IN SEARCH OF REALITY XIII


The Need for Change





A Study in Thought





by





Marius Heuff

@M.Heuff

Chapter 1

Content

A review of the genetic and cultural codes.
The importance of a rational and balanced behavioural choice.
Changes in the regulatory mechanisms during the transition from small-scale to large-scale social integration.
Natural leadership in a small group.
Requirements and functions of large-scale social leadership.
Cultural mechanisms in leadership functions.
Analogies with the central nervous system.

The genetic code of a living organism has been molded by the relentless, ruthless and constant forces of natural selection in accordance with the criteria of viability, and the forces of nature show, clearly, that they are able to modify the rigid and carefully guarded genetic codes of living species`, as long as there is a constant turn-over of generations, as well as a long period of time in which to make such modifications.

However, we have also discussed the fact, that nature has experimented, and may still be doing so, with the possibilities of individual and small-group adaptations within the life-span of one individual or generation. We have discussed the enormous advantages that come to the fore, whenever behavioural adaptations can be made on the basis of the experiences of a living member or a small group, because so many opportunities to benefit from the prevailing circumstances fluctuate too rapidly to allow the slow processes of genetic adaptation to make use of these opportunities. Such a process of "learning from experience", by-passes the genetic code, and provides a means for rapid behavioural adaptations to changing circumstances, but the transmission of such learned adaptations, from individual to individual, or, from one generation to the next, is far more vulnerable to deterioration and decay compared to the stable and rigidly locked-in code of genetic instructions residing within the cellular protoplasm.

The shift away from genetic adaptations to learned and culturally transmitted forms of behavioural change is an indication, that the processes of natural selection, effecting changes in the genetic code, are too slow to make full use of all the existence possibilities that come along, whenever ecological circumstances are changing rapidly.

We may, therefore, consider the cultural code as a "new way" to transmit successful or desirable behaviour patterns from one generation to the next. This is a rapid, but vulnerable method for transferring behaviour patterns, and, it has been super-imposed on the genetic code in order to secure continued survival of a highly flexible and adaptable species. For the human species, flexible adaptability has become an essential foundation for making conscious behavioural choices and decisions. This applies to the individual, as well as a socially integrated community, and the mechanisms of conscious awareness and concept formation, (which are necessary to come to a deliberate or willed choice), are increasingly determining the viability of a group, an individual, and, perhaps, the entire species of mankind.

The origins of the development of behavioural flexibility go back many millions of years in natural history. These mechanisms become really significant with the mammalian, and, especially, the primate evolution. Behavioural flexibility became the foundation for the possibility to learn and to effect behavioural modifications on the basis of past experiences. A clear understanding of these trends should make us aware of the fact, that the human being, (the animal with the greatest reliance on adaptation by learning, concept formation and cultural traditions), is destined to become completely dependent upon the quality of his individual and collective behavioural choices.

However, we should, also, be well aware of the fact, that the ability of a human individual to come to a remarkably refined and appropriate behavioural choice, is not mirrored, as yet, in our collective behaviour. The ability to finely tune a behavioural response is based on an efficient and sophisticated machinery to evaluate, understand and analyse the circumstances of the moment, and, we see, that these same capabilities, to analyse and understand, are not nearly so well developed in a large community of socially integrated human beings, compared to a keen and intelligent individual.

Nevertheless, the efficiency of man`s individual or small-scale collective behavioural responses has led to a marked penetration of the human species all over the globe, and, we have reviewed, to some extent, the mechanisms that led to the conglomeration of much larger social groupings during the past ten to fifteen milennia. This trend was, primarily, the result of a state of chronic confrontation and strife, when the possibilities for further penetration into uninhabited areas became rapidly exhausted with the increasing population pressures of the numerous small nomadic tribes which were competing with each other for rapidly dwinding food resources.

On the other hand, the increased contacts resulting from confrontations, trade, and the exchange of ideas and information, enlarged the physical and mental boundaries of man`s behaviour, and, these contacts led to a marked increase in man`s ability to manipulate his natural environment. Man increased his abilities to extract food and minerals from the earth, and, similarly, the frequent conflicts and contacts between evolving groups of human beings led to a rapid development in the ability to recognise a large number of people as belonging together. Laws and regulations started to replace empirical or subconscious guidelines, and the absolutism of a primitive sense of right and wrong, gave way to a more articulate balancing of contrasting ideas. The gradually enlarging sphere of mutual identification led to a slow but significant decrease in cruel and ignorant behaviour.

These mechanisms, where smaller societies gradually coalesce into a much larger social entity, have now reached a stage, where the outright dominance of a single world-empire over most of the societies in the world, has become virtually impossible, and, the trend of empire-building is giving way to a process of global interdependence between nations and societies of all sizes. Power struggles between nations and within nations remain a common occurrence, however, but the collective behaviour patterns of large nations or ethnic groupings are slowly being tamed by the influence of world-opinion.

The collective will of the people within a social entity is being articulated, and heard, more clearly than ever before as a result of the election of representative governments, but, we have seen, how, at the present time, nationalistic and egocentric attitudes seem to be gaining, once again, the upper hand. This may well be due to a combination of rapid and effective mass-communications on a world-wide scale, as well as the awareness that the world`s resources are finite. The hopes and dreams for unlimited economic growth have been shattered, and the limitations of our terrestial resources and eco-systems have sharpened our anxieties about getting a fair deal. The disparities between the various regions on earth are felt more sharply than ever before, because most of us realise, now, that a relatively small part of the world population is exhausting the earth`s resources, as well as its regenerative capabilities, to an extent that is impossible to sustain for any length of time. This constitutes an essentially unjust situation for the rest of mankind.

In spite of the fact, that we still see rather primitive attitudes of international squabbling, as well as blatant, egocentric nationalism, the frequent contacts and dialogues associated with these frictions are shaping a more informed public opinion, and, they promote a feeling for, or recognition of, each other`s desires and aspirations, which turn-out to be so remarkably similar. This means, that, in spite of insensitive and often despotic, inefficient, corrupt and negligent regional or local leaderships, there is already a tentative formulation taking place of generally acceptable attitudes, customs and laws, which is becoming widely known amongst the better informed members of many different societies. These harmonisations of public sentiments tend to influence, not only, international affairs and regional disputes, but they also promote joint ventures in an atmosphere of understanding and a measure of mutual trust.

In short, we see, then, mostly subconscious or empirical efforts taking place, where large populations formulate a sort of common body of agreed-upon objectives and ways of doing things. These concepts and ideas are beginning to guide the interactions of nations on a very large scale, indeed. National interests still have a tendency to dominate over international concerns, just as the well-being of our own existence takes, often, precedence over our concerns about the well-being of others. Indeed, we see, clearly, how tentative and fragile these principles of international conduct are, and, we know, how easy egocentric concerns and anxieties win-out over the realisation, that, ultimately, our security rests upon our willingness to cooperate on an international scale.

We have discussed the principle, that regulatory mechanisms are less well developed in organisms that are, only just now, beginning to explore their possibilities of existence through the mechanisms of social integration, and, the same principles apply, when we study the difficulties we encounter when the size of a social organisation begins to increase significantly.

We know, that the efforts of a group of people to govern themselves approach nowhere the efficiency and effectiveness of the physiological and anatomical regulatory mechanisms of the multi-cellular individual. The reasons are clear, since the ability of the single human individual to make a reasoned and well-balanced decision, is largely given by his genetic heritage, even, if the contents of his thought patterns and experiences are a product of environmental contacts. The neural pathways of the single human being are a result of the inheritance of an enormously complex code of genetic instructions, which has come about after a long process of natural evolution. In contrast, the "neural pathways" of communication within a social entity are entirely the product of a cultural heritage, which is subject to rapid alterations and the mechanisms of decay.

We know, now, that cultural regulators of behaviour depend on teaching and conscious acceptance, and, these mechanisms of understanding are easily damaged by careless instructions and ignorant attitudes. It is, therefore, entirely logical, that the regulatory mechanisms of large and very large societies are, often, so inefficient, so tentative and vague in their form and function, that, it is sometimes difficult to convince ourselves that they exist at all. It is also obvious, that the form and function of these vague, large-scale regulatory mechanisms have to be shaped by a deliberately, willed choice, rather than by subconsciously formulated cultural traditions.

