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A Proposal to Reorder Society
© James Concannon. 2003
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Author's Notes:
One of the big frustrations of writers in the field of
"Utopianism" is the inability to draw a sizeable audience to ideas that could
really benefit society. But, lo and behold, here comes TV Mogul Rupert Murdoch to save the
day! His new cable TV show, "American Candidate" will nominate a supposedly
non-political outsider to run for the Presidency in 2004. Talk about an ideal platform to
get the word out about ideas that have failed to reach the American mainstream! I suggest
that the pot be stirred to find the best and the brightest in the Utopian field, and equip
him or her with a practical plan for how the United States could convert to a Utopian
society.
The proposal that I have been mulling over for several years includes
variations on several ideas that have been proposed before, such as Dr. Prugovecki’s
thoughts on using a centralized computer system to involve citizens in the governance of
the country. The major point of my plan includes a gradual elimination of all forms of
money in the 21st century through the use of a Constitutional Amendment, which
would make the necessary changes law. This would dovetail nicely with the format of the
new show, which would have the "candidates" squaring off in mock debates, so the
idea could be vetted through other independents. Only one hundred candidates will make it
onto the show from a pool of thousands that will fill out applications, so the platform
has to be well thought out and presentable as something many American voters could
support, and the candidate presenting the message equally appealing.
ociety should have no hunger, crime, homelessness, or need. The Declaration of
Independence states that all men were created equal, therefore, all men should have an
equal opportunity to thrive. Under the current capitalistic democracy, this is not
possible. Therefore, this proposal lays out the framework of a new type of democracy, one
that would allow all men, women, and children be provided their needs in exchange for
their contributions to society. Opportunities to work would increase dramatically, and all
members of society could find a way to make a unique contribution to society.
To accomplish this, the United States should:
1. Eliminate money in All Forms
ALL members of society can obtain free food, products, health care,
transportation, and housing. There will no longer be any need for money, of either the
paper or electronic variety. This will eliminate most forms of crime, which usually have
money as their root cause. All citizens of the United States will be trained to take only
what they need, and this message will be reinforced constantly to make hoarding an
aberrant behavior. The final demise of money shall be instituted seventy years after
ratification of the 28th Amendment, to give existing generations time to adapt
or pass on from the only form of economics they could support.
Obtaining more of an item or an item of better quality, relates to a
person’s lifestyle level, determined by the votes of society through a nationwide
computerized tabulating system. The level of lifestyle for everyone will have an
acceptable base amount of housing, food, medical care and other items required for
survival that will never fall below a given level, no matter what the person does or does
not contribute to society. Once all homelessness and poverty has been eliminated, than
increases to all other levels of lifestyles can be made, with the goal of having the
uppermost lifestyle levels being not much more comfortable than the lowest level. The
ultimate goal is to have all physical goods, be they land or personal property, utilized
in a manner that benefits every member of society, not just those who through the
unpredictable circumstances of life have arrived at the top of the socio-economic strata.
Have all members of society become "evaluators" that will
electronically "vote" on other individual’s contributions to society, so
that accomplishments and achievements are rewarded by societal consensus, not by the
vagaries of money. An individual may evaluate as many other members of society as he or
she desires to, or as few, with more evaluations being done earning the evaluator more
rewards. No names or descriptions of the person evaluated are part of the profile, so that
a person’s age, race, or sex does not weigh against them. A person will stay at the
same lifestyle level for a year, and be evaluated at the end of the year to determine
whether his or her achievements for that year warrant an upgrade. Special achievements
during the course of a year may be evaluated occasionally, so that a person may be
rewarded timely.
All citizens will have a place to live, even if it is just a room with
shared restrooms and eating facilities. A person’s evaluated status will determine
what level of housing he or she is entitled to. Those who currently own homes will keep
them, those who are paying a mortgage will be given the house. A national list will be
made of all those who desire to move, and they will be matched with others with the same
desire, and moves will be approved by elected "asset managers." Old housing
stock will be razed (if requested by the owners) with the families that are currently in
them to be housed temporarily while new housing is constructed. People from congested
urban areas will be given the opportunity to start in new areas, away from the coasts, so
that the country’s vast amounts of space can be better utilized. There will be
committees that analyze every area of the country to determine its best usage, and new
communities will be established in currently under-utilized space. This should help
alleviate problems of overcrowding, which include crime, pollution, poverty, and despair.
As the owners of houses pass on, the property will be assessed by the state to determine
if there is a continuing need for it in the deceased’s family, or whether it could be
better utilized by another member of society.
2. All People should be Employed.
All people will be strongly urged to work . Unemployment of any
kind should be eliminated, with job trainers and counselors established to help the
chronically unemployed. The committees, evaluators, and administrators described above
will be considered jobs that are of benefit to society, and therefore will go towards
maintaining and upgrading a person’s lifestyle if they are unable to work at anything
else. There will be a tremendous need for these evaluators, as millions of profiles will
have to be processed, which should lead to jobs for everyone. The new order will be based
upon using the already existing work ethic, and providing jobs at all skill levels. In
this manner, all people can become a contributing member of society, and gain the
self-esteem that accrues from participating fully in a community. In order to accomplish
this, society must:
Provide a complete education to everyone, starting as soon after birth
as desired. All people will have complete access to as high and varied a level of
education as they are capable of achieving. There should be branch campuses of the best
schools in all fifty states. The attaining of advanced degrees or professional status in a
trade will be evaluated, and will lead to substantial upgrades in lifestyle. There should
be many more trade schools created to train people to build the increased amount of
housing stock that will be required, as well as processing increased amounts of food,
products, etc. The re-establishment of a manufacturing oriented middle class brought about
by the Industrial Revolution should be a major goal for the new society, with
self-sufficiency a desirable virtue inculcated in the young.
A person can work at the job that they are currently in, or switch as
many times in a career as they choose, without loss of their current life style. Some will
choose to stay, and they will provide stability, others will choose to change often, and
they will provide new ideas and energy. In order to maintain safety and "corporate
knowledge," experienced employees will receive higher sustenance, but job
"shifters" will not have to worry about unemployment. The constant turnover will
create the need for new inspectors, trainers, and administrators that will create more
jobs. In this way, there will be a job available for everyone as soon as they are able to
work. This will alleviate the problems caused when an individual stays in a job that they
do not enjoy solely to maintain their standard of living, and the despair of unemployment.
There will be sufficient labor to produce all that society needs, so
that those who currently do not directly produce products (i.e. lawyers, administrators)
can continue to provide the services that they currently perform. With full employment, it
is probable that the current workweek can be reduced, so that parents can spend more time
with their families. Computer inventory programs will continually determine what goods are
needed, so that manufacturing and agriculture can be devoted to produce what is necessary,
instead of what is desired. People should be encouraged through land grants and other aid
to take up farming, because in a country without money, food will be a valuable resource.
d. All geographical areas of the United States will be analyzed to
determine their best use, and then existing communities will be given choices as to what
industries that they may want to add. These choices will be based upon what products are
currently needed and not produced in the United States, as with no need to continue to
earn excessive profits, industries that went overseas can be brought back. All communities
should try to become balanced, with some light industry, some heavy industry,
administrative and professional services, agriculture, and homes.
3. Determination of Value
One of the most difficult transitions of this plan will be how a person
enters into the new system. Basically, a person’s current position in society will be
duplicated, with certain adjustments. People currently at low economic levels will be
raised up to the base level of food, housing and education that they need in order to
advance in society, so they will have all the tools they need to improve their lot in
life. People whose current economic status in life is out of proportion with
society’s reward system will have to divest themselves of assets over the course of
several generations of their family. In order to accomplish this, society must:
Determine the value of everything that is produced in society, and
whether valuable resources should continue to be used to produce that item. Responsible
members of society shall vote on the value of each item by using a computer in each home,
which shall be provided to them. For instance, fine restaurants will be rated on a scale
from 1 to 10, with those rated 10 more accessible to high achievers, or those who save
their lower rated restaurant credits to go there occasionally. When society has determined
the value of all goods and services (a continual process), individuals will be able to
choose amongst them based on their lifestyle level, with small consumable items having
only minimal upper end personal quotas to avoid hoarding, and larger items ordered and
their supply tracked.
