By Tim Wood
I have no idea where my fascination with dystopian films and novels came from. I know it had something to do with survival of the fittest, thinking I would be a survivor in any type of dystopia. Not so much now, as an old man, but back when I was young and strong and liked to fight.
Coming of age in an extremely conservative household while, at the same time, idealizing the young Bob Dylan, created a constant battleground within my home life. When I started smoking the “laughee tobbaccee,” I turned my attentions to our “new generation revolution,” wanting to help install the new world order of peace, love and ending all war. I started building the coffin for those ideals halfway through Nixon’s reign and pounded the nails into its lid within Reagan’s reign.
The only ideal I still had, imbedded in my soul, was that I was an anti-capitalist, as I am to this day. Since then I have spent the last 54 years dreaming up utopias in my spare time. I’ve decided I have no wish (at all) to live in a dystopia, but I’d love to live inside a societal utopia before I die.
I’m probably pegged as a progressive liberal. I do believe the U.S. is trying desperately to become a Democratic Republic, not a Socialist Democracy, nor an Aristocratic Oligarchy.
My imagined utopian society has a foundation built upon our U.S. Constitution and an enforced democratic rule of law, along with an incorruptible Social Security System, all in place. Most of the time I think our USA is the only country in the world that could become and attain utopian status; and what a great place for that to happen: We’re huge, we’re powerful, we have divine resources and the most diverse population on good old Earth.
But we are also naive, ignorant and spoiled. Just look into the recent past and study what has happened to this wonderful country since Jan. 6, 2021: Protections and covers for sexual exploitation, unchecked greed and legalized corruption. I’m not a socialist but I’ve been known to cherry pick socialist bullet points. I’ve never really known what I’ve become until this past year of 2025 because of two new books I read.
The first one dovetailed nicely into my fantasizing psyche. After reading “Limitarianism” by Ingrid Robeyns, I’m proud to claim that I’ve become a card carrying Limitarianist. In her book Ingrid is up front about a couple things: 1) She is very self-assured that her societal concepts could work in a humane governmental society, and I agree with her, after my reading. 2) The catch is that her concepts (as she herself stresses) could only work if 90% or more in that society agreed upon and honored the concepts and policies that she has put forth. Thus the dream of a utopian and truly equal country.
Why? That answer lies in her book’s extended title: “Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth” … Oh yeah, greed; I guess it’s like our own U.S. Constitution: It only works if you honor the damn thing.
Then I ran across an even newer book, “The Second Estate,” by Ray D. Madoff. (I’m not a book critic nor a reviewer, I’m just recommending books that have helped in my own personal pursuit of establishing a wishful utopian society). So here’s a book with such practical insight and knowledge its recommendations should be implicated as soon as possible.
Professor Madoff, in the early stages of her book, states: “After the U.S. Constitution, the tax code is the single most important document affecting American lives.” This is a book about our outdated and abused U.S. tax code, of which few citizens have a deep knowledge, or even know what the code says; me included.
I have not read our entire 7,000-page tax code document, nor do I intend to; but I learned a great deal about our tax system within this small volume. With Madoff’s credentials, I believe and trust him, and, low and behold, she offers both hard facts as well as solutions for this outdated document (unlike our morphing and ever-challenged Constitution).
Our U.S. tax code can and should be examined and modified. Professor Madoff makes a water-tight case against our present, elitist-serving U.S. tax code enabling our wealthiest citizens to become a 21st century aristocratic class. It’s eye-opening, and I had to take 10 deep breathes between chapters.
I have a lot of fun dreaming up ways to improve our country but I’m not naive enough to actually expect to die within the magically transformed societal utopia, anywhere. I just never thought this country would be staring down the barrel of an oligarchical aristocracy supported by 30% of our population.
We may never live inside a utopia but we sure as hell should be working towards that ideal, not backsliding into hateful partisanship, cruelty and war. Remember, this new aristocracy (enabled by our existing tax code laws) includes not only Trump, Musk, Ellison, Zuckerberg and Bezos. Don’t forget about folks like Jay-Z who’s worth about $2.5 billion or Taylor Swift at about $1.6 billion or Michael Jordan at about $4.3 billion. It almost makes George Clooney and Bob Dylan look like paupers with their measly $500 million … each.
For me, one of the most eye-popping tutorials taken from “The Second Estate” was the explanation of just how our country’s philanthropy system really functions … (and the times aren’t a-changing, yet).
Tim and Kristy Wood moved to Beaufort in 1974. He worked as a carpenter in both restoration and new home construction, as well as operating a shop specializing in custom woodwork, Wood on Wood Specs. He is semi-retired, involved with fine woodworking and formerly sat on the City of Beaufort Zoning Board of Appeals.