Peaceful Attrition, or "You're Welcome To Leave... Have a House, On The House!"

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There's this great idea called Perfect World Concept, see? And all people need to do is to follow the directives over there on the right-- the 'Primary Guidelines'. If they do that, they will move the people of planet Earth into a World Family society, which is the closest thing to Eden that humanity has ever seen. It's very important to follow ALL the guidelines because they work hand in hand.

Unfortunately, some of these guidelines, including the most important ones, fly in the face of how some people currently live their lives. That's not to say that these people are leading anything but kind and decent lives-- they most certainly are-- but they are missing an important element of the Perfect World experience (which I think is a ride at the Hilton hotel in Las Vegas...?). They have been taught by their elders to break Guidelines 2 and 7, and quite by accident at that.

I'm speaking about the religious. I don't care which religion... take your pick. And I'm not talking about the casual observers, the ones who make their way to their houses of worship a few times a year, during the most holy of holidays... no, those folks are well on their way to living in the Perfect World.

The most observant and pious, the ones who take the passages of their respective bibles literally, THOSE are the folks I'm talking about. For example, a guideline in the Christian bible suggests everyone 'be fruitful and multiply'. Wise words, those-- when they were issued, back in the first paragraph of the first book of the Old Testament, before Adam and Eve. By the looks of things, we followed that rule best of all. But the actual quote is:

²⁰And God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens." ²¹So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²²And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." ²³And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

God wasn't even talking to humans at the time! He suggested that the fish and birds multiply to fill up the oceans and the skies. The reason he did that was so that humans would have plenty of food to choose from, I'm guessing. Would he have so cavalierly suggested that humans fill up the planet, making it difficult to feed them all? I think not. He actually created a garden, called it Eden, and meant for his original inhabitants, A&E, to live there with their family. Without knowing how big the garden is, we can surmise it was not all that big, since when they were cast out of it, there was a huge world on the outside to fill with people. Which means that God was planning for people to stay within the garden walls... just a small section of the planet. Kind of like Guideline number Seven, which mandates that people Do Not Exceed One Billion Souls.

Right now we are at almost 7 billion and growing. We are polluting the land, the air and the water and contributing greatly to the increase of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, which if left unchecked, could turn our environment from ideal to hell-- like that of Venus (with a HUGE greenhouse effect, thick cloud cover over the entire planet, surface temperature of around 800 degrees... that's eight HUNDRED).

Huh!

Is it true that misinterpreting the bible is what got us into trouble on the planet in the first place? Sure seems that way. Let's look at the other Guideline-- 'believe in FACT'. While it may be true that there are a lot of facts in the bible, there are also a tremendous number of 'miracles', events which seem unreproducible today. Even though some of those miracles could simply be erroneously reported quirks of nature (the 'parting' of the Red sea could have been a natural phenomenon involving volcanic activity, for example), it defies the concept of believing in fact and treating fiction stories as parables which teach vital lessons in morality. And when we believe in the unprovable, we are intentionally not using one of the greatest gifts god gave to us (according to the bible, that is)-- our human brains.

What can be done about these problems? Erroneous thinking like that grabs hold and spreads through our impressionable children. When parents disseminate the 'truth' to their children, they tend to accept the information as stone-tablet fact. At worst, all their future learnings will be held up to that faulted mirror, and dismissing even proven fact if it doesn't reflect favorably off their looking glass of lies.

I'd cause the problem to disappear with mandatory free education, beginning early in life. I know, I know... we have that now.

Actually, we don't. The school I briefly mentioned in my post entitled 'The First Major Step: New Education' doesn't yet exist in our nation, although a few private institutions begin to approach that thinking. I was joyous when I saw the Vulcans employ a similar technique to teach their children in the Star Trek movie this summer-- at least someone in Hollywood has their thinking cap on!

School has proven to be valuable in the mainstreaming of children's education, preventing the compartment-style learning found in a segregated community. But religious parents will likely be incensed at what they view as an attempt to wrest religion from their children and fight back with fanatic devotion, as extremists often do. There is no foundation more impenetrable than religious zealotry. Their is no doubt that the mistaken lessons twisted from the bible will be forced upon every generation within their enclave, relentlessly preventing the truth from entering.

On to the title of this post. 'Peaceful Attrition' is a stepping stone which leads to the Perfect World, nothing more. It is NOT a solution. The religious cannot long live alongside the 'sinners', as Perfect Worlders would likely be called, and would ultimately mount some form of attack. This is NOT a behavior found in the Primary Guidelines.

At some point a decision will need to be made to create or assign communities which will become religious enclaves, where the remaining religious folk, or 'Fictioners', can keep their beliefs alive. These areas will be attractive, modern and temperate, with beautiful homes and lush surroundings. They will also be far, far away from any Perfect World cities. All their raw materials will be provided to them to modify their hometowns as they wish, and they may retain their use of the antiquated 'money' which has become useless in the Perfect World. Contact between worlds would be discouraged but not prevented-- accepting that 'nonbelievers' will always exist is a lesson that would be taught in Perfect World Podschools, along with the emotional strength to withstand the standard barrage of fanaticism.

But say we don't want to stoop to the Australian prison colony approach the way that England did. So what other methods are available to us?

It is possible that over time, the slow and deliberate application of societal pressure could induce a change in the religious temperament so that segregation would not become necessary. That is, if enough television programs and commercials and public service announcements and talk shows and unscripted 'reality' series and news programs begin to lean towards the smart, ever so slightly, over time, and more logical ideas begin to gain acceptance (as has already been happening for years), then it is possible to win over future generations of children, freeing them from religious enslavement.

Of course, the ultra-right fight back by creating their own media and making it, and only it, available to their youth, segregating themselves in the process. It may not be possible to live alongside people who cannot or will not follow the Primary Guidelines.

So we're back to segregation. But hold on a minute... let's take a look at the 'followers' box on this blog to see how many people are reading it... Okay, I don't have that many Perfect World followers; actually, at this writing, the number stands at zero. Okay, so there aren't many Perfect Worlders right now. In that case, I have another idea.

We leave. Oh, I don't mean the country, the state or even city... no, we just leave the lifestyle of America. We remain where we are but practice the foundation of Perfect World. Follow and spread the 10 Guidelines. Raise your children that way. Join a Perfect World Church.

What? A church?!? I thought we Perfect Worlders, we PW's, were not religious!

We're not. Follow along. This church is a church in name only-- it's really a meeting place for all the other Perfect Worlders, as you create a parallel world for yourselves. Maybe it's like an Elks Club instead of a Church... no matter. All the needs for a PW community will be listed in a dedicated post in upcoming days, but in the start you will simulate PW while still living the standard life of Americans. You will need to create a podschool for your children, a Costco-type place for all your foodstuffs and housewares, a Home Depot-type place for all the group's construction and manufacturing parts, a trade-barn where all your unwanted items can be swapped for other people's unwanteds (like a thrift store), the software program which runs the community most efficiently, and an interface which would convert your outside jobs to best aid your PW community.

The smallest integrated PW society will necessarily be pretty large, as we would need a full complement of abilities to reduce or eliminate our dependence on the host country-- builders, doctors, chefs, farmers, inventors, teachers, entertainers, writers... the whole list. Of course, there are many jobs which are no longer necessary in the Perfect World-- for example, we WILL need logical thinkers, but we WON'T need lawyers. We WILL need organizers, but not shopkeepers. Most of the jobs involved with security will disappear, but living alongside IMPERFECT worlders, we will need to be able to protect ourselves and our families from insurgency, so self-protection will be a necessary interim measure each PW citizen will learn.

Many PW's in the community will work in a non-PW occupation to start. In the beginning there will not be enough PW people to reproduce a modern society, so trade will be necessary. At first, many in the total will be contributing their entire incomes into the coffers of the whole community, so that large or complex machinery can be purchased from outside and brought into the collective.

Eventually our financial wizards can manipulate the funds to grow into a large nest egg that is distributed as needed, when interaction within the larger host country is necessary.

