Iain Duncan Smith's report on social justice (social justice delayed is social justice denied?) makes the obvious point that a large portion of the problems of `deprivation' are nothing to do with it. They're instead the result of an "increasingly dysfunctional society" which breeds criminality. In particular, it "paints a gloomy picture of a society where for some family breakdown, drug and alcohol abuse, debt and failure in education combine".
Amazingly enough, `One of the main problems identified by Mr Duncan Smith is a growing number of co-habiting couples who split up while their children are young.'
He then completely overdoes it by claiming that "Families matter because almost every social problem that we face comes down to family stability."
No Iain, many of the social problems we face come down to a complete lack of any functioning morality. A significant proportion of our population are sociopathic. The failure of the family is part of the cause, but it's the failure of society and politicians to provide any example that finishes things off.
That's why `the Work and Pensions secretary John Hutton said it sounded like the Conservatives were going "back to basics again" and talking about Victorian values. He said it was "nonsense" to suggest that tweaking the tax system could lead to families staying together, saying that had been tried in past decades which saw divorce rates "go through the roof".
Hutton doesn't get it either, of course, but this failure is why he can get away with what he says. That, and the desire by an increasing powerful minority to do down the family as an institution which might get in the way of their own "lifestyle choices".
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It seems that, social problems are made of personal problems of particular individuals from dysfunctional families. Dysfunctional family in its turn is made up of dysfunctional, or should one say malfunctioned, individuals.
But, what are the criteria again by which a well functioning individual could be defined?
Right, it is moral principles, and ethical values, and beliefs which eventually determine the way each individual behaves.
So, what Government and Society could do to resolve social problems is to address the very issues of individual Morality and Faith.
Now, what kind of moral principals, values, and beliefs are we talking about exactly?
Who should be regarded as an ultimate authority in questions of good vs. evil?
As a Christian, I ought to say there is no higher authority on these issues than God Himself.
Bible is the fundamental argument of functioning morality. Jesus Christ is the perfect example.
Yet, hardly there could be found a politician who would go that far.
Thus, it is up to the ordinary civilians themselves to deal with these issues within their own communities. But it is unlikely, off course, that common moral values and ethics would be sustained on a regular basis in a presumably secular or religiously diverse community. And thanks to the Globalization, modern European society gets increasingly culturally diverse.
There is no solution to social problems on a national scale. Each individual community, depending on its cultural and religious homogeneity, will have to provide for the moral health of its members. National Government’s role with this regard will be diminished simply for the nature of the problem.
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