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THE NEGLECTED
UTOPIA
Many philosophers have constructed and wriHen
out their ideas for a utopian society. Sorne of these
works have become great literature. But the one
utopian system that could succeed has general/y
been left out of the mainstream of discussion and
analysis.
It
has
come
to be the "neglected utopia."
T
HE VERY
wórd utopia implies
sorne idealistic but irnpos–
sible idea of civilization.
The dictionary definition calls any
idea of utopía "an impractical
scheme of social regeneration."
Anyone who believes in or writes
about any kind of utopía, millen–
nium or perfect society is looked
upon as an idealistic but na'ive indi–
vidual. But why? The answer is
found in the way our world is set up.
What Utopia Would Be Like
To make the contrast plain, imag–
ine that sorne form of idealistic or
" perfect " society had spread
throughout the earth. Here are sorne
of the changes we would see in our
social fabric:
• There are no mental institutions
or suicide prevention centers.
• All war departments have been
abolished the world over. The arma-
26
by
Paul William Kroll
ments industry has disappeared,
and there are no more armed forces.
There are no more international
confiicts or disputes that fiare out of
control.
• Police, if there are any, do not
wear pistols or carry clubs because
there are no criminals trying to hide
from the law. Imprisonment, as a
forro of punishment, is unheard o
f.
• There are almost no broken
bornes. Stable family units are the
basis of society. Orphanages have
been phased out.
• All confiicting economic, reli–
gious and politicaJ ideologies have
disappeared. All people
voluntarily
subscribe to a new and singular
standard to guide their lives, and
this standard promotes peace and
tranquility.
• There is no pollution problem.
World citizens have clear air to
breathe, sparkling water to drink
and a beautifullandscape to enjoy.
• Ghettos and decaying rural
towns no Longer exist. Grinding
poverty has disappeared. Cities and
rural areas thrive with financial
health and personal vitality.
• Starvation and hunger have
been terminated. Bountiful crops
are enjoyed by all peoples.
• There is no cancer, no heart dis–
ease, no arthritis, no blindness, no
deafness and no crippling disease.
All medica! centers and hospitals
that care for these tragedies have
disappeared.
In a perfect world, the institutions
and problems we take for granted
would dísappear one after another.
Utopía would be so utterly different
from the world we now know that
hardly any of the familiar, major in–
stitutions we can name would exist.
For example, suppose crime were
nonexistent. Most securíty-device
PLAIN TRUTH February 1973