Without resorting to religious-type proselytization, at some point PW's will seek to find like-minded people to bring into their communities. Maybe an annual event can be created that would be open to all, with games and rides that would appeal to the PW mentality. The objective would be to make PW large enough, with communities in every city and town in the nation, to influence the voting of the country at large. PW's could join the non-PW political arena, and when in a position of influence could introduce subtle PW bills that slowly move the country into a more PW-friendly place.

That's when we run into the same problem-- when do the newly-enacted laws clash with the small remaining 'nonbelievers' (who in fact ARE believers-- just not in PW), forcing them to seek refuge in communities of people whose viewpoints are similar to their own?

By that time, I should think, Perfect World would be so firmly entrenched that it would account for a clear majority of the people. For the rest, it would be fitting if we could offer them a place to move into that we had secretly built for them over the years-- a ready-to-populate metropolis we have appropriately named God City, an enormous shining jewel which resembles the biblical artwork depicting Heaven! There could even be a large 'bowels' to the city, a dark underbelly called, oh... how about 'Hell Town', where people of 'question' could live and carry on their sick business!

If I were a person of faith, I imagine I'd take one look at that shiny megalopolis, and see it as a truly fitting residence for myself and other people of pious probity. And for those among us we deem unworthy (and we shall always find SOMEONE unworthy) they will be given a choice: To be cast out of the city and into the dark and evil nether regions of Hell Town, to reflect on their imperfections and strive for forgiveness and orthodoxy; or to choose banishment...

to the world outside of God City... in other words, The Perfect World.

To OUR Perfect World.

And we would be waiting. "You're welcome to enter. Have a house... on the house!"

Copyright 2009 Bruce Ian Friedman

Crime IS Punishment

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I'm not joking. Crime IS the punishment for this society. You may believe otherwise. You may believe what you've been told to believe, or even what you think is true using reasonable logic.

You would be mistaken. The people who told you what to believe were also mistaken. They were guilty of a very common error in human judgement-- local thinking. Local thinking is the opposite of global thinking, or 'big picture' thinking, which itself is the consideration of all factors in problem solving, not just the immediate ones. Consider this example:

A man steals from a drugstore. A Local Thinker sees this fact and looks no further, thinking, "That's theft-- end of story." Police are paid to be Local Thinkers. They arrest him and he stands before a judge, who asks the man why he stole from a drugstore. The man explains he is an honest man, but it is medicine he cannot afford and will save his child's life. The medicine itself is inexpensive to manufacture but is made artificially high because it is the only one which saves lives for this particular illness, and the maker is greedy and inflexible.

Judges are Global Thinkers, but are restricted by laws to behave as a Local Thinker might. Though they see the conflict inherent in stealing to save a life, he must still exact specific punishment on a good man, and could very likely allow a child to die in the process.

Global Thinking looks at the entire situation, ignores the theft and charges society with murder.

Crime is the punishment for a society which is set up to protect the money more than the people. Although we purport to be protecting our citizenry, one quick look at most of our laws and you will see that (at the very least) protecting our money (and our stuff) is just as important (if not more so).

I've said before that a correctly designed society effectively has no crime. The reason there is no crime in a well designed society is because the people are content. Their desires are met and they have been raised to be responsible so if they have desires which cannot immediately be met, they can manage their disappointment with maturity. There is no crime because there are no unresolved negative feelings.

What is a 'Correctly Designed Society'? At its core is the assumption that people's needs, wants and desires should be addressed, so long as they do not impede the rights of others or of society. That is commonly called the 'Golden Rule'. The word 'gold' implies value, because decency is that valuable. It is an old pronouncement, biblically old as a matter of fact, which shows that even our less advanced descendants knew how people wanted to be treated.

It's basic.

So... why are we still not doing it right?

We know why. I covered it in an earlier post. The root of all evil is... say it with me now, people!

MONEY!

Or more precisely, the hoarding of money. The LOVE of money. The greed factor. But why is greed so bad? Hoarding is what squirrels do with nuts to prepare for winter, right?
Hoarding, or greed, is a survival trait.

The difference between us and squirrels is that while squirrels are rugged individualists looking out for themselves, we form societies which support each other, so that the society may grow stronger. That's a big difference and it has allowed us to become the civilization we are today. But while nuts will always be just food, money can represent anything of value in human society, so the temptation doesn't end when your belly is full. Our needs are more complex than the squirrels', and we have a huge list of wants that squirrels don't.

That list of wants is just a pile of money away... a piece of knowledge which is just too tempting for some people. They want what they want, and correctly believe the way to accomplish it is with money, and although earning enough money legally is surprisingly difficult, STEALING it from someone else is much easier. And just like that we've created crime.

Why have we created a society which has so much to offer... but isn't likely to offer it to anyone? It didn't set out that way, I'm thinking. The desire to have all those wants satisfied is what caused so much creativity-- inventors invent because if successful, piles of money come their way, which of course brings fulfillment of desires. Singers sing their hearts out because, if they are considered the best, people will throw money at them to have them perform. The same is true in most occupations-- if you are the best, you will be in high demand.

Of course, if they sing their heart out and people DON'T think they're the best (or at least very good), there will be no piles of cash, no big houses, no fancy cars, no toys, no fun. What do they do then? How do they ensure the wealth that brings about comfort and eliminates fear?

LEGALLY, they could create another demand which accompanies their performance, the way KISS did with makeup, smoke and lasers.
IMMORALLY, a performer could defraud their listening public by lip syncing, like Milli Vanilli did. Or, they could listen when their parents told them to take a major in college to 'fall back on', like business or law, and forget the dream of music entirely. Many people make the wise choices, but some are doomed to pick the road of lower standards. And with lowered standards comes... say it with me... CRIME!

None of the opportunities which make crime attractive will exist in the Perfect World; none of the personality types cultivated in our current, imperfect world even exist in the Perfect World; and while there are many different types of crimes today, in the World Family of the future many of those laws will not even exist, so performing those behaviors will not even be considered a crime.

Eliminating Criminal Behavior

First Easiest Way

Get rid of some ridiculous laws, and just like that, the people who do those things are no longer criminals. Two good examples are drugs and sex. People take drugs to alleviate pain and stress; people have sex because it feels so damn good. Does it make sense that these behaviors are criminal? Of course not-- we already permit sex freely in society, and we issue prescription drugs for pain and stress, so these things already exist. The difference is that the government receives no tax from hookers and dealers. To solve that, they are considered 'nuisance' criminals, and punished financially-- mostly to derive funding for the city-- call it a 'sin' tax. The remaining lawbreakers go to prison, which costs society a great deal of money. Their crime was essentially practicing business without a license. End this archaic practice.

Second Easiest Way

Educate our youth properly while re-educating our failed, disaffected adults. Give them a reason to get up in the morning, a reason to be proud of themselves. Teach to the student, concentrating on each student's areas of natural ability. Give them real-life, hands-on experience. Pique their interests and avoid treating them like replaceable cogs in a machine. Strive to eliminate humiliating occupations in society. Even out compensation for any occupation to match ability and importance; and prevent a wide disparity between the lowest-paid job and the highest.

Third Easiest Way (AKA First Hardest Way)

How it's being done now. Lay down vague, Draconian laws that most people cross quite by accident, then punish them harshly when they are caught. Place them in long-term holding cages with all other criminals, including cold-blooded killers, and look the other way when they are being abused by them. Later, cast them back into society with a notation on their resumé marking them as convicts, making it impossible for them to earn a living wage legally. Watch them carefully so at the first slip they can be thrown back into prison. Build a society of fear, stress and sorrow.

The OTHER Crimes

We know that not all crimes are driven by greed (the acquisition of cash). Some are crimes of passion, as with domestic violence. Others are crimes of selfishness, like spitting on the sidewalk or performing a high wire act between tall buildings without a permit. Still others involve ignorance (like killing a jew because they are 'devils'), apathy (by failing to report a witnessed crime) or gluttony, like when stealing rolls from a restaurant.

Some of these crimes are minor, or even simple infractions. That does not change the fact that a human chose to commit them, knowing it was against the law. Assigning an 'intensity' to a crime is the role of government and doesn't impact a deeply bothered citizen when they are reacting to what they see as an untenable situation. There's a bit of delicious irony for you... many times when a crime is being committed, it is being done by someone who is trying to right an injustice present in our faulted set of laws! A good person gets bitten in the ass by the legal system, because it is unable to right society's wrongs!