If we accept the thesis, that the survival of the human species depends, increasingly, upon the adaptative capabilities of its deliberate "will" and its collective behavioural responses, and, if we accept the conclusion, that the quality and efficiency of a social organisation is frequently in reverse proportion to the size of the group, then, we should be able to agree, that we have to examine and study the single human being in order to obtain useful hints about the conscious organisational efforts we have to carry-out in order to ensure the viability of the larger social entities. We have to analyse the decision-making mechanisms of the human individual, and, we have to construct our leadership and government institutions upon the insights gained from such a reflective study of individual human existence.

Unfortunately, we do not agree, as yet, how we function, nor, do we agree, who we are, but, we have some ideas. We have some insights, now. These insights may be useful, and, we may be able to draw a few rough parallels between the internal organisation of the human organism and the social integration of human beings, in order to outline a coherent and efficient way to organise the large and very large societies of mankind.

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Chapter 2

Content

A review of evolutionary trends in organic existence.
Flexibility of behaviour.
Learning, awareness and concept formation.
Regulatory mechanisms.

Perhaps, we should recapitulate some of the ideas and concepts we have formed as a result of a rather generalised understanding of individual human functions, and, we should look at the physical organisation of the human organism, as well as the organisation of psychological and conceptual functions. We may be able to extend these insights to the task of creating a deliberate and careful structure of regulatory functions for the large-scale social organisations of mankind.

We have discussed, before, how the multi-cellular community of a multi-cellular organism has been strictly organised by the genetic code. This code guides the development of a community of embryologically unfolding cells into a stringently controled mass of interdependent cells, where each cell has received precise instructions for the direction of its development, as well as its specialisation in structure and function. Consequently, the overall range of behavioural responses of such a community of cells, (or multi-cellular organism), is rather stereotyped, and there is a significant limitation of its ability to adapt to novel or unusual circumstances.

Adaptations to slowly varying and long-term changes in the ecologial circumstances are effected through the slow, preferential selection of those genetic determinants of form and function, which are present in the carefully sequestered and protected spatial relationships of the long molecules of the genetic code. The "genes" are formed by complex strands of nucleic acids, where a sequence of specific chemical substances forms the key, or, rather, a large number of keys, through which the differentiation of the cellular community into its various organ-systems takes place. Because the individual cells have no choice in the matter of responding or developing into the various patterns of specialisation and differentiation, the community of cells reacts to these stimuli along fixed pathways, which have been laid-down in the genetic code.

From a very early stage in the evolution of life, the ability to modify a response, based on past experiences, has been present. The species of man culminates this trend of behavioural modification with the possibility of a more precise behavioural adaptation, or "fine-tuning", on the basis of past experiences that have been recorded in memory. These experiences are classified into categories of similarity in existence or event, and, in this way, the experience of familiarity, as well as the memory-trace of a cause-effect relationship, becomes possible. This leads to the ability to "recognise" familiar elements in the stream of sensory stimuli or sense impressions representing the contemporary, existentially significant circumstances.

The human being developed the ability to communicate conscious images of such classified and categorised awarenesses as "symbolic representations" of these awarenesses, and, eventually, the human being developed such a measure of virtuosity in handling a complex series of mental images, concepts and ideas, that he learned to extrapolate from an on-going sequence of experiences, what the most likely outcome of an event would be. This extrapolation of the outcome of an on-going event is based upon the recognition of a similar experience, or a similar sequence of events, in the past.

This faculty of prediction led, eventually, to the possibility to guide certain events in such a way, that the results were of great benefit to the individual. Such a mental foresight comes into play with the successful use of tools or weapons, and, the same processes of foresight are implied in such complex manipulations as the hunt of a large animal, or the cultivation of plants. The foresight required to grasp the possibilities of cultivation or domestication of vegetative lifeforms, required a far greater time-span than the more immediate effects of the use of weapons or tools, or the organisation of a hunt. It is not surprising, then, that agriculture, or the deliberate cultivation of vegetative organisms, is a relatively late development in the evolution of human capabilities.

The ability to predict, at least, to some extent, the outcome of a series of events, led to the awareness, that the outcome could be favourable, or, perhaps, not so favourable, and the typical human experience of "anxiety" was born as an inevitable consequence of our ability to foresee the immediate future of on-going events and their eventual outcome.

As a rule, we have some ability to influence a series of events by a conscious, deliberate act, and, the projected results of such a planned behavioural act can be evaluated in mental images, before the act is actually carried-out. This ability to influence, to some extent, the on-going events, softens our feelings of anxiety, as we plan and think about the problems we see ahead. We see, therefore, that man learns, not only, to abstract a generalised awareness of on-going events, (and, to recognise, what is likely to happen in the immediate future), but, he is also able to extrapolate the probable effects of a planned behavioural action, before it actually takes place.

This development, which we have traced very briefly, here, is the cornerstone of our ability to think, because thinking is, primarily, the abstraction and awareness of our experiences, where we refer, continuously, to our memory-banks in order to evaluate our position. We play against our memory-banks a variety of planned or hypothetical behavioural acts, which we then evaluate without carrying them out in reality. We evaluate the hypothetical consequences of our hypothetical behavioural choices with the help of a background of knowledge and experiences, and, as a result, we gain fruitful insights, feelings and notions about the likely outcome, if we would indeed carry-out a particular behavioural response.

This constant swing between the memory aspects of our awarenesses on the one hand, and the judgement aspects about the possible consequences of proposed or intended actions on the other, forms the key to an understanding of the human thought processes. Often, the sequence of thoughts is not so clearly concentrated in a deliberate and precise evaluation of possible consequences of a variety of proposed actions, and, our thoughts appear, then, more like a stream of loosely connected images, ideas, feelings and notions, which seem to be connected by a haphazard association of loose likeness. Then, a particular category of memories and images is stimulated into a focus of conscious awareness as a result of the associations or similarities with a related category of images, feelings or notions.

From this sketchy summary of the essence of human behaviour, we may begin to trace the behaviour of human individuals as they relate to each other, and, we may be able to trace the requirements of the regulatory mechanisms that are necessary for the cohesive existence and finely adapted behavioural responses of a successful community. The adaptative responses of the larger community are focussed, as a rule, more upon the internal, "vegetative" needs of the community, (such as a solution to frictions and disputes, the balance between food-supplies and the needs of the population, as well as the problems of pollution), rather than on relations with a neighbouring community.

Survival for a predatory community of cells, forming together an animal organism, depends, to a large extent, upon its ability to capture another community of cells, as we see in the hunt of a prey, or, the grazing of a browsing animal, and, there are remarkable parallels in the history and behaviour of human societies, where survival was sought, and found, from time to time, in the conquest of a neighbouring territory, or, the force-ful confiscation of someone else`s property; robbery.

It is clear, that we need efficient regulatory mechanisms to organise a large community of human beings into a viable, functional unit. The reason, why this task is so difficult and constitutes such a complex problem, is related to the fact, that the human society does not have a clear-cut, genetically endowed structure of guidance mechanisms. Indeed, all the channels for internal organisation and leadership have to be created by the foresight of the human mind. Since we do not have a biological blue-print for such an organisation of social integration on a large scale, we have to rely upon our understanding and grasp over reality, in order to construct such a structure of guidance and regulation by a deliberate act of the common or collective will.

In a way, such a development or task is not all that different from other technological creations of the human mind; whenever the results of a particular event are foreseen, as long as the forces of nature are guided in a precise manner. Such a specifically guided natural event may have no known expression in the realm of nature, but, often, similarities are found, later, between naturally evolved phenomena in the world of living and non-living existence, and the inventions of the human mind. I am thinking, here, about such mechanisms as echo-location, the capture of solar energy in high-energy electron bonds, the art of manipulating photons to capture an image on a plate coated with a light-sensitive chemical, (photography), the function of transducers in various sensing mechanims, regulatory feed-back mechanisms, and many other examples.

