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␈↓ ↓H␈↓α␈↓ ∧LESCAPING THE WELFARE STATE

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_Certain␈α∀social␈α∃and␈α∀political␈α∀trends␈α∃may␈α∀seriously␈α∀damage␈α∃civilization␈α∀before␈α∃they␈α∀are
␈↓ ↓H␈↓understood␈αby␈α
enough␈αpeople␈α
to␈αreverse␈α
them.␈α This␈αarticle␈α
concerns␈αthe␈α
possibility␈αthat␈α
a␈αgroup
␈↓ ↓H␈↓of␈α
people␈α
may␈α
find␈α
it␈α
beneficial␈α
to␈α
themselves␈α
-␈α∞and␈α
in␈α
the␈α
long␈α
run␈α
to␈α
the␈α
rest␈α
of␈α∞humanity␈α
to
␈↓ ↓H␈↓escape␈α∞and␈α∞found␈α∞a␈α∞new␈α∞society.␈α∞ Many␈α∞people␈α
who␈α∞will␈α∞agree␈α∞up␈α∞to␈α∞this␈α∞point,␈α∞won't␈α∞agree␈α
on
␈↓ ↓H␈↓what the dangerous trends are.  The trends I have in mind are

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_1. Equalitarian leveling.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_2. A decline in self-confidence of the productive and intelligent.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_3. Anti-technology.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_4.␈α∪A␈α∩low␈α∪birth␈α∩rate␈α∪among␈α∪the␈α∩intelligent␈α∪leading␈α∩to␈α∪an␈α∩absolute␈α∪shortage␈α∪of␈α∩enough
␈↓ ↓H␈↓intelligent enough people to keep society from deteriorating.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_5.␈αThe␈αincreasing␈αnumber␈αof␈αunproductive␈αpeople␈α-␈αthose␈αwho␈αdon't␈αwork␈αand␈αthose␈αwhose
␈↓ ↓H␈↓work is basically useless.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_6.␈α
The␈α
advance␈α
of␈α
the␈α
bureaucratic␈α
ethic␈α
-␈α
all␈α
problems␈α
can␈α
be␈α
solved␈α
by␈α
more␈αrestrictive
␈↓ ↓H␈↓laws and regulations.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_Not␈αeveryone␈αwill␈αagree␈αthat␈αthese␈αare␈αproblems␈αor␈αthat␈αthey␈αare␈αserious␈αenough␈αto␈αthreaten
␈↓ ↓H␈↓civilization.␈α∀ In␈α∀fact,␈α∪many␈α∀intellectuals␈α∀will␈α∪believe␈α∀that␈α∀the␈α∪attitudes␈α∀expressed␈α∀above␈α∪and
␈↓ ↓H␈↓attributable␈α⊂to␈α⊃someone␈α⊂who␈α⊂expresses␈α⊃the␈α⊂above␈α⊃attitudes␈α⊂are␈α⊂the␈α⊃main␈α⊂danger␈α⊃to␈α⊂humanity.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓However,␈α⊂this␈α∂article␈α⊂is␈α∂mainly␈α⊂addressed␈α∂to␈α⊂those␈α∂who␈α⊂already␈α∂have␈α⊂reason␈α∂to␈α⊂agree␈α⊂that␈α∂the
␈↓ ↓H␈↓above-mentioned␈αtrends␈αare␈α
exist␈αand␈αare␈α
harmful.␈α Those␈αwho␈α
don't␈αagree␈αmay␈α
read␈αon␈αfor␈α
their
␈↓ ↓H␈↓amusement.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_Of␈αcourse,␈αthese␈αtrends␈αmay␈αbe␈αreversed,␈αbut␈αthe␈αpeople␈αwho␈αdeplore␈αthem␈αdon't␈αseem␈αto␈αbe
␈↓ ↓H␈↓numerous␈α∂or␈α∂in␈α∂a␈α∂fighting␈α∂mood.␈α∂ Some␈α∂may␈α∂fight,␈α∂but␈α∂others␈α∂may␈α∂prefer␈α∂to␈α∂flee.␈α∂ I␈α⊂see␈α∂three
␈↓ ↓H␈↓possibilities for those Americans who wish to flee the welfare state:

