At the time of the revolution - years before she was born, the militia was the most important body for meeting of social challenges. First it was the armed tool to defeat the last efforts of the capitalist elite state to keep its rule. Next was the task to keep the pressure on the remnant states where the capitalism not yet defeated from attacking the areas already freed.
The main body of the militia was then under direct managing by the higher level comity, and only with parts of it were delegated to lower level ones. From the beginning, the the districts and city levels were the ones delegated the task to confiscate the means of production and accumulated wealth of the capitalist class. The districts level militias were the main responsible organ for the supervision of the older capitalist class and their supporters and their integration into the grass root comities.
However, once capitalism collapsed on the whole world and people could get their needs only through the grass root community system, the main mandates of militia were within the sub-comities of grass root communities. The more severe problems were still taken care by the district sub-comity - mainly when the identity of the perpetrators of anti social behavior was not known.
When Ti arrived at the old people dwelling place she discovered that one of the
oldies was screaming in unintelligible words on another oldie, while the people
around barely succeeding to restrain him from physical attack. Soon behind her
came the person on duty of the medical team ready to use some sedative medicine
if every thing failed. However, it turned out that the screaming person was a
close friend of her late grandfather. When she started to talk to him he
recognized her and after he started to talk his delusional problem was easy to
resolve.
To be on the safe side, his grandchild was summoned and the three of them
accompanied him to his room. There he passes a thorough medical examination and
put to sleep with the help of a mug of beer....
Troubles seems to come in series. Just before going to sleep early in preparation for early arousing - for the trip to the mountains with Di age group and few of their parents, Ted called Ti - in her capacity as a militia sub comity on duty. Hi told her that while he and his troupe had a break while they were preforming in pub in a near by suburb, a young person approached him and Ron, offering them them grass and interested with swapping a significant amount of it in return for one of their musical instruments. He told her he had the feeling it was not just a "black market" transaction but may be a way to seduce Ron into breaking his prohibition of using mood changers and black mailing him later.
(Cannabis (Marijuana) was not a prohibited plant. Nor was the use of it. People could get specific qualities of marijuana's at the community or suburb distribution centers on account of the their luxury allotments. They were just discouraged from over use it or sharing it with young kids. People who abused it in ways endangering others - like in driving or harassing others, were subject to bans from use of mood changing products for various lengthens of time, or even delegated to enroll in detox programs.)
Though it did not ring as emergency, Ti contacted the militia sub-comity member on duty of the community the pub was within its system. After a short explanation and sending him Ted and Ron pictures - he send her extracts of the spools of the cameras of the pub Ted and Ron where seen at. She easily recognized the scene Ted told her about, and communicated the relevant clip and summary to the district militia sub-comity.
Next day, the person on duty, will find which grass root community that young person is member of and will initiate the investigation of that community militia sub-comity.
(Later it was revealed that the young person - whose name was Tor Gan, was a
gardener at a near by grass root community. He got somehow seeds of a new and
very high quality marijuana's plants, and grew plants of it hidden among dense
shrubs. As he refused to reveal how he got the seeds and come clean about his
suggested transaction to Ted and Ron, the assembly of his community recalled
him from his mandate as gardener. The decision also notified the work comity to
restrict the work tasks he was allocated as a temp. Hi was also warned that any
additional anti social act of his may warrant his marking as an antisocial of
the initial level.
Many of the plants he grew were found and the new strain was entered gradually
to the general production of marijuana's under the brand name of his.....
Two years later, after Tor Gan found in the district-distribution-point
packages of marijuana with the brand name Tor-Gan, some ting was soften in him.
Next day he approached the militia person on duty in his community and told her
he used to crossbreed strains of flowers and cannabis he obtained by mail from
other people who had this hobby. When he got the special quality marijuana's
he became greedy. He thought that if he will seduce Ted Ron, he will have both
a lever on them and a way to distribute his production in the black market of
pubs.
On the end of the decimer DD assembly of Tor's grass root community, his
mandate as gardener was renewed. He was also allocated a small plot for
continuing his hobby of crossbreeding flowers and cannabis.)
Non of the kids made a scene or cried, but the unpleasant surprise and the feelings of disappointment were prominent with them for all to see, till they boarded the tram that will take them to the museum.
A decimer later, as early as the rising of the Sun of the Second-Day, after a hot morning tea and a cake, Di and her 5 mates started the tour. They were accompanied by most of their parents and the kindergarten teacher. Thy were equipped with foods, drinks and warm clothes in their bags, for the long day. After a short walk they mounted the tram in its near by stop and took the short travel to the central transportation center. There they mounted the regional train line that cross the high mountain region in its way to the Western plains.
Though the far away mountains seemed to be near by - especially in clear whether, it took the train about an hour to reach the foot of the mountains range and another half an hour to climb it and arrive in the first touring center.
They were not the only touring group on the train. The touring center was lively in spite of the cold of the early Spring morning. Before going outside of the central transportation center, they put on the warm clothes and a bi-directional communication necklace - just in case any one get lost.
