Let's Invent a Government.

In light of the recent protests on Wall Street, many American's have been questioning the staying power and importance of capitalism. There has been a growing cry for change, and many people believe that this need cannot be fully met with the current system we have in place. My question is, what could we possibly replace it with?

In order to fully indulge in this conversation, I ask that you leave pre-existing labels and ideals at the door. Don't just tell me "Capitalism! Socialism! Anarchic Post-Modern Communism!" That doesn't mean anything. Let's build this thing from the ground up. I don't mind quoting philosophers, but I want real ideas and tangible logic. If you know nothing about philosophy, even better. While this debate is purely hypothetical, I believe it is important to think of this in terms of today's conditions and problems. While we may not ever put this government in place, or seriously expect any of it to come to fruition, we can at least open up a discussion on the possibility of a better structure. I understand if you think a structure already invented is perfect and flawless and therefore feel a discussion like this is unnecessary. If so, we may reach that conclusion logically anyway, and I ask that you attempt to look at this without too much pretense.

Yes, this will require considering the environment, the population problem, the arts, an economy, education, family structure, public transportation ect. ect. This is why I ask people from all walks of life to comment. And spread it around.

So; let's start with the basics so that we're all on the same page.

What is government?