Automobile Risk Society IV

Recently my fiance had another car accident: Somebody drove into the road from a side, not bothering her coming. She tried to avoid that car, lost control of her own car and happily stayed alive with no severe injuries, but her car is fully gone. So, tell me, wouldn’t a car cruise control system react immediately when a person or a car suddenly appeared before Your own car? Do You realize how many accidents could be avoided or reduced in harm by cruise control systems, when installed in all cars? Anybody who reads this, would You please try to do something about that?

Automobile Risk Society III

Dear reader!

Today i looked up statistics about road traffic deaths. It turned out according to data from WHO, that each year more than 1 million people die on the roads of the world, in 2010 – 1,27 million. Therefore i ask the responsible people for:

1. Zero tolerance for alcohol, drugs, tranquilizers, …
2. All cars must have the best safety standards.
3. Trains and railways must be built everywhere and be cheaper than road traffic.

Kind regards

Your humble servant

Habermas

Theories of the German philosopher are difficult to understand, at least for me, so i just try to outline. Feel free to correct me in Your comments, please.
His view at society is a two- (or four-?) dimensional – the “system” comprising economy (money) and politics (power), and the living environment, comprising privacy and public space (norms, values, …). What he wants to say is that an integration in the system cannot replace integration in the living environment.
A deficit of communication in the living environment leads to a loss of sense and motivation, desorientation, psychopathology and anomy. So, the living environment is a resource which has to be strengthened.
One question is – in a globalized world – does a living environment still exist? Habermas wants the living environmet to be protected  from encroachments of the system. He wants more solidarity, no violence, preventive action, self reflexion, more rights to say for citizens and social balance.
Personally, i like these ideas except his critics of the system. I think we need a stronger supranational system to enforce more justice in this world.

Communication Society

German sociologist Richard Münch also speaks about exploding communication and networking in society. In this context a huge difference between ideals and reality creates energy which can be used to change something. Dispite of all changes the ideal would never be attained.
Other paradoxical developments are the growing knowledge about environment and lack to oversee everything; growing individualism while being more dependent on others; despite more connections people have less bounds.
In the communication society economics, politics, solidarity and discussions interpenetrate each other, and so the communication society gets tighter and closer, accelerated and globalized.
Politics becomes virtual, journalists competitive. We see an inflation of words which don’t count anything, on the other hand every word seems to be more important than ever. Laws are not implemented, politicians are show-masters. There is official communication and the communication behind the scenes. The main danger comes from fundamentalist solutions. It is important to maintain pluralism of thought, build bridges and compromise.

The Shadow of Modernity

The German sociologist Heitmeyer speaks of the anomic shadow of modernity, refering to some desintegrative moments in society. Especially he pointed at the growing gap between rich and poor, retreat from institutions, biographies which are no longer coherent but tinkered together and the disagreement in values.
He writes about prosperous material development combined with moral decline. Individualism becomes a cultural norm, competition the motor for desintegration.
He mentions three crises of modern society:
1 – a structural crisis concering the system of society
2 – a regulation crisis concerning its values and moral
3 – a cohesion crisis concerning our living environment

The anomy, the lack of values and morals, is everywhere – in business, in politics, in the mass media, …
This is a main reason for the ethnical-cultural conflicts we may see, it includes the dangers of racism, hatred, violence and a society where 1/3 is dropping out.

Automobile Risk Society II

Some time ago,

i got to know,

that those car control systems,

have been there long ago!

Some privatiers

held them back,

for personal profits,

for DECADES!

This can’t be, dear all!

There must be

a change

in the patent rights,

it can’t be that

many thousands die

and families suffer,

because some

humans

are egoistic!

Automobile Risk Society

Dear all!

Recently, i again realized how much risk there is in the daily automobile traffic. My sweet fiancee got hit from the back when stopping at a traffic light. Thanks God, it seems after a day of back pain she recovered. Now we all should be urging politicians to make obligatory automatic stopping systems for automobiles. It should be easy today to have an electronic system in all cars, which would stop the car in such situations immediately, something like Adaptive Cruise Control. And soooo many accidents where one car hits another from the back can be avoided!

So much about the risk society, You see, one continuously has to try to reduce risks, by further differentiation, in this case an electronic system to stop the car automatically when another one stops in front. Hope and pray that within 10 years it is in all cars!

Some time ago,

i got to know,

that those car control systems,

have been there long ago!

Some privatiers

held them back,

for personal profits,

for DECADES!

This can’t be, dear all!

There must be

a change in the patent rights,

it can’t be that

many thousands die

and familes suffer

coz some guys are egoistic!