The Land of Keikitran and Eleevan - Softcover

Siu, Ralph Gun Hoy

9781587360756: The Land of Keikitran and Eleevan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1587360756 ISBN 13: 9781587360756

Publisher: Hats Off Books

R.G.H. Siu reflects on a visit to Chianglai, a fictional society in southwest Asia. Mr. Siu details the social, economic, political, cultural, and religious makeup of this "trans-socialist" society, as well as its future.

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Thak took it upon himself to present the initial orientation. He placed considerable importance upon my acquiring an intuitive feel of the spirit of what he was going to say. What the theoretician regarded as empirically certain throughout history are: (1) Men are born unequal and different. Moron to genius. Ugly to handsome. Congenital detects to perfect health. Miserable surroundings to excellent. (2) No man is endowed in every single trait more favorably than all others. No man can assure himself that his own descendants will be as richly or as poorly endowed as he. No man is self-sufficient. The more fortunately blessed in a particular aspect are in a better position to, assist others than those less so. (3) Suffering is universal. Some deep-seated, such as anxiety and loneliness. Some self-generated, such as ambition and envy. Some accidental, such as contagious diseases and automobile collisions. Some caused by strangers, such as military invasions and internal ! robberies. Some by fellow citizens, such as inept management and corrupt bureaucracy. (4) Men vary in their source of happiness and the intensity of their quest for it. Some contented with little. Some seek it in grandsons. Some in art. Some in literature. Some in leisure. Some in material possessions. Some in prestige. Some in power. (5) Great power is exercised only through organized groups. Oppression occurs when members holding the reins of power end up excessively better off than other contributors to the social good without power, such that the latter are driven below the level of essential requirements of sheer living. Exploitation occurs when the latter is driven below the level of reasonable equity. Bewilderment occurs when different institutions issue binding directives backed up by compulsions of some kind to the same individual. Imperialism occurs when one of these parties is alien to the country. (6) All men desire a protector against the invader, the murderer, th! e robber, the raper, and the bully. (7) All men crave a feeling that someone cares for them, especially one who can support and/or protect them. (8) All men understand the good life as one that is good in its entirety—birth, youth, adult, old age, death. Satisfying relationships with family, friends, strangers. Belonging to something lasting, to which they are contributing. A sense of meaning in their lives. (9) All men value privacy and some personal things they can call their own, something they can treasure, somebody they can love. Most need some being they can worship. (10) An absolute limit exists in the natural resources of a country and a relative limit in the producible and replaceable wealth.

These ten empirical premises (there are more) underlie the plans, programs, and operations of Chianglai’s system of social regulation. The national objectives of highest uncompromising priority are: defense against invasion, provision of essential biological needs for all citizens throughout their lives, and de facto power in the hands of the people. Second priority: security of the person against violence, pervasive feeling throughout the country of fairness and reasonableness and sense of identity and belonging among practically all citizens. Third priority: guaranteed employment for all in consonance with physical and mental capacities; appropriate rest and leisure for all; respect for everyone’s personal privacy, worship, and family life; minimum of high school education for everyone. Fourth priority: assimilation of new ideas and values for the continuous enrichment of Laian culture, development of the full potential of the specially gifted in all phases of human endeavor! s. "Our system of government is based upon these historical lessons and Laian values," said Thak in conclusion. "How well we in the National Chamber of Deputies discharge our duties is determined solely by how well the goals are attained. Did not some German scientist say a hundred or so years ago that the most beautiful theory can be ruined by a single ugly fact? In like manner I would say that the good name of the national Chamber of Deputies and the National Administration can be ruined by a single unrelieved starving stomach or a single unattended sick man in Chianglai."

As we left the conference room, Thak turned to me for a favor. "With the candor of long friendship," he said, "at the end of your visit, good G. H., will you answer yes or no—without any further explanation, just yes or no—to each of the following two questions: First, do you feel that every one of the officials you met on the trip is striving to live up to the philosophy and aspirations just outlined? And second, do you feel Chianglai will achieve the objectives within our lifetimes?" I promised to do so. There was a kind of dedicated silence for a full five seconds, when Thak finally exclaimed: "Well, so much for business. Let’s have some food. Incidentally, I forgot to tell you. The Senior National Administrator has invited us over to his home for dinner. Nothing fancy. Just the three of us. You’ll like Administrator Nam."

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