Great quote from Judith L. (On why biomass is lost along the food chain): "Birds can't get their teeth into the products of respiration. What they can get their teeth into is caterpillar flesh."
As soon as she said this, I visualised it (I have a very vivid, or overactive imagination). And that meant I was the first person to exclaim, "Birds?! Teeth?!"
And she calls herself a biology teacher!
Found the survivor challenge at the weekend, and the sceond immunity challenge inspired me to write this. I'll put it in my scribble site as well (link below).
If I ruled the world
I started thinking about families. In a good family, everyone helps each other. Everyone is accepted with unconditional love. Maybe some of their beliefs or practices are frowned upon, but that doesn’t stop the love. The family looks after its own. No-one is hungry or homeless, and the elderly members don’t even usually have to do their shopping themselves. If there’s a job that needs doing, and a family member can fix it for another, then they will do, free of charge. They will be thanked, maybe treated to dinner, but they will not ask for payment. If a member is short of money and another can help, they will. Everyone is loved and provided for, because everyone loves and provides.
My ruling of the world runs on the same principle. You may not have a family, but you do have fellow human beings. You may not have a family that loves, but you can still know love with your fellow beings, and you can understand its value. Everything still works on love.
Necessities
Food, shelter, warmth and clean water will be given to all. Each member of my cabinet will assess the needs of each country. They have people under them that assess the needs and abilities of each area of that country. They, in turn, co-operate with the people of that area who can tell them specifics. Using this method, food can be distributed. There is a food mountain in Europe and a food crisis in North Africa. So it can simply be moved. OK, so it may hurt the pride of the people that they may not produce their own food, but that’s better than starvation. Their right to food also includes the right to produce it – so each of my staff, and their staff in turn, will also assess how many other resources are needed. The people apply to their local government for what they need, which will pass along the system to me. I will arrange it so that they get what they need, providing it exists in the world. Simple as that. Everything is shared on a global scale. No one is hungry, homeless or helpless.
Facilities
After the food problem is sorted out, let’s start making life easier for everyone. Everyone will have, as soon as time will allow, all the usual facilities; plumbing, electricity, heating, and so on, using the same system as before. The basic rule is, ‘From each according to his/her ability to each according to his/her need.’
Economy
Seeing as I have sorted out all necessities and facilities, I am abolishing money. Money breeds competition, and is seldom used within a family. Family members borrow, they don’t hire; they give, they don’t sell. This is a family I’m running here. The only thing bearing any resemblance to money is in Leisure below. I once witnessed, on the Royal Institute Christmas Lectures, an arm-wrestling match whereby every time the back of someone’s hand touched the table in a minute, he/she would receive a sweet. In the minute, one person received one sweet. Then it was pointed out to them that they did not have to fight against each other – they each could have won sweets by allowing the other to win in alternate matches. This is the principle I’m using. There will be no losers. We all win when we work together, instead of fighting to get ahead. The bad news is, everyone still has to work. The system won’t function if you don’t. But unless a crisis comes up, you can work at whatever you like, providing it is for the net benefit of mankind. This is where the love comes in. Give your best, folks, to help the world in whatever you do. Use your talents to help people. Develop to become a better person.
Leisure
Leisure items, so that no one gets greedy, will have to be bought using tokens. Everyone will receive these – their number will increase with age, until you receive the maximum at age thirteen. Everyone will receive the same amount. They will not be earned, or exchanged; in fact they will be coded to your fingerprints so that only you may use them. They cannot be stolen. Those who sell leisure items (basically anything that is not necessity or facility) must sell them for a number of tokens. These tokens will not benefit them, apart from making sure that no one has more than their fair share. I’m just keeping you rationed. Food and facilities will not be monitored in this way because people in general do not want excessively more than their fair share. Business leaders and my government system will determine the number of tokens needed for each item, when we have finished sorting out necessities and facilities.
Education
Children should be encouraged to broaden their minds, but they should not be pushed into their work and learning, but taught to pace themselves and take everything as it comes. At a primary level, a curriculum will be set, but at the age of thirteen, pupils will be allowed to choose what they study, and if they change their mind, allowed to return to anything they may have given up. Besides normal lessons, children will be taught love for fellow human beings, self-respect, determination, and eagerness to improve, as well as being persuaded to follow their dreams. The exam system will change – instead of the British system I’ve been raised with, the required level of performance for each exam will be determined before the exam is taken. An arbitrary line will not be drawn to mark out the passers and the failures. If the person taking the exam does not gain the sufficient level, then they may learn some more and then take the test. It’s like karate grading – when the person has reached the sufficient level, and knows enough to move on, they shall move on. Pupils are graded as their ability allows them to be, not at a now-or-never, fixed date.
Marriage
A person can marry whomsoever they like, so long as it is a mutually consenting wedding for love in which they each swear to put their all into their relationship.
That’s everything. Remember:
From each according to his/her ability to each according to his/her needs
We all win when we work together
Do as you will if it harms none (OK, so that’s the Wiccan rede, but it’s a pretty good point. Don’t passively harm others by not doing what you could be doing to help them, or harm yourself)
Share your toys
Children learn what they live
Everything in its own time
Put your all into your relationships
OK, so I don’t rule the world. And though I like the system I’ve invented, it’ll never work with me ruling because we are not universally loving. I can’t change your hearts and minds. This is what we should be working towards, though: love instead of hate, joy instead of sorrow, peace instead of war, patience instead of anger, kindness instead of cruelty, goodness instead of evil, faithfulness instead of betrayal of trust, gentleness instead of violence, self-control instead of giving up to all your thoughts and desires. You can try doing it on your own, but, let’s face it, a perfect world needs a perfect leader. I can’t change this world for the better very much on my own, but I put my faith in Jesus. Trust me, it works.
(Matthew 5-7)
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