Everyone agrees about this: we are not happy with the world the way it is. Whether rich or poor, urban or rural, communist or capitalist, black or white or some shade in between, this religion or that — everyone wishes things were better.
There is violence everywhere. Too many wars, too many guns, and too many people being killed, including children. There is too much crime. No one is safe anymore. Children are bought and sold, as are women. One religion calls the other a terrorist. That one calls this one fascist. Both want blood.
Taxes are too high. Roads have potholes. Politicians are corrupt. Everyone is corrupt. Indians have no civic sense. You can’t trust Russians. Americans are fat, greedy, and like shooting things. Nigerians talk too loudly.
There’s too much pornography.
Climate change is going to get us all sooner than later, unless we nuke ourselves into oblivion before that.
Too many divorces, too much abuse, too much estrangement, too much cancer, too many ultra-processed foods, and too many lies. Everything is fake and getting fakier. Everyone argues all the time. AI is taking us over, and madmen like Elon Musk are leading us into hell.
We are the worst thing to happen to our species.
So what?
So what would it be like if we got the world we’d rather have, a better world?
Let’s talk about Bombai. Click the QR code above to join my WhatsApp group to share your Bombai stories for my book—and perhaps answer some of my Bombai questions
1. There would be no wars. In fact, there would be no crime. Wrestling, boxing, fight clubs, Kung Fu, kickboxing and other ‘sports’ based on attacking other people would be out. There would be no need or tolerance for weapons that could cause hurt, harm, and death. All nuclear weapons, biological weapons and instruments of pain or harm would be buried deep inside the earth, or hurled far into space. People everywhere would be unconditionally safe.
Terrorism, which causes deaths, would just disappear, and counter-terrorism, which causes more deaths as well as inconvenience at airports, would also disappear. With the end of wars and crime, both the military and police would become irrelevant and would be dismantled.
2. Everyone would be equal. Everything would be shared equally among everyone. Both feasts and famines would be out. All the food in the world would be managed compassionately, generously, and efficiently, without waste or excess. No one would be poorer or richer than anyone else. Colour would not make a difference; black, brown, white, or any other shade, you would be just as important and cherished as anyone else.
With people respecting each other so much, Hindus and Muslims would finally enter a time of eternal peace, as would ex-colonies and their colonisers. The past would be over, forgiven and forgotten.
3. There would be no more lies. People would just speak the truth, with no secrets or deception. The only exception would be if the truth would hurt or harm someone, in which case they would become highly stressed, and display physical symptoms caused by the impossible conflict between being honest and hurting someone.
4. Everyone would be cherished. Anyone looking stressed or in danger of physical collapse would receive instant help, treatment and loving care from anyone passing by, including doctors at the hospital. Children would be the most beloved and receive the best possible care and love from everyone. Child abuse and human trafficking would both end.
5. Everyone would be kind. Thinking of other people’s needs would always come first. People would always be trying to find new ways to improve each other’s lives, making time for friends, family, and others. Animals, and indeed all forms of life, would be treated with the same reverence as human life. It would be difficult for anyone to eat meat. With this, agriculture itself would change, but species would thrive and nature would bounce back.
6. Everyone would care for the planet. Harming the environment would be on par with harming human life, and people would collectively do everything they could to keep everything clean, grow more plants, hurt no animals, keep the air breathable, and protect each other from environmental harm.
What if all this happened? Imagine that a new, highly contagious virus emerges whose main symptoms are that it makes each human being kind, considerate, generous, cooperative, honest, and loving, all the things we wish we were. The thought of causing physical or emotional pain to someone else would make people physically ill, or even die. The virus, which has taken over their brains, makes them temperamentally incapable of uttering an untruth.
Best of all, it brings to life a cherished dream: unity as a species. It achieves this by linking all human minds together so that everyone’s thoughts, memories, and knowledge are shared. No one could have any secrets or tell lies any more. Everyone knew everything about everything and everyone, like one planet-wide ChatGPT. The entire knowledge, feelings, experiences and thoughts of every human being would be instantly available to everyone else all the time. In John Lennon’s words, The world will live as one.
Here is my question to you: if a vaccine were created that would protect you from this virus and save you from becoming a part of this world, would you take it? Think before you write back to me at the email below.
You can reach C Y Gopinath at cygopi@gmail.com
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The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper.