Irrational behavior, Number 5

I have been writing quite a bit lately about our irrational behavior in the face of the many problems we need to solve in the world. The last irrational behavior, on 5 February, referred to the Hi -Tech weapons we continue to develop that are more dangerous than the conflicts they could possibly resolve. Why do we stock-pile these at vast investment of money and resources?
Here is Irrational Behaviour Number 5:

"The problems we face call for the commitment and participation of every able-bodied human being, but we put millions put of work to save the cost of labour." 

 
Nearly 10% of the USA labor force are currently unemployed at a huge social cost. In the UK it's not much better at nearly 8% What alarms me even more is that the number of 15- to 24-year-olds classed as Neet (not in education, employment or training)in the UK is around the one million mark, and one of the worst levels amongst the G7 countries.
What a dreadful waste of resource, and no wonder there are so many youngsters involved in crime, both petty and serious, yobbish behaviour, etc.
As Stephanie Sorrell explains in her latest book Nature as Mirror, we all need aspiration. We all need visions and goals, to aspire to the highest we can reach. Our unlived life has a powerful hold on us and feeling unfulfilled can have devastating effects on mental health. This all links neatly with another Irrational behaviour:
"The problems we face call for long-term solutions, but our criterion of success is the bottom line in annual or semi-annual corporate profit-and-loss statements."
We have let money rule our hearts as well as our heads.

In the early 1900s, the American capitalist of that time, Benjamin Ferdinand, wrote: "Remember that time is money.He that can earn ten shillings a day by his labour, and goes abroad, or sits idle, one half of that day, though he spends but sixpence during his diversion or idleness, ought not to reckon that the only expense; he has really spent, or rather thrown away, five shillings besides."

So we "cannot afford" to employ our youngsters, to give them fulfilling and worthwhile jobs, give them some self esteem and a promising future?

(all these Irrational Behaviors are being taken from the essay by Ervin Laszlo on “The World’s Health Problem: an Integral Diagnosis” in A New Renaissance – Transforming Science, Spirit and Society. I keep referring back to this book as it is such an important initiative from the Scientific and Medical Network. I have posted a review for this book on Amazon).

A New Renaissance: Transforming Science, Spirit and Society

NEETS and technical colleges

At last. I have been saying for years that our schooling in the UK is not for everyone; that by the age of 14 kids should be allowed to leave the conventional school, geared as it is towards exams and university entrance, if they are not suited to academic learning. It seems to me that the less academically gifted children often feel they are failures at school, and this leads to low self-esteem, and boredom. And that of course can result in all sorts of behavioural and social problems. Surely it would be better for such kids to learn a trade instead – perhaps be apprenticed to tradesmen, learn a practical skill, even start earning a living during training, whilst their more academic peers stay on at school to gain that cherished place at university.
Now at last something is happening, as reported in The Times of 7th January.
Lord Baker of Dorking used to be the Education Secretary. Now he has founded the Baker Dearing Educational Trust, which is behind the proposal to open up to 70 technical schools, focusing on engineering and vocational skills. Children will be able to join these at 14. What a brilliant idea!
It is also planned to have a network of smaller “studio schools” which would have links with employers and teach functional and practical skills.
When I was at school, there were Technical Colleges, which served the same purpose, but those were closed down or converted to Universities. Lord Baker blamed the demise of these Technical Colleges on “snobbery.”
It is absolutely imperative that our youngsters are made to feel of equal value whether they learn a trade or a profession, go to “Tech.” or to “Uni.”
On the same day that this plan was announced we are told on the news that 1.5 million young people in the United Kingdom – yes 1,500,000 young people – are not in employment, education, or training. We call them NEETS! See the link for the Mail Online comments on this, and it makes very worrying reading. Is it any wonder that we have such serious problems with anti-social behaviour, gang warfare, graffiti, yobbish behaviour, etc etc? Surely there can be nothing more dangerous to an ordered society than youth, particularly male youth, testosterone charged, who are bored, disaffected, angry, marginalised and unable to feel they have a value, a role to play, in that society?
So come on. Let’s get cracking on addressing this problem – and for my money I think technical, practical education for these non-academic youth from the age of 14 has to be the key.
And whilst all this has been about the youth of Europe, is there anything similar in the United States I wonder?