…every day would be… a Liberal-Socialist delight!
The ONLY formula for World Peace and fairness – is a World Government.
The League Of Nations was a good try – which failed. Then came the United Nations – but it too is a bust.
However the basic principle is sound – and this is how it would work if THIS megalomaniac ruled it…
First – there would be a People’s Charter. It would be a set of Humanitarian Rules, guaranteeing EVERYONE – male, female, gay, straight, black, white, purple, whatever – a fair break, free from oppression. Then…
NATIONS
…would cease to exist. They would become REGIONS.
Thus the divisions that Nationalism creates would disappear – but regional identities would remain.
Harmony would rule.
IMMIGRATION
…would become irrelevant. As a citizen of the World, people would be free to travel, settle and work ANYWHERE. Their distribution would be governed by market forces and infrastructural practicality.
HEALTH
…would be based on NEED – not ability to pay (an IMMORAL concept). It would be (well) funded from taxes.
EDUCATION
…would be based on ability to USE – again, not PAY. You know – TESTS. Those who pass one move on to the next level. Those who don’t, do not waste their time and society’s resources going further. Again, taxation would fund it.
And it would be geared towards REAL LIFE. No developed country can possibly pretend that with “outsourcing” and automation, Full Employment will ever again be a reality – thus it is essential to educate people for LEISURE as well as work, or else they’ll smash the machines and/or get into mischief.
This would include FULL sex education – beginning with the basics at ten, rising to include the subtleties of technique and moral and interpersonal issues, as the kids were old enough to understand them.
Of course, parents could still add THEIR input – but their kids would not have to RELY on it.
TRANSPORT
…would be geared for the public. RAILWAYS would receive a new lease of life – and company cars would be BANNED. They produce a PILE of woes – lost time, lost tempers and pollution.
With a decent, modern railway system, the roads would become less crowded and their current coverage would be sufficient for CENTURIES.
Plus, ALL public transport would be FREE – paid, once again, from taxation.
“DEFENCE”
The militaries of the World would immediately be de-commissioned. There would only be ONE Peace-Keeping Force. And their main duty would be to RID the World of ALL OFFENSIVE WEAPONS.
Obviously, there are many items that CAN be used as offensive weapons – I myself possess a machete (I have a large garden, situated in the Sub-Tropics, where things grow FAST) – but if a person was carrying a baseball bat, they would have to be able to show they were on their way to or from a MATCH.
JUSTICE
…would be based on a Universal system. While minor variations of legislation would be permitted locally, the basic principles of Humanity would be for all. Namely, all slavery, physical abuse, racism, sexism and violence would be ILLEGAL.
And it goes without saying that no justice system could use barbarism (capital punishment, caning, stoning or ANY physical intervention) against its citizens.
Prison sentences would be in two parts. The first would be short, but unpleasant. It would incarcerate people in solitary confinement – without books, TV or conversation. The second part would be geared to rehabilitation and resocialisation.
However, it would be saved for those who had committed crimes against a PERSON or PEOPLE. Victimless crimes would only incur financial penalties.
“BIG BROTHER”
Privacy would be guaranteed for citizens. Everybody would carry an ID card – but it would contain only their picture, name, age and current address. However, there would be strict controls governing who was entitled to demand to SEE it.
RECREATIONAL DRUGS
…would be legalised, but regulated. Stopping people using recreational drugs is like trying to stop them FARTING. All drugs would be classified as being either acceptable or not, based on their benefits and drawbacks.
Thus Cannabis, Ecstasy, LSD, Cocaine and others would be available – from legitimate sources – where they would be cheap, pure and of a known strength. They would be sold with non-judgemental “patient information” leaflets, detailing effects and side-effects – like whether they were ADDICTIVE.
While drugs like Crack, Meth and suchlike would be classed as POISONS – but little money would be needed for law enforcement, since their use would steeply decline when the other drugs became legal.
SMOKING
Given its historical social status, this is a special case.
In my World, companies and businesses would, where practicable, have to provide reasonable facilities for smokers – given that they represent a quarter of the population.
However, NEW smokers would be banned. Specifically, the minimum age where smoking would be permitted would rise, annually, by one year. And shops would have to ask for ID where a person appeared to be under – or close to – that age.
As a recreational drug (see above) tobacco would therefore be classed as a POISON (but with the above, age-related exception) while the active ingredient – Nicotine – would be permitted, but regulated.
However, it would only be allowed to take forms which would not interfere with others – such as “e-cigarettes” – which in turn could be used ANYWHERE.
EMPLOYMENT
Standard working hours would be limited to twenty a week, no-one could work until they reached 18 years of age and retirement would be set at 50. People would be permitted to work longer hours and retire later – but only if they WISHED to.
RELIGION
…would not be banned – but it would not be encouraged either. At school, kids would be EDUCATED about it. They would be shown how it had emerged as a reaction to early Man’s concerns and curiosity (Why Am I Here? Who Can I Turn To? Where Do I Go When I Die?)
How Man had begun it as Sun worship – developed it to devotion to Earth Spirits – refined it to multitheisms (the Greek and Roman gods) – then advanced it to a variety of monotheisms.
The course would take in fringe religions, plus Native and Oriental ones. And Eastern philosophies that have been turned INTO religions.
Now you can no more talk someone out of religious beliefs garnered over a lifetime – than you can stop a smoker yearning for a cigarette. And so churches would be permitted to continue as today – however they would have to be INDEPENDENT.
ORGANISED religion would be OUTLAWED. Any group dedicated to the bending of minds would become illegal. And vicars, priests and assorted clergy would have to adhere to a Code Of Conduct.
Essentially, they would come under the same umbrella as doctors, psychiatrists and – well – clergymen. These professionals are not allowed to use their positions of influence for evil. In other words, a shrink cannot seduce a patient. In most places, they are liable to be struck off for same – and in others, they can find themselves in JAIL.
Thus, while a sermon could include recommendations that the flock adhere to general decent moral standards – they could NOT lay down rules as to how/what said flock dressed, ate, drank or behaved.
POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
…would just be BANNED.
GOVERNMENT
…would be arranged along APOLITICAL, BUREAUCRATIC lines. However, the “Why use one form when six will do?” mentality would be CRUSHED.
The World Government would consist of intellectuals and experts from every Region in the World. These professionals would be handsomely paid, but be unable to have outside interests – including through agents, such as wives.
Their duties would be…
One – to raise funds through direct taxation – i.e., Income Tax. Both for persons and companies. This would be the ONLY tax paid – tax on goods would GO. But of course, the taxation would be HEAVY (the money for the public services would have to come from SOMEWHERE) – but it would be applied on a sliding scale, with the richer citizens and companies paying more. And there would be NO “deductibles”.
Two – to allocate the gathered funds to the public services – which would be COMPREHENSIVE.
Three – to REWARD INDIVIDUAL EFFORT – FINANCIALLY. Communism failed because the Commies thought a pat on the head would be sufficient to make people TRY harder. It was not.
Four – to allocate the World’s resources fairly and sensibly. No longer would someone finding an oil-field under their feet be rich. Their find would belong to the WORLD.
Five – maintain laboratories to find cures for all ills – and develop automation to free Man from tedious tasks (see below).
Six – monitor local Regional leaders, to ensure they toed the line. Dictators and despots need not apply.
And seven – maintain the PEACE, with the aid of the Peace-Keeping Force.
It (again) goes without saying that ALL of the World Government’s activities and financial affairs would be 100% TRANSPARENT.
AUTOMATION
The first man to put a series of tree-trunks under something heavy he wanted to shift – began a process that put him on the Moon.
And now he is within reach of automating the World. Once this is achieved, work will become a pastime.
Therefore, development of automation technology would be the prime concern of the World Government.
FINANCE
Employment, taxation and benefits would be TIED to each other. A system would be put into place that would ensure a level playing field for ALL of the inhabitants of the World.
And once non-creative labour had been replaced by mechanisation, money would no longer be the driving force of humanity.
All of the peoples of the World would be able to devote their time to CREATIVE pursuits, having been freed from the burden of WORK.
Every day would be… the first day of Spring.
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This is just a CONDENSED version of my Utopian System. The FULL version would take a BOOK – but I’ve already WRITTEN a book (and 16 years on, I’m still trying to shift copies – no-one READS anymore).
