23. A GOVERNMENT IN TRUTH"To me the tragedy and comedy of life l lies in the consequences, sometimes ludicrous, of our persistent attempts to found our institutions on the ideals suggested to our imaginations by half satisfied passions, instead of on a genuinely scientific natural history."
(1898) George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950).
In this instance, the title, "A Government in Truth", is used in its most realistic meaning. The Truth has to do with survival: the cycles of life. The Truth underlies and brings to life: Love, Beauty, Work, Freedom, and Mystery. A government in Truth is a government that is immersed in those qualities of Truth that have to do with these, attributes and the survival of mankind.
Whether of not a society will survive finally depends on its government and the government must suit the people. Primitives understand a primitive government but find it difficult to comprehend and participate in a barbaric government. Barbarians find a primitive government unfair and difficult to endure.
Democracy has very well suited the high barbarians of the western world during the development of mankind for the two hundred years between 1750 and 1950. Then the sciences, including the science of government, became too complicated for a democratically elected legislature without an educated background. It takes an intelligent and understanding citizenry to realize that this has happened and to change their attitude to accommodate it.
After 1950, the complexities of economics, business, industry, and the application of newly researched information became too much for the scientifically untutored and inexperienced law makers to understand. Centuries of law making had been based on principles which were often unfounded, and yet, then carried out with logical application. Then the advances of science and technology moved so far beyond most citizens, that the mere mention of some subjects frighten them into intellectual paralysis. In addition, most of the inhabitants of our world are so deeply immersed in the ideologies of the eighteenth century that they cannot understand or believe in the modern scientific knowledge of man. Factuality and even morality are sometimes inimical. Some individuals are so driven by defense of their well meaning but unsubstantiated morality that they teach and apply their dogma as though it were fact. By trying desperately to pound their square pegs into round holes, they are not only undermining, but missing, the opportunity to achieve the very things they truly desire. Such is a superstitious barbaric attitude. In contrast, a steward believes that no thought can be moral unless it is factual.
A superstition requires a dimension of the miraculous. Some seemingly modern ideals are as superstitious as any old one. For example, to believe today that "all men (all people) are created equal" is superstitious. This has been taken out of context and taught as fact. When this was written, it referred most definitely to only men, for instance. The "equality" was equality between nobles and royalty. To apply this statement to mankind, womankind, or all kinds in general is superstitious. If you will excuse the use of general anthropological terms, savages are not equal to barbarians, and barbarians are not equal to stewards in their abilities to live in a civilized society. To believe otherwise is to deny evolution.
We cannot expect engineers to be able to build skyscrapers on the basis of superstition, nor can we expect superstitious legislators to understand and properly operate modern governments. Steps should be taken concerning this. Legislators, at least above a certain level, should not be considered for election or appointment until they are certified as to background, schooling, and experience. Even then, who would be qualified to certify them?
What can we do? How can we be sure that our lawmakers are not just garrulous stuffed shirts? We will look at a diagram of a proposed government that will appear extreme, but we must use extreme measures in this uncertain world. Not only would the top echelon be people who are eminently prepared and qualified to be there, but provisions would be made for them to continue their education in an attached school. When they finish a lecture or presentation, they would take an exam. The presentation and the answers would be published. Those people would be of such high caliber that such a test would not phase them. The citizens would use the information as an opportunity to learn for themselves. This lecture-presentation system could also be used by the citizenry to bring certain subjects to the attention of the Upper Federal Chambers.
Reformed Constitution
The Federal Constitution would have to be rewritten. It would contain an updated Bill of Rights. Freedom from poverty, crime, and oppression would take on a new, practical meaning. Directly after the Bill of Rights should be a Bill of Needs. The titles of such a bill would be: The "Trinity of Reverence", "Freedom". "Love", "Beauty", "Mystery", "Work", "Family Tradition", "Nutrition", and "Stewardship".
This new Constitution, and every law that follows, should be backed by a loose leaf encyclopedia available at every qualified library. This encyclopedia should be kept up to date quarterly. It should contain discussions, history, and reasons for each item in the constitution and each new law enacted. Knowing the original reason why a law was enacted is important and not considered today.
A Government for the People
We find ourselves among a population mostly incompetent to govern itself, through no fault of their own, in an advanced scientific world. Half the people are below average intelligence. Complete factuality is beyond the reach of all but the highest barbarians and stewards, and we need such people to run our government. Where needed, we must begin looking for those with the required intellectual talents rather than a required mix of gender, race, or creed. We should move on, when it is time, to require people of certain mental disciplines and experiences to help lead.
We already understand situations where the solution to certain problems of our society need specially trained individuals to solve them. Such is the case with medicine, law, agriculture, engineering, and several other specialties. At one time, an ordinary, canny electrician could hook up a communications system. But now we have advanced far beyond this. There was a time when a good mechanic could build a gasoline buggy, but now we need advanced specialized automotive engineers. It seems unrealistic that we should expect anything less for our government functions.
For peace in this world we will have to give up the idea that everyone is potentially equal. Not everyone is the same as you are. Nature has demonstrated this principle to us in ways that have not always been kind. Wars, crime, starvation, murder, and genocide continue to plague the current history of mankind. Even though the case could be made that conditions are improving, how can we design a government that will be "just" in the sense that it will heal the ills of society under present conditions if people cannot believe in the Science that will do it.
The Evolution of Society
We have noted how clans of people have dramatically increased their mental and/or physical capabilities over generations by traditions that have sexually ignored the incapable or
undeveloped. Yet today, the majority of our capable young people wait till they are in their late twenties or thirties until they finally feel able to provide an environment suitable for raising a couple of children. Often it is the individuals who cannot keep their family together, cannot house themselves, and, sometimes, cannot even feed themselves, (the "most incapable") who have the greatest number of children. The problems of mankind can be solved by methods modified by the intelligence and kindness of modern man. All evolution naturally progresses by preventing the progeny of the incompetent from increasing rather than selecting successful individuals by design. The selection of successful individuals should be a part of our working society. Social success should select them and make them recognizable early in their development. The selection of successful individuals should be a part of our working society. Social success should select them and make them recognizable early in their development.
The Officials of Government
A government is only as good as the people who run it. Today, many of our politicians are more expert on how to get elected than expert on problems of government. To make this transformation to expert "problem solving groups", our elected leaders would have to appoint selection committees in the various chosen areas of expertise. These committees must then pick the high caliber individuals these problem solving groups would require.
We can no longer depend on citizens who vote on the emotional appeal of candidates to choose leaders appropriate for today. Our government must sustain a large mixed population in a highly technical environment the population does not understand. Our government must be sensitive to the needs and rights (in the Constitution) of people (and even their superstitions). Evolution is important, but we must live and enjoy life too.
Writing the Laws
To write the laws properly a cadre of lawyers would be maintained in each Chamber. To avoid the massive conflict of interest we now have the numbers and responsibilities of lawyers in the government would be otherwise severely limited. It is only natural for lawyers to use legal jargon which would require other lawyers to interpret. Lawyers in the Legislatures would create jobs for other lawyers. This tendency should be strictly monitored. Laws should be comprehensible, and adequate without flooding the mind. Practical men should oversee the writing of the laws to prevent excessively complicated regulative laws and ordinances. An average person should be able to fill out a tax report without assistance of an expert.
The Government Press
Communication between the government and the people is critical. This is difficult where we also have a free press. The ability to write, entertain, and sell news often conflicts with intelligence, understanding, and good judgment. Constant, complete factuality can be stupefying. Can government counteract a well designed, anti-intellectual, magical press without being oppressive? Perhaps we can have the best of both worlds with both a free press and a government press.
The government media could be graded much as we do with other products. "Certified" could mean that its editors and some of its staff are trained and schooled in factuality and propriety sufficiently to properly control its material. A second order of media could be marked "Approved", meaning that factuality would be its ideal, but its staff would not be schooled and trained. These categories could include private enterprise but would be maintained to the highest standards through licensing.
