I was going to write on another topic today, but having just
seen the incredible new Nolan film, Insterstellar, I believe I will
write on a topic that relates to that film. Fear not—I shall not spoil the film
for you! Today we'll be discussing government and human prosperity.
The role of government is a highly debated one. You have
some that want as little government involvement as possible and some that want
government regulation of everything. For the most part, we see this reflected
in commerce and social policy. What is the underlying goal of government,
though? Does government exist to make the everyday life of its citizens more
comfortable today? Or is there a greater purpose to government? Does it exist
to further mankind as a whole, ensuring not only the survival of the human race
for generations to come but the thriving of our great, great grandchildren? Most great feats of mankind are accomplished by large numbers of people working together for a common goal. One of these next great feats might be galactic colonization.
One of my greatest disappointments is that I will never live
to see mankind spread out amongst the stars and make this galaxy our own. Movies such as Star Wars and Titan AE and
now Interstellar have captured my imagination of where mankind might go
when space travel is available to all and is as common as air travel is for us
today. What might life look like on the moon? Mars? In different solar systems
or even galaxies? I love just thinking about these things and letting my
imagination run wild.
But maybe mankind will never make it to this point. Maybe
our tendency to think only of ourselves or those around us will ultimately
bring us to our doom. Maybe some disease will wipe out the population of the
earth. Maybe wars. Maybe some sort of natural disaster. What should government do about our flourishing as a
species? Should government ensure mankind is on a path that will lead to
survival? People certainly don’t seem to think so today. We run our governments
absolutely ragged in our attempts at comfort. We constantly don’t want to be
dictated by “the man” and demand our own ability to make choices, often despite
good evidence that we shouldn’t be allowed to do so.
A government solely devoted to the preservation of the human
race would be very different from the one we know. Take a moment to imagine with me.
Likely there would be strict health requirements. Certainly reproduction would
be highly regulated. Schooling would take priority over almost everything,
especially fun and socialization. In fact, “fun” would not have much place in
this society. People would be assigned roles in society, working as a small
part of a much larger system. Government would be involved in every facet of
your life. But a hundred or even a thousand years down the line (assuming this
system was never upset) would likely show an incredible amount of progress.
How comfortable would you be with this? Chances are you
would be working for the comfort and advancement not of yourself or possibly
even for your children. You would be working to advance everyone now and a
hundred years from now. This sounds like a harsh and unrewarding life, but
it embodies a mindset of "we." We made it into space. We colonized another
galaxy. We survived. Maybe the extreme picture I painted isn’t the ideal or
maybe you think it is. I think we could be doing a lot more for future
generations, though. Some sacrifices we make today might make the lives of
those who come after us a bit easier. There are even actions we can take today
that will help others today as a nation or as a private citizen.
What do you guys think? Should government help to guarantee
the safety and prosperity of future generations or should it merely focus itself on the present? Is it the jobs of private individuals to move mankind forward or
should it be legislated?
