In our travels we’ve visited the failed societies of Chaco Canyon and the Anasazi. We’ve read a good deal about the disaster that was Easter Island, and we’re boning up on the Maya… cause we’re headed their way. It’s all really interesting stuff. And I think a great lesson for the kids… and us adults too.
BEAUTY IN THE CENTER
The theory is that each of these societies failed from a personal recipe of the same few ingredients. One very prominent common thread: The elite screwing the masses. Sound familiar? And it seems that in every case the masses finally had enough and turned on the elite. What goes around… right? Sociologist Jared Diamond summed it up this way, “In the end… the use of common resources for personal gain did little but ensure that they (the elite) were the last to starve or be killed.” It’s a theory with broad acceptance and that’s been widely reported for many years. So much for Santayana’s notion that the knowledge of history keeps us from repeating it.
Last night Carson and I were out wandering Alamos… trying to get ourselves lost so we could have the fun of getting un-lost and… there it was again. Dozens of houses… many, many people to whom running water came from a hose and who didn’t have a full roof over their heads. Within direct sight of a very few people wanting for nothing. Mind you, this observation is comin’ from two guys who live in the back of a truck and a tent.
I asked Carson how long he thought it could continue here before the people here had enough. He wasn’t sure about that, but he said he that had an idea of how to fix it.
BUT A LITTLE ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES
This I had to hear. So… in the wave of a single hand I appointed Carson the richest AND most creative person in the world (two traits almost never occur together in real life). And we set about building a utopia. Clunkvale. His goal was, I think, admiral… for everyone to be happy.
First, he bought the town. Mostly, he said to make sure that no one could mess with it… except for him of course. All the current residents can stay… provided they agree to the pitch in. New citizens have to apply.
Second, Clunkvale is a cashless society. All the necessities (for the citizens) are free. Luxuries bargained for.
Third, everyone has to work… even the owner… Carson. They could choose any job they liked but they had to perform. And everyone had to pitch in on a regular basis to do the jobs that no one took… which we figured would mostly be the dirty and gross jobs like cleaning the banos.
Fourth, visitors to Clunkvale could convert their cash to credits and use those credits to buy things from the townspeople. Those credits then went into a general pool that was shared by equally every citizen.
Fifth, Carson made tobacco illegal… which being more or less a proponent of personal freedom and responsibility… I had some reservations about.
Sixth, he then went on to make alcohol illegal in Clunkvale… I argued vigorously. In fact, at this point I threatened to renounce my citizenship. So he compromised making the drinking age 60… that didn’t help me AT ALL so I was still moving out. He ultimately backed away from his vice laws and we couched the topic for later refinement.
Seventh, Carson decreed that anyone who so desired could work more, for extra credits, and then use those credits to live in a bigger house, or drive a nicer car… or some such thing. But… and this is a big but… credits don’t roll over. In other words… they can’t be saved.
And finally, nothing but knowledge and memories can be passed to your children. Everyone starts from scratch.
Not bad for a twelve year old. So… who wants to live in Clunkvale?