Eusocialism
Unless we change direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed. ~ Chinese proverb
All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
Nature offers nothing that can be called this man’s rather than another’s; but under Nature everything belongs to all. ~ Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza
The presumption of human equality is a revolutionary conclusion because it leads people to challenge the validity of society’s institutions and customs that distribute power and wealth unequally among citizens. ~ Leon Baradat
It is important to grapple with the problems connected with the amassing of enormous fortunes swollen beyond all healthy limits. ~ US President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906
It would be wise for us to give up the notion that we are a benevolent and sharing species. ~ American physician Robert Marz
The greatest problem for the human race is the achievement of a universal civic society which administers law among men. ~ Immanuel Kant
As long as people are as they are, the world must be as it is. ~ Nisargadatta Maharaj
Only someone ignorant of history, economics, politics, and the state of the world today can call the human experience a success. Instead, modernity meant institutionalized inequity and an acceleration in the destruction of Nature.
The world finds itself in a critical condition. ~ Angela Merkel in 2016
Time is running out. The collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon. ~ English naturalist David Attenborough in 2018
The institution of democratic governance had an implicit responsibility: to create a citizenry capable of intelligent selection of public servants. That responsibility has not been met. Compulsory education regimes have not produced a sufficiently knowledgeable citizenry upon which a decent democracy depends. Most people don’t even know what foods to eat to wholesomely sustain themselves. Lack of discipline has produced populations in poor health, both physically and mentally.
Men are qualified for civil liberty in exact proportion to their disposition to put moral chains upon their own appetites; in proportion as their love to justice is above their rapacity; in proportion as their soundness and sobriety of understanding is above their vanity and presumption; in proportion as they are more disposed to listen to the counsels of the wise and good, in preference to the flattery of knaves. ~ Irish philosopher George Berkeley in the 17th century
The exercise of democracy can hardly be called fruitful. Most tellingly, from 2017, the United States was helmed by Donald Trump, who was determined to take the country back to its 19th century robber-baron days, alienate allies, and cozy up to dictators. In fear of alienating voters who support Trump, Republican party leaders acted as passive enablers.
We have as president a man who is erratic, vindictive, volatile, obsessive, a chronic liar, and prone to believe in conspiracy theories. ~ Republican political strategist Peter Wehner in 2017
Trump doesn’t have any allegiance to the truth or reality. ~ Republican political strategist Mike Murphy in 2017
There is a vast difference between the skill set need to be a successful campaigner – self-promotion – and being a decent public policy administrator. Voters fail to recognize the distinction; hence, democracy sinks to the lowest common denominator.
Why do people feel they do not have a stake in society? ~ English senior law enforcement official Patricia Gallan
If you think that governance is supposed to be a vehicle for societal well-being, and offer the same for future generations, an informed opinion cannot be that democracy has worked. In his basic thrust, Plato was right about democracy.
In addition to rapid climate change, biodiversity loss, and other environmental hazards, societies are witnessing rising inequality, rising unemployment, slow economic growth, rising debt levels, and governments without workable tools for managing their economies. ~ Finnish economic and environmental scholars Paavo Järvensivu, Tero Toivanen, Tere Vadén, Ville Lähde, Antti Majava, & Jussi Eronen in 2018
Worldwide, the situation renders the status quo untenable, and the future bleak indeed. Climate change is already disruptive; a trend that will startlingly accelerate within the next few decades. There is no reason to think that mankind possesses the intelligence or will to belatedly self-correct and avert its inexorable, self-made demise. That withstanding, a brief exposition on a curative polity follows.
The measure of intelligence is the ability to change. ~ German physicist Albert Einstein
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Humanity is in the midst of enduring unsustainable trends that increase the risk of a catastrophic future that can be avoided, but only by way of a collective response. ~ American law professor Richard Falk in 2017
Ideologies are obviated by a single indisputable fact: men have bungled so badly that they will wipe humanity off the face of the Earth within mere decades if concerted action is not. However admirable rugged individualism may be, it is rendered obsolete with that realization.
(Despite considerable press, that humanity is inexorably heading for demise through a self-generated extinction event is not generally acknowledged at the time of writing. Extreme weather events are already becoming a regularity. Other threats are in the offing, including an increasing lack of clean water and famine.)
The fruition of world civilization has been directly delivered via the application of technology, most notably the foolish consumption of fossil fuels. But the deeper cause owes to political economy.
