Other alternatives might be:
an educational system encouraging individual creativity and initiative;
collaborative public works other than military service;
the use of technology to generate a general level of leisure and culture that was previously the preserve of an aristocratic elite - surely technology must bring us to this eventually?
Of course, Sparta has specific problems:
regular allocations of involuntary colonists from Welfare slums on Earth;
a rich off-planet backer of insurrection.
However, I am really talking about the CoDominium. With all the resources of Earth, the Solar System and extrasolar colonies, this regime fails to address human problems and is destroyed by them.
9 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Just a few hasty comments. I would prefer to leave education in PRIVATE hands, families, organizations, professional/trade associations, churches, etc. And not controlled by the state. The never ending failures of so called "public schools" (in the US sense) has soured me on the state running schools.
And what exactly do you mean by "collaborative public works other than military service"? I don't understand this. If roads and dams need to be built, I thought the usual practice is for the state to put up contracts for the work up to private bidders. And then tax funds would be allocated for the winning bid. Not perfect, I grant you.
I do agree the CoDominium's failure to successfully manage the problems of Earth was the reason it eventually collapsed after not much more than a century.
Sean
Sean,
If large numbers can be recruited, mobilized and trained to fight and kill, then why not also for forestry and environmental work, enhancement of social amenities, exploration, scientific research etc?
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
And who will PAY for the things you listed? How will you get people to do things like forest management or do scientific research if the people doing them are not paid? You need private companies and entrepreneurs to put up the money for hiring workers, scientists, technicians, etc. Or wealthy patrons or governments funding research groups.
And what exactly is "enhancement of social amenities"? I'm sorry to seem carping, but this is vague! Anyone who opens a bar can be said to be "enhancing" social amenities.
Armed forces can be raised, trained, equipped because of not only the coercive powers of the state, but also because people often believe that to be right and necessary. Things like forest management will never be thought that important and will be left to whatever private groups wish to do work in that line.
Sean
Sean,
I agree that my proposal would require a big change in social attitudes and priorities! - but this can happen. It happens in war and could happen in response to a major social or environmental crisis. Amenities: roads, parks, libraries, theaters, monuments etc.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
But what we can see in times of war is exactly what I said above, the state using its coercive powers. And if any social or environmental crisis really and truly needs that kind of response, it will most likely be done as a result of the state using its powers. Which is not what I think you had in mind.
Roads, they will need engineers, technicians, workers. Most likely provided by private firms submitting bids. Unless the state directly builds them.
And many libraries have been built by either private philanthropy or by local governments. And the same for theaters, monuments, etc.
Sean
Sean,
Yes, much good stuff has already been done but our libraries are being cut at present. Our society is going backwards.
Paul.
Sean,
In war, the state's coercive power is often backed up by the popular will.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I agree, we live in a bad age, one of increasing decadence and social disintegration. I can't help but think that if most of us believed in great ideas and in great goals we would be better off. Examples being resurgence in Christian faith and a REAL space program. And that in turn would probably lead to taking greater care about "smaller" things like libraries.
Sean
Kaor, Paul!
Exactly! I remember one Ythrian character saying in THE PEOPLE OF THE WIND that you don't have to hate in order to fight. Her human interlocutor wryly responded that it HELPS.
Sean
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