View source for CitizensOfTheWorld


The US will not buy in to international law until such law has the power and the will to protect the right to self-determination of the peoples of the world.

As all rule is ultimately subject to the will of the people, [[WE]] the [[CitizensOfTheWorld]] stand united in
* defending our self-determination and
* [[SocialContract]] and
* outlaw war as a means of resolving disputes between nations
* Protecting our shared resources and investing them wisely.

We are all citizens of the [[USW]].

We will reach out to our antisocial children anywhere in the world, with education and understanding, as well as just consequences for antisocial action, and the protection of each other against antisocial action, but never revenge or punishment.

We will employ non-violent means in supporting each others self-determination to the greatest extent possible.  Necessary force will be used when unavoidable and there is consensus in the [[USW]].

Children of the world join together to create a future of peace where we can all enjoy [[TheGoodLife]].
----
Being an [[AnewGo]] citizen automatically makes one a citizen of the world.
----
At one time representation by geographical location was meaningful.  Today a persons interests may have little to do with their geography.  We are becoming [[CitizensOfTheWorld]] represented by our interests, not our geography.  We recognize the established governments with respect to geographical issues.

Citizens are entitled to [[OpenRepresentation]] in each of their interest areas.

Those selected as representatives are automatically members of [[RepresentativesOfTheWorld]].

Those representing themselves are automatically members of [[RepresentativesOfTheWorld]].

[[AnewGo]] is a community allowing citizens of the world to profit from their shared resources and implement the means for us to proactive work together for our common interests.
----
The Citizens of the world Platform is not arbitrary.  It is based on objective criteria and our [[SocialContract]].  Unlike the modern US and EU it upholds the principles of the American Revolution and applies them in the information age:
#. Live and let live social contract enforced with objective criteria
#. Use of best of breed decision support among stake holders avioding tyranny of the majority and decisions by the unconcerned.
#. Representation by interest area
#. Never violate the self-determination of any people as we have in Iraq, Vietnam or Waco.
#. Only local legislation of human behavior based on belief-- crerish diversity rather than legislate uniformity.
#. No tax on income or sales - a return to free enterprise
#. Capitalize on public resources.
#. No legislation without taxation (except murder, laws must be self funding, assiging proper economic accountability for use of shared resources and infringement of freedoms to prevent an explosion of govt. while sustaining our resources and freedoms.)
#. Invest in future value.
#. Populate the galaxy and beyond.
#. Identify our errors and fix the process.
----
At times it seems that the communists may have won the cold war after all but the world in in denial.

Unfortunately, the economics of government are not quite as simple as you paint them. Government is the largest single consumer and employer in the capitalist system and the controller of the money supply. Government must be a responsible participant in the the capitalist system. Government is the trustee of out common resources and is responsible for investing them profitably on our behalf. For example, by taxing the depletion of our shared scare resources so that plentiful or renewable alternatives are developed. In addition, business generally must be concerned with income for the current quarter, particularly in tough economic times. Only government can, and therefore should fill in the gap and invest wisely in our future 5, 10, 50 and 100 years in the future.

Although these ideas have a socialist wrinkle, they are based on objective reality, not the whim of the masses. They do not infringe on our freedoms. There is nothing wrong with operating government profitably, ultimately, it must. It is our responsibility to create value in our social programs and the value created must exceed the cost for us to remain solvent as a society and survive.

At the same time government action should be minimalist action, in that involving the government, should be the last resort in all endeavors. The law should be reduced to one book, (for Greg's potty reading pleasure :-)

One exception may be in investing in future value. Sound investment in our future need not be limited. In essence, we want to avoid making laws that restrict freedom, and we want to avoid involving police or the courts where people can resolve their differences by other means. But we do not want to limit government involvement in sustaining growth and creating future value (we just want them to out source everything).

I agree that all government programs and activities should provide for their own funding, but that does not mean direct payment for the cost services rendered. In these cases the free market can sustain the services without government involvement. Taxing polluters, for example, is a reasonable way to fund cleanup and related health services. Only government can and should tax. By directly linking the social cost of human activities to taxation we are assured that there is the incentive to minimize costs, and the principles of capitalism are employed.

In general government does not do things better. It is a necessary evil, but it has important powers that we outside government, must watch, to insure they are applied to the overall welfare of humanity in a holistic and objective manner.

Indeed, this is a socialist system as representative democracy is that. Being socialized is only bad when it restricts freedom or unfairly competes with business, otherwise let us be social, freely, why limit ourselves? Together we can accomplish anything. But first, we must take responsibility to operate our government profitably.

