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Class Structure
There is only one economic class in mite society.
No mite can sink to one lower.
No mite can sink to one lower.
Humans could agree to that. But they saw nothing wrong with one
caste living on the backs of another. Any society large enough to be
stratified by class had its share of takers and deprived.
Futurists of the late second millennium envisioned a caste system built right into the breeding of humans — the “alphas” bred for one role and the “betas” for another. [1] Members of each group would proclaim how proud they are of their rank: “I’m so glad to be a beta.” The clone project demonstrates how close that dystopian vision came to reality, with citizens genetically engineered to be soldiers and menial workers.
There is only one economic class in mite society. No mite can establish a beachhead of a new wealthy class nor sink to one lower — by law.
The colony’s standard accommodations are free of charge and more than adequate. The food, housing, health care, tools, utensils, childcare, transportation, vacations, hiking expeditions, education, clubs, pools, and more are free. The food buffets and halls are excellent; humans would liken those to dining on a cruise ship. A student can devote years to getting a degree without spending a cent. No one can sink to a lower economic class when the living accommodations are free.
Hoarding and conspicuous consumption are viewed as a kind of sickness. One can accumulate cash and spend it on things above the standard accommodations, but their motives are suspect beyond a point.
It would be possible to abuse this easy life by becoming lazy. One could enjoy the accommodations, watch the shows, socialize, and do little else. But among mites, laziness is also viewed as a sickness. One cannot have the intellect and curiosity of a mite without being drawn deeply into the world of science and culture. A mite's purpose is to "learn, grow, explore, and build." Anything less would be unimaginably dull.
John Lennon asks us to imagine [2] a world without possessions. He adds: "I wonder if you can." So, how does that work for mites? The short answer is: (1) Individuals are allowed a private living space and a keep or clutch defined as a collection of objects under personal control. But (2) any mite who admires a consumer item in someone else's clutch can have a copy for free. The full answer is more complicated, because it has to consider intellectual property, ownership of original art, and capitalism. Individuals are allowed to accumulate cash and valuables, but not to the point of creating a new economic class. Most mites do fine with zero in the bank.
As for being bred to be an alpha or beta, all mites are born with an equal shot at becoming the greatest who ever lived and will find their individual paths to that end, free from want. There are no targeted aptitudes — every mite is a potential writer, scientist, poet, artist, chef, and leader.
"Every mite" includes women. The story continues here.
_________________________
[1] Aldous Huxley, Brave New World (New York: Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc., 1932).
[2] Lennon, John. "Imagine." Genius. Accessed June 5, 2017. https://genius.com/John-lennon-imagine-lyrics.
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Futurists of the late second millennium envisioned a caste system built right into the breeding of humans — the “alphas” bred for one role and the “betas” for another. [1] Members of each group would proclaim how proud they are of their rank: “I’m so glad to be a beta.” The clone project demonstrates how close that dystopian vision came to reality, with citizens genetically engineered to be soldiers and menial workers.
There is only one economic class in mite society. No mite can establish a beachhead of a new wealthy class nor sink to one lower — by law.
The colony’s standard accommodations are free of charge and more than adequate. The food, housing, health care, tools, utensils, childcare, transportation, vacations, hiking expeditions, education, clubs, pools, and more are free. The food buffets and halls are excellent; humans would liken those to dining on a cruise ship. A student can devote years to getting a degree without spending a cent. No one can sink to a lower economic class when the living accommodations are free.
Hoarding and conspicuous consumption are viewed as a kind of sickness. One can accumulate cash and spend it on things above the standard accommodations, but their motives are suspect beyond a point.
It would be possible to abuse this easy life by becoming lazy. One could enjoy the accommodations, watch the shows, socialize, and do little else. But among mites, laziness is also viewed as a sickness. One cannot have the intellect and curiosity of a mite without being drawn deeply into the world of science and culture. A mite's purpose is to "learn, grow, explore, and build." Anything less would be unimaginably dull.
John Lennon asks us to imagine [2] a world without possessions. He adds: "I wonder if you can." So, how does that work for mites? The short answer is: (1) Individuals are allowed a private living space and a keep or clutch defined as a collection of objects under personal control. But (2) any mite who admires a consumer item in someone else's clutch can have a copy for free. The full answer is more complicated, because it has to consider intellectual property, ownership of original art, and capitalism. Individuals are allowed to accumulate cash and valuables, but not to the point of creating a new economic class. Most mites do fine with zero in the bank.
As for being bred to be an alpha or beta, all mites are born with an equal shot at becoming the greatest who ever lived and will find their individual paths to that end, free from want. There are no targeted aptitudes — every mite is a potential writer, scientist, poet, artist, chef, and leader.
"Every mite" includes women. The story continues here.
_________________________
[1] Aldous Huxley, Brave New World (New York: Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc., 1932).
[2] Lennon, John. "Imagine." Genius. Accessed June 5, 2017. https://genius.com/John-lennon-imagine-lyrics.
Home | Creation Story | Warriors | Honesty | Limits | Class | Gender | Religion | Sexuality | Countries | Stewardship | Author | Contact
Copyright (c) 2024 by Don Knight
It's better to be a thief
than the thief's victim,
but thievery is wrong.
than the thief's victim,
but thievery is wrong.
Privilege is not a game. To the loser, it's cruelty.
Food buffets and nearly everything else are free.