Family Rules

Responding to a Writing Prompt by Elle Griffin "Come up with an alternative to democracy."

Thank you

Elle Griffin

for this writing prompt you can read about here.

The following is my response to the thought experiment: Come up with an alternative to democracy.

In socialist communism, the government decides how many children you have. It is for the wellbeing of the collective nation. There are limited food resources,  limited water, limited oxygen in the atmosphere. Everyone is equal, as long as you aren't child number 3 or 4. If you disobey, your child becomes a 黑孩. Never heard of that? No, you wouldn't have. They don't have identities---you know, those government issued cards that allow you to go to kindergarten, apply to college, get your first job, get on a train, get a passport, or go to the doctor? They make great child trafficking candidates. Gang members or lucrative adoptions. Pick your path.

In a capitalist democracy, your landlord decides how many children you have. It serves the wellbeing of the biggest taxpayers in the nation. In a free nation, you have the right to sign a housing contract or not. (Never mind that there are no alternative housing options). There are limited resources, and low supply of housing means that someone else out there can pay higher rent than you, current tenant. In fact, the single guy who works for a tech company can pay more than the family of five struggling to make ends meet. Free markets keep democracy running. Kick the kids out on the street, or just give them to child welfare services. Maybe you should just work more hours at your low-wage job and leave the kids alone at home. Don't  worry, the internet cult channels and the street gangs make good babysitters. And once they are old enough, there's public school. See? Isn't democracy amazing? Trust us to educate* your child...Your choice.

*educate=tell your kids that everything you have taught them is wrong. You, evil parent, you.

Don't worry, this is fiction*.

*fiction, i.e. not covered under free speech laws.

In my alternative to democracy, the government serves the family unit, as diverse and multifaceted as families are. Childbearing people are cherished for their unique, unparalleled superpower of creating another human being. Choosing a slower-paced, family-centric lifestyle means that businesses are not always running and sunset signals a time of rest and connection with family members. There is no such thing as a "single" person or a "couple" because every person is connected to a family. There is only the family and our roles that serve the family. The government is no longer a tool of power and domination. It is a guide toward a better future for our kids.

Jobs are sanctioned only if they serve the greater good of the family. Fast food restaurants go out of business because there is no good that comes out of it. But the jobs we lose are gained back double through sustainable agriculture practices, increasing vegetable consumption, creation of healthy topsoil through composting and ecological harmony. “Shepherd” is the new first job for teenagers. Businesses are valued for their intrinsic good, not just their ability to make money. “Good" is defined by how something affects people, animals, the earth, and other planets/worlds. Sales people who previously sold someone else's worthless crap are given the dignity of jobs, however big or small, that matter to the family. Dog training, live theatre, live music, and robotics engineering are possible career paths. And your job does not necessarily determine the square footage of your living space or whether you have access to a tree or not. (There is more space for both housing and trees now that big cattle ranches that process meat for fast food have downsized.)

Math and science are of great importance, but they would no longer be valued only for military uses. Instead of wasting manpower on fighting cybercrime, or developing weapons that eliminate people from the earth, math and science would be tools of discovery, exploration, and wonder to help people thrive. Art, music, video games, and literature would tell stories, no longer as a propaganda tool, but as a tool to forge strong family bonds, form identity, and bring healing through narrative of past trauma. No story would go untold. No emotion would go unfelt. Sorry, we don't have time for war. It's my niece's birthday and I want to be there to celebrate.

Crime rates plunge, empathy for humans, animals, and earth increases. Respect for authority increases just as the confidence to speak up increases. There are times we don't have a say in the government, and there are times where a vote is necessary. All this requires a wise ruler who can choose wise administrators. King Grandpa wields all the power, but he delegates it and raises up a new generation of leaders who are willing to submit to his choice of successor. I suppose a little nepotism is allowed now and then.

And lest you think I have reinvented communist utopia, think again. Competition exists (we compete for and value the most efficient methods that do the greatest good). Free speech exists (I hate King Grandpa's rules.) But unlike today in our isolated worlds where we can say anything on the internet and get away with it, you have to sit at the table with your ideological opponent at dinner. Please pass the salt, idiot.

Family rules.