Since when did sucess in bussiness have anything to do with the quality of life you deserve, Mr.Mo?
AceJP, the Greek city states were not states of one country. They were all independent nations and often fought with each other. They only acted together while they had shared interests (ie killing Persians).
There have been one or two small communistic communities down the years, but it cannot function where there is specialisation. For instance, in the Aman Islands (or is it the Aalands? I forget), all possesions were strictly forbidden expect for a certain tree. Everyone could own one of these trees, and marked them. Any fruit of any kind was shared equally between all members of the tribe: If you had, you gave, and if you needed, you recieved. This system is called Reciprocal Generocity. Now this tree, the only possesion allowed on the island, it fucking stinks. The fruit - it fucking stinks. And it tastes even worse. I mean, you sit in a small encolsed space with it for ten minutes, you'd probably throw up. However, if someone from another tribe took fruit from your fucking stinking tree, you would hunt them, and their children, and their childrens' children, and there would be war between them unto the seventh generation, yea. The world's very first irony. It's quite beautiful.
However, this system only works where everyone can do everything - ie a hunter gatherer society. As soon as you settle and start to specialise, these systems disapeared. However, they weren't exactly perfect. For instance, the minute you couldn't support yourself, you were out in the cold. Literaly, they'd expose the elderly. On the other hand, they had an astonishing amount of time to devote to leisure. So much so, in fact, that they are called "The world's first and only leisure societies".
Here's another piece of interesting information about social dynamics. Every civilisation has to go through a certain number of phases, in order, before it can reach democracy. And every single successful democracy has undergone it. They go in order, with various stages including, it is to be noted, benign dictatorship. Now, this is widely known and indisputed amung historians. And if you are a politician and do not know this, you are not worth a thing. Yet western governments keep on trying to introduce democracies into nations which are simply not ready, and without almost exception they have all broken down.
ryan, a seperation of states as you describe is absolute madness. Rich people move together, the poor and less mobile are left behind. Do you really think that everyone can just upsticks and move wherever they want? What about their houses? What about their families? Although, you almost exist in this kind of system already. After Katrina, there were helicopters stationed at military bases just across the state line equipped for exactly that kind of disaster, which were left to sit there. Nobody even thought to send them over. The road leading from the stadium where hundreds nearly died of thirst and hunger to the nearest airport was completely clear, yet no one thought of sending over water in planes. A strong centralised executive is exactly what is needed in these kinds of situations.
