The strong federal/central government experiment has failed. It has had a good run, but it no longer serves us. Special interests have taken over legislation. The military industrial complex wreaks havoc. Civil liberties are eroding. Years of bad policy and apathy of citizens has caused USA to lose its shine.
In the wild, there is competition and co-operation for survival. Every animal is responsible for itself. That is the only sustainable model. The weak perish. The strong survive. It should be the same with people. To give handouts to people is to dis-empower them.
The role of government should be to provide physical security and an environment conducive to joyful living. People should be free to do what they please as long as it does not impact others. People should also be free to organize themselves as they want and make whatever rules of society they want. This is very hard to do with 300 million people. But if each of the approximately 3000 counties in USA was to be like a mini-country, there would be an average of 100,000 people per country - a very manageable number.
Consider this:
1. There is no federal government. There is only a council of a representative each from every county. The council controls the military. The council's decisions are binding on all counties. But the scope is limited to issues of security/international affairs/dispute resolution between counties/citizenship matters/asylum seeking.
2. There is a minimal constitution, much like the original bill of rights, that all counties ratify.
3. At the time of boot-strapping, citizens are encouraged to participate in the framing of laws for their county.
4. This will lead to a diversity of laws. Some counties will encourage immigration, others not. Some will legalize pot, or gambling, or alcohol, or death penalty, or abortion rights, others not. Some will choose industrial development. Some may even choose to bring back slavery - they will have a hard time finding any slaves though - because those they wish to enslave will simply seek asylum in another county.
5. A passport-like ID is issued to each citizen. Changing residence from one county to another is very difficult, much like changing citizenship today.
6. When most citizens have no option but to live in their county, they will have sufficient motivation to participate in civic matters and improve their county. This solves the problem of public apathy we see today.
7. Those who find their county laws oppressive and have no other recourse can apply for changing residence. The county that accepts them can lay down the price for it - say 50% income tax for 5 or 10 years. It is possible to exchange residence with another person for a one-time fee.
8. Counties are encouraged to have minimal laws, but to work hard at maintaining law and order. This means that a lot of people will be deployed to provide safety.
9. Every county must contribute to the central military - with people and money/resources. 2 to 4% of adult population of a county must be sent to military/reserve/coast guards etc. The county can choose whether it wants draft or not.
10. County is free to raise revenue anyway it wants. Central Council can not tax people, and is funded by counties collectively, proportionate to their GDP.
11. It is suggested that the transportation of goods (except perishable food) have an extra cost of, say 20%, collected at time of sale. This is to promote local consumption/production and reduce use of petroleum.
12. Small crimes are punished with public shaming along with other means
13. Murderers and repeat violent offenders are to be sent off permanently to a common penal colony, where they must fend for themselves. This penal colony has no recourse to modern amenities such as electricity and running water. Thus public bears no cost for their incarceration, except for the cost of guarding the colony.
14. Counties are encouraged not to give freebies to citizens. People are not allowed to exploit forest land (unless they have purchased it from the county), so they must find work. Those who are unable to work must be fed by charities, not by government.
A difficult issue is the governing of river water usage. And ideas?
In the wild, there is competition and co-operation for survival. Every animal is responsible for itself. That is the only sustainable model. The weak perish. The strong survive. It should be the same with people. To give handouts to people is to dis-empower them.
The role of government should be to provide physical security and an environment conducive to joyful living. People should be free to do what they please as long as it does not impact others. People should also be free to organize themselves as they want and make whatever rules of society they want. This is very hard to do with 300 million people. But if each of the approximately 3000 counties in USA was to be like a mini-country, there would be an average of 100,000 people per country - a very manageable number.
Consider this:
1. There is no federal government. There is only a council of a representative each from every county. The council controls the military. The council's decisions are binding on all counties. But the scope is limited to issues of security/international affairs/dispute resolution between counties/citizenship matters/asylum seeking.
2. There is a minimal constitution, much like the original bill of rights, that all counties ratify.
3. At the time of boot-strapping, citizens are encouraged to participate in the framing of laws for their county.
4. This will lead to a diversity of laws. Some counties will encourage immigration, others not. Some will legalize pot, or gambling, or alcohol, or death penalty, or abortion rights, others not. Some will choose industrial development. Some may even choose to bring back slavery - they will have a hard time finding any slaves though - because those they wish to enslave will simply seek asylum in another county.
5. A passport-like ID is issued to each citizen. Changing residence from one county to another is very difficult, much like changing citizenship today.
6. When most citizens have no option but to live in their county, they will have sufficient motivation to participate in civic matters and improve their county. This solves the problem of public apathy we see today.
7. Those who find their county laws oppressive and have no other recourse can apply for changing residence. The county that accepts them can lay down the price for it - say 50% income tax for 5 or 10 years. It is possible to exchange residence with another person for a one-time fee.
8. Counties are encouraged to have minimal laws, but to work hard at maintaining law and order. This means that a lot of people will be deployed to provide safety.
9. Every county must contribute to the central military - with people and money/resources. 2 to 4% of adult population of a county must be sent to military/reserve/coast guards etc. The county can choose whether it wants draft or not.
10. County is free to raise revenue anyway it wants. Central Council can not tax people, and is funded by counties collectively, proportionate to their GDP.
11. It is suggested that the transportation of goods (except perishable food) have an extra cost of, say 20%, collected at time of sale. This is to promote local consumption/production and reduce use of petroleum.
12. Small crimes are punished with public shaming along with other means
13. Murderers and repeat violent offenders are to be sent off permanently to a common penal colony, where they must fend for themselves. This penal colony has no recourse to modern amenities such as electricity and running water. Thus public bears no cost for their incarceration, except for the cost of guarding the colony.
14. Counties are encouraged not to give freebies to citizens. People are not allowed to exploit forest land (unless they have purchased it from the county), so they must find work. Those who are unable to work must be fed by charities, not by government.
A difficult issue is the governing of river water usage. And ideas?
