THE NEED FOR A LOGICALLY PLANNED WORLD

D.  SOCIAL CONDITIONS (cont.)

Poverty

Another condition which of late has begun to take on its own character as an individual and indepe ndent problem, to be confronted and defeated in and of itself, is that condition known worldwide as plain and simple "poverty."  Poverty has always been associated with, among other things, hunger, illiteracy, poor health, and crime.  It usually prevails more predominantly in places having pronounced i8nstances of uneven distribution of wealth.

While private property, free enterprise, and private entrepreneurship are endorsed and encouraged by me, there ought be some means established whereby the gap between rich and poor will be somewhat naturally narrowed.  Programs such as land reform and better access to education for the poor have been suggested in the past as possibilities.  They are referred to as "pro-poor growth strategies";  and both seem to be "win-win" policies.

The former would have to be a program shaped by experts.  Above all, it should never entail simple appropriation of privately owned real estate without just compensation therefor.  On the other hand, the elimination of national borders together with the elimination of national governments might serve to make a certain amount of government-owned land available for distribution pursuant to such an enterprise.  And I am certain that many other ideas pertaining to such concepts could and would be conceived and implemented.

Similarly, the availability of education to all on a universal basis would hopefully banish ignorance, and enable many more people to create better lives for themselves.  Of course, financial assistance to students, and/or their families, would also be required to be in place, for the period, and to the extent, that said student is unable to work because of school attendance.  (Repayment can, of course, be later anticipated, via resort to something like the present concept of government "student loans";  and/or by means of repayment via volunteer work on the part of such new graduates.)

At any rate, and under any circumstances, poverty deserves to be viewed as an actual separate evil, that needs to be isolated and stamped out, for the good of not only the recipients of such assistance, but for the ultimate benefit as well to all of society as a whole.

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Population and Resources

An ever-expanding population, being a problem which happens to be particularly prevalent in less developed countries, spells trouble for all of society.  Six billion people is a dangerously large number for our earth to sustain in its present condition.  Moreover, it is sadly noteworthy that at least one billions of these humans are ill, malnourished, or both.  This ongoing population "explosion" is further complicated by the prevailing exodus of many younger people from rural to urban areas within their countries.  It has led to increases in urban populations that outstrip the immensity of our overall numerical population growth in general.  And, particularly in the less advanced parts of the world, the result has been the development of "megacities," which often include "shanty slums," rife with poverty, crime, and disease.

This can be partly attributed to the fact that, in today's world, people are trapped within their boundaries--boundaries that often define a small poor nation-state, having little in the way of resources or opportunities that would enable such pathetic souls to rise above their present condition.  Instead, they can only flit about, seeking succor for their actually unsolvable problems.  Help is perceived as hopefully to be found in the capital, or some other large city, within their country.  Unfortunately, many of these people, originally hoping to find a chance to build a better life, discover that conditions there are no better, and perhaps far worse, than in the places from which they emigrated.  But lacking the means or motivation to return, they stay on, adding to the overcrowded confusion, and becoming participants in, and part of, the mischief and squalor.

In this regard, a single worldwide government would need, and be able to fashion, plans whereby urban distribution would be better balanced, present urban slums removed or corrected, and future places like this prevented from coming into existence in the first place.  Safe, secure, and healthy new places for residence could be built, by private developers and/or government, in order to offer quality housing for those who need it, where they want it.

A major cause of famine in particular places has often been overpopulation within those places--as well as uneven and unfavorable distributions of persons and resources in various parts of the world.  From the tragic food shortages that struck India at the turn of the twentieth century, claiming more than a million lives; through the disasters that accompanied China's "Great Leap Forward" in the 1950s, during which over thirty million perished; to Ethiopa's loss of aver a million people to starvation in 1984 and 1985; the cause has each time been identified as being an excess amount of
people within a particular nation-state or locale. 

As stated above, our overall world pop;ulation has increased from two and half billion to well over six billion since the middle of the twentieth century.  With these increases have naturally come increases in demand for just about everything that we eat and use.  Demand for grain has nearly tripled; desire for seafood has increased fourfold; water use has tripled; and we now consume three times the quantity of beef that we used to.  Meanwhile, the growth of our grain harvest has slowed; the land areas which produce many of these products have decreased; and our itrrigation sources have at the same time exhibited little or no growth.  As a result, many people are forced to live their lives attempting to feed themselves and their countrymen, within places defined by national boundaries, that are far from favorable for doing so; and thus experiencing regular frustration, and occasional disaster.  At the same time, in other places beyond these borders--on the other side of the world, or perhaps just a short distance away--areas of land that could yield a solution sit uncultivated and unused.