Out of the building, they first climbed on a small hill near by to see the view of the environment of the small town. The grass roots communities members of the town supply the services to the touring center, and tended the near by forests. The main attraction of this touring center was near by pick of the highest mountain of the whole mountain ridge, which has a snow cover that never melt (not even when the hot house effect richen its pick before the revolution). People who had big enough energy quota (like Di and her affinity group), and high tolerance for heights could climb to the top of the highest mountain using a cable trolley.
They stayed on the hill long enough to have their late breakfast and get used to the thin air, before climbing to the pick of the highest mountain.
(Though the travel to the mountains was initiated by Di who contributed her unspent energy quota for it, the other participants contributed too part of their quotas and they had enough for covering the needs of both the train and the cable trolley climbing.)
It was the first time to be there not only for the young kids but also to all the grownups accompanying them, except one mother who were there few years before. She volunteered there for two consecutive years, as one of the mandated contributors of work-shifts in the pick of the touring season and the Summer tending of the forest, to cover what the local grass roots communities could not supply. This mother volunteered to be their guide, so they did not have to enlist a local guide and were entirely free to decide on their time table.
(Besides long term or even life mandates to specific work tasks, and shorter terms mandates for tasks no one volunteered to choose as a long term mandate, there were many seasonal and other short term mandates for tasks in the grass root community and in the wider system. Volunteering for terms of service in far away places was a popular kind of touring for young people who had just finished their professional training.)
So, after the nice meal in the shade of the trees, they went to the station of the cable trolley and after waiting for a short time in the queue, they climbed to the pick of the snowy mountain.
On the top of the mountain they went around from viewing point to another. The air was already clean from the morning mists and they could see with the help of the view points telescopes scenes hundreds of kilometers away. At the late afternoon they got satiated from viewing the various landscapes and hungry. They got down from the mountain and after a mid day meal they had enough time for a short tour in the near by forest, and meeting there many of its animals before traveling home.
On the way out of the town their "guide" pointed to them the fence and electronic system that prevent the forest animals and its insects from invading the areas inhabited by the humans.
The first and immediate step was a huge cut in all burning of oil coal and other materials for supplying energy. The whole transportation and other consumption of energy were cut minimal too.
The whole system of growing food and its consumption shifted to the emergency mode.
Longer range efforts were taken to counter the population explosion and world wide shift to one child to every couple was adopted. Couple could still had two children if they so choose, but they had to contribute a double quota of work-shifts all their life since the second one was conceived in order to cover for the direct needs of the added offspring and for the infra structure needed.
(As the pregnancy was not any more a result of chance or accidents since the 2030s - 20 years before the revolution, the new "policy" only needed significant majority support of the assemblies of grass roots communities members. This decision, together with the ban on private motor vehicles and the feeding of animals as part of the food chain, were the first decisions of the direct democracy of the world commune of grass roots communities. It took some time till the farm animals who survived the break down of the old system were released into nature, and 9 months till the last pregnancies of second or more children were born.
There were so minimal cases of couples who choose to work so long for the additional child that some measures had to be taken to keep the decrease of the population within reasonable range - two fast reduction could result in too small percent of functioning adults taking care of the older people.
After about 10 years from the revolution, it was found that on the average there were less than one child for a couple. Thus, grass roots communities were given the task to authorize couples to have a second child according to quota. This was the reason Ri and Ti had two children...)
As result of the policy of one child for a couple, the world population that reached the pick of 8 milliard just before the revolution, dropped in 2100 to about 4 milliards only, and nearly no one really complained.
It took about 10 years till the crazy weather calmed a bit, but it was not sure at all the catastrophes will not return.
Scientists predicted it will take a generation of efforts and restraint to prevent the destruction of the human society. The optimists among them claimed that capturing the burnt carbons and the derivatives from the atmosphere by forests, and filtering of part of the Sun energy so it will not reach the earth will do the main remedy. The decay of hot house gases accumulated from polluted industry and cows growing for milk and meat will recuperate the ecosystem in about 50 years.
During the last two years, some really promising findings have circulated the world communication system, but only the integration of the statistics gathered from the last winter in the northern hemisphere confirmed it beyond any doubt: The hot-house effect was significantly reversed.
During the period of rehabilitation of the world system following the revolution, steps were taken to stop the increase of the hot-house effects in spite of fast development of the less undeveloped regions. Eventually, the world system reached a steady state, but it was not enough. Thus, efforts were taken to both continue development and decrease the hot-house effect accumulated during the capitalist era.
Fifty years of investment of world resources in sea, sun, and wind energy did the trick - in addition to special treatment of the air in the highest altitude. The burning of oil, coal and wood was ended long ago, but only in the last few years the burning of derivatives of agriculture products ended. But the most significant boost was the latest discoveries by scientists: Now the world was "wearing" big regional dynamic "Sun glasses" made of complex molecules. The dynamic "Sun glasses" also enabled the restraining of the huge hurricanes and typhoons, and even the less dramatic storms and extreme whether changes.
Carbon-capturing through the growth of forests has contributed its share too, as the need for agricultural areas diminished immensely. The first wave of forestation started when the human diet turned vegan. Later came the diminishing use of agricultural products for fuel which has released huge areas. Then there was also the latest improvements in food growing techniques.
