TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

by Michael Douglas Carlin

GLOBAL CITIZENS NEED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
Global Citizens need to take responsibility for everything that goes on in the world. Sitting and watching without changing is not acceptable.

Let me back up. We need to make sure that we understand each other without the least degree of misunderstanding. Let's begin with a very firm foundation – a bedrock foundation of understanding.

Are most people inherently good? I believe that they are. Do you agree? Are most people good? Once they have a perfect understanding of the total ramifications of their actions, will they do what is right? I believe that when people know the full consequences, they will make right choices. Now, if they are in need, can we all agree that people will do things that are out of character to survive? I also believe that, when resources are scarce, they will do whatever it takes to survive. If there is no money, no jobs and scant resources, you can bet that the father of four will steal what his family needs, if that is the only way that he can get it.

In the world of abundance, people will choose a higher path. Our key to turning the world into a world in which people take responsibility for themselves and those around them must come from abundance. The first principle of economics is that resources are limited. To put the goodness of humankind to work, we must take limited resources and turn them into abundant resources. All barriers that make resources scarce must be broken down so that abundance can exist.

We will never know how good humankind is until we provide a world of limitless choices. Our path to a better world than has ever existed is to plot this course for our Earth and for humanity.

I believe that almost all of humanity is good. I also believe that there are a few in the human race who are purely evil. They kill, rape and pillage just for the hell of it. Evil people need to be curtailed from achieving their objectives by the rest of humanity doing what is right, so that all ill intentions and efforts are marginalized. That requires an enormous education process to enlighten the rest of humanity, so that they grasp their authority and their responsibility to act.

Most decisions about the course for humanity will be easily made once all of the information is gathered and evaluated. The decision process becomes very simple with all of the relevant information on the table. The decisions almost make themselves.

Let us be clear about another foundation principle. The Earth can be improved. It can be cleaned up. It can be engineered to deal with floods in a more efficient manner; it can be engineered to deal with drought in a more efficient manner; it can be engineered to deal with systems to sustain civilization in a more efficient manner. Agreeing on this principle does not imply a belief in Global Warming. It doesn't imply a belief in anything other than the premise that the Earth can be improved. Humanity—men, women and children -- are the stewards of the Earth. We must become Global Citizens by taking responsibility for the health and welfare of the Earth.

We must engineer mechanisms to keep the delicate balance of the Earth in place for all of the inhabitants who share the Earth as their home. When the oxygen content decreases, we need to be responsible Global Citizens and plant more vegetation. We need to plant in areas that are typically dry or arid. We need to plant in areas of the oceans that are desert-like. More vegetation will produce more oxygen and keep the Earth in balance. Seeding the desert portions of the oceans with iron will produce more ocean plant life. Planting mangroves with samphire (distinct edible plants that happen to grow in coastal areas), that can be irrigated with salt water will also produce food and oxygen.

We must take responsibility for the movement of water from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration. Weather patterns are unpredictable from day to day, so we can all agree that occasional flooding is inevitable. We need to prepare for the 200-year floods that seem to be happening at a more frequent rate. Rivers need to be dredged to accommodate more flow. Cisterns must be implemented to collect water for use during times of drought. The entire world must implement a two-tiered water system of potable and non-potable water. Each country needs to implement a water strategy that keeps more water inland with the ability to flow water to oceans when necessary. Desalination technology must be developed to take the risk of water shortages out of the equation for all coastal cities, towns and villages.

We should all agree that the polar ice is melting. Having a mechanism in place to keep more water inland and to move it from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration will help to keep ocean levels in check. Not having this in place could lead to disaster, as we watch our cities fall into the rising tides. Making preparations cannot hurt us, if the predictions of leading scientists are incorrect. Not making preparations is leaving the Earth open for natural disasters.

So much of the Earth is being built out of asphalt and concrete. Roofs are made with materials that soak up heat. Creating more surfaces that reflect light and heat away from the planet can stop this trend. More of the surface of the Earth needs to become green or white. As Global Citizens, we must take responsibility for everything we can to keep the Earth within her delicate balance.

