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I think that a question has been developing world-wide that remains without a solid answer: How do we, the people of this planet, evolve into a species that is

I think that a question has been developing world-wide that remains without a solid answer: How do we, the people of this planet, evolve into a species that is free from the chains imposed onto us by governments? Now, I know that I am solidly floating on utopia here and that what I am thinking about might require centuries of change. No issue there. I just feel that almost every nation on this planet is enslaved, in some way, by its own government --whether put into place by the people, by force or inheritance (royals). I happen to think that most people on this planet are good people and that most of us want pretty much the same things: To live a good and peaceful life, have a family, provide for them and do the things we enjoy doing. Governments, on the other hand, are all about power and control. And they, invariably, take liberties that we, the people, might not want to take. They get us into wars and conflicts, they enslave people, they engage in genocide and they create antagonisms that might not exist. I am not so naive as to not understand that some people will behave badly. History is full of these examples. You take a country like China. Over a billion people. And a few dozen (or less) call the shots? Why? Take the United States. Do you realize that you can never really own your home here? Why? Property taxes. That's why. If you don't pay them the government can take your home away from you, even if you paid all loans and have no debt. Why is our government entitled to tax our homes? And why are they entitled to take our homes away? If you really think about it and make an effort to clear your mind of any preconceived notions or indoctrination it becomes clear that this is but one example of the lunacy that government has become. I think that humanity needs to evolve away from these systems if we are going to survive and thrive. Of course there are too many issues to even attempt to list them here. Like I said, maybe in a few centuries. John Lennon said it best: Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky Imagine all the people Living for today... Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too Imagine all the people Living life in peace... You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will be as one Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can No need for greed or hunger A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people Sharing all the world... You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will live as one

mhartl 14y ago
"Imagine" ... is virtually the Communist manifesto, even though I'm not particularly a Communist and I do not belong to any movement. —John Lennon Before proposing "Imagine" as a founding document for your political philosophy, you might want to consider the fate of people in nations founded on the principles of the Communist Manifesto. (N.B. I love Lennon's qualification: he's not particularly a Communist—which means, by implication, that he kinda sorta is one, even by his own admission.)
- robomartin 14y ago
  I don't interpret it that way and certainly don't propose communism. I'm a libertarian, so that would be diametrically opposed to my beliefs. All I am saying is that I think --again, this is my belief-- that the future of humanity probably lies in no countries and governments reduced to simple administrative tasks. I have no desire to be at war with some guy in Iran or Afghanistan any more than a family man there wants to be at war with me. Governments start these things and rope us all into them. I mean, look at World War 1. Why did it even start? http://www.firstworldwar.com/origins/causes.htm http://www.firstworldwar.com/origins/causes.htm Governments. Not the people. Governments. Thirty seven million casualties. http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/resources/casdeath_pop.html http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/resources/casdeath_pop.html Did the farmer or doctor in Germany or Russia want to go to war? Probably not. It was their stupid governments that triggered the entire thing and tens of millions died for it. And that's my point. Governments as we have known them for the last century or two need to mutate into something very different in order for us to evolve further as a society and culture. We can't have the kinds of things you are seeing around the world happen to us. Nobody "owns" me or you. Therefore, the whole concept of governments telling and dictating what we can and cannot do is at odds with what I might call "natural" laws. I, we, hire government workers to do things for us that have community scope. Build roads. Run the local school. Upholds laws that we agree upon, etc. Beyond that, things are completely upside-down. No government should have the power to declare war. Not any more. If anything, the people should reserve that power and exercise it through voting. The same is true of a myriad of other roles government plays today. Take China as an example: Over a billion people allowed a handful of people in Beijing to keep them from having more than one child. Over a billion people. Really? What is it about the human condition that we allow such things to happen. The point isn't to argue about the merit of the decision in the context of population explosion. I believe that those things take care of themselves one way or the other. The point here is that a society of over a billion people somehow allows a handful of communist leaders to control their reproductive rights. That's just wrong. If you allow that, of course they are going to come into your schools and indoctrinate the shit out of your children. Here's another example. Times are tough right. Let's say you are unemployed and have to feed your family. You happen to own a fishing pole and live near a lake or stream. Here in California you can't go fishing and feed your family without a fishing license. You have to buy a fishing license in order to engage in the most fundamental act a human being can engage: hunt for food in order to survive. Really? Yes, really? You are not allowed --by government-- to fish, no matter the circumstances. If they catch you fishing without a license it can cost thousands of dollars and possibly end up doing time in jail. In what alternate reality does this make any sense whatsoever. OK, I understand about conservation, etc., etc. Still, it is my right, as a human being on this planet, to hunt, fish and farm in order to feed myself and my family. No government should have the power to prevent me from doing so. If John Lennon wrote that song thinking about communism then I have to find other words to describe some of my ideas, because communism is far, far from it. When I read the words to the song I don't interpret communism in there but rather people living freely WITHOUT or with minimal government. Now, before anyone goes off on me. Admittedly the problem is very complex and, if it can even happen, it would take centuries of cultural evolution in order to reach even a portion of what I am talking about. Take religion as an example. It's got to go. That will, I am sad to say, take a very long time. The same is true of the attachment to the concept of countries. That's got to go too. Earth. One people. True freedom. Not government subjugation. Government must be reduced to administrative workers who work for us, not against us.

