Incremental Calls to Improve Society at Large
1. The success of Utopian endeavor linked to general political and social circumstances. The relation between micro Utopian efforts and macro socio-economic trends.
2. a. The nature of reforms to be called for, such as the need for downsized, pyramiding voting constituencies nationwide. These would be smaller districts under existing voting districts in any country, that can be implemented regardless of differences in electoral system (i.e. regardless of whether it be a plurality, majoritarian, proportional or other system of determining elections), sized so that voter decisions can be made solely by direct contact with, or live talks by candidates, and thus not requiring campaign funds or the use of mass media.
In other words, blocks of between 100 and 200 eligible voters (150 would probably be ideal for reasons to be explained later) would elect an individual whose primary purpose would be to come together with other likewise elected representatives, in groups similar in number to a jury, that is between 11 to 15, from contiguous regions, to elect from among themselves one (or possibly two) individuals who would represent, in somewhat parliamentary fashion, approximately 1500 to 2500 voting eligible citizens in total.
In turn, these representatives, still volunteers (except for travel expenses and a one or two day stipend), especially in cases where the smallest pre-existing voting constituencies were more populous, would come together again from contiguous regions, but this time in approximately the same number as a typical board committee i.e., 7 to 9, electing a representative from among themselves who would represent a total of 10,000 to 20,000 constituents.
These ‘thrice elected’ representatives, and the mid-level (‘twice elected’) representatives they were selected by, would work for perhaps several hours a month and be allowed certain government access privileges to meetings and officials, or to inspect local public facilities and departments—i.e. allowed to open the lid on institutional workings to keep government on its heels. Though working fundamentally as volunteers, they could nevertheless function as highly visible ombudsmen and inspectors should they choose to do so, with an impact that could be quite substantial, though gradual, considering they would be distributed nationwide in large numbers.
While the government would insure the legal framework, balloting would be extremely simple and easy to verify. Despite the system being foremost on a volunteer basis, it would nevertheless create a large pool of citizens from which mayoral, congressional/parliamentary, and national candidates could arise, persons who would otherwise not participate in the political process. It would thus widen the choices for, and likely the calibre of, elected officials and election debates, and at the same time act as a catalyst to reinvigorate broad democratic participation and awareness, creating a nationwide body of citizens more knowledgeable in public affairs.
Due to the diffusiveness and smallness of the base constituencies, it would be difficult for special interests or partisanship to influence the overall direction of opinions and actions of these volunteer representatives. There would be less incentive to do so as well, since they would not have legislative voting rights. Nor would the representatives themselves have the financial incentive to form parties. The opinions and actions of such individuals would likely more accurately reflect the desires of their constituents compared to representatives chosen in large-scale campaign-financed elections. Though the election of such volunteer representatives would encourage ‘in person’ contact, the input and feedback links between a representative and his electors could be maintained directly and substantively via social media after being elected.
Whatever the exact organizational structure of the reforms, which must vary with the political circumstances of each country, the critical point is the creation of a legally mandated sub-layer of volunteer political representation, a scaling down of constituency sizes in one form or another nationwide—indeed, worldwide.
Notes:
In the case where the smallest constituency block had no candidates offering to run for the position, someone would be chosen by random selection as in jury duty (with the same qualifications, such as the exclusion of felons, etc.), but perhaps allowing for those selected to decline the offer, repeating the random selection process until someone accepted it or making it mandatory after a certain number of refusals. As can be observed in jury psychology, once someone has been selected, it may expected that the process itself draws out the participant’s interest; he or she is psychologically ‘sucked in’ so as to speak, to become concerned with the outcome, though originally uninterested or averse to the responsibility.
These representatives would be compensated in a manner similar to jury duty, for example, the equivalent of 50 to 100 USD per day, the election decision to be arrived at preferably in a one day session with meals brought or provided. The reason being that it is best to avoid major session breaks that might allow for bribery negotiations on the aside, which should be made a prosecutable crime entailing penalties. Naturally, there must be no communication between representatives before such election meetings. In general, both places of meeting and electoral oversight should utilize existing judicial and local community facilities and be supervised by existing election commissions and administrators, though with much more simplified procedures due to the very small numbers of voters involved at each election level.
Terms should be no more than 2 years, allowing for re-election, but an enforced hiatus of one term after two consecutive terms should be mandatory, to prevent entrenchment and allowing for others to serve. However, there is no reason why after such a hiatus, a previously elected representative should not be allowed to run again and serve two more consecutive terms if he/she is still preferred by the constituents, though this time followed by a two term mandatory hiatus. Again, after the second longer hiatus, the candidate would be allowed to run again, and be allowed re-election for two consecutive terms, followed by again by a hiatus, and so on.
