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The Paradox of Utopia

So many utopias that never come into being - these ideal scenarios with the power of logic behind them....A society operating on visions of order and harmony, shared wealth, distribution of goods and services, civility, morality, respect for the common good - a  world that simply moves on from outworn,  useless, backward practices, from inequity and injustice... the excising of stupidity and irrationality... One assumes: If such a world can exist in principle, on paper, it will exist, it must exist, it will come to be under the right conditions....when the stars and opportunities align...Logically speaking ....because what is to stop it? Why should fear alone impede the advancement of humankind? ....Looking around however - we see not utopias, but the ruins of various attempts... And with such consciousness, a  contrary notion asserts itself, namely that if such a place could truly exist, we would have already seen a successful form of it... something would have gained a foothold...Voluntarily - a shift would have occurred...it simply makes more sense - collective advantage...like cooked food, clean water, safe housing, sanitation, protection from the elements - all of the lessons learned by the tribe - objected to by none...A matriarchy, for example, - to replace a brutal patriarchy, to end exclusionary practices, to offer preeminent status to women, to teach men humility and restraint, to instantiate the idea of equality like never before... A new millennium and still nothing in sight? Still grumblings and nay-saying...Excuse-making...Discomfort over the new and untried? Or have we  already seen glimpses of this very thing from the ancient world?! Supposing one could build a matriarchy, that the demand is growing for one... If it can exist as idea, it will exist, it shall exist, it must exist... If the idea and the impetus are there - what creates resistance? ...You could build a matriarchy,   but not without a system of enforcement - not without repressing the "illogical" objections to such an edifice...  not without placating, medicating, neutralizing, eliminating the "opposition" - that large contingent of unruly, incorrigible, power hungry males...who at all costs will continue to resist - out of fear of emasculation...You have a problematic animal existing in large numbers - not entirely tame, not entirely malleable,  headstrong, vain,  insecure, restless,  unpredictable -  this is your main hindrance to utopia...

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