The Perfect State

[IndianPrince]

Well one of my fellow TWC members started a thread by this name and it got shut in 2 replies ... so what i want to know is what is ...

"The Perfect State"

in your own words.

Thank You

Prince

[The Super Pope]

2 replies, it's a personal best!

A state which is stable and wealthy, and then the idiot politicos LEAVE IT THE **** ALONE

[Zenith Darksea]

Hmm, the perfect state? In my view, it would be like this:

Government: Direct democracy based on tiered assemblies (at local, regional, national etc. levels).

Economy: All public services (eg. transport, health, schools, universities etc. but NOT industries such as mining) controlled by the state and free at the point of use. Banks also controlled by the state. Industries directly serving the state (eg. arms industry for the army) also state-owned, but everything else within the private sector.

Religion: No state religion, though a healthy bias towards Orthodox Christianity among the populace wouldn't go amiss! But complete freedom of religion, within bounds of liberty.

Education: All schools and universities free and state-funded, though universities controlled by councils of academics, not directly by the state. However, sharp distinctions made between academic and vocational education, with vocational education carried out through apprenticeships and learning 'on the job'. School curriculums focused on languages, literature (real literature!), communication, mathematics, history, geography, physical exercise (quite a bit of this), sciences and Classics (ie. Latin and Greek).

Military: National service for 18-20 year-olds. No nuclear weaponry, but spending focused on conventional and special forces, especially on technology.

Social freedoms: As long as it's between consenting adults, then it's not my business!

[mongoose]

My perfect state would be something like what Zenith described, but with more nuclear power. And maybe slightly less socialized.

[Serious Spamurai]

Free Healthcare to all citizens, free education, although stupid people aren't allowed to progress to a level that they can't handle (to save money), instead they get normal education, then get sent to do an apprenticeship. A ban on asylum seekers from anywhere but countries that we are the nearest safe refuge (ie French people could claim asylum if France was invaded). Public execution by firing squad for terrorists, paedophiles and serial rapists/murderers. A prison sentence automatically causes enlistment into the army for 2 years upon release. Trying to impose your religion on others gets you a prision sentence, cannabis is legal, you can smoke in public places. Known homophobes get higher taxes than others, people who's families immigrated here afer the second world war (primarily west-indians) get tax cuts, to repay them for restoring the country after the war. Yeah, that's pretty much it.

[Woad-Warrier]

Medieval Times: Absolute Monarchy

Modern Times: Constitutional Monarchy

[Last Roman]

Government: Presidential constitutional federal republic with popular elections at all level (local, state and national)

Economy: basic public services will be provided by government (ie: police/fire, road maintenance etc) low flat tax on income (around 12%) supplemented by low taxes on unnecessary goods.

Religion: complete separation of church and state

Education: public schools at K-12. Emphasis on critical thinking (rather than just basic skills) during this time. Universities will be private and will focus on skills necessary for work.

Military: all volunteer force.

[Woad-Warrier]

Hmm. I can guess the post trend.

[Insert my countrys government system]

[Finn]

Kinda like the United States, only with affordable health care, and no ACLU

[Enemy of the State]

Government: Parliamentary republic. President is a representative and nothing more. Like your average European state right now. Elections every 4 years. Yeah I'm happy with the current system.


Economy: The freer the market, the better. Capitalism rules.

Religion: Freedom of religion, but religion classes in school. Freedom of religion is the right to choose, and to make a sensible choice one most be taught about religions in school. No state religion.

Education: Free up to college.

Military: My country is small so in case of an invasion it will need as large as a military as possible, with good training. 1-1,5 years service after high school/college. In case of war, draft and volunteers.

Social freedoms: What goes on in a bedroom between 2 adults isn't the states business.

Immigration: No immigration. It replaces one problem with several. We should try making robots instead

[Ummon]

The perfect state is a state which is composed by perfect men.

[Zenith Darksea]

Man, what a cop-out!

[Ummon]

Quite the opposite: I have just stated that organizational characteristics are irrelevant to the successs of a state in the long term.

[Last Roman]

The perfect state is a state which is composed by perfect men.

heh, too bad that's impossible...

[Sétanta]

My perfect state: Nordreich. Encompasing all of the USA, Canada, and Europe. Beautiful. *sigh*

Government: Direct democracy. Local (Commune), Province, State, National. Similar to Swiss system

Economy: Free market, with some limitation (to control monopolies and corporate abuse), and all public service privatized.

Religion: Christian as official religion at government level (meaning nothing, really), although absolutely no limitations on legitimate religions. Cults would be banned, of course. Legitimate religions all have tax free status.

