Building A Successful Society - Overview

In defining what the Goals of a society are, we must look at the common threads all members of all societies have in their hopes of that society. All members of a society hope to be given a good standard of living. They all look to have the potential for self-improvement. They all look to be given a say in the direction their society moves. They all look to leave behind a legacy of their achievements.

In looking at these Goals, we need to define them better. A standard of living, in its raw form can be broken into parts. Sustenance, Shelter, Health, and Safety. Sustenance means nutritional and chemical needs of the body to continue functioning. Shelter means a place that is protected from the elements. Health is the protection from disease, dismemberment, and the rehabilitation of injuries and illnesses. Safety is the assurance of protection both against human and non-human threats to any of the other three standards of living, in addition to protection of that members place in society. Improving ones self in this context means an improvement in material goods, in personal knowledge, in personal experience, and in personal happiness. Influence on the society is the manner and degree of voice the member is given.

When we say a good standard of living, it is not an entirely subjective term. Good does not mean “survivable.” Good implies above average, and certainly above minimum. Good sustenance does mean the bare amount of water and calories needed to survive. It is the meeting of all the nutritional needs optimal for personal health as dictated by modern science. This implies, at present, the availability to all of grain, fruit, vegetable, meat, and dairy products, in a variety. It also means the availability of at minimum, the equivalent of 8 glasses of clean drinking water. Good Shelter does not mean a lean-to or a cardboard box. Good Shelter means a living space that will stand up to all elements, maintain comfortable atmosphere regardless of outside influence, and has enough room to comfortably hold all occupants. Good health does mean just being alive. Good health means freedom from disease, treatment of ailments when they do occur in a quick and thorough manner, and the application of reasonable preventative measures towards the health of all members. Good safety does not mean merely having a police force. It means having an un-corrupt, effective and compassionate police force that is fair and just. It means having well maintained civil services with trained and proficient staff. It means a guarantee of safety for the member’s material possessions, bodily whole, and the place within the society.

In order to meet these Goals, there are certain things the society must have in order to be successful. The presence of multiple sources of accurate, up-to-date information is the key to making informed decisions for the benefit of all. If several routes of delivering this information are provided, then there is a much higher likelihood of members being properly informed.

Another key to meeting these Goals is the necessity of enforcing the equality of all members. In order to ensure this, all members of the society must have an equal education. This means a full breadth of learning, all the way from kindergarten to college. This ensures all members the same knowledge and skills for pursuing their personal goals. All members need to have equal rights in the eyes of the society. This means rights in everything, from rights to own property to the right to vote, from the right to free speech to the right to choose a partner. Finally, all members need to have equal protection of these rights. All members should have their rights defended with equal vigor.

Further more, for these Goals to be met, all members of the society need to be integrated with it. In order for their voices to be effectively heard, they must feel as though they are truly a part of the society, not just administered to by it. Integration means active and passive participation, and an understanding of what the society is and does to the member and others.

Additionally, the society must co-exist with other societies around it to successfully meet the Goals. War is one of the most disruptive forces to a society, and one that almost guarantees a fall in standard of living, a lowered ability to improve ones self, and destruction of vital infrastructure. Unless a society can peacefully co-exist with its neighbors, it will not be able to ensure meeting of the Goals.

To meet the Goals, the society will have to provide means for the effective utilization and distribution of resources to all members. This means providing equal access to everyone, regardless of any other factors. It also means using the resources in an efficient and non-destructive fashion, and maintaining them in as renewable a fashion as possible.

All members must have input in defining these principles for each Society, so an open forum to all members is essential to meet the Goals. Not only must members have the ability to access information, they must have the ability to share their thoughts and ideas on the information. The society must have a reliable means for sharing ideas and desires if it is to meet the needs of all members.

Finally, in order for all the Goals to be met over a long period of time, the society must be capable of adapting to changes. Not only changes in the world, like climate, technology, or ecology. It must also adapt to changes within itself. As new ideas make parts of others irrelevant or contradictory, a consensus must be reached to create an understanding.