Monday, February 27, 2012

ONE WORLD (cont.)

Having shed our shackles, we will be able to apply all of our attention, directly and without interruption, to the real problems which beset us.  What are these "real" problems?  I think we must all agree that there are a number of aspects of our lives and our world that clearly require correction and improvement, in order for twenty-first century civilized society to deserve to be called logical and sensible.  I will descroibe many of these--which most of us are already well aware of--in the future.

As a general proposition, virtual unanimous agreement by mankind that a particular condition is hurtful or harmful, or potentially so, would be a reliable determinant that change or improvement is indeed necessary.  Some of these conditions are quite obvious and apparent, and come readily to mind:  illness, hunger, ignorance, poverty, homelessness, crime, various emergencies and catastrophes, as well as the current sorry state of our environment, to name but a few.  However, in the final analysis, it would be necessary to compose and resort to a high-principled, just, competent, and humane system, in order to consistently arrive at proper decisions regarding what problems shall be considered such; as well as whether, in what priority, and in what fashion, man's efforts would be employed to alleviate them.  In short, it should be a function of the will of the world, naturally exercised through a single super-efficient, logical and objective, guiding, directing and executing entity, to determine these things, and to carry them out.

Problem-solving, as well as other functions of government, should be carried on and directed by such a worldwide entity, free of national or political concerns, competition, pressure, and strife.  It should be composed of the most eminently skilled and highly capable peoiple--those who are most proficient to accomplish what is in actuality the most critical work amongst all human endeavor:  the direction and guidance of our world.  For this, the world's most crucial pursuit--not merely constituting just recompense--but more importantly, in order to make certain that the most highly skilled and eminently capable people are attracted and retained--the world's most rewarding system of compensation must be established.  Too often today, under our present grossly imperfect system, the most talented and able among us will shun public service, government, and especially the frivolous, childish world of politics which is usually prerequisite to such service; and opt instead for the significantly less pressuring, and frequently more financially and/or otherwise more rewarding, private sector.  No longer will our most brilliant leaders choose only to direct brokerage houses and manufacturing facilities; while our world's most critical affairs often wind up in the hands of mediocre--but popular--politicians, and/or their friends.  Further, no longer will a person with no more than average skill and competence have a loud, perhaps determining, and possibly damaging, voice in world affairs because he happens to be one of the few capable persons--or worse, the most popular or personally powerful person--within the bounds of a certain defined geographic area of our globe (which we presently call a "country").

Of course, safeguards must nevertheless be instituted and put into place: 
     a)  to prevent a reversion to the political process, of the sort currently resorted to, for the choosing of these "experts";
     b)  to permit, and to effectuate means for the removal and/or replacement of such of said officials as should, per predetermined objective criteria, be found to be, or to have become, less than faithful, reliable, or otherwise appropriately qualified for his or her function;
     c)  to constitute a system of "checks and balances," whereby none of such officials and/or groups of same might commence upon behaviors or policies that could degenerate into any form of "dictatorship"; 
     d)  to comprise a "last-ditch" process (based upon objective parameters) whereby a pre-ordained percentage of the world's population will be enabled to compel the commencement of efforts to find some or all alternative individujals, and/or an alternative method, via which our world will be governed.

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Application of rational thinking to the question of how our world should be organized and administered seems to naturally and logically point to that which I propose herein.  As the single, most fundamental, and most encompassing and all-inclusive, entity to which every single one of us belongs, our world should be perceived and considered, managed and directed, in the same fashion as any large and important organization--only more so.  It does not require the mind of a managerial genius to realize that a business concern could not function effectively--nay, could not remain in operation for long--if its various departments or branches were directed by the most "popular" people in the company; or if each department were obligated to expend a major percentage of its time, resources, and personnel upon supplying itself, and maintaining readiness, for potential inter-departmental or inter-office strife; or, worse, if they were in a state of chronic conflict and occasional mortal combat with each other. 

Perhaps, here, the reader might ask whether I propose the abolition of anything resembling competition.  Of course, I must acknowledge that competition is a helpful concept, and is frequently resorted to as a motivator in efforts to promote quantitative and/or qualitative excellence.  However, to be honest, I must admit that I consider competition to in fact be but a contrivance, and an artificial motivational tool.  For nothing positive is ever actually produced, per se, from "beating the other guy."  At most, competition is merely a reason for me--or my team--to strive harder.  But there are other reasons--perhaps more worthy reasons, perhaps more inspirational reasons--which might be generative of yet greater degrees of motivation and accomplishment.

I would point out, for example, that many of mankind's most beneficial and splendid achievements were not in fact motivated by a sense of competition--but, rather, by desire for enrichment; by feelings of duty, morality, idealism, or devotion; and, particularly, by that most powerful motivator of all: love.
Moreover, even competition, as it exists in our business, professional, and athletic worlds today, generally does not go so far (and never should go so far) as to contemplate actually harming or annihilating the competitors.  Rather, it merely seeks to stimulate more and/or better products, service, or performance.  This, in turn, frequently produces a resultant overall improvement throughout the entire industry, profession, or sport itself; which ultimately redounds to the benefit of all consumers or spectators.  If competition among nations were merely of this nature (i.e., a number of national entities, competing--by striving to offer better conditions and services as a means of generating more applications for citizenship from among the world's populace) my present efforts would be less, if at all, necessary, and these urgings probably unwritten.  However, a cursory consideration of the history of the world to date clearly indicates that this aspect of international "competition" has been, and continues to be, quite different, and far more catastrophic.  Thus, to those among you who support and would retain the present national system by reason of a supposition that conversion to Universality would remove competition and create a bland and unproductive environment, I respectfully declare that this is not likely.  For the gravity of that which is at stake, togethetr with the potential for the resultant benefits to be had from World Unity, will constitute far more potent forms of motivation, toward a bright and promising new age.

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I would venture to submit that humanity has progressed, sociologically and technologically, to a point where a system of World Unity is not only presently appropriate--but actually acutely necessary.  As I will often state subsequently herein, I am of the opinion that mankind has advanced to a pooint at which we are not only ready for Universality--but that we need it now, if we are indeed to survivie.

To citizens of the United States (an assemblage of fifty states--whose very seal bears the legend "e pluibus unum"), as well as to those of so many other nations whose present composition is but an agglomeration of a number of smaller, formerly separate, states, nations, and/or groups of peoples, I would point our that Universality is but an extension of, a further fulfillment of, and the ultimate destination of, the underlying trends toward assembly and unity which have been taking place before the eyes of all of us since the beginnings of civilization.

If a threat to our entire globe (perhaps, for example, by an alien force from another planet) were to manifest irself at some future date, I am rather certain that such a fortuitywould generate an immediate about-face in our relations amongst ourselves, and foster a spirit of cooperation and unitymuch along the lines which I suggest herein.  But, actually, such a mortal threat does already exist at this very instant.  Ironically, this threat comes not from afar--but from within--being directed toward, as well as issuing from, our very selves!

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