Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id MAA04569 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 13 Nov 2000 12:01:52 GMT Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745B02@inchna.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: addendum to mysticism etc. Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2000 11:59:40 -0000 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>> I don't individual philanthropy makes much difference, I think
society
>>needs
>> to address these issues collectively by recognising the
impoverished as
>> victims of the social system, whihc is all our responsibility,
not of
>> personal failings.
>How might society do this?
Very good question, not easy to answer. I suppose examples might be
pollution, or global warming. Individuals can do some things to try and
slow the progress of global warming, by recycling, using unleaded petrol,
using low energy lightbulbs etc. etc. But unless countries start regulating
fossill fuel industries, unless govemments start making serious regulatory
efforts to control greenhous gases, for which they need mass public support,
little is going to change due to the actions of a few individuals.
>> The USA is an excellent example where the individualist meme
continues to
>> work despite the evident barriers to personal development for
people who
>> aren't white, male and straight.
>What are these barriers?
Put broadly the barriers are such things as racism, sexism and other forms
of prejudice. Put more specifically, it's things like inequity in terms of
wages (women earn less than men for the same work), differential treatment
in other situations, e.g. african americans more likely to get jail terms
and longer sentences that whites for the same crimes. The US health system
is geared up against the low waged, as is the education system and the
political system. The world's greatest democracy, took some 180 years or so
to get a catholic president, and has never had a non-white, non-male
president. Even countries as gender-biased as Pakistan and the UK have had
female political leaders. Of course the biggest barrier to political office
in the US is money. If you don't have money you can't be a politician-
certainly not at the federal level anyway.
Don't get me wrong, a lot of these barriers, and more, exist in other
nations, but they are substantial and they do impact on an individual's
chances of success (however one defines it).
Vincent
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