Scenario 2050

The West reformed: Illustrative scenario

It is 2050. Western civilisation’s future, after implementing the 12 Reforms, has been secured after coming close to collapse.  Democratic and representative reforms mean ‘we the people’ have full ‘upper house’ control of their governments both local and national under Swiss-style direct democracy. The political class no longer exists because representative reforms have introduced limited representative tenure and eliminated partisan political parties.  Justice is immediate and costless so criminals, fraudsters, the anti-social and large businesses can no longer manipulate justice to suit themselves.  Judicial activism is no longer possible under direct democracy.  Neo-liberal global corporatism has been dismantled under sweeping reforms that did away with interest bearing credit creation, money markets and stock market speculation.  An enforced wealth cap has eradicated the wealth horded by corporates and the super wealthy.  The introduction of Semler-style workplace democracy has created the right economic and power relationships between workers and businesses with more than 100 employees.   Under all of these reforms the boom and bust cycles of the 19th and 20th centuries are much less likely. 

The institutions of marriage, family and individual self-reliant responsibility have been restored.  Children, now benefit from an advanced education system, alongside strong patriarch-matriarch families, that enables them to reach their full individual potential. Government has been greatly reduced in size to concentrate on legitimate ‘sovereign functions’ (foreign policy, the rule of law and defence). Local communities now operate their own economies without undue interference from government over-regulation and unfair international competition.  They can provide support for their poor and oversee the education of their children and the maintenance of the rule of law though local ‘people’s courts. War, other than legitimate defence of national sovereignty is now much less likely because the people have the right, via referendum to veto any government attempt to engage in ‘military adventures’.