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Chapter 3

Content

Balanced behaviour, seen as a super-imposition on instinctive and emotional reaction patterns.
Collective emotional synchrony and the emergence of natural leadership.
Overwhelming complexity of the larger societies and their bureaucratic channels.
The tendency towards inertia and corruption.

We have discussed, before, the zone of rational, emotionally neutral behaviour, and, we have seen, that such deliberate and calculated reactions are only a small, but very important part of the overall range of human behaviour. Most of the time, our reasoned and deliberate actions of choice are super-imposed on an emotional "ground-tone", which reflects a series of basic behavioural responses. These responses form a "mood", and they are a result of our biologically inherited and genetically regulated response mechanisms.

Emotional behaviour patterns play an enormously important role, not only, in our individual lives, as we all know, but they form the basis for most communal responses as well. Long before any form of rational, consciously willed, communal behaviour became apparent, man worked and lived together, in small groups. These groups functioned reasonably well because of genetically endowed, emotional response patterns; e.g., the hierarchical positioning of the members under the guidance of a natural leader.

We have previously outlined the strengths and weaknesses that are inherent in emotionally synchronous forms of communal behaviour. We have seen, how the emotional synchrony of the members of a small group leads to a marked existential advantage, because the unison or synchronisation of behavioural reactions forms an important communal defense mechanism. However, we have also seen, that such an emotional synchrony leads to a loss of behavioural fine-tuning, and, indeed, a coarsening of the behavioural response seems inevitable, whenever a significant degree of emotional synchrony takes place.

Yet, when we consider the requirements for effective leadership and efficient government institutions within the larger human societies, we will have to keep in mind the existence of this biological heritage, as well as the many potentials and limitations associated with our biologically inherited tendency to respond communally with a synchronisation of our emotions. Again and again, we will outline these limitations, and, we will see, as we have done in the past, that emotional synchrony becomes increasingly inadequate as a communal response to the prevailing circumstances.

We will recognise the need to overcome the limitations that are associated with a state of emotional synchrony, because we will understand, clearly, that emotional synchrony negates the advantages of behavioural fine-tuning, which have become a major factor in the viability criteria of the human species. We will see, that the large community is only viable, if its leadership structures and collective behaviour patterns are solidly based on the powers of rational evaluation.

Even in the small human grouping, emotional synchrony shows, quickly, its severe limitations, and, we see, how a natural leader explores the possibilities of a more refined evaluation of the common needs, as well as a more refined response to these needs. We have traced these developments, before. The possibilities and opportunities provided by rational or emotionally neutral behaviour have become a significant part of our biological heritage and precede the specific developments of the human species. We have outlined, also, the limitations that are placed upon the size of a viable community, whenever it relies entirely on genetically encoded behaviour patterns for a successful social integration, because each individual has to be able to identify each other member as an individual belonging to the same community. The natural leader is subjected to the same limitations, since he has to know each member in order to develop a feeling for the possibilities and limitations of each member within the group.

Ideally, the natural leader knows every member of the small community intimately. He knows their particular strengths and weaknesses, their desires and aspirations, as well as the tensions between them. This knowledge is recorded in his memory, and, it is used, when the leader makes an intuitive judgement about the probable results of a decision he wants to take.

These processes occur largely subconsciously. In a small community, the natural leader is able to receive an adequate sensory input from his community on the basis of his own physiological and psychological faculties, and, he is also able to persuade his members about the justification of his decisions. He can judge, adequately, any situation of conflict, and, it is still possible for a single leader to formulate and coordinate wide-ranging plans for the survival and well-being of the social grouping, just because of the fact, that such a community is small and transparent enough to be known by a single individual. The leader can persuade, inform, teach or cajole the members into attitudes that respect the common interests, and, he is able to enforce his will by his personal physical strength, if necessary.

In the larger communities, these tasks will have to be divided between a number of people. These people become leaders, who share certain aspects of the overall leadership functions between them, but, the members of such a leadership structure are again structured into some sort of a hierarchical relationship.

In order for the leadership to remain efficient in the execution of its tasks, and, in order to remain sensitive to the needs of the individual members of the group, it is clear, that a flow of accurate and relevant information about internal and external circumstances has to be available to the leadership, before it can react, quickly and appropriately, to the needs of the community. Similarly, the out-going channels through which the decisions and actions of the leadership are carried-out, have to be swift, efficient and coordinated. The problems that arise when trying to fulfill these requirements, are enormous, because both channels, the in-coming, information-gathering channels, as well as the out-flowing or executive channels, are prone to be disrupted by the egocentric orientation and anxieties of the people involved in these tasks.

The flow of incoming information is also easily distorted by inadequate or superficial reporting, as well as by the manipulation of information to suit specific interests. At the same time, the instructions from the leadership, which flow through the executive or out-going channels, are easily distorted by a conflict of interest between the leadership and those, who function as the executive channels of a government bureaucracy.

In the large and complex societies, the leadership would easily be overwhelmed by the many decisions that have to be made. Many of the more routine, regulatory tasks are, therefore, carried-out by the government structures of a society in an almost "automatic" response, or "reflex action". We see, that the input is carried, directly, from the "afferent", information-carrying channels to a certain level of the executive channels, by-passing the awareness of the top leadership positions. This development is analogous to the situation in the individual human being, where many routine responses to common stimuli are carried-out without an active participation in the decision-making processes by the conscious "will" of the individual.

However, in addition to the similarities pointed out above, we should acknowledge, that there are marked differences as well, because the organisation of a community of cells in the individual organism is carried-out through neural and hormonal pathways. These pathways have been shaped, slowly, in the furnace of natural selection, and, they have been encoded in the rigid secrecy of the genetic blue-print. In the human society, even the most routine tasks and responses are carried-out along haphazard channels of command and communication which have been constructed by the accidents of human efforts, and, these channels have only vaguely and vicariously been encoded in the cultural traditions of a society.

We know, now, that bureaucratic channels are prone to deterioration as a result of the existential anxieties of the participating bureaucrats. Ideally, the form and function of these afferent and efferent channels of the government bureaucracies should be created by the informed will of the people, and, they should be enshrined by the Constitutional Guidelines of society. Otherwise, the executive leadership has no control over the accuracy and relevance of incoming information, nor, does it have a firm grip over the effects of its decisions and instructions, especially, if monitoring capabilities are insufficient.

The problems and short-comings of all complex societies show, with abundant clarity, the tendency of governmental or bureaucratic channels to escape from effective control mechanisms. They become, therefore, cumbersome and prone to abuse and corruption, as the people who function, somewhere, in this maze of bureaucratic channels, begin to form a center of power and influence for their own benefit.

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Chapter 4

Content

Mechanisms of corruption.
Transparence and computer technology for solving the problems of inertia and corruption.
Inefficiency and corruption.
Various ways to elect a social leadership.
Idealism and existential realities.

We have discussed, on many occasions, the nature of existential anxiety, and, it is logical, that every member of society will show evidence for a measure of anxiety, as soon as one feels threatened for one reason or another. If a bureaucractic position becomes the only source of income, or, the only way an individual can find a niche in society, then, we can expect any uncertainty about the security of this position, or, any doubts about the competence of the bureaucrat, to create a strong, defensive reaction. If a bureaucratic position or function is poorly delineated, the usefulness of the job suffers, and the bureaucrat becomes afraid that his job is becoming obsolete or redundant.

It is logical, therefore, that the bureaucrat is tempted to use the power of his position to safeguard his own financial security and the existence of his job. However, these attitudes and efforts are contrary to the purpose of the bureaucratic function, and, they constitute, in essence, a form of "perversion", or corruption. This is the defensive aspect of a common form of corruption.

If an unscrupulous individual is not supervised properly, he may attempt to increase his personal gain beyond and above his salary or stipend, e.g., by selling favours or peddling influence in return for secret payments. This is the aggressive form of corruption.

Sometimes, the leadership itself becomes so ineffective and corrupt, that the various bureaucracies escape completely from the control mechanisms that should be supervised by the representatives or leaders of the people. Then, the bureaucracies begin to function, openly, for the benefit of their own members. The whole of society is quickly perfused by an attitude of bribery and corruption, where each member is only concerned with the welfare of himself, or his immediate social surroundings.