The information age, changes many things. Government must be updated as must all our human networks and processes. We are building a new economy powered not by governments, but through networks like ours here independent of any particular government.

As citizens of the world if we extend the right to self determination to all peoples the world becomes one, maximally distributed, live and let live, government with the power of everyone behind it and the ability to accomplish anything we can agree on. We can agree on much if we establish objective, holistic criteria for conflict resolution.

There is no center to this evolving world government. It is only an abstraction consisting of all our social networks together. But it will eventually become real, should we survive long enough.
----
We would never use bad science to build a bridge, but it is apparently okay in engineering out society and our future.

What you think, or what Greg thinks, or I think is not the issue and not science. If we really want to know the health effects of second hand smoke we can do proper research, with proper control groups and interpret the results accurately.

The govt reports on second hand smoke are an abortion of science that say nothing scientifically at all.

Even with proper studies, 3 percent is not a significant result. It does not, as Greg suggests, mean thousands of people are effected. It is a normal to have aberrations of 10 percent or more.

In real scientific results, that show where heave smoking doubles your risk of certain conditions, the effect is 200%. That is a meaningful result, 3% or 5% is a non result.

The list of scientific improprieties in this case is formidable, making the results even more laughable.

Frankly, with all the carcinogens in the frying oils that restaurant workers breath all the time, it is surprising the percentages were not much higher. African men are more susceptible to certain of the selected illnesses, perhaps there are a higher percentage of Africans in restaurant work. Disease is more prevalent for the poor, if as Greg suggests, these are poor people who cant get other work, that may explain the aberration. Cities also have a higher incidence of these diseases, perhaps there are more restaurants in cities. They assume the same percentage of restaurant workers smoke, as the general public, maybe more of them smoke The least likely thing I can think of to account for this given the nature of the studies conducted is second hand smoke. Nicotine in small doses appears to have more health benefits then detriments. But there need be no explanation. Flip a coin ten times ant its not likely you'll get five heads and five tails. Choose the results to use after the research is done and you can get any result you want. It is surprising that they only got 3 to 5 percent.

Using bad science to promote our beliefs is bad for society. We make choices on bad information. But we will continue to be duped when we choice the results that suit our beliefs rather than insisting on proper scientific methods.

If the 50's people smoked pipes and cigars everywhere. By the end of the 60s pipe and cigar smoke was prohibited most everywhere without any laws that I know of restricting the freedoms of business owners or individuals. What is different about cigarettes that we must pay taxes and make and enforce laws to restrict business owners and individual freedoms based on bogus science. The system worked for cigar and pipe smoke without and law. Social norms control society quite adequately without government trying to fill the role of priest and dear Abby. Don't we have real problems to solve?

If you consider NY city a local municipality, it does have the right to regulate acceptable behavior, including smoking, but it would be far better to let the boroughs, or local districts to decide for them selves, whether it is justified to limit the freedoms business owners.

I ate at a smoking club in NY where Ben Franklin and other great Americans kept a pipe and came to enjoy fine food, drink and tobacco. The idea that we could not smoke there is outrageous.

Well meaning health concerns should be accompanied by objective science. The studies of second hand smoke related disease are an abortion of science, touting statistical correlations of 3 to 5 % using selective data sources. Any real scientific result requires correlations of at least 11% to make any statement at all. Well meaning socialists are also trying to control our alcohol, salt, cholesterol, and fat intake despite clear health benefit and nutritional need scientific results.

Soon from what I hear you won't even be allowed to smoke outdoors in new york. The smoking laws are just a few hundred of the millions of laws that should not exist. I don't agree that Americans don't have a choice of where to work, although enterprise taxes have subverted free enterprise, there is still some opportunity in this country.
See [[RealScience]]

The fact that there are a few freedoms left is not a cause for celebration. Indeed, some freedom is better than no freedom. People will always find excuses to make government bigger, more expensive, and more involved in controlling our lives and subverting our freedoms. At some point we have to say enough is enough.

I wish to live in a free country. I will not live under the tyranny of the majority if I can help it. Some people are willing to submit to the majorities idea of the good life. I am not. Few care about the ideals of freedom in America anymore. The socialist trend is clear evidence. I will fight for a return to the American values, our right to life liberty, and pursuit of our individual happiness in our own way, to my dieing breath.

There are enough people like me that you should not even bother to try to steal our freedom no matter how much you like to control others. We will not compromise our freedom or self determination. All true Americans are in the militia fighting against the erosion of our freedom.

It may be that America has already crossed the line to socialism and there is little seeming hope for freedom. That would be a sad state of affairs that will surely lead to revolution.

