There are many different types of personalities that people of this world possess. Certainly it is impossible to boil them down into two distinct categories, but to some extent it is possible, for it is true that not everybody is a leader. Some people feel that they must take the helm, even if they are not in the least bit qualified for the position, and some people are content to be driven wherever their leader listeth. There is also a wide range of intensity that each will pursue their desire, from absolute passiveness to being utterly relentless in their pursuit of their personalities desire. There is, of course, nothing wrong with this diverse range of people, for without leaders, people would be in a state of confusion and disharmony, and without followers nothing would ever get accomplished.
In the 2004 elections, out a two-hundred million voting eligible population, some eighty million people (and some change) decided that they were so indifferent that they did not need to vote. Thus, by the numbers, only 60% of the population seems to care enough about the representation of the masses to the governing class that they get up and vote. That also means that about 40% of the population's greatest concern is when happy hour begins (which they probably cannot remember on a day to day basis). The not so small 40% minority of the country could care less if they were ruled by a dictator. In fact, they may welcome the regime since less prime time tv slots would be taken up by election ads.
If they don't care about broader affairs, what do they care about? As seems consistent with history, so long as they have food, water, beer and a place to sleep, and in this modern society, a tv, they seem to get along well enough to be content.
Every country has a need to possess a certain resource within its borders to sell or export to others in order to be a profitable country. Whether it is the various tea exports of Sri Lanka, the oils of the middle eastern countries, the coffee of Columbia, the cheap products of China or the sunny beaches of Honolulu, a country needs to be able to, to some extent, hold other countries hostage to their affordable and economic exports. A country can only be profitable if it can tap into the world market.
I began envisioning a country where all of society is government centric. That is to say, all production, all work, all efforts go into achieving the final goal that the government has put into place. This country, having no natural resources or agricultural resources of its own, would be driven with the primary purpose and function of furthering the understanding and the depths of knowledge of the sciences and arts. And like China with production, would sell this product at cheaper prices than would be economically viable in any other setting.
While people would be free to come and go as they please, the conditions of remaining in that country would be to either become an educated researcher in the system or to become a working class person who works with the inevitable logistical difficulties in maintaining facilities for millions of people. While the intellectuals and scholars enjoy forging a new pathway for mankind, the remaining are content to carve a pathway for themselves and do what work is allotted to them. Failure to meet minimum requirements for the lowest positions or dereliction of duty would result in the voiding their citizenship. In much the same way a business would handle its employees, so would this country handle its citizens.
While workers are fully compensated for their work, the government provides the stores and food markets and such. In this way a citizen has full independent choice of purchase and also has options abroad in other countries, while also maintaining the strict logistic discipline required to focus energies and manpower on research.
Thinking a little more on this subject, it reminded me very much of Japan. Lacking in natural resources and excelling in the technical sector. They got the right idea, but not the right follow through. How interesting it would be to have a country full of thinkers.
In the 2004 elections, out a two-hundred million voting eligible population, some eighty million people (and some change) decided that they were so indifferent that they did not need to vote. Thus, by the numbers, only 60% of the population seems to care enough about the representation of the masses to the governing class that they get up and vote. That also means that about 40% of the population's greatest concern is when happy hour begins (which they probably cannot remember on a day to day basis). The not so small 40% minority of the country could care less if they were ruled by a dictator. In fact, they may welcome the regime since less prime time tv slots would be taken up by election ads.
If they don't care about broader affairs, what do they care about? As seems consistent with history, so long as they have food, water, beer and a place to sleep, and in this modern society, a tv, they seem to get along well enough to be content.
Every country has a need to possess a certain resource within its borders to sell or export to others in order to be a profitable country. Whether it is the various tea exports of Sri Lanka, the oils of the middle eastern countries, the coffee of Columbia, the cheap products of China or the sunny beaches of Honolulu, a country needs to be able to, to some extent, hold other countries hostage to their affordable and economic exports. A country can only be profitable if it can tap into the world market.
I began envisioning a country where all of society is government centric. That is to say, all production, all work, all efforts go into achieving the final goal that the government has put into place. This country, having no natural resources or agricultural resources of its own, would be driven with the primary purpose and function of furthering the understanding and the depths of knowledge of the sciences and arts. And like China with production, would sell this product at cheaper prices than would be economically viable in any other setting.
While people would be free to come and go as they please, the conditions of remaining in that country would be to either become an educated researcher in the system or to become a working class person who works with the inevitable logistical difficulties in maintaining facilities for millions of people. While the intellectuals and scholars enjoy forging a new pathway for mankind, the remaining are content to carve a pathway for themselves and do what work is allotted to them. Failure to meet minimum requirements for the lowest positions or dereliction of duty would result in the voiding their citizenship. In much the same way a business would handle its employees, so would this country handle its citizens.
While workers are fully compensated for their work, the government provides the stores and food markets and such. In this way a citizen has full independent choice of purchase and also has options abroad in other countries, while also maintaining the strict logistic discipline required to focus energies and manpower on research.
Thinking a little more on this subject, it reminded me very much of Japan. Lacking in natural resources and excelling in the technical sector. They got the right idea, but not the right follow through. How interesting it would be to have a country full of thinkers.
posted by Cyphoid at 2:30 PM
3 Comments:
Every time you start a post like this, it always sounds like you're leading up to talking about how you REALLY feel about the world today, but then you always end up writing about some off-the-hook scheme you've thought up to take over the world or create a world full of violin players. And then I sit back and think to myself, "Oh yeah, this IS how he really feels about the world today...."
What's wrong with observing an alternate stance on governing order? Just because I take a look outside of the government conformity box doesn't mean that I am suddenly being purposefully ridiculous. I think that the founding fathers hit pretty close to the mark with their form of government, but there are lots of different ruling parties out there, and none of them are either right or wrong in all respects.
I didn't say there was anything wrong with it....relax. I'm not bashing you, I just think it's funny. Take a pill.
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