More Pollution Cleanup Tips

Political posturing, crass consumerism, religious fanaticism, and other signs of problems in society all need attention. We need alternatives that people will really adopt. We need tools and strategies to overcome all forms of social pollution.

So, what can you do to fight social pollution? I can offer several strategies and some specific ideas.

I've mentioned the need to come up with alternative ideas that people will actually accept. Those two popular activism tools -- calling for a ban, calling for more regulation -- also have their places in a good social pollution cleanup strategy. Yes, this ignores the question of what should be regulated and what should be banned. The more people affected, and the more severely they tend to be affected, the more reasonable an outright ban becomes.

And here's something completely different...

The Free Thinker's Guide to Congress would be an annual analysis of the quality of thinking in Congress. Yes, I think people could compile such a book without being overcome by despair. Congress isn't that bad! People and legislation, whether passed or not, would be evaluated. There would be a one-pager on each person and piece of legislation. OK, maybe this needs to be done in two volumes not one.

People could also vote with their wallets. This is a reliable old activism strategy. Except in this case we look for programs and magazines that spread social pollution. Just keep in mind that social pollution isn't just any old thing you disapprove of. Social pollution is an idea (policy, program, tradition, behavior, belief, similar things I may have left out) that are unscientific, illogical, or that undermine widely-held human values.

By the way, I finally found a list of those values. Here they are (from a 2000 Roper poll): Protecting the family, health and fitness, honesty, freedom, self-esteem, self-reliance, justice, friendship, knowledge, and learning.

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