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The global economy in crisis

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Almost every day, the media reports that the global economy is in crisis. The climate and our society are also developing in a worrying way.

There is a very surprising and simple solution.

What would happen if, from tomorrow and forever, everything in the world became free? Absolutely everything, for everyone?

So imagine if all producers and retailers were to suddenly turn all goods and services into gifts.

Why might that be possible?

It wouldn’t work if the Earth and the Sun were to issue invoices for their mineral resources, their fruits, their air, their energy and their light.

But it is not they who issue the invoices, but the owners of the land from which the mineral resources are extracted and of the factories where the goods are produced.

But imagine if these bills were no longer necessary because everything is free. The owners would then no longer have to issue bills, because money would have lost its purpose.

Natural resources, fruits or energy could then be used by everyone free of charge.

If producers no longer had to pay for raw materials, they would of course still need to be exempt from the costs of their employees’ labour, wages, social security contributions and taxes.

Would wages, social security contributions and taxes even be necessary if all goods were free?

No, because everyone would be provided with everything necessary for a life of dignity, free of charge. This naturally includes business owners too.

This is, of course, very confusing at first, but just look at how it works within families. Mums and dads don’t demand wages either, which is why you don’t have to pay for food. The economy could function in a similar way.

What does all this have to do with today’s global crises?

There is no need for advertising for gifts. Everyone would then be free to take exactly what is needed for a life of dignity, without any external influence.

There would be no more competitive pressure, and products could be designed to be durable and fully recyclable.

Consequently, much less would need to be produced, far fewer resources would be consumed, and greenhouse gas emissions would fall so sharply that long-term climate targets would likely be achieved quickly.

Unemployment would no longer exist, so the economy could be automated without hindrance, meaning that heavy, monotonous and dangerous work in particular could be taken over by machines rather than underpaid workers.

Our responsibility would then no longer end with the purchase; instead, we would also feel personally responsible for sustainable production and for protecting the Earth.

But, but, but, but …….

Imagine the joy if we no longer needed money.

There would be no reason for looting or existential fears, because we would know that we would continue to have everything we need in the future. In fact, everyday life would carry on quite normally, just as it does today, even though we are warned daily by the media of the danger of collapse.

Why shouldn’t we carry on working, just because everything is given to us and we are no longer forced to work?

Because no technical changes would be necessary, the economy could continue to function quite normally during the transition. So we wouldn’t even notice straight away that anything had changed. However, due to the changed conditions, the economy would no longer have to grow artificially and would become sustainable of its own accord.

Entrepreneurs would no longer be at the mercy of competition but could serve people, as it should actually be.

Power would be replaced by setting an example and civic engagement.

A market that can only decide on the basis of what is economically viable, rather than what people actually need, would thus become redundant. Because there would be no prices once the transition is complete, we could move to a system of direct supply, in which people order what they need directly from the producer.

The conditions for this have been in place for several years thanks to global connectivity. Given the market’s competition-driven overproduction, direct supply would be far more efficient anyway.

And now ….. ?

Please help spread the word about this idea. Once everyone understands how simple it would be, implementation would be quick and straightforward.

Further information is available here: https://simple.economy.nu

Berlin, 18 May 2026

Eberhard Licht          simple@economy.nu

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Easter message: At the table of fellowship

A few days ago, Pope Leo addressed the growing gap between rich and poor and called on us to become “experts in new ways,” so that no one is excluded from the table of fraternity.

These words touch the core of our economic coexistence. The divide between rich and poor does not arise by chance. It follows a simple logic: in every paid job, a surplus is created that does not go to the workers, but to the entrepreneurs. In this way, inequality grows automatically—even when all participants act in good faith.

The question, therefore, is: Is it enough to demand fairer distribution—or must we rethink the foundations of our economic system?

Today’s categories of wages, prices, and profits are forms of mediation; they are historically developed. They have enabled human progress, but economic growth is now in the process of destroying our natural foundations.

The message of Easter reminds us that what seems unchangeable can be overcome. Perhaps this also applies to our economic system.

Today, for the first time in history, we are technically capable of directly linking needs and production. Global connectivity and artificial intelligence could allow people to order directly from producers what is necessary for a dignified life—without the influence of markets and competition that constantly push us to consume more.

We already use the internet for our supply, but it is still mediated by the market. The owners of platforms such as AliExpress, TEMU, or Amazon are among the richest people in the world.

The decisive step would be a shift in perspective: if entrepreneurs were to give up profit and work were no longer understood as a paid commodity, but as a voluntary contribution to the common good, then the economy could truly serve people—not the other way around.

If we reduce economic processes to their simplest components, only two factors remain: the free gifts of creation (natural resources) and human activity, which is currently tied to the market.

Without this market, the gifts of creation could reach people directly and without detours. They would retain their gratuitous nature and be available unconditionally to everyone.

We must free ourselves from the idea and fear that change is only possible through revolution or collectivization. No—we simply need to bring producers and workers, that is, consumers, to one table as siblings, no longer as opponents. No profit, no wages—and all people would be unconditionally provided with everything necessary for a dignified life.

Such an order would not only overcome social division but also end the pressure for constant growth. Production could be oriented toward real human needs—sustainable, durable, and in harmony with creation.

What sounds radical touches a deeply Christian idea: everything is a gift. And what is a gift cannot be turned into a commodity. The Church has always reminded us that fraternity is not only an ideal for heaven, but a mission for this world.

Perhaps the time has come to take this idea seriously in economic terms—so that truly everyone can find a place at the table of fraternity.

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