Thursday 11 September 2014

BLUEPRINT FOR A SANE SOCIETY

Don't expect anything too complicated as I'm not that kind of a thinker. What follows isn't an argument so much as a series of statements. Take from it what you will.

1. The State exists to serve the society it nominally governs. It has a duty to its citizens. It has It has a duty to behave ethically.

2. Citizens have a duty to the community of which they are a part.

All else follows from that.

Capitalism works. This is an undisputed fact. Unrestrained Capitalism doesn't. It results in a movement towards self-perpetuating monopolies whose function is to keep perpetuating. The State, therefore, in the interests of its citizens should put restraints on Capitalism where it is deemed necessary to the point that it works for society and not against it.

In the interests of its citizens, the State should control: land transport, water, health and education. The benefits of the first two are obvious, the third and fourth require further explanation.

All education should be free from nursery to university. The function of education is to create an informed citizen who has the necessary resources for whatever role(s) they choose in society. Because education is the responsibility of the State there will be no private schools, either religious or secular, which result in the promotion of divisiveness or elitism.

Healthcare must be free to all and to whatever degree is necessary. Private healthcare must not detract from State healthcare.

Because of the vagaries of the capitalist-based economic system, the State must be prepared to support those who can not find work. In turn, the unemployed will be expected to voluntarily perform community work as part of their duty to their community (see above).

The State has a duty to care for the environment so that future generations do not live in one degraded. Similarly it should ensure that animals are not cruelly and unnecessarily exploited.
The individual has the right to a lifestyle of their choosing so long as it does not impact negatively on others.

Freedom of speech is absolute. No organisation or ideology, secular or religious, shall be immune from criticism, mockery, or satire. Nothing is sacrosanct in so far as the use of freedom of speech does not transgress laws of libel and slander or actively promote harm to other citizens.

Final thought: it is more rewarding on every level to do good than to do harm