mhartl 14y ago

"Imagine" ... is virtually the Communist manifesto, even though I'm not particularly a Communist and I do not belong to any movement. —John Lennon Before proposing "Imagine" as a founding document for your political philosophy, you might want to consider the fate of people in nations founded on the principles of the Communist Manifesto. (N.B. I love Lennon's qualification: he's not particularly a Communist—which means, by implication, that he kinda sorta is one, even by his own admission.)

robomartin 14y ago
I don't interpret it that way and certainly don't propose communism. I'm a libertarian, so that would be diametrically opposed to my beliefs. All I am saying is that I think --again, this is my belief-- that the future of humanity probably lies in no countries and governments reduced to simple administrative tasks. I have no desire to be at war with some guy in Iran or Afghanistan any more than a family man there wants to be at war with me. Governments start these things and rope us all into them. I mean, look at World War 1. Why did it even start? http://www.firstworldwar.com/origins/causes.htm http://www.firstworldwar.com/origins/causes.htm Governments. Not the people. Governments. Thirty seven million casualties. http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/resources/casdeath_pop.html http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/resources/casdeath_pop.html Did the farmer or doctor in Germany or Russia want to go to war? Probably not. It was their stupid governments that triggered the entire thing and tens of millions died for it. And that's my point. Governments as we have known them for the last century or two need to mutate into something very different in order for us to evolve further as a society and culture. We can't have the kinds of things you are seeing around the world happen to us. Nobody "owns" me or you. Therefore, the whole concept of governments telling and dictating what we can and cannot do is at odds with what I might call "natural" laws. I, we, hire government workers to do things for us that have community scope. Build roads. Run the local school. Upholds laws that we agree upon, etc. Beyond that, things are completely upside-down. No government should have the power to declare war. Not any more. If anything, the people should reserve that power and exercise it through voting. The same is true of a myriad of other roles government plays today. Take China as an example: Over a billion people allowed a handful of people in Beijing to keep them from having more than one child. Over a billion people. Really? What is it about the human condition that we allow such things to happen. The point isn't to argue about the merit of the decision in the context of population explosion. I believe that those things take care of themselves one way or the other. The point here is that a society of over a billion people somehow allows a handful of communist leaders to control their reproductive rights. That's just wrong. If you allow that, of course they are going to come into your schools and indoctrinate the shit out of your children. Here's another example. Times are tough right. Let's say you are unemployed and have to feed your family. You happen to own a fishing pole and live near a lake or stream. Here in California you can't go fishing and feed your family without a fishing license. You have to buy a fishing license in order to engage in the most fundamental act a human being can engage: hunt for food in order to survive. Really? Yes, really? You are not allowed --by government-- to fish, no matter the circumstances. If they catch you fishing without a license it can cost thousands of dollars and possibly end up doing time in jail. In what alternate reality does this make any sense whatsoever. OK, I understand about conservation, etc., etc. Still, it is my right, as a human being on this planet, to hunt, fish and farm in order to feed myself and my family. No government should have the power to prevent me from doing so. If John Lennon wrote that song thinking about communism then I have to find other words to describe some of my ideas, because communism is far, far from it. When I read the words to the song I don't interpret communism in there but rather people living freely WITHOUT or with minimal government. Now, before anyone goes off on me. Admittedly the problem is very complex and, if it can even happen, it would take centuries of cultural evolution in order to reach even a portion of what I am talking about. Take religion as an example. It's got to go. That will, I am sad to say, take a very long time. The same is true of the attachment to the concept of countries. That's got to go too. Earth. One people. True freedom. Not government subjugation. Government must be reduced to administrative workers who work for us, not against us.