There are some parts of our world where growing conditions are so unfavorable, or farming and production methods so backward--or both--that shortfalls regularly occur.  It's time to put an end to these tragedies once and for all.  It's time for all of the world to share in all of the advances that have been accomplished to date.  It's time for agriculture and food production to be approached from a worldwide perspective; and for today's methods to be made available to all.  It's time to enable people who have been compelled by national boundaries, for years, and even centuries, to confine their activities to a certain limited unfavorable locale, to be given an opportunity to move on to more favorable places within their world. 

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In connection with all of this, our runaway population growth needs to be viewed and managed on a global basis..  People in unfavorable or unproductive places should be able to legally move on to more advantageous locations--as an improved lifestyle probable increased prosperity, and greater educational availability, would likely simultaneously serve to reduce the rate of population growth among these very people as well.  Programs and assistance could and should be put into place for such people, in order to control such movement to a certain extent; as well as to render logistic and financial assistance to those who need and desire to so relocate, so that this can be accomplished in an orderly and efficient fashion.

In a world without borders, people from anywhere could seek opportunity everywhere.  On first hearing this, the average listener's vestigial emotions concerning tribe and territory may become aroused and offended.  One might initially envision hordes of hungry disadvantaged people descending upon us in our comfortable places, seeking to snatch and devour our plentitude.  But this is not likely to happen--just as it does not occur today.  In fact, it probably could not possibly happen, if all is well planned and prop;erly coordinated.  People possessing so little as to be unable to feed themselves will not board a plane for Nerw York or London, in order to invade shops and homes in their quest for a share of the wealth that is there.  Moreover, invasion is invasion, and crime is crime, wherever and whenever it occurs.  In that the universality suggested herein does not apply to property or possessions, such acts, even if they could occur, would constitute crime, and be dealt with as such. 

 On the other hand, the complaint commonly expressed in twenty first century America concerns "undocumented aliens" crossing our borders and thus gaining entry into our country in order to take jobs that would otherwise go to our citizens.  In the first place, this current problem is usually confined to individuals who seek work that the average citizen of our country will not wish to do.  For example, the average citizen of the United States would likely remain unemployed before he will join the groups of "day laborers" who congregate in certain streets of many of our cities, at certain early morning hours, hoping to be employed for the day--at a substandard wage--in effort to accumulate a sum of money, of which a major portion will usually be "remitted" to family in his native country.

But if there be a unified world, with a single economy, a single currency, and a single set of laws and standards, it seems logical to expect that wages in place "A" will be no different, or higher, than in place "B."  And so (although he would be able to do so), a resident at place "A" would be unlikely to leave home and family and trek to place "B" in search of employment.

Of course, we must acknowledge the other danger which proponents of borders and their enforcement regularly, and properly, refer to:  the fact that some of these invaders are coming here to participate in illegal drug trade.  However, as has been stated a few paragraphs ago, crime is crime, wherever it occurs.  Thus drug traffickers are criminals; and they must be prevented and apprehended--whether they get from place "A" to place "B" by swimming a river, climbing a fence, or flying in First Class on TWA.

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Famiky planning is another concept that is obviously desparately in need of implementation.  It would likely be a natural consequence of the more widespread educational and economic opportunities that would prevail in the unified world that is urged herein.

Family planning needs to be encouraged and promoted worldwide, via education concerning such subjects, and emphatic recommendations relating thereto.  This is a subject that should not--and moreover could not--be realistically imposed upon any peoples or cultures.  But it is hoped and anticipated that more widespread and increased education, coupled with happier and healthier lives, will induce many to further improve their respective lots via the production of less,and consequently better cared for, offspring.  Moreover, other motivations and programs pertaining to family planning might be fostered, encouraged, and rewarded, via methods that are, again, left to our experts to devise and promulgate.  On the other hand, such motivations and prpograms must never offend or tamper with people's personal cultures, consciences, or religious faiths.  However, I do believe that this, as well as just about anything else, is basically capable of accomplishment, via resort to proper approach and formulation, ever mindful of individuals' rights and liberties.

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