2. b. An example of a more mundane reform effort: a call to permanently raise disease prevention standards in dining establishments, nationally and globally. Obviously a world of continuing pandemics and other serious health problems can hardly be considered Utopian; but regardless of any particular crisis, the need to raise preventive measures in healthcare facilities and especially food service establishments is long overdue. And whatever is done to maintain healthful conditions within a Utopian society, such conditions can not be effectively maintained if there is a wide gap in standards with the surrounding environment.
While attempting a blanket raising of sanitation standards by law is problematic, the raising and enforcing of standards in just one or two particular sectors, in which elaborate code and enforcement mechanisms already exist, makes such changes mainly adjustments of degree and scope, and thus more practicable. More specifically speaking, even after a pandemic subsides, the employee wearing of effective masks or transparent face guards, detailed hand washing and cleaning practices, and the monitoring of employee health with possibly full or partial paid leave for businesses with more than a certain number of employees, when vital signs exceed a certain limit, or when blatant symptoms of unwellness are apparent, could be legislated for and enforced to a reasonable degree.
Some sort of system of shared, pooled, and on-call part-time food service workers, who could stand in for paid leave workers, would have to be devised for medium sized businesses. But it is unlikely that such standards could be enforced upon small establishments, where the loss of one cook or server would effectively mean the business could not operate, and where the particularities of the workplace would require extensive past experience at that establishment.
Most likely varying levels of sanitation compliance would need to be created. For the sake of explanation let us call it:
Elevated Standard (or Sanitation) Compliant or ESC (A): The highest level of compliance recommended, and perhaps made mandatory for only the largest establishments with over approximately 20 employees in one establishment, as well as new shopping mall food courts and institutional cafeterias, regardless of the exact number of employees. High air ventilation and purification standards, masks or face guards worn by all personnel, minimal seating spacing or substantive transparent partitions between tables, elevated sterilization of facilities and tableware, entrance vital signs scanning, and possibly enforcement of paid leave for employees above threshold readings or visible signs of transmittable unwellness, are some of the possible standards to include.
ESC (B): Mandatory for all establishments with over approximately 10 employees in the same establishment, or about 17 workers employed by the same business owner within a reasonable commuting distance. The wearing of kitchen employee masks or full face guards, masks or transparent half face guards for serving staff; periodic daily sterilization of fixtures and the like (such as those of the entrance and restrooms) at set times of the day visible to customers; serving staff use of hand sprays visible to customers or the use of biodegradable disposable gloves; a minimum level of acceptable ventilation; and possibly, mandatory paid leave for employees registering above threshold readings and blatant signs of transmittable unwellness are some of the possible standards to include. The details offered above are only suggestions, and the merit of the general idea should not be judged by them.
The number of compliance levels might be three and not two, but those details can be discussed later. What the content of that compliance is should be phrased in concrete language, in a certificate displayed indoors. Visible from the outside would be a window sticker, with the letter grade and below it as part of the sticker briefly summarized would be the four or five main sanitation categories, each with sub-categories such as ‘ ESC Masks: Kitchen [ ] Dining [ ] ‘ with check boxes, for instance.
The actual implementation would have to be phased, with large chain establishments being first required to be compliant, and from there gradually smaller sized businesses, though again, mandatory compliance for very small owner-run businesses may be impractical. However, smaller business would have the choice to voluntarily comply with the majority of the above standards (though any paid leave option would be problematic and instead an all-employee mask policy may be the most practical alternative) in which they would be inspected and issued, let us say an ‘ESC(C)‘ window sticker and frameable certificate.
All window stickers would have a QR code to report violations, and an accumulation of similar reports would trigger inspections, warnings, and if such reports were to continue, revocation and perhaps fines, with the QR code-linked website listing violators.
The biggest foreseeable problem is abuse of any full or partial paid leave program. However, upgraded smartphone and other portable device mediated medical scanning technology, tied directly to short online visually enabled interviews with the overseeing agency, with records of previous paid leaves of both the individual in question and the business as a whole, would probably insure the ability to statistically determine with a good degree of significance as to whether there was pattern of malfeasance or chronic health problems associated with the workplace requiring further investigation. Nevertheless, while it is obviously desirable to have sick employees distanced from food and customers, implementation of paid leave is problematic, especially in countries where tips comprise a large part of renumeration, and further refinement of the idea is necessary for it to be viable.
In the case of hospitals, which already have more stringent sanitation and sterilization practices, the main issue is more on the patient side, such as legally requiring the use of masks by outpatient visitors once entering hospital or clinic premises.
It should be made absolutely clear this is not a call for prudish particularities in the privacy of one’s home; but employees and employers of close contact, high turnover customer food services should probably be constantly encouraged to develop further guidelines and a higher than average awareness towards health risks and sanitation issues, closer to that of healthcare workers.
2. c. Addressing the predictable lag in necessary legislation to create safeguards vis-a-vis abuses of technological progress (under construction).
4. An effective methodology, analog and digital, for individuals to promote such reforms (under construction).
