John Berry

Reforming Our Institutions John Berry

Imagine a world without war, without incessant political bickering. A world where every member of society gets to join the particular Societal Organization that provides the type of government that best suits that individual's needs. Some of those governments will provide a vast array of services but others will limit their operations to crime control. The Societal Organizations will meet regularly and forge agreements with each other for governing society. A world where, with governments operating by agreement rather than force, religious organizations will eventually be restored to a dominant role in society and the culture.

Imagine a world where consumers bargain on a level playing field with producers through powerful Consumer Organizations that continuously research businesses and advise their members as to which ones to patronize and which ones to not. Consumers face innumerable conflicts of interest every day such as doctors setting the number of doctors, with patients having no say, and auditees selecting their auditors rather than the investors for whom the audits are conducted. With Consumer Organizations coordinating their patronage, consumers will act directly in their own interests and do so far more effectively than any government program possibly could.

In these early years of the twenty first century, a world of Societal Organizations and Consumer Organizations may seem impossible. But members of society are rational and resourceful and they created the Industrial Revolution because it was rational to do so and served their interests. Once they realize that their fundamental interests as consumers, workers, and citizens are being subjected to massive conflicts of interests every day, they will respond accordingly and create such a world.