“. . . and as we’ve studied before, all people, all groups of people, indeed all organisms everywhere, are always seeking to privatize their profits and socialize their costs. No one likes paying taxes on their income, or sharing it with anyone they don’t have to. Everyone likes to pull resources out of the environment, dump wastes into it, and have society as a whole take care of injuries and accidents. Which session was that, Lieutenant Do-forva?”
Seated on a couch with Ben behind his tape recorder, and the other records specialist with camera, she already had a binder open on her lap and was flipping pages quickly. “Um . . . three sixty-two.”
The tall twelve-year-old standing near the blackboard looked around the large meeting room at the generals and scientists in the inner circle of plush chairs, more generals, colonels, majors, and professors filling the couches that ringed the carpeted area, and another dozen majors, lieutenants, and professors in comfortable folding chairs on the surrounding hardwood floor.
Several people made a note of the earlier session number. “You should probably schedule a replay of that session, Sarah,” Heather said.
Colonel Ma-soran, the executive officer, nodded.
“So, as we’ve touched upon more than once before, one of the proper functions of government is to protect the Commons, all things that are part of the Public Trust — parks, clean water, fresh air, you know the list — from
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those who would abuse them for private, short-term gain. One of the quickest ways for a government to lose its legitimacy is to cease protecting the Public Trust, and I believe Doctor Tu-feltin can give us some examples a little later
. . .”
The historian in the front row nodded vigorously.
“. . . but the issue in question is the recent court interpretation that gives groups — corporations, unions, whatever — all the rights of citizens.
Opponents anticipated that it would result in major abuses of the Public Trust, and even in a few short years, it’s now crystal clear that they were right, as I’m sure you are all aware.”
Three-star General Ko-fenral, seated in the inner circle, and beside him Two-star General Bo-seklin, both nodded.
“So now Heather gets out her crystal ball . . .” the twelve-year-old announced with dramatic hand motions.
The room filled with chuckles.
Heather smiled and made eye contact with her dear friend and therapist Doctor Bo-kamla.
Susan knew what Heather was doing. A moment of comic relief could help the listeners relax and absorb an otherwise-difficult concept.
“As I’m sure you can imagine, opponents of the interpretation, from both the environmental and social justice camps, will fight against it, tooth and claw, for years, even decades to come. Their efforts will fail. As much as we like justice, we love our groups, of all kinds, even more. The tribe is in our blood, and always will be. Justice is a newcomer.”
Heather scanned the room and saw intense curiosity in most of the professors’ faces.
The military people looked steeled for the moment they would find out if this was something they should act upon, or not, knowing well they might get to change the future only once.
“The solution to the problem, that brings our government back to its legitimate role of protecting the Public Trust for everyone, is, unfortunately, about twenty years away, and will come from some little court case in a rural county, I don’t remember where. It will work its way up through the courts, and eventually the entire country will suddenly realize that we gave
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corporations and unions the rights of citizens, without ever giving them the essential responsibilities of citizens.”
About half the room was nodding. The other half looked confused.
“Of course, we all know that corporations and unions have some responsibilities now — they pay their taxes, blah, blah, blah. But they are missing the one that every flesh-and-blood citizen has, and is constantly aware of. Individual citizens have a responsibility to obey the law or else be put in jail. Groups of all kinds do not have that fear. They have no risk of their actual persons being arrested, jailed, imprisoned, or even, in extreme cases, put to death.”
No one in the room appeared to be breathing.
“Therefore, their responsibility to obey the law is paper-thin, and can be brushed aside with money, while none of the actual people who control the groups even break a fingernail. That omission in the recent court interpretation will cause trillions in damage to our economy and our environment. It will cause massive damage to the legitimacy of our government. But it will eventually be corrected, and we, as a nation, will learn many hard lessons in the process.”
They all breathed again.
Questions centered on how the justice system could jail an entity that had no single, identifiable, body.
It was a complex question, Heather admitted, and would take another decade, after the basic mistake was corrected, to work out the details. But she assured them that in the future, people would not agree to sit on boards of directors, or be officers of corporations, without very careful consideration and serious background research.
Eyes were wide and many heads nodded agreement before Heather closed the session.
“The security lamp will stay on during lunch today, so we can chat about this thorny subject, but please remember to make a note if you think of something the team should hear. Alpha Study Group meets at one o’clock to go over logical fallacies with Doctor Bo-leden, and anyone’s welcome to sit in who wants a refresher on that stuff. Any other announcements?”
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“Generals and colonels,” General Ko-fenral began, “in General Bo-seklin’s office at twelve hundred thirty. Should be a short meeting.”
Heather waited another moment, then nodded at Ben behind the tape recorder.
“Session Five Forty-Five ends at eleven hundred hours, thirty-seven minutes. Seven blackboard photographs.”