[Ailist] Positive Core of America

Mon Mar 9 13:01:55 MST 2009

Hi Michael,

I'm all for including the study of Liberty and Responsibility in schools
along with a broader study / appreciation of other cultures. I do not see
anything politically incorrect about doing so. In fact I think it is
politically incorrect not to do so. After all good democracy relies on an
educated electorate who use their voting rights responsibly.

The more we move away from personal responsibility toward dependency on
others the more democracy is weakened. In an attempt to remain apolitical
let's not confuse responsibility with being selfish and only looking after
oneself. We do have responsibilities to others as well as to ourselves.

As I thought more about the Statue of Liberty being a gift I realized
something.

One can give the gift of liberty however one cannot give the gift of
responsibility. It is an individual decision to take responsible actions.
One can give the gift of an opportunity but it's up to the recipient to take
it and use it responsibly and wisely.

It's also a little bit of a chicken or egg situation. If you act responsibly
you are more likely to become empowered. Greater empowerment leads to more
satisfaction and greater liberty. Both empowerment and responsibility need
to be present for growth and development. By not acting responsibly an
individual denies themselves opportunity to grow. Opportunity and liberty
are at the positive core of America. By default therefore so should be
responsibility.

Thanks for the input

Roger

  _____  

From: Michael L. Schwartz [mailto:mschwartz at positiveconcepts.biz] 
Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 2:23 PM
To: 'Roger Davies'; 'Lionel Boxer'; rreilly at alcor.concordia.ca;
ailist at lists.business.utah.edu
Subject: RE: [Ailist] Positive Core of America

Responsibility, personal responsibility, will only occur when people
recognize that they are responsible for their own actions AND that they must
be accountable for the results of those actions. 

AND, also, that they are responsible for lack of action.

We have become a population that shirks personal responsibility, we are
always looking for someone else to blame for the negative results of our own
actions:

	Overweight? It's the fault of fast food restaurants.

	Smoke cigarettes? It's the fault of the tobacco companies.

	Unsafe driving habits? Force the car companies to add "safety
features".

	Drive drunk? It's the fault of the bartender for serving you what
you asked for.

	You took out a mortgage that's way beyond your means to repay? Let
the taxpayers pay for it.

	You granted loans to people with poor, or no, credit worthiness? Let
the government bail you out.

	And, on and on and on.

Why take personal responsibility when you can blame someone else and sue
them in court?

As a child, I was surrounded by relative that had the attitude, and
repeatedly made the statements: "Why should I have to _______?" "Why can't
someone else ______?" Fill in the blanks. It didn't matter what was needed.

It was not possible to explain why people, good people, help others. Why it
is a responsibility.

No "Statue of Responsibility", no matter where it comes from, can explain to
people the meaning of responsibility, or force them to accept responsibility
for their actions.

What we need to do, and this is very politically incorrect, is to begin
teaching responsibility to our children and force our "business leaders" and
government representatives to be examples of accepting responsibility for
your actions.

Michael L Schwartz, PE, PMP

President

Positive Concepts, Inc.

Phone: 248 828 7701

Fax: 248 828 7708

Email: MSchwartz at PositiveConcepts.biz

Web: www.PositiveConcepts.biz

Enhancing the positive.

-----Original Message-----
From: ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu
[mailto:ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu] On Behalf Of Roger Davies
Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 9:12 AM
To: 'Lionel Boxer'; rreilly at alcor.concordia.ca;
ailist at lists.business.utah.edu
Subject: RE: [Ailist] Positive Core of America

Hi Lionel,

A very good observation and no one good answer. Some would probably take it

seriously and others would probably deride it. These das even if it was

gifted from outside there would be some political suspicion attached to it.

But to have something out there to point to and emphasize the importance of

responsibility might be a very good thing. 

It might be argued that it has to come from within. Responsibility, after

all, is something that we take personally from within. The only person that

can make us act (responsibly or otherwise) is ourself.

I believe that most people will try to act responsibly if they feel that

their decision, choice, or opinion matters. That they will be listened to

and treated fairly as a human being. It has no connection with any given

belief system, level of intelligence or any other factor that one may wish

to stratify society by. It is, in my opinion, rooted to the human being's

ability to reflect on their actions. 

Incidentally one founding principles of the US was that of religious

tolerance. If parts of the US have outlawed the 10 commandments that has no

more bearing upon how responsible those people are than those parts of the

US that insist on the 10 commandments.

Roger

-----Original Message-----

From: ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu

[mailto:ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu] On Behalf Of Lionel Boxer

Sent: Sunday, March 08, 2009 5:18 AM

To: rreilly at alcor.concordia.ca; ailist at lists.business.utah.edu

Subject: RE: [Ailist] Positive Core of America

The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France in response to the behaviour of

the United States of America in their pursuit of Liberty.  As such that icon

has a great deal of meaning.  For a corresponding Statue of Responsibility

to have similar iconic significance it would need to be gifted in a similar

way from outside.

I wonder.  Would a a Statue of Responsiblity paid for by public subscription

from within the United States of America be taken seriously/  Would it even

be noticed?

The foundation on which the behaviour of the United States of America that

resulted in the gift of the Statue of Liberty was based on principles such

as "IN GOD WE TRUST".  That positive core may be gone; The Ten Commandments

have been outlawed in parts of the United States of America.  Based on that

alone I wonder if there is any sense of responsibility anywhere in the

United States of America and I would suggest that any self-errected Statue

of Responsiblity would be at best wishful thinking.

However, Victor Frankl was another great gift to the people of the United

States of America - and the world.  I suppose since it was his idea there is

some merit in such a symbolic gesture.

Lionel Boxer CD PhD MBA BTech(IndEng) - 0411267256 Associate of RMIT

University - lionel.boxer at rmit.edu.au Graduate School of Business my

"Assessment of Quality Systems with Positioning Theory" 

now in a googe book - see link at http://intergon.net

>>> Rosemary Reilly <rreilly at alcor.concordia.ca> 07/03/09 6:08 AM >>>

That is why I have recommended in America that in addition to the Statue of

Liberty on the East Coast, there should be the Statue of Responsibility on

the West Coast. As for the pursuit of happiness: The more we make it a

target, the more widely we miss. Happiness is, and will always remain, the

unintended effect of meaningful activity.

Victor Frankl (1905 - 1997)

Very appropriate for AI work. And, by the way, there is a foundation working

to build the Statue of Responsibility on the US West coast by 2010.

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