Just Say No

With all the corruption we see around us, in government and business in particular, it is easy to conclude that ethics are, and have been, on a pretty steep decline. Many causes / reasons / excuses are offered for this sad state. From lack of prayer in school to lack of adequate laws and enforcement.

I beg to disagree. I think the overwhelming reason is that we no longer hold people accountable in this society. Kill someone while driving drunk? Clearly the fault of the person who sold you the booze. Make your living mugging old ladies? Obviously a mean society denied you (whatever), causing your outlaw behavior. Got cancer from years of smoking? Damn that Big Tobacco, whoever that is. Life a mess? Not your fault. And on and on it goes.

To me, it naturally follows that, if people are not held accountable, by their peers and fellow citizens, then the illegal acts we see everywhere slowly become commonplace, ergo sort of acceptable. So much so that it causes a major disruption, like a melt-down of our economy, to get people to pay even a little attention. Then, when the brown stuff hits the fan, we all squeal like baby pigs being taken away from their mother whining “why didn’t somebody do something?”.

But, with the possible exception of G W Bush, nobody is ever to blame. (This said tongue in cheek and with a lot of sarcasm.)

Lately, our rage seems particularly focused on executive compensation at large companies. While I do not wish the law to intervene in corporate pay and incentive schemes, I will admit that there are an increasing number of executives who treat their company’s treasury like a personal piggy bank.

Why, you ask, am I rehashing all this crap? Simple. If one follows the main-stream media, our current distress is all about the money. Money we poor folk would surely have were it not for the nasty fat cats who unfairly took it.

I can see why this angers people, especially those who are losing their incomes because of the melt down. However, there is something far more important than money at stake here and I fear few among us really understand what it is. In a word, it is freedom. Allow me to explain:

First, it is not hard to understand that, when governmental power grows, through additional laws, regulations, and confiscation of wealth, we the people are left with less freedom. After all, freedom is ultimately about who gets to make the choices that determine the course of our lives.

The more any individual is allowed to make their own decisions, for their own reasons, the more free they are. Conversly, the more decisions made for an individual by the state, the less free they are. Fair enough so far, is it not?

Now consider this. Whenever people consistently show themselves incapable of voluntary restraint (self discipline if you prefer), eventually those who see themselves as victims of this unrestrained behavior will demand government intervention. Obviously, this leads to more laws and regulations, more government spending, funded by ever more confiscation of wealth, ending with more governmental power. As we showed above, this translates to less freedom for the individual.

Bottom line, these folks are not just picking your pocket, they are helping squander the freedom that is your birthright. And too many of us cheer the government on as it happens.

The essential truth is that freedom can only exist in a society that practices voluntary restraint. One that voluntarily adheres to an agreed upon code of ethics and morals. It simply cannot be any other way. For those of you who might prefer a world in which everything is decided by the existence and strict enforcement of a comprehensive set of laws, let me remind you that such a society is known as a “police state”. Do you really want this?

So, you ask, what can be done without leveraging the power of government? Plenty. Once upon a time, societal acceptance was a stronger force than any law has ever been. How hard would it be to simply let your fellow citizens know that certain behavior is not acceptable? Then, if they persist in thier unacceptable behavior, to simply deny them the comfort and priviliges that go with good standing in society. For instance, tell your children that it is not acceptable to go about dressed in rags with profanity printed all over them. Tell your peers that cheating, stealing, and failure to contribute their fair share on the job and in the community is simply not acceptable. Then act accordingly.

You don’t have to shoot them, you don’t have to beat them up. You simply withhold your approval and acceptance.

Yes, that would require that we start acting like a community again, rather that a huge number of individuals that have no involvement with each other. But, would that be so bad?

Oh yes, one final thought. Start by gaining the approval of the person you see in the mirror. Remember that, it is your behavior as a citizen that determines what our society will be like, what it values will be. Over the years, I have known a lot of folk who would devoutly attend Sunday services, then threaten to run you over in their haste to get home. Which of these acts speaks the loudest?

Just a thought.

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