This was an essay I made quite some time ago, and I would like to say thank you to anyone reading it right now. While I put in a lot of work for this piece. I must acknowledge it's still a draft, which carries perhaps a bit too much idealism. I hope for my text to someday be published in Jacobin or Dissent, but I am well aware of the need for refinement. So I humbly request your insight and critique. If possible, could you all critique section by section?
Once again, thank you and I hope you enjoy.
Introduction
Ah, America, the land of opportunity and freedom! Well, if you believe what Fox News says. We're told that we are the richest nation in the world, yet somehow we manage to have around 580,000 people experiencing homelessness, and 16 million empty homes to boot. And don't even get me started on the healthcare system that feels like it's from the Dark Ages. It’s almost impressive how our government excels in ignoring its people and their needs. But hey, at least we have flashy slogans, grand theatrics, and empty promises to distract us from reality, right? Welcome to my little venture of envisioning what an “Ideal America” would look like from my perspective. Yes, I'm daring to dream of a society where the so-called land of the free takes care of its citizens and practices what it preaches. Buckle up because we're about to explore what this dream entails and how, just maybe, we can pull it off.
What Society Should Be About
I believe that for a society to be a truly democratic one, 3 core principles must underpin its very fabric, not just lofty ideals to be admired but not achieved. The first of these is Acceptance, where every person, regardless of age, gender, race, religion, sexuality, or culture, is truly embraced as an important part of our diverse tapestry. Unfortunately, while progress has been made and there are plenty of areas where progress is flourishing, racial inequality persists in education, healthcare, and criminal justice, and the LGBTQ+ community still faces persecution and violence, despite the progress made in rights. As well as the fact that the gender pay gap persists to this day, furthering gender inequality. What makes this even worse is that these are just some of the problems we have with acceptance in America. There is even the fact that many Republicans are making efforts to roll back the progress that has been made.
The second core principle would be Advancement, which means a collective commitment to progress and knowledge. America should thrive on the celebration of knowledge and the pursuit of innovation, and what I mean by that is that ALL Americans should be able to enjoy that, forget wealth and ZIP code. But, of course, if knowledge goes against government/corporate interests, it’ll surely be suppressed, even if not directly. We have a Digital Divide preventing low-income communities from having adequate access to technology. Furthermore, many Americans are unable to get a quality education due to a lack of good funding and resources, not to mention how the education system often doesn't give much autonomy to students, leaves no room for passion, undervalues teachers’ hard work, and often fosters inauthentic learning. To make that even worse are the IP laws and corporate interests that limit the spread of knowledge and scientific research, further hindering progress for the betterment of everyone.
The last, but most important core principle would be Altruism. We are social creatures, but we are also creatures who can find reasons to hate each other that hold no weight. Altruism and cooperation have been fundamental building blocks of societies for tens of thousands of years, enabling our ancestors to survive and even thrive in challenging situations. However, in modern America, altruism seems to have taken a backseat to unrestrained individualism and self-interest. Relentless pursuit of power and profit has overshadowed the value of caring for one another and working together for the greater good. As a result, social and economic inequalities run rampant, leaving people without adequate support and opportunities. A truly good society would prioritize the needs of everyone, fostering an environment where the principles of Acceptance, Advancement, and Altruism can truly flourish. That’s a society we would all like to live in, and these 3 principles are obvious ones, but they are being increasingly neglected for short-sighted gains.
An Ideal Government
The current government and political landscape of the USA leaves much to be desired. As the system we live in is an imperialistic corporate oligarchy that wears a mask called democracy, no matter what side you pick, both parties prioritize the needs and interests of the rich elite rather than those of the people. An actual democracy would solve issues for the people, rather than perpetuate them. In response to these governmental deficiencies, I would like to introduce a possible alternative system. This embraces a fusion of liquid democracy and ranked-choice-voting, meaning that while citizens can exercise direct influence on key decisions or entrust their vote to representatives, they also have the additional benefit of being able to rank candidates, rather they vote directly or delegate. A sort of “Acidic Democracy”, as acids can cause chemical reactions and change the composition of substances they interact with, “Acidic Democracy” is intended to be a more reactive version of Liquid Democracy which changes the composition of the US political landscape. Of course, this is only a theoretical system that may or may not work but envisioning and discussing alternatives is an important exercise in reimagining what democracy could and should look like. However, one important thing, is that democracy, Acidic or otherwise, is incomplete without economic democracy.
An Ideal Economy
While the Nordic model welfare state is a far better alternative than that of the capitalism of America, it still falls short of what a just society, is due to the fact they often rely on the exploitation of 3rd world countries for resources to sustain their economy among other things (Telenor anyone?). In contrast, I propose an economic system based on other socialist strains. It can be simplified into 5 main proposals.
