What makes a Fair Society?

[Borachio]

If you've any ideas on this, and could write an up to 800 word essay on the subject, The Society for Curious Ideas would like to hear from you*. So would I?

You could practice your essay ideas here. The minimum essay length is one word. Now, that's what I call a challenge.

*and you might make $$$$!!! (Actually, I don't think you will, but you never know.)

 

[timtofly]

Jousting

 

[Takhisis]

[subscriptionpost]Fair People, as Hitler wanted.[/subscriptionpost]

 

[Kyriakos]

^Sufficient distance from literal or metaphorical Suns

 

[Synobun]

The right to do whatever you want without negative consequences unless you so happen to do whatever you want on a piece of land that someone else has arbitrarily claimed and possesses the physical strength necessary to prove that to you. Might makes right. That's fair.

I guess Jesus could have a place in there, somewhere...

 

[Tee Kay]

Website looks dodgy as hell

 

[Borachio]

Does it? Why's that?

I've never heard of them before, myself. So I know nothing about it. I stumbled on it while researching something on Satish Kumar.

 

[Borachio]

What makes the world a fair place?

Is it the fact that everyone, rich and poor, old and young, must die?

And in the face of this enormity what difference does it make when and how they do so?

Also, in this fair and wondrous world, every individual comes with exactly one heart. A heart, moreover, that is worth the entire world.

Or something.

Or don't you agree?

Or is this unbelievably twee?

 

[Kyriakos]

^Hearts are important, but not for the mundane reason (blood circulation) <they> teach you about in their false-books. Ancient documents of wisdom specifically note that upon one's death the heart morphs into a flying polypodal and etherial entity, just in a nearby dimension so the ignorant merely see the same rotting goo.

 

[Tahuti]

Playing ones part in forming the trascendental order, which is above any human variables.

 

[Hygro]

Jousting

I snorted in real life reading this.

 

[Farm Boy]

What makes the world a fair place?

Is it the fact that everyone, rich and poor, old and young, must die?

And in the face of this enormity what difference does it make when and how they do so?

Also, in this fair and wondrous world, every individual comes with exactly one heart. A heart, moreover, that is worth the entire world.

Or something.

Or don't you agree?

Or is this unbelievably twee?

It beats "lack of sun." Which is what I was coming up with.

And you taught me a word today! Now I have this image of you owning a poodle who wears a vest to match your beanie when you take it out for walks.

 

[warpus]

A fair society to me is one with a good enough social safety net, should you lose your job or get injured or whatever. If society can't help you get back on your feet during a tragedy and/or if there isn't good social mobility, then I'd say society isn't really fair.

An unfair society to me is one that gives too many advantages to members of society who happen to be of a certain religion, ethnic background, or social class, or a number of other qualifiers. The legal system being equally accessible and fair to all is vital here, no matter how much money you might have or what colour your skin might be.

 

[Gori the Grey]

The legal system being equally accessible and fair to all is vital here, no matter how much money you might have or what colour your skin might be.

I.e too fair a society is generally an unfair society.

Hey, would that qualify as a JollyRogerism?

 

[Kyriakos]

The legal system being equally accessible and fair to all is vital here, no matter how much money you might have

which has never happened in history Even in the Peloponnesian war era there was a nice proverb about how the larger animals break through the web of the spider (the law), while the smaller ones are stuck there for good.

 

[Gori the Grey]

Now, society generally keeps itself fair through the use of parasols.

 

[Phrossack]

It should be small enough that each member's voice gets heard and each member is valuable to it. Important decisions are made by a vote of everyone who wants to vote after a discussion involving everyone who wants to participate, preferably everyone. There are few if any official leaders; generally, a few respected members of society influence it by example and persuasion, and take the initiative most of the time in putting things to vote. All money and capital are communally owned; inequality is the surest way to split a society. There are a handful of just and simple laws, rigorously enforced; everything else is managed by custom and social pressure. If you don't like your particular society, you can easily leave for another society that matches your wants.

This can only work on a very small scale, but that's not a dismissal of its effectiveness.

 

[Borachio]

^Anarcho-syndicalist.

 

[Phrossack]

^Anarcho-syndicalist.

I dunno squat about them, save that they collect filth, lack a king, and live near an uninhabited castle.

 

[Borachio]

I thought you gave a perfect description of one.