4S

[Tony Hardie-Bick]

On 23/10/11 15:01, Peter Korsten wrote:
> Really? Are things really getting so much better? Who's saying that these
> so-called revolutions in the Arab world aren't a very clever marketing ploy by
> Facebook and Twitter?

It is clever marketing.

> What I've seen mostly over the last 10, 20 years is a hardening of society and
> people becoming, quite frankly, assholes. It just so happens that this coincides
> with the 'internet/mobile revolution'.

I have completely the opposite experience. Everywhere I go, people are 
friendlier, more open, more expressive, more intelligent, wiser, brighter than 
ever before.

Also, I have noticed that along with this, there is an increase in stress for 
people working in large cities, and certainly an increase in the gap between 
rich and poor, which I think is very sad, and very bad for the economy.

So not everything is positive, although, I find people individually, vastly more 
aware, intelligent and well-informed than twenty years ago.

There is clearly a need for greater empowerment, to ensure that their daily hard 
work is rewarded fairly, and their taxes spent accountably and according to a 
sensible set of policies that are free from the influence of vested interests.

This last factor, is really the most essential change I would like to see in the 
world at this time.

Tony (HB)