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The Lower Federal Chamber
The Lower Federal Chamber would be occupied by people selected and sent by the various state governments. They are the intermediates between the State Chambers and the Upper Federal Chamber. The Lower Chamber would be responsible for selecting the members of the Upper Chamber, and communicating the activities of the Upper Chamber to the people. Elected representatives should be close to the people on the State level where they can actually represent the interests of their constituents. These representatives would bring the will of the people to the attention of the State Chambers. It would be the responsibility of the State Chambers in concert with the Upper Federal Chambers to veto those wishes that are impractical and to implement the practical desires of the people as much as possible.
Upper Federal Chamber
The principle functions of the Federal Upper Chamber would be to study the political environment, determine policies, protect the Constitution, and make laws to improve conditions and solve problems pertinent to the nation. They would then study the effects of new laws and even conduct political experiments on the various State levels to determine if the laws had the desired effects.
The State Chambers
New policies would come from the State Chambers and the Upper Federal Chambers. Schooling about the principles which are the basis for these policies would be required for the State and Federal Chamber members with exams. Those who did not show strong ability to understand would be clearly designated. Note that it is not said that they must agree, but they must show the ability to comprehend the subject. If they have reason for disagreement, at that point, it would be welcome. No longer will legislators pass laws thousands of pages long without having read them. Problem solving groups of selected specialists would design legislation through team efforts.
Government Accounting
There should be two competing accounting firms which constantly review the finances of the government. The firms that found the most practical cuts in finances would be paid, in some manner, more than the other.
Women in Government
Each Chamber would have a President. The vicepresident would always be a woman, but without the right of ascendancy to President. The government would always project a traditional family aspect. Under no circumstances would a woman be promoted to a lead position in government except in areas that applied to their specific interests and needs. Lessons in history have underlined the disastrous consequences of such a practice to the growth and development of the male citizens. Women should be respected and loved in government as in the home.
Tax System
A more fair and more responsive tax system must be carefully studied and implemented. Too many taxes are presently hidden, promote undesirable effects, and/or are old, obsolete, and outmoded. With a tax system that clearly reveals the basic tax rate, the citizens of the country would be leery of asking for additional services when the increased cost would soon be evident. It could be a general principle of taxation that services for people would all be paid for by income taxes, government functions would all be paid for by value added taxes, and Police and Fire Departments would all be paid for by building taxes. When people can comprehend the cost of things they can often willingly find ways to cut cost without cutting services.
Taxes on Industry are hidden from the general public, yet are passed on to the consumer. They also cut into the industry's ability to compete with foreign competition and contribute to the event of jobs fleeing the country.
The only fair taxes are income taxes, building taxes and value added taxes. It may be pointed out that land taxes are purposely left out. There is a very good reason for this. There are people who invest in unused land. Ostensibly they have chosen the land for its location in the way of real estate expansion. However, while they hold the land they annually add the land taxes to the book value of their property. When their property becomes a highly desirable location, the owner can hold out for what he or she wants for the land. This then becomes a landmark for the prices and tax value of all the surrounding property. There is no surer way to guarantee a gradual inflation of land value in a given area than to tax the land. Eventually, the value of the land becomes exorbitant. For this reason a farmer can no longer find another farmer who can afford to buy, and the land usually goes to a realestate developer.
CREEPING BUREAUCRACY
Naturally, this government, as with any government must cost money which must be raised by taxes. By the means of taxation the bureaucrats are gradually enslaving the population. This last statement probably needs explanation. Politicians come and go, but bureaucrats stay on and on. They may start with wages lower than the surrounding populace, but as time goes on, wages are manipulated in such a way that they are first equal to, and then more than the surrounding populace in wages.
