Most are probably familiar with Henry David Thoreau and his book Walden, where he chronicles his real-life thought experiment about dropping out of society and living by his own means. I’m guessing most people have not read it, which is okay! It’s a pretty dull read. There are entire chapters where Thoreau over-explains the unrelatable economics of his 1800-era life. The only reason I mention Walden is to introduce its sequel, as people are probably even less familiar with Walden Two by B.F. Skinner. I doubt Skinner was so arrogant to imagine his book as a sequel to Walden, but it is – of sorts. And even though Walden Two was written in the 1940’s, it’s still relevant. Indeed, there are a few passages on democracy and governance that I want to share here. The book describes a utopia created by a psychologist putting behavioral engineering into society-wide practice. That should sound suspicious (and Orwellian). And indeed, it is a curious book. However, the point of the book is not to promote any specific way-of-life, but to merely suggest that people experiment with their lives and with society.
The story of Walden Two centers around a group of people trying to decide whether or not they should join this weird, cult-like utopia. Among the group is a philosopher, a scientist, and some regular Joes and their girlfriends. Throughout the book, the group is arguing with the organizer of the utopia about the superiority of the utopia compared to conventional society. It’s decent science fiction and there are many passages to ponder over and consider “Would that actually work today?” One of the most profound lines of the book (in my opinion) comes from a passage where the organizer of the utopia explains the dilemma of liberals (which I took to mean modern-day progressives). He explains it’s fruitless for liberals to fight against a system that marginalizes, ignores, and ridicules them. He argues they’re better off simply leaving and starting their own thing. I found this idea simply brilliant. About me: I emigrated from the US four years ago, and I have often felt guilty for doing so. I see everything happening in the US right now, and I wish I could be there: protesting, volunteering, and being a part of political change. I shouldn’t care. There’s nothing I can do from where I am now besides write or donate money. And the situation in the US doesn’t really affect me much now. The only things about it that I need to care about are: 1) nuclear fallout and 2) continuing/expanding war in the Middle East. Other than that, humanity will endure in the long run.
But I still do care about the healthcare, voting rights, gun-control, and all the other nonsensical things that drove me crazy while I was still living there. I lived in Ohio my entire life, and I often felt like the only progressive in the state. Indeed, I was the only house in my neighborhood defiantly displaying Obama yard signs. However, despite my putative utility as a progressive voice in a swing-state, I since realized that I wasn’t really heard or wanted. I was routinely told by others (on this blog as well!) that Medicare-for-all or the public option was fantasy, as well as other things I consider basics, like a constitutional school funding system in Ohio (it was declared unconstitutional decades ago and nothing has been done). The solutions to fixing the problems in the US are simple. But the political system has been “structured” such that change is impossible without the republicans’ say so.
Well, if you’re like me and think Medicare-for-all, $20 minimum wage, free education (from preschool to university), and sensible gun control sound like pretty good fantasies, the good news is that they are REALITIES in other countries. So my advice to my fellow progressives: LEAVE! Even if the blue wave happens this fall and the democrats win a supermajority in the Senate and House, they aren’t going to enact a progressive agenda. But there are dozens of other countries in the world that may already have all the things you want. I left when Obama was in office, i.e., the good days. But those days weren’t actually that good. The US was worth leaving, even then. And I don’t even want to go back for vacation now! So if there is somewhere in the world you would rather be, someplace that every time you read about, you think, “That place seems like it makes sense! They only have grown-up problems!”, then go there.
So even though I may have made some of my audience purple-faced angry from the above, I want to share what Walden Two says about regarding the failures of democracy because democracy is currently under attack in every country. The utopia in Walden Two is fascist – benevolent, but fascist. The organizer of the utopia explains that elections are not the best system for getting jobs done. For example, it would be stupid to elect someone by popular opinion for jobs like doctors, farmers, and engineers (skills and results are more important than popularity). Thus, why have elections for even MORE important jobs, such as judges and duties involving public safety? We’re so used to our system that it’s hard to imagine the situation in the book, where “planners” are making decisions in the best interest of the community. And reading the book in the 20th century, it probably would have been easy to discount as communist nonsense, but today we nearly have a working example: China. I’m no fan of China. I lived there for several months and, putting it mildly, it’s my least favorite place in the world. But unfortunately, I think they’ve figured out the winning system of government for the 21st century. While we’re letting our corporations run wild for short-term gains and flailing about over issues that should be no-brainers (abortion, healthcare, gun control, keeping children in cages, etc.), they are actively planning their country for long-term success: economically conquering Africa, buying up key infrastructure in other countries, and brain-washing their populace for conformity and obedience. When China puts it’s mind to something, it does it! Granted, when it does something, it is usually bad and/or stupidly executed. But not always! Sometimes they build giant solar farms and high-speed trains, and they work just fine. If China were to clean up the environment and start innovating instead of stealing, then it may be worth leaving the US for. As China is showing, democracy is not the only option. And history is full of interesting examples of things that might be worth another try in modern times. It’s not hard to imagine something like the Hanseatic League re-emerging as corporations gradually consume our government (it’s not hard to imagine a “free city” of San Francisco). So with that in mind, we shouldn’t be afraid to take a scalpel to our own government. Or at very least, don’t discount someone as crazy just because they want to dissolve the electoral college (another no-brainer), privatize roads (we’d probably have flying cars by now if the roads weren’t free), or even something radical like seceding from the union (I wouldn’t miss the south if it was its own country). Now is the time for new ideas!
Back to the book and the importance of experimenting: it’s a good exercise to think about what one really wants from society. Most people aren’t actually very creative in this regard. They’ll say they want a good job or to live in a good neighbourhood (whatever “good” means). And even now, both political parties are all about jobs, jobs, jobs. But who wants to work!? Jobs are a means to an end, not the end in itself. The most “productive” member of society is not a farmer or a doctor, but a cancer patient going through an expensive divorce (i.e. a consumer, not a producer). I worded that crassly, but it’s nonetheless true. We need to experiment with new ideas, like universal basic income (e.g. make more consumers = better economy). And the democrats specifically need to start LEADING with these ideas. The republicans (much like the communists in China) are LEADING their base towards Randian fantasy land and theocracy. So why can’t the democrats articulate their own fantasy land and then excite and lead their base to it? The ideas are there, if anyone’s listening. And I’ll vote for them if I hear them – my vote still counts in Ohio.