Society is Broken

Society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit. I first heard this proverb in an English lesson almost 20 years ago. This one sentence immediately struck a chord with me; one line which perfectly illustrates innumerable social contracts that exist in modern society. Chief amongst those is the understanding between government and the public to govern for the best of the country. Sadly if the aforementioned leads to greatness, then surely the opposite also holds. Society festers when today’s leaders think only of themselves. 

This brings us to the matter at hand; this government. This government is the most venal, incompetent and dishonest group of charlatans in living memory. Distrust, if not outright hatred, for this government is the single unifying issue across the entire political spectrum. It is a testament to Boris Johnson’s lack of character that he has not resigned, and yet this perfectly epitomises the breach in social contract. Whilst Johnson and his compromised cronies enrich themselves whilst struggling to cling to power, people in the real world in all parts of society are suffering.

How exactly is society broken?

Britain has, with few exceptions, deteriorated across the board over the last 12 years. I am keeping a running list here, but I have summarised the broad themes below:

• Society has seen an explosion in poverty, thanks to a welfare system and pension that is completely unfit for purpose
• Our economy is faltering, and has not yet returned to 2019 levels, at a time when a cost of living crisis threatens every household in the UK
• Courts are in disarray whilst the state of legal aid is an outrageous affront to justice
• The police are facing a crisis of confidence that threatens the very principle of “policing by consent”, thanks to a range of scandals across the country

All this points to a country that is on its knees, with a situation that is deteriorating thanks to an incompetent government.

What happens next?

Society must combat corruption in two ways. Firstly, we have to call out corruption wherever we see it, tearing it out at the roots and leaving nowhere for it to hide. Secondly, we have to have something better ready to replace it when we succeed. For social good to triumph over venal self interest, both remedies must be pursued with equal ferocity.

In keeping with the above ethos, this website is a place where I hope to incubate ideas that might improve the country we live in. I truly believe that this country is an amazing place, filled with amazing people. Unfortunately, a self serving government is creating a cesspit of corruption that threatens us all.

I expect that for the foreseeable future I will be the only regular reader of this website, but it is better than screaming into the abyss! That being said, I welcome any and all contributions via the comments section. Further, if anyone wants to write a guest post please let me know using the Contact link!