Saunter to Totalitarianism

Now for some heavy going. This lies central to my thinking.

Anything that happens and the chorus erupts, the government should do this or there should a law against that. At an alarming rate of increase we are accelerating into a Totalitarian society where the States intention is to control and contain the limits of each individuals actions and lives.

There is an alternative, possibly scary, that would enrich our life experience. We each, every one of us, accepts that we are fully responsible our own actions and are personally responsible for any foreseeable deleterious effects on others around us and acknowledge a liability to make amends to any that suffer as a consequence of our actions.

The appeal of Totalitarianism is diffuse and pervasive. We are hard-wired to defer to recognised authority. Behind it we become distanced from any decision or action, as we are not in direct line of control, others do it on our behalf. We can avoid all the awkward face to face situations of push and take resolution of disagreement if not conflict, leaving it to 'them'. Should those in control restrict or limit our own actions, then that is fair enough as we are all controlled by the same universal rules equally. Until of course your own peace or profit is threatened when an individual solution will be demanded. There is the rub, we as individuals are so very diverse and creative in finding wriggle out escape routes for any one rule meant to contain us. With each successful wriggle yet another line of rules or restriction or conferring away of more power has to be enforced. Yet the shout of 'I am different and require special consideration' just gets louder and louder. I believe any Totalitarian solution is ultimately doomed because those that seek to impose will always be out-numbered by those seeking to evade. There is not one single consensus position that can hold the self-interests all it attempts to bind.

So the alternate proposal is scrap all laws and replace them all with one simple law that applies to each and every individual, entity or association. Each one is responsible and liable to all others that knowingly might be adversely affected or inconvenienced by any planned action. Idealistic? Yes. Simplistic? Yes absurdly so but it does gives a window into an alternate way of managing ourselves.

We take responsibility for our own actions and have to look and have regard for those around us that might be aggrieved or adversely affected by the action. This does not mean you can only exercise an action when no one is disadvantaged, that is an impossibility, there will always be someone worse off as a consequence. What it does mean is that you have to have due regard and give weighted consideration to its effects on others, knowing that your peers will be judging if you get it wrong.

So get out of the ivory tower and take stock of those you live amongst as to what standards they think applies in today's society. Self regulation is so much more flexible, efficient, self-correcting, rapid response to changing circumstances than laws and rules bound in statutes.