OFC Meeting 10

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09 Oct 2018:

Toward a FUTURE MERITOCRACY

Moderator: Roland Uphoff

A MANIFESTO for a more IDEAL FUTURE SOCIETY

by Roland Uphoff

At our last meeting Keith Barnes presented a talk on the Future of China, and one of the subjects he brought up was the development of a new Chinese society built on Meritocracy. The name of this new meritocracy was "Social Credit". Now for some of us of a certain age, the first thing that comes to mind when we hear "Social Credit" is the days of WAC(ky)Bennett and Bill Vander Zalm. Chinese Social Credit has nothing in common with those politicians....

Chinese Social Credit is basically a social system where Merit is Rewarded. The more you do to help your community, family, neighbourhood or country, the more merit points you get. Therefor it is NOT the most devious, clever, well-connected, or sociopathic members of society who reap the greatest rewards -- rather, it is the most virtuous among us that are elevated to high social status.

I have thought a lot about what Keith said and my thoughts have lead me to this manifesto. In my opinion Democracy is a broken ruin of what it was. Tribalism has replaced consensus and the people who rule us have simply become a bunch of partisan hacks that spend most of their time soliciting campaign contributions for their election to office and put their service to the people far down the list of priorities. The high courts that are supposed to act like neutral referees are also highly politicized hacks owing their loyalty to whichever side appointed them. Both sides of the political spectrum are guilty of this and, as always, it is the common people that suffer. A better way forward would be to have the most virtuous and dedicated people serving as leaders and judges rather than the the inept, power hungry hacks that pass for politicians and judges.

Consumerism (see my previous article on "STUFF") has become the guiding force of our lives and as the saying goes "He who dies with the most toys - wins". But really... are we actually winning? What have we given up in order to be better consumers.... The Bankers, Businessmen, Media and Libertarians among us tell us that "Greed is Good". Now step back a bit - is that really true? Perhaps there is another way...

Let's look at some of the phrases that shape and describe our society. These are common phrases we have all heard one time or another.

There's a sucker born every minute.

Nice guys finish last.

Buyer Beware.

Too big to fail. (banks)

Heads - I win;   Tails - you lose

Might makes right

Winner takes all

Those (race, culture, religion) people are a bunch of violent, ignorant, depraved thugs who should be thrown out of the country and must be kept out at all cost. (Build that wall!!!)

It is OK to put down Those People because they are a different (race, religion, sexual orientation) than us and after all, we are so superior to everyone else. (e.g. white supremacy)

Old white men are the only ones who have the Right Stuff to make important decisions for our people.

Rational thought, science and advanced learning are Dangerous - better to just believe what our leaders tell us - and whatever you do Don't believe the FAKE NEWS media, just believe what the leaders tell you... and Please don't think for yourself - there are old white men that will do that for you.

I could certainly go on and on... but the point is that this is what I see as a reflection of what our society has become. I truly believe we can do WAY better than that, therefore I will present my ideas for what I see as a better way forward into the future.

How about a society where everyone gets to contribute to the best of their ability and circumstances. Where young children are schooled in the need for harmony and cooperation and are rewarded for their efforts. Where the elderly are seen as sources of wisdom and experience to teach the young and help them avoid the mistakes they made in their lives. Where no person is considered disposable or lesser because of a disability or difference.

How would you like to live in a society where you could leave the doors to your house or car unlocked - where alarm and security companies go broke. A place where you could leave your valuables out on the street and the first person who saw them would knock on your door to return them to you. If you were injured or lost everyone would make it a priority to help you. If you (or your child) was being bullied or harassed - then the nearest person would come to offer assistance. What if no one complained if you got a free ride on the bus because you couldn't afford the fare. What if you didn't have to worry about housing or feeding your children and no one was living in their car, in the street,or in a tent on a vacant lot.

What would you do if everyone got a guaranteed minimum income that could be repaid with community service. What if community service didn't involve picking up trash by the side of the road - but instead offered training in useful skills that you could put to use building infrastructure, helping the elderly, maintaining hospitals and schools, becoming a volunteer in case of disaster relief. What if you learned practical skills like first aid - how tend and maintain a fire pump - run a rescue boat, or a backhoe or bulldozer to fight fires or shore up a dam in case of a flood. Perhaps you have mechanical skills and could help to maintain a stock of emergency generators or you have a pilot's license and could volunteer with search and rescue. What if there were agencies that could match your skills to a specific need? Perhaps you don't have any marketable skills as such - you could work alongside skilled workers who could share their knowledge as you perform tasks that require a lower skill level. One day you might be able to perform the tasks as well as your teacher - then you become the teacher. Retired people with specialized skills could be recruited as a volunteer corps that would teach the young the skills they have learned.

In my opinion far too much human potential is wasted in our society - the Businessmen want to make sure that there is a ready supply of cheap labour available so they can maximize profits and consume more more more... Is it moral? - NO, but it is good business. What if Businesspersons were actually more concerned with the greater good of the society they live in - rather than maximising profits for themselves and the super rich. What if banks loaned money to people who were going to use it for improving the lives of people rather than Businessmen who use manipulative practices to convince ordinary people to consume more to help line their pockets.

What if the media didn't spend most of its efforts trying to convince you to buy more STUFF and actually stuck to telling the truth rather than constantly yelling "Hooray for our Side". What if movies and television showed people being kind and helpful instead of being greedy, debauched and corrupt. Media can have a massive influence on society - both good and bad, but most media simply looks for the easiest way to make the most money.... Morals, kindness, selflessness, and decency are in direct conflict with a society based on selfishness and consumerism. Replace selfishness and greed with liberal doses of kindness and generosity. Let the Media promote virtue and cooperation. Let's tell the people about ways they can help the environment, ways they can volunteer or mentor, ways to conserve and become more self reliant. The corporate media has been strangely silent on the subject of climate change or the possibility of a future where the human race may be competing with superior artificial intelligence. It is not in the interest of the corporate media to warn you of things that may harm you. Remember, the media were reassuring investors that the American stock markets were a great place to invest in August 2008.

