THE HUMEM STATE

Most people lack the resources or expertise to determine the safety and effectiveness of the many constantly evolving services they use. In advanced states, extensive systems of standards, regulations, enforcement, and justice help protect individuals from ineffectual or harmful services and products, and provide for redress in cases of infringement.

For example, the ordinary person cannot determine the efficacy or safety of a medicine. This can only be performed by large-scale institutions (such as the U.S. FDA), which are ultimately financed by entire populations. In addition to state-sanctioned regulation and certification bodies, nongovernmental institutional and commercial accreditation services also help individuals determine the quality of the services and products they require.

Humems need similar systems for many of the same reasons. Also, they are particularly reliant on complex and rapidly evolving technologies. Thus it is practically impossible for humems and their human counterparts to individually evaluate the value and safety of many of the services on which they depend. In order to free individuals to focus on their preferred pursuits, the functions of evaluation and accreditation of vital services must be overseen by the humem-state and performed by professional bodies, including specialized governmental, commercial, or nonprofit organizations.

As within nation-states, in the humem-state a balance must be found between necessary regulation and obstructive over-regulation, and between the responsibilities of the state and of the individual. This balance will constantly change as new needs and services emerge, and as humem capabilities progress.

 

In cases of a violation of the rules, or harm to humems, the state should provide systems to rectify the damage and provide justice. Initially the humem-state will employ instruments such as contracts, terms of service, and pre-negotiated penalties with the service providers that it authorizes to operate within its domain. These can operate within the framework of the hosting nation-state’s justice system. Later, as the humem-state matures and becomes more self-sufficient, it must establish independent systems for regulation, enforcement, and justice.