There is a certain amount of risk in life. Most of us want to have as little risk, and as much control in our lives as possible. We get secure jobs. We don’t want taxes to change. We want the value of our houses to stay the same and we don’t want our rents to increase. Some theorists suggest that there is a finite amount of risk in society, and that we all try to minimise our share of it, but that power makes the balance unequal. By not allowing social housing in our neighbourhood, we reduce the risk of anti-social behaviour for us, but we increase it for those we have stopped from getting close to us. Refusing to allow taxes to be increased gives us more control over our incomes, but increases the risk of poverty for those who don’t have power over their incomes. The thing about justice is that you can’t just want it for yourself; you have to want it for everyone.
The recent changes in the wealth of our country have highlighted more than ever the differences between the well off and the struggling. Now is the time for change. People are beginning to realise that what they want is not more stuff, but more connections with others. Connectedness is inherently risky. If my well-being depends on the well-being of others, I am more vulnerable than if I depend only on myself, right? On the other hand, if one person in a network, in a community, takes a hit, the shock can be absorbed by the whole group, lessening the impact overall. It is time to think about what each of us might lose in a more just society, but it is also time to consider what we have to gain. Are we willing to take the risk?
