The Final Solution: Utopia

woodcut for 1516 edition of Sir Thomas More's Utopia

What about utopia, by definition that which cannot be? Erewhon, Samuel Butler's novel is with the exception of two letters, "nowhere" reversed. What about an incredibly affluent society gifted with abundant wealth? And what about the idea that those who were capable of exploiting it also had large consciences that accompanied their oversized brains? If you envision them, they might look at little like Spock in Star Trek, being robotic yet empathic at the same time. In this world the enjoyment of progress would not be achieved on the back of the underdog. Those who didn’t share the ambition of “the promotors” would never be penalized. Ample vacation time, maternity leave and good pay for all jobs would be the norm. Free healthcare would be considered a right. Of course, clean air and the environment would be on everyone’s agenda. After all, she’s called mother earth. Sending hydrocarbons is no way to treat mom. And what about elections, demonstrations and protest? Yes, to fair elections with demonstrators and protestors looked at as as guides rather than nuisances. And what about the troublemakers and anarchists whose sole object is to disrupt and for whom the phoenix only rises from the ashes? They actually would turn out to be the most enviable sector of the populace, having been sent off to funny farms where they'd be plied with euphoria inducing drugs.