A person’s contribution to society shall not be over or under
valued, be he a neurosurgeon or a mentally disabled person. Those with high lifetime
achievements will be rewarded by society with a lifestyle that reflects those
achievements, but it will no longer be so ostentatious as to deprive others of basic
necessities. Those who have difficulty achieving will still receive the minimum guaranteed
level of sustenance to maintain their dignity and self-respect throughout their entire
life, which should reduce the crime rate substantially.
The majority of the divestment of assets will occur naturally with the
abolishment of money. The rest of the divestment will take place over an extended period
of time, with small portions of land or other physical holdings being returned to society
by several successive generations of the family holding the assets. As this entire plan is
not made for actualization in its entirety until July 4, 2076, those who currently own the
assets will not have to divest in their lifetime, but they will not be able to pass on
vast land or monetary holdings. Everyone born into the society will start at the base
level, and have to work up from there. There will no longer be inherited status, all
lifetime possessions will have to be earned. The courts can assist in the divestment
process, as it promises to be the most contentious.
A person will be given choices to select from that reflect their status
when first entering the new society. There will be sufficient variety to allow each person
to tailor his individual preferences, for instance, someone who prefers nice cars to fine
foods can choose to have more and better selections in that category. But society will be
encouraged to decide whether it still needs to produce ultra-luxury items if the base
level of sustenance is not being provided. The choices will be separated into
"needs" and "wants," with a person entitled to a complete needs
package, and being rewarded with increasing wants as their lifetime achievements mount.
Everyone who is making contributions and achievements (no matter how
small) will be given at least one week of vacation a year at a resort commensurate with
their standing. As there are always some vacancies in some resort, people will be matched
with available locations, and they will be entitled to take themselves and/or their family
there. The value of the location will be determined by society, with base level resorts
set aside for beginners, and more luxurious sites available to high achievers, or those
who save vacation credits from lesser sites. It is important that increased opportunities
for entertainment and relaxation be offered, in order to reduce the stress that leads to
problems in our current society.
4. Politics and Government
As society has grown more complex, and the population has grown,
situations have developed that could not have been foreseen by those crafting the
Constitution. While the Founders of our nation developed a remarkably fair system of
government, the system over time has become more responsive to those with the wealth to
influence legislation. Many have come along and tried to make sure the system works fairly
for all, regardless of their nationality, religion, or sex, but too often such efforts
have been defeated or undermined. The gap between the wealthy and the poor in this country
continues to grow, with many formerly middle class families moving towards the despair of
poverty. The goal of government should be to ensure that as many citizens as possible end
up within the normal distribution of a bell curve, with only small proportions at the high
or low end.
The government is in charge of the finite pool of money that exists, but
they are not in control of the growth of population, nor the distribution of resources. By
removing the money, and creating the means for all citizens to have a voice in how
resources are distributed, the government could guarantee each citizen the ability to
pursue happiness, and become truly democratic. To do this, society should:
Reorganize the government agencies to become a facilitator of resource
exchanges. While the three major branches of the government would remain the same, their
authorities would change drastically. In a time when the access to communication has
increased dramatically, there is no longer a need for representative government, every
member of society can literally represent themselves. However, society is far too complex
for the ordinary person to be voting all the time on issues that they either do not
understand or do not care about. Therefore, the legislative body of the government will
take on a more judicial model, in which subject matter experts will explain the pros and
cons of an issue to a jury of citizens, who will then determine what shall become law.
Every citizen will be required to serve on a law jury at least once a year, so there is a
constant rotation of opinions and backgrounds determining the laws of the land.
