Community: Real Life

Slump hump


Harry

Harry, 21, is a law student who fundamentally doesnt know what to do. In his spare time he volunteers for a community radio station and writes a blog for do-it.org.uk.

He knows the recession is crap, but wants people to see they can change things for the better.

This nation is often characterised by drunkenness, but we still harbour a very sobering talent for cutting realism; for seeing things for what they are. But what use is it? If the girl in the street has the critical thought to say: "This is shit," but is then sucked into an Eeyorish pessimism about what she can do to change things - then what does she have to gain? Compared to living in the 'dream world' we so often accuse Americans of inhabiting, realism seems just as unproductive.    

If the effects of the credit crunch come home in full force, then we have the perfect opportunity to feel defeated about things, but maybe we also have one of the best chances in over a decade to think about change.

If a personal crisis can give you the perspective to think about where you are going in life, then the same is true about a social crisis. We are faced with the situation that our country has stalled. After years of steady economic growth and low unemployment we were rumbling along in general contentment. Now we actually have to think about which direction we want to go in when the situation improves.

I don't want to trivialise the negative aspects of a recession, but these have all been covered in plenty of detail, by many commentators. Instead I want to focus on the positive - that times of uncertainty provide for times of new ideas and debate. The sharp criticisms of our culture, which are almost a source of national pride, can now be used to form something worthwhile. There may not be a better time to test our skills as British realists: to assess the situation and see what we can do with it. After all, what is the point of going through testing periods without the hope of a change for the better?

"Times of uncertainty provide for times of new ideas and debate."

So do you think that it's right that during 12-hour (or longer) shifts, a recent Employment Appeal Tribunal decided that UK law only provides an employee with one 20 minute break? Would you like to see more local businesses on high streets, or less? What alternatives are there to our First-past-the-post system of elections?

Personally I'd like to see the end of ruthless capitalism and over-powerful centralised government. I think capitalism works, but we should be moulding it into something more ethical, and I don't just mean ethical in the middle-class fair-trade banana-eating sense. I think government works, but I would like to see it made more accessible at a local level, for everyone, and not just electing a council and then watching them do whatever they want.

These are just my ideas, but they are not so important to me - what is really important is that we begin to discuss these, so that we don't lose this opportunity for change.

Let the debate begin.

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Updated: 06/03/2009


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