Towards the Common Good

The present position of society both in its economic and social aspects is increasingly dysfunctional and ill-served by many institutions as they now stand. This is the damaged state that we are now in. We are faced with choices that we do not want but if, in the longer term, we want to see an end to austerity, anxiety, inequity and lost esteem then I believe that measures need to be taken (set out in earlier postings) entirely different from those propounded by what is turning out to be one of the worst governments in living memory. These measures - Keynesian, interventionist and equitable will take time - a long time - to have full effect but they are urgent and the consequences of not taking action are severe. These steps are needed to form a bedrock upon which a Virtuous Economy can be founded and enable the rebuilding of national morale, and the personal and mutual self respect and security that contribute to the Common Good.

Good governance is desperately needed. Active and positive engagement is a necessary virtue, aiding and abetting the achievement of common goals with Government setting aside timidity and doctrine, releasing itself from nefarious influences providing its political funding and involving itself proactively in the process of building a wider and lasting prosperity. Prosperity itself is by no means an ignoble goal, but it is important to bear in mind that affluence is a condition and not a value. The true worth of an economy is found not in measures of monetary worth or league tables, but in the achievement of a broader well-being and the underpinning social and moral values.

At the individual level, in contrast to this exploited, deceived and litigious age when good people are rendered fearful for their future and that of their families, a Virtuous Economy, a citizenry of good intent with commonly held moral values, and the concept of stewardship more than the overhyped 'leadership' will make possible the creation of a Good Society cleansed of these negative qualities. A desire to do good - in other words to behave virtuously - should become second nature. This is the basis of the Virtuous Economy and the enhancement of the Common Good.

All of this could be done if the commitment was there. Outside of the governing class, the viperous press and the commercial elite, I believe that it is. An economy is not an abstract entity to be revered - rather it is what we choose to make it. The Common Good can be enhanced with or without economic growth - if we decide to do so. Perspectives can be changed, commerce can be reformed, Government can be engaged, exemplar institutions with a public service ethos can be created and moral re-education undertaken. Time, commitment and patience are required but the journey this time will be towards the Common Good rather than our decades long journey away from it and the likelihood of 'bumping along the bottom' for two more decades.