The uncontrollable growth of an inert, massive bureaucracy, which is growing "fat" on internal stagnation and loss of control by the public leadership, is one of the most lethal diseases a society can suffer from, because it is followed by an inevitable sequence of mutual distrust, chaos and decay. An analysis and understanding of the causes and effects of deficient leadership and government functions, should go a long way to help us prevent this never-ending cycle of disastrous historical events.

We have indicated, how we can, now, control a volume of data, which would have been completely unmanageable in the past. This can be done by using, intelligently, the tool of the computer, but, before we begin to feed data, indiscriminately, to a network of computers, we have to develop a clear idea about the tasks we want to accomplish. If we do not guide the technology of computerised information-gathering and -classification with precision, we will only add to an already massive confusion.

We have to realise the fundamental importance for any bureaucratic institution or leadership to have quick access to reliable and comprehensive information about everything that has to be taken into consideration. At the same time, a leadership has to have the ability to monitor the effects of all its decisions and evaluate the outcome of its programs. A leadership has to have a good idea about the likely outcome of its long-term projects, in order to judge, whether or not the anticipated results will be obtained, swiftly and accurately.

What could we, as a multi-cellular organism, accomplish, if we did not have the ability to accurately inform ourselves about our environment, and, if we did not have the ability to command our muscular systems with swift and accurate instructions? If we, as an individual, would be as clumsy as our governments, we would never survive, and, many of our civilisations, nations or empires have perished, primarily, as the result of an inadequate system of government or leadership. The leadership of a community has to reflect the concerns of the entire community, and the leadership has to be elected, or chosen, in such a way, that it identifies with the population as a whole and acts as a benevolent government for the entire population.

Probably, the best way to elect such a leadership, is, indeed, by direct popular elections, where one or several leadership candidates receive, directly from the people, a mandate to govern them. We will not forget all the difficulties that are involved in the concept of "fair and free elections". An alternative system of democratic government is based on giving a mandate to govern to a political Party, (or a coalition of political Parties), with a majority of seats in the House of Representatives or Parliament, on the assumption, that the political Party with most of the votes has the widest appeal. These are, in essence, the Presidential and Parliamentary systems of democratic government, which seem to work well. However, by separating the question of national leadership from the political program of a particular Party, there is a better chance for a gifted leader to appeal to all segments of the population, without the need to adhere to a specific political program, or "platform", that has been shaped by the "caucus" or inner circles of a ruling political Party.

However, it is true, that, even, a popularly elected President is, nearly always, associated with a specific political Party, and, we may safely state, that either system, the Presidential as well as the Parliamentary system, can provide satisfactory leadership with an adequate input from the people. We have also discussed the reasons, why Constitutional Guidelines will play an ever more important role in determining the quality of leadership and the level of justice within a society. By combining the executive leadership of a country with a body of elected representatives, coming from various areas of a nation on the basis of direct popular support, we see a great opportunity arise for a fruitful, on-going dialogue between an elected, executive leadership and a body of elected representatives.

In the Parliamentary system, the executive leadership has to be formed by a small group of elected representatives from the majority political Party. If, on the other hand, the national leader is elected directly by the people, he will have to choose a number of advisors to help him with the various chores he is faced with. As a rule, executive leadership has to have a clearly defined "head", because a large body of people from diverse areas, origins and opinions, is unable to react as a single, governing "mind", or "will", of the population as a whole. Indeed, the members of a "cabinet" or "executive council" should act as an advisory, scrutinising or restraining body, but not as a rival or alternative form of leadership.

In our modern, Western democracies, many countries seem to have a more or less satisfactory way to reflect popular concerns in an executive type of leadership working in association with a House of Assembly or Parliament. The problems arise, when we try to review the design, efficiency and precision of the government bureaucracies, and, we see all political leaderships being "ham-strung" by the bureaucracies they inherit. These bureaucracies are bound to show all the signs of a collective existential anxiety, as soon as the entrenched civil servants feel threatened in their security by a change in leadership "at the top".

The job of an elected representative is, often, full of frustrations, as enthousiasm and good intentions are dissipated in fruitless attempts to bring changes quickly. Just as anyone with chronic frustrations is bound to lose his enthousiasm for the common good, so is the politician also vulnerable to a mood of cynical egocentricity, as he starts to concentrate, ever more deliberately, on the task of personal survival in the jungle of political life.

Frustrations for the elected representatives may arise from the inability to effectively contribute to leadership policies and decisions, or, from an inability to obtain all the necessary information, which is so vital for the task of coming to an informed and considered opinion about the many matters of concern that have to be dealt with. Quickly, idealistic hopes to serve a country are shattered in the reality of bickering factions, bureaucratic inertia, and the barriers of secrecy and intrigue.

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Chapter 5

Content

The need for change.
Leadership and elected representatives.
Complete, rapid and balanced information.
The essential need for transparence in all social functions and events.
The ability to monitor events through computerised channels for the gathering and dissemination of information.

All this has to change, and the major question is, how? Let us start to consider those aspects of our contemporary governmental systems that seem fairly satisfactory and require the least amount of change. There is indeed nothing wrong with a leadership system that has been chosen by an informed electorate, and, it really does not matter, whether we choose a Presidential or a Parliamentary system, as long as we make sure, that the leadership, the government institutions, as well as the attitudes of the public, foster a condition of social harmony and mutual trust.

We have mentioned the idea, that the supreme governing body of a society should be its Constitution. This is a set of thoughtful and carefully worked-out Guidelines, or Principles of Operation, that are understood and have been approved by the people. This Constitution is the ultimate regulating body that guides the formation of the leadership, the channels of government, the judiciary, as well as the direction of economic development. The Constitution guarantees each citizen his or her rights, but also, exacts from each citizen his dues, taxes and other contributions, in return for these rights.

The structuring and implementation of such a far-reaching set of Constitutional Guidelines is only possible, if the leadership and the people have full and rapid access to all relevant information. In order to make this possible, we need a nation-wide computerised source of information that is properly categorised and classified, and, is available to every individual in society with access to a computer terminal.

In addition to the ability to have access to complete and accurate information, the leadership and the people must have the opportunity to evaluate the probable results of all planned actions or decisions. Again, we see, here, a similarity between the functions of a social leadership and those of the individual human mind. The accuracy of evaluating, before-hand, the probable consequences of a decision, is greately enhanced, if a sophisticated system of computerised data can carry-out such extra-polations and projections. Naturally, all these activities should be completely open to everyone, and, this process of weighing the possible effects of all our intentions and decisions should be one of the most powerful educational tools at our disposal, where we all can learn to see the consequences of our activities and decisions.

With the capabilities of unrestricted, balanced, complete and relevant information, together with the ability to project the consequences of various options and choices, governments and their people would, for the first time in history, be truly efficient and well-informed. This will make it more likely, that their activities will be beneficial for each other, as well as for the society as a whole. People in a position of trust and authority would be seen to be fair and just, and, they would restore and invigorate the fragile attitudes of public confidence and trust with their transparent and competent work.

Computerised information also means, that the events taking place in society and its government, the economy and the environment, as well as public attitudes and awarenesses, can be monitored continuously, and this information should facilitate the formation of finely-tuned appropriate responses. The out-going or executive channels of government actions, decrees and decisions are being monitored, continuously, so that the leadership of the State, the elected representatives in Parliament or the House of Assembly, as well as interested citizens, are able to check, at any time they feel like, whether or not the leadership decisions are being translated, efficiently and effectively, into realities that mirror closely the objectives.

The possibility to monitor government decisions that are in the process of being carried-out, provides, also, the necessary feedback information making it possible to institute corrective measures "on the go"; whenever the actual and the intended effects start to diverge significantly.

If it would ever be possible to realise these ideas, (which have been sketched, here, in broad outlines), we would see a degree of transparence in social events, as well as a measure of efficiency in government, which is unimaginable at the present time. Our trust and confidence, our sense of justice and well-being, would then be so much higher than it is today, that we have difficulties visualising, what it would be like to be free from corruption and bureaucratic bungling, and, to be informed and in touch with all the relevant realities.

