This is the foundational principle of my political party. more later.We're all big boys and girls, and should be responsible for ourselves.
Is it called the "Not my brother's keeper party"? I think it's a sad worldview that asserts that each of us doesn't bear any responsibility for society being the way it is. We all influence each other, and we all are contributors to the state of the world. We all have a mix of individual and shared responsibilities, IMO. Edit: Don't read this comment with sass. I didn't intend it that way, but then I reread it and realized it could be taken as dismissive. My point, more finely stated, is that just looking at individual responsibility is exactly what leads to the tragedy of the commons; that is, it is possible to act in a way that seems right and good to us as individuals, but ultimately is bad for society. There is value in self reflection and value in societal reflection, and societies operate on a different level from that of an individual, a level that often can't be understood in terms of the behavior of any particular individual.
No… no sass taken. And the brevity of my comment probably merited some sass… :) Sometimes it is better if I don't reply while at work - because I can't fully flesh out my ideas… I would like to see a societal structure that places more emphasis on personal accountability balanced with actions toward the common good. I apologize - I think my original comment took us pretty far afield from the original article, and may be more appropriate for another thread.
When I wrote the big boys, big girls line I was referring to those needs above basics (Food, water, shelter, access to education, etc) like dating, workplace stuff, any time when 'He got his way because he's a boy!' or 'She got her way because she's a girl!' comes up. To use a commonly used metaphor, if I get hammer drunk and sleep with someone I wouldn't otherwise sleep with, under my own volition, it's no ones fault but my own. I think this should be valid for both genders. Now I'm making a distinction between 'Drunk enough I lowered my standards' and 'I was unconscious and someone took sexual advantage of me,' because there IS a distinction, and I think that SOMETIMES in our attempts to be PC, there isn't enough differentiation.
Of course we should care for those around us. Of COURSE we should try to ensure that our neighbors are healthy, happy and on the road to self-actualization. However, we shouldn't in that (Admittedly noble) attempt squash peoples right to make a damn fool of themselves in whatever manner they please.