Broken society

[Ondine]

So David Cameron says society is broken. I think he's right and that cowbear did it with his attacks on decent breastfeeding mothers, not to mention his daughter's campaign to abolish the fine old sarf london tradition of rabbit rustling. Is he prepared to cycle to Liverpool and apologise?

[Asset]

Marriage is the cure (apparently)

[SeanMacGabhann]

But

Love Is The Key

[Ondine]

Don't get philosophical. I want cowbear apologising. He can stand outside parliament if Liverpool's too far. Short hop on the 12 - no hassle, and no tax breaks for marrieds.

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

I gotta admit, I think it has been beneficial(to the elite) to a consumer led society for people to be broken down into smaller and smaller units (each one needing to buy a TV, washing machine, car etc) and after the break up of firstly the extended family in the 60's, then the 2 parent family in the 80's, we are now witnessing the fallout.

The family is the strongest unit in society (capable of challenging the state in some instances eg Mafia) and needs to be promoted.

When my daughter got pregnant last year by her long term boyfriend, he was hustled up the aisle before the p@@s on the pregnancy test was dry! I brought up 4 kids, mostly on my own, and it's hard work, so yes I do think it should be easier to be in a couple if you are broke or on benefits, instead of the benefit and tax credit systems taking away the womans independence by withdrawing payment if she gets a man in her life.

[Nero]

By definition, family is not simply the nuclear family. Those who champion 'the family' should really consider whether moving miles away from their parents fits in with their philosophy. And why should those feckless families get tax breaks simply for being together when a single parent who might be more involved in his or her children's lives not get such rewards? On a different not, at the same time as having myriad individual units all looking out for themselves, it would be better if they realised that since they are more or less in the same boat they should think much more about how they might communicate, interact and mutually support each other. Nero

[James]

Totally agree Nero. To be honest I think what they really want to do is have a go at feckless babyfathers who run off. But they are a bit scared to say it overtly as they might be accused of being un-pc/dredging up all that nasty anti-single mums Tory rhetoric from the 90s. So we're told that marriage is like some sort of magic sticking plaster & if people are bribed a bit they will stay together instead of divorcing.

Agree about the family thing being taken too literally as well. Where does it leave gay parents, single parents, people who don't believe in marriage (it is a fundamentally religious institution after all) etc?

A recent study of "happiness" among different societies found, unsurprisingly, that the most contented people who report the fewest social problems come from 3rd world societies where family ties are strong. To promote the consumer-friendly 50s idea of the nuclear family is missing the point completely. It's all about extended family networks where responsibilities are shared, kids grow up with lots of contact with role models of both sexes and people feel part of something bigger than they are - irrespective of anyone's race, sexuality or anything else. To my mind, marriage has little or nothing to do with it. It's more like the idea of the family clan - which goes back much, much further (surely Tories should approve?)

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

Oh no, I'm finding myself agreeing with James!

I'd like to add that it is also the responsibility of everyone in a community to help raise the children in that community, which is something else the logo-centric, consumer led western world forgot or destroyed here centuries ago and has failed to re-learn from the developing world, imposing our warped intellectualised 'superior' model on them instead.