CAMERON’S BIG BOLD BIG SOCIETY IDEA

In 2010 newly-elected PM David Cameron made a speech saying that society and community cohesion would be much improved if more people were to do volunteer work.  His lofty idealism was scoffed at even by his own supporters whilst the Left claimed it was an attempt to get people to do for free what “should be done” by paid govt/council employees.

 

If the mere suggestion that citizens should DO SOMETHING for their country or community for NO FINANCIAL REWARD is a vote-loser, then nothing more clearly highlights what is wrong with our electorate – our sense of community – and our governmental system.

Such an idea could work in a small and homogenous country like Iceland, but certainly not in an over-populated and increasingly politically polarised country of 70 million-ish.    Research shows that people in “diverse” societies volunteer less often and tend to mistrust strangers more – contradicting the lies that have been forced down our throats about the alleged “enriching” benefits of racial diversity,

  Did anyone, aside from the far-left, ever really believe otherwise?  

 “One of the problems with involving only a few people – volunteers – is that such people tend to be better-educated, have more money, and many are retirees who have more time on their hands in the first place.   Leftists will accuse them of being rich “elitists” who don’t need the money they are not getting and which should go to the unemployed..!”

And, having cleaned-up and tidied the filthy stream or overgrown litter-strewn grassy bank, whats to stop the same sort of people who messed it up in the first place dumping their rubbish there again?    And, if one of the volunteers is unlucky enough to catch the polluters in the act and have words with them – he will be cursed and threatened and risk being physically assaulted

Cameron’s “Big Society” is a pipe-dream because our cities and larger towns are TOO BIG and TOO DIVERSE and, within such places, a  genuine “society” – a cohesive collaborative community – CANNOT exist….

What is needed is not a handful of retired volunteers with “time on their hands”, but everyone mucking-in like boy-scouts during bob-a-job week.

But how in these mercenary times can such a happy state of affairs be achieved?  Unless people are forced to do public work, as under Communism – the idea that everyone will happily rally around and donate their time to the community is naïve, because COMMUNITY IS A TOTALLY NON-EXISTENT CONCEPT in OB-Cities..!

OASIS CITIES would be “Big Societies” by default..!

Cameron’s “Big Society” is a natural for OA-City due to – 1) compact size – 2) relatively small population – 3) compatible citizenry – 4) community work could be made a condition of residency.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES - one with Community Assistance Pledge, another without CAP

If the charter of OA-City*1 stipulates that every adult citizen commit to (say) 24 days CAP work per year, whilst OA-City*2 makes no such condition, which would you choose to apply to live in?  One would assume that No*2 would be far more popular because who, aside from retirees with time on their hands, would happily choose to do unpaid work?  That would certainly be the case in conventional OB-Cities where spare time is at a premium, especially for young working people.   However, OA-citizens would gain much more spare time what with no “time-polluting” commuting and a highly possible 4-day, or even 3.5 day, working week.   But whichever one attracted the most applicants, OA-City *1 would get a lot of essential work performed by its citizens happily going about their CAP duties, instead of paid city council employees, and this would be reflected in lower community charges and much better community spirit, etc.  Citizens working together for the common good would create a much more cohesive society.   I believe CAP charters will become more commonplace as the benefits become more apparent.   Cities without a CAP charter will have to compete against those that do, thus CAP charter OA-Cities will be more attractive due to their better social services and community spirit.  

OA-Cities will be private cities – not all will have a CAP charter but of those that do, aspiring citizens will have a free choice – take it, or leave it..!   There will be many benefits for taking it..!

“CAP” will be a WIN-WIN as the city/community will be able to call on citizens to perform certain unskilled duties for no financial benefit, but citizens will benefit from better community facilities and lower taxes, charges, etc.  It will also enable people of all walks to meet fellow communitarians and make new friends of people they otherwise may never have met.

Community Assistance could even be a lot of FUN..!