If we followed Iceland’s model, all of Parliament was disbanded and you, along with a small group of individuals representing the People, were given the power to change anything you liked about how the country was run, what would you do?
As I pondered this question I came up with a few radical but timely ideas if it was me. I know we couldn’t force other countries to follow suit but we could certainly model a “New Epoch” mindset.
No Parties
There would no longer be Parties within any level of Parliament. Each individual MP stands on their own, voted in by their constituent because of who they are and not what colour tie they wear. All policy votes they make would be conscience votes and there would be no judgement on their choices. Integrity and transparency would be complete.
With advanced technology so accessible now, Referendums would become common in getting to truly hear the People’s voice. Anyone could vote once they had read about the pros and cons of a new policy.
World View
I would ask that all policy and mission statements be changed to reflect that this country is part of the whole world. We are the Temporary Carers of a piece of the Planet rather than seeing ourselves as Our Country versus Everyone Else. This would alter areas such as our Foreign Relations, Trading, Immigration and sharing of Intellectual Property.
Priorities
- Planet – The highest priority in all areas of life, government and commerce must be the preservation of Planet Earth. It’s oceans, continents, land masses, air, stratosphere, climate change, ozone layer etc. If mining, logging or oil refining are drawing on resources which are not renewable, we must move to an alternate resource in the fastest time possible – no negotiation. The alternatives have already been researched and offered up but then stymied by big business. With the Planet as the highest priority, this will change.
- Contribution – How can this country contribute to the rest of the Planet? Well, amongst many gifts, Australia has lots of sunshine. Imagine giving priority to these kinds of roadways shown in the video below to supply power for ourselves and for neighbouring countries? What about growing hemp for natural pharmaceuticals, building materials, long life textiles and super foods? It doesn’t need much water. Both these ideas would create a lot of jobs in Agriculture, Manufacturing, Design and Exports.
- Humanity – Yes, this one is not the top priority. Earth was doing just fine before we got here and could continue without us if we don’t blow it up in the meantime. First we make a liveable environment, then we live in it. We strive to create policy which supports our part of Humanity and not Australians ahead of others.
Unity
It’s time we started seeing ourselves as a single Human Species. We encourage all to appreciate diversity but not separate one group from the next. We are all made of flesh and blood. We all have similar needs. So I would be aiming for no prejudice. That means all Government Departments and Agencies that separate out groups of people would need a serious audit.
Government groups such as Gender Equality, Defence Families and Indigenous affairs would need to be looked at plus we would put into question privately run groups such as Gay Rights. Although they were set up with the best of intentions, Law of Attraction shows that so long as they run, they will continue the reality of separation.
What do I mean by that? For example, so long as you have a Gender Equality group – i.e.. sticking up for women – you continue the story that women need a helping hand compared with their male counterparts. This creates separation and will never fully bring unity while that Governing group exists.
Is a name change all they need? We would need to look into what they are trying to achieve. In essence though, men and women are not equal. Each has gifts and talents which, when put together create the Balance we need in the workplace as well as the community. In addition to that, each of us has masculine and feminine traits and our individual dominant leaning doesn’t always match our gender. e.g. – some women are damn fine negotiators, sales people and creatives. Some men are superb nurturers, developers and customer service staff.
So gender needs to be completely put aside and we look for the balance between staff who use their masculine and feminine traits to run big and small organisations. Over the past couple of thousand years we’ve been biaised towards the masculine without an equal balance in feminine. Too much emphasis on the masculine is how we ended up in power struggles, war, lining one’s own pocket and prematurely launching ideology which is not yet fully developed.
I’ve got off on a tangent here but you get the idea. Coming back to the Governing bodies, so long as we identify one group of people not being as capable of looking after themselves as the next, they will continue to be separate from the others.
Individual Potential
Our current right wing government seems to see “the workers” as the only assets to this country and every one else – pensioners, sick people, children, criminals, child raisers and unemployed – as just a boil on their bum.
By changing all policy to reflect the view that each individual has potential, gifts, talent and ideas that could contribute to a better way of living would dramatically change how we see ourselves and the members of our community.
Don’t you think that would change the way we view asylum seekers too?
What if one of them has THE brilliant idea that would make the world a better place, how we live, how we care for each other, a new technology, product or service we can offer the rest of the world (read that as exports). Would you really want to turn them away?
Individual Responsibility
Altering policy and law to reflect complete personal accountability and responsibility would be important to me. Want to smoke cigarettes? Get drunk every week? Eat McDonalds till you’re the size of a Sumo wrestler? Stress yourself out till you are a nervous wreck?
Sure you have the freedom to do that, but you pay the full cost of your health expenses and they are not covered by any form of insurance.
Come to think of it, how about all insurance only covers happenings beyond your own control? Would that make you more attentive when you drive?
How about we remove all litigation cases suing for trauma or stress? Your reaction to what happens to you is solely your responsibility. While you are given all the help you need to help you initially after the event, you cannot sue if you choose to continue to carry it as baggage.
Crime will no longer be judged with any bias based on the reaction or affect it’s had on the victim. It will solely be judged on the weight of the crime.
Being offended by other people’s opinions or insults will also carry no weight. Only then will we have complete Freedom of Speech. If someone says something racist or sexist or anything-ist, we will look upon them as needing their thinking re-balanced, but we won’t judge them and get our own knickers in a twist about it.
Child Welfare
I’ve learnt that in an evolved society they raise their children in a similar way to how Russia and China used to. The parents bare the children but the grandparents raise them. The parents are young and physically strong. They make the best workers. The grandparents have years more experience, are generally wiser and more patient. They make the best child raisers.
The idea of possessing a child will also change. Now we’ve passed through the December 2012 gateway the world’s population growth will naturally start to subside. Soon a child will be more rare and there will be 3 or 4 couples plus a few “aunties” and “uncles” to care for each one. “It takes a village to raise a child” is the old saying. Doing it this way means a child has plenty of attention, is always cared for by someone and finding the child’s unique talents to contribute to the world is the priority for all.
How beautiful would it be to have children raised this way rather than neglected by overworked, exhausted parents and detached child care workers?
As child carers, this also gives the pensioners a greater sense of self worth as they are truly contributing to the world rather than sitting around, ignored by their adult children and waiting to die.
—
Phew! That’s my 2 cents worth to get us started. What ideas would you add if you had the power?