Introduction

     First off, Type 1 refers to a rating on the Kardashev scale, and basically means a global civilization. With that said, the basic goal of this blog is to collect ideas for a global civilization of the future.

Top priorities are:

1. Protecting the environment and using its resources sustainably

2. Protecting people and their civil rights
3. Encouraging the pursuits of science, creative arts, and health.

We will avoid:
1. Nationalism and Racism
2. Talks of conspiracies
3. Cynicism

     Again, the goal is to strategically design a plausible system for the entire human species, across our entire planet. A Type 1 Civilization is one that has harnessed the energy of its home planet, but we wont be able to get there without some kind of renaissance in the way we consume and distribute that energy. Below is a video of physicist Michio Kaku explaining our current march to Type 1 status:


   
     So anyway, the hope is that if people can see a positive example of how a global civilization might work, it will speed up the process of getting us there. Environmentally speaking, we don't have time to waste on the Us vs Them politics of conspiracy theorists, nationalists, or racists, nor do we have time to waste on patching up the systems we are currently working with. We are here to make the current systems obsolete.

     Below is a simple outline that can serve as a starting point, and can be summed up as "a resource based economy, guided by libertarian-socialist governments."

A Resource Based Economy

     The actual definition of economy can be summarized as "the careful management of resources and labor." The problem with our current economy is that it isn't based on managing resources and labor, it is based on managing money. (Loans/interest/debt, stock trading etc...)  Money is seen as the all important resource in our world, held above real resources like food, water, wood, and iron. A Resource Based Economy doesn't mean money is bad and should be abolished, it simply means the ACTUAL resources of the world around us will have the highest value, not money. Money is a useful tool for us to keep track of things we buy, sell and earn; it is not a resource.
     In a Resource Based Economy, our system of money would more directly reflect the value of natural resources and labor. It would no longer be possible to make money out of money by charging interest on loans or trading virtual goods like stock shares; all money earned will come from actual labor or the sale of tangible goods.

Guided by

     It is important for governments to focus on guiding people rather than leading them. Leaders tell people what to do, while guides give people the opportunities to figure it out in their own way. Guidance develops citizens who are capable of taking care of themselves, while leadership creates dependency.

Libertarian-Socialist Governments.

     First, let's look at Libertarianism. In general, this political system supports independence and freedom, with few regulations and laws. The idea is to give people opportunities to work, learn, and better themselves without a lot of red tape getting in the way. The drawback is that people tend to try to exploit the environment and people in order to make a profit. Without laws and regulations, it is easier to get away with greed, and this greed leads to private corporations powerful enough to mimic all the problems that come from big government.

     Socialism, in general, is a system that rewards cooperation, supports sharing, and strengthens the bonds of communities. The idea is to let most things be owned and regulated by the public so that everyone has access to them. The drawback here is that deciding what is fair on a large scale is incredibly difficult, which tends to lead to complex laws and handouts as a way to balance things. Also, all this balancing work requires a large government, which makes it harder for people to be in control of their own lives.

     So the goal here is to combine the two in a way that maximizes their strengths and minimizes the weaknesses. This could be done by restructuring government systems around city states and urban archipelagos:

(click image for the New York Times article and better detail)

     In general, national governments would be more libertarian and focus on keeping their city-states connected and representing the region globally. On the local side of things would be the more socialist governments; their job would be to provide their communities with things likes roads, schools, emergency services, and probably many other specific things that are best left to the locals to decide. Both ideas working together would look like a single global web that connects to all the cities across the planet.

     There it is, a simple overview of what a Resource Based Economy Guided by Libertarian-Socialist Governments would look like. To put it all in one sentence, it would be a system that favors responsible use of natural resources, favors people to have power over their own lives, and discourages people to have power over the lives of others. For more detailed ideas and explanations please explore the rest of the blog!