Agencies that were hampered in their missions before by lack of funding
could now move aggressively. For instance, HUD and GSA could become central clearing
points for housing and office planning, and could create many administrative and
construction trade job opportunities. Agriculture could oversee and enhance an enormous
growth in the amount of farming. These agencies are currently organized and motivated to
serve the public; their roles could be strengthened if unfettered by yearly budget
restrictions.
Congressmen and Senators will be legislative specialists who write the
initial drafts of the laws that shall be brought before the law tribunals. They will no
longer have to seek contributions from special interest groups to be elected, and will
therefore be able to concentrate on the needs of those who elect them. In this manner,
society will be governed by laws that they approved themselves, rather than having one
representative for hundreds of thousands of people. Each Congressman and Senator will
serve just one four year term.
Be given an opportunity to voice their opinion on Presidential policies
prior to them being enacted, but not be given direct approval of his decisions. All
democracies must have a leader who is able to operate independently in national security
situations, and this should not change. But the President should move towards becoming the
implementers of society’s policies, rather than the creator of his own.
The government will control the information "superhighway"
that will be needed in order to implement the plan. Confidentiality will be maintained to
the highest degree possible, but it will be necessary for the government to know more
information about each individual than it does currently. This is the price that must be
paid in order to have all of society function at a more evolved and civilized manner. This
disadvantage will be offset by increased security in having all people, including
criminals, readily identifiable. Besides, the amount of "freedom" currently
enjoyed by the population is greatly reduced by the amount of security and precautions
that must be taken against crime.
The government will deal with the problems that will be created with
foreign trade. Countries that currently have vast monetary holdings and investments will
have to be compensated in either products, raw material, or gold. The amount that they
will be compensated will be negotiated prior to the conversion, but in cases of dispute,
the government will make a unilateral decision that may be appealed in court. The US
government will attempt to determine what resources it has that best match the needs of
their trading partner, but if no suitable match can be found, gold from US storage will be
offered.
5. Business
One of the greatest adjustments that will have to be made is the one
made by business. There will have to be a monumental shift from the capitalistic/profit
motive to a more mutual beneficial mode of operations. The current model calls for mass
layoffs of personnel to improve the bottom line; this plan will call for mass hiring,
retraining, and accommodation of rapid turnover. One of the most important tasks that they
will have to accomplish is the reintegration of production plants that have been sent
overseas; to do this, society’s business’ must:
Attempt to bring back all business that was sent overseas to take
advantage of lower costs to the United States. Full employment will never be accomplished
if there are no businesses for people to work in, as is often currently the case. The new
plants will be "seeded" into communities that are being started away from the
major metropolitan areas; this will encourage the rebirth of small American towns.
Business will still be the place for those with strong material needs to
exercise those urges, and their sustenance level will be tied to their company’s
performance. The leaders and workers of a business will not be rewarded out of proportion
with the rest of society, as society will still be determining their level. But as many of
the products that best serve society are still created within companies by people with a
strong desire for increased status and possessions, their continued existence should be
encouraged and promoted.
Business will also be required to divest itself of certain property if
it is determined that their holdings are in excess of what is necessary to produce their
products. This will follow the generations pattern established for personal property, in
that one third of excess property must be relinquished every twenty-five years. This is so
that proper planning may take place, and the succeeding generations may be prepared for
making do with less. The business shall submit its plan to the divestiture committee for
approval, and in the case of disputes, the legal system may have to become involved.
Divestiture should be as voluntary as possible, and a business should be given as much
input as possible in what will be returned to society.
A business will be determined successful by their impact upon improving
society, and how much they manage to contribute. As with all other segments, evaluators,
which can consist of both regular voting members of society, and experts if a business is
specialized, will determine their success and their direct impact on society if it is not
readily apparent. Businesses deemed successful will be allotted greater shares of
resources, and their employees will be awarded a greater personal life style. This will
replace the profit motive, but will also offer ample incentive for innovation.
Wasteful competitiveness will be eliminated, as there will be no need to
out-produce other suppliers. As an atmosphere of cooperation gradually takes hold, the
businesses will start to produce more items that are needed, such as health care items,
rather than unnecessary luxury items. Instead of each company trying to produce many
different variations of the same product to suit individual tastes, they will be
encouraged to produce more standard products so that everyone can have one. In this
manner, resource allocation will take into account each firm’s strengths and
weaknesses, and the base level of society can be continually improved.
6. Religion
One of the current strongest positions of the Constitution is
"separation of church and state." Religion and faith will be extraordinarily
important to an undertaking of this magnitude, as reliance on strangers and trust in
others has to increase greatly. As modern religions are currently supported by the
voluntary contributions of their supporters, there will have to be a mechanism by which
religious institutions can continue to be supported. Society can do this by:
Having a vote of all to determine what level of resources are going to
be allotted to religion. The average of everyone’s vote will determine what
proportion of society’s assets will be devoted towards the continuance of all the
religions. Once the asset pool has been determined, the pool shall be divided amongst the
faiths in accordance with the proportion of people who indicate they are a member of the
faith. For instance, if Catholics make up thirty-five percent of the entire pool of people
who state they are a member of a religion, than they will be entitled to that share of the
asset pool.
While the support of organized religion would now be through a
governmental organization, the government would not have any voice in how the resources
allocated were used. The members of the faith would continue to act as independent
stewards of their denomination.
Conclusion
This proposal organizes in outline form a beginning point for discussion of a substantial
reorganization of American society. It addresses the major institutions of our culture,
and how they would have to change to accommodate the main point of the plan, which is the
elimination of money. All factors of such a change could not (and should not) be covered
in an initial outline such as this, but the groundwork for explanation and debate on the
idea has been laid. Certain points are not as well developed as others as they are either
too controversial to pursue in a proposal of limited scope (religion), or are so complex
(foreign policy, business) that much more discussion will be necessary. The proposal is
written in terms that allow for easy explanation to all members of society, especially the
young, as this is a possible alternative to the world that they will inherit.
Motivation
The reason this proposal was written and put forth was the sense of the author that no
matter how much society attempted to solve its problems, it was always thwarted by a
money-based reason. While the author enjoys a decent standard of living, there appears to
be no guaranteeing that even if he manages to put his children through college, that they
will have much of a chance to enjoy a reasonable lifestyle. When a parent senses that his
best efforts are not going to result in a reasonably happy lifestyle for his child, he
becomes motivated to try something to improve the situation.
On a more global scale, it is depressing to read the newspaper and watch
television news programs that endlessly detail the horrors that modern society can inflict
on itself. Many wish that they could do something to help, but in today’s world, the
only way to solve a problem is to devote large amounts of funds to them. As the author
does not have large sums of money, this is an attempt to begin thinking about an idea that
never seems to even be considered - let all of society determine in a cooperative
manner how finite resources are to be allocated.
Goals
In order to continue to thrive as a species, man must ensure that the generations that
succeed him have as good or better a chance to thrive and survive than he does. In the
United States, despite incredible wealth on the part of some individuals, and a standard
of living enjoyed by most that is the envy of the rest of the world, there are still
intractable problems. While those who currently enjoy a high standard of living would
resist change, claiming survival of the fittest, they may not realize that that theory
sometimes leads to the extinction of a species. If resource allocation continues to
polarize the way it has in the United States, can the possibility of extinction of our
species through catastrophic war be entirely ruled out?
This admittedly is a far-fetched scenario for the United States, where a
very stable political system does not encourage armed revolution. However, as oppression
of certain classes in society gets worse, society should begin to plan NOW to make
a change that will occur after the majority of the people making the decision will have
passed on. Make a change that will reverse oppression, and allow everyone to lead a
dignified life full of potential to achieve.
