Can You Tell Me How to Get to... Marth-topia?

             

  Welcome to paradise! I don't normally write fantasy but here it goes. I choose to pretend that the last 200 years happened in a completely different way due to the fact that fixing  the problems of the industrial revolution creates a complicated problem that no one has a real solution for.  So I will simply describe utopia as if it just worked without there being a tyrannical agency forcing people to be happy and get along. This all comes down to balance. The role of government is to defend citizens against foreign and domestic threats, provide courts to settle disputes amongst citizens, and provide services that protect citizens from social problems. The funny thing is I believe that that was the fantasy of the founders, however things have gotten a little out of whack. I will be speaking as if I were describing life in this idealized society as a citizen. We the People of Marth-topia... are so much cooler than any other utopia. Take that Thomas Moore!

 Upon arrival the first thing one realizes in Marth-topia is that there aren't any super large cities. Learning from Cholera epidemics in London, we all realized that the expense of dealing with the waste that a large population produces was simply not worth it. High population density leads to disease, pollution, and crime. To insure that people could stay spread out while experiencing economic prosperity we created market centers. Places were people come together to buy and sell, like cities however, people produce their products and live outside of these market centers. We continue to have advancements in technology, medicine, and education that are a result of our responsible management of capitalism however, we have retained a deep value in artisanship, equality, and holistic approaches. 

  Above all we value high quality and the number one way we strive to achieve a high quality of life is through education. Everyone not only achieves an academic education but, also a vocational education. There is also a lot more time for people to achieve this high level of education due to our culture not assigning time limits on education based on age but skill level. People are encouraged to achieve their personal best and if that is fourth grade for a sever autistic then they will be the best fourth grader ever. Additionally no job is lesser than any other job, so if there is someone who is an awesome janitor than no one should bring any shame on them likewise, if there is a doctor who's negligence is killing people, than our community looks down on them and they are driven out of their practice due to no one trusting them. 

  Our laws are simple and are based on the premise that no individual or entity shall bring harm to a citizen or their property. Additionally citizens have the right to privacy and independence. Therefore there aren't any "morality" laws such as alcohol laws or drug laws, the people are free to live as they see fit provided they do not injure anyone's body or property. Courts are used by citizens to settle disputes fairly. Fairness is not just based on the impartiality of the court but also the cost. When one brings a case before a judge they are required to pay little money since the lawyers, judge, and his/her clerks are agents of the government and are funded through taxes. 

  Our taxes are kept low due to only requiring the public to pay for the necessities of a functioning society. Our courts, education and libraries, defense (both military and domestic police), public health clinics and aid to citizens that need additional help, roads, fire departments, and administrative offices and agencies are funded through taxes. We have no public funding for offensive wars, foreign aid, aid to non citizens, programs that do not directly help citizens, or any aid to private companies. 

  Our natural landscape is a treasure that we highly value for it's beauty and utility. The dense forest provides shade and oxygen while also preventing erosion and cleaning the water. Our trees are considered a national treasure and we live in a dense canopy with a few clearings that are areas where we cultivate sun loving crops. Because we have a high value for technology that does not interfere with our ecology, we have developed agricultural practices that do not utilize caustic chemicals, including the use of high tunnels and heirloom varieties . Using high tunnels allows us to have a varied diet with out having to transport our foods over long distances or use pesticides. Heirloom seeds and root stocks also allow us to conserve water because they are naturally resistant to drought and require less fungicides since they also are naturally more resistant to plant diseases. Besides agriculture we resist the use of any caustic chemicals in any other industry. Our people would sooner take up arms than allow a company to pour poisonous into our water ways and our soil and such behavior is considered criminal. Likewise, medical practitioners try to avoid chemical treatments at all costs and only in sever cases are they used. 

  Because the foundation of our constitution is based in harm coming to none we have formed and honored treaties with the indigenous people of our land and they are allowed to remain on their land and follow their cultural practices. In fact we enjoy each others company and have learned a lot from each other. 

  Additional fun facts about Marth-topia are our national dish is balsamic glazed chicken with Brussels sprouts and garlic potatoes, national heros are Leonard Cohan, James Burke, Tina Fey, and Steven Moffit. Our national past times include camping and creative writing and our largest exports are smart ass writers and dry draft ciders. Come to Marth-topia and share in our ideals of efficient, responsible, and organic capitalism.