Utopia and the Poor

Christ said that the poor will always be with us. In utopia, there will be those, for whatever reasons, are deprived of the abilities or opportunities to achieve the same level of self-sufficiency, or independence that the average population enjoys.

In the Star Trek universe, being poor is not measured in material terms, since everyone would enjoy the same material abundance that comes from almost-free energy and technology. Instead, becoming poor is a result of mental and psychological discontinuity with the rest of society, like those whose psychic abilities keep them from a normal life, or whose anti-social behavior keep others from their lives.

Traditional treatment of the poor range from apathy such as ignoring them, to authoritarian admonition-like "do this to improve yourself or else". More recent liberal democratic methods range from the left-leaning social welfare safety net, to the right-leaning workfare. Our treatment of the poor reflects who we are as a society, highlighting the relationships we have with each other, with the greater whole, and within each individual.

I think that in utopia, the poor will be neither pitied nor condemned. Just as we no longer pity those born with disabilities or handicaps, utopian poor will be simply another member of society who can contribute whatever they can. Just like the criminals in utopia will be treated with rehabilitation instead of simple punishment, the poor will be treated with education and self-actualization instead of simple hand-outs.

Most of the poor of today are poor not because of one or two reasons, but have been affected by a multitude of factors, sometimes simulatanuously, sometimes sequentially. Some of the poor are affected by addictions or substance abuse, others are affected by relationship abuse, and many are simply affected by the circumstance of being powerless. The poorer they are, the less able they are to affect changes, no matter how great their desire, how strong their character, or how smart their intelligence. Some of them are simply trapped by circumstance.

In utopia, the poor will find resources available to them to extricate themselves from those traps. Just like children learn from experience, and gain confidence from doing, from acting on their own volition, making their own decisions, the poor must also learn by their own mistakes, and celebrate their own victories. Hand-outs deprived them the oppportunities in victories, and apathy deprived them of opportunities. The poor need the same nurturing and protection that children receive from parents. It is the responsibility of governments to protect the poor, by legislation, and the duty of the rich to nurture them, by philanthropy.

The simple hand-outs of social welfare cultivates a culture of dependency, creating adults who live like spoiled-brats, wanting more, yet not working for the rewards, and not learning at all.

The simple laissez-faire policies of past industrial nations created the oppressive poverty that led to revolutions, and social instability, not only in the past, but also visible in some of the poor nations of the world today.

A middle ground of paternal nurturing is needed to care for the poor as we would children. The poor will always be with us. How we treat them reflects on our character as individuals and as a society, a community.

How a poor person extricate himself or herself from a trap of circumstance, is a reflection of the personal character that we all admire when there is succees.