The good news had also a concrete aspect. It was already discussed during past years that when this day will come the work shifts quota will get down from 7 shifts of 4 hour each in a decimer, to six work shifts only. It was also discussed that the consumption of energy will change from allocating a specific personal quota mode [according to basic needs only] to a more generous one. It was contemplated that in addition to the basic quota, every one will be able to consume as much energy as one wish on account of one's general quota of luxuries.
Changes were expected also in the transportation system - an increase in both the city and regional bus and train service frequency. (In addition to the free consumption according to needs, every one got a quota of values to choose what to get on its account. From the simple choice of clothes and furnitures to hobbies and mood changers.... Every one got the same luxuries quota, but people had the option to contribute more work shifts in return for extra quota.)
It was announced that due to the good news, the world level of assembly of delegates will start to discuss the shift in the coming decimer. Grass root communities assemblies were encouraged to start the discussions too. It was expected that the first draft of decisions will be submitted to the discussions and decisions of the assemblies of the grass root communities during the first decimer of the second month.
Regional, cities, and districts delegation assemblies were encouraged too to start to discus and plan for changes in their area following the lifting of limited quotas of energy consumption.
At home, at the end of the day, Ri, and Ti talked about the personal aspect of the exiting news. They contemplated the increased use of air conditioning in the cold winter and in the few hot nights of Summer. Ti contemplated the allocation of part of her luxury quota for the obtaining of a two wheel motor vehicle which she so much like to drive. Ri said he will surely use part of his luxury quota for high energy consumption of travel across the ocean.
Ri said, expecting the decisions to be made soon, he will already start to accumulate work shifts above the seven a decimer quota, so he will have an extra large vacation for the intended travel.
(The account of work shifts each person contributed was not rigid. People accumulated extra work shifts mainly when there was a seasonal load or when they prepared for an extra long vacation, and contributed less work shifts when load was down or when taking back the accumulated work shifts. Very often, when partners of regular work place were not able to contribute work, co-workers covered for them and just reported it to the accounting system, without the need to bother the grass root community or regional working comity for replacement.)
As soon as stability was restored after the revolution won the world, there was a general agreement that there was the need for differential allocation of energy according to geographic conditions. Even though there was much debate and discussion over the years regarding this issue, no satisfactory working procedure was put in place and the need for specific decisions was repeated. More and more people proposed to continue with the efforts to capture higher proportions of energy from the sun and sea. These efforts, they claimed, should continue until the consumption of energy will become free like that of air. This will put end to the need for decisions about differential quotas according regional and personal needs. This will repeat the diminishing in decision load and conflicts as happened regarding the consumption of water which become free all over the world ten years after the revolution.
Ri and Ti were not on the same side of the polemics. Ti, who was the more technologically oriented was not so sure the hot-house effect has been reversed for good. She pointed out that since a stop was put to the burning of carbon (oil, coal, and wood), the capturing of energy by itself can not reverse the hot house effect. Only blocking sun rays from reaching the earth and re-forestation can really do that. (Other means for long time storing of captured energy were not found feasible.) Ri, the more easy going of the two, was for accepting the good news and enjoying an additional free day a decimer.
Thus, towards the DD at the end of the decimer, the world assembly put for general vote only the suggestion of abolishing the personal quota of energy consumption and shifting the consumption of it into the general quota of luxury consumption* .
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* The quota of of "luxuries" consumption was measured in the units of work-shifts (WS). Every item within this quota was tagged with the amount of work-shifts and/or fractures of this unit, needed to their production. For instance, simple bicycles had the tag of one work-shift (WS1.-). Some of the special quality bicycles were in the range of WS1.20 to WS1.8 each. Within the general quota of luxuries one could choose which items to consume within hir account of WS, which was in the year of 2100 about WS100.- a year (for healthy grownups).Part of the items within the luxuries category were limited till that time, according to special personal quotas. (Limits on items with high energy consumption in the production of them were supposed to be abolished while some others because of other environmental hazards were to be kept.)
(The main change of energy consumption was in the domain of personal consumption. The energy consumption of the social facilities like dining halls of grass roots communities and their production facilities - as well as public facilities of districts and other levels, was always regulated according to needs. There were special regulations and norms in that consumption according to needs - mainly according to geographic conditions. These facilities had to follow such directives like for instance: what is the temperature target in heating and cooling, lighting, speed of transportation systems, etc.)
At that meeting of the world assembly it was decided to delay the decision about possible change in work-shifts and resources allocation for the near future - when the time for vote will be found "ripe". The suggestion to shift from seven work shifts a decimer to six or the reallocation of resources to other missions was deferred for further discussions and polemics - until it will reach a point of resolution with clear cut alternatives to decide between them.
(At every level, the decision to put an opinion (or competing opinions) for general vote in the assemblies of the relevant grass roots communities, to decide on these was usually done only when the Agenda Comity of grass roots assemblies or higher levels assemblies of delegates assessed that the time of final decision arrived. When members of assemblies wanted to contest the delay, they could (when their term to speak arrived) put a "call to order" - the assembly had vote on at the end of their speech. The only delay on the vote on such a "call to order" could be if the Agenda Comity demanded that two persons will talk 5 minutes each against the end of the discussion on the subject on the agenda and two persons will talk in support of the "call to order" before the vote.When the discussion of a subject could not be summed in one opinion to approve or disapprove in a vote, or two opinions to see which will gain the majority, few competing opinions were submitted, and the two which gaining the higher vote were submitted for final vote.)
