Utopia

The pace at which we can reach our destination of economic bliss will be governed by four things-our power to control population, our determination to avoid wars and civil dissensions, our willingness to entrust to science the direction of those matters which are properly the concern of science, and the rate of accumulation as fixed by the margin between our production and our consumption; of which the last will easily look after itself, given the first three. Meanwhile there will be no harm in making mild preparations for our destiny, in encouraging, and experimenting in, the arts of life as well as the activities of purpose.
But, chiefly, do not let us overestimate the importance of the economic problem, or sacrifice to its supposed necessities other matters of greater and more permanent significance. It should be a matter for specialists-like dentistry. If economists could manage to get themselves thought of as humble, competent people, on a level with dentists, that would be splendid!
John Maynard Keynes, Essays in Persuasion

Good government is essential should humanity wish to reach utopia. People need to choose democracy instead of authoritarianism.

By utopia, I mean the continued long term, peaceful survival of the human species, its own worst enemy, destroying its only home.

Humanity never learned to govern. Feeding 10 billion people requires fossil fuel, climate will cause mass migration fueling the political right & its addiction to war. It devours nature, the life-support of its home.

Federation confers freedom. Open borders allow people to move freely. Uniformity of currency and laws facilitate that.

Race, religion, gender, nationality, and other forms of discrimination seem to be innate in people, but early education might mitigate the problem and the violence. Stern enforcement of hate crimes may help.

Combining race, religion, nationality, cultural identity with exceptionalism, magnified by misinformation and propaganda can lead to holocaust or even war. No one is exceptional. Traditional right wing ideologies are counterproductive.

Religion leaves people open to acceptance of ancient texts, apocalyptic myths or wild conspiracy theories. The church, often the enemy of reason allows denial of science or facts, "those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities" Voltaire The US Supreme Court has a majority of Catholic Justices who are leaving the Constitution behind for an authoritarian..

The culture war is partly the product of religion, which keeps women down, discriminates against LGBTQ, is in denial of evolution of humanity from other mammals. It encourages human domination of the environment, relieves people of responsibility for their own destiny, and propagates dangerous myths. Population has grown beyond the carrying capacity of the earth. Even the simplest of restraints mitigating population are sometimes violently opposed including abortion, birth control, gay marriage, sex education, and others.

Government is best when democracy is in power. A strong social safety net including taxpayer funded healthcare, education, child care, elder care, and supports are essential for the well being of the people. It supports facilities to prepare for pandemics, and other natural disasters.

An unconstrained economy is unfair, volatile, unstable, unsustainable, destructive, voracious, amoral, unlimited growth like a cancer. It needs to be regulated. Strongly progressive taxes keep down wealth inequality. Unions should be protected for democracy in the workplace. Automation or AI will take jobs, so retraining and further education for displaced workers should include a UBI. Anti-trust discourages unnecessary monopolies. For democracy in the market, capitalism is best when there are many competitors Private equity should not be allowed to be predatory. Corruption vigorously policed. Government must intervene to counter volatility. A universal basic income (UBI) when necessary.

As people approach 10 billion, even more polluting fossil fuel use must be used to feed them. Forests are shrinking, fires raging, wildlife collapsing, water sources over used, ice sheets disappearing, methane is bubbling out of permafrost, sea level rising, oceans acidifying, fisheries collapsing, weather is more violent and destructive, people are polluting without restraint causing global warming, earth will become more hostile.

Utilization of nature, soil, water, forests, minerals, and wildlife and other resources for present needs while insuring their preservation for future generations requires a delicate balance and continuing program based on careful research, not politics.

Most of our challenges are transnational: pandemic, climate, migration, war, nuclear, economy, arms trade, women's rights, human rights, sanctions on right wing governments that go to war for turf.

In dealing with such problems, International law must be the highest. The US actually undermines the UN, doesn't always pay its dues, and cannot be relied upon to honor an as the Iran nuclear agreement shows. The Senate not only will not join the ICCC, but threatens to invade the Netherlands if US service members are on trial.

"The U.S. Senate has not ratified a major multilateral treaty since 1997." GlobalSolutions.org

Ignoring the UN ban, more countries get nuclear weapons. Odds are in the long run that war is likely. Won’t be a second chance in space.

The outlook is bleak. Here are some things the US could fix.

Bibliography

Utopia For Realists, How We Can Build the Ideal World by Rutger Bregman

Postcapitalism by Paul Mason

This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein