Time For A No Dickheads Rule
Thursday, September 11, 2003
In his wonderful mass nigh the All Blacks, Legacy, James Kerr reminds us that a primal to the success of this remarkable rugby squad is an unbreakable social contract, "No dickheads."
I'm showtime to think that the torso politic needs a similar approach. If nosotros sentiment each soil equally having an implicit social contract, nosotros tin hand notice run into that its tenets accept an ebb in addition to flow--from inclusive to exclusive, from sharing to selfish, in addition to and thence on. It appears that nosotros are straightaway heading, inwards several countries, to the terminate of the spectrum that is dysfunctional.
Martin Flanagan sets forth this idea inwards his mass nigh Australia, mateship" has moved. He writes:
I enquire my father-in-law--what does it hateful to endure Australian? He looks out the window in addition to says, "Giving the bloke beneath you lot a mitt up." This ethic is direct at odds amongst the political ideology of our day. known inwards this soil equally economical rationalism, it is a glib brew of post-modern capitalism in addition to social Darwinism that has no meaningful notion of civilisation in addition to no abide by for the local except equally a marketplace.
Ari Shavit, inwards My Promised Land, describes a similar phenomenon inwards around other immature soil that came into beingness on a moving ridge of usual back upwardly in addition to social justice. A friend of mine in that location inwards Israel, looking at the electrical current political leadership, behavior, in addition to social trends, says, "I don't experience I am living inwards my ain soil anymore."
And inwards the United States, well, what tin hand notice nosotros state nigh the electrical current movement inwards 1 of the 2 major parties? This article notes:
Much of the polarization dividing American politics was fueled non simply yesteryear gerrymandering or coin inwards politics or the other oft-cited variables, but yesteryear an unnoticed but surprisingly large electoral grouping — authoritarians.
This tendency had been accelerated inwards recent years yesteryear demographic in addition to economical changes such equally immigration, which "activated" authoritarian tendencies, leading many Americans to attempt out a strongman leader who would save a condition quo they experience is nether threat in addition to impose monastic tell on a globe they perceive equally increasingly alien.
There was never a to a greater extent than of import fourth dimension for people of influence in addition to condition to verbalise upwardly for the to a greater extent than positive social contract that has worked to brand nations great. But, non entirely those people. With the ascension of social media, everybody has a forum they tin hand notice utilise for similar messages. It's actually fourth dimension to utilization the resources at our disposal to encourage in addition to back upwardly a "no dickheads" rule, a civilisation of respect, openness, understanding, empathy, in addition to usual support--one that welcomes the multifariousness inside but likewise the inflow of novel citizens seeking gratefully to participate inwards a productive in addition to costless society.
But it is simply that liberty that, without diligence, diminishes us all.
If not, nosotros best retrieve the quote from Martin Niemöller:
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I did non verbalise out;
As I was non a communist.
When they locked upwardly the social democrats,
I did non verbalise out;
I was non a social democrat.
When they came for the merchandise unionists,
I did non verbalise out;
As I was non a merchandise unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I did non verbalise out;
As I was non a Jew.
When they came for me,
in that location was no 1 left to verbalise out.
I'm showtime to think that the torso politic needs a similar approach. If nosotros sentiment each soil equally having an implicit social contract, nosotros tin hand notice run into that its tenets accept an ebb in addition to flow--from inclusive to exclusive, from sharing to selfish, in addition to and thence on. It appears that nosotros are straightaway heading, inwards several countries, to the terminate of the spectrum that is dysfunctional.
Martin Flanagan sets forth this idea inwards his mass nigh Australia, mateship" has moved. He writes:
I enquire my father-in-law--what does it hateful to endure Australian? He looks out the window in addition to says, "Giving the bloke beneath you lot a mitt up." This ethic is direct at odds amongst the political ideology of our day. known inwards this soil equally economical rationalism, it is a glib brew of post-modern capitalism in addition to social Darwinism that has no meaningful notion of civilisation in addition to no abide by for the local except equally a marketplace.
Ari Shavit, inwards My Promised Land, describes a similar phenomenon inwards around other immature soil that came into beingness on a moving ridge of usual back upwardly in addition to social justice. A friend of mine in that location inwards Israel, looking at the electrical current political leadership, behavior, in addition to social trends, says, "I don't experience I am living inwards my ain soil anymore."
And inwards the United States, well, what tin hand notice nosotros state nigh the electrical current movement inwards 1 of the 2 major parties? This article notes:
Much of the polarization dividing American politics was fueled non simply yesteryear gerrymandering or coin inwards politics or the other oft-cited variables, but yesteryear an unnoticed but surprisingly large electoral grouping — authoritarians.
This tendency had been accelerated inwards recent years yesteryear demographic in addition to economical changes such equally immigration, which "activated" authoritarian tendencies, leading many Americans to attempt out a strongman leader who would save a condition quo they experience is nether threat in addition to impose monastic tell on a globe they perceive equally increasingly alien.
There was never a to a greater extent than of import fourth dimension for people of influence in addition to condition to verbalise upwardly for the to a greater extent than positive social contract that has worked to brand nations great. But, non entirely those people. With the ascension of social media, everybody has a forum they tin hand notice utilise for similar messages. It's actually fourth dimension to utilization the resources at our disposal to encourage in addition to back upwardly a "no dickheads" rule, a civilisation of respect, openness, understanding, empathy, in addition to usual support--one that welcomes the multifariousness inside but likewise the inflow of novel citizens seeking gratefully to participate inwards a productive in addition to costless society.
But it is simply that liberty that, without diligence, diminishes us all.
If not, nosotros best retrieve the quote from Martin Niemöller:
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I did non verbalise out;
As I was non a communist.
When they locked upwardly the social democrats,
I did non verbalise out;
I was non a social democrat.
When they came for the merchandise unionists,
I did non verbalise out;
As I was non a merchandise unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I did non verbalise out;
As I was non a Jew.
When they came for me,
in that location was no 1 left to verbalise out.