The vote in the grass roots assemblies was as expected in favor of the suggestion and got nearly unanimous support.
During the decimers following this decision, hot polemics were every where regarding the change in the work-shift norm. Wherever people met and in the communication system the opinions in favor of reducing the work load and those against it were some time near the "boiling point".
The first opinion was of people supporting the simple and easy going solution. It proposed to accept the achieved level of energy available as a norm. Their opinion was that the reduction in investment previously needed to increase the capturing of energy and in countering the hothouse effect will enable to shift from the seven work-shifts a decimer to six working-shifts a decimer.
The holders of the second opinion were more ambitious. Most of them proposed to keep the same norm of seven work-shifts a decimer; to regard the transfer of the private consumption of energy from personal quotas to the general luxury quota, as a temporary adjustment only; to continue the high level of investment in energy capturing till the consumption of energy will be free - like air and water.
Many of them also suggested to use the resources freed from investment in countering the hothouse effects, and the work shifts not needed any more for that mission for other projects.
When the DD day of the second decimer of the next month approached, the polemics crystallized, and one proposal was more popular than the others. The meeting of the world assembly preceding it found that the time for another vote was "ripe" and the appropriate suggestions were put for general vote.
It was a kind of compromise between the above two main opinions. The world assembly of delegates proposed the assemblies of grass root communities decide between two options: Either to stick to the simple option and to reduce work shifts to six a decimer, or to only reduce them to six and a half (13 shifts for every two decimers), and dedicate this extra half shift a decimer to continue with the efforts to increase the energy available - till it will be free.
When the votes of the grass root communities assemblies were summed, it was found that a clear majority supported the more challenging one. An analysis of the votes revealed that in contradiction with the findings of previous votes regarding level of efforts needed, this time an over whelming majority of the younger generations were among those in support of the resolution calling for greater efforts.
The polemics about the diminishing of the level of efforts to dedicated to counter the hot-house effect and the reallocation of resources to other challenges were not found ripe yet to pass a world wide vote on the subject.
Usually, children who began sexual maturation, joined the gymnasium system. It was both a school and community for the youngsters of every 10 neighboring grass root communities. Children of the ages of 10 to 12 - each according to their "biological clock" - joined their neighborhood gymnasium. They became members of the community of the gymnasium, with equal status at its decimer assembly. They were mandated to comities in the yearly mandating day. They were mandated to work shifts within the gymnasium (mainly for the various maintaining tasks) and in the grass root community they were from (mainly tasks with the young children not yet enrolled in the gymnasium).
The children of the gymnasium had their own rooms both in the gymnasium and in the dwelling space their parents were living at. Children often spend nights with other children both before joining the gymnasium - from a very young age. At the gymnasium, children were often moving to live with a sexual partner/friend for long periods (more often for the older ones).
What was strange was not so much that the thirteen-agers Ann and Jon moved to the same room on a permanent base at the gymnasium, but their request to have their own dwelling in the grass root community (instead of keeping their rooms at their parents dwelling).
But, Ann and John were not regular kids. They grew in the same dwelling space of families of new bornes till the age of five, when John's parent moved to a new dwelling space for new borns, expecting the birth of his sister. During these five years, Ann and John, who were exceptionally bright and lively, were always together like Siamese twins since they started to crawl at the age of few months. Though they each had their own room there, they seldom slept in different rooms.
In spite of their special intimacy, they were not distanced from the other children. Until the age of five they were considered as charismatic amongst their age group and later on even among the older ones. Though their parents were not living any more at the same dwelling space, Ann and John continued their habit of sleeping together. When they moved to the gymnasium, they have not kept two separate rooms. Both contributed most of their work shifts to the younger ones in their grass root community.
At the age of 13, both Ann and Jon were nearing the completion of the educational level entitling them to membership in the grass root community. Their artistic work - drawings by Ann and music by Jon - were distributed on the communication system as well as consumed locally by the community.
The discussion at the assembly was short. The decision was to allocate Ann and Jon a dwelling space adjusted to their artistic needs - not delaying it till their gymnasium graduation.
In the post capitalist system, the majority of work-shifts are dedicated to the various services for people needs. Food, education, and health care were the main ones. Other services, such as maintenance of dwelling spaces and the various electronic gadgets, were significant consumers of work. Significant work shifts were for levels above the usual grass roots communities. However, instead of delegating too many people to work on tasks out of their own communities, which would have then required somewhat complicated ways for accountability, it was found feasible to organize neighborhood and district grass root communities that will take responsibility for such tasks.The most common neighborhood grass root communities were the ones responsible for the neighborhood gymnasiums. Though most of the tasks of the gymnasiums were carried out by the pupils, and most of the educators were from the various communities of each neighborhood, there was still a lot of work for the members of the neighborhood community.
In these neighborhood grass root communities were located also the neighborhood clinics were treating health problem needing specialists or special equipment.
Recreation centers included the local pub, special sports, hobbies and arts centers.... were located there too.
