SOCIETY OF RELIANCE (again)

So, today my friend and I, had a work based experience, a reminder of something that I previously talked about in a post ;  "what was that?" he asked "well, I'll tell you" I replied, or rather I pointed him towards this post from sometime ago...

Providing for leisure at what price

Let’s discuss the society of reliance. I’m not telling, I’m asking ; telling you to discuss this topic won’t work for you, but most of the populace  expect to be told what to do and when to do it. The Social Worker, Teacher and Council official organise the average person’s life for them.

From telling them how to deal with pregnancy; what they may need, what they can claim, to telling them what’s best for baby. Then the state tells them what to feed the baby, tells them when to go and inspect the housing that has been organised for them; from how to get there and were to top up their oyster card to how to fill in the appropriate forms.

That’s child care and housing sorted out.

The Social Workers tell them when to come for their appointment, how to claim their benefit money, how to complete the box ticking job of searching for employment. The Teacher tells them what they should do at home to help their child get educated, including facts on nutrition and bed times.

The various other local services tell them how to deal with their drug habits, poor housing conditions and lack of income. Advice workers tell them how to provide for their children without having a job and not having to give up their fags/drugs/booze/gambling/dangerous dogs/mobile phones/Sky TV.

The police support services tell them how to behave on the streets and the solicitors tell them how to avoid a custodial sentence when they break the law.

Doctors tell them what they should be doing to avoid poor health and substance abuse and also tell them about the help available provided by the Tax payer.

When they are incarcerated the guards tell them how to spend their time and on release the Probation services tells them what to do to avoid a return to prison.

Without these systems in place how would that person, of whom I speak, manage to exist?

It’s not about a compassionate society providing guidance, advice or support it’s about a stratum of that society unable to function at even the lowest level without being told how to live.

How we got to this point I don’t know but we face a future of a cycle of reliance, and not sufficiency.

This is not progress.This is The *Morlocks and the *Eloi in a bizarre role reversal.

*H.G Wells The Time Machine