[Sussex] Putting the World to Rights [Was: Definetly No Linux Thread here]

[Steve Dobson]

Geoff

Thanks for a though provoking post.  Forgive my tardiness is replaying
but it hit my input queue as I was getting ready to go out for the
evening, and on my return my pickled brain was not up to composing 
a response worthy of your effort (as if this one could be :-).

To the readers of this please note that not one word of Geoff's
posting is retained in this.  That is not because I think it has worth,
the complete opposite in fact.  It deserves to be read as a whole.  If
I were to chop it up into byte sized chunks that would take something
away from Geoff's arguments.

Taking Responsibility for One's Actions
---------------------------------------

Three very good cases on Level, the phone market, and the entertainment
execs.  But I see these examples as instances of the trend in out society
to "pass the buck", to "let someone else deal with the problem".  A sort
of "I'll keep doing it until they make it illegal" approach to responsibility.

Level did a good job in getting most people to use deodorants.  This is
something I'm grateful for now when I go to the cinema, having once
sat next to some one that didn't bother.

Marketeers shouldn't be stopped from playing on our fears to sell product.
I don't always like the way it is being used, but there are many times when
it is the right way.  Government information films on Road Safety for example.

It is when things go to far that I start to disapprove.  Lever should have
stopped using a damaging delivery method before Government band it.  I
don't see how you could have stopped the phone ads.  The job of an ad
is to create demand, it has no other roll, and the "embarrassing mobile
phones" ads did that.

The problem is not in the ads themselves, but with parents not taking
enough responsibility for their kids.  Too many parents don't take the
time to control there kids.  They let the TV keep them entertained without
checking the content of what is being watching.  They let them run wild on
the streets - it's okay so long as they aren't under their feet.

One law I would like to see introduced would be to make parents more
responsible for the action of the kids.  If "Daddy" had to pay 
compensation for the phone "Little Johnny" stole "Daddy" would make
sure that "Little Johnny" wasn't running so wild.

Censorship
----------

Like you I don't like other deciding what should and should not be watched.
Those like Mary Whitehouse need to be shown how to use the off switch.
Censorship should only be exorcised by the individual.  Except by the
young - there it is their parents responsibility.

But I don't agree with you that we live in a society where upsetting
imagery can't be show.  The news shows have, from time to time, show
dead bodies.  Back in '84 Live Aid was such a big thing because of the
imagery shown.  We see so much that the impact has lessened.

Much of what we see is show out of context, only part of the consequences
of shooting someone dead is portrayed.  The good guy saves the day by
shooting the baddies dead.  We don't see ending someone's live has a 
physiological effect on the shooter.  We don't see the effect on the family
left behind.  All we are show in shooting some make things better.

"The A-Team" was about the worst show for this.  The bullets flew and
no-one (good or bad) got hit, let alone killed.  I can remember that the
"Return of the Jedi" was slammed by some mother's group because in one
scene it showed an Ewoc grieving over the dead body of his friend.

I think this is very responsible film making; in war both sides suffer!
"Saving Private Ryan" likewise should be praised: the "goodies" were just
as vindictive as the "baddies".

Government
----------

I don't like your statement on the role of government to protect us.
To me this implies that you believe that the Government, once elected,
can impose on us the Laws that it sees fit.  I don't want to give them
that much power.

I also don't like your ideas about MP's giving up their links to 
companies.  Stopping MPs from being on boards, consulting, being
part of trade unions isolate them from the people they represent.
A government should not lose touch with the people.` This has happened
to many times.  Thatcher lost it, and went way, way of the deep end with
the Poll Tax.  I fear that Blair is loosing touch too.

I also thing that Thatcher and Blair are control freaks.  I don't want
a President running this country.  I didn't vote for one.  I voted for
a party and the party that is in Government I want have many voices.

Like you I want proportional representation.  I would like to see 
the parties have an ordered list of members.  The more votes a party
gets the more people from the list it is allowed to put into Parliament.

Would this give one party and overall majority?  Not from what I 
remember from watching "Election Night".  We would get a coalition
government and that, I believe would help keep them honest.

I would also like to see more power at the local level.  I don't like
centralisation, Eastbourne does not have the same problems as 
Brixton. 

Likewise some politics make more sense at the super-state level (defence
for one).  Westminster has to be stripped of much of its current power.
Some needs to be given to Brussels, a lot has to be returned to the
councils.  Now that does sound like a better democracy to me.

Cynicism, Idealism and the Education Elite
------------------------------------------

Okay, we're different; we're educated, we're interested in a wide number
of issues and we're outspoken on issues we care about.  But the general
downbeat flavour of your post can lead those less educated into thinking
that there is nothing they can do.

I agree with you that a large part of society swallow hock, line and sinker
the view they read in The Mail or The Sun.  But the writers are educated.
We can help those writers see things from a different point of view.  If
we're downbeat, if it looks to those outside that our cause it lost.  Why
should they take an interest?  

I believe that having a positive attitude helps; that one person can make
a difference.  By not just finding fault, but trying to find ways to 
correct the situation this helps others to get on board too.  It may not
be as active a way of changing the world as entering politics, but after
much though on the subject, over years, I'd rather be part of a pressure
group than get caught up with a political party.

Steve