I left a comment on Tuesday’s blog post about compensation for CEOs. I prefaced that comment by saying that I didn’t think we could or should follow through with my thought, but that in a perfect world something like it would be a good thing to do. That preface was made with a reason and I sometimes wonder if that unspoken logic should be explained.

There is a fundamental difference between what “could be” and what “should be.” To put it another way, there is a difference between “better” and “perfect.” To put it yet another way, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. And, for the record, I think this consept is one of the biggest differences betwen conservative and liberal ideologies.

We all have an idea in our heads – an idea of a perfect world. A utopia. A place where everything is right and just and fair. A place where we can do anything we want and no one questions it. If I were King of America, I could just pass a law. I could stop people from abusing one another. I could educate the masses. I could lift us out of poverty. I could usher in a new, Golden Age. We could stop CEOs from being greedy, selfish swindlers. We could have universal health care. We’d all be rich. There would be no pollution, no hate, no disease, and every flower would be eternally in bloom.

We could eliminate crime entirely. Educate the children while they’re young. Remove them from broken homes. Give them a positive message. Take away everything that would tempt them into crossing that line. Only show the best and most informative shows on TV. Take away violent video games. And when someone slips, we could reeducate them. Maybe send them to some kind of center until they are rehabilitated into healthy, well-adjusted members of society. Maybe we could put them to work so that they don’t feel the need to steal. Repeat offenders would just disappear into the system.

No one would miss them.

It wouldn’t be hard to track down the people who committed those crimes. We could start a national database. Everyone’s DNA and fingerprints on file. Pictures. Details about their past. We could put it all into a single place, so any cop could find it when they needed it. Maybe some kind of universal ID card. And, since we live in a perfect society, I’ll bet the citizens will jump at the chance to turn in those they know to engage in criminal behavior. We could reward them for being helpful and punish those who give them shelter.

Citizens would do their civic duty.

While we’re at it, let’s unify the world under one leader, me, because I know best. I could take that perfect, utopian vision for America and gift it to the world, no strings attached. I could stop genocide, hunger, and war. It wouldn’t take much. America has such a powerful military. People around the world would flock to my banner. Most places would surrender, anyway. If they didn’t I could make an example of someplace.

Just one.

That would be all it took to make the rest fold. No one else would resist. Dictators would gladly accept exile over death. No one would fight, once they realized it was inevitable. Democracies would see the greatness of my rule and vote to join the New America. It would be peaceful. There would be no Vietnam. No Iraqi insurgency. I would just have to push over the leaders and the people would rise up and join me. In any case, if they didn’t, I could put that army to work. The real reason we keep getting bogged down everywhere is that no one has the will to do what is necessary to truly win. I know how to make them love me. And they would. They’ll have to. I’ll show them.

It will be perfect.

We can make our world better. We can’t make it perfect. Fear those who seek perfection. Nothing is perfect. When someone offers you perfection, run. Run screaming and don’t ever look back.