The lax attitude toward freedom today, seems innocent enough, but it is a major threat to out way of life.

Law is the antithesis of freedom, there are way too many laws and the cost of maintaining our legal system is insane. let's stop it and stop making excuses for wasting money on bullshit and deal with the real issues facing humanity.

The restaurant proprietor should have the right to determine whether smoking is allowed. We can tax that decision if it infringes on our shared resources. The smoker should refrain if someone is bothered by it, but that would be his choice ordinarily. You can't legislate that he can't be a jerk. The real will of the people is reflected in the free market. Most smoke free legislation is a basic violation of our freedom. If we choose to be free, perhaps we must to "suck up" a little smoke, rather than foforfeitreedom. There are way too many laws...stop the mamadness

Live and let live is the only acceptable policy. The only law need be that we don't infringe on the freedoms of others. Any violation leads only to Armageddon. The tyranny of the majority can wield its power to tax, but not to forbid, prohibition is a denial of freedom.

Acting as individuals we can act on our beliefs, passionately if we choose. But collectively our future depends on following holistic, objective criteria, as a bridge built on whims will fall, and we cannot afford to fail.

Don't mess with freedom. Don't mess with self determination. It is what the free will die for.

Talk to Disney, or collaborate on building a competing enterprise with different standards. Don't waste my tax dollar on your idea of the good life. I refuse to pay. My money is for building a great tomorrow.

Jefferson's real greatest accomplishment as president was the Louisiana purchase, but to accomplish that, AND no tax on ordinary citizens is a real miracle. We can revive that legacy should we have the will.

I guess I'm preaching, again, sorry, it is hard to not preach our passionate beliefs. As long a we don't want to subject to the beliefs of others, we must obey the social contract and not subject others to ours. Live and let live. No "buts" collectively. The owner, and local community has the right to self determination. It is not in our interest to regulate others and ourselves since regulation limits diversity and our diversity is our strength, and the health of our evolutionary realms.

Government is here to enforce and support our social contract. Only the churchs and local communities can dictate moral standards. Law based on contract is objective, it is not a matter of beliefs.

Get non-local government out of the business of legislating morality. Let's stop squandering our tax dollars on church business.

Before we go the way of the dinosaurs let us engineer a great tomorrow instead of enforcing our idea of the good life on others.

----
"World War III will be a guerrilla information war, with no division between military and civilian participation." -- Marshall [[McLuhan]]

Givin the Rambo USA posture in the world and the rising tide of terror it seems clear that [[McLuhan]]'s vision of WWIII is emerging.

As long as we are a bully nation we are a target. Bush claims they hate us because we are rich and free. bush lies, if that were the case, as someone pointed out, then they would terrorize Switzerland.

The UN is also a target as long as it represents primarily western interests and also fail to recognize the self determination of peoples and mind their own business.

The Israelis will avenge the current attack by killing some Arabs. An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. Most likely Arabs that had nothing to do with the bombing. The bomber is already dead but they won't miss a chance to make more enemies.

We have taught all the native populations of the world to end the fruitless cycles of retaliation between tribes, all except for the Israelis and Arabs apparently.

War can not end war. War will only end when humans respect the lifes of all other humans. For example the death penalty condones murder, if it is okay to kill, it is okay period, there is no yes but....
----
Extremists, of any belief, religious, political, or what ever, when they go beyond controlling their own personal beliefs, to controlling others beliefs. Fanaticism is okay until you go beyond what is good for yourself and you think you know what is better for others. The it becomes an insidious evil that we must destroy.

Indeed there are many gods, but only one God of gods. And the one God idea did have a start in Egypt, briefly, just before king tut but they reverted to their old gods with his death. I don't know if the religion of the Jewish slaves was more likely a cause or an effect.

The one God of Gods, is the God that has no image and is the creative force in the universe. Most all belief systems have something akin to the God of gods.

The peace, that Islam represents, is the end of war between the followers of different gods by the recognition that there is only one God of gods and this is explicitly the same God of Jesus and the God of Moses, and implicitly the one God of gods, or Great Spirit, that is true independent of any system of beliefs.
----
The Tao is "the way", it is a path and a discipline, not a god. Who must follow, and why? Indeed, I practiced the Tao for a period of my life and found it rewarding. Do you have a problem with that? Indeed there are no beliefs associated with the Tao, but I don't get your point. Each of us have our own personal relationship with exexistenceprovidence, God, or dog if that's what you call it. [[FrFreedomf]] religion means we can call it anything we want.

----