Frank Furedi, the left-wing English writer, cautions us to calm the heck down:
Public figures appear to have lost the capacity to reassure or lead people. Instead, they frequently opt for evoking frightening futuristic scenarios where the line between fiction and reality become unclear. In every respect, the sensibility that underpins public debate today can be described as a ‘crisis of nerve’. This crisis over the future coexists with a powerful sense of disorientation about the status and worth of the human species itself. Increasingly, humanity is represented as the biggest problem on the planet, rather than as the harbinger of a better future.In response to the growing influence of misanthropy, Pope Benedict XVI, in his message for World Peace Day on 1 January 2008, felt the need to remind his audience that ‘respecting the environment does not mean considering material or animal nature more important than man’. That the Pope felt it was necessary to remind people of the unique status of the human species is telling indeed; it shows that we really do live in an era when most leaders find it difficult to believe in anything other than a scary future, and where it takes a Pope to remind them that humans are actually quite special.
One consequence of Western societies’ obsessive preoccupation with the apocalypse-to-come is that less and less creative energy is devoted to confronting the all too important problems that exist in the here and now. Take the global credit crunch unleashed by the sub-prime home loan crisis this year for instance.
In terms of its material impact, this was arguably the most significant event of the year. After more than a decade of economic stability, the world economy faces the threat of a major recession with important implications for people’s lives. This threat may not make an exciting plot for a sci-fi movie, but it has a direct bearing on the quality of life of millions of people. It also raises important questions about an economic system that is so heavily reliant on using fictitious capital to reproduce itself. Unfortunately, however, today’s future-frightened public debate about economics seems more interested in finding ways to transform capitalism into a carbon-free, green-leaning system than in discussing the steps we need to take to minimise the destructive impact of a global recession on people’s lives and aspirations.
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Maybe this is free association, but when I saw this filed under
Apocalypse, Global Warming, Recession . . . my first thought was
Dennis Kucinich.
DK's still Up in NH leading the Recount charge . . . Should I add 'Conspiracy' to the list? Probably not. http://www.sos.nh.gov/recountresults.htm
But seriously, while it's great that Furedi is calling for optimism, I think he's stirring the pot sufficiently enough to miss the point here.
'debate about economics seems more interested in finding ways to transform capitalism into a carbon-free, green-leaning system than in discussing the steps we need to take to minimise the destructive impact of a global recession on people’s lives and aspiration.'
Alot of politicians see America's dependence on foreign oil,the skyrocketing costs of that oil - with it's impacts all over the cost of living - from heat and electricity to grocery bills, AND the resultant funding of terrorist organization as THE problem to fix.
Achieving The Fix will help to lower Defense spending against Terrorism, lower the cost of living, create a new science and tech industrial economy AND eventually reduce all those little carbon footprints once and for all. They've gone and tied it all up in a neat little package.
Tying the stock market to low performance loans to reap high yields for (greedy?) investors is a whole 'nother ball of wax which could've been solved with stricter SEC enforcement. But that would've taken a president who actually wanted a strong SEC - and unfortunately that's not GWB.
All this leads one to think Al Gore might've been a better man for the job 8 yrs ago.
...today’s future-frightened public debate about economics seems more interested in finding ways to transform capitalism into a carbon-free, green-leaning system than in discussing the steps we need to take to minimise the destructive impact of a global recession on people’s lives and aspirations.
Where is this "future-frightened public debate" taking place? I'd like to join in. Seriously, outside a handful of blogs and internet forums, I don't see this debate engaging most citizens of the world. I happen to agree that the steps involved in creating a "carbon-free, green leaning..." etc system WOULD minimize the the impact of global recession, but that's just me.
I don't see the public debating the big issues. I see a public more interested in living the good life - shopping, sports, games and entertainment.
And an interesting choice of articles, Rod. Furedi is a card-carryin' commie, and his wife works for the largest abortion provider in the UK. Don't you just love to slap down the ideas of kooky people like him?
I think Green Living is a little besides the point of this article. Or at least besides the point of its introduction. It got a little off-track with the Greenness because that always summons preconceptions in people's minds. The point is that politicians lead through fear now. Everyone is in a panic about people molesting children, bird flu, the economy, terrorism, when statistically there is nothing new on any of these fronts. I don't understand it. I don't live in fear, and I'm in Iraq. The chances of YOU PERSONALLY getting killed by a terrorist are next to nil, unless you are a security guard at a national monument in DC or the Empire State Building. I can't understand it. This is not the mindset of hope and courage and opportunity which have carried generations of Americans to these shores, to the frontiers, and beyond our own atmosphere. We are blessed with a level security and abundance and freedom which is unimaginable for most of humanity. We need to stop and reflect on that more often.
A good leader will encourage people to be pro-active, not re-active. To hope for the future, not to fear it. To pull themselves from behind these high walls we have built against terrorists and strangers and disease and boogeymen and to LIVE. There are very real dangers in life, not the least of which is driving to the grocery store. But as someone has pointed out (and I wish I could properly attribute this) no one gets out of life alive anyway. ACT on what you can: reduce your environmental impact, save some of your money, get to know your neighbors so you needn't unreasonably fear crime, volunteer for or at least encourage national service - the FBI, the Border Patrol, Customs, FEMA, even local emergency services! There are very real concrete things you can DO. Once you are DOING them you may find you breathe easier.
And as I always say, turn off your television, and step away from your computer occasionally. Both will help tremendously.
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