Using 'Big Picture' thinking, start by looking at each crime and the reasons surrounding it. Understand the motivation of the lawbreaker, and delve into their emotional state. Accept the fact that in most cases, someone who breaks the law hasn't changed their basic decency. An important step in understanding human behavior is to recognize that loss of dignity is a very strong motivator of crime. Very often the reason for committing widely different crimes the same-- a reaction to the deep discontent with how we behave towards each other.

Conclusion

How many people would be breaking laws, if the laws were designed to work with people and their flaws, instead of holding each of them to an unsustainable level of perfection? How much anger could we squelch simply by making certain poverty ceased to exist? How much MORE rage could be stopped by making certain vast wealth could not be held by individuals or families? Perfect world theory surmises that most crime will disappear when the reasons for crime disappear... that's kind of a no-brainer.

Copyright 2009 Bruce Ian Friedman

Partway To Perfect

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I've been railing on and on about how our current society needs improvement. I maintain that is still the case, but now I believe I have been a little hard on our system... there are many aspects of today's society which are more than halfway to the Perfect World we'd all like to see. So this post is dedicated to all those things which would remain unchanged in the Perfect World of our future.

Now And In The Future:

Libraries lend books to anyone, for free.

Any injured person will be helped, even by a stranger.

Condiments are free at restaurants.

Recycling is important to us.

We think kittens are adorable.

Children are our future.

We are curious about everything and want to learn everything.

There is free public education for children.

We appreciate beauty, art, music and culture.

We love love.

If you are lost, there will be people trying to find you.

Sometimes, all we want to do is to keep having sex.

Artists of every coat create with impulsive dispensation.

People are trained to put out fires and do it for free.

We dream of a future free of fear, pain, danger and war.

There are innumerable flavors of ice cream.

Teachers continue to educate.

Inventors design our future.

Music lifts our souls and swells our bliss.

We will complain about the weather.

Man's best friend will still be dogs.

We will watch what we eat, for our health and our physique.

We will explore, investigate, examine, analyze and probe our environment for knowledge.

We will search the world for our soul mates.

We will relish flavors, and sounds, and visions, and scents... and touch.

Children will want always one more cookie.

Actually, in order to be the best we can, we're not not going to change that much... we're already pretty far along. And the things we need to change, we want to change... so we already have a strong desire to improve. It's that last, huge step we have to take that scares us the most.

What's holding us back?

Trust.

We are scared to trust. We think if we hold our arms apart in welcome, someone will come along and steal our rings and wristwatches.

And you know, somebody may do just that. Sadly, there are many people who have been repeatedly hurt by the mindless cruelty of our society, and they're looking for any chance to exact some revenge.

We have to purge these feelings from our society before we can trust enough to take that final step. Although I would prefer it, I maintain that we're not going to be able to fix all of our broken citizens for all the reasons I have mentioned in posts prior to this one (go ahead and catch up... I'll wait).

While it is not impossible for a person to make a radical 180 degree shift in their thinking, it must come from within. They need to already be feeling deep dissatisfaction with their lives and be experiencing a longing for change. Finally, there has to be near continuous reinforcement to prevent backsliding. Difficult as hell, yes; but not impossible.

Regardless of which way we choose to care for our troubled citizenry, one day it ceases to become an issue-- all the other changes our representatives have enacted have begun to yield their expected results. Reducing greed by rewarding selflessness, capping upper income potential to a much more reasonable figure, eliminating poverty, educating everyone to their potential and preventing the cold cruelties currently rampant on our streets will serve to build hope and reassure success. Slowly we will replenish our ranks with young and hopeful faces fresh out of podschool. Each generation will produce fewer troubled adults. At an indeterminate time in the future we can begin to think of again holding out those arms and this time, be certain of getting a hug instead.

Copyright 2009 Bruce Ian Friedman

Perfect World Mechanics

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In my last post I mentioned welders... now I espouse mechanics, but this time I'm not talking about the people who fix your car. This time I'm trying to explain how the whole Perfect World thing's gonna work. Pay attention... it could get a little complicated:

A green world, one which is ecologically sound, is an efficient one. You will find very little unplanned redundancy. Raw materials will not be squandered because the needs and desires of an entire civilization, from a single person to the whole planet, will be accounted for.

Since people can't read each other's minds, how are we to create a world where few people are producing simultaneous work? How can one hand know what the other hand is doing?

At the Perfect World's core is a piece of software that runs the show. Like a website, anyone can dial in to use it. It houses all the information necessary to make Perfect World run smoothly. This is a complex program-- it knows where every person is, all through the day. It knows everybody's abilities. It knows what stuff everyone has, what stuff they need, what stuff they want, what they can contribute and what they cannot. Not only does it account for all raw materials available and the location and quantity of finished products... it has a good idea what recyclables are available for re-use, and in what quantities. And on the other side, it knows what jobs are available and who is best qualified for them. In other words:

It's like the Radar O'Reilly of the future! (that's a M.A.S.H. reference, for all of you young-uns out there)

I am probably oversimplifying how this program will work. The amount of information it works with will be vast, so it will need to be broken down into manageable chunks, each running on a local network. This mega-program will be made up of millions of smaller information-obtaining programs, which will process local information into something the larger program can utilize, which in turn sends information to the appropriate source. I'm being deliberately vague, but that's only because I haven't designed this program and so don't know exactly how it would work. But it would likely be akin to any of today's shipping and tracking software. Here's the basics:

A file is maintained for every person, every business, every building, every town... in short, every piece of humanity, man-made or living. And every living person would have their own access terminal. Extensive cross-referencing puts needs in touch with those who can satisfy needs.

Today, each person has many daily needs, and is expected to solve many of them on their own. They will need to eat several times a day. They need clothing for protection from the elements. They need occasional bathroom time. They need to stretch their bodies for physical health, and stretch their minds for emotional health. They need a place to live. The list of needs goes on. Then the list of WANTS begins-- snacks and games and sex and fun... and together they make a very long list indeed.

Together, the human race has a staggering amount of regular needs. Right now we're not living symbiotically on our planet; in fact, we are killing our host because of thoughtless waste, unconscionable pollution and resource mismanagement. How would PerfectWorldTheory.com (for example) satisfy everyone smoothly while keeping the planet purring?

One obvious solution would be to expand the organizational capacity of our worldwide computing system. We've already seen how computers have contributed to productivity. Expand the process on a planetary scale and you can see where this might go.

Let's try an example: Across the globe at any given time, let's say 65,000 clock radios have chirped their last good morning. Each of those people would type in a request for a new one. The software would compile that information and pass it along to local warehouse facilities that receive and store freshly manufactured product for use as needed, then fills the orders and ships them. There would be many such facilities around the globe to reduce shipping costs. Shortly, each person has their new clock radio, and has sent the old one in for recycling.

Recycling is a very important part of conservation efforts. A product at the end of its useful life is stripped apart and separated. Any parts which can be reused will be, and those which cannot will have another use designed for them. For example, old tires were once destroyed by burning until air pollution became a concern. Now thousands could be stitched together to create a framework for underwater reef systems-- sea life grows into and around the tires until a large deposit of natural material builds up and creates a barrier against storm surges. Any product which has no second life will be dropped from production if possible.

On a larger scale, say a small town needs a new bridge because the old one is crumbling. A computer-based discussion is broadcast to all persons of interest. which in this case would be everyone in town. The pros and cons are debated and everyone votes on the project. Because this is a safety issue, it would likely receive a unanimous vote. The software then contacts all bridge designers and bridge-makers within a set perimeter who would join the project if interested. Soon several designs are submitted which are then voted upon. The chosen bridge would be created and completed in short order and the old one, dismantled and recycled.

Or thinking even larger, let's say a state needs a solution to repeated flooding. During the debate phase a few bright ideas are considered which would have previously been shelved because of the exhaustive cost. Now, because the only factors to be considered are advantages, manpower and resources, even wildly ambitious projects are not automatically dismissed. Because of this, the state joins with the nation to design a set of flood channels which would divert rain to the water-starved states of the southwest, a plan which expands to become a nationwide water distribution system. As a result, not only has flooding everywhere been controlled; but draught has ended, nationwide crops are ensured water, and the flood channels find a dual use as a pan-national transportation riverway!

