So you want a real democracy do you?
Written by Andrew Buxton on Monday, 24 May 2010.
Democracy:
A group of 12 people (Number will vary according to size of population – 12 is just being used as an example as i dont want to be typing this list forever)
2 Architects, 1 Bus Driver, 2 Cleaners, 1 Salesman, 1 Florist, 1 Banker, 1 Business Director, 1 Window Cleaner, 1 Art Student, and a Structural Engineer.
Their Task.. To design a bridge between two islands to connect the people and make transporting of resources, goods and services between the two islands easier.
They go through hundreds of designs, and at every stage the structural engineer says they wont work.. they may look pretty but they wont work.
The majority vote for a certain design, and go and build it (or others do)
and when its complete they decide to celebrate by being the first to travel across the bridge to celebrate with the inhabitants of the other island. As they go across it collapses and everyone dies, (Except the Structural Engineer – Who knew it wasn’t safe)
I don’t like the idea of democracy… do you?
Its important to understand that you have never lived in a participatory democracy, and you really have to think if you would want one. Ask yourself these questions:
- How do you increase the agricultural yield in a country where the soil is high in nitrates?
- How would you design the software to manage and distribute food within a total city system
- How would you stop cars from hitting each other, or pedestrians?
- How would you design the Heating & Ventilation system for 800 homes in a circular city design?
- How would you regulate the production of any particular good based on the carrying capacity of the city?
- How would you determine the best source of renewable energy for a city?
If you cant answer these questions, where do you think you will participate in the running and design of the cities and society as a whole? Where do you participate in your current system?
Only those who understand mechanical Engineering should be let loose on the hot water systems of a city, otherwise you will be putting peoples lifes at risk over your own ego of wanting to Participate, If you really want to participate you would have to go to school and learn about a subject before you can participate. Would you like a carpet fitter to cut your skull open with a stanley knife and perform brain surgery on you, or would you want a brain surgeon?
One of the common unfounded concerns about The Venus Project I hear is that people dont like the idea of machines making the decisions. I think our history goes a long way to showing that we shouldnt trust humans to make them.
Do you tell your washing/dryer machine how much water to use? When to change from a wash cycle to a rinse cycle? When to add hot water or cold water? Does this scare you? Of course not.
Do you tell your car when its running out of fuel or does it tell you?
When you press the buttons on an elevator, Do you tell the exact moment when it should stop in order for the doors to open at the right level to allow you to get off safely? or does it do this automatically without you even thinking about how?
When you are driving and come up to traffic lights, how do you know when it is safe for you to cross the junction? do you stop.. get out and look? or do you look up at the Red/Amber/Green light?
Or like my father in hospital gradually dying from lung diesease.. The only reason he is alive today is because on numerous occasions where he has been rushed into hospital, he was put on a life support machine. No human being could have kept him alive when his lungs completely packed up.. He owes his life to a machine and now uses one every day to allow him to continue breathing and living a reasonably normal life for a man of his age, and he would have been dead years ago without them.
I could list thousands of examples whereby machines already make important , and in some case life saving decisions without any belief or value system to obscure its objectivity unlike humans.
Without technology we would still be living in the dark ages, without electricity, without heating, without modern transportation, without proper sanitation.. Life would be hell.. and the average life span would be somewhere around 20 if we were lucky.
It is technology that improves the lives of humans above all else but without a change in our value system and the removal of debilitating social structures and the monetary system and all of the abhorrent behaviours associated with it like greed we will continue to see the problems we see today.
Hundreds of Thousands of people from all walks of life, from all different backgrounds, cultures, beliefs and values are coming together united in 1 goal.. and that is the future implementation of a Global Resource Based Economy and The Venus Project.. Why not come and find out about it yourself?
http://www.thevenusproject.com/
http://www.thevenusprojectdesign.com/
Or join the movement @ http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/
For another brief perspective on Democracy check out this post about Economy vs Democracy.
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