Professions
One might think that there would be very few occupations required in our world today, but that is far from the truth. In fact, most professions that existed in the Old World still flourish, with some notable exceptions. Jobs that depend on the existence of money and ownership either do not exist, or have changed greatly.
There is no insurance industry in our world. Suppose that a home is damaged by a fire or a storm. It is immediately repaired or replaced by the Housing Authority. The Authority will also arrange for temporary housing if the home is uninhabitable. If a house is damaged due to an action or inaction of the woman who lives there, such as carelessly causing a fire, then she is educated in home safety. After education and counseling, she may come to the realization that she lacks the responsibility to manage a home and would be better suited to live in an apartment or in a communal setting. If a teenager breaks a home's window by throwing a rock, the window repairs are simply ordered by the Housing Authority. The teen is counseled, educated in civics, and his social situation is evaluated. If he is a repeat offender, he may be placed in a youth facility or foster home where he will receive evaluation and treatment for any psychiatric disorders, a structured lifestyle, and any other unmet needs that may have lead to his behavior in the first place.
Health care is provided for all persons as a duty of society. Therefore there are no benefits to manage. However, a great many workers are involved in assigning care givers to patients, and case coordination at Social Services. Physicians and other care givers can practice medicine without seeking approval for needed procedures, so long as their decisions are medically sound. Patients do not have to choose between paying for medicine or their food; both are provided to all. The labor of tens of thousands of benefits managers, claims adjusters, and bill collections agents has been cnverted to more productive activities.
Life insurance is pointless, as neither a bereaved spouse nor an orphaned child has any financial needs. Social workers are available to assist those persons through their difficult transition, however. A patient dying of a terminal cancer can be at peace knowing that he will not be leaving behind a mountain of bills, nor a family with no means of support.
There is no financial or investment industry. Millions of people have been introduced to productive and creative professions who once pointlessly shuffled funds from one corner of the globe to the other. We have no bank tellers or managers; telephone operators, security guards, personal bankers, or loan officers. Gone are mutual fund managers, investment counselors, financial planners, and traders. There are no stock exchange workers, buyers, sellers, or runners. And, on a government level, no money printers, armored car drivers, coin minters, Federal Reserve, Fort Knox, and the enormous government and private institutions associated with this sector. Vast financial computer networks, programmers, analysts, hardware specialist and support personnel that were required to keep the financial industry's transaction records are now providing more useful technical functions.
By the end of the twentieth century, there were over eight and one half million workers employed in the insurance, finance, and real estate industries in the United States and Canada alone.
There is still an advertising industry, but its size is smaller and its focus has changed. These professionals now develop campaigns to assist the world leaders to promote conservation, harmony, civic pride, and volunteerism. They provide consultation to local companies and local restaurants to improve public awareness and promote use of their specialty products, goods and services. They design product labeling and consult on product development and testing.
Thankfully, tele-marketers do not exist in today's world, since there is nothing to sell. This has freed up a great deal of labor, talent, and telephone resources, while simultaneously eliminating a great nuisance. Certainly there is still a need for workers to inform citizens and to persuade them to make use of various opportunities. However this is generally handled by computer automation or by the sector involved. Citizens are notified automatically through the Unified Public Database (UPD) when they have healthcare or other important appoints, and when they are due to donate blood. Local organizations solicit volunteers directly.
Along the same lines, there are no salesmen. Tens of thousands of people no longer travel around countries trying to promote one brand of aspirin over another, a certain type of sugar cookie in a prettier package, or a company's copy machine that isn't selling as good as it should. Consumers can easily find desired products themselves through easily searched indices on the internet. Advanced internet software is capable of suggesting product choices to consumers. While private companies can promote their products, this is usually done by registering with the UPD. Small local companies with specialized products give rise to regional specialties and cultural diversity that is felt to be beneficial.