We can learn from structures already in place. On the island of Bermuda, rainfall is the only water source, often falling in hurricane season. For 400 years, the natives have built their roofs in a conical fashion that funnels water into a basement cistern. The roofs are painted white to reflect the sun and are made with mortar, limestone and slate overlapped to keep them from blowing away in the hurricanes.

Since the 1950's, one in twenty homes in Israel has had a solar water heater installed due to energy shortages. Now, 90% of the homes have solar heating, and all new homes since 1980 are mandated to have them. Israel and Cyprus are the per capita leaders in the use of solar hot water systems.

Creating abundance means breaking down barriers that keep supply low and prices high. Corporations that create artificial barriers to competition and or receive giant government subsidies and then haul in mega-profits will fight this movement. Responsible Global Citizens will want abundance, because it helps people make better decisions that help our planet heal.

We should agree that toxic waste is not good for the Earth. We should agree that mining operations need to be done through clean and sustainable systems that keep the Earth in balance. Trash heaps need to be cleaned up and processed to minimize the chemical effect of degradation of toxic waste from seeping into soil and water supplies. Piles of trash floating in the oceans the size of Texas must be cleaned up to keep our ocean ecosystems in balance.

Let's agree on one more principle. Most of humanity does not take pleasure in the suffering of any mother or father, aunt or uncle, brother or sister, son or daughter. We all want them to have happiness and success. We may not always know how to help them achieve these goals, but we want for them a joy-filled life. The measure of our success as parents is the degree to which our children are able to enjoy a better life than we had. When we see a person suffering from the disease of addiction, chronic homelessness, or any type of ailment from which a person can suffer, we must remember that this is someone's father or mother, aunt or uncle, sister or brother, son or daughter and that, as we are all united in humanity, this could be someone close to us. Most of humanity really wants to alleviate suffering, and all of us would lend a hand if only we had the tools to bring those who suffer to a better place.

Let's agree that people who are trained and qualified are able to deal with most of the problems of human suffering. Let's agree that the skills to treat real problems are available on the Earth. The knowledge to alleviate the bulk of human suffering already exists, and researchers are constantly working to improve the entire database of knowledge in this field. Are we agreed? Are we agreed that there is a path to recovery for anyone who really wants to right his or her life to calmer waters? Are we agreed that, even though we may not personally possess the skills to deal with real life challenges faced by people, solutions to these real life problems do exist?

Can we agree that people who do not have adequate nutrition do not make good workers or students? Can we agree that sick people do not make good workers or students? Can we also agree that people who do not have a place to live do not make good workers or students? Can we also agree that jobs require skills?

Can we agree that many skills can be taught and learned? Can we agree that there is a minimum standard of living necessary for people to acquire skills that make them productive members of society? And can we also agree that, once these skills are acquired by healthy people, they have a better chance to become responsible, self-sustaining citizens? Can we agree that handouts lead to dependency, and hand-ups lead to independence? Can we agree that we all want people to become self-sufficient? Can we agree that we might need to give handouts before it leads to a hand-up?

Picture a place that is built in the desert called Transformation. Why the desert? The desert is cheap, and established communities will not fully embrace this Transformation. What is Transformation? Transformation is where people come to be repurposed. At Transformation, you can count on receiving three square meals a day, a roof over your head and access to services that will help you become a productive part of society. Those with mental problems can receive treatment, those with addictions can receive treatment, and those with physical ailments can also receive treatment. Those who have skills that have become obsolete can be re-educated and prepare to be placed in a new job or new field. Lawyers are on staff to wade through legal problems that people may have. They help with the filings of bankruptcy or the renegotiation of debt, or negotiation with courts for tickets or fines.

Transformation could end homelessness as we know it. Transformation could be a much more humane methodology for dealing with people in our society who have hit the skids. Transformation would only cost a hundred million dollars to start. (Think of the money collected by Super PACs in the recent election.) Each additional phase would be funded from ongoing donations and staffed by people who have flowed through the doors of Transformation.

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© 2014 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.