- 22 Oct 2008 09:33
#1667047
A collectivist solution of some kind is necessary to secure the future. For various reasons I have concluded that global government constitutionally bound to a scientific conception of reality is the only realistic means of addressing the threats of extinction posed by the energy crisis, climate change, over-population and environmental degradation. It infers a powerful, if impartial global state, a command economy – rationally distributing resources to balance human welfare and environmental sustainability, and material equality and equality of opportunity – necessary to secure global cooperation.
But it is more desirable psychologically and sociologically that people have at least the illusion of freedom, and so take personal responsibility. If the only way to achieve this is the chance of personal enrichment against the threat of poverty, there can be no rational distribution of resources, no material equality, no intergenerational equality of opportunity – and therefore no end to racial and religious tribalism. Ultimately, therefore there can be no global state acting to secure the continued existence of humankind. Rather, for the illusion of freedom and self interested motivation – our fate is wrested from our hands, and becomes the accidental accumulation of self interested actions.
As we have seen, self-interested action is at the core of the current crisis of capitalism in three significant respects. First, self-interest encouraged banks in America to extend credit to people who, as it turned out, couldn't afford it - thus creating assets they sold on to other banks. Second, after creating and passing on these bad assets, the banks stopped lending to each-other. And now, third, in anticipation of a recession, people are refusing to spend, thus causing a recession.
Because the cart of self-interest is placed before the horse of common good, the cart has a tendency to run away with the horse, dragging the horse along behind it at an ever increasing pace until the horse collapses, but nonetheless is dragged along still chained to the cart. And it's not like this is a rare occurrence. Capitalism has been in recession or depression for approximately 80 out of the past 200 years, which is to say that capitalism is not working to promote the common good 40% of the time. For almost half the time the self-interested motive turns against the common good - the cart runs away with the horse, and capitalism acts against the common interest.
It’s for this reason that threats of extinction have mounted, like huge dark clouds on the horizon – externalities impossible to address when acting in the course of a capitalist rationale. It is not that the knowledge or technology are lacking – but the political will to act against the tide of self interest, and command of resources to renew the energy, transport and manufacturing infrastructure.
One possible solution is to form global government as an autonomous institution, with sovereign, tax-raising and legislative power over nation states – a government for governments, as opposed to the UN model, which is at present a government of governments. Global government would remain constitutionally bound to a scientific conception of reality – and committed to the continued existence of humankind, so that while the market would decide the overall distribution of resources, and national citizens could thus remain relatively free to pursue their self interest, externalities that threaten the continued existence of humankind could be addressed.
mb.
veni, vidi, nada.
Son of Adam, you have eaten of the fruit from the tree of knowledge. Now swallow!