The High Frontier Outpost can potentially be one of the most attractive places for people to live ever conceived. There would be no danger of storms with a totally controlled environment, no annoying vermin, computers to answer every need, medical facilities on instant call, the total knowledge of the human race at your fingertips, and interesting exciting work, all the while being a part of life’s greatest adventure since a primordial fish first emerged from the sea to begin the conquest of the land.
The Outpost has the potential to be a paradise, but it could also become the most oppressive dictatorship ever conceived by the mind of man. It would be a totally closed isolated habitat existing in a hostile environment. Like a ship at sea it will need a captain and crew capable of responding instantaneously to emergencies. All aspects of this artificial environment will need to be monitored and controlled.
The Outpost, larger than some countries, will need to be able to deal with and prevent crises while at the same time securing the maximum freedom for the individual. Determining its social structure is not a task that can be left till the last minute. It must be built into the design of the habitat itself.
What is the best form of government for the habitat? What social systems are necessary to ensure safety, security, and liberty? This is not a simple question. It is one that humanity has been grappling with throughout history.
Below is a list of what can be considered the basic principles for such a society. These are not considered to be final concepts but rather the basis for beginning a discussion. We would like to hear any comments and ideas that you might have and how we can achieve our goal of a safe, secure, and free society where each individual is able to reach their maximum potential.
1) The urge of the people is towards greater personal freedom.
2) The urge of the state is towards the restriction of personal freedom.
3) The greatest personal freedom can only occur if the state is small enough so that the contribution of every individual is relevant and valuable.
4) The larger any state becomes the less relevant the contributions of any individual become and the more limited will be their personal freedom.
5) Technology can either relieve or exacerbate these conditions.
6) The primary goal of any individual is greater personal freedom. The acquisition of capital is merely one manifestation of that striving.
7) In a capitalist society those with the greatest amount of capital have the greatest freedom of action.
8) In a socialist society personal freedom is limited by the large powerful state.
9) In a capitalist society personal freedom is limited by one’s ability to acquire capital.
10) A large percentage of individuals are uncomfortable with diversity and change within their society.
11) Diversity and change are what keep a society dynamic and growing.
12) The relationship of freedom and money is shown by the women’s suffrage movement and the racial equality movement, where greater freedom led to greater economic power, which in turn led to still greater freedom.
13) Modern technology and transportation allow individuals to participate in and be members of multiple social groupings.
14) Each member of a society must be able to personally benefit from their individual contribution to society. Effort must have a reward of some sort for the individual.
15) In turn, one function of society must be to free the individual from the basic needs of existence, provided that the individual is willing to function within the society.
16) The state exists to exalt the individual and the idealized state is one in which the greatest number of individuals can freely express themselves.
17) An individual must have the right to refuse to participate in the goals of society.
18) An individual must have the right to be completely responsible for their safety, survival, and security provided that such does not jeopardize the safety, survival, and security of other individuals.
Send us your input and thoughts to mail@highfrontieroutpost.org. We are planning for the future. Let’s make it the best possible future for everyone on The Outpost.