Si_Crewe wrote:In a nutshell, we have to start giving people stuff or, sooner or later, they're going to become so desperate that they'll attempt to take it - and that's going to be bad for everybody.
The way I see it, there are 2 kinds of societies which are viable:-
1) Just lawless societies where people can simply do whatever they want with whatever resources are available.
2) Just lawful societies where everybody can exist within the framework of the law.
Both of these models allow people access to fundamental "needs", as laid out in Maslow's Pyramid.
In a just lawless society, you can go out and get what you need without censure as long as you don't piss anybody off in the process.
You need somewhere to live? Chop down some trees and build a house.
You need food? Go and kill an animal or plant some crops. Job done.
In a just lawful society, there are laws dictating what people can do but everybody will have the means to achieve goals within the framework of the law.
Everybody will be able to buy/rent a house.
Everybody will be able to buy food.
The problem is, there are also unjust versions of those models.
There are lawless societies where people will take things away from others by violence or where there simply aren't the resources for people to achieve things in the first place.
In the UK (and in the west, in general) we seem to be heading toward creating unjust lawful societies, though, and that's very worrying.
We have laws which tell people that they can't just go out and build a house in the woods, can't just shoot their food and can't just plant food on vacant land.
Meanwhile, we also have a situation where fewer and fewer people can actually satisfy fundamental needs within the framework of the law.
If people can't survive within the legal framework of a society then sooner or later they will reject that legal framework entirely when their situation becomes untenable.
You can't keep on denying people the opportunity to find accommodation, healthcare, education and success without, inevitably, creating a situation where they will become desperate and lash out against that framework.
Over the next 20 years, one of 2 things will happen.
Either we'll willingly change the direction we're heading and people will regain opportunities for contentment within our society OR there will be violence, death and destruction and then we'll be forced to find ways to ensure people can achieve those things in the burned remains of our society.
Good post.
But, a lot of this world is wasted, the cumulative destruction and decimation of land and of people in the middle east, and some other areas around the world. Is a serious problem which is getting progressively worse. Good and unfortunately some bad people from these countries end up fleeing to the 'better' Countries of the world, and guess what, sooner or later these Countries themselves will become under pressure, in all kinds of ways. Overcrowded etc
I actually think it's at a point where it's sooner/right now, rather than later.