Improving Society LO4665

Julie Beedon (julie@vistabee.win-uk.net)
Sat, 06 Jan 1996 22:00:00

Replying to LO4620 --


>Replying to LO4574 --
>
> Had a very interested discussion on this topic. I asked the question
> of what we can do to improve society positively, to a group of friends
> after a satellite broadcast I held at home last night. Here are some
> of the discussion points:
>
> 1. Increase taxes so the government can do more instead of having to
> cut services and people. (Most people weren't thrilled with this
> idea, as the governments haven't handled our tax dollars efficiently
> to begin with)
>
> 2. Decrease taxes and have the government do less intervention in
> business. (This was met with more agreement, but it wasn't clear how
> this would directly improve society).
>
> 3. Get more police and fight crime. (Some thought this would lead to
> a war in the streets, rather than an improvement in society).
>
> 4. Improve the schools. (Everyone agreed that education was the most
> important thing we can do to improve society, but there wasn't a lot
> of confidence in the current systems and thier concepts to implement
> any improvements)
>
> In the end, we all agreed that it comes down to improving the
> individuals. If we can just get individuals to invest in themselves,
> and start bringing a positive difference to their own lives, just like
> a ripple in the water, the positive influence will slowly become a
> tidal wave which will change society positively.

Wonderful that we should be seeking to improve society and I can
see that as individuals we all need to be conscious of the extent
to which we can do this - I like the concept of the 'tyranny of the
small decision' - like the decision to shop at the out of town
centre which results in the colsure of the local shops....

However I have sense that we need to do more than that .... in
this age of the rugged individual it seems to me that we need to
bring people and communities together ...... and create a vision
of the future which we are prepared to work together to do
something to achieve. Whilst your groups list of actions may
result in improvements to society I wonder as 'solutions' if they
end up leaving it all to someone else..... next time you all get
together why not imagine how in 2/10 years time you all will have
made a real difference in the society around you and begin to plan to
make that happen....

Struggling to make a difference.....

--
Julie Beedon <julie@vistabee.win-uk.net>