Let us not discard such ideas as irrealistic. If we can, now, already monitor and calculate, by computer, everyone`s income taxes, deductions, rebates and returns, why should it be impossible to record, via the computer, a complete profile of our society? If we are, now, able to computerise enormously complex financial transactions and taxation measures, as well as business inventories and sales-trends, why should we despair at providing our leadership, as well as the entire nation, with a comprehensive picture of everything that is going on?

In the future, we will have a bureaucracy that is well-organised and fully backed by computerised information. The size of such a bureaucracy will only be a fraction of our present number of civil servants, and yet, their cohesive workmanship and overseeable transparence will be incomparably more effective and attractive than the bureaucratic systems of today.

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Chapter 6

Content

The need to remove existential anxieties.
An outline of the structure of future governments.
The four basic departments.

If we want to make drastic changes in our societies towards an efficient and transparent bureaucracy, we will have to remove the existential anxiety of the people who are working there, and, especially those, who will be dislocated and made redundant by sweeping reforms. Not only, will numerous government jobs be made superfluous, but profound changes in our lifestyle will also make many business enterprises redundant and unviable. The only way such changes can come about without creating hardship and injustice, is to guarantee every citizen a minimum standard of living.

If no-one will go hungry, or lack the essentials of life, regardless, whether or not one is able to find employment, people will be able to think about the need for these changes in a much more rational manner. Probably, most of us have already come to the conclusion, that we need drastic changes in the way we live and try to govern ourselves. However, most of us have only vague notions and fuzzy ideas, how to go about making these changes, and, our notions and ideas are easily proven wrong and have a habit of creating more problems than they solve. The changes we envisage can be realised without undue hardship, if we anticipate the problems associated with such changes, and, if we do not neglect the plight of the millions of people, who will lose their redundant jobs and are too old to be retrained for the drastically different and new social order that will take form in the near future.

Perhaps, we should outline, briefly, how we envisage the structure of such an efficient government bureaucracy. Obviously, the system has to be fundamentally simple, because the whole government structure has to be transparent enough to be grasped, conceptually, by a single individual. The members of the executive leadership and the legislative branches have to be able to grasp the essential functions of such a government structure in order to shape their ideas constructively and realistically. If their plans and ideas are not realistic, the effects of their decisions and actions will diverge widely from the results that were intended and foreseen.

Probably, we will only need four basic departments of government, which are linked by a computer network, but function more or less independently from each other. The national leadership would have few difficulties dealing with only four departments and the top-executive staff of each department would submit a weekly report to the leadership and the legislature, summarising all pertinent information, and outlining, clearly, the problems that require attention. Each member of the leadership should be able to digest these four weekly reports, and, they should be able to grasp the main issues that require attention.

These four departments would be, first of all, a department of financial and economic management, where the entire economical and financial structure, together with all economic and financial events taking place in society, would be available at the touch of a computer program. This department would oversee all the necessary measures to collect taxes, distribute incentives, finance the leadership functions and bureaucracies of the State, as well as oversee the rebates and tax-credits to individuals and business enterprises alike. Certainly, such a huge department would be sub-divided into numerous smaller departments, but the daily up-dates and weekly summarising reports should be available to the leadership, as well as every interested citizen, in a comprehensive and easily digestible form, designed to be understood by a single individual.

Secondly, there is a department of Social Services, where all the aspects of individual and collective human rights and obligations are monitored and administered, to ensure every citizen an essential equality of existence. This department would include all judicial functions of society, including the management and settlement of labour disputes. It would concern itself with the definition and administration of minimum acceptable living standards, rights of medical, legal and educational assistance, and, it will make sure, that the burdens of taxation and other contributions that are imposed, are fair and equitable. It will make sure, that every member of society will be provided with an essentially equal opportunity to make something of him- or herself, especially, during the formative years of adolescence.

A separate Department of Education is warrranted in my opinion, because the education and instruction of all citizens is so important to encourage the attitudes of social cohesion, mutual trust and a belief in the need for a world community. Above all, it is important to shape those constructive attitudes which will make a frugal, considerate and balanced society possible, as well as an optimum development of the individual human being. This department will oversee all scientific and technological work and will, also, supervise the construction of a global library of past experiences, in order to shape a comprehensive awareness of human history. It is important to decide, which technological developments to seek, and, what sort of scientific research programs to encourage. All these are gigantic tasks on which the viability of the human society rests, and they belong to the Department of Education which will also be split into numerous sub-divisions.

Finally, there should be an all-important department of social and ecological balance, to make sure, that we do not deplete our resources hastily or inadvertently, and, to make sure, that we maintain our natural heritage of the planet in as good a state as possible. This department will also be responsible to oversee the relationships of a specific society with many other social entities and conglomerates. The functions of such a watch-dog department are obvious and will become essential to maintain long-term individual, social and global viability.

Within such a framework of four departments, we should have all the ideological and technological facilities to form an effective administration and a competent leadership structure. The existence of similar governmental organisations in many different countries, societies or regions, will facilitate the eventual fusion of the societies of mankind into a federated, all-embracing structure of equitable global government.

Do not scorn these ideas as utopian dreams. If many of the multi-national corporations can computerise their information and organise their operations effectively, why not nations? Many multi-national giants have larger budgets and cash-flows than some of the smaller nations. What has made such developments a reality for the larger corporations, is their relatively easy and simple objective; "to make a profit". The goal-patterns of nations are, necessarily, far more complex, because they can not be centered around the simplistic goal of a financial profit, but they have to reflect the objective of human viability in all its aspects.

It should be possible to come to an agreement amongst ourselves about the way we want to live. Once we have formulated a clear-cut objective, the implementation of an efficient government machinery should be relatively easy. Once we have the communal will to organise ourselves efficiently and equitably, it can be done within a reasonably short period of time.

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Chapter 7

Content

Details of governmental structuring.
The question of the secret ballot
The right to express and know opinions.

The incoming and out-going channels of the central nervous system, but also, of every well-organised communications network, are running parallel and are intertwined with each other. They interconnect at many different levels of integration or complexity. Such a network is capable of handling and sorting the data upon which all the detailed instructions and directives of a response are based, and, living nature has discovered, a long time ago, that it is impossible to organise a complex community of cells into a viable unit, unless adequate channels of communication are available and functioning well.

The leadership and governing bodies of a society represent its brain and central nervous system, and, the same criteria that make a single, multi-cellular organism into a viable unit, operate in a society of human beings just as well. The better the brain, (and the organism as a whole), is informed about the realities of the moment, the better it is able to execute an appropriate repsonse, and, the same applies to the human society, regardless of its size and complexity.

An efficient, computerised system of gathering, classifying and displaying information and monitoring events, will make the proliferation of committees with their interminable discussions and non-conclusions, superfluous, and the leadership can grasp the situation without having to wait for voluminous reports and endless studies. We have to enshrine, eventually, a viable structure of government into a set of detailed Constitutional Guidelines in order to safeguard against hasty and ill-advised changes, but the system has to prove itself time and again, and, there should be a way to carry-out cautious and well thought-out reforms to the systems and structures of government, as well as its regulatory body of Constitutional Guidelines.

We have advocated, on previous occasions, a complete absence of secrecy at all levels of government, as well as in all events with a social significance. This brings us to the question, whether or not voting procedures by the people should be secret or open. At this time, every society that practices the election of a truly representative, democratic leadership and Legislative Assembly, assumes, without questioning, the wisdom and absolute right to have each member of society cast his or her ballot in secrecy. This practice evolved as a result of severe pressures upon people to vote one way or another, often, against their conscience or free will, and, the secret ballot was, and still is, a necessary safeguard to give the popular vote a chance to reflect the true and honest feelings and opinions of the people.

However, under the ideal social conditions we visualise to exist in the future, the rights and obligations of the individual have been enshrined, not only, in Constitutional Safeguards, but, they are also monitored continuously, and, any infraction against these rights would be noticed almost immediately. This means, that the common pressures to vote one way or another, would not exist, and, people would not have to fear the loss of a privilege or a job, depending on the way they voted in an election. This removes the main reason for secret balloting.

