Utopia Implications

Why Not Equality?

Equality Utopia and Free Market Capitalism - A comparison

Utopia, a classless society, is perceived as an unattainable social organization because we are too selfish, greedy, and mean spirited to make it happen. Putting aside the negative perception for the moment, utopia is the opposite of free market capitalism. Where free market capitalism tries to provide jobs for everyone, utopia gets by with as few jobs as possible, the idea being that work is no virtue and it is better that individuals do what they wish as long as the community has adequate food, clothing and shelter.

Serious implications flow from the difference. Free market capitalism raises the individual above the group. With money individuals buy anything including judges and legislators. Wealthy individuals are not inclined to eliminate pollution or conserve electricity. These collective gains do not provide the warm feeling one gets from buying a mansion or two. We see unfettered individuals as the source of what we call progress. We believe individuals won't contribute talents or insights without being rewarded with something that proves they differ from the rest of us. This conflict between individual and collective brings nothing but trouble.

Utopia Implications - A Few Examples

In the 1930's leaders of the asbestos industry had good reason to believe their products damaged the health of workers and customers. If knowledge of the problem became widespread, business would end, so they concealed the information. As a result they damaged thousands of lives and installed asbestos products throughout the society. We are so awed by wealth we do nothing to community leaders who kill for large sums of money. We do not even terminate their country club memberships.

In the 1980's in the United States certain individuals manipulated Savings and Loan Associations to obtain money for various projects and themselves. They were careless with the money because it was insured by the federal government. If it was lost or went missing taxpayers picked up the tab. Bank robbers who steal small sums get twenty years. Large scale bank robbers for the most part got nothing.

Recent corporate scandals reveal CEOs with incredibly generous pay packages. In Enron the big shots wheeled and dealed while their workers, trapped in Enron stock, lost everything. It looks like one Enron executive will take the fall. The others will laugh all to way to wherever it is they are going.

Then there's World Com, the Dalcon Shield, the list is almost endless. The point is capitalism separates the individual from the group. What is good for me may be bad for all. If I get away with a selfish scheme, I am perceived as successful.

Utopia - Standards, Blessing or Curse

One reason people fear utopia is the sameness implicit in classlessness. We fear being swallowed by the group and the resulting loss of individuality. It depends on how we define individuality. When we are defined by things, the houses we own and the cars we drive, then yes, utopia eliminates individuality. If we define individuality as the movies we write and direct, the pictures we paint, the things we create, utopia enhances individuality.

We are beginning to see the need for standards in our new electric society. When we interact and communicate, swap files or instant messages, we need to be on the same page. To the extent we create incompatible word processors and browsers, we complicate the process. Automobiles which do not interact, do not need standards, Ford can use one carburetor, General Motors another with no impact on vehicle performance (automobile standardization has many benefits, but that's for another page). Different, incompatible operating systems, drivers, browsers etc. complicate internet use. We convert one format to another, but there's no benefit except perhaps to create jobs.

Our manufacturers after a few disasters, see the need for standards. Apple and Windows-Beta Max and VHS competed. In each case the inferior technology won. The winning inferior technology was open. The loser was closed. Says something. Now with High Definition Television as an example, manufacturers avoided competing standards where the winner takes all. Because they saw their individual interest as involving compatibility with existing equipment, they did not choose the best standards, but their agreement improved on every man for himself.

Collective thinking - Utopia's other problem

It does not overstate things to say collective beliefs create groups. We come together because of what we believe, and as usual ambivalence drives us. Individuals fear group power. I have never been on the wrong end of a mob, but I imagine it must be fearsome. On the other hand collective thinking turns faith into truth. This is nowhere more apparent than in religion which deserves a page to itself. More utopian thinking.