Beating around the people

Money is not the problem, nor is dynamite, genetic manipulation, politics, drugs or the word nigger. An economy based on money can be use to create income equality, while barter can be misused by crooks. Dynamite in warfare kills people but can used for the construction of railways in the mountains and reduce car traffic. Genetic manipulation can be ecologically disastrous but sensible genetic manipulation can help feed a growing population. Political systems can be seas of corruption but also organize peaceful society. Drugs can make for criminality but also work out in healing ways. The word nigger can be changed into African American but still signify discrimination.

All such attempts of problem solving are, in fact, the fighting of symptoms. The real causes are to be found in people, human beings, actors, stakeholders. If we want to stop economic exploitation, war killings, ecological destruction, political corruption, drugs criminality or race discrimination, we have to go and deal with people, in direct ways. We need to study their psychological makeup and learn how to reduce derailed behaviors.

And we learn about human behaviors best by understanding our own behavior first of all. Than we stop beating around the bush and work on a better world.