When it comes to Governance, that is to say the administration of a community's shared resources - for example, taxation, which everybody contributes to - opinions are inadequate as a basis for decision making.
Only the data, the evidence, all of it, the whole picture, all that is reliable, available and assesed quantitatively and qualitatively can be utilised to meet the requirements of effective, just and sustainable Governance.
Miss out any one part of that available data, evidence or picture, for any reason or bias and we will generate problematic policies. That much ought to be rather obvious.
This is the discipline required, and frankly, too few people, anywhere, are prepared to exert that discipline on behalf of the entire community to deliver genuine equity.
Taking ideological or religious 'sides', the left/rightism of political discourse are all based on fundamental biases that will omit or ignore or play down any evidence that challenges their core beliefs. News Media and Schooling all function to embed these biases, in that they are top down, hierarchies of information.
That is immature, and honestly it is an abysmal failure, of due diligence and duty of care. We are all part of this problem.
I do understand that bias emerges in any system where forms of hierarchical violence are perpetuated and 'sides' within that structure groom people as 'supporters'.
To me, from my perspective, the 'sides' are irrelevant, a distraction.
I think the millennials get this in a way that previous generations do not.
They all grew up watching the adults around them allow a war against other young people their age, in other countries, be prosecuted .... in Iraq and Afghanistan..
.. and that showed them the immaturity of the adults around them who failed to confront the bullies in Power, the bullies in the media, the bullies in executive roles across society and as a direct outcome people, millions of people died and were maimed and traumatised, entire civilian structures destroyed.
Because we failed them.
I am 57.
I am of that generation.
They are rightfully appalled at that.
We should be ashamed of that at the least, and we should be honest about this.
We should be doing what we can, where we can, to remove that shame, by being honest, by taking no side but the truth (the available evidence in full) and to do that we need to up our game, seriously, to meet the duty we owe all the children, across the world, each and every one of us, as adults.... and get involved, get informed, get real.
We fund Government. We are paying for it. Those bombs are our bombs, and where they fall is our responsibility. Indeed it goes without saying that they ought not fall at all, even if they exist. That they exist at all speaks volumes. A bomb is a bullies extension , a mechanism to project power through murder and destruction.
The millennial's know this. Imagine how frustrating it must be to have parents who refuse to look at and see this.
The 'generation gap' is a culture gap. The difference between a culture acclimatised to violent bullying and a culture that refuses to bully.
Kindest regards
Corneilius
"Do what you love, it's Your Gift to Universe"
*If you like this post, if you found the themes resonant, if you agree in part, would you be kind enough to let others know about it? I would really appreciate that. You could drop a comment too, if you felt the urge. Or not. I will moderate contributions, and block any that are abusive. For obvious reasons. Thank you for reading.