Each Person's Part

I've mentioned in earlier posts how we will be eliminating a great many unnecessary jobs in the Perfect World-- some will become pointless, as with meter maids and cashiers; some will be replaced with machinery, as traffic cops and ditch diggers did in the 20th century; and some will be melded into new occupations, as traditional teachers merge into designing teaching techniques that uses multimedia to immerse our youth in education.

We will also be educating to our children's 'hot spots'- those areas of special interest, unique to each person. Perfect World assumes that in the grand scheme of life, there are enough hot spots to cover every facet of human living-- in other words, that there will be enough children born with the desire to become doctors to cover the world's need for doctors. In that way nobody need be taught lessons which are uninteresting (or even painful!) to them. Also, since each person is likely to have multiple hot spots, they can be assured of multiple occupations in their life, often at the same time in life.

In a scenario, our Perfect Worlder (let's call him... oh, Pete White) wakes up in the morning feeling like going to work and contributing. He steps to the computer and pulls up his work profile. Listed are any jobs going on around him within his specialty range. His major abilities include organization, electronics design, singing, comedy and massage; he also has a few dozen minor aptitudes. He had put in a request to sing with a traveling music group because he wants to travel and see new places, but no definites yet, although three groups are in the process of forming and will contact him when they have chosen a genre.

But there were about fifteen other possibilities for today listed within walking distance. Pete reads the job requesting someone to organize classic photographs,four hours a day for an upcoming art showing and, interested, clicks the 'offer' button. In a moment the 'accept' button lights and he has work for a few days-- the computer loads the address and other information into his mobile device. He also notices an evening job singing the classics with a pianist in a beautiful enclave overlooking the bay; he clicks 'offer' on that one too and receives an 'accept' in moments. The pianist had already searched the computer for vocal stylists in his own genre, which gave him Pete's file, along with a few others; when Pete offered his service first, he was accepted automatically, and the job dropped off the other potential's files at the same time.

He does 45 minutes of cardio, takes a leisurely shower and eats a healthy breakfast, jogging the half-mile and arriving at work about 11 am. At about 3 pm Pete finishes for the day and jumps into a nearby pool to cool off, and for invigorating exercise-- he does laps for half an hour then spends another 20 in the sauna, finishing off with a rotating temperature jet bath.

He heads over to the local restauratorium and collects a plate of culinary tidbits from a dozen fine chefs, all working in a huge, fully stocked kitchen, then sits at a table with a number of strangers, all engaged in fascinating conversation. Each person offers up knowledge in their chosen fields for the others to absorb. Entertainment is discussed, as is innovation, art and philosophy. Time passes quickly as new people join the group to add their stories. Soon Pete has to begin his evening singing; he excuses himself and uses one of the many SDVs (self-driving vehicles) parked all over to get to the large hall at the water's edge. As the car navigates the streets unassisted, Pete lays back and uses the time to call up his set list on the car's roof monitor, which displays the lyrics while it plays the music. Confident his voice is in fine tone, he hops from the SDV and mounts the stage to thunderous applause.

After the day's work, his contribution has been added to his file, along with any extraneous information: his first 'employer' found his work to be 'impeccable' and later that evening, he received three standing ovations at his performance, a tic worth noting by any traveling groups looking for singers.

But Pete is not finished with his day, no-- He doesn't have to come back to work tomorrow-- the classic photos can be organized by another qualified person. As a matter of fact, if the computer notices he's out very late, it will automatically cancel his work for the next day, and if he has been drinking, will provide him with a hangover remedy when he gets home!

Pete prefers to exercise some more... in the arms of a lovely magenta-haired woman from the next enclave who had been at, and enjoyed, his concert! When looking over her profile he noticed that she has listed, among her many talents, her sexually adventuresome libido. She slips into his arms and coyly suggests the Slide, which is a Sex Playground favorite-- two and a half miles of smooth, slippery fun! The entrance to the clear lexan slide is a hundred stories in the air and just an elevator ride away. It is lubricated with a light, minty oil; the couple begins their descent slowly, on a barely perceptible ramp, and while they slide, strategically placed 'fingers' reach out to invigorate them. They begin making love, and seemingly on cue the slide increases its descent rate, the oil becomes more viscous and at some point they seem to be in free-fall! Vigorous activity inspires the slide to become more choppy, with sharper turns and shorter, bumpier drops. Their music of choice emanates throughout the tube, as is their chosen air temperature and scent.

Somewhere towards the end they both experience powerful orgasms, made even more so by pheromones pumped into the air. Pete and his partner are deposited, spent, onto a floating bed raft at the bottom of the slide, which casually makes its way to a stop after navigating a winding, enclosed river seemingly floating through a dark and florid jungle. It settles into a closed and private nook where they rest; when they are ready, they open the door and emerge near the water spa to clean up and relax in any of several unique environments.

Pete hugs and thanks her, and they part for home. In the SDV he records the evening verbally, too tired to write, answering the program's prompted questions, many of which make their way into public record. His own data has put her in his 'most favored' section, along with descriptions of some of her most delightful techniques, plus those talents of his own that she seemed to enjoy-- most notably a lick/suck/bite that brought her to the edge of climax several times. She too recorded her impressions of the evening, and unbeknownst to him she has recommended him to several of her closest friends!

It's finally bedtime for our Perfect World friend Pete White, after a very busy, very productive day. Tomorrow he spends at the beach with friends. The program has already made the necessary arrangements.

Across the globe and within each dwelling, every person experiences their own version of a wonderful day, day after day, from the moment they become aware of being aware until they close their eyes forever. Their hopes and dreams become reality with regularity. Their pains and stresses, reduced unconditionally. Exposed to the vast stretch of human experience, creativity and emotion, each soul picks for themselves a life packed with experience and awe, leaving them sated and fulfilled and eager to share and learn.

Welcome to the Perfect World.

Copyright 2009 Bruce Ian Friedman

All Praise The Trek!

Essay

What gratification I received today... I saw the new Star Trek movie!

Err... actually, although I loved the movie, that wasn't the gratification I speak of. No, what made me particularly happy was a scene in the movie. Can you guess which one?

...

I'm waiting...

...

No guesses? Okay, I'll tell you. The scene where a young Spock is being harassed by his peers in school. What made me so happy about that scene was the wider view of the Vulcan school... did you happen to notice? It looked like a refrigerator egg tray, a large flat floor with perfect half circle divots cleaved out in regular intervals, and there was a child sitting down in the middle of each one. Rapidly adjusting computer graphics were displayed on the curved wall all around the students...

It was a Pod School! In my post 'The First Major Step...' I postulated that the first step towards a Perfect World scenario would be the introduction of personalized education-- one room, one student, taught by computer.

It's nice to know that the Vulcans believe I am on the right track... theirs are the most logical of minds, after all.

Copyright 2009 Bruce Ian Friedman

Religion's Place In The Perfect World

Essay

Or should I be more interesting and re-title this post:

Ridiculigion, Because The Other One Was Taken...

In either case, it's a very heated topic. I'd like to keep it simple and also insult as few people as possible simultaneously. I don't know why I care... I guess I'm just nice that way.

-•-

Perfect World Theory has, at its core, an important assertion:

Believe In Facts

Fact should drive society. That is a Perfect World premise. There is no place for fiction, or even undocumented fact, when laying down World Family structure. Belief systems which are restrictive, undermine freedom and lead to discontent in the name of an unprovable theory (namely, the idea of a supreme being or a universal fate) are counterproductive to a society which prides itself on true individual rights.

For example, two religions are completely different, but both claim that their supreme being is the only one in the universe-- obviously they can't both be right. How does that contribute to clarity of purpose?

Also, some religious leaders have claimed they've had two-way spoken communication with their gods, but they can provide no evidence of such an occurrence-- no eyewitnesses, no video recordings... only their word, and yet they ask their followers to make great sacrifice based on their say-so alone. Neither experience builds any kind of trust-- for religion, or for its representatives.

