A Utopia

                                                                      
            As I have observed life with its myriad of different lifestyles, people, religions, and cultures, I have come to some conclusions that might remedy much of the social and political ills and problems in this country and perhaps the world.   One of the biggest problems in the country is the needy and the greedy and both have their hands out wanting more.  Class warfare has always been a problem throughout the history of the world but has come to the forefront in recent years in the United States. There are the haves and the have-nots.  The middle class which is bearing much of the tax burden of the country has become the new poor.  As I have let my mind muse on solutions to the problems, I have come up with an idea for what utopia might be.  I have wondered if the world were to be in a perfect balanced state, what it would look like.  Since the world is so large and complex, and because I live in the United States, I have simplified my utopia to this country to begin with.  If the utopist society worked, maybe it would spread to other countries and parts of the world. 

            The most important elements in this utopist society would be personal and social responsibility. In my utopist society everything is voted on but because the consciousness of the people is so high, the vote for the good of all would be considered in every case.   There wouldn’t need to be much debate but after some discussion, the vote would usually be unanimous. There would be balance which would eliminate the needy and the greedy.  The wealth would be distributed equally among everyone.  Everyone would have a high standard of living and enjoy wealth.  The society at large would receive say a figure of $150,000 a year which would be enough for everyone to enjoy a high standard of living.  The only stipulation to receiving this money would be that a person needed to be making a positive contribution to society in some way.  If you could not make some kind of a contribution because of illness, disability or being elderly and unable to work, a person would still be guaranteed   $75,000 a year to take care of their needs.

            The stock market would not exist because the stock market system is unstable and too many people in the system are dishonest.  Businesses would turn all profits into the state banks to help support all the citizens.  There wouldn’t be any super rich or poor. This is how all the citizens could enjoy such wealth.  Rather than debt, the state coffers would begin to have money which would build into secure accounts to help the citizens and the country.   It would be against the law to spend more than what was in each state’s savings account. In fact each state would need to maintain an emergency no touch fund of 10 billion dollars.  The banks would keep the money for national or state emergencies and to help those that are disabled or at the age of 62, retired.  These monies would be controlled by each state bank not the federal government.   After retirement, people would still receive $75,000 a year but would not have to pay for a housing allowance because they had been paying into that account since they were eighteen.

            Inflation would not exist because products, and operating costs would stay at a fixed price. Every town would be somewhat self-sufficient with most of the things they need within ten miles. Energy and energy costs would be way down because solar and nuclear power would be so efficient that rising energy costs would not happen which is a big cause of inflation.

  People would be issued one credit card.   To prevent people being wasteful or not showing good economic responsibility, the amount allowable to withdraw would be divided over the twelve month period.   The $150,000 would be after taxes of ten percent from every household to support community things and health care everyone uses. No one in the country would make more than $150,000 including the president of the country or a CEO. This would prevent people from being greedy and power hungry.  If  a person wanted to earn a little more than the $150,000 which wouldn’t really be necessary because the allotted amount would be enough to live well, a person could apply for an additional $25,000.  The only way a person could receive more than the allotted amount would be if they had a new idea that would benefit society.  There would be a cap of $25,000 for any project idea so as not to encourage greed.   A panel would discuss and vote whether the idea was worthy of development and funding to help society.   This would give people incentive to come up with new ideas for the good of all.  There would be a limit of no more than one idea per year that would be funded per individual.

            Everyone would have a certain amount of discretionary income. Twenty thousand would go towards housing, twenty thousand towards food, and twenty thousand would go to utilities, energy use, and a car.  The rest of the income would be discretionary and could be used for travel, hobbies, clothes, shopping, vacations and whatever else was a productive use of the money.  Gambling would not exist because that plays on chance and greed and could create poverty.  If the $150,000 is misused, there is no extra compensation.  This would help to make people frugal and make wise choices with their income.  Only one credit card would be allowed and that credit card balance would need to be paid off each month. 