Bureaucrats have set annual cost of living adjustments that are liberal enough to outrun the cost of living and gradually get quite a bit ahead of the other citizens. Early retirement usually starts with the military where it is reasoned that a dangerous occupation justifies it; but, it soon spreads to the rest of the bureaucracy where they argue that a secretary in the army endures very little danger, therefore shouldn't a secretary in the treasury get the same consideration. Fringe benefits grow like weeds. Medical care and early retirement benefits become grandiose.
Heads of departments are paid according to the number of people who work under them. Whenever the work in the department appears to be too much for the assigned personnel, the whole department argues for more people. If they are sufficiently convincing, they get what they are asking for. The final result is that the department is over-staffed and pencil tapping becomes a large part of everybody's occupation.
It is the bureaucrats who finally choose the laws that they want enforced. They are the final ones who determine who shall be fined, and who shall go to jail. There are so many laws and ordinances on the books that none but the experienced know what they are. With any public Board, it is the bureaucrat manager who decides which case shall be prosecuted and what obscure ordinance shall be applied. The appointed members of the Board are never there long enough to know the details of all the ordinances and health laws. It is the bureaucrat who receives all the complaints and chooses which ones will be brought to the attention of all the Board. Eventually, what is chosen by the bureaucrat is called to the attention of the police.
By definition the ruling class is the class with the guns and the jails, and who live in relative leisure. It is the citizens who support them in this condition, and work hard and long at lower wages to do so. As time goes on the working quarters of the bureaucrats become more and more luxurious with marble columns, polished mahogany desks, and oriental rugs on the floors. It is the bureaucrats who gradually enslave the populace they purport to serve. Gradually their haughty manners reveal that they know who is the slaver and who is the slave.
This creeping bureaucracy is a natural tendency and method, and a governmental procedure to guard against this must be instituted. There could be a commission of business men and industrial leaders in the Upper Federal Chambers to constantly monitor this phase of government; submitting recommendations for streamlining efficiency. This effort would require much teamwork, insight and sensitivity. Organizations can be "streamlined" to inability.
National Education
The teaching part of education should be a private enterprise. Coupons from tax funds could be given to the parents of each child which would allow them to pick their own schools. The students of schools would compete through national testing at the beginning of the year and at the end of the year. The judge of teaching methods would be a comparison of these scores.
The emphasis of educational expenditures should be placed on the most capable students. The less competent students, as well as the least competent students, should not be demeaned. There should be, at least, equal expenditures spent on capable students. Each student should see the clear possibility of concrete rewards for outstanding achievement. Outstanding students should be encouraged to socialize. Their progeny should be encouraged.
The curriculum of the schools would be accredited and would come from the Upper Chambers. The curriculum byline would be honesty and factuality. Healthful traditions would be respected and taught along with tolerance and knowledge of other religions and the appreciation of all beauty. Curriculum will become involved with the wisdom of survival and reverence. As the student's minds recapitulate, levels of magic should be allowed to evolve. The need for magic in some levels of humanity, either in the young or the mature, should be worked with rather than
fought. As student's determine their level of capability by their performance, they should be grouped and taught accordingly through curriculum and teaching methods.
Educating people with solid, factual knowledge is to give them power to evolve a more intelligent, healthier society. As an example, Kuru is a disease which is transmitted to children by their mothers who feed them blood during ritual cannibalism. Primitive people seem to understand this for it has recently gone into sharp decline since the people have been taught how it is transmitted. There has been no problem for their primitive society to make this illegal. Our society, too, must take a hard look at what we are doing in regards to practices that effect society today and in the future.
Children must be taught from a very early age that irresponsible child bearing without health practices, family, or means is tantamount to social disgrace and child abuse for the offending man and woman. This activity is so deleterious to their children and society that continued disregard for this principle should be met with serious consequences to discourage it from happening again.
Arnold Toynbee, who has spent a long life in the study of history, has identified nineteen distinct civilizations since the beginning of recorded history. Of those that have disappeared, all did so, not because of external forces being brought to bear on them, but because of internal, moral breakdown. It is hoped that by properly reconstituting our government based on capable people we will obviate a downfall of our own making.