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_1.␈αForm␈αan␈αalternate␈αsociety␈αwithin␈αthe␈αUnited␈αStates.␈α We␈αshall␈αexplore␈αthis␈α
possibility.␈α If
␈↓ ↓H␈↓the␈αlaws␈α
remain␈αas␈αthey␈α
are,␈αa␈αgood␈α
enough␈αnew␈αsociety␈α
is␈αprobably␈αpossible,␈α
but␈αstarting␈α
it␈αmay
␈↓ ↓H␈↓provoke persecution necessitating flight.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_2.␈αEscape␈αto␈αsea.␈α Modern␈αtechnology␈αpermits␈αa␈αnation␈αbased␈αon␈αships.␈α The␈αcitizens␈αof␈αthis
␈↓ ↓H␈↓nation␈α
would␈α
have␈α
no␈α
other␈α
homeland␈α
and␈α∞would␈α
produce␈α
goods␈α
there␈α
that␈α
would␈α
be␈α∞traded␈α
to
␈↓ ↓H␈↓other␈α∞nations.␈α∂ Self-sufficiency␈α∞is␈α∞possible,␈α∂but␈α∞trade␈α∂would␈α∞permit␈α∞a␈α∂higher␈α∞standard␈α∂of␈α∞living.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓According␈α∂to␈α∂present␈α∂international␈α⊂law␈α∂and␈α∂custom,␈α∂a␈α∂ship␈α⊂based␈α∂nation␈α∂is␈α∂possible,␈α⊂but␈α∂again
␈↓ ↓H␈↓opposition might lead to persecution.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_3.␈αEscape␈αinto␈αspace.␈α The␈αShuttle␈αnow␈αbeing␈αdeveloped␈αwill␈αcost␈αabout␈α␈↓∧1␈↓200␈αper␈αpound␈αput
␈↓ ↓H␈↓in␈αlow␈αearth␈αorbit.␈α How␈αmuch␈αmass␈αis␈αrequired␈α
per␈αperson␈αis␈αdifficulty␈αto␈αcalculate,␈αbut␈αI␈αhave␈α
in
␈↓ ↓H␈↓mind␈α
a␈α
maximally␈αaustere␈α
space␈α
colony␈α-␈α
not␈α
O'Neill's␈α
super-luxurious␈αone.␈α
 Even␈α
so,␈αmany␈α
would
␈↓ ↓H␈↓have␈αto␈αcontribute␈αin␈αorder␈αto␈α
put␈αa␈αfew␈αin␈αa␈αcolony.␈α
 A␈αsimple␈αcolony␈αis␈αwithin␈αthe␈α
resources␈αof
␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ εH␈↓ 91


␈↓ ↓H␈↓the␈α∞largest␈α∞present␈α∞private␈α∞fortunes␈α∞provided␈α∞it␈α∞is␈α∞done␈α∞in␈α∞a␈α∞maximally␈α∞austere␈α∞way.␈α∞ A␈α
single-
␈↓ ↓H␈↓stage-to-orbit␈α⊂shuttle␈α⊂according␈α⊂to␈α∂the␈α⊂best␈α⊂known␈α⊂technology␈α∂might␈α⊂cost␈α⊂␈↓∧2␈↓5␈α⊂per␈α⊂pound␈α∂which
␈↓ ↓H␈↓would␈α
make␈α
emigration␈α
into␈α∞space␈α
feasible.␈α
 The␈α
most␈α∞habitable␈α
place␈α
in␈α
interplanetary␈α∞space␈α
is
␈↓ ↓H␈↓the␈αasteroid␈αbelt.␈α The␈αabsence␈αof␈αgravity␈αmakes␈αpossible␈αsolar␈αenergy␈αcollectors␈αof␈αgreat␈αefficiency
␈↓ ↓H␈↓permanently␈αpointed␈αat␈αthe␈α
sun,␈αand␈αthe␈αasteroids␈α
can␈αsupply␈αmaterial.␈α Again␈α
persecution␈αmight
␈↓ ↓H␈↓force␈αflight␈αto␈αthe␈αstars␈αwhich␈αis␈αalso␈αpossible␈αwith␈αpresently␈αavailable␈αfission␈αtechnology,␈α
but␈αthe
␈↓ ↓H␈↓journeys would be many lifetimes.