-UTOPIA: FOR U or I (ARTISTIC INSIGHT)-
Which one of these places are real; ASGARD, THEMYSCIRA, CAMELOT, XEROX PARC or WAKANDA? ASGARD is the home of Thor. THEMYSCIRA is the home of Wonder Woman. CAMELOT belonged to Merlin, King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable. WAKANDA is where Black Panther originates from. XEROX PARC once was the birthplace of many of today's and future electronic and digital communications. Only one of these places are real, but they all share something in common. They all held to the standard of an utopia perfection rooted in absolute idealism.
XEROX PARC was and is real. That place was the harbinger of our current and modern electronic, digital and communications culture and society. Like those aforementioned mythic places, XEROX PARC had a belief and studiously held to that belief of progress, prosperity and the promotion of thought over profit. Also resembling those mythic places, XEROX PARC was practically self-contained. It's nucleus or founding and establishing members held tight onto their knowledge, technology and creativity and they did not freely let outsiders in. They know or believed that others who were not born into their environment or simply had no knowledge or awareness of their superior and pure expertise, would not come to respect and value it and them. The utopia powers at be would not share their powers and therefore the ancient knowledge and timeless wisdom would forever be lost on future outside generations.
Since XEROX PARC is a real entity, it eventually became an enterprising bounty and for those who were capitalistic in nature. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
This is how the world is run; Through capitalism. But suppose an utopia could actually be run on the premise of serving U(you). Their ways and knowledge of science, government, technology, art, landscaping, horticulture, etc. could be shared unto all of U(you). Would that make a great society, instead of always thinking of I(me)? Haven't we been taught that it's nice to share?
Then again, if U(you) look through human history U(you) can bear witness to the erosion of mankind's knowledge, morals and decency. So, why would an utopia culture or civilization would want to share their pinnacle attributes with us? Why not keep that ancient knowledge and timeless wisdom to themselves and feed it to their own lineage? Why should I(me) share that with U(you) when I(me) know it will be wasted on U(you)? Why not just feed myself with that ancient knowledge and timeless wisdom, because I(me) know I(me) can make more of it.
Maybe this is why an utopia cannot actually exist. There is a division between the haves and the haves not and unfortunately it will be that way as long as mankind inhabits space and time. Different types of greatness makes up an utopia. But, remember this, only the word U-T-O-P-I-A has both U and I in it.
- JAMES D. WATKINS