In the future, people should have a much greater awareness of the problems of their society, and, they will be much better informed about the decisions that have to be made. If their opinions can not be influenced, anymore, by narrow existential anxieties, then, each individual should be able to proclaim, openly and loudly, how he or she thinks about a certain issue or problem. Why, then, should it be kept a secret how an individual votes?

We have to consider the fact, that a vote is an act of social behaviour, and, it has, therefore, relevance for others. Just as people have the freedom and the right to express any opinion they want, people also have the responsibility to be honest and open in their interactions. Voting has a great significance for the social environment, and, we have the right, as a member of the public, to know someone`s opinions. We certainly have the right to know these opinions, if someone`s choice or decision has an input into the decision-making mechanisms of society, such as a vote in a referendum or a general election.

If we have the right to voice our opinions, so should we have the right to know the opinion of others. A secret vote would, or could, be a way to act and behave irresponsibly. There could be the temptation to act in a way we would not like to be known to our colleagues, friends or family, and, from this point of view, we have to conclude, that, eventually, voting will be completely open. Then, each member of society is responsible and informed enough to be able to justify, fully, the way he or she has voted.

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Chapter 8

Content

The role of political Parties and the Constitution.
Mechanisms for changing the Constitution.
The total openness of society and the absence of corruption.

We should consider, for a moment, the role and function of political Parties in a society, where the influence of government permeates all aspects and phases of our individual existence. We have mentioned, that it would be desirable to encode, in the form of Constitutional Guidelines, not only, the aspects of individual rights and obligations, but also, the broad directions into which a society is unfolding itself. In order to avoid quick changes that may lead to chaos and confusion, and, in order to avoid the resurgence of localo-centric or ego-centric attitudes, (whenever there is a break-down in communications between the various regions of a society), the structure of government, as well as the broad policies of a nation, have to be encoded in the Constitution.

However, we have to avoid complete rigidity, and, we have to provide, therefore, methods or procedures that allow a gradual change of any aspect of social life and organisation. These changes have to take place little by little, over a considerable period of time. We propose, tentatively, that a Constitutional change has to be debated for at least a year, and, it should have the support of a two-thirds majority of Parliament or the House of Assembly, as well as a unanimous recommendation from the leadership, before a change can be made in the Constitution itself. After the likely consequences of such a change have been thoroughly debated and researched, the matter should be submitted to a public referendum in order to ensure, that the public is fully aware of the proposed change and approves of it.

Within the context of such limitations for making changes in Constitutionally enshrined matters of structure and overall policy directives, there should be ample scope for the discussion and debate of varying degrees of emphasis, priorities and other changes of direction and attitudes, as long as they are within the scope of the Constitutional Guidelines. Political programs, therefore, would not be marred, anymore, by facile expectations of increased public spending, or, the promise of dramatic increases in wealth and living standards for everyone. An informed public, with instantaneous access to all sorts of information, would be too sophisticated to be fooled by such facile promises, because it can evaluate, soberly, and, it can calculate the costs and consequences of the proposed changes, or the promises that have been put forward by political Parties or candidates for public office.

It is reasonable, therefore, to expect the political Parties of the future to be more like a grouping of people, who agree about certain priorities and the importance of specific efforts, rather than radically opposed groups of people, who are trying to win popularity by irresponsible promises or superficial platitudes. It should not be possible for any particular political Party to promise special concessions or privileges to one group or another, since the granting, or, even, the promise of a special status, would be a violation of the principles of essential equality, and, therefore, they will have to be considered "unconstitutional". All political Parties or individual candidates would have an equal opportunity to be heard, after they have qualified by demonstrating the presence of a certain minimum level of public support.

Corruption would be virtually wiped out, since no secret dealings or hidden financial interests would be possible because of the total openness in society, and, the inalienable right to free expression of opinion would preclude the possibility for any one individual or group to interfere with the process of open debate. Any attempt by a group, including the ruling Party, to interfere with the freedom of expression of a citizen or group of citizens, would be a criminal offence, and, such an offense could easily be documented, because all inter-human transactions will be monitored.

We see the total openness of society as the most powerful guarantee against abuse, corruption and influence peddling. Without such a strictly enforced total disclosure and openness of all internal and external transactions in society, and, in particular, of government activities, the whole social structure would quickly diverge, once again, into classes of wealth or privilege, and, societies would fall apart, once more, in a process of growing mutual distrust.

The press, as well as all the other media that disseminate information, should be totally free from extraneous pressures to report and investigate, in complete freedom and with professional competence, all the aspects of a certain event, and, we will discuss, why monitoring the internal machinery of the press is the best possible way to guarantee high professional standards in its work.

Careful monitoring of the internal processes of the media will ensure, that no internal conspiracy or secret pressures from the outside will influence their activities, and, it will make sure, that no interests are favoured over others on the basis of specific connections or financial incentives. No individual or institution can stop the press from investigating or reporting any particular subject or event, but, if the press accuses falsely, or reports incompetently, the Courts are there for the injured party to seek justice and compensation.

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Chapter 9

Content

Functions of the news-media.
The quality of news-gathering and broad-casting.
Superficial sentiments and a commercial bias.
Comparing a news item with and without personal knowledge.
The importance of the mass-media in shaping and transmitting the cultural code.

We should have a good look at the processes of evaluation and judgement which play such an important role in the selection and presentation of information and events considered to be "news-worthy". We have to analyse the factors that determine, what we, the public, are being offered as information, knowledge and opinions, because the selection and manner of presentation are crucially important factors in shaping the attitudes of confidence and trust, or, whipping-up suspicion and outright cynicism.

At one time or another, most of us have experienced the fact, that we were personally acquainted with a topic or event, covered in a news-cast or news-paper article, and, frequently, we were horrified by the marked discrepancies between our own experiences and the account we read in the paper. Our interpretation was, often, significantly different, and, we felt, that the background was improperly presented, or, we felt, that the bias and emphasis of the story were wrong or unfair.

If we disagree with a story, we have to examine our own bias and prejudices as a possible cause for this disagreement, but, we should also ask ourselves, what the bias or intention was of the reporter. How much genuine effort has been spent trying to understand the situation, or, to what extent has an article been written with a facile readership and sensation-hungry editor in mind? We often wonder about the degree of care, understanding and thoroughness that went into an article or news-cast, and, we wonder about the competence and motivations of the professionals in the news-media, who are supposed to bring us truly informed opinions and well-balanced presentations of every important event.

We come to the startling conclusion, that, in all probability, we would feel the same degree of discrepancy with each and every news-item, if we would be personally familiar with a particular item in the news, and, this means, that we feel, rightly, a sense of unease and suspicion with the opinions and interpretations we have been given by the media. If we think about it, we are less inclined to accept, without questioning, everything we hear or are being told. Yet, we also know, that it would be completely impossible to obtain first-hand knowledge about every event or happening taking place in our social surroundings, and, a thorough reflection upon these matters should make us realise, also, that we are often totally unaware of the bias in our own interpretations. Such a realisation will help us to understand the difficulties faced by a professional journalist, and, we should be able to appreciate his efforts, if he really tries to do an excellent job.

We can not escape the conclusion, however, that most of our opinions are molded by a somewhat haphazard selection of news-worthy events. We are becoming more aware of the superficial and sensational interpretations that accompany the attention-grabbing headlines of many news-papers and news-casts, and, we may well ask ourselves, to what extent our own opinions and ideas have been influenced and distorted by such a deliberate bias towards sensationalism in the reporting of news.

Certainly, most professional reporters develop a measure of competence in the areas they are fmiliar with, but this happens at the cost of a remarkable degree of specialisation in news-reporting. Specialisation does not mean, however, that a reporter is well-informed about all the factors, or, that he is capable of evaluating every aspect in a broad perspective. Often, he will be severely handicapped by a lack of information, as well as the haphazard circumstances of his own existence because of his personal involvement in an area of turmoil. Then, there are the guidelines laid-down by his employer, which determine, by and large, how, and in what light, a report will be made public.

Yet, we, as a member of the public, we are seldom aware of all the factors that a professional reporter is subjected to, and, these factors are seldom discussed or included in a report or news-cast. As a result, the slant or bias, often, goes unnoticed.

