David Levy – Has our democracy sunk into inertia and an inability to change? – Apr 17

What attracts some youth towards extreme acts of violence, to drop out of their main stream life with Western values, and to travel to a war torn country to fight and die?

It pleases our popular press to ridicule the reason as “entering Heaven to be greeted by a bevy of virgins”.

Am I alone in thinking that radicalisation is only a part of the problem?

Surely the values of democracy can conquer the world, or is it that younger eyes see the lies and fraud for what they are?

This could be the Petri dish of an idea that spawns a book that a genuine democracy needs to consider.

In a very small way, Marinet has been engaged with evaluating issues that fall within the boundaries of the marine realm.

I once wanted to consider placing Marinet’s voice in a similar place as the economic protest camp outside St. Paul’s Cathedral. To make a mark and to state our case in a way that could not be ignored by the press. However the then members of our organisation voted 50/50, so I voted No as I did not want to go where the majority had reservations.

What I was thinking then was — how can I get someone to listen?

Consultation by Government Agencies is a farce. Business gets its way almost 100% of the time to the detriment of the environment. Growth in economics is seen as desirable and essential, whilst the management of resources is non-existent to the point of collapse. So, how can the conservation lobby push its agenda up the table of decision-making?

I realise I have a lot in common with those disaffected youth who take to extreme action.

I always believed in community action, and joint action by environmental groups. But the reality has proven shallow, and overwhelmed by vested interest.

This directs the feeling of isolation to consider : what actions are sanctioned by the inability of inertia to change?

 


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One Response to “David Levy – Has our democracy sunk into inertia and an inability to change? – Apr 17”

clare.stancliffe
Comment posted on 5th April 2017

To come at this slant: According to the film, ‘Tomorrow’,Iceland has pioneered an interesting way of getting round the pressure which vested interests and powerful businesses pile onto politicians, making it difficult for them to act. What they did after the banking disaster was to appoint a group of law-makers who were just ordinary citizens, by lot, for a term of 5 years. And because they were ordinary people with no past and no future in politics, they actually acted in accordance with the best interests of Icelanders and were impervious to pressure. May be an interesting idea for a second chamber? Another insight from the film is that good things can start from individual grassroots organisations at a local level, and then gain enough momentum for policy makers just to accept them.

Otherwise, for changing things at governmental level, a reasoned case on its own isn’t enough. The only way of effecting change is to mobilise popular support on a large scale, as FOE did to get the climate change act passed. For this, Marinet would need to team up with a bigger show and one that’s better at grabbing people’s attention like (e.g.) Greenpeace, or the RSPB. But to act like this succcessfully, you have to be very selective in what you lobby on, and go all out for that, as various environmental groups are doing today with air pollution. Pressure is now building on that which will I hope see the politicians forced to take action. But even then it takes a very long time . . .

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