The Standards of LIFE
Peace in posterity
How simple changes we can make today will lead to sustainable prosperity.
While there are lots of changes we need to make, the Standards of LIFE focuses on important structural changes that will actually get us to a sustainable, peaceful future.
The Standards of LIFE is a plan for change that can be implemented everywhere in the world, in any culture and at any level – from the community to a continent.
The three fundamental changes proposed in the Standards of LIFE are:
- a new democratic system that respects differences, engenders responsibility and provides accountability
- a practical legal framework that provides the freedom necessary for change
- a holistic human support system that allows a vibrant and sustainable economy
If we are to avoid the worst outcomes from planetary degredation and the resulting breakdown of our social fabric, we have to move NOW to change some basic and fundamental structures that are at the foundation of our societies[1] . The changes proposed in the Standards of LIFE are not based on any religion or political opinion, there are just basic, practical steps that create freedom and opportunity that is sustainable and achievable for everyone.
Working from a set of guiding principles, the Standards of LIFE introduces
- a new democracy, because quality decision making is at the root of all solutions
- Freedom that engenders change, because it allows us to trust one another, and it is a foundation stone on which the Standards of LIFE are built. Without the freedom we will not have the trust, and without the trust we will not be able to leverage the systems we need.
- a material infrastructure that enables a vibrant and sustainable economy within a unified, cooperative society where creativity and hard work are rewarded.
The Standards of LIFE addresses the necessary precursors and the natural outcomes of implementing these three changes.
What we are saying is that, if you believe that we are headed in the wrong direction, then we need to change:
- the way we elect our political representatives
- our respect for individual freedom
- the way that we support each other
By implementing these three basic changes we will fundamentally change the landscape of our societies, and that will result in sustainable peace and prosperity, in posterity.
The first two questions that arise are:
What does a new, modern democratic system look like?
How can we afford to support each other?
The Standards of LIFE addresses the former question in its detailed presentation of the mechanisms of a multilayered, proportionally representative electoral system, and the latter question through a reformation of the tax system to support the stated objective of mutual human security.
The impact that these changes will have on the mechanisms of wealth creation and inter-social relationships are addressed in the review of Micro Economics and Enterprise. The positive impact that these changes will have in inter-social relationships are addressed throughout the Standards of LIFE, and also specifically addressed in the sections about External Relationships and Migration.
Respect for, and care of, the planet’s resources are at the heart of the Standards of LIFE and provide the genesis and underpinning of many of the specific policies related to the management of the economy and the material infrastructure of society in general. From the implementation of carbon and waste taxes to the widespread adoption of mass transit to the emphasis on the development of an information infrastructure, the Standards of LIFE presents a comprehensive strategy for enabling humanity to occupy the planet Earth sustainably, in posterity.
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. – Albert Einstein
This wiki doesn’t tell you how to be or what to believe in. What it does do is show you how easily you can make the world more like a place you want to live your life in. It cuts through the jargon and the seemingly endless list of reasons why it can’t be better and shows you exactly how you can make it better. It shows how there’s a simple logic that goes all the way from you, to the top of the world and it’s not complicated, it’s common sense.
You can change the world you live in for the better.
To find out how you can use this wiki to add your ideas and discuss the Standards of LIFE check out our guide to using the LIFE wiki.
^ Detailed review of our predicament by Gus Speth at The 10th Annual John H. Chafee Memorial Lecture National, January 21, 2010.
Standards of LIFE 