One of the most accepted paradigms of the United States culture is that
a capitalistic society will provide the maximum opportunities to the majority of the
people. As more people (especially children) slip into poverty every year, it is apparent
that this is not true. The system that is being proposed continues to allow private
property, but in proportion to one’s needs, not they’re excessive desires. An
athlete or entertainer would no longer be paid a king’s ransom, but would be more in
line with just with an upper class citizen.
The proposed system would give all people the dignity of not having to
worry about where their next meal is coming from, or where they are going to sleep that
night. It would guarantee everyone healthcare, which is a goal that many presidents have
worked on, but have not been able to achieve. It would encourage new communities, away
from overcrowded cities, that could become self-sufficient with manufacturing brought home
from overseas. This could become the second industrial revolution, as the first had the
charm of benefiting predominantly American workers. It seems that people talk about
creating jobs do not realize that the United States will never be able to compete for
manufacturing jobs with countries that pay masses of people starvation (by American
standards) wages. Manufacturing is the engine that drives a society towards maximum
productivity (witness the World War II build-up) and prosperity; its return is something
that should be pursued and encouraged.
Crime is directly related to a person’s lack of self-esteem, living
conditions, and sense of opportunity. The current society does not provide a reasonable
chance for many successive generations to ever attain any substantial increase in their
life style. If a person is made to feel a contributing member of society, instead of
shunned, he will have the motivation to stay out of trouble. On a more practical level, if
he can walk into any store and get most of what he needs, there is no need to take
something from someone else. The absence of paper or any other form of money will reduce
the incidence of armed robbery, counterfeiting, and other impulse crimes that revolve
around greed and desperation.
The ultimate goal of reordering in this manner is to allow a complex
society, which is constantly undergoing massive technological changes, a chance to fully
involve all of its members. To give society a means to stabilize its families, which are
now often torn apart for monetary reasons. To turn businesses from their current profit at
all costs mentality to a more mutually beneficial mode. And to allow the government to do
what it was created for, that is, to provide for the security and well being of its
citizens.
The founding fathers established a system of government a long time ago
that has allowed the United States to flourish. Though they were wealthy men themselves,
they created a system that created freedom and rights for most of the citizens, and what
they thought to be unlimited opportunity. They probably would not be pleased to see how
some have benefited unreasonably at expense of others, and that men of means have the
wherewithal to ensure that these conditions will never change. Would they not now perhaps
agree to a change that would be radical, but not much more so than the one that they put
forth?
This proposal is to give a chance to all people, regardless of sex, age,
race, nationality, sexual preference, or religion in the United States to participate
fully in the wonderful life that can be provided by an advanced society. By serious
consideration of this proposal, and use of the existing system of government, first to
enact the change, and then to become the conduit through which the resources will pass,
society can become the land where the pursuit of happiness becomes reality. As the
founding fathers intended, and God would bless.
Therein lies my proposal for reordering society along a Utopian model. I
feel that that these thoughts should become mainstream once again, as they occasionally
when a particularly influential book or community has sprung up. By endorsing a serious
candidate to carry the banner for Utopians everywhere, the word may start to spread
amongst the people who will matter the most if anything is ever going to change, the
underprivileged. It is they who will be able to affect change by the sheer mass of their
numbers, and by their desire to improve their condition. They have to be told that there
is another way to a better life, but that all will have to sacrifice in order to achieve
it. If Utopians are ever to be taken seriously, they have to use the most popular means of
communication available in today’s society to prepare people to start thinking about
their children’s futures. Unfortunately, one of the most universal means of group
thought in the United States today is the "reality" show, of which the afore
mentioned "American President" is one of the more serious examples. Utopians
should not miss this opportunity to get the word out! Lets find a candidate, and get him
on that show!
About the Author:
James Concannon is a federal government employee who lives and writes
near Philadelphia, PA. He is a graduate of Temple University Business school, and hold's a
Master's degree from Central Michigan University. This essay is the basis for a novel
which he is currently attempting to get published. He can be reached by email at
jimboc60@hotmail.com.
ll contents copyright © World Future Society, 2002.
All rights reserved.