An observer of the news-media can only sample or monitor a small segment of the news-casting business, but, even so, it becomes rapidly apparent to a keen observer, that the quality of news-reporting varies enormously. News articles range from highly objective, in-depth studies of a particular problem or issue, to the most incompetent, biased and superficial nonsense one can imagine, and yet, most of these articles are presented with all the pomp and hoopla of an important news report. Most people are totally unable to recognise the hollow bias and superficiality of incompetent reporting, and, the frequent play upon public sentiments may lead to dangerously high levels of prejudice, confusion and anxiety.

If a country or society allows a marked regional autonomy in the broad-casting of national and international events, we run the risk, that the interpretations become parochial and superficial, coloured by local interests, or, more commonly, by local "disinterests" or indifference about the issues involved. Regional news-papers and electronic media should concern themselves with an objective and competent treatment of local issues and newsworthy events, while the reporting of national and international events should be left to those institutions that are well-equipped and competent to do a satisfactory job in this field.

We are just beginning to realise the importance of the electronic media in shaping public attitudes, opinions and prejudices, and, we are maintaining a momentum of confused consumerism by the commercial pressures upon the mass-media. These economic interests make themselves felt throughout our affluent societies. They contribute to a biased and haphazard information of public opinion and an equally haphazard education of the public taste. It is difficult for anyone, who has been submersed for a long time in such a biased atmosphere, (or, who has grown-up with the penetrating commercials on radio and television), to see the situation from an outsiders point of view.

Unfortunately, few of the young people growing-up in the affluent societies of today, are able to appreciate the degree to which their minds have become saturated with the superficiality of commercial life and the perniciously chaotic atmosphere that is created by unrelenting appeals to the gratification of all sorts of egocentric desires.

It is possible, that the not so affluent nations are less absorbed by the mechanisms of commercial success and the glorification of profit margins. These societies may have recognised, to some extent, the degree to which a nation, an individual, or a society, can be infested with the decadent atmosphere of unrestricted pleasure-seeking. It is likely, that this is one of the main reasons for their desire to limit cultural contacts with the affluent nations, because they know the temptation of a hedonistic lifestyle.

There must be a sense of sadness for the intelligent leaders of less consumerist oriented societies, to see the self-immolating forces of corruption and insatiable egocentric demands at work around them, but their prediction and anticipation that these gluttonous societies of affluence will destroy themselves, must be tempered with a certain apprehension and foreboding about the likelyhood that these same developments may take place in their own societies.

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Chapter 10

Content

Detrimental influences of commercial pressures and interests upon the quality and content of broad-casting.
Suggestions for a restructuring of the news- and broad-casting media along judicial lines, with precise Constitutional Guidelines and Safeguards.

Whatever the course of history may be for the affluent nations, let us analyse, for a moment, how the selection and preparation for publication takes place of the news-items we absorb, every day, as gospel-truths of information. The gathering and dissemination of information has become a wide-ranging and important profession, attracting many people who are interested in public affairs, and, we see, how the young professional has been taught a variety of philosophical concepts and ideals about the role of the journalist in society. By and large, he has been told, at a college or a university, how important objective and well-researched reporting is, but, in the practice of making a living, we see, how quickly, such idealism is tempered by the contradictory requirements of producing "interesting copy".

After all, the working journalist has been employed by a commercial enterprise, and, he has financial obligations to meet. He learns, quickly, what his editors want him to say, and, what kind of reporting is rewarded, financially. He learns, which topics or people have to be left alone, and, which can be pursued without the fear for reprimands or reprisals. He learns, what the public wants to hear, and, he will select, subconsciously, those commonly accepted subjects, issues or ethnic groupings, which have become preferred targets for scorn, sarcasm or ridicule. In short, journalism and broad-casting become functions with a commercial interest, like any other segment of the free-enterprise society, where people have to engage in the serious business of making a living by making a profit. It is logical, therefore, that their outlook and activities are guided by existential interests.

Within the guidelines of commercial needs and possibilities, we see many degrees of competence, fairness and objectivity at work, but the entire field of free-enterprise journalism should arise a degree of suspicion for the product we are asked to consume, because we do not know to what extent the product has been influenced by commercial needs. As always, free-enterprise brings out the primary instincts of self-preservation, which are, often, cloaked in mediocre conformism, but, occasionally, we see an exceptional and courageous individual, who dares to risk hardship and criticism by doggedly adhering to reporting the truth as he sees it, and, who spares no effort to bring a truly informed, deeply satisfying and illuminating account of what has been happening. Then, reporting becomes an art because of its integrity and devotion to perfection.

Yet, these occasional high-lights of personal integrity and competence are insufficient to blot-out the overall effects of mediocre consumerism, which permeates the affluent societies, their news-media and all other professions. As a matter of fact, it is doubtful, whether the small core of true professionals would be able to make any changes in the overall results. Their number is too small, their influence too little, and, as a group or individual, they are too vulnerable to the giantic pressures of commercial interests.

Unfortunately, (for the commercial interests), we can not afford any longer to condone the haphazard quality of news-selecting and news-reporting, in order to give a few, gifted individuals a free reign to produce good work. The whole process of gathering balanced information, selecting unbiased, news-worthy events, and providing highly competent and objective background information, will have to become the subject of informed public concern, and, it will have to find its way into considered and competent legislation.

We can not allow, any longer, chance-connections between the news-media and the people in societies all over the world, to be important criteria in the selection of a news-worthy item. We can not allow local pressure-groups or the enthousiasm of a few people to be criteria for the selection of the news, neither can we afford the superficial philosophy of a public-conscious management of the news-media to select "good news" at their discretion. Too often, these superficial news entries are total non-events; news items created out of nothing, purely on the basis of satisfying the emotional expectations of a tired and disillusioned public.

Too often, the criteria for broad-casting a certain development in an area of human endeavour, are entirely haphazard, depending on chance-contacts and personal interests. In addition, they are usually designed for "easy consumption". Very rarly, is the complex background of a news-item adequately illuminated, and, rarely, are the issues treated in an objective and balanced manner. The editors always fear that too much information, or, too balanced an approach, will take the excitement out of an event or a report, and, for the sake of easy consumption, quality and genuine information are often sacrificed.

The emphasis on easy consumption or digestion underestimates the public`s ability to absorb information, and yet, such an approach is encouraged by the commercial interests, whenever they are allowed to dominate the field of broad-casting. The arbitrariness of singling out a specific scientific or artistic development is another source of bias. We should know, or, we should be able to find out, why a certain aspect of research and development, or, why a certain artistic event, or personality, was placed in the lime-light.

It is not sufficient to dismiss ruffled feelings on account of an arbitrary choice, as "unwarranted sensitivity", because the consequences for the individual, or a group, may be quite significant, if they have been given public exposure. Equal opportunity to public exposure is essential, and the selection processes have to be seen as fair and competent, if a sense of frustration is to be avoided. Here, we see a clear parallel between the functions of the mass-media and the judiciary, where the aspect of equal treatment is also of the utmost importance.

Even, those of us, who are totally unfamiliar with a particular event, be it scientific, artistic or political, or, who are unfamiliar with any of the personalities involved, we still want to know the reasons, why such an event or individual was selected for public exposure, and, we are especially concerned with the possibility of secret deals, the selling of influence, or, the power of money to buy publicity.

A free and competent, impartial press, means, just that; a press, that is free. The press, in whatever form we may think of it, is an enormously powerful tool to form public opinion and attitudes. It has to be free from any commercial bias. It has to be free to select and present items and events for purely professional reasons or judgements, based on a sense of responsibility to the public. We do not need a press or a broad-casting system that is forced to eke-out an existence in an economic jungle, selling its influence, or power of public exposure, to the highest bidder.

