Doug R - Yes, I have a lot of faith. I believe that anything that can be imagined can made to exist, if people have enough courage and will to make it exist. Do I think this is going to happen soon? No. The political parties control the present system, and they absolutely will not let it happen, not until they have been so discredited that no one believes in them anymore. I have already reached that stage. I don't believe in them.

It could be accomplished at any time, but almost certainly won't be. What I am describing is really quite similar to the kind of democracy that existed in many simple tribal peoples for thousands of years. Decisions were arrived at by cooperative consensus, rather than by dividing up into competitive groups and then enforcing the will of a temporary majority upon various minorities. That is not what I call democracy. I call it a semi-democratic form of dictatorship, with limited tenure.

I'm a creative artist, not a politician. It is my job to imagine the finest thing I can and then express it as best I can.

I realize it may seem unrealistic. The most idealistic things always seem unrealistic. Consider the things Jesus taught. Unrealistic, right? But if people had the courage to follow those teachings in every way we could transform the world.

Yes, I believe in Shangri-La.