I may add bits to it, as I think of them (one advantage of THIS system over BOOKS) – but it’s a waste of time, of course. NONE of it will ever happen.
Anyone trying to introduce the above would immediately get smacked down by (among many others) the Catholic Church, the big corporations, the oil sheiks – and every self-interested, greedy government in every sodding country of the WORLD!
This very splendid and worthwhile (seriously) post has been drawn to my attention. I cannot understand how I had never noticed it before.
Cornelius describes a perfect conception for planetary order.
But I would have to add one thing: it would only work with perfect people. Before we begin all bad guys would need to be shot – so I will not be around to see how you good guys and gals get on.
Nice try – until alien species wipe our wimpy society off the face of our pretty planet.
Well, I guess I’d join the gun-toting, bible reading, sexist, nationalistic, paternalistic, big business loving anti-Utopian resistance movement, because apparently, everyone who’d stand to lose something from this world government is a combination of these and many other traits. World government is so easily mistaken for something good, but that’s only when you agree with the principles of said order. Should you be at odds with it, the state’s interests would so outweigh yours as to make reform and opposition simply irrelevant, and easily quashed. Basically, you want a world where there is no evil, wrongdoing, or hate, but it is these things that allow what is good to survive. Without a wrong way, there is no right way. Similarly, if you universalize every part of our lives, all the state would end up doing is churning out robots, who will simply exist within the automated, regulated, egalitarian “paradise” you propose. However, without the strength of imagination, innovation, and competition, that an imperfect, dangerous world brings, we would have few of the modern conveniences and such items that such a utopian regime would invariably need. People forced to struggle will do amazing things, and while struggle and pain aren’t nice, neither is an open tracheotomy, but it can save someone’s life. Rather than nit pick this wishlist of sorts, I’ll simply state that I won’t have to worry about losing sleep over these kinds of ideals; they have never and will never see fruition.
I still believe a forced Utopia has to be better than the ghastly DIStopia we currently have – which has held humanity BACK for thousands of years.
But I agree with your last statement!
This sounds familiar. Can somebody say International Socialism? Welcome to the new nanny state. In any country where this version of the new Garden of Eden has been implemented it has ended in one way. A pile of corpses. Just ask Lenin, Stalin, Pol Pot and our good friend The Chairmen. And of course, one hundred million corpses. Without a religious, ethnic, or national identity to draw on, you are left with a race of barely living cogs in one large collective. They will be the new serfs.
National IDENTITY is fine – provided it is in the form of REGIONAL identity. NATIONALISM leads to extremism – extremism leads to brutality, war etc.
What you are talking of is COMMUNISM – not International Socialism. And like all extreme systems, it don’t WORK – and leads to disasters like Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, etc.
Pol Pot is a good case in point – ever been to Cambodia? I have. Yecch.
But a Garden of Eden – even a nanny state – if structured properly, CAN work. The reason individual efforts have failed is because they were localised and failed to look at the bigger picture. Thus they became restricted by one despot’s view of what ought to be.
MY system would look at the WORLD view.
As for RELIGIOUS identity: mankind will NEVER pull himself out of primitivity (it’s a word) until he RIDS himself of the assorted superstitions that hold back his quest for humanity, individuality and technological progress.
I’m well aware of the meaning of the word. I may not be an adherent to your world view but I am not stupid. Why do you think that it has not worked in any of those countries? Wasn’t what Marx preached to be the new economic gospel international in nature? Those who wished to implement his teachings in their respective nations only failed because their greed and ambition got in the way. That can happen to even the most enlightened of us. Especially when they feel the need to control and to mold the world destiny. This is not a criticism of you or your site. I really do appreciate what you are trying to accomplish here.
Firstly, I meant no disrespect regarding the word “primitivity” – my interjection “(it’s a word)” was what I ALWAYS write if I use an OBSCURE word. Sometimes I write it in defiance, when I MAKE UP a word. (I used it this time because I wasn’t sure it WAS a word – turns out it ISN’T, officially).
And secondly, I don’t think we are in dispute here. As I stated in my piece – the greed and self-interest of governments, organised religions and other large (sometimes shadowy) groups would never allow my World government to happen.