On the other hand, there is ample evidence of leaders lying in order to glean obedience. A recent example would be the Bush administration using fear to sway people into giving up many of their inalienable rights granted by the Constitution, by convincing them to accept an illegal and dangerous document called the Patriot Act, which gives law enforcement the discretion to ignore human rights in the name of 'public safety'. A document which, at this writing, still stands.

It is not a great leap for me to use a political example while citing religious persecution. Even to this day religious leaders are the only governing body in many countries, and their laws date back thousands of years, and stand as written in their religious texts. These are the same ancient texts which call for brutal punishments for their citizens because they are gay, or have been raped, or for some other 'heinous crime'.

We see how fruitless, in confrontations between religions, attempts to pick one group's philosophy over the other. Stubbornness reigns supreme. That's not a religious affectation however, but a human one-- how many of us believe our sports team is the best? We can't all be right. Who among us does not feel that the country they live in is the best? Guess what... people in other countries feel exactly the same way. Once again, who's right?

At the end of each season one team is determined to be best, but does that stop the other teams' fans from cheering their own team anyway? It does not. Fans call that loyalty. We call that obstinate. It stands to reason, therefore, that we will not be converting any people soon.

What is so wrong about believing your team is better than their team, anyway? Because stuff like this happens when you do...

This behavior is not a direct result of opposing convictions, though-- there's a convoluted process going on in one's head. In essence, our current society is set up so that people must compete in order to survive. This response is a natural survival instinct, but it is not an absolute necessity-- undisciplined children in large families compete for food at the dinner table unless punished by their parents for behaving that way, for example, while polite children wait their turn, share, and be sure there is enough for everyone before beginning to eat. Welcome to the well-mannered Nuclear Family... a microcosm of the World Family I'd like to see come to pass.

Loving your religion, your sports team, or your political party are not unrelated-- they are all part of the same emotional trigger as protecting your family. While defending your loved ones from danger is an innate response, the others have been piggybacked onto that using societal pressure-- you hear repeatedly that is is okay to do so by your family, your religious and political leaders and by the biggest brainwasher of them all-- advertising.

So long as society tolerates selfish and violent responses like the one pictured above, individuals will see no reason to change. But change doesn't have to be difficult, or even painful. We are currently experiencing public pressure to clean up the environment-- pressure which comes in the form of public service announcements, commercials and even script changes written into popular television shows. That didn't happen accidently; deliberate decisions were made and large sums of money spent to make that change. Traditionally, these precursors fall on the heels of ever more forceful public programs-- in this case, water and power conservation requirements, laws cleaning up emissions and dirty energy sources, and even more campaigns to change the way people feel about their home, Mother Earth.

In this manner we can attempt to sublimate human desire for guidance; from religion, to World Family.

Terms Defined

This would be a good time to explain myself. I use the terms Perfect World Theory and World Family interchangeably, and I do that because they are two sides of the same coin. If we adopt the Perfect World ideals into our society, the end outcome is a World Family, the place which applies those ideals. To live within the constraints of a World Family IS to live in the Perfect World.

And I've said before, the Perfect World has been given that name because it has been designed to closely operate within human needs and desires, while eliminating as much stress and sorrow as can be attained. In other words, it is the Perfect World for US.

World Family represents all human interaction in the Perfect World. Each person you speak with, nod to or caress is treated as a member of your extended family, and you of theirs.

God Created The Big Bang

I wanted to try to create an easily viewable concept of the Big Bang. Naturally, I thought about fireworks, but I decided to settle on grinding sparks because they were easier to attain and observe. Welders, when grinding metal, make sparks. When you observe a spark pattern, you see it begins and ends quickly, and there are thousands of sparks all shooting away from the contact point. I began to formulate an idea.

WHAT IF, with each touch of the metal, the welder creates a super-miniaturized Big Bang? An entire universe which comes into existence, lives out its life traveling outwards from the source, and when the heat ends, the spark (i.e. the universe) dies. It passes by too quickly and too tiny for us to observe, but WHAT IF there are revolving particles traveling around each of the sparks? WHAT IF they revolve around each spark billions of times in the span of each spark's life?

And WHAT IF there is life on some of those revolving bodies? Or water? Or atmosphere? In short, all the things we have here on Earth, only happening in a blazingly short time and on a ridiculously small scale? To all life on that particle, time would be passing normally... for them. They'd have children, who would also have children and so on for thousands and millions of their years before their spark, or SUN, fades away. All which would occur in the blink of our eye.

Here's the kicker... get ready for it...

WHAT IF that little particle is Earth? And the spark is the SUN? And the life is US!?

I'll tell you what if! That means our God is a welder!

Oh, my!

Not only that, he's creating hundreds, or thousands of universes daily! He and all his welder buddies all over his world, creating universes, day in, day out.

God has welder buddies?!

On his world, which revolves around a star. A star which could be a spark, made by an enormous welder much larger than the universe.

Oh. MY!

And conversely, here on Earth we have welders...

OHMYOHMYOHMY!! Holey moley, We're GOD!

That's what I've been trying to say! And how egotistical is it, to venerate OURSELVES?

Evolving God

I think there is enough evidence so that I feel confident with the concept of evolution, but I hate when people say that man was descended from apes. This is simply ridiculous. I mean, if we are constantly evolving, then so are the apes, right? Back when this gradual change in humans was occurring, the change was happening to apes as well, as they were evolving from simpler into more complex apes. Humans were just evolving from simpler into more complex humans.

If you think early man LOOKED like apes, well, I can't argue with you there. But what does beauty have to do with it? They know what they know from finding evidence and analyzing it; and for ancient organisms the evidence is bones. Bones can only tell you so much about a creature-- it can't for example, tell you the organism's eye color. Scientists can infer only a certain amount until better proof is found. Which means that until we find a perfectly preserved cave man, we just won't know exactly what they look like. But with the polar ice caps melting, now's the time to check the slush for a perfectly preserved Urg. Continuing on...

At some point, traveling backward, we didn't look like man at all, but rather, some kind of crawly thing with legs. And before that, a sea creature. And before that, one celled organisms. And before that, glurp. And before that, piles of the building blocks of life, serendipitously blended exactly right and through coincidence given a shot of lightning, the juice of life.

There is no 'before that' for life.

Evolution happens gradually, and it is simply a living organism's response to changing outside stimulus. People haven't changed much in the last few thousand years, but before that, before we were smart enough to figure out clothing, I'm certain we were much hairier. Hirsute even.

If we want to observe evolution in order to prove that it exists, go to organisms that breed quickly. You may be thinking bunnies. That's cute. But we need a faster breed time to watch the changes happening from mega-generation (one million generations) to mega-generation. To observe that, we need tiny creatures which reproduce in minutes; amoebas, or some other organism.

We start with a colony of them, living in an ideal environment; the right temperature, water alkalinity, the works. We then dissect and analyze a sample creature at the beginning of the experiment. Now we change one factor which makes the environment less ideal-- let's say we make it hotter. Hot enough to kill many of them, but not all. When we've found the right sample temperature, the colony continues to survive, and at some point begins to thrive.

Now we analyze another creature. GUARANTEED there will be physiological changes between the first generations and the last. The change will be the ability to endure high temperature. We, over time, may adapt into that very ability, as the Earth slowly gets warmer. That's all we mean by evolution... little changes taking place over vast periods of time.

I can see the theological perspective... even if it were observed to occur, how is the decision made inside the organism so that it creates one type of heat-proofing over the other? Otherwise, will one organism develop ethylene glycol blood and the other, asbestos hair? Doesn't there have to be some guiding hand to 'invent' working models-- an 'intelligent designer', as it were? How can a simple creature like an amoeba come up with a re-design of their own bodies?

Scientists may already postulate an answer; I'm not a scientist so won't waste your time with maybe-so's or what-if's. Suffice to say, evolving as an organism's needs or environment changes is natural (we call it survival of the fittest), it's logical, and it very most probably is the way things actually work, not through an omnicient god manipulating some celestial chemistry set.

Humans As Gods

We as a race are in the infancy of space travel. We know a little about how the universe works, but not a lot.