            There would not be any homeless people.  Everyone would be provided with a nice middle class home or condo.  People could chose the style of the home and builders would build it with individual tastes in mind.  It could not exceed a certain cost and would be automatically paid from each person’s bank account with the allotted housing allowance.  In order to have a home, however, strict cleanliness and upkeep would be required and friendly inspections of homes would be made quarterly to help people care for and respect their homes and yards.  Maintenance and Improvements to the home would need to be taken out of discretionary funds.   Taking good care of the home and yard would be a prerequisite of having a home, and would prevent unhealthy or unsanitary conditions.  If a person wanted a nicer home, they could put some of their allotted money into a nicer home but it could not exceed 35% of their annual income.  There would be no such thing as a foreclosure.  

            The federal government would be totally revamped and simplified.  There would be a flat 10% income tax for everyone and there would be no deductions on income tax.  The federal government would be simplified down to very basic areas.  There would be an environmental department, an educational department, a health department, a foreign relations department, an energy department and a state’s department.  The states   department would coordinate the federal and state laws so they were not in conflict with each other.  If there was a conflict, state law would override federal law.   Most of the government would be handled at the state level for each state.   Laws would be consistent in each state so there wouldn’t be confusion and conflict.  The laws would protect the people not the criminals.

              People in the society would all have jobs doing things they enjoyed.  There would be a wide variety of  different  choices  for occupations depending on interest and aptitude  from community gardens, health consultants, construction,  technology, engineering,  education,  and a number of specialty occupations that the society could choose from and also be trained in. Motherhood would be considered one of the most important jobs and would be compensated the same as any other occupation.   Unemployment would not exist because everyone would be trained in jobs that are needed and a job would be waiting when their training was completed.   Citizens of the country would receive their $150,000 when they turn eighteen.  They are also placed in a job of their choice at eighteen.  If people want to get more specialized training or go to college they still get the $150,000.  They pay some of that in college tuition in the amount of $20,000 a year.  A job is waiting for them after they finish their college or training.

            The society would be self sufficient and everyone would have their own garden plot to raise healthy, organic food.  Each family would be provided with one to two cars as needed but not more unless it was used out of their discretionary funds. These cars would be electric, solar, or hydrogen powered cars and would not pollute the air in anyway.

            Banks would not exist to try to rip off the public and make themselves rich, but as a service to the community.  They would keep track of everyone’s accounts.  They would give loans which would not have an interest rate of more than 7%.  If a loan was made the payment on that loan would come out of the account of that person automatically each month until the loan was paid off.  People would be rewarded for saving so that they wouldn’t need to take out loans.  Banks would pay 7% to people who kept their money in a savings account.  

Couples would have to apply to become parents. Children would have a father and a mother.  A group of very good parents would be chosen as the panel to screen those applying for parenthood.  The people on the panel would be chosen because of how well their children have contributed to society and because they have very good moral character.  They have contributed positively to society and have no criminal records.  

            Society would be educated about the life force and the importance of being responsible with it. Everyone would be educated on birth control by the age of ten and before they have the ability to pro-create.  Unplanned pregnancies would be highly discouraged. There would be few unplanned pregnancies because everyone would be educated about how important it is to show responsibility with procreation.  Children would be planned for and loved by parents that have taken classes in good parenting skills.   If there was an unplanned pregnancy with someone under the age of 18, the baby would be placed with responsible and caring people who have applied and want a child. These people have been screened and trained to be good parents and are mature enough to raise a child.  The size of the family would be voluntarily controlled but people would usually not choose to have any more than four children because they realize it is not fair to each child for there to be too many to care for.  A couple would need to be approved to have more than four children.  Most would choose to have one to three children. 

            There would be a federation of all the religions in the world.  The heads of these religions would meet to develop a moral code that all laws would support and abide by.  The moral code would show personal and social responsibility and protect the society.  It would be based on the precepts that show love of self and love of others and concern for the welfare of all in society.  A group would be voted on that is non- denominational but has a good moral code to represent and oversee that the moral code is followed across the country. 

            Crime would be greatly reduced because everyone’s needs are met and families are healthy and raising healthy children with a good moral code and personal responsibility to themselves and the community.   Those that have committed crimes would be around healthy people not unhealthy people in order to be rehabilitated.    Rehabilitation would have great success because people wouldn’t be rewarded for being criminals.  They would be locked in work centers where they had to earn their keep by doing responsible things like typing on computers or even heavy labor if that is what they were best suited to do.   They would have to earn their freedom by being productive and showing a good work ethic and moral code. If they didn’t have any skills, they would be trained in prison in a job that is needed in society.  Interviews would take place regularly and if they were ready, they would be placed in a half-way house as soon as possible.  They would be closely supervised to see if they were ready to be positive members of society. They would have counseling and support and be placed in jobs as soon as they had earned their freedom.   Attorneys that were trying to get criminals off that they new committed a crime, would not be allowed to practice.   People would pay for their criminal acts and there would be stiff consequences.  The most important being the loss of their freedom.