The paper industry exists, but paper production is very limited compared to the Old World. All documents are kept and transmitted digitally, saving file space and obviating the need to consume millions of kilograms of paper daily. There are no printed newspapers or magazines. These too are transmitted digitally eliminating the single largest use of paper on the planet. There are no printed telephone books as they serve no purpose. Digital directories are always current and always available. Books continue to be a source of education, enlightenment and great joy to all people. Digital books are available, but they lack some of the appeal that a traditional printed book holds for the reader. Current printed books are readily available in libraries, with pages printed on a long-wearing, rip-resistant plastic pages which feel very much like paper. Readers may keep books for as long as desired, and circulation data is used to maintain supplies on the shelves at the libraries. When books become worn, the plastic material within them is completely recycled. This same synthetic paper is used by individuals for general note-writing, greeting cards, etc. Paper is still used by artists and for other creative purposes, as well as in other products where synthetic materials cannot be substituted.
By the end of the twentieth century, there were over two million workers employed in the paper industry in the United States alone.
The only automobiles in service are the occasional electric vehicles used for rural and emergency transportation. For this reason there are relatively few persons employed constructing vehicles. Those workers now build electric cars, emergency vehicles, and trains. There are very few service stations. These facilities are available and strategically located to provide repairs to vehicles, exchange discharged batteries, as well as repair the more common forms of Personal Transportation Devices such as bicycles and scooters. There are greatly fewer mechanics, attendants, and tow truck drivers.
At the end of the twentieth century, there were one and a quarter million persons employed in automobile service jobs in the United States.
Thousands of persons no longer work in the tobacco industry, as tobacco use is restricted. Millions of acres of farm land have been converted to useful crop production and tens of thousands of workers are no longer needed for harvesting, processing, and packaging tobacco products. It follows that through the near elimination of tobacco (it is still allowed for ritual use by groups such as the American Indians), there has also been a significant decrease in resources needed for healthcare in the treatment of respiratory, cardiovascular, and allergic disorders.
While we still have need for a great many police officers world wide, there is much less crime due to our social structure and the absence of money. A fraction of the number of police officers previously required can now provide the functions of maintaining order and apprehending criminals. There is no need for any boarder patrols. There are patrol officers, primarily looking out for emergencies such as a jogger with an injury or an older citizen who has developed chest pain while walking.
Likewise, without countries, there is no need for a military presence. Millions of able-bodied workers are no longer needed as soldiers. Tens of thousands of workers are no longer needed to design, build, and distribute weapons. A tremendous amount of raw materials and energy no longer have to be committed to the production and fueling of military equipment and vehicles.
Aside from the above mentioned professions, most others go on as they did in the Old World. They simply do so without the exchange of money. All types of manufacturing still occur; metal working, plastic forming, woodworking, furniture construction, the building trades, and medical drug manufacturing to name a few examples. Hi-tech professions are similarly unaffected. We still have need for computer programmers, engineers, electronics assembly workers, repairmen, telephone linemen, and researchers. Healthcare is still delivered much as it was in the old World. There are doctors, nurses, Physician Assistants, technicians, and office workers. Stores still need clerks, managers, and cleaners. Restaurants need waiters, dishwashers and cooks. We have professional artists, athletes, and entertainers. We have many more teachers than before.
Consider some career vignettes as illustrations of how our system functions:
At age sixteen, Foster Pierce began to be recognized as an accomplished impressionist painter. After high school, he attended a four year university art school, where he continued to excel. However, his initial application to the Arts Council to be recognized as a Professional Artist was rejected. He found work at a museum in Chicago, restoring artwork, and continued painting on his own time. He achieved further recognition after several of his works were acclaimed at a gallery in Detroit where they were shown. After three more years of amateur painting, he was recognized as a Professional Artist. He now paints, and is a member of the teaching faculty of a school system in Denver. His professional designation gives him easier access to supplies and better exposure for his works. Like other Professional Artists, he has a teaching duty. It is felt to be the duty and privilege of Professional Artists to teach other aspiring art students.