The primary systems by which the world runs – capitalism and democracy – are based on a façade of competition which guise rapacious plutocracies. Democracy has been no check on exploitation at the expense of societal well-being. What may seem benign business-as-usual has instead been a grinding away at humanity’s future.
We have let money devalue the very characteristics that define our humanity and that enabled our species to survive: our universal capacity to care for each other, to learn from mistakes, to come together to act in concert. ~ American political scientist Edgar Cahn
The lust for material wealth drove the current extinction event – the marriage of materialism to political power, abetted by technology. Only by stopping the relentless environmental destruction and sociopathic disregard of others’ well-being does humankind have any hope for survival whatsoever.
Nothing profits the world as much as the abandoning of profits. ~ Nisargadatta Maharaj
As long as inequality is allowed, the body politic will be bent by those who prosper at others’ expense. If there is a single lesson provided by political history, this is it.
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Capitalism periodically undergoes systemic crisis, which can be resolved only by restructuring the system. ~ American economist David Kotz
There is a deep taproot to the global destruction that man wrought: materialism. Just as the consequences of poverty go well beyond economic sufficiency, the drive to wealth goes beyond financial security.
As long as the mental illness to define oneself by material accumulation is ubiquitous, societies will be sick. This malaise can only be decently addressed when well-being is no longer an economic issue, and wealth is defined in terms of knowledge and contentment.
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Capitalist economies are in large part planned. ~ Ha-Joon Chang
Government provides infrastructure essential to capitalism. Regulatory and tax policies define the ecosystems in which companies exist. The only thing that governments in thrall to capitalism do not do is prosper. Instead, government is corrupted into succoring plutocracy. Under eusocialism, resource allocation can be managed with a prudence that capitalism could never achieve.
Previous attempts at so-called socialism failed for not being socialist; they were instead autocratic posers. Equity was mere lip service.
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Polities have been built as cathedrals of abstract aspirations: the sloganized belief systems of fools. It is far too late to continue the naïve and false ideal of liberty: the indulgence of which has taken humanity to the brink of extinction. If the status quo continues, pollution and climate change will soon ensure that the human experience more resembles post-apocalyptic movies than civilization as we now know it.
Radical societal restructuring is not an option. It is our only hope.
We need an integrated society, and at the same time need to create as much socioeconomic fairness as we can, so what relationships people have across group lines are egalitarian relationships. ~ American social psychologist Eric Knowles
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Let man have dominion over all the Earth. ~ Genesis 1:26, The Bible
The license of man having global dominion requires revocation. It should be apparent that Earth has a self-critical tolerance for its desecration, and man has exceeded that margin by considerable measure.
We must belatedly recognize that we have to live within the natural world, not try to lord over it. The common notion of carrying capacity – how much humanity can sustainably exploit Nature – must be abandoned: replaced with acceptance of economic retrenchment and environmental rejuvenation. We must learn to appreciate the generosity and power of Nature rather than test its limits.
The human footprint on the planet must be reduced: fewer people, less consumption, less exploitation. This cannot be accomplished under a market system. Capitalism must be extinguished, and democracy set aside.
Nothing less than a reordering of our priorities based on a moral revolution can succeed in maintaining the world in such a way as to resemble the conditions we have enjoyed here. ~ Pontifical Academy of Sciences in 2017
Polity
Genuine politics is simply a matter of serving those around us: serving the community and serving those who will come after us. ~ Czech political philosopher Vaclav Havel
The constitution of eusocialism has 2 mandates: socioeconomic equality and environmental respect. From these mandates all else flows.
Most critically, the market system is abandoned for a planned economy where all needs are met through sharing among a network of communities. Humanity must cooperatively commune to a degree it has barely imagined to date.
By abolishing private property one takes away the human love of aggression. ~ Sigmund Freud
The incentive for environmental destruction must be eradicated by abolishing profiteering. Takings from Nature must be efficiently optimized, and further environmental degradation minimized.
We have to look out for each other and lift each other up. ~ American politician Hillary Clinton
The social regime under eusocialism is caring for people throughout their lives, with education appropriate to aptitude, and work commensurate with ability and inclination. Life for everyone should be enjoyable. That said, community needs must be met, and sloth not tolerated.
From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. ~ French socialist politician and historian Louis Blanc
As the engine of societal discord and environmental destruction, acquiescing to greed took humanity to the present precipice. That engine must be shut off.
The root of the world’s woes stem from materialism. That weed must be pulled and the soil of society replanted with esteem of community.