            The military would be scaled way down.  There would be an attitude more like Switzerland that we do not get involved in world political problems.  The military would only be stationed in our own country.   We would have an attitude that we take care of our own country and protect and defend it.  One of the main responsibilities would be protecting and guarding our borders from negative influences or criminal activity.  The military would serve to help in natural disasters and other events that occurred. They would be doing service to make the country safer and better.  The world would have evolved enough as a whole to know how dangerous and self destructive nuclear bombs would be to everyone and that would never be a threat. The world would not be into war or rumors of war because they would realize how self-defeating that is to everyone in the long run.  Violence would be greatly decreased everywhere.

            Media would be controlled and negative and false information would not be allowed to air. Positive programming would show things that lifted, educated, or inspired the human spirit.  Propaganda would not be allowed. The people that ran media would create things that would encourage viewers to be better human beings instead of glamorizing crime and victimization.  Criminal acts would not be reported on the news.  Criminal behavior would not receive the spotlight or be the top news story.  Top news stories would be about good things people were doing out in their communities to make their communities better.  Shows that exposed criminal or violent behavior would not be allowed to air. Pornography would be eliminated from television and computers.  It would be against the law.

            As a moral responsibility, everyone would receive health care.  It would be good health care and all would be taken good care of until they passed on.  The focus in health would be on preventive medicine and healthcare.  People would be counseled in how to handle stress in healthy ways so people would be healthier and not need anti-depressants and so many operations or other medical help because of diabetes and other preventable diseases.  If people needed operations they would get them.  Those working in the health fields would be compensated the same way as any other field.  Health and medical care costs would be taken care of out of taxes.  There would be free health care centers in every neighborhood where people could have exercise as well as classes teaching people about how to be healthy in body, mind and spirit.  Classes would be taught to help society develop important life skills to work with others and a have a good moral code.  Spirituality would be important and non-denominational lessons would be taught to the community on Sunday.   Most organized religions would not exist or be needed because the moral and ethical responsibilities would be covered in these Sunday meetings. Thus corruption and manipulating people and trying to get their money through organized religions would not exist.   This would result in religions stopping their dogma that their religion is the only true one and stop aggression and war over religious beliefs.  Different religions could still exist as long as they didn’t teach anything that would harm others. They would pay the same tax as every other business and it would be 10% of their income.

            Everyone would be into having a healthy lifestyle.  This would include eating right and exercise for everyone.  People would not have obesity or anorexia problems because they would be taught and monitored about healthy lifestyle from a very young age.  Parents and schools would not allow their children to have unhealthy eating habits.  They would not give them unhealthy foods but a good healthy and well balanced diet.   There would not be alcohol or drug abuse either because families would be strong and have healthy role models as parents.  They would be educated and taught how harmful these can be and they would make the intelligent choice to eliminate them from their lifestyle. Excessive use of anything would be discouraged and monitored.  It would be against the law for stores to sell things that were harmful to humans including tobacco and unhealthy foods that contain a lot of chemicals and artificial colorings or hormones.   

            In order for these ideas to take place some systems would have to be totally eliminated and a new system begun.  It would be hard to get rid of the systems but the citizens would vote for this to occur because it would really be needed as it is today.  This would be a free will system and not forced on anyone but society would realize that this would be a better way for all to have a better quality of life and would be behind it and want to see it take place.   It may seem unrealistic and idealistic but I do think if a person believes and sees a solution and gets the idea out to others, that idea can be achieved. It would take time, commitment, and a true vision of a better way for things to be accomplished by the masses.  Corruption in government, greed, and entitlements without earning them would have to be stopped.   Manipulation of the masses through propaganda would have to be stopped as well.  Truth would have to be the banner of America and justice and freedom to create a better society would have to be its main goal. A moral society with high ideals would have to be a part of the consciousness of the people for it to take place.