Robert Watson demonstrated exceptional basketball talent in his youth, and won awards during high school and college for his skill. He was recruited by several professional teams during his senior year of college, and decided to join the Chicago Bulls. This decision was based on the opportunity to play with a top-notch team, as well as his family's location in Illinois. He now plays basketball full time, and coaches basketball for a county recreational sports program. His teams games are well attended and he is somewhat of a minor celebrity, but he has only the same privileges and benefits as any other person. He lives in a comfortable apartment in Chicago with his wife, who is expecting their first baby.
Dorothy McCann enjoyed acting in school plays and community theater in high school. She attended Ohio State University where she received a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in chemistry and started work as an assistant chemist in a research lab in Maryland, but involved herself in community theater and really wanted to devote more time to acting. She relocated to New York City, where she enrolled in a series of evening performing arts classes, while working as an assistant in a hospital chemistry laboratory. She was auditioned and was awarded a significant role in a Broadway production and was approved to drop her day job. She continued acting and was later recognized as a Professional Actress, and now devotes all of her time to performing as well as teaching understudies. She lives in New York City and enjoys reading, jogging in Central Park, and small Italian restaurants.
Stephanie Ingram is Chief of the seven person council that is responsible for administration of Global Region NA06; formerly the North Pacific region of the United States. She lives in Seattle in a four bedroom home with her husband. Her home is somewhat larger because she frequently hosts visitors that come to Seattle to meet with her. At those times, she will occasionally have a domestic assistant assigned to her home to assist in meal preparation and attending to the guests. Otherwise, her home life is very unremarkable. Her schedule is often demanding, requiring a great deal of time commitment that her neighbors are free from. Her husband Phillip understands this and is very good about helping out around the house. He is an amateur herpetologist and their house has several vivariums containing unusual lizards. Together they enjoy spending time walking around Pikes Market, attending the symphony, and watching their grandchildren.
There are exceptions to the work requirements. Full time students are excused from their work requirement, although some still choose to work. Students attending a university part-time must still work full-time. Any family with at least one child under the age of five, can obtain a full time work exemption for one parent. After the age five, when the child enters primary school, the parent is expected to resume work at least half time. The parent of a disabled child may obtain an exemption as well, if a mutually agreeable day care provider cannot be found, or if one on one care is needed.
Each citizen is entitled to an equal amount of vacation time. The actual annual duration is a function of the projected labor surplus; currently each citizen is entitled to six weeks. Requests for extra vacation time are granted if the individuals work setting can tolerate the absence; this time must be repaid eight work hours per extra day off. Each adult is entitled to three sabbaticals in their working career. These are twelve month extended leaves which can be used as desired. Many individuals use these times for travel abroad.
It is expected that our citizens will miss work due to illness from time to time. While there are no set guidelines for work missed due to illness, individuals are required to see a healthcare provider at least one time during their absence. People with trends showing excessive absences are interviewed by a social worker and counseled when needed.
Some individuals, especially young adults, like to travel. They wish to see and live in a wide variety of cities, or even former country regions. This is easily done, as there is usually a need for some type of labor, skilled or otherwise, in any region. After registering as a Traveling Worker with Social Services, these individuals may travel at will. Upon arrival at their destination, or often before, they may contact Social Services to arrange for housing and work. So long as they remain current with their work, they may enjoy the same rights and privileges as any other citizens.
Eric Kramer is a nineteen year old who attended one year of school at the University of Toledo, mostly due to parental pressure, and did poorly. He was not ready to apply himself to his studies. He decided he wanted to travel and see more of the world. Over the next year he spent time living and working in nine North American cities and the Canada region. His work experiences included working as a heavy machinery factory assembly line worker, a baker's assistant, a warehouse worker, a recyclable materials collector, and a library assistant. He lived at times in short term apartments, as well as on various communes. He is currently deciding whether or not to apply for admissions at a University or to continue his travels.