Let me tell you about the way this society would function.

If you were born into this meritocracy, your parents wouldn't have to worry about any medical bills for the delivery and care - All medical costs would be paid by the state. One parent would be allowed a full year off of work with a guaranteed minimum salary paid by the state to care for the newborn. The parent might also have a supplemental income as part of their employment contract.

The child would enter a state sponsored early education center that would provide day care as well as early education. Each child would be thoroughly assessed as to their abilities (walking, talking, comprehension) and given appropriate levels of instruction. Children would be assessed for their strengths and weaknesses. The strengths would be nurtured and the weaknesses would be corrected if possible. A child's progress in early education would be limited only by their ability to comprehend or perform a certain task. Competition would be limited for younger children and cooperation stressed. Cooperation, empathy, selflessness and kindness would be stressed in all activities.

All children would be given a good education by teachers who would be more highly valued than we have in our current society. Children would be evaluated every [insert a number] years and those that excel in certain fields in the arts, sciences, or sport would be sent to special development schools where they can reach their maximum potential. The program would be paid for by the state, but the student would owe "Merit Points" to the state that could be applied by doing meritorious service. University students would be admitted on the basis of academic ability, as well as their "Personal Merit Score". No one would be able to buy or bribe their way into a university. All tuition would be covered by the state and the state would subsidise students living away from home.

Employers would be encouraged to take on students, apprentices, interns etc. as employees at the age of eighteen, but students should be encouraged to take field trips to various employers, or have the employers tell the students what they are looking for in an employee. In my Meritocracy, business, government, and education would me much more tightly woven, so students will be better able to transition between school and the workplace. The student would be required to "pay back" the employer that trained them by agreeing to work for the same employer for four years. The education system would also consult all employers to see what type of training should be provided to the students. This way, the students entering the workforce will have an easier time matching their skills to the needs of the labour market.

A member of the workforce will be expected to perform their work to a decent standard, be punctual, respectful to your employer and your fellow workers. An employee may also be required to perform extra duties during an emergency but they will be compensated with points and money. An employee can earn points by being a long term employee and taking extra training eg: first aid.

Retirees would receive a guaranteed pension from the state and would also have private pension plans or company plans. Some workers might be retired early if their job is rendered obsolete by technology or other unforeseen circumstances. Others might be required to stay on in their jobs if no qualified replacement can be found. They would be rewarded with points and money. All retirees will be required to perform a set amount of volunteer work every month. The work would probably involve mentoring, teaching, providing assistance or companionship.

Employers will earn "Merit Points" for their company by meeting certain criteria. They must value their employees and treat them fairly. They must meet strict government mandated emission standards and any failure to do so will result in a loss of "Merit Points" as well as a fine. Intelligent use of energy and resources will be monitored by the state and extra points can be earned for good performance.

I thought I had more to say, but since I am "inventing" a lot of this as I go along, I have hit a wall...

It would be easy to dismiss my ideas as "pie in the sky" optimism, or perhaps an authoritarian dystopia, but I hope that when we meet on October 10, that I can encourage my fellow members of the Oceanside Futurological Congress to take the more difficult path of trying to IMPROVE on my ideas. These ideas are not set in stone by any means, and could use a lot of improvement, but I don't want them to be dismissed outright as unworkable. Of course, if these ideas were to be implemented on any scale larger than a commune, they would have to be introduced slowly so that people could adapt.

I will say once again that the society we are presently living in is not fulfilling the needs of the majority. Certain groups with our present society have benefited greatly from our consumer driven corporatist society, but it has failed to provide true quality of life to the vast majority.

To whoever reads this manifesto - try to keep an open mind, and by all means offer improvements. - Roland

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Comments from Jess:

I'm guessing that all of us would love to live in that society, and have been doing what we could to nudge this one closer to those ideals. It's nice to see a comprehensive summary of how we'd like our society to be, as a partial antidote to cynicism and despair. As Bobby Kennedy said, "Some men see things as they are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were, and ask why not."

Putting aside the question of, "How do we get there from here?" for the moment, there is one danger that must be addressed: how to prevent a Chinese-style "social credit" system from being co-opted and used as a tool of oppression by cynical manipulators bent only on establishing and maintaining their own supremacy. The civil rights record of China suggests that this is at least partly the case there already; but we can entertain the hope that there is also a genuine desire in China to use their system to make things better for everyone, as described by Roland above. I don't know. I would like to believe so, but what we would like to believe is always suspicious due to "confirmation bias". I guess we will see what happens in China, over which we have no control.

Coming back to the question of, "How do we get there from here?" I urge everyone to think of possible strategies and tactics to help our society move in this direction. Don't give up. As Margaret Mead famously said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

PS: Check this out: A call for Universal Basic Income with the statistics to back it up.

PPS: Here's a trick to help us avoid some of the traps of elitist consumerism: "Gradient Hopping" (also on medium.com).

PPPS: Check out my screed on Medium.com about the Political Placebo Effect!

Cheers -- Jess

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Comments from Philip:

Thanks Roland for the many good suggestions. If we could change the individualistic ethos of our era to one of we-are-all-in-this-together we would more likely get to the world you wish for. This is of course not just a concept - it is a literal fact - we are all together on this smallish planet in space and the biggest risks, climate change, full scale nuclear war, AI, synthetic biology will affect the whole world. When will people understand this?

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