The essence of democracy is to make decisions. What to do as a society, what are our beliefs, what are our problems, and who do we trust to decide those things and how do we choose them? If less and less people turn out to vote, at what point is it no longer a democracy?
COMMITMENT Vs QUALITY
Once a decision is made to do something, a threshold is passed. Whether it is going to a restaurant, or committing to a multi-million project. Once over the line, decisions over budgetary factors, for example, are secondary. If you go to a restaurant, but then do not choose the dish you really want, because it is a little more expensive, then the experience is cheapened. You could have not gone; you could have gone to a different kind of restaurant. To not make the most of an experience is to waste it. Quality decisions beget quality outcomes, and vice versa.
RED TAPE
With ever increasing complexity of modern life, there is a natural tendency to create ever more regulations, rather than rationalising and seeking deeper patterns of behaviour. However, as regulations increase they reach such a level that processes actually related to doing, become increasingly held up. So quality outcomes are reduced.
As such, a process gets to a point where it can only progress through a labyrinth of decisions, it is then effectively held to ‘ransom’, delayed and controlled, and it becomes more likely that (often well intentioned) personal agendas come to the fore, and processes become skewed from their original purpose; satisfying criteria of process, rather than actually achieving objectives – the process becomes the objective. There is no wrong and right; everything is relative.
CONSENSUS
By adopting a consensual mode of agreement, which would have to be considered more in line with human nature, processes can be freed up, rather than become more hindered. It is much easier to decide who an appropriate group of people for any given situation would be, than continually passing the buck, because nobody wants to take responsibility in case they are sued, or do not hit their targets. Through a consensual process, the default becomes action, rather than in-action; less focus on tick-box criteria. Progress by common sense; a process of evolution and refinement, with relevant and experienced people commenting at appropriate points. If something seems right, it probably is.
WHEN IS A LAW NOT A LAW
If we tend to defer to guidance, it effectively becomes law. But this means we operate to the lowest common denominator, and skulk in dark corners, throwing out easy platitudes from our cosy armchairs.
If we encourage people to experiment, to try new ideas, rather than always conform and tick all the boxes or chastise when something does not work out, we may actually make some progress. There will be ‘failures’ and set backs, but how can we learn if we do not make mistakes; if we do not listen, observe, and respect those around us; acknowledge how the world is, rather than maintain it is how we would want it to be?
We can navigate complex situations, and start to draw together strands that start to link and spiral positively, rather than negatively, as when we stick to our tried and tested, lowest common denominator way of thinking. Often, convention just persists out of lack of objective reflection. But what if the situation and context of when a law, for example, was brought in has changed dramatically, and nobody noticed? This is then open to abuse, as it is out of kilter with how we live today. Sometimes, one step back, allows us to go two steps forward.
WHAT’S NORMAL
Consideration should coincide with most people, most of the time, under ‘normal’ circumstances. Although, this needs to take on board the extreme situation - those at the periphery. A shift of focus to majority, rather than being held up by considerations of extremes.
A diverse society is a rich society, and genuinely acknowledging that is necessary, but not easy. But this is not to deny the importance of those outside the mainstream; the opposite of normal is not necessarily abnormal.
YA’ GOTTA HAVE FAITH
Faith and ritual form fundamental strands of society, nothing necessarily to do with religion. Can we not have faith that we can live more sustainably; that the planet can get it’s environment back on an even keel, even in the light of overwhelming evidence against it – is this not hope itself? Do we not want to stand side-by-side with our partner in front of friends, family, loved ones, and declare that we want to spend the rest of our lives with them, through thick and thin – is this not a rite worth striving for?
Faith and ritual have been monopolised by religions for so long, that as religion wanes, so too do the fulfilment of faith and ritual. They do not disappear though; they are hard wired into how we live. This leaves us searching for other anchors; other safe harbours. What do we see replacing them: shopping, celebrity reverence – surely such things will only guide us into treacherous waters?
ODE TO BANKS
Where now, all that flowed so free to the Banks,
No relief for the ill, no abode for the wandering,
No locomotion for the distant, no learning for the young,
So tight lipped now, the gaping beak; sated, moved on, with less than a thanks.
AND FINALLY …
This month we have seen police officers dramatically abusing their powers at the G20 gathering. This adds to a growing list of incidents. Are anti-terrorism laws, already questionable in themselves, being abused through media-fed paranoia?
One particular activity seems to be a favourite of theirs – intimidating people taking photographs in the street, aggressively accosting them with demands to show and delete pictures, and even to hand over the camera. None of this is legal. If an officer approaches you, they are legally obliged to explain why, and to identify themselves.
The question of identification is an important one. Do police officers forget that they are not the law; they only represent it on behalf of the citizens?
Kafka increasingly looks tame.
