Increasingly it would appear that Australians are prepared to sit back and leave the social problems we have to government to solve, and in the process are becoming increasingly cynical about the ability of governments to make any positive difference at all. Indeed, the recent comment that the Federal Government could not sell heaters to Eskimos rings true with most of us.
Over the last few days there has been a vigorous debate about the closing of hotels earlier in an effort to reduce alcohol fuelled violence. Listening to the babble, I was reminded of the thoughts of Peter Drucker, who 40 years ago foresaw the increasing reliance of western society on Government responsibility at the expense of personal responsibility, and concluded that there was little, if any impact government could have on the core of the problem, all they could do is allocate the bandages. Rather, he saw the corporate sector as being a more effective mechanism for the implementation of programs to address problems, simply because it was in their long term best interests to do so, in order to have orderly markets, educated and engaged employees, and stakeholders willing to extend credit.
Recent events would cause me to consider that something in the corporate sector has also gone array, as it seems some individuals in senior positions have lost any sense of wider responsibility in the quest for more, and more personal assets.
It is my view that essentially the solution of social problems remains with each of us to do our bit express our views, and importantly take those small individual and group actions that cumulatively make change happen. Leaving it to others, whoever “others” may be, is an abrogation of personal responsibility, and diminishes us all.
