Ideals
May 2001
The World is Bigger Than The Internet
If you are connected to the internet through your own computer,
you are among the world's wealthiest people. You are able to
afford spending over one thousand dollars on a piece of
equipment that will be worth little in a few years.
One way to address the imbalance of wealth on this planet
in a small, yet cumulative way is to support groups which
work for the benefit of underprivileged people. I support
Amnesty International and sponsor a child through World
Vision.
Adding Value
Businesses are able to add value to the world and their
own country's economires by selling products and
services for less profit than can be possibly achieved.
Although this will reduce the profit for the business,
it will indirectly raise the standard of living for the
customers.
The distribution of wealth in the world may be a
zero-sum game. But if the aim in life is to be happy
rather than rich, the economy of the world will not
be restricted by this limitation.
What you give to someone needy is worth more to
them than it is to you. Therefore the overall wealth
of the world is increased.
Better Living Through Technology
Repetitive tasks and jobs should be automated or made
easier so that we can throw ourselves at more difficult
problems, such as cures for diseases and solutions to
poverty, pollution and over-population.
A wonderful vision for human life in the future is one
where a citizen is provided with anything they need,
and can do anything they want so long as they do not
threaten the framework of the society in which they
exist.
Through education and employment, life for a human
will be a matter of discovering "projects" they wish
to do, attempting them, and making the results
available to everyone else.
This activity will be funded by the prosperity that
comes from breakthroughs in this massive form
of pure and applied research.
Educate and Employ
A government's priorities are to educate, employ,
and protect all of it's citizens. This will produce
trust and loyalty from individuals toward their
governments, and will justify high taxation.
It will soon be possible to make voting an online
activity. For people unable to afford a computer
they will be able to use a computer kiosk in their
nearest town or city.
Issues will then be able to be voted on in an issue
by issue basis, instead of voting for a party once
every several years on the basis of promises that
are often broken. The role of the politicians will
become more one of educator than snake-oil
salesman.
In Australia, I have recently received a questionnaire
from the incumbent political party asking me what
issues I care about. I believe the purpose of this
questionnaire is to find out what the pary should
promise to do during the election campaign in an
effort to win the election. I would not be so
cynical about the party's motives if they had sent me
a questionnaire immediately after an election victory.
Then I would be confident that they actually wanted
to find out what I wanted with the intention of
implementing it.