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Prosperity in Frugality: Coming Out of the Jungle!
(ENGLISH)
"A search for utopia is a supremely important task, particularly today when either progress or total destruction seems equally plausible" -William McCord in "Voyages to Utopia" (a rather old book but still valuable in its research about practical utopias)
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" -M.L. King
"Communism forgets that life is individual. Capitalism forgets that life is social, and the kingdom of brotherhood is found neither in the thesis of communism nor the antithesis of capitalism but in a higher synthesis. It is found in a higher synthesis that combines the truths of both." -M.L. King
A PROGRAM FOR A BETTER WORLD
Why not build a new system? That offers PROSPERITY, SOCIAL JUSTICE and FREEDOM; that discards the defects of both Communism and Capitalism; and that places the system at the service of the human being, and not the other way around. Why not HUMANISM?
Naturally, education and healthcare should be the maximum priorities; they should be free --or low cost, in the case of higher education-- and accessible to all. Likewise, culture and sports should have a high priority. The needs of women and children should receive special attention (for example, adopting the affordable daycares; in general, we would have much to learn from the Scandinavian model, though our policy should emphasize that of "teaching them how to fish," not of "giving them the fish"). A POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY, that includes competition and cooperation, would create a healthy competition, and it would allow to satisfy the material and human needs of all. (In this way, the cooperatives would have to be efficient, while the capitalist enterprises would have to be more humane; we would have much to learn from the Israeli kibbutz [non-profit cooperatives]; and from the industrial cooperatives of Mondragon, in the Basque Country [a "workers capitalism"].) We should seek full employment (for instance, by creating jobs in the construction of the transportation infrastructure, and a 30 hour workweek should be enough). Public transportation should be A1. (The city of Curitiba, in Brazil, offers us a functional model of transportation; bicycle lanes should be implemented along all major streets.) Our roads, where the Law of the Jungle rules, should be made safer, say by enforcing passing on the left only. The homeless, who have been pushed into our better parks, should be incorporated into light but necessary duties, say picking up litter in exchange for shared apartments and a minimum wage --there should be no homeless. (Again, Curitiba is a model on this.) Junk food should have a warning label (just like cigarettes), particularly the one destined to children, and also be taxed to subsidize healthy alternatives. Housing should be available at popular prices. (Prefabricated multifamily units can help accomplish this; the movement of "New Urbanism" can provide them with a sense of community and quality of life, say by having abundant green areas.) Public corruption should be treated as "public enemy No.1." TV and radio should be independent of Big Business and the State. (This is due to two reasons: culturally, because the ratings make bad programs become "good"... for business; and, politically, because whoever has power over the media... will be in power; however, people should be able to watch anything on video and cable; the BBC offers us and example of an independent media.) The "Free Press" should be democratized, so that, among other things, the censorship of the opinions of the public is eradicated. Politicians should live in the worst of the area they represent, so they know its problems. And politics should become cheaper to avoid its control by powerful groups (for example, offering free time on TV to the candidates; we would have much to learn from the political model of Switzerland [in particular, its political decentralization and its opportunity to "vote with your feet" between cantons]). Nevertheless, we should never follow neither anything nor anyone blindly. And, of course, everything can be improved. Something to think about: While the prohibition of drugs has been largely ineffective and costly (in money, prison overpopulation, crime), regulated legalization --like that of Holland-- can be a better solution to both addiction and crime. And living free from fear of crime should be treated as a basic need of society. The final form of this system would be determined by the acceptance of the people themselves: Each and everyone of these proposals should be submitted to referendum. And, the basis of everything else: We should learn to live, not FROM, but WITH Nature. This would amount to COMING OUT OF THE JUNGLE…
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A COMMENT FROM A FRIEND:
The system you describe sounds awfully good. I'd say no country is on the road you suggest, but it might be a good thing for world leaders to read your article, since it could give them some goals. What a wonder it'd be, for example, if George Bush announced some actual long-term goals for the country, instead of reacting to events in a knee-jerk fashion. I'm picking on George, but much the same can be said of most any world leader I know of.
-Charles
NOTE: I have intentionally provided several paths to prosperity and justice. DIFFERENT CULTURES, DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS. The apparent contradiction between "no king of the jungle" and Scandinavia, where they have royalty, is easy to explain: Their lion have been tamed, or better said, he was smart enough to tame himself (though still there in international affairs). It ranks #1 in standard of living, but that is due to having the lowest corruption in the world AND having high taxes, something unlikely to be desired by many... But other systems are available: First, the decentralized Swiss system* has a lower taxation rate and introduces a very democratic principle among competitive cantons and communes: VOTE WITH YOUR FEET; second, the successful cooperatives that exist in places like Israel, the Basque Country and Denmark. Coops are the ideal in that there's no lion in them. They can reach the 'good life' even without money.
*The Swiss model is an alternative for those who hate the word "socialism" in any form and it's cited by the Libertarians.
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Continuing with the coops, here are some good reasons why many people would join them if given the choice...
"Most people are living on Kibbutz Arava for two reasons: 1.) to be able to work for themselves [no politician, no bureaucrat, no boss], and 2.) to be able to raise their children in a safe and comfortable environment [in other words, no jungle]. In a world whose cities are increasingly becoming more polarized and violent, these basic wants/needs are synonymous with life on a kibbutz.
