“That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation. That kind of world is the very antithesis of the so-called new order of tyranny which the dictators seek to create with the crash of a bomb.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt
We live in an age where technology can produce more than enough for everyone, yet people still go without.
Shelves are full, yet many can’t afford what they need.
Work consumes our lives, even when machines could do much of it for us.
Accessism is the idea that we can break free from this cycle, not by taking what’s yours, but by making life’s essentials openly available to all.
It’s not about ownership, it’s about access.
If something exists, and someone needs it, there should be no barrier in the way.
The Basic Concept
An Open Access Economy matches resources to real needs—sustainably and transparently—using community-guided systems, not money, markets, or price signals.
Unlike our current economic system that revolves around money, profit, and ownership, an Open Access Economy focuses on:
- Resource Efficiency: Using Earth’s resources wisely and sustainably;
- Meeting Human Needs: Ensuring everyone has access to necessities and opportunities for fulfillment;
- Technological Innovation: Leveraging automation and advanced technology to reduce human labor for basic production;
- Elimination of Artificial Scarcity: Removing profit-based limitations on the distribution of goods and services;
- Transparency: All decisions and data are viewable and can be scientifically analyzed.
Beyond Labor-Based Theories: Embracing Automation and AI
A crucial aspect of the Open Access Economy is its fundamentally different relationship with human labor, because, as automation and AI continue to advance at unprecedented rates, we recognize that structuring society around human labor is becoming increasingly outdated.
Instead of fighting against technological unemployment, we need to design systems that allow people to benefit from it.
Unlike traditional economic theories (including both capitalism and communism) that revolve around human labor, wages, and employment, an Open Access Economy embraces comprehensive automation and AI systems to handle production and resource management.
Complex resource allocation and logistics decisions are managed through advanced computational systems rather than through markets or central planners, enabling more efficient and optimal distribution based on actual needs and resources.
How It Differs From Today’s Economy
In today’s monetary economy:
- People must earn money to access basic necessities
- Companies produce for profit rather than human need
- Planned obsolescence encourages waste
- Competition often leads to duplication of efforts and resources
- Environmental health is secondary to economic growth
In an Open Access Economy:
- Resources are treated as the common heritage of all people
- Production is based on efficiency and actual needs, not profit
- Technologies are designed for durability, upgradability, and sustainability
- Collaboration replaces competition as the primary mode of innovation
- Ecological health is a fundamental priority
Key Principles
- Resource-Based Approach: Decisions are made based on the actual availability of resources rather than financial metrics.
- Open Source Design: Knowledge, designs, and methods are freely shared rather than protected by intellectual property restrictions.
- Decentralization: Implementation happens at both local and global levels, with communities adapting systems to their specific needs and environments.
- Systems Thinking: Problems are approached by considering whole systems rather than isolated parts.
- Science and Technical Solutions: Decision-making is guided by the scientific method and technical feasibility rather than monetary considerations.
Not Communism: An Important Distinction
As mentioned above, accessism is not communism, and it’s important to understand why an Open Access Economy is fundamentally different from it.
Unlike communism, which has historically relied on state ownership and centralized planning, and theoretically, in it’s advanced stage, through democratically decided worker councils, an Open Access Economy operates through automated, decentralized, collaborative networks without a controlling political authority, focusing instead on scientific, technical solutions to material problems.
This allows citizens to instead focus on their broader local and broader preferences in how society should be run, since, rather than conformity, an Open Access Economy encourages diverse approaches, innovation, and individual creative expression.
While communism attempted to redistribute existing resources through political means, an Open Access Economy uses technology and intelligent design to create abundance, making redistribution unnecessary.
There is no coercion or forced collectivization involved in it’s transition, with communities and individuals adopting these principles voluntarily as their benefits become apparent.
What Might Daily Life Look Like?
In an Open Access Economy, you will:
- Have access to high-quality housing, food, education, and healthcare as a right rather than based on ability to pay
- Contribute to society based on your interests and passions rather than financial necessity
- See technology handling production, distribution, and services that once required human labor
- Experience significantly reduced waste and environmental damage.
Is This Utopian Thinking?
While ambitious, an Open Access Economy is based on applying existing technologies and scientific understanding in new ways.
It doesn’t require changing human nature—just changing the systems we live within.
Many elements of this approach already exist in partial forms today, from open-source software(Linux) and wiki-type platforms(Wikipedia), to tool libraries, AI-managed logistics and automated manufacturing.
The transition to such a system would happen gradually, with communities implementing aspects of the model while demonstrating their effectiveness compared to conventional economic approaches.
We believe that by applying our technological capabilities intelligently, we can create a world that works better for everyone and for our planet.
The systems we inherited were built for a time of scarcity, competition, and slow communication.
That time is over.
The tools to feed, shelter, and empower everyone already exist, what’s missing is the will to use them for all.
Accessism is the blueprint for a society where technology works for everyone, not just the highest bidder. This isn’t a dream for some distant future, it’s something we can begin building now.