The Big Society

This week, Prime Minister, David Cameron, reiterated his advocacy for a "big society," which was something he campaigned on prior to the last general election.  Unfortunately, most of the mainstream media haven't been very supportive of the concept, then or now.  Frequently, they deride it as confusing, unclear, or claim to not understand how it is supposed to work.  Frankly, I don't understand how these supposedly intelligent people can understand such a simple thing.  What Cameron is proposing is that the people of Britain stop looking to the government too solve every problem in their lives.  Instead, they should figure out how to help themselves and each other, and together, create a "big society," where people help each other out.

I admit, I don't love the name Cameron has chosen.  Margaret Thatcher famously said there is no such thing as "society" and she was right.  However, the idea is one I fully support and would be a great improvement in life, in the UK.  Generations of Brits, since World War II, have been taught to rely on the government for almost everything.  This is the result of the creation and growth of the "welfare state" and rampantly growing socialism.  Now, after 13 years of a growing state, due to Labour Party policies, people are so used to being encouraged to look to the state for everything, when they are told to sort out more of their own problems, they just get a puzzled look on their faces.  They have forgotten, or have never learned, how to be self-reliant.  The current, coalition government, headed by David Cameron, is trying to balance the massive budget deficit and national debt left by Labour.  One way to help do this is get people to become self-reliant again.  For a nation that survived the Blitz, this shouldn't be that hard..

The "Big Society" is as big as parents organizing their own schools, when they are not happy with the education being provided by government schools.  It's includes things like not burdening the National Health Service by going to the doctor every time you get a sniffle.  It's as small as not throwing your litter on the ground.  Instead of deriding it, the mainstream media should be championing it.  Stop trying to score political points on Cameron, by ridiculing the "big society" and get behind it.  It's an opportunity to help build a better Britain, for the future.  Remember, you live here, too.