The disconnect between society and it’s structures

April 3rd, 2007

More and more I’m struck by the growing disconnect between people in society and the structures we use to manage that society. A few examples are the massive surge of resentment against DRM and anti-copying technology in DVDs the increasing number of people who are labelled criminals. In the UK we also have the unique example of a society increasingly being monitored by ubiquitous CCTV and traffic enforcement cameras.
Speed cameras are a good example for the point I’m trying to make. Most people I know are unhappy being caught by them but no-one would label them criminal masterminds or speed demons. They’re people doing 40 in a 30 limit early one morning with no-one on the streets. On the one hand they have been speeding but sensible people would never think that this is a real issue as long as they’re being safe in their driving.
I think one of the problems is that the world never worked the way the law thought. People broke the law in minor ways all the time but it was at the stretchy legal edge: They speed a little when they’re late; They park for 5 minutes while they run into the store; 2 guys who’ve had a bit too much to drink have a scuffle outside the pub, a few blows are exchanged and their friends drag them apart and everyone goes home.
In years gone by these things would mostly have gone unnoticed by the police. I remember clearly about 7 years ago being pulled over by a policeman while zipping along about 10 miles over the speed limit one evening. He pointed out an accident on the other side of the road, the damp road and gave me a stern talk about being sensible. I drove very carefully for months after that. He didn’t need to ticket or arrest me – the situation called for a stern talk. I didn’t feel any resentment or that I’d been ill treated and he slowed me down.
These days that kind of sensible reaction would never occur – I’d have been ticketed and probably asked if I’d been drinking and potentially tested. I’d feel resentment and annoyance, relations between the police and the community would be mildly worse off and no-one would have gained.
You see it’s becoming more and more possible to enforce the law to it’s letter. We can measure average speeds over 100 miles and fine you for going 1 mile over the limit. We can record everything you say for a year and construct a circumstantial case against you. If you shove someone outside a pub you will be seen and can be prosecuted.
The issue is that when you can run to the letter of the law society tends to do that and it doesn’t work. Unions had (probably still do) an option to ‘work to rule’ – they stayed at work but did exactly what the rulebook said and it generally caused everything to grind to a halt. Trains would be stopped 10 yards from a station as the driver would not work 30 seconds past the end of their mandated rest break.
I’m not recommending that we should all get to break the law all the time, but society needs the flexibility of work at the edges in sensible ways. And people need to interact to solve their problems instead of using the police everytime little Johnny trips little James in the playground.

Entry Filed under: Politics