Assume that we continue on our path of learning and discovery. At some point we will be able to travel among the stars the way it is pictured in today's science fiction. We will be able to exert influence on an entire planet. Put your world conquest dreams on hold there, Caesar... I'm talking about scientific influence.

Imagine that we arrive at a planet which is in a nearby solar system, but lacks some of the ingredients that would make it a habitable world. Now we can use our scientific influence to make it spin like Earth, or remove a toxic pollutant, or add an essential ingredient. We seed it with plant and animal life when it is ready. Then we arrive to colonize, and spread humanity through the stars.

Now imagine the same scenario, but instead, we seed it with the building blocks of life, and give it a few million years to 'take'. Our scientific descendants return to see what has happened on the planet, and they find, to their dismay, that intelligent life has not only occurred on their experimental planet, but is also deeply embroiled in a conflict over creation: One side believes that they developed naturally; and the other side believes that they were created by a god!

Imagination is a wonderful, terrible thing.

Lastly, visualize a third sequence, the same as the second but with one addition: We place, all over the planet, a series of permanent monoliths that will teach a universal language to the inhabitants (when they are ready). Additionally, they will teach the facts of their planet's emergence, and our role in it. They will lay the seeds of learning, emphasize discovery and science, respect for life, and a deep quest for the truth. Finally, they will warn of the danger which comes from believing the unprovable.

What do you think we will find when we return to observe their progress? To answer that, imagine first: What would our own progress have been like if the monoliths had been on our world? Would there be religion? War? Santa Claus? I'm guessing we would live in a very different world. For one-- the pressing question, 'Where did we come from?' would be known, which would end a tremendous amount of speculation, the kind of guesswork I suspect the Bible was founded upon. By learning and following the guidelines found on the monoliths, we would be a much more thoughtful race, and much kinder as well. In fact, I would not be surprised if this entire series of Perfect World posts would have never needed to exist.

A Quick Aside

Running a modern society from the teachings of a book that is 2000 years old makes about as much sense as referring to a 1950's electronics manual to learn about modern computer design. The information in both books is stale and is in sore need of updating. I might not make any friends with this comparison but it is important for people who have put their faith and trust in a document to know that the comparison is, in fact, accurate.

For Example: We have great faith in the Constitution of our nation, but that does not mean that it will never need to change. Constitutional Amendments exist and are utilized when it becomes obvious that society has changed in a way not considered in the original text. Slavery and women's rights are two good examples. A bad example (which was corrected) was the Prohibition Amendment in the early 1900's-- overzealous teetotalers convinced a concerned public that banning alcoholic drinks was a good idea. It wasn't. Although I agree that alcohol is a risky substance, living in a free society guarantees our right to choose for ourselves whether we want to take the risk or not. We are facing a similar situation now with marijuana. Although pot is not without its problems, scientific study has produced evidence of beneficial effects. Many millions of people partake of it illegally, facing prosecution, much as the Prohibition society did with alcohol, which is evidence that the citizenry finds the law unjust. The laws will probably be changed at some point in the future under public pressure.

Any antiquated beliefs found in the Bible can be modified in much the same way, and those people who rage against change are simply Luddites resisting progress. Perhaps that's why evolution is such an object of fear and loathing among traditionalists-- evolution is proof of change, and change is something an arch-conservative denounces.

Back To The Perfect World

Religion, for all the reasons mentioned above, is responsible for holding society back. Fortunately, we have many religious people who, through their own intellect, have recognized this fact and have proposed a few relatively painless measures for correcting religion's influence on the greater whole.

1) Ban religious influence in politics. To repeat, society must be based in fact. Religion is based on faith, making the two theories mutually exclusive.

2) Prevent political proselytizing in the pulpit. Worshippers have the right to vote their conscience, not to be coerced to vote as others see fit.

3) Treat religion as a guide, not as an immutable trajectory. Use the principles to raise your families in moral and decent ways. Allow those beliefs to work within society's desire for freedom by reserving judgement or action on the lives of others.

The teachings of JC in the New Testament are often quoted but rarely followed-- try to live by those wise words. I'll close out this post with a few of the more universal thoughts:

If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

When you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret.

Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.

In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Smart fella, huh?

Copyright 2009 Bruce Ian Friedman

Sex And Drugs And Rock And Roll And The Perfect World

Essay

This is gonna be some post, brothers and sisters. It's not just one big topic, it's THREE. Hell, an entire generation of people believed that the key to happiness WAS sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll. I call it the Hedonist's battle cry.

But what place will these have in the World Family? Will they cease to exist when we're all happy and fulfilled, or will there always be a desire for them? Let's take them one at a time, from least volatile to most, starting with:

A) Rock 'n' Roll and the Perfect World

What will music be like in the World Family?

The short answer is-- much like it is now.

Music isn't a vice. It isn't a biological imperative. No, music was a brilliant discovery from early man, who emulated the lovely sounds of wind and water and creature calls with his own voice and later, with his invented instruments. Music is as different in the far corners of the globe as humans are similar, but all musicians seek to move the human soul, to lift our imaginations and send it flying through the universe, to leave in its wake a subtle longing for ever more of its harmonious power.

Enter money. At a point in human history some of us sought to bottle music up for a price, turning it into a commodity. They saw it as a value of 'x' in the equation of greed. Pure lovers of music disagreed, and as soon as the technology became available they made their feelings known-- with magnetic tape, Compact Discs, and finally, digital files on the Internet.

And now, while lovers of music are ripping songs they like for their own bitchin' playlists, unsigned musicians everywhere are now uploading their own tracks for the world to experience. Anyone can place an audio or video stream onto YouTube, and with a little shameless self-promotion can be seen by thousands or even millions of people. At some point the video will have large enough numbers that it will be recognized by a record label and the musician will be asked to write an album, and their career takes off.

Similarities exist. In the Perfect World of the future, anyone can also record a song and have it distributed for thousands or millions of people to listen to. Those listeners then rate your song, much like is done on YouTube. Now things change.

With Perfect World, when enough people like your music you can give a concert, without needing to be 'discovered' or 'signed'. You are assigned venues according to the size of your fan base, a room which will be large enough to fit them, whether it be a small club or a vast stadium. Multiple nights might be necessary, which would be fine.

If you draw a more intimate group of followers, you can ask for and will be assigned a smaller locale, even a hotel foyer or private living room-- success or failure is not an issue in Perfect World society-- as long as one person wants to hear you play, an audience can and will be granted. There is no concern for seating costs, or nightly attendance-- in a society not driven by profit, those concerns simply don't exist.

Using the nuclear family as an example, imagine your parents decide to build a playroom as a wing to their home. After it is built, do they 'book' time in the room with your family to make sure it is fully utilized? Of course not. It is used whenever it is used. If it turns out nobody wants to play in that room, then the family decides what other uses that room could have-- maybe it becomes a practice room for one of the children's musical careers, or an extra storage room for junk-- whatever happens, it's a family decision, and nobody is charged for using the room. That's what families do, and that's how the World Family works.

The musicians who perform for their fans don't get paid. The venue doesn't get paid. But the fans don't have to pay anything to see their favorite musicians, either.

This entire concept boggles the minds of organized number-crunchers because they see the potential for abuse in the system, and how an imbalance like that could be unsustainable. But getting back to the nuclear family example, how is greediness handled?

Mom comes back from grocery shopping with many bags of fresh, delicious food. Do dad and the kids attack the booty, stuffing their faces with days worth of food in mere moments? Not really, although that bag of marshmallows might mysteriously disappear. No, the family understands that they each have to be fair to the others, and though a little guidance might be necessary for the youngest or most self-centered at the outset, pretty soon everyone is being polite and taking only what they need. This is the essence of the World Family.

The bottom line is that music will be a vibrant part of the World Family, and without a 'superstar' machine in place the quality of music will only continue to improve.

B) Sex and the Perfect World

Modern America began with pilgrims, who came here to escape religious oppression. Once here they were free to practice their faith, complete with restrictive rules on human behavior, specifically on sexuality. While that might have been fine for the religiously driven, natural human desire flies in the face of that directive, and is therefore difficult to maintain without severe punishment.