Marx wished his ideals to spread World-wide – but it’d’ve (my favourite contraction) only happened if Russia had managed to take over said World (which at one stage, they appeared to be trying to do). But the collapse of Communism took care of THAT.
The only way my system would succeed would be if it were forced on the World by a benign dictatorship – but first, said dictatorship would have to neutralise the World’s MILITARY. And the only way THAT would happen would be from a super-high-tech outside force.
Yes, I’m talking ALIENS. But given the incredible distances involved, interstellar travel – no matter HOW advanced an alien civilization was – may simply not be POSSIBLE. And even if it were – they might have a policy of non-interference (The Prime Directive).
I realize I am now moving from politics into Science Fiction – but sadly, that reflects on how fanciful my ideas are. Something I think we are ALL agreed on…
I’m well aware of the meaning of primitivity. I’m also well aware of man’s never-ending pursuit of greed and power. It’s a temptation even the most enlightened of social engineers would be very hard pressed not to give in to. Especially when granted the sort of sweeeping powers you describe. Perhaps at this stage in history we just might have to settle for a less enlightened system of nation states working together for a common good. but still retaining their individuality. I do not see us ever being able to form a world government without having to violently subdue all those opposed to it. It’s a shame really.
I agree. However, I think the PEOPLE would welcome a World Government if they could be convinced it would be BENIGN. Set up to HELP them. But certainly the current LEADERS would violently object. They have too much to LOSE.
Sound like the NWO to me man. Bunch of crap. Any religion should be allowed to organize if they want. World government my ass. The people will revolt against the elites, let’s steal their wealth and power and see them cry.
New World Order is RIGHT WING. MY system would ELIMINATE politics. As for religions organising themselves, this is what causes half the repression in the World. Old men forcing their ideals on those too filled with religious zealousy (another of my words – does it exist? – probably not) to dare resist being told what to wear, eat and drink, who to hate…
I have been reading what you wrote – would you like to live in a perfect world? I would!
Me too. But as stated above, it’ll never happen – at least not in my lifetime – too many greedy, stupid, primitive, self-interested parties have too much to lose to allow it to happen. And the U.N. is toothless.
Best THIS old man can do is keep his head down and hope to peg out peacefully, before it all goes to hell in a handcart!
The problem here is your system having one army, one ideology, one set of rules… You’ve failed to acknowledge that as long as we are humans, we will always be imperfect because we cannot fully understand that we are bound to be self-centered and egocentric. Yes, we have the potential to be awesome, creative, love-our-equal human beings. But we cannot acknowledge other people’s failures if we do not understand our own. Every single human being is different from each other, but we share fundamental common issues. The need for love, food, shelter, peace. We have distinct personalities multi-layered and contradictory, we haven’t accepted that yet. We are a product of cultures and we produce culture. The only dogma that we should embrace is the constant doubt, the constant questioning of ourselves and others. In short, I believe you can’t force anything into anyone, like for example the benign dictatorship you talk about. You cannot hurt people’s freedom and not expect to be hurt too.
I don’t think we disagree on much.
But one of the stumbling blocks would be about which issues were a matter of individual taste and which would come under the rules laid down in my “People’s Charter”.
I stated they would be HUMANITARIAN rules. And for civilised people, these are easy to choose…
F’rinstance, modes of dress, attitudes towards sex, etc. – would be a matter for local laws. And while one person might agree with one country’s standards and disagree with others’ – another might take the opposite view.
The problem would be deciding which issues were FUNDAMENTAL. Like, I would argue that women’s rights to equal treatment and the abolishion of capital punishment were essential on BASIC PRINCIPLE.
However right there, my People’s Charter would run foul of the “traditions” of certain middle-eastern countries – and America.
Wow, some of these prescriptions/fortunes are nothing more than common sense, but after what I’ve seen on Youtube for people doing really stupid stuff, I’m not sure I believe that the human race has any common sense. (I think there is a commercial about this). When we achieve total disarmament, and letting the flowers grow in between the cement lines, we might have what some of us like to have, Peace and understanding…
I can’t believe I found this site/blog. That’s my last name.