The most visited facility in these neighborhood communities was the distributing centers where people used to get the more luxurious objects on account of their regular allotment.
Most of the problems related to services provided by one neighborhood community to the another communities in its neighborhood were resolved by the relevant communes' comities. Whenever a problem was too big or too complicated, the relevant district comity got involved.
In addition to the neighborhood grass root communities, There were also some other district communities with special tasks at their core which were responsible for various services for the district, together with additional members of communities of the district who were mandated to contribute work-shifts to these tasks.
There was the water and energy supply system, the electronic and roads communication systems, the emergency hospital services, and the higher education facilities, etc.
whenever possible, the production facilities and services of cities, regions and above, were all the responsibility of local, grass root communities dedicated to these tasks together with members of other grass roots communities mandated to these whenever it was needed.
The special grass root communities mandated to the various tasks are supervised by the appropriate comities of the said level.
(In all the work places - whether within grass root communities or in higher level facilities, direct democracy assemblies were mandated for taking care for the daily activities and for some longer period aspects, including mandating specific teams to specific tasks... without the need of the grass root community assemblies or assemblies of delegate to decide on each item .)
They took the opportunity to visit the gymnasium where big brother Tod was still enrolled for the few following months till his graduation and where Ri will start working after completing his special training.
It was still early for the midday meal so they mounted the long city line train for Di to see with her own eyes the large environment.
Returning from the trip a bit late, they were among the last eaters of the midday meal in the dining hall. Afterwards they returned Di to the dwelling space while Ri and Ti went for an afternoon work shift at the community factory.
(The education in the grass root communities was involving lot of subjects. however, there were five main fields of knowledge every one need to accumulate in order to be accepted as adult. The first and most important was all the aspects of the interpersonal. The second was the knowledge of nature [inanimate and animate]. Not less important was the languages [both the regional language, and one of the five international ones: the "Mongolit", the "Hinduit" the "European", the "Semit", and the "Africanit". Children were brought up since very young age as bilinguals. Every one needed also to learn the basics of the international technical language that was developed gradually into a full international language. The fourth field was the basic knowledge of health, work with tools, driving, surviving in nature. The fifth was the arts and the sixth was the history of mankind. Most of the education was in small groups, with educators to be consulted at need or to be challenge by.)
There was no formal tests to assess if a pupil already reacquired the basic knowledge. Neither was a specific body of knowledge pupil have to finish learning. The assessment if a pupil already graduated or needed special efforts in a subject was done by the relevant educators working with that pupil.
Ted who assumed he will graduate some where in the Autumn was surprised, but not unprepared. He has already talked on it with his best friend Ron, with the other members of their troupe, with people of troupes in the region when they were invited to play or met in festivals. He even communicated and even composed some lyrics with few like minded musicians all over the world.
In the conversation with his parents he told them he will apply for membership in the commune the coming DD assembly, but will also announce his intention to "drift" around for a year - to join for a while few troupes in a kind of pilgrimage around the world. He said that he will contribute lot of work-shifts during the following few decimers, so he will have enough credits in the international accounting system for the trip and will not have to contribute work-shifts every place he visit.
(Most of the transportation was free according to needs - both within each district, city, or region. However, when there was lot of travelers that surpassed the basic capacity of the long distance traveling system, people needed to wait their turn or contribute from their luxury account to cover the extra resources needed for enlarging the capacity. The use of flight to far away continents needed lot of resources, and Ted intended to board at least one in the travel to the American continent. Now that the use of energy was changed recently from personal quota to the quota of luxury allotment, the whole pilgrimage of Ted became much simpler than his original planing was.)
Ted told his parents that he had already received an invitation from a "professional" troupe which was playing in pubs and concerts around the south part of the region, to join them for a season. He had already been in progressive communication with a professional troupe in New York, that invited him to join them for a season or two if he manage to travel there. (It was few months ago, before the use of energy was changed from personal quota into use within the personal general quota of luxury, and it was not probable Ted will be able to accumulate saved energy so soon. )
Ted's parents was very happy for him but Di was very sad. She was on the verge of crying. Ted hugged her and told her he will have more time than usual for her in the decimers before he start the pilgrimage. He also promised to videophone them few times each decimer when he will be on his "pilgrimage".
After Di went to sleep they continued their discussion and rise ideas about the recruiting of Ted troupe for the celebration of Ted leaving the gymnasium and joining the community, and the farewell party of Ted from his friends and acquaintances in the musician circles of the city.
Following the inclusion of energy in the alloted luxuries quota of people, the central system registered a huge increase in demand for two, three, and four wheels motorized vehicles, and points for supply of fuel and electricity.
As the training in driving of both two three and four wheel vehicles were part of the basic education, there was no problem of training new drivers. Even the design of vehicles was not problem as there were all kinds of vehicles in the transportation system all the years.
Expecting the nearing of the end of strict restriction in the use of energy, both the world production comity and the various regional comities were preparing for it.
A proper decision was already discussed and voted on in all the grass roots communities to gradually shift some of the production facilities from energy capturing equipment to vehicle production, and for the increasing of production of liquid fuel.