Education: Primary, Secondary and University are all provided free of charge, although private schools run by the public sector are legal as well.

Military: Volunteer only in peacetime, all males register for a draft if neccessary.

Social freedoms: No abortion unless mother's life is threatened or severe genetic disorder. No gay marriage unless conducted by a consenting religious official. Civil unions with same benefits as marriage availible for both Hetero and Homosexual couples that do not wish to be married by religious officials.

Immigration: Prohibited, although certain refugees from certain areas can be admitted in limited numbers.

[Gary88]

democratic socialists or social democrats...whatever the UK is only with all the wrinkles ironed out

[-Eclipse-]

Government: Centalised government based on electoral representation, then separate local governments for local decisions, uncontrolled by national government.

Economy: All public services (eg. transport, health, schools, universities etc. but NOT industries such as mining) controlled by the state and free at the point of use. All non-public services are privately run

Religion: Restriction of Religious rights outside those major. All religions are taxed as other organizations are and have legalized restriction on effect on the government.

Education: All schools and universities free and state-funded, though universities controlled by councils of academics, not directly by the state. However, sharp distinctions made between academic and vocational education, with vocational education carried out through apprenticeships and learning 'on the job'. School curriculums focussed to separate out these two so there is a proper distinction between blue and white collar. Grammar schools are large and more widely spread. Boarding schools are also more commonly used and pressure is placed on students studying there. Curriculum's are focussed on present and future breakthroughs in science thought the sciences, smaller geography and history bias, languages and literature also given less importance, though reading is compulsory.

Military: Greatly restricted military, money spent on advancement not on size. No conscription, no nuclear and more focus on highly trained special forces.

Social freedoms: Restrictive, no guns, no obscenities in public etc. Political freedoms also limited, as parties with harmful aims, such as racist or security-harming parties, are barred and broken up if produced.

[Zenith Darksea]

Economy: Free market, with some limitation (to control monopolies and corporate abuse), and all public service privatized.

Privatised public services? Are you mad man? That's a cocktail of disaster!

I really can't understand why people think that privatising public services is a good idea. Fine, the private sector is good for non-essential services, but when it comes to public services, the argument about the private sector being more efficient just falls apart.

Let's get this straight. The private sector is efficient at one thing - making money. That's capitalism, and that's why private companies unashamedly exist. In many services, such as the sale of cars, for example, you can get more profit by being more competitive, generally by lowering prices and offering better products (or by being crooked). In a public service such as health care, we should make the following observations - 1. Charging for health care (for example) is morally repugnant, and besides, public services are by definition non-charging, since they serve the whole public 2. It's impossible to have 'choice' in a public service, because if the service isn't good enough then it should be pulled and rethought, and if it is good enough then why choose?

We have the perfect example of this in the privatisation of the NHS (or 'Private Finance Initiative' [PFI], as it is euphemistically called) in Britain at the moment. A contract is awarded to, for example, clean a hospital. How does the company earn a profit? The only way is for it to cut salaries and working hours, resulting in dirty hospitals with MRSA. The simple fact is that in public service, the only efficient way to make money is to cut corners, because public services by their definition are not profitable.

What's more is that public services should be transparent and accountable to the voting public. The private sector is only accountable (and even then only to a certain extent) to its shareholders, meaning that the democracy is powerless to even know about the shenanigans that the private companies are getting up to. Again, this has been borne out in in Britain by the PFI - things are being ****ed up left right and centre, but the only way the public ever finds out is when some conscientious person leaks documents to the press.

[Sétanta]

Heh, I meant to say all public service is government controlled. I apparently forgot to type in the rest.

It was going to say "Economy: Free market, with some limitation (to control monopolies and corporate abuse), and all public service government controlled with privatized corporations permitted to provide alternate service to the government controlled one."

Meaning there is a Hospital for everybody, but if you want to pay extra you can go to a private hospital and get ultra high end care. Or you can take the public transit system bus to work, or take a privately owned bus to work (obviously paying more, but getting a nicer deal out of it).

That is true freedom. People get the choice.

[Last Roman]

Heh, I meant to say all public service is government controlled. I apparently forgot to type in the rest.

It was going to say "Economy: Free market, with some limitation (to control monopolies and corporate abuse), and all public service government controlled with privatized corporations permitted to provide alternate service to the government controlled one."

Meaning there is a Hospital for everybody, but if you want to pay extra you can go to a private hospital and get ultra high end care. Or you can take the public transit system bus to work, or take a privately owned bus to work (obviously paying more, but getting a nicer deal out of it).

That is true freedom. People get the choice.

holy shiznit, I agree with mudd on something.