If you have not read the Chapter entitled Important Descriptions yet, and you want to know what I mean when I mention the Pillars – here is a summary. (The full Sub-Chapter is here, where there is a far fuller description).
The Pillars of society, as I see them, are The Media, Politics, The Civil/Public Service, and Academia. (You can read more by clicking on the links – each Sub-Chapter is 7-9 posts in length).
They – collectively – control and direct behaviour in society, constantly interact at many levels, give the imprimatur to decisions, and by extension, decide how and where our limited financial resources will be allocated, and, within that allocation, what and what not, and who or who not to favour.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Now let me start by saying that these descriptions are not written with the intention of criticising or disparaging the Pillars unduly and I would like you to remember that.
Like my description of the characteristics of the Focus Group, my intention, while reflecting the realities of what I observe in the Pillars, is to be respectful and measured. In addition, the last thing that I’d want is to exaggerate or be sensational.
Yet I believe that it is important to reflect reality – where something is at – rather than pretend that it is the way we’d like it to be.
While inefficiency is part and parcel of democracy, I argue that the inefficiency of the Pillars (often referred to as red tape) is very harmful to efforts to assist the Focus Group. This is (partly) because decision making involves virtually no risk. Excessive bureaucracy which inhibits, or even stops positive progress always seems to prevail.
Symbiosis within the Pillars is observed by following the process by which decisions are made, how boards, Oireachtas committees, enquiries, expert groups, advisors etc. are appointed and set up, how funding is allocated, how people move between one and the other – that is, public servants and/or academics become politicians, politicians and/or journalists become lobbyists [1], journalists become politicians etc. etc. It is also observed by noting what gets national attention and what doesn’t.
This all probably works reasonably well for decisions in mainstream society, as people put up with the (often well-publicised) perceived unfairness and bias that is caused by what might be termed the cosiness between them all, (and complain a lot) but do little to challenge the structures that perpetuate it.
The Pillars and The Focus Group
I will argue that the Pillars, perhaps unwittingly, and even in a well-meaning way, (but that doesn’t matter to the families who are the subject of this website), in respect of our Focus Group:
~ Foster a sense of dependence.
~ Dampen down or dilute innate wisdom, strength, creativity, and knowledge which are rarely if ever acknowledged not to mention valued.
~ Contribute to loss of self-esteem, confidence, and ultimately dignity.
In terms of intractable, or difficult-to-solve societal problems like crime and imprisonment or protection of vulnerable children, politicians, academics, higher civil/public servants and journalists search for solutions by debating, unendingly, the issues of the day, on radio, TV and newspapers, thinking that the debate in the public eye actually achieves something.
And following the endless debates, in taking action to try and solve the problems, they only look to people and entities that are deemed to be successful in the normal mainstream societal understanding of the term.
Now after all that, I need to say that I know many people working within the Pillars who are as concerned about the well-being of families in the Focus Group as anyone, who are compassionate, motivated, and idealistic and use the power that is vested in them by their statutory offices to make very good things happen.
And, thankfully, some of these people are in very senior positions.
[1]. A lobbyist is a persuasive, well-connected person who is employed by (usually) groups of powerful or wealthy people to pressurise politicians to spend money on whatever their area of interest is. This could be agriculture, education, construction, big pharma, oil industry etc. etc. (I don’t know anyone who is employed to lobby for the Focus Group)!