My Ideal World

Some would say that conditions in the world right now are worse than they have ever been, and that may be true for some things: climate change, modern war, public political scandals, etc. Those, however, did not prompt me to think about my ideal world; playing Pandemic 2 did.

The game involves you creating a disease that is supposed to eradicate the human population while the human population eventually attempts to fight back by creating a vaccine to your virus/bacteria/parasite. The disease starts in a randomly assigned country, whether it is the United States or Madagascar. At a certain level, the disease becomes noticed (though the game is flawed in that it takes a long time for a country to notice an outbreak, whereas in real life 200,000 people exhibiting unique symptoms with the same disease would be very public) and countries begin to close their borders, their ports, and their air travel. While it is a game that takes a scenario to an extreme, it is worth thinking about.

For example, would countries cut off all communication with each other upon discovery of the disease within the affected country, or would medical aid flow into the affected country? Most likely, the latter would happen. The game makes no mention of this contingency. (Eventually, everyone in all affected countries become infected unless a vaccine is developed.)

How does this lead into my grandiose portrait of an ideal world? Two simple words: International cooperation, my friend.

In my ideal world (and political conservatives will likely vilify me for this), the world has a unified government. This unified government is all-encompassing, including all countries under one united Earth umbrella. Countries reserve a degree of autonomy, much like states do within the United States. The united world government, however, remains predominant in all cases dealing with law. Having all countries under one government would improve the world by:
-Expediting international cooperation in times of duress, such as during natural disasters.
-Ensuring universal human rights for all people.
-Bolstering the economies of traditionally weaker countries.
Before I begin talking about this world's economic system, it is necessary to state that countries dedicate more money towards education and scientific research than military spending, religious spending, etc. Health is paramount, so proven carcinogens such as tobacco are gone, as well as manufactured food additives, such as high fructose corn syrup and partially-hydrogenated oils.
At first, the economy would be based on traditional trade between countries, i.e. food, transportation, etc. Eventually, as technology develops, food and products will be commonly synthesized by advanced technology, thus rendering the trade of items for profit superfluous. (Research into this is being carried out in Japan already, though not as directly as I would hope.)


Thus, the economy would no longer be based in money due to an abundance of necessary goods.

This would entail a new fundamental philosophy of all human existence: Instead of each individual doggedly pursuing an accumulation of material capital in order to live well, the value of education and pursuit of knowledge would have to replace money as the driving force of mankind.

Knowledge can be progressed by the exploration of space. Humans have yet to break the seal on the vast scores of knowledge the galaxy, let alone the universe, holds. We reside as a veritable dust particle in a mansion. There is so much to explore and learn that only generations from now will humans truly understand their place in the universe. (That is, if this future comes to fruition.)

Being an Atheist, I can only hope that my imagined future is full of Atheists; however, that's unlikely, so tolerance for all beliefs will be a key concept in this overly idealistic future. Even more fundamental concepts that should be taught are logic, rationality, and empathy. A combination of the three, with each assuming an equal role in human relations and interaction, can assure equal understanding both between humans and the world in which we live.

You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.

That's all for now,
Das Flüg

P.S. I may have neglected to mention some things, so just leave any concerns/questions in the comments section and I'll respond forthwith.

I'm Useless

Another summer without employment; this has become the archetype for me. Even when I am employed, I hold jobs with little impact upon any future career path, even though I have not had a job for 2 years now. The saddest part is that I have applied for jobs/internships for which I am actually qualified, and I probably will never hear back from those companies with a decision. Needless to say, I'm irritated.

So, why did I say it if it's needless to say? Perhaps it's necessary; I need to vent my frustration towards the total lack of opportunity for me to advance myself in some desired career in life. I'd rather not become a salesman, or a manager of a Wal-Mart, or a stock broker, even though those are the jobs I found that I was most qualified for at a recent job fair I attended. A major in political science is worth about as much as the paper on which my diploma will be printed.

What am I to do if I end up with a terrible job that lands me in a cubicle? Do I do all the grunt work, accept the alienating push of the labor forced upon me just for a measly salary with little to no prospects for my future? What the hell do I do?

I'm going to take a nap.

That's all for now,
Das Flüg

Response Numero 1

"Anonymous said...

why does summer inspire some to spend all there time outside and yet others to stay inside shunning the light?"

Dear Anonymous,
Assuming that there is no greater existential meaning behind "shunning the light," perhaps indirectly referring to a Sartrean reality where the "light" is some sort of pure metaphysical (or corporeal) being without the hindering presence of others, I would have to say that summer inspires the aforementioned behavior because of the person's sociability. I, for example, do go outside to run, play soccer and/or baseball, and search desperately for a job (though I ended that search eons ago).

I suppose it also depend on the person's friends, as in whether or not they have anything more unique to do than just sit around in their underwear all day, while waking up at noon and playing video games. But, I digress.

Also, it's hot. It's the hottest July ever. (Expletive deleted)

I hope that sufficiently answers your query. If you (again) have any topic about which my thoughts and opinions would be greatly valued, then please, leave a comment below. I honestly have nothing better to do. Danke und auf fiderzen!

That's all for now,
Das Flüg