Ask Lemmy

In an absolutely wild, impossible world, my ideal society would be one where any politician or media individual instantly dies if they knowingly lie about something impactful, or make someone lie on their behalf. (You can lie about a "does this dress make me look fat" kind of thing lol)

There would be no deciding what the truth is by some individual (an opening for manipulation) it would just be an automatic instant thing, like how an object responds to a gravitational field. You let go of something, it just falls. You have power and you lie, you just die.

We could improve society so fucking much if we weren't constantly bombarded and manipulated by propaganda and wealthy/greedy individuals and were actually all operating off the same understanding of "reality."

Basically democratic socialism but with a few rules:

1. No billionaires. After 500 million, it's taxed at 100%
2. No Corporations. Private business ownership only. No Shareholders or Hedge Funds. Basically no wall street.
3. Lobbying on behalf of an industry is banned.
4. No party "whips" that exist to make a representative vote the party line even if they're personally disagree with the party on that particular issue. Representatives need to truly represent their constituents, not their party. In fact, fuck the entire concept of "party politics". Ditch it.
5. By law, a representative has to have actually lived in their riding for 5 years or more.
6. Representatives are required to spend at least 80% of their time in their constituency, in their office. It's a 9-5 job. No more of this showing up to vote bullshit and then fucking off to Mexico. You serve your constituents, and your job is to be in your office to listen to them tell you what they want 5 days a week, 8 hours a day. Otherwise, what do they pay you for?
7. With the exception of meeting twice a year in person, most bills in congress/parliament are able to be done completely virtually. The representative studies the issue, consults with his constituents and votes accordingly. They do so without any input from their so-called peers. The only input they are allowed is from their constituents and legitimate experts in whatever field they are looking into.
8. Representatives have a strict two term limit and an age limit.
9. At any point, your constituents (and ONLY your constituents) can trigger a recall election due to no-confidence.
10. You're a "servant of the people"; not the other way around. You get a working man's salary; enough to live and a small dispensation for travel expenses, office staff, etc... But using your position to enrich your own personal wealth is grounds for an immediate arrest.

I'm not sure I have a fleshed out idea of what would be my own perfect society, but I can tell you it would certainly involve zero pedophiles and mass murders in positions of power.

Does it have to be practically feasible or am I allowed to hallucinate wildly about how individuals and groups of people behave?

For practically feasible: I live in a Scandinavian country, we have it quite good by most conparisons. If I had to move I'd probably give Switzerland a try.

I really like the anarchist societies dreamed up by Ursula LeGuinn. Anarres. The Kesh. Implementation does require a significant change of attitude, though.

Maybe similar usa today but with laws against advertising and marketing and political donations. No religious marketing and no money could be used for religion.

Taxed wealthy people...

And some way to not make business out of war and drugs.

Also no "entertainment" as in no art, movies, or videogame created for money... Just art for expression as a sacred release instead of as a way to make money.

Basically reduce drive for money so creation and life becomes authentic again.

Something like the world in A Psalm for the Wild Built and A Prayer for the Crown Shy (Monk and Robot series) by Becky Chambers.

Half the world is left to nature, the other half is used by people in various self-sufficient villages. Walking off the path is strongly discouraged. Beaches are similarly something to be appreciated from afar.

*They all almost died because they were close to completely destroying their planet with unchecked industrialism. This society is after that, having learned from their previous mistakes. They know there must be a balance. It's a reflection on what's happening right now.

Low freedom, low wealth disparity, high investment into social goods. I would prefer we expect people to behave and remove them if they can't/refuse, personally.