As the increased demand for such vehicles depleted the reserves of available vehicles and parts, it was proposed and decided on two measures: First, all people involved in the production of such vehicles and parts of them will be encourage to contribute additional work-shift a decimer. Second, all communities will be asked to exempt people working in that production from serving turns in other work places for ten decimers. Second, it was decided that requests for vehicles for private use of people with no health problems will wait in a queue, till production will over take demand.
The district educational comities were encouraged to initiate refreshing courses of driving for people who have not driven motor vehicles for more than two years.
Ti who was among the lucky ones who put the request for the motorized two wheel vehicle before the reserves were depleted, already got it, and Ri was among the first batch of the district refreshing course.
As Ted was just fresh from the gymnasium he did not need any refreshment training. He was the main user of the scooter, traveling around the city to spend "quality time" with his friends in the musical troupes scene before departing to his long pilgrimage.
People of the older generations were comparing their memory of the noisy and stinking traffic of the pre-revolution times and the mainly quiet and no smell of the electricity and non-oil fuel used in the modern vehicles.
Some even said they feel in a strange way the materials of their long recycled cars incarnated in the new vehicles.....
(The recycling of the old cars, obsolete structures military equipment and garbage depots supplied a big reserve of metals and very few mining sites were still extracting metals from mines.)
(At the middle of the Spring, the old factory was dismantled. Its buildings and part of the equipment was used in the construction of the new factory. When the additional space and equipment needed was ready, a team of the same factory already in full production in the main city of the region, came for a training on site of the local workers. Few advanced experts from Ti team were sharing part of their work-shifts in advanced training in the "parent" factory and in the relevant laboratories of the near by central university of the region.)
On the last day of the formal training at the regional city, while eating the midday meal in the dining hall of the grass roots community the factory is in it, Set, the head of the training team involved Ti in a strange kind of conversation.
She and Ti were of the same age, and met few times during the years in professional meetings. They talked a lot during the training period about technical subjects relevant for Ti training. Ti sensed a lot of nonverbal attention paid to her from Set during the training and breaks, but refrained from coming directly to her to ask the meaning of it. As Ti was a good looking, lively, and easy with people, she was used to being paid attention to from both male and females. She seldom invited an opening to the subject though never behave ugly toward such people. But this attention given to her was with a flavor she did not recognize at first. Just as the conversation was shifting to a personal content (the first time between them) she recalled such attention from the trainer of table tennis that encourage her to join the tournaments circle.
And she was right. Set told Ti she was a member of the Regional Mandating comity, and as the world economy is passing a significant shift after the energy supply became abundant, there is need for more coordinators in the general supply system. The shift in the world economy will need lot of intervention to adjust supply to demand, including the production of materials and parts of wide spectrum of products. Set told her that the members of the regional mandating comity are busy with search for appropriate candidates for training to become regional coordinators. They search people who have already the basic knowledge needed, and willing to commit themselves for a long training, and willing to accept a long mandate in various levels of the supply system.
(The Mandating comities were not responsible only to the suggesting of mandating of delegates to the direct democracy. There were lot of mandated tasks in the various jobs of production, services, supervision and coordination from the neighborhood level up to the level of the world commune. Many of the tasks needed long training and long years of service. The mandating comities were responsible for recruiting the appropriate people. After the approval of the grass root assembly they were part of and that of the relevant higher level assembly of delegates, they were enrolled in the training program needed.
Most of their work-shifts of most of these recruited were done via the communication system with special equipment, in "offices" located in the neighborhood communication facilities. Usually each of them contributed two work-shifts a decimer to tasks within their own grass roots communities. The relevant level mandating comity was also responsible for the supervision of the mandated professionals and their advanced training - including regular accountability, and for the initiating of a seldom recall. )
At the end of the conversation it was agreed between Set and Ti that if the regional assembly and Ti grass roots community assembly will approve of the new mandate, Ti will continue in her crucial task in the new factory, and gradually will shift into a schedule of two-shifts a decimer in the factory and five in the long training as coordinator.
Towards the end of the day, Ti returned home from the training and shared the news first with Ri and later with her parents and the affiliation age group members she grew with.
(The relation between the members of the age group who usually grew the first 5 years in the same communal dwelling space and continued later together in school and gymnasium, were often more like between twins than between sisters and brothers. With very few exceptions like the the case of Ann and Jon, members of the same age group who grew together seldom became a family.)
As Set of the regional mandating comity predicted, the regional assembly approved the list of new coordinators composed by the mandating comity. Ti grass root community assembly approved it too, and Ti started the long training as coordinator.
The first step was the a meeting of the new recruits in the regional distribution center in the main city of the region. Ti boarded the early morning train and spent the two hours travel to acquaint the other 19 recruits using the communication system. Two of them she already met in the past during training and conferences related to the medical equipment factory on her community. When she arrived at the distribution center, Ti, the new recruits, and the trainers allocated to them had first a short non formal socializing and then the training program was suggested to the new recruits.
Ti found that she was the only one in the group who had no previous experience in work in district and city levels of the distribution system. As a matter of fact, most of the other new recruits were experienced in the systems of big cities level. Set, who was one of the workers of the regional distribution system and assigned the task of training few of the new recruits, assured Ti the task of regional coordinator is not above her abilities, and few months of training is all that she needed.
