Posted by Wayne Parham [ 66.139.39.111 ] on September 07, 2005 at 04:25:27:
In Reply to: Re: 2 B A Drug Addict in NO posted by akhilesh on September 06, 2005 at 11:35:51:
I see that as an idealistic position, and I agree. The best organizations I know of treat their office positions as trusted servants, and they encourage rotation of position. There's a certain learning curve for a new person in a position, then a period where they are comfortable and most effective, then a burnout period. By rotating the position, the organization is made stronger because more people become more involved. It also protects the organization from institutionalized leadership, which is almost always a power grab. I don't know if it would work on a national level though. Seems to work best on a smaller local level, where everyone knows everyone else.
One thing is certain. No matter how much you try to institutionalize safety, it's still just layers and layers of abstraction over a fundamental level of uncertainty. What I mean is, you can build social systems with insurance against catastrophe, but you cannot ensure safety. You can do a lot to help things, and you can think ahead. But you cannot ensure a person's safety, health or prosperity. Not that I think we should stop trying to do the best we can, but I think it is important to do a reality check.
The worst thing I see out of the last 50 years or so is people have become so accustomed to cradle-to-grave security that they believe they can actually demand it. We tend to forget that social systems are there to protect society, not individuals. Each individual has to protect himself, and one forgets this at his own peril.
I'm not saying I think everyone should fend for themselves, and forget those that can't. Not at all. But I am reminding everyone of this simple fact. The police that catch the robber isn't there to protect your stuff, in fact, he could care less. The police are there to protect society by acting as a deterrent, to frighten bad guys into acting like good guys. He is also a sometimes a tax collector of sorts, bringing in revenues for the city, state or federal agency he works for. Same is true of the military, National Guard, etc. They aren't there to protect anyone. They are there to protect everyone.
So if you are under attack, hurt, hungry or thirsty, by all means, do the best you can. Don't wait for the cops or the National Guard because they might not help you. That's not their job. Weird, I know, very frustrating. But just have your house burgled or your car stolen and you'll see what I mean. Be attacked and mugged. See what happens if your kids are kidnapped. Or have a natural disaster destroy your life. That's when I think it's time for us to go above and beyond the system, to reach out as individuals to other individuals. Because the system isn't setup to help individuals, and those that think otherwise become hopelessly frustrated.
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