At the present time, large areas of the affluent world have a broad-casting system and press, which are completely dominated by commercial interests, and, the results are clearly visible, not only, in the bias and selection of news-items and entertainment programs, but, more importantly, in the superficial attitudes and mind-numbing consumerism of the people they reach. These media reach millions upon millions of people, and, most of these people are influenced by what they see, hear or read. They are influenced to a degree that goes far beyond a conscious awareness of the influence of these media on their attitudes and opinions. Even people who work in the media, are barely aware of the all-pervasive influence of the commercial interests, because we have all been exposed to a continuous stream of advertisements, and, we consider it "normal", that a program is sponsored by a commercial interest. We all accept the doctrine that a broad-cast item is a commodity to be sold for as much money as we can get.

The time has come to wipe our television screens clear from advertising and to use these media in a national and international effort to inform objectively. We need unbiased and competent information in order to build-up mutual understanding; to foster attitudes of mutual respect, and to generate a clear awareness for the situation of dwindling natural resources and the stress we place upon our terrestial eco-systems. These problems have been aggravated by a prolonged period of power of the large commercial interests over the mass-media. We can not tolerate, any longer, the mind-numbing and overwhelming dominance of the business interests over these essential channels of communication, information and education.

If we leave the electronic media and the press in the hands of free-enterprise, they will, inevitably, behave as a business, and, we know, now, that their existential needs are incompatible with their primary function to shape and transmit the cultural code of a social environment. After all, this is the essential function of the mass-media; to provide the people with fair, balanced and honest information. It should not be the primary objective of the mass-media to survive as an independent, commercial entity.

By leaving the press and the media as a free and vulnerable enterprise, they will sell the public what it wants to hear, and, most of all, they will broad-cast, whatever the commercial needs of their sponsors make them broad-cast. By allowing the commercial interests of society to manipulate public opinion via the monopoly of the public communications media, the culture of a society falls victim to a narrow range of specific, egocentrically oriented interests.

We still do not realise, fully, how important the mass-media are, and, we are barely aware of the dangers, when we allow a small, but powerful segment of society to dominate and monopolise these mass-communications. We are ambivalent about giving our government complete control over the media, because we are not sure we can control our governments anymore than we can control the corporate sector.

"If we allow our media to come under government control", you will ask, "how can they function independenly in their task to scrutinise and report all socially relevant events, including the mistakes and short-comings of the leadership and the government bureaucracies? If we bring the media under the control of the government bureaucracy, (which is already happening to some extent), how are we going to prevent the same stifling bureaucratic attitudes from dominating the media? How are we going to prevent the leadership from imposing controls and censorship, whenever these media are investigating or reporting events that are acutely embarrassing to the government and its bureaucratic institutions?"

"Besides, what right does a government have to interfere with the free-enterprise processes, and, what right does it have to use the media as an arm of government? Why should we allow ourselves to be guided, goaded or cajoled by a government-controled press, and, why do we, the public, not have a right to hear and see, whatever we want to hear and see? What is wrong with a broad-casting system that caters to the public taste, rather than a system that is high-handed and somewhat authoritarian in its educational approach?"

First of all, a free and independent system of broad-casting that can direct its attention purely to matters of public concern and is guided by a specific set of guidelines for competence and fairness, (prohibiting at all costs the scourge of government propaganda), is mirrored in the analogous system of the judiciary, where we see a system, that is remarkably autonomous and almost completely free from government intervention. The judiciary has guidelines that are clearly delineated, Constitutionally, and, stringent safeguards for professional standards of conduct seem to ensure a fair degree of justice for all, even, if such justice is often quite expensive.

The modern judicial system employs salaried judges, who are allowed, in freedom of conscience, and, on the basis of professional standards, to weigh the evidence before them. This has led, by and large, to an equitable system of justice, in spite of the fact, that legal representation depends, frequently, on the services of a lawyer in private practice. The expense of high-quality legal representation, leads, inevitably, to the possibility, that a judgement is tipped in favour of the large bank-account.

There is no reason, why public broad-casting and communications media could not be equally independent from government intervention, if the people employed in the communications media are highly qualified and competent individuals, salaried by the tax-payers of the country in order to function for the public interest.

If the media are free from commercial pressures, the standards of professionalism and ethical conduct can be applied far more stringently, and, the benefits to society would be enormous. The people in society would have a far healthier outlook and attitude, when they are not pressured, constantly, to think about their own egocentric wants and needs. There would be less frustration and cynicism, if people are not constantly reminded about the luxuries they can have, or the emotional demands they should satisfy. Without the pressures of commercial interests, we could, again, satisfy a set of basic needs, and, then, we can move-on to think about the needs of others in the rest of the world.

By enshrining the rights and freedoms to investigate and report everything and anything, without fear for reprisal, the press could be as free and as professional as the judiciary, and, we all would be the better for it. By encoding the standard of conduct of the press and the broad-casting media in a Constitutional Bill of Rights and Obligations, no leadership could hope to muzzle the press for the sake of covering-up its own inequities or ineptitudes, and, we have outlined, before, how universal accessibility to all kinds of information, (which is going to be available in a globally integrated network of computers), can, and will, lead the way to a very high level of awareness and education, all over the world, and, this promotes, in turn, an attitude of mutual respect and understanding.

We can not hope to inaugurate such changes in public attitudes, nor, can we hope to inform the public about the scope and magnitude of the changes that have to take place, without wresting those media free from the commercial strangle-hold they are under in our Western societies. Unfortunately, the strangle-hold of the business interests over the media seems to be on the increase, rather than on the decrease, and, even in Europe, where the commercial infiltration of the media was less apparent than on the North-American continent, until a short while ago, there seems to be a growing influence and power of these commercial interests.

Probably, this development relates to increasing anxieties over, and dependence upon, economic growth and prosperity. As we have prospered into opulence over the past few decades, so have we become increasingly enslaved by our material wants and needs. The practice of credit-buying has trapped nearly everyone in a quick-sand of slippery affluence, which may rapidly disappear and evaporate into a distressing nothingness, if the constant flow of money is not maintained.

These factors play a role in Europe as well, but they find their culmination, here, on the North-American continent, where anyone listening to the radio or watching a television program, can not escape for more than ten to fifteen minutes, a blatantly commercial advertisement. We can never escape a commercial bias in the quality, selection and perspective of the news-gathering and broad-casting activities of the media.

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Summary.

1. A review of the genetic and cultural codes.
   The importance of a rational and balanced behavioural choice.
   Changes in the regulatory mechanisms during the transition from small-scale to large-scale social integration.
   Natural leadership in a small group.
   Requirements and functions of large-scale social leadership.
   Cultural mechanisms in leadership functions.
   Analogies with the central nervous system.
   
   
   
2. A review of evolutionary trends in organic existence.
   Flexibility of behaviour.
   Learning, awareness and concept formation.
   Regulatory mechanisms.
   
   
   
3. Balanced behaviour, seen as a super-imposition on instinctive and emotional reaction-patterns.
   Collective emotional synchrony and the emergence of natural leadership.
   Overwhelming complexity of the larger societies and their bureaucratic channels.
   The tendency towards inertia and corruption.
   
   
   
4. Mechanisms of corruption.
   Transparence and computer technology for solving the problems of inertia and corruption.
   Inefficiency and corruption.
   Various ways to elect a social leadership.
   Idealism and existential realities.
   
   
   
5. The need for change.
   Leadership and elected representatives.
   Complete, rapid and balanced information.
   The essential need for transparence in all social functions and events.
   The ability to monitor events through computerised channels for the gathering and dissemination of information.
   
   
   
6. The need to remove existential anxieties.
   An outline of the structure of future governments.
   The four basic departments.
   
   
   
7. Details of governmental structuring.
   The question of the secret ballot.
   The right to express and know opinions.
   
   
   
8. The role of political Parties and the Constitution.
   Mechanisms for changing the Constitution.
   The total openness of society and the absence of corruption.
   
   
   
9. Functions of the news-media.
   The quality of news-gathering and broad-casting.
   Superficial sentiments and a commercial bias.
   Comparing a news item with and without personal knowledge.
   The importance of the mass-media in shaping and transmitting the cultural code.
   
   
   
10. Detrimental influences of commercial pressures and interests upon the quality and content of broad-casting.
    Suggestions for a restructuring of the news- and broad-casting media along judicial lines, with precise Constitutional Guidelines and Safeguards.

    
    
    
    .......