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