The task of the the coordinator of each level was nearly the same - depending on which products one was responsible to coordinate. Most of the products were of mass production with many who needed them. Their Supply was relatively simple. Each level of distribution center had its long time suppliers and reserves. The fluctuation in supply and demand did not need more than request for a bit increase or decrease in production from producerrs or transfer of products from the reserve of a neighboring region/city/district.
Some products - like fruits and vegetables which had natural fluctuations in them and long periods of production. They were coordinated by both cold storage and flexibility in the allocation of products to industrial processing. It was also accepted norm that some times, when demand exceed supply, the distribution will be according to quotas.
The more complicated tasks were to adjust supply to demand wherever there was a change in technology - like with the medical equipment produced by Ti grass root community. In such cases, the relevant level production comity was invited to involve itself.
As Set told Ti, the wide spread change in demand due to the lifting of restriction in energy consumption, was expected to bring about lot of changes in demand. This will put pressure on the production factories and even on raw materials. At time like that there is a special need for coordinators with involvement in advanced technology like Ti.
After a general session when the 20 recruits were introduced to the expected changes in the near future, they were divided into small groups - each with a specific trainer. Ti group was assigned to Set, which built with each recruit a special program of training.
After that, the whole group went together to the midday meal in the dining hall of the grass root community hosting the regional distribution center.
Just to give them the flavor, as an end of the the new recruits meeting, they paid a short virtual visits to the regional coordinators on duty, before going home.
On the long voyage home, Ti contacted the Supply team of the distribution center of her district to schedule her first step of training.
(The base of the professionals troupe he joined was in the agricultural grass roots community of two of the older members of the troupe. The other members were temporary residents of that community except one of them who became a permanent member of the troupe few years before and decided to join the grass roots community as permanent members.
The troupe members were following the usual schedule of devoting five work-shifts a decimer to their mandated task - the troupe, and two work-shifts within the grass root community special tasks manging, in services and seasonal tasks.)
After a short greeting of each of the extended family members, Ted showed them a short clip he prepared that morning about that township.
Like many other townships of the rural - mainly agricultural region, it was consisted of ten grass roots communities, their inhabitants were mainly of small villages of the pre-revolution times who regrouped to the new townships that can have all the modern facilities needed for both the people and the environment, and for the highly modern agriculture.
Each such township was organized like the neighborhood units of the bigger cities - about 9 grass roots communities around the grass roots community which host the gymnasium, the health specialist clinics, the neighborhood distribution center, the recreation "pub" and special hobbies, and other facilities - including some production ones as needed in the agriculture of that region.
The clip showed first the central grass root community, and then moved around the agricultural areas - plantations of fruits trees, and hothouses of the various vegetables. In the clip he showed the semi mechanized picking of the fruits and vegetables.
After the "touring clip" he showed them the clip of the new part of their musical performance first shown to the public the previous evening in another township. (The first one the troupe developed around a lyric of Ted.)
At the end, before he asked for a feedback from the family members on the music, he showed them a short clip of him picking fruits and vegetables in the first two work-shifts of the decimer in their base grass roots community....
The huge increase in the demand for ovens, refrigerators air conditioners, and two or three wheel motor vehicles was a real concern.
It was found that most people refrained from reducing their work-shifts from 7 a decimer to 6 and a half. Many even increased it a bit in order to be eligible to get sooner the new energy consuming instruments.
Ti joined the regional coordinators team responsible for the supply of parts for the two and three wheels vehicles industry. The first step was the coordination of assembly of the various parts to the end products according to demand. Communication with the assembly factories revealed that the present factories can easily adjusted to the increased demand with only increase of work-shifts around the clock needed.
The distribution of fuel was not a real problem as most of the vehicles were supposed to be run on electricity.
The production of parts was the real problem. There was needed a shift of production of nearly 1/3 of the industry (2/3 of it was dedicated before for energy capturing machines and half of it was supposed to be converted to the production of new energy consuming instruments.
In spite of the expected turmoil, it was found that the increase in the need for raw materials was minimal - nothing the measures for the adjustment of previous fluctuations could not take care of. Production points were only needed to be asked more often to expect a few percentage increase during the near future than expecting decrease, and more requests for redirecting part of the products to a different location.
The main problem was the need for converting half of the production of energy capturing machines to energy consumption instruments. As the shift was already expected, and more so during the last two years, the blueprints for the needed tools and machinery were ready. Even the teams that will be involved with the shift were involved in the decisions about the details.
The coordinators had only to inform the relevant production units about the rate of the shift... It was found that the production comities of the various levels had very little to decide on - mostly about redirection of work power within districts.
The main task of the coordinators was as usual - to try to solve in the best way bottle necks by special contacts with the relevant involved, and shifting reserves to the ones most in need.
After the completion of the basic training as regional coordinator, Ti found that she can do most of her work from her grass roots communication center and need to travel to the region center only once in a season.
It was expected that during the first year of change every dwelling unit will have the air conditioner, the refrigerator, and the electrical oven. According to data collected most adults under 70 will want a two or three wheels vehicles usually one vehicle for each couple or a single person.
As there was expected to be lot of bottlenecks in the production, people were asked about their preference of the order the new energy consuming instrument will be supplied to them.