Internally, Kibbutz Arava functions rather communally and ecologically. There is a central dining room and commons area. Food that is eaten in the dining room arrives as bulk, wholesale crates, thus eliminating retail wastes such as packaging and plastic wrappers. The kibbutz is a pedestrian community. People are able to walk and ride their bikes to any kibbutz activity [very important when outside is not safe].
kibbutz... http://www.objectsspace.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Kibbutz
Behind Consumption and Consumerism... http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/Consumption.asp
'By creating the lifelines allowing each of us to meet our basic needs (food, housing, healthcare, etc) and extras (culture, arts, music) so that though people won't have to quit their "day-jobs", for the first time ever they will have an honest choice, and the freedom to chose to do so if they so desire (the common phrase "Thank God It's Friday" in the mainstream economy suggests how most may vote with their feet, when we finally make a viable alternative available to them).' (economicdemocracy.org)
Bite back! The little fish organized in coops can chase away the big fish...
http://www.newint.org/issue368/
"Cooperatives are considered to be the best form of economic enterprise because they are capable of seeking a balanced adjustment between collective spirit and individual rights."
http://www.prout.org/pna/cooperatives.html
(SPANISH)
UN PROGRAMA PARA UN MUNDO MEJOR
Por que no construir un sistema nuevo? Que brinde PROSPERIDAD, JUSTICIA SOCIAL y LIBERTAD; que deseche los defectos de ambos el Comunismo y el Capitalismo; que, aunque no perfecto, sea menos malo; y que ponga el sistema al servicio del ser humano y no a la inversa. Por que no HUMANISMO?
Naturalmente, la educacion y la salud deben ser las maximas prioridades de tal sistema; estas deben ser gratuitas --o de bajo costo, en el caso de la educacion superior-- y accesibles a todos. Igualmente la cultura y el deporte deben tener una alta prioridad. Las necesidades de la mujer y la ninez deben recibir una atencion especial (p. ej., adoptando las guarderias costeables; en general, tendriamos mucho que aprender del modelo escandinavo, aunque nuestra politica debe enfatizar aquello de "ensenarles como pescar", no de "darles el pescado"). Una DEMOCRACIA POLITICA Y ECONOMICA, que incluya competicion y cooperacion, crearia una competencia saludable, y permitiria satisfacer las necesidades materiales y humanas de todos. (De esta manera, las empresas cooperativas se verian obligadas a hacerse eficientes, mientras que las empresas capitalistas se verian obligadas a humanizarse; tendriamos mucho que aprender de los kibutz israelies [cooperativas sin fines de lucro]; y de las cooperativas industriales de Mondragon, en el Pais Vasco [un "capitalismo de los trabajadores"].) Debemos buscar el pleno empleo (p.ej., creando fuentes de trabajo en la construccion de la infraestructura de transporte, y una jornada laboral de 30 horas semanales debe ser suficiente). El transporte publico debe ser A1. (La ciudad de Curitiba, en Brasil, nos ofrece un modelo funcional de transporte; carriles de bicicleta deben ser implementados a lo largo de todas las avenidas principales.) Nuestras carreteras, donde impera la Ley de la Selva, deben ser hechas mas seguras, digamos poniendo en practica el pasar solo a la izquierda. Los desamparados, quienes han sido empujados hacia nuestros mejores parques, deben ser incorporados a tareas ligeras pero importantes, digamos como la recogida de papeles en las calles a cambio de apartamentos compartidos y un salario minimo --no debe haber desamparados. (De nuevo, Curitiba es un modelo en esto.) La comida chatarra debe tener una advertencia de peligro (tal como los cigarrillos), particularmente la destinada a los ninos, y podria terner un impuesto para subsidiar a las alternativas saludables. La vivienda debe estar disponible a precios populares. (Las unidades multifamiliares prefabricadas pueden ayudar a lograr esto; el movimiento del "Nuevo Urbanismo" puede proveerles un sentido de comunidad y calidad de vida, digamos teniendo areas verdes abundantes.) La corrupcion administrativa debe tratarse como "enemigo publico No.1". La television y la radio deben ser independientes del Gran Capital y del Estado. (Esto se debe a dos razones: culturalmente, porque los "ratings" convierten los programas malos en "buenos"... para el negocio; y, politicamente, porque quien tenga los medios de comunicacion en su poder... tendra el poder; sin embargo, la gente debe poder ver cualquier cosa en cable y video; la BBC nos ofrece un ejemplo de un medio independiente.) La "Prensa Libre" debe ser democratizada, de manera que, entre otras cosas, la censura de las opiniones del publico sea erradicada. Los politicos deben vivir en lo peor del area que ellos representan, para que asi conozcan sus problemas. Y la politica debe ser abaratada para evitar su control por grupos poderosos (p. ej., cediendo espacio gratuito en la television a los candidatos; tendriamos mucho que aprender del modelo politico de Suiza [en particular, su decentralizacion politica y su oportunidad de "votar con los pies" entre cantones]). No obstante, nunca se debe seguir a nada ni a nadie ciegamente. Y, por supuesto, todo puede ser mejorado. Algo para pensar: Mientras que la prohibicion de las drogas ha sido en gran parte ineficiente y costosa (en dinero, sobrepoblacion penal, crimen), la legalizacion regulada --tal y como en Holanda-- puede ser una mejor solucion para ambos la adiccion y el crimen. Y el vivir libre de miedo al crimen debe ser tratado como una necesidad basica de la sociedad. La forma final de este sistema seria determinada por la aceptacion del propio pueblo: Todas y cada una de estas propuestas deben ser sometidas a referendo. Y, la base de todo lo demas: Debemos aprender a vivir, no DE, sino CON la Naturaleza. Esto equivaldria a SALIR DE LA JUNGLA...
Scandinavian Model for the World?
competition can tame the lion
the Swiss system
Competition, Cooperation or Both?
competitiveness in Scandinavia
SOS!
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Copyright © 2008 Orlando Fernandez. All Rights Reserved