How do we advance civilisation in the United Kingdom?

Never has there been a more pressing need to examine constructive strategies to transform and rebalance Social Order in Britain – Society, Education, Justice, Welfare, Life and Death, Art and Technology, and the Earth.

Throughout history, there are many periods when civilisations have been challenged, disrupted, and restructured, sometimes by invasion, at other times in response to natural affliction and occasionally through popular revolution. Over the last four thousand years or so, such events were often manipulated to feed religious empowerment as a means of subjugating populations. In parallel, on every continent from the Americas to Europe, from Eurasian Russia and across Indochina, clever, strong, and usually cruel men and women harnessed this zeal for supernatural deference to constitute their elite hierarchies. These kings, queens, politicians, and business leaders became progressively emboldened by an intrinsic belief in their divine right to rule and enriched their elevated status, and that of their officials, by skilful exploitation of malleable populations.

From the beginning, except in a few rare examples, politics has been a tool for control and containment rather than to enable and enhance civilisation universally. This pattern persists today.

There is an abundance of extensively researched and intelligent papers written by journalists and other experts on the problems facing nation-states, communities, individuals and all humanity. Their voices are joined by many well-respected activists, thinkers, and academics from around the world however, it is astonishing that those with the power to make the required civic and societal changes fail to hear them. As I say, the instruments that shape our society are badly broken.

I believe, as a nation, we must waste no time in radically and forensically re-evaluating the significance and worth of every facet of Britain’s functionality.

1/ We must explore ways of redefining and reinforcing collective purpose regarding the management of Society (including but not exclusively, democracy and democratic political processes, the future of party politics, economics and the future of capitalism, culture and the role of historic conventions).

2/ At the heart of any reformation will be Education, as distinct from indoctrination. Over the last forty years, it is evident that students’ natural curiosity for the most part has driven any meagre success in British education programmes (nursery through to university), not structured learning imposed by centralised governments in line with transitory political ideologies. Therefore, I believe, we must consider, for example, the role of formal education in promoting redundant conventions and whether expanding the purpose of education outside political and capitalist frameworks would re-energise the importance of individual thinking and thus, over time help to re-balance society.

3/ We must evaluate the efficacy of our Justice System (including policing and enforcement) and consider rebuilding it from the ground up. And, for the Judiciary to make recourse and redress freely available to all citizens, not just those who can afford lawyers. Perhaps, in the process, we might evaluate what role AI might have in any restructuring.

4/ We must undertake a comprehensive study of both personal, community and national Welfare (including employment/occupation, social security, healthcare, and well-being).

5/ In parallel to the above, we must rethink our systemic perceptions of Life, perhaps in terms of quality rather than quantity, and of Death, to engender the evolution of holistic understanding, including the implications, for example, of preserving human life at almost any cost to the natural order.

6/ We must reignite our relationship with Art and Technology. While most people understand that these disciplines both separately and jointly shape the world we live in, we could explore further how, with their contrasting vitality, they can combine to create material phenomena greater than the sum of parts beyond the constraints of capitalism and privately financed initiatives.

7/ Finally, everything we plan for must be enacted in the context of the elemental support which makes our existence possible. It is absolutely imperative that we re-establish our connection with The Earth (including conservation and food production).

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Your thoughts matter. I am looking for solutions, ideas, and progressive thinking. There will be no censorship and no subjects are off-limits, all I ask is that your contributions are relevant and specific to enhancing civilisation in the United Kingdom.

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© Rivenrod 2021

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