From the list of instruments people intend to take on their accounts of "luxuries" in the next 18 months it was clear it is not a short term phenomena. Thus, the world assembly of delegates suggested a general discussion will start about new world budget. The suggestion submitted to general decision by the assemblies of the whole world grass roots communities, included a clause that after about two months - when the discussions in the world communication system will show a convergence of opinion there will be taken a vote on the various options for a new budget. The discussions involve changes in the allocation of resources to the various branches of research - "pure science", applied science related to production and health, and the environment related studies.
(The decisions will not involve changes in the production and services, as these were regarded as dictated by the total demand for them. The various adjustment were taken care of by the various levels of distribution system, and the production comities of the relevant assemblies of delegates.)
[After the adjustment of the basic inequalities inherited from the capitalist era, the general world budget was similar for many years. It was the equivalent of about one and a half work-shift of every able body adult. About two thirds of it were used for the various activities for the reversal of the hot-house effect. The rest was dedicated mainly to the various kinds of research and world wide communication system.
The assemblies of delegates of regions, cities, and districts had small budgets of their own for administrative facilities mainly. Most of the various services supplied to the people of the geographical units are on demand and entered into the grass roots community accounts.]
After about a month of discussions it was clear that most of the people supported the elaboration of the previous decision following the reversal of the hot-house effects. The equivalent of one half of work-shift will be deleted from the world budget. The equivalent of one half of work-shift that was previously dedicated to reversal of the hot-house effect will be mainly shifted to investment in capturing "green energy" so the users will have their luxury accounts responsible only for the maintenance of these facilities. The seven work-shifts a decimer recommendation will be restored, keeping the obvious option for people to contribute more in order to get extra increase in their accounts for "luxuries" - or contribute less so they will consume less and have more free time.
[The label "luxuries" was left over from the time of the revolution in which the over coming of the collapse of the system enabled for a while only the essentials to keep people alive. When the situation improved a bit, new clothes, furnitures, electronic instruments, touring, sweets, etc. were distributed on account of an equal budget allocated to every one. Gradually this account was increased till it reached the level of equivalent to one work-shift a decimer (36 work-shifts - 144 work hours a year). In according to the Freedom principle, (restricted only by the Equality principle) every one could concentrate the contribution of workshifts to specific periods so they will have longer vacations. People were also free to contribute lot of extra work-shifts than the norm in order to increase with that their "luxury" account.
The allocation of the specific quota for the personal account was at the end of each decimer. People could not enter into over draft, or get profit for unused resources...)]
After three decimers the assemblies of the grass root communities voted nearly with no opposition that the time is ripe for decision and the details of the new world budget - including the new costing of energy allocation. With nearly no objection was adopted the decision that the norm of seven work-shifts a decimer recommendation will be restored. (And thus the yearly allocation of the account of "luxuries" will increase with 50% into 54 work-shifts - 216 work hours a year.) So was adopted the specific decision about the investing in capturing of "green" energy and in charging the energy consumption only according to maintenance costs.
The following decimer were lot of information and discussion in the world communication system. The input of the coordination system of production and supplies - based on the various statistics, raised the questions regarding the surge in demand of the energy consuming of vehicles and house instruments. There were two main options - either to invest lot of effort in building or enlarging factories, or to use the present one more intensively.
Many of the participants pointed to the fact that the products demanded are with long years of use, and the surge in demand will end in about two years. Thus the most logical step is to use the production units in near 100% capacity in 8 shifts a day - 10 days a decimer. Thus, what will be needed to reallocate is just the work shifts contributed by members of the near by grass roots communities.
There were very few who suggested that there will be built lot of production facilities. Even among the regular workers of these facilities who my have to work more often in less preferred shifts there were not many supporters of the expansionist option. Thus, the decision was submitted and approved by the world grass roots communities the next DD assemblies.
In the same DD assembly, in Ri and Ti grass roots community a decision was passed for the gradual increase of the vehicles pool of the community so members will be able to borrow on their "luxury" account expense motorized vehicles of 4, 3 or 2 wheels.
(The same trend was expressed in the world communication system and nearly all grass roots communities with appropriate terrine, adopted it in the following decimers.)
[Every grass roots community had a budget equivalent to seven work-shifts a decimer for each member. Part of it (one and a half till the last decision and one only since) for the world budget. Since the last decision the equivalent of one and a half decimer was allocated to each member account. The equivalent of four and a half work-shift a decimer of each member were used for the social consumption of the community. It was mainly "used" in direct work within the community and products in its facilities for food, housing, public facilities, social services, children rising, etc. The rest was used mainly in the covering of exchange with the rest of the word: products for the community system, social services for the members out of the community, the neighborhood gymnasium, and small part in the budgets of the district, city, and region for maintaining of infrastructure and facilities.
The contribution of a grass root community to the system external to it is done by products and cervices it provide to it and by work-shifts of its members in the various facilities. (The work shifts of Ri in the neighborhood gymnasium and the work shifts of Ti as coordinator in the supply system are such contributions. Work shifts of other members of the community, out of it, is part of the contributions. The products of the community new factory of medical equipment is such contribution. The work shifts of members of other communities in the factory is part of what the community have to cover.) ]