In Russia there was an old saying that said we must protect and cherish our children because they are the future. This saying is just as topical today as it was hundreds of years ago but who is responsible for raising our children?
Of course the immediate family unit is the primary structure responsible for raising children, and this is more or less true until the age when the child is given to a state or other educational facility to begin their education. The family unit carries the responsibility of shaping the basis for the future adult. This includes moral values, ethical behavior, sexual orientation, respect for life and fellow humans, and a host of other areas that the person then bases their world view and future behavior on.
When economic, moral and other factors, in anyway, cause a disruption in, or the destruction of, the primary family unit this has a negative effect on the development of the child, and once that damage is done it is almost impossible to undo it.
When we look at societal models from around the world with regard to the support of the primary family unit there are many factors which have to be taken into account, these include economic, educational, religious, moral guidance, health care and other kinds of support which most often have to take place at the local level and be easily accessible to the family unit.
The role of the state and the church in many regards has a huge effect on the preservation and support of the family unit. If overall society does not support the family unit or does not provide adequate conditions for it to thrive then there is a qualitative deterioration in the quality of the guidance provided to the child who is helpless and totally dependent on those around him or her.
If we look at the US capitalist model and that of states which seek to emulate the societal norms and conditions prevalent in that country we see many complete and utter failings and a dysfunctional state and societal structure unable to properly carry out the task of properly raising children who enter its citizenry.
One of the most basic needs of all humans, if not arguably the most basic need, in particular in a capitalist system, is the need for employment that is able to allow the individual to support him or herself and support the family unit.
Employment is of utmost importance in other regards as well in allowing the individual to realize and fulfill their potential and be a productive and contributing member of the society where he or she finds themselves and those factors are no less important, but we are focusing on family.
The failing capitalist system in the US is an example we will look at since its eventual collapse will have severe consequences around the world.
Almost any American will agree the ?American Dream? is dead, buried and almost forgotten. That dream of having a home, a family and rewarding education and employment has long ago become out of reach for the larger part of society.
The American economy is devastated and will never recover, it was hi-jacked and gutted by a few who continue to profiteer from an endless illegal war not even allowing the populace the industrial and manufacturing boon that may be found in a ?war economy? as most of the jobs have been outsourced to third countries and manufacturing profits stay in the hands of an elite few.
The resulting ?natural escalation of capitalism? and move into fascism, where corporations run the state, has meant that the American populace and in particular the family unit has been devastated.
The primary necessities of the family unit have become almost unattainable, these include health care, education, housing, transportation and even basic sustenance. Under such conditions the first and foremost societal structure, the family unit, has become unsustainable, leading to irreparable damage to the children dependent on the family. Factors which have destroyed the family unit include both parents working, inadequate health and dental care, poor living conditions, poor life conditions and overall poverty.
A state run by corporations where even basic healthcare is the object of corporate profiteering can not be expected to solve any of these problems, although it is in the power of the state to do so and one might argue their most important responsibility. We could thus conclude that a healthy state and societal model can be determined by simply analyzing the health of the family unit, for as the old Russian saying goes: children are out future.
In the US the breakdown of the family unit has been coupled with a police state that has cracked down on all marginalized segments of society including parents, teens and children. In order to compensate for the societal breakdown caused by its own destructive self-serving policies the US state is dealing with the problems through the use of force and attempting to control the populace with an iron-fist.
One of the results of the breakdown of the family unit and the move to an information based society is the fact that children and teens who once spent free time doing homework, playing, reading or even watching endless hours of mind-numbing television are now spending their time on the internet.
With both parents working, less societal support for youth and advances in technology this dependence on the internet is a logical transition that has been promoted and allowed to grow despite warning by educators, psychologists and analysts as to the harm that could be caused to children.
We are beginning to see the results of such developments. Since the advent of the internet there has been a qualitative change in the youth of the world and in their lives. In most cases this has been a change for the worst.
The fault is not that of the internet but lies in the destruction of the family unit and the lowering levels of education, lack of supervision and absence of positive constructive activities for youth. These factors apply to the US societal model.
If we look at the Japanese model for example, where there is a concerted societal attempt to keep youth busy in positive productive and socially acceptable activities we might cite the old adage: idle hands are a devil?s plaything.
Although I have said the family unit is the most important factor in raising children, the second most important factor, the societal unit, can not be ignored. Parents have their role in the early formation and development of the child but once school starts they are then exposed to the societal component and this continues for the rest of their lives.
Hence we as members of society teach the children and youth in society what is acceptable and normal. Any society that does not take that responsibility seriously does so at its own imminent peril.
In the US this societal factor is largely to blame for the acute rise in youth crime. This is largely due to the amoral nature of the signals that yuth receive on a daily basis namely with regard to the continued glorification of violence, crime, force and sex in the media and in the things that are marketed for their consumption.
The victims of society are then demonized as the victimizers when they succumb to hopelessness and an endless diet of violence and go out and emulate what they see on a daily basis.
Some examples include the autistic youth in Connecticut who recently gunned down over 20 people was an isolated child who spent most of his time playing violent computer games.
Recently two teenage girls drugged the parents of one of them so they could get on the internet after ten pm, tyhey were hence turned into the police by the very parents who were supposed to protect and care for them.
Another case has five teens being arrested for attempting to steal the shoes of a 13-year-old Chicago boy. Five teens attempting to steal shoes seems like a pretty grim statement on society to me.
Then we have the case of the 18 year-old from Astoria Oregon who was so influenced by Facebook that he posted the fact that he was drunk driving as a status update and was arrested. Apparently he thought he was being cool.
Another poor young man whose life was destroyed by the glorification and perceived acceptability of guns was an 18 year old who was evicted by his girlfriend and her new boyfriend and decided to threaten them with a gun, he is now a felon and will enter the US for profit prison system before even starting out in life. There are many reasons for teen crime in America, another is the endless sex and pornography available to youth, a factor no doubt leading to cases such as a recent home invasion and rape by a 17-year-old boy?near Seattle and another in Tulsa. The response by the authorities only serves to escalate the violence and rather than attempting to consul and rehabilitate these youth they are turned into criminals and subjected to more brutality by a merciless system. By cops who torture, arrest parents for letting kids play outside, attempt to make an example of an honor student working two jobs, and the list goes on.
Sure some youth may do horrible things, but it is the responsibility of societal structures that helped to steer them to these deeds that must also be looked at and reformed and restructured so that such events are not allowed to happen again. It is also the responsibility of society to stop allowing the glorification of violence and to demand from those who can affect change to do so, in a positive direction.
Without our children, we have no future.
The views and opinions expressed here are my own, I can be reached at robles@ruvr.ru.
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