Timothy Wilken

The basic tenant of socialism is “From those according to their ability to give, to those according to their needs.”

Socialism was an early experiment in colonial America. That experiment is the focus of today’s discussion at CommUnity of Minds entitled: Thanksgiving, Socialism, Geoism & More

In his ‘History of Plymouth Plantation,’ the governor of the colony, William Bradford, reported that the colonists went hungry for years, because they refused to work in the fields. They preferred instead to steal food. He says the colony was riddled with “corruption,” and with “confusion and discontent.” The crops were small because “much was stolen both by night and day, before it became scarce eatable.” …

In 1622, the Plymouth Plantation’s form of economic organization required that “all profits & benefits that are got by trade, working, fishing, or any other means” were to be placed in the common stock of the colony, and that, “all such persons as are of this colony, are to have their meat, drink, apparel, and all provisions out of the common stock.” A person was to put into the common stock all he could, and take out only what he needed.

This “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need” is why the Pilgrims were starving. Bradford writes that “young men that are most able and fit for labor and service” complained about being forced to “spend their time and strength to work for other men’s wives and children.” Also, “the strong, or man of parts, had no more in division of victuals and clothes, than he that was weak.” So the young and strong refused to work and the total amount of food produced was never adequate.

What about the Gift Tensegrity?

Is the Gift Tensegrity a form of socialism? Does it share the tenant “from those according to their abilitites, to those according to their needs”?

Socialism is a form of adversary help exchange. Those helping are forced to help those needing. Adversary help is help obtained with coercion— force or fraud. The givers of help are losing. When youforceothers to give you help you, they do the least they possibly can and stop helping the moment they don’t feel afraid. This is why the young men of Plymouth “refused to work in the fields”.

The Gift Tensegrity forces no one to help others. Freedom of choiceis an absolute tenant of theGift Tensegrity. The Giftor decides when and to whom to offer a gift of help. The Giftee decides when and from whom to accept a gift offer of help. Giftors are unknown to Giftees unless the Giftor offers help. The Giftee is under no obligation to accept an offered gift.

The Gift Tensegrity is not socialism. It is not an adversary help exchange. The Gift Tensegrity is not capitalism. It is not a neutral help exchange. The Gift Tensegrity is synergism. It is a synergic help exchange.

If you have opinions, comments, or questions, please write me.