Once I heard a man say that if the world had half of it's current population, everybody would be happy because the rest will all be better off, rich ... and there would be no more poverty.
At the first instance, I thought yes, It would be brilliant! After all, 'if poverty was a man I would kill him', right? ... and having done that, killing the poorer half of the population living on earth, we'd all be rich, and happyyy forever after ...
Sounds good, doesn't it? ... then let's decide to kill off the poorer half of the world population, to get to 'rich'. Only, with that, it will also be a world of takers and no givers, since with riches foreverybody, there would no longer be any need to give or help anyone! Then a world of vultures ripping each other's eyes out at every opportunity. Because by defining 'happy' with money alone, and without having to give, morality will also disappear ... in short, the new world would be a savage jungle! ... and no, I don't want to be here when that happens, so please get me out of here if and whenever this is nearing real! @@
... and that person, the he who wanted to get rid of the poorest half of the world, what an immoral and dangerous fool! ... because it is giving that makes us human, not taking only for that's the habit of predetors; or beasts! Of course beasts can come shaped like humans too ... and if you imagine society as shaped one class above the other like a pyramid [similar but not same terminology as this ancient one below], usually those who are most generous and most giving are at the bottom. That's because they are in the same predicament and so, they take care of each other and that generosity usually gets smaller and smaller the higher you go up. Again, that's because as people become more self suffecient, depending on others diminishes and is replaced little by little with 'protection' of aquisitions instead, then of wanting more until you reach those at the other end of the spectrum at the top bit, the takers only sitting at the top levels of the pyramid.
A Big Society therefore aims to flaten the tip at the top, and strive to make the bottom narrower; flatter at the top and and narrower at the bottom, all the time ... and keep on doing that again and again ... forever.
This is done by painting the whole pyramid with good ethics and sound moral values first. Then encourage people to do what those higher up do, 'help themselves' - but since most of those at the bottom do not know how, then the same principal also encourages those who do know the how from the layers above to lend a hand to those in need next to them and help pull up those below. Not only through charity, although this is a must, but by 'caring' in any way to help those below climb to their level. This can be by, for example, educate by giving them knowledge and expertise, aid, sponsor, anything. At the same time, those below must be ready and want to cooperate and have a real will to climb that first step ... and with the emotional help they are accustomed to from their peers as well as this new more caring surroundings, they should be able to ...
In theory, tops should flaten as the height of the pyramid is reduced because you no longer have takers only. While at the same time, the bottom of the pyramid should become narrower as people on the lower levels become more prosperous with all this peer support plus that new care coming from above and all the resulting eduction. providing the 'help yourself' ethos is constant all the way and is encouraged and motivated by the presence of 'will', 'strive', that in turn will create new 'ability' to climb and move upwards.
To ensure the whole operation runs best until it ryhmes like a clock 'tic toc tic toc', or smoothly, somebody needs to sit outside the pyramid to watch as people strive to move up the levels - helped by those on the same level plus those right above, and occasionally from even higher levels whenever possible ... the 'watchers' are always there creating new opportunities, always supervising, facilitating [steps may need a bit of polish to make it easier to climb, etc], motivating, cheering and urging the pyramid crowd to keep on moving on and on. Those watchers only get involved if and when necessary, otherwise they leave the pyramid crowd well alone. Hence, the watchers promote and not provide since they are sitting outside the pyramid as 'owners' of the operation - and since nothing is dearer than 'own', those watching are and must always be sincere ... and it's chop chop on those tails that will become vacant below, or build those bits that needs widening at higher levels ... and do that all the time ... until the operation achieves it's goal of reducing that bottom and falttening the top enough to achieve equality and fairness for all according to ability and endeavour.
In theory, 'if' ability is constant, the pyramid should then flip upside down after a while, that's if everybody on every level also kept on being sincere in their will to help themselves and help others too.
... only, people are not machines hence, nothing is constant, nor is everybody so sincere, or have the same energy or ability to climb. The reason why the pyramid will never flip upside down as there will always be some who will fall from higher levels and rest on the bottom again as well as those who will never have the drive to help themselves move up and will always depend on 'the watchers', who will never give up on helping them so long as they are in real need, at the same time as promote, create opportunities and encourage them to help themselves ... and so on, and on ...
This is the model I think is envisaged by our government now. So, it is the Brits on the Pyramid, and the government sitting outside facilitating and watching. This is why they want and need, for example, to integrate health and social care - and why the NHS will never be privatised - because without the NHS, the 'watchers' won't be able to help those at the bottom or those falling down from higher levels - and since lots of health needs needs special expertise and can not be provided by 'self' or peers, or a little higher, the government keeps this responsibility providing it is real need.
So, in short; the NHS will have to stay universal, available to those in 'real' need, and free at the point of delivery. The 'only' time it can be disposed of is if the whole pyramid flips upside down - and that will never happen!
... and if it does, who cares about the NHS then, eh? ;-)
... and the reason why the Tories are looking at other things that can be based on the same principal, including 'greedy' takers at the top - like executives pay, for example ... and everything else too .... so, it's all a matter of principal, and the government has absolutely no intention of neglecting it's duty to that IMHO
This is a Big Society ... always going up .... providing it helps itself!
As for that ancient Egyptian pyramid below, it is a dictator's pyramid, as most ancient Egyptian rulers were. They even had a semi-god status! Oh, the power! ... bute here there is no principal, just 'self' on the part of most of those at the top. And that's what the people of Egypt are now trying to dismantle. By the way, you know those 'Government officials' just below the Pharoah? Those were mostly the priests - and they were of even a higher status than the army! Why? Because, unlike armies, they knew how to keep those at the lower levels veeery placid, or else the gods would be really angry and you never know what punishment those gods can inflict on that busy slave or humble farmer! Poor fearful slave, and poor fearful farmer ...
... only this 'clergy' trick never worked on the merchants and the scribes because those were educated, they knew things because they were clever. They were enlightened enough to communicate above as well as below as you see. That's why they are right in the middle of that pyramid between the slaves, the farmers and the artisans, and those ' above - so, it's their duty and their responsibility to care for those below, even seek the help of the the artisans, whose job was to make those below happy and those above entertained and fulfilled, then give lots of love and care to the farmers and the slaves - and not just leave them to the mercy of those takers and never givers above.
You see, The Big Society Pyramid works, always.
Care to help build the Pyramids?
:-)
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