James Silk Buckingham (1786–1855)

So an interesting bit of utopian planning, although the author hates the word utopian. This is an actual plan nothing too outlandish. The main idea is a sort of corporation, each individual in the town gets a salary with plenty of room for promotion to a higher salary. Everything created by the townspeople is sold off, locals gets first dibs at a discount, and at the end of the year the workers get a dividend in addition to their basic wages.

It seems like a pretty good system, theres free healthcare, daycare, jobs for women, maximum working hours, minimum wage, cross training etc.
Also cheap restaurants which everyone is encouraged to use instead of eating at home and one store for each kind of produce, with all items being put into a catalogue 'Argus' style.

There are also some oddities like wanting all the buildings to be made of iron and a giant light on a tower in the middle of the town capable of illuminating the entire place.
In addition there is no alcohol, tobacco, drugs or firearms allowed in the town.

After the model town plan the rest of the work consists of historical precedents and other facts designed to backup the idea, also ALL of the accounts and inventory numbers needed to realise the plan.
Finally the author goes onto some other general topics like tax and voting reform which i mostly just skimmed.
Although there was one part about colonies that caught my eye. In which the author argues that all of Britains colonies would inevitably become independent and that this was not a problem unless they parted on bad terms. I guess nobody listened :) .

Of some interest but only as a historical curiosity.… (más)