If we are to build a just society, we must reject the myth that we get paid according to our individual worth. ~ Ha-Joon Chang
The importance of equality cannot be understated. Equity for all must be assured, without exception.
Democracy is unstable as a political system as long as it remains a political system and nothing more, instead of being, as it should be, not only a form of government but a type of society, and a manner of life which is in harmony with that type. To make it a type of society requires an advance along 2 lines. It involves, in the 1st place, the resolute elimination of all forms of special privilege which favour some groups and depress other, whether their source be differences of environment, of education, or of pecuniary income. It involves, in the 2nd place, the conversion of economic power, now often an irresponsible tyrant, into a servant of society, working within clearly defined limits and accountable for its actions to a public authority. ~ Richard Tawney
A claim for equality of material position can be met only by a government with totalitarian powers. ~ Friedrich Hayek
The end may justify the means as long as there is something that justifies the end. ~ Leon Trotsky
Nothing turns out to be so oppressive and unjust as a feeble government. ~ Edmund Burke
Transition
Eusocialism begins with a consensus among the ruling elite of its necessity. This is the first stumbling block, and one unlikely to be overcome.
The first actionable step toward eusocialism is a notional seizure of all private assets, and a declaration of martial law to enforce it. No one owns anything, and no one is to do anything about contradicting that. The state, which now owns all, must judiciously take responsibility for all.
(Unprecedented throughout history owing to corruption and incompetence, such equitable governance is likely unattainable. Its only possibility lies in a core of competent leaders determined to brook no opposition, and able to persuade the populace of the goodness of such a visionary undertaking.)
In the initial transitional phase, regular business continues, with exceptions. The financial speculation industry is defunct. Those in this business are enlisted in administering eusocialism, as well as the army of civil-practice attorneys freed from their erstwhile work, as private property and taxes have been abolished.
Doubtlessly, the initial shock of a eusocialist revolution will require a large police presence in cities. Political leadership must be explicitly clear about how life is to proceed, and when death is to be dealt.
Initial resistance is expectable. There is nothing to be done but cull those who violently oppose the survival prospects of humanity with their greed and short-sightedness. The next generation, reared with proper education and the evidence of senseless human environmental impact still about them, should appreciate the discipline required to create a sustainable, equitable society.
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The first active focus should be helping those who need it most. Goodwill begins by taking care of the homeless, the underemployed, and those with medical problems.
An equally important process is educating the populace so that they understand the current predicament, and thereby enthusiastically come together. Unlike democracy, which may survive via apathy, mass support is crucial to the success of eusocialism.
Geographically, humanity must consolidate its presence on the planet and engender natural vegetation. Soils must be renewed, and forests allowed to regrow as much as possible. Return to Nature as much land as possible.
Current construction projects need to be quickly assessed for their value in the new society. Given inexorable rising sea levels, abandoning coastal areas is prudent. New construction should focus on sustainable communities in regions that may weather foreseeable climate change.
The economy must transition from the chaotic oversupply created by the market system to rational production and consumption. The economy is planned not for growth, but for sustainability.
Living becomes more communal. To minimize food waste, eating in restaurants becomes the norm.
Industries reliant upon fossil fuels – from power production to transportation – must be minimized as quickly as possible. Agriculture must be weaned of its fossil fuel dependence. The same holds for materials which are exceedingly polluting and energy intensive, such as cement and aluminum.
(There is an irony here. Rationalizing a society is going to require a lot of new construction, which necessarily will involve cement, since it is the most durable building material known. The same goes for other necessary materials which are not environmentally friendly. Note that pesticides is not one of them. Such toxins must be abolished.)
Given its environmental damage, restrict travel and destroy roads such that Nature may reclaim the land. With rare exception, eliminate personal transport vehicles. Build dense, vibrant cities with nearby industrial areas on land which cannot be farmed. Leave fertile lands to agriculture. Severely limit livestock production. Let rural areas and suburbs be reclaimed by Nature.
To have any hope of reducing the rate of environmental decimation, industrialization must be selectively dismantled. Technologies that are not environmentally sustainable must be abandoned. This necessitates technological regression. However clever human technologies may appear, they were not created with environmentalism in mind. If sustainability does not become a top priority, humanity will not survive.
Justice
The administration of justice is the firmest pillar of government. ~ George Washington
The purpose of justice is to provide a safe environment for social interactivity. A society is only as healthy as its tolerances. To allow hateful behavior and crime to exist and thrive is itself injustice: a clarion signal that the body politic is ineffectually weak and corrupt.
As with other aspects of life, justice is simplified under eusocialism. Civil disputes cease to exist because there are no property rights beyond the most personal of property. As most crimes are motivated by materialism, one of the most basic impulses for crime is removed under eusocialism.
In a well governed state, there are few punishments, not because there are many pardons, but because criminals are rare; it is when a state is in decay that the multitude of crimes is a guarantee of impunity. ~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau
There must be no tolerance for violence or cruelty of any kind. (This includes unauthorized acts against natural resources.) Corruption, which makes a mockery of justice, is a particularly pernicious societal offense which must be eliminated. (There must be well-established channels for whistleblowing to be an effective means for removing corrupt officials.)
A greatly expanded police force acts as a front-line interface to social services. (Only law enforcement is allowed to possess firearms. Police monopoly on violence should be complete, and violence applied only with the utmost need.) Their knowledge of the community and its members should become comprehensive. These responsibilities are simply an extension of those that the police have always had, but could not accomplish for lack resources, training, and empowerment. Under eusocialism, the police must become one of the most respected and powerful public institutions. To ensure such, training and oversight must make its members accountable and incorruptible.
Policing must become a truly community endeavor – not in just a few cities, but everywhere. Police forces should look like, and come from, the neighborhoods they serve. They should reach out to support and defend the community – working with people in neighborhoods before problems arise. All police forces must be trained to de-escalate and to avoid the likelihood of violence. ~ Elizabeth Warren
Judicial administration should be swift, aimed at getting at the truth. (The American criminal justice system is the antithesis of how one should be run. The German system is more like it.) (Unlike authoritarian regimes in the past, all members of society are held accountable. There must be equality in justice as in all else; no one above the law, especially police and political authorities.) One institution which has no place in a eusocialist society is prison: it is both a degradation of society and a waste of resources. There are only 2 penalties for offenses: community service or death. Repeat offenders, corrupt authorities, and those convicted of serious crimes receive the latter.
Justice is the crowning glory of the virtues. ~ Cicero
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Ruling councils, led by and largely comprising wise women, oversee all aspects of governance. (Ruling the world through avarice, men created the current predicament. It is long past due they took a back seat to managing societal well-being. Let the socially superior gender lead the way.)
Life’s value is in its quality. Communities must reflect that. Continuing education and artistic expression should be as highly valued as necessities, with needs met in sufficiency and amusement in abundance.
Eusocialism is the only polity that offers everyone enjoyable, productive lives with a minimum of struggle. Under eusocialism, humanity may even have something of a bright future rather than the doom it presently faces.
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Dilemmas arise in geographically limited adoption of eusocialism, namely economic self-sufficiency and environmental efficacy. An economy reliant upon trade under current terms is an economy yoked to the senseless growth that has brought the world to the brink. Polluters committed to the status quo leave the engine of destruction running.
For eusocialism to meet its intentions and give humanity a possibility of surviving its self-created extinction event, it should be worldwide: a negotiated peace and prosperity among all peoples.
We are not simply connected. We are entangled. Our lives, our destinies are intertwined. The idea that somehow we can forge our future in an insular way, even for the biggest countries, is a fantasy. ~ English political economist Ian Goldin
Mankind’s problems can no longer be solved by national governments. What is needed is world government. ~ Dutch economist Jan Tinbergen
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To love our neighbor as ourselves is such a truth for regulating human society, that by that alone one might determine all the cases in social morality. ~ John Locke
While eusocialism may be conceivable, even practicable, its adoption is unimaginable. Plutocracy self-perpetuates. The ruling elite have too much power and privileged position to willingly relinquish it to equality. Wars are fought over much less.
Further, and equally important, the masses that would benefit from eusocialism are as likely to rebel as to acquiesce to equitable governance. Their heads are presently filled with idiotic beliefs, beginning with a sense of self-entitlement to personal liberties well beyond societal well-being.
Restricting breeding can only provoke anathema from an animal so taken with the idea of its own individual immortality. Biological impulses are an undeniable imperative to the Collective.
For the foregoing reasons, any musing about eusocialism is nothing more than idle speculation, as humanity awaits a much different fate than curing the ills of its legacy – extinction, and much sooner than has been publicized. The current climate change is an accelerating nonlinear dynamic that will rent the sheer veneer of world civilization in the next half century with disruptive mass migrations, freshwater shortages, famine, economic collapse, and political disarray.