Workplace Autonomy and Self-Management: Enterprises would be organized as worker cooperatives, where employees collectively make decisions about production, resource allocation, and management.
Workers' Councils as Decision-Making Units: At the heart of this system, Workers' Councils would emerge as democratic decision-making bodies, elected by workers within each cooperative.
Interconnected Councils for Coordination: Workers' Councils from various cooperatives would form regional and industry-wide federations to facilitate communication, resource sharing, and policy development.
Harmonizing Local and Regional Interests: Municipalized sectors and local governance would interact with Workers' Councils to align economic decisions with community needs.
Participatory Economic Planning: Democratic discussions within federations and councils would set production targets, allocate resources, and prioritize investments.
Prisons and Policing
One of the most essential parts of how a society functions is how it maintains order and stays organized. Unfortunately, the ways our, and most nations, have gone about it, results in oppression and the perpetuation of systemic injustice. In an Ideal America, restorative justice would have more priority over retributive justice, placing greater importance on addressing the root causes of criminal behavior. A fundamental step to this goal would be the reorganization of all conventional prisons into “Rehabilitation Centers”, where “prisoners” can receive essential counseling and treatment services, mandatory if needed. Moreover, the decriminalization of drugs would recognize drug-related issues as health concerns rather than solely criminal matters.
Additionally, the practice of allowing all former “prisoners” to retain their voting rights upon release would underscore the notion of rehabilitation and reintegration, as “criminals” are still humans. There is no reason to keep on punishing ex-cons if they did their time. Indeed, as Nelson Mandela once said “It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.”
On the matter of policing, so much needs to be changed. The police as a whole, focus more on protecting the interests of the state, rather than enforcing any actual kind of justice. Even making reforms such as eliminating qualified immunity, restructuring civilian payouts, and making changes to FOP contracts probably won’t be enough. An entire systematic overhaul is most likely needed. In light of this, I propose an approach more horizontal than the hierarchical bureaucracy we see today. Instead of a top-down model of policing that often reinforces division, an ideal America would rather embrace a form of community-based policing as an alternative. These new “officers” would be elected by the community they serve, ensuring accountability and a direct link between law enforcement and the people. Not only that, these community elected officers would have mandatory cameras that can’t be turned off, further incentivizing these officers from engaging in corrupt activity. But when an incident of abuse happens, an “Oversight Board” of randomly selected community members could evaluate the footage and decide if the officer was justified or not, and what punishment they should receive, if any.
How to Achieve an Ideal America
Envisioning what a better society could and should look like is a very important endeavor, but what’s just as important is figuring out how it would be achieved. The answer is direct action, a powerful tool that has been a driving force behind change since before history. Of course, direct action doesn’t just mean rioting in the streets, revolution is about influence rather than mere insurrection. Though there is also the question of how direct action in America could take hold. In this section, I set out to answer that question.
Direction action has its roots in the community, where the seeds of change are sown through awareness and aspiration. It always begins with people recognizing their shared grievances and uniting to challenge the status quo. From neighborhood meetings to collaborative initiatives, direct action flourishes as a grassroots effort that invites participation from all walks of life and fosters a sense of belonging to a larger movement for justice. Unions are one of the most important parts of this process, they are the platform for workers to collectively demand fair treatment and better conditions. Through organized strikes and negotiations, they hold the power to disrupt the functioning of systems that exploit labor. But the scope of direct action extends beyond the workplace. Mutual aid initiatives, such as community fridges and childcare collectives, create networks of support that counter the gaps left by traditional capitalist systems. One interesting yet obscure form of direct action is the concept of the “reverse strike.” A historical tactic that turns the traditional strike on its head. Workers or the unemployed collaborate to work when they're not expected or even forbidden to work, defying the oppressive structures that seek to control them. This act of resilience can serve as both a demonstration of solidarity and a means of destabilizing the oppressive status quo.
Of course, direct action isn’t confined to just the streets. Direct action has the potential to influence the rigid electoral process, even if somewhat. Cornel West’s 2024 presidential bid has the potential to highlight this point. He’s likely to not win, and even if he somehow does, he won’t be able to change the system by a lot. But it isn’t just about winning the election; a man like Dr. West speaking to potentially thousands of people could challenge norms, spark discussions, and push for change that aligns with the spirit of the people and force the media to discuss things more important than what they usually discuss. This is the true value of getting progressives into office.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I hope to have ignited, inspired, and informed. To ignite a spark in the hearts of some, to have inspired others to build a better world, and to have informed what that better world could look like. Looking forward, let's remember that progress is not a solitary endeavor but a collective movement. To the people who have read this, thank you for reading, and I hope you took something from this little endeavor.