expansion in urban areas, the potential for 3D printing to retrofit and enhance existing structures offers a pathway to rapidly addressing global housing shortages.

AI-Enhanced Healthcare and Education

Universal access to medical care and education is facilitated by the massive productivity gains offered by AI. In healthcare, AI implementation can generate annual savings of $200 billion to $360 billion in the US alone, a 5-10% reduction in total spending without compromising quality or access. AI-supported interventions have reduced diagnostic time for specific applications by up to 90% and treatment costs by over 30%. AI-enabled implantable sensors and digital health platforms allow for real-time, personalized care that moves the system from reactive treatment to proactive prevention.

In education, AI allows for personalized, lifelong learning. Medical curricula, for instance, are being reimagined to equip professionals with "AI literacy," focusing on the evaluation, interpretation, and ethical integration of AI tools into practice. This paradigm shift fosters critical thinking and practical skills through problem-based learning and simulations, ensuring that the human element of care is augmented rather than replaced.

Psychosocial Dynamics in a Post-Labor Civilization

One of the most profound challenges of moving to a Resource-Based Economy is the transition of human psychology and the redefinition of social status and motivation. Critics often worry that a world without work would lead to a "psychological poverty" or a lack of meaning. However, psychological research into human motivation suggests a more optimistic outlook.

Reconstructing Human Motivation: Beyond Extrinsic Rewards

Self-Determination Theory (SDT) identifies three basic psychological needs: Autonomy (control over one’s actions), Competence (belief in one’s ability), and Relatedness (meaningful connection with others). Currently, much of our motivation is "controlled" or "extrinsic," driven by rewards, recognition, and the pressure to survive financially. This controlled motivation can narrow our focus and lead to long-term decrements in well-being.

In a society where work is elective, "autonomous motivation"—doing something because it is inherently interesting or aligns with one's core values—becomes the primary driver. When people feel supported in their autonomy, they experience more satisfaction, thrive more in their activities, and perform better in the long run.

Level of Need (Maslow)	Current Economic Driver	RBE Psychological Driver
Safety / Shelter	Secured through wage labor and debt.	Guaranteed as a basic service by automation.
Belonging / Love	Often tied to professional networks and status.	Built through community, passion projects, and shared heritage.
Esteem / Status	Defined by wealth, job title, and property.	Defined by contribution, creativity, and mastery.
Self-Actualization	Often a luxury reserved for the elite.	The primary pursuit of the entire population.

Redefining Status and Social Standing

In a post-scarcity society, the traditional currency of social standing—wealth and property—becomes meaningless because these items cannot purchase survival or exclusive access to abundance. Real wealth is redefined by access, time, influence, and the quality of human-centric services. Human nurses, therapists, and educators become far more valuable than factory workers or administrators, as the focus shifts from "production" to "human flourishing".

Research on the psychology of social class also suggests that removing economic threat can reduce prejudice and increase empathy. Working-class individuals currently score higher on measures of empathy and are more likely to define themselves in terms of community and interdependence. By providing a high standard of living for all, society can foster a culture where these prosocial traits are reinforced rather than suppressed by the competition for scarce resources.

The Strategic Roadmap: Implementing the Transition

Implementing a transition from global capitalism to a Resource-Based Economy is an ethical and political challenge far greater than the technological one. This transition involves a race between "Exponential Technological Disruption" (automation) and "Slow Political Change" (distribution).

The Expansion of Universal Basic Services (UBS)

Universal Basic Services (UBS) acts as the most immediate and practical transition mechanism. Unlike Universal Basic Income (UBI), which provides cash that can be nullified by price hikes in a profit-driven market, UBS focuses on the direct collective provision of essentials like childcare, transport, health, and energy. By taking the "price mark" off social services and delivering them through the state or collective action, society can ensure a "social floor" below which no one can fall.

UBS Policy Area	Immediate Transition Step	Long-Term Post-Scarcity Goal
Transport	Universally free local bus and rail access.	Global network of autonomous maglev transveyors.
Education	Removal of tuition fees; National Education Service.	Personalized, AI-augmented lifelong learning as a right.
Health	Elimination of prescription charges; universal care.	Real-time, preventive health monitoring for all inhabitants.
Housing	Decarbonization and socialized housing programs.	3D-printed, personalized homes as common heritage.

UBS is inherently more collective and public than UBI, which remains individualistic and reliant on private markets. By treating essentials as "gifts from one generation to another" rather than commodities, UBS helps foster the mass behavioral change needed to address climate change and economic inequality.

The Planetary Condominium: A New Legal Framework for the Commons

To manage the Earth’s resources as a common heritage, we require a new legal paradigm. The "Planetary Condominium" model proposes recognizing the Earth System as a "Natural Intangible Common Heritage of Humankind". This model reconciles the dichotomy between private property and collective management by treating the planet as an object with a "unitary structure" and common functional systems.

Under this framework, state sovereignty and private property are treated as "private fractions" (like apartments in a building), while the interacting biogeophysical cycles (the Earth System) are recognized as the "common structure". An "Earth System Accounting Framework" (ESAF) would use "Planetary Quotas" to track carbon, water, and land use, applying penalties to states that overexploit the system and providing compensation to those that restore it.

1. Legal Recognition: Declare the "Safe Operating Space for Humankind" as a legally indivisible good belonging to all.

2. Institutional Stewardship: Revive the UN Trusteeship Council to serve as the guardian of non-territorial global commons and address global catastrophic risks.

3. Governance by Science: Use a Permanent Scientific Commission to continuously monitor state appropriation and preservation of Planetary Boundaries.

A Multi-Phased Transition Strategy

The actual implementation of this system would follow a maturity model, moving from disclosure to dynamic transition planning.

• Phase 1: Foundation (1-5 Years): Assemble leadership teams and identify existing community assets and gaps. Launch national UBS programs in transport, healthcare, and education to decommodify survival. Implement wealth taxes to fund the initial infrastructure for automated agriculture and 3D housing.

• Phase 2: Integration (5-15 Years): Scale "Cyberstride" statistical modeling to integrate data across sectors. Deploy smart city infrastructure (Circular Cities) that utilizes geothermal, solar, and wind energy. Begin the shift from UBI to Universal Basic Services as the primary means of resource distribution.

• Phase 3: Mature Resource-Based Economy (15+ Years): Fully decouple labor from value. The automated production of food, housing, and healthcare reaches near-zero marginal cost, rendering money irrelevant. All resources are administered as common heritage under the Planetary Condominium legal framework, monitored by an electronic autonomic nervous system.

This transition requires a "Socialist Infrastructuring" that fosters new imaginings of how society can be organized. It necessitates a move from "technocratic neoliberalism" toward a participatory, data-guided policy that empowers individuals and optimizes the coordination of national and global industries for the benefit of all life. Success depends on our ability to solve the "distribution problem" before the "automation cliff" causes social despair, ensuring that the abundance created by AI and robotics is shared equitably as a fundamental right of social citizenship.