The New Bright Age Civilization

The planetary crisis cannot be solved within the current system.

However, humanity can within our lifetimes create a new civilization which will not only solve these chronic problems but achieve quality of life better than we can imagine. This is a quality of life rooted in communal freedom, sufficiency, and psychological flourishing, not in domination, the multiplication of desires, and the acquisition of things. We have all the technical and social conditions to begin the transition to the Bright Age civilization today.

This is the great mission of our times, to stand tall and bellow into the galaxy “We are the Human Race! Alone together we forge our destiny!”

This new civilization is democratic, socialist, ecological, and planetary; a civilization beyond capitalism and statism.

Capitalism is the rule of society by capital, the circulation of wealth as commodities for growing money profit. Statism is the rule of society by the state, the bureaucratic administration of social life by a professionalized hierarchy. Both processes reproduce and expand themselves automatically, blind to human and ecological needs and immune to popular control. Socialism and democracy transcend capitalism and statism, establishing the self-government of civil society.

Democracy is the governance of society by the common people.

There are no professional politicians and office holders are overwhelmingly selected by lottery. There is widespread discussion and negotiation at all levels where people learn to see their particular situation in the context of the whole.

The state is replaced by the coordination of civil society, voluntary associations ruled by persuasion, according to the principle of subsidiarity. Coercive political functions are minimised. Authoritarian religions are left behind.

Every resident is an equal citizen, with no castes of race, sex, sexuality, or age. All citizens are educated from birth to death, trained to be empathic and critical thinkers ready to make their independent contribution.

Socialism is the equal access to the means of flourishing.

This includes physiological subsistence, social inclusion, psychologically productive work, and a healthy environment for children to develop.

Production, distribution, and consumption are consciously directed toward need and organised via cybernetic coordination as nested viable systems. Social data is transparent to all citizens.

People work because of intrinsic motivation. There are no classes defined by exploitation or the corporate division of labour. There is no private ownership, only social stewardship and personal possessions.

Ecological regeneration is the respect of biophysical limits and the other species with whom we share this planet.

In an eco-regenerative society, humans aim not only for sustainability but to actively replenish the biosphere. We use our human superpowers of cooperation to steward the planet.

Through scientific and democratic processes we establish ecological boundaries at all scales and organise social life within those constraints. Humans, technology, and first nature, live symbiotically.

We heal the damage to Earth and design our lifeways so that in turn we are nourished by the organic world. We treat other animals as extended family and not objects to exploit.

Planetary civilization is the formation of a global civic community where all humans are Earth citizens.

We share our burdens and the Earth’s gifts through a planetwide democracy, coordinating problems at the scale required. The rich territories help the poor ones until there is regional balance.

Nation states are replaced with autonomous democratic territories cooperating as equals, demilitarizing the human species and mediating conflict through dialogue.

The movement of people is coordinated by conversation not barbed wire. All languages and customs are allowed to flourish peacefully.