The World Family seeks to become pragmatic about our own biology, and sexual desire is the first to be studied since, well, it seems to be on everybody's mind. Biologically speaking, sex is necessary to ensure survival of the species. Well, we have more than enough people on planet Earth today (some say ten times too many), so why hasn't our predilection for copulation diminished?

Because there's much more than just a biological component to sex. Sex is the closest physical interaction living creatures have, and for us sentient ones, there's a powerful emotional component as well. The act of coitus brings about strong emotions; not just the ecstasy of orgasm, but also pleasure, love or longing; and even sorrow, fear and hatred. Chemical reactions are taking place all over the body-- the brain is aglow with information. Sex can be the most important part of a person's life, or the most feared. It is THAT complex.

Today, sexual confusion in all its forms contributes greatly to the world's pain. Homosexuality is misunderstood, regulated or even banned. Marriage shackles partners for life. Laws prohibit and punish the least type of deviance from normal. Misinformation runs rampant. People who are starved for sex are forced to seek out streetwalking professionals or faceless strangers on Craig's List. People unqualified to give sexual advice are doing so. Childbirth complicates all but the most traditional of arrangements. If ever there were a society in flux over a behavioral norm, it's ours, about sexuality.

Some schools of thought believe in separating the thinking mind from the emotional mind. Perfect World Theory is not one of those. The awakening of sexuality in humans is to be encouraged, and awareness of its full aspect needs to be attained. When the transition to World Family is complete, human mating, pairing and sexuality will be viewed in an entirely different way. Let's look at a few categories:

Marriage- Many couples are built for marriage. They are extensions of each other; incomplete without their mates. Everyone can tell as they walk down the street-- their happiness practically glows.

For the rest of us, marriage is full of hidden pitfalls. For some, it is the loss of privacy. Others dislike the gender neutralizing effect, as men hold their wives' purses in the store and women watch sports with their husbands. But for the vast majority (of men), it's the idea of never again holding a new woman in that special way.

It may seem callous to view it in that manner, but remember... Perfect World Theory seeks to build a society AROUND human needs, not one which IGNORES them. You may find various human desires repugnant, but that's just the 'judgmental you' immersed in our current society, unable to separate yourself from the idea of 'normal'.

It has been speculated many times that the biological imperatives of men and women are different, a fact which contributes to the war of the sexes. While it may be true, it lacks acceptance. Women (not all, of course... just the large majority) want to be with a man who desires family. Many men, on the other hand, would feel strangled if attached to one woman for life.

The biological imperative dictates that men spread their seed to ensure a wide variety of genetic difference in progeny, which reduces incompatibility in the next generation of mates. Conversely, women seek to nurture a family, which ensures that there will be a new crop of mates to survive into maturity. It's obvious that species survival needs both sides. Perfect World Theory accepts those needs, and makes accommodations for them.

Marriage would become less about tying men and women to their children together in a tight knot (which, by the way, can lead to societal bottlenecks) than a guarantee that children will not experience the loss of a parent through divorce, or the misery of being a trapped pawn in a jealous game of tug-of-war.

Age Limits- Today, there is a strict age limit for sex. Children beneath that age are not to engage in sex. Adults over that age may not have sex with children under that age at any time. There is a good reason for children not to have sex until they are emotionally ready-- doing so can have dire impact on an innocent. Unfortunately, the assignment of an arbitrary intimacy age can achieve almost the opposite effect from what had been intended. The fact is, people develop at different rates, and many of them are ready to try sex before the legal age... and do. The other side of that coin is that many feel undue pressure to succumb because, even at the 'legal' age they do not feel ready, but others may be checking the calendar, then urging them to indulge.

One modification society might employ might be the addition of a test which checks for adequate knowledge of the consequences of sex, plus a section which assesses emotional readiness. It would be requested by the youth and a 'legal age' license could be issued to those that pass. Those who don't pass but still desire sex would have the option of attending a workshop to learn about emotional intimacy.

Location, Location, Location- Under the mantle of prudence, sex is considered a private affair, to be carried out in private. World Family agrees in principle, because like with yawning, being in the vicinity of sex tends to make others want to have sex themselves. Society could quickly grind to a halt by allowing sex anywhere, at any time. Perfect World Concept also understands that many people require copious amounts of sex.

Both situations could be resolved by the establishment of indoor Sex Playgrounds where people congregate for 'congress'. They will be very different than today's playground (the 'rent-by-the-hour' hotel), which is simply a 'discreet' place to perform acts which are considered illegal or immoral by today's standards.

Sex Playgrounds can vary widely in design, but all should be divided to keep opposing sexual concepts separate in order to minimize tension. In a drastic example, it would only be prudent to keep the 'foodies' (smearing and eating food during sex) in a different room than the 'scatties' (oh, you can guess).

Other divisions would be to separate public versus private sex, hetero versus homo, vanilla versus deviant, couples versus groups; and a multitude of other ways to ensure healthy, stress-free sexual encounters. A playground of this type in a typical city could be enormous, serving thousands of people in hundreds of rooms, each catering to a unique sexual appetite. Gone would be today's 'meet markets' (or is it 'meat'?), bars where alcohol, loud music and darkness all cloud the senses in a vain attempt to enhance attractiveness. Instead, it's more like a health club with lockers and showers, and a computerized check-in that helps direct you to the room of your tastes for the evening. Orgasm by the numbers.

Business- Selling sex has long been considered the 'oldest' profession. In a moneyless society like Perfect World sex will still exist, so the question is, how do we ensure sex to everyone who desires it? We can't ask a group of people to be sex workers without compensation-- how many of today's professionals would continue if there were no money in it?

Truly there will always be people who enjoy it more than the average, just as there are people who like it less, or not at all. Once we have rid ourselves of intimacy barriers, the frequency of sexual encounters will likely shoot up. Creating a comprehensive way to find partners with our own predilections will also increase positive encounters. The future of sex as a business will probably be the modern equivalent of a matchmaker-- the Sex Website.

For example, let's say you want to meet someone who also likes to eat food off their partner's naked body. Go to the website. Enter your specific desires. The site searches among ALL people in the area whose profiles have matching data, generating a list of profiles. Each profile shows a video of that person in everyday life, along with a short interview, which is available for all others to view. Pick and watch the videos. Choose several to communicate with. Those people receive your request and review your profile.

Your responses may vary; some may enjoy nibbling potatoes from a pectoral or licking gravy off a gluteus; others have tried it in the past but now prefer their pasta on a plate; others might say 'no thanks'. In any case, it eliminates the uneasy broaching of a subject deemed sensitive by one or both of you, and allows you to find each other without the prying eyes of an uninvolved third person-- all matches are found by computer search requested by the user.

But what if a person is, for one reason or another, deemed unworthy? Currently a prostitute will have sex with almost anyone so long as their price is met. What you're asking is, How can an ugly guy get laid in the Perfect World? Well, remember the Sex Playground? Head over to the Kink Wing-- there's bound to be several rooms which would work: Sex In The Dark room, Sex In Mud room, Sex With An Automaton Surrogate room... or even Opposites Day room. And don't forget, one of the perks of Perfect World Society is phasing out many of today's issues, like obesity, physical shortcomings or flawed emotional responses.

Shyness- A large number of people have trouble expressing their sexual desires. That may or may not continue under the World Family. Using the Sex Playground or the Sex Website, though, you will more than likely find the perfect person to help change all that. Because while your profile has the entry 'shy around the opposite sex' in it; the person you meet's file will probably say 'enjoys building confidence in others'. Viola. Problem solved. And that's assuming the people of the World Family will even feel shyness-- it's also likely that 'leaving nobody behind' will have its expected outcome in creating emotionally healthy people.

'Normality'- Or do you like things the way they are? Do you prefer meeting and talking with new strangers, getting to know them, playfully flirting with them, arranging a series of dates, one of which will end in intimacy; then committing to each other, creating progeny and a life under one roof together?

There are Civil War buffs, too... so please, do what feels right for you, modern or traditional. In the 'Perfect' World, as we know, there's no wrong way to do things. What makes the Perfect World perfect is not that it's perfect or we're perfect, because we're certainly not perfect, and neither is the Perfect World going to be perfect. What IS perfect is the perfect arrangement between us imperfect creatures, and our system, which caters to imperfection. (Perfect!)

