Social disintegration - Economics at expense of society

Social and economic developments are two vital aspects of society. We are going to destroy society if we concentrate on economic reforms at the expense social wellbeing.

At a drugs conference organised by the CityWide Drugs Crisis Campaign, gardaí warned that the country already has a “gangland crisis” in which whole communities are being intimidated. Children as young as 11 and 12 years of age are taking tablets and alcohol, and intimidation has reached unprecedented levels.

In the Crumlin area of Dublin there could be 17 shootings in a couple of days and people would not even hear about it. “We are going to have gang feuds all over the country within the next five years,” one person working with drug addicts warned.

Research published in June of last year showed that families in Crumlin had suffered assaults, shootings and bomb attacks, because of drug debts owed by their children to dealers. Families have been forced to take out loans of up to €60,000 to pay off drug debts.

For many young people drugs and violence have become the norm and this will have frightening social consequences. We have to keep an overall perspective on the kind of society we want.

Some half-baked theories are being repeated like mantras, and these are being accepted as analysis in public commentary. We are being told that everybody must contribute to the economic adjustments required, and that taxes should not be increased on the corporate sector.

Of course, everybody that can should contribute. We can undoubtedly increase our total tax take, which is currently one of the lowest in Europe, but this must be done in a fair and equitable way. In order to contribute, people should not be driven into poverty, while those already in poverty should not be expected to go into deeper poverty.

Serious questions must be asked about those priorities of Government that seem intent on reversing the Robin Hood approach by taking from the poor to protect the rich. There are grounds for suspecting that the next four budgets are being crafted without proper regard for the needs of social justice or the growing gangland violence. Ignoring those problems will inevitably lead to a more violent society.

Society looks upon our children and our communities as the essence of its existence. Young people should be encouraged to succeed in business, but this needs to be accompanied by the realisation that such success ought to contribute to the development of society.

Emphasis is being placed on economic priorities at the expense of social necessities. The Government seems determined to protect the banks at all costs, without requiring them to contribute properly to rescue efforts necessitated by the crisis that they have caused.

We must keep an overall perspective in mind. There is no point in balancing the books in order to generate a viable economy at the expense of social disintegration.