I was just on the elliptical, aka the hamster wheel, and "Days Like These" by Asia came on. Since I refuse to leave the '80s music behind, I have a lot of older songs on my iPod, but this one really motivated me right as my arthritic left ankle threatened to give out. I kept going, and thinking. "Days like these, I feel like I can change the world" is the chorus and is repeated throughout the song. So, I started to think about what I would do if I could change the world. I'm talking about the entire world, not just the life of one person etc. What if I could sit at a big marble desk, or maybe cherry wood, and create my own list of commandments that must be followed. Hmm... I think they would go something like this:
Political arguments would end. Seriously, you are not going to persuade the other side. Whether you are a conservative, a liberal or a little of both, you have likely thought about why you believe the things you believe and no amount of arguing is going to change that. All of the debates and arguments just bring stress and take the focus away from, well, actually changing the world. So, duct tape your mouth and actually get out there and HELP people.
Evangelism would end. This is the same concept as political arguments, only, in my humble opinion, with double the arrogance. Anyone who thinks they KNOW the mysteries of the universe and can SAVE someone else needs therapy, and good strong roll of duct tape. It's a big universe out there. We know a lot less than we think we do.
Truth serum would be pumped into the water supply. People lie, sneak, cheat and steal too much. The real kicker is most people lie to themselves; they tell themselves things like, "I tried my best," or "I do eat healthy."
People who abuse children would be beaten and have their children taken away permanently. There would be none of this, "Your abusive drunk daddy went through a few therapy sessions and now you get to live with him." If someone cannot get himself or herself together enough to be a decent parent, then that person does not get to be a parent. Period.
The breeding of pets would end. There are thousands upon thousands of animals that are euthanized every year. We don't need people breeding more pets just because some people want "pedigree" animals. Are you a pedigree person? I bet not. So, go adopt a nice mutt than needs a home rather than worrying whether he or she has "papers."
War would be illegal. People would have to talk about their differences and agree to disagree. People would also be educated on how to spot a sociopath. Violent rulers like Hitler and others like him are sociopaths. Studies show that most people will follow the commands of someone who appears to be "in charge" or "of authority." Stop following crazy people and they won't be able to lead. Stop bombing the $#@t out of people and they won't hate you.
Racism would end, for real. You may think that racism went out with Jim Crow, and you may be in a coma. The day that President Obama was elected, some local idiot drove down the street with a Confederate flag on the back of his pick-up. I really doubt that this was a coincidence. In order to stop racism, for real, we need to stop focusing on, well, race. We need to stop asking for an applicant's race on forms. It does not matter. We need to stop focusing on differences and, instead, start focusing on similarities. We are all people. It does not matter if we are brown, paste white, peach or any other color. We are all people.
Everyone would have healthcare. Everyone. This would include dental care. There would be no deductibles or certifications or approvals. People who are sick or injured would receive care. It is possible. There are some countries doing it successfully.
Teachers would be paid more than professional athletes. I mean, let's pull our heads out of our behinds for a moment and actually think about this. Someone who chases a ball around for a living can make millions of dollars, but a teacher can barely pay his or her bills. In addition, more and more people are spoiling their children, making teachers' jobs that much harder. Say no to your child and yes to increasing salaries for educators.
Trophies and awards would be earned, really. We are the "good try" culture and it's killing us. If little Timmy keeps getting trophies and ribbons for half-assed work in school, scouts or whatever, then he is really going to have a hard time living in the real world as an adult. In the real world Timmy's boss isn't going to pat him on the head and say "good try" when he loses his company's money. Timmy will be fired. Rewards are for good work, not mediocrity.
That is all I can think of, right now. If you can think of more, add them in the comment section. I know that there are a lot of other changes we can make to this world, a lot. It's not perfect; we're not perfect. So, we need to all work together to change the world.