Our current system creates laws which, if followed to the letter in their entirety, could only be followed by perfect people who never ever make mistakes. Does that sound like you? It sure doesn't sound like me. The only reason why I don't get 400 traffic tickets a day is that there is no automated ticket robot following my every move. And I am certainly not alone in that, if what I see on the road is any indication.

So if the status quo is what you seek my friend, then achieve, Achieve, ACHIEVE!

But then why on earth are you reading a blog about changing everything?

Childbirth- is a topic for another blog. Yes it's true, childbirth is the inevitable result of prolonged unprotected sex, but that's where the similarities end. Children, as it turns out, are one of the world's great contraceptives, and as such, are ANTI-sex. But look for a discussion soon-- how we modify our approach to children is a vital part of Perfect World Theory.

And finally,

C) Drugs and the Perfect World

Will there be any?

If there are, then how can it be a Perfect World?

If there aren't, then how can it be a Perfect World?

Truly an interesting conundrum, because if we establish that people take recreational drugs to escape from the misery of reality, then having drugs in the Perfect World infers that there is misery. If we believe, however, that people take drugs for reasons besides escape, then not having them in the Perfect World assumes that the world we've designed isn't so perfect. What is the answer?

We've already established that the word 'perfect' refers to a society well-matched with its populace, not an inference to the unattainable concept of 'perfection'. Let's investigate how drugs are used today and try to arrive at the 'perfect' use for them...

Drugs As A Coping Mechanism

The World Family guarantees your health and wellness in a society with few roadblocks to happiness. Still, we know that no matter how we civilize ourselves, our loved ones will still die of illness or old age. There will always be accidents. Nature is merciless when it wants to be. In other words, there will always be sorrow-- it can't be helped.

Will the World Family encourage new therapies for grief? Will we learn the secret to moving on from monstrous loss with lessened pain and greater awareness? Or will drugs always be an alternative to acceptance? What tools do we have besides time, and the occasional sympathetic embrace from our friends and loved ones?

I toyed with writing a story where we would one day be able to use modern computing power to mimic the personalities of our departed loved ones and have them displayed onscreen or as projections, to ease the pain of our losses. I felt that if every person imprinted themselves on computer software while they were alive by answering an extensive line of questions and having a 3-d impression of them stored, and by using a voice analysis modulator and facial emotion emulator, then a fairly accurate representation of themselves could be made-- one which could hold a meaningful conversation with a person... as their loved one! We're not far from creating software to do just that, but even if we produce it tomorrow, will it work in practice? As real as the image seems, we will always know our loved one is dead... but will we be able to suspend our disbelief when the image SOUNDS and ACTS like the original?

These tools for dealing with negative emotions each have their drawbacks. I've heard the arguments for 'being strong and barreling through' the anguish, but I can't in good conscience rule out the use of mind-altering substances as one more tool, whether it works for me or not. People have always sought to find a way out from under their grief, and numbness works just fine... for awhile.

Drugs For Recreation

Hey, it's the Perfect World, people! There are no laws, but there are guidelines. For a situation like this, the rule would be:

"Do what makes you happy, as long as you don't hurt anyone in the process."

Accidental death by overdose falls into the sorrow category, so if you feel drugs are the way to go for you, don't overdo it! Because another rule would be:

"Everything in moderation, because excess prevents success."

Refer to the chart below to find your 'healthy' drug of choice. Notice that the widely used drugs of today, alcohol and tobacco, are not particularly safe nor low on the dependency scale. Definitely in the 'caution' area. Stick to the safer, healthier drugs-- the ones in yellow.

But we all know the draw of drugs and alternate reality in general... it's easy to partake a little at first, only to slowly build up until you don't realize how often you are using. Perfect World Theory seeks to discourage drug abuse while not prohibiting drug USE. But when you are a member of a World Family, everyone you meet cares about you as family. With a support system so huge, how can anyone fall through the cracks?

Today's drug users can be certain they will receive one of several 'punishments' if discovered. They could be intervened upon, which usually leads to forced de-tox in a month-long treatment center. They could be arrested, charged, and sentenced; which leads to either forced treatment or in repeat offenses, jail. Sometimes they will be ostracized from family. Regardless, rarely does discovery lead to acceptance. Boy, I'll bet that screws with a person's confidence.

And why are they treated that way? Because of political reasons, mostly. We've all seen government-sponsored drug testing that yields results which the government approves of, but fly in the face of independent testing... how else could that occur than when ulterior motives are attached? I could speculate that the leaders of government want all their peons to work at top ability, so won't accept drug use because of abuse potential, or they deny drugs because the businesses which legally inebriate us (alcohol & pharmaceuticals) lobby hard against acceptance. Both are probably true, to one degree or another, shining a spotlight on how individuals get trampled when standing in the way of profit.

Drugs and Profit

Drugs are illegal. This means it can't be taxed, like alcohol and tobacco is. Instead, the government spends truly huge amounts of taxpayer money to combat drug use (an effort which fails miserably, I might add) through various visible and covert methods, many of which infringe on taxpayer privacy. Millions are spent abroad to combat manufacturers and importers, who fight back with warlike weaponry and zeal because the profits are so good.

On the other hand, the government takes in enormous profits from taxing alcohol and tobacco. Logically, government is making no sense. Several problems could be ended at once with a change in policy.

The problems:

• Drug users have to find dealers, many of whom are disreputable and violent and overprice their goods.
  
• Some users are forced by addiction to commit crimes for money, some of which are violent.
  
• Manufacturers will stop at nothing to make sure their product is bought.
  
• Millions of people take illegal drugs without knowing the potency, and some die because of it.
  
• Otherwise decent taxpaying citizens now have a criminal record or are doing time, thanks to unjust laws.
  

If government were to ignore big business by legalizing all drugs and regulating them, they could squeeze out illegal importers by pricing drugs reasonably; eliminate street dealers by having drugstores and liquor stores handling distribution; keep an eye on abuse by having doctors prescribe stiffer drugs like cocaine and heroin; create new industries by allowing manufacturing in the US; reduce overdoses by regulating quality control; and use the taxes collected for drug treatment centers, school funding and other valuable programs.

The amount of abuse varies with the economy and other factors. Keeping people employed helps drive down abuse. If government DID adopt this position, since profit is their motivating factor, it would be interesting to guess how television slogans might change:

Coke: It's What's For Dinner

Got... Weed?

This Is Your Brain On Drugs... Wheeeeeeee!

Less Don't Mean Never

Slowly we morph from today's world into the Perfect World, and slowly our pain subsides. Our worth increases incrementally, as does our collective self image. Over time, the nightly news becomes dull as we stop hurting each other or lying to them. Television crime dramas hold nobody's interest, but the an interesting scientific documentary is seen by everyone. Enjoyment of life and its pleasures-- all its pleasures-- become the norm. Activity rises as we stop watching televised sports and instead try new and breathtaking activities. Competition fades and cooperation reigns-- we strive to better our own last record, to better ourselves. We can't compare ourselves to others; our strengths run too varied and wide.

And the joyous partying! No more insecurities, no more judgement. We set up and attend regular gala events in enormous halls and gardens, because beauty walks with joy. Every desire is catered to, and experimentation is the scientific way; anything goes that fits our cardinal rule-- nos ago in consensio-- "we live in harmony." As much as we cherish taxing our intellect, equally we must treasure our liquid mindlessness.

And whenever are we more mindless then when we are on drugs?

Whew! As I said earlier... BIG topics. Worth broaching though, because ultimately, when we all agree on one perfect future, we will work towards that goal with fervor as one.

I would like you to come away with a vision of this future world as one of safety, harmony and comfort; a place to learn and to teach, to share and give, to love and to laugh; and most of all, a place to LIVE.

A world in which we can feel confident will survive and flourish for untold millennia. And one day perhaps, we may become a beacon of good among the stars; a kind, angelic people... or perhaps, a race of benevolent gods.

Or maybe the drugs I'm on are too strong.

Copyright 2009 Bruce Ian Friedman