While it's been a very long time since the 70s,

I think I remember a bit about my experience with weed and with the people I enjoyed it with.

I don't think it distracted us from enjoyment of nature or the arts; the opposite, in fact. Unambitious? Maybe, if "ambition" is about making your mark or place in an aggressive, competitive, capitalistic society. I'm not so sure that's a bad thing, though. It could be our culture would be a lot healthier if we dialed way down on those characteristics.

Brooks may be right about laws molding culture. I think we just have profoundly different visions for the culture we'd like to see.

What laws might I enact to "mold" the culture I'd like to see? To start with:


1. A carbon tax or deduction. Produce zero biological children? A great big deduction. One child? A moderate deduction. Two kids? No deduction, no tax. More than two biological kids? A carbon tax for every child over two, increasing with each addition.

2. A socialized national health CARE program, guaranteeing physical and mental health care, vision, dental, hospice, home care, prescriptions, and alternative care to every person, free at point of service.

3. A truly 100% public, 100% FREE at point of service education, pre-school through trade school or university, at any point in life, for every person. No privatization, no high-stakes testing, the public education system designed and managed by actual EDUCATORS.

4. Expanded social security, starting earlier and paying more.

5. Guaranteed clean, safe shelter and minimal income to every person, regardless of circumstance.

6. A restorative justice system, offering re-training and rehabilitation to all offenders, and long-term or permanent incarceration only for those who pose a danger to others. All those incarcerated, long or short term, treated with dignity and humanity, and guaranteed safety, healthy food, and whatever other services they need to learn to function well with others. Corporate criminals required to use their assets to restore the lives of those they damaged.

7. Energy production and distribution all public, not-for-profit.

8. Free, fully-funded and developed, easy and convenient public transportation systems everywhere.

9. A guaranteed LIVING wage.

10. Labor unions required for all jobs; strict, and strictly enforced, labor regulations.

11. Strict, and strictly enforced, environmental regulations.

12. The end of "free" trade; a trade system based on strict labor and environmental standards.

That's a start.