This week I am thinking about the economic meltdown, my work in the accreditation office, and urban planning. The thing that ties all of this together is the importance of a careful framework of structure and regulation. As I read the requirements written by the accrediting bodies--which encompass everything from teaching philosophy, employment policy, campus environment, and budget, endowment, and physical resources--I realize the importance of regulation and review. When I read about the mortgage meltdown and the failure of banks, I remember the importance of regulation and oversight. When I do my work with Care Through Touch, when I see the tourists and shoppers get on and off at Powell street, one Bart stop away from Civic Center and the Tenderloin, I think about about the role of urban planning, public transportation, and the link between tourist and business hotels just a few blocks from strip clubs and open drug deals. I think about the implicit structures that regulate this business, and the role of economic regulation in judging who is in dire need for help and who is allowed to drop out of the bottom of the economic system.
We cannot rely on the good nature of people to act responsibly. We cannot allow the free market to just work itself out humanely. We cannot rely on the profit motive to create sound economic policy. We cannot rely on the good intentions of my school's board and administration. We cannot rely on our elected officials to be responsible without our monitoring. This is not to say that individuals (and the board and administration or Congressional representatives) are bad people. In fact, the accreditation report is basically a report on how the school is monitoring itself and trying to improve areas of deficit and difficulty. But it's important to have the regulatory/accreditation structure in place--just in case someone decides to act a little crazy. It's just that power is funny, greed-profit is funny. It messes with people.
That's why it's important to have laws and regulation, to set humane policies in place, and to monitor our government. It's just a little extra insurance.
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You know, it's funny...re: your statement about who we cannot trust.
Often times the "boards" and those in charge of regulation are so demonized or threatned when trying to 'regulate' (in a way that will carry out the long term health of the people/stakeholders) that those holding power shrink from doing the right thing for fear of causing immediate damage. But long term harm is often worse. Liberals are ridiculously nearsighted sometimes.
And honestly, some of the people talking shit about the administration, board, lender--or whoever--are the "few" who refused to take a cut in any way that might benefit the "many." We can talk about our corrupt leaders until we are blue in the face, but what does our consumption tell them? The people who yell fire in plenty of time often get labeled "elitist" or "conservative." Instead of demonizing those who remind us that peaceful longevity exists in disciplined nows, we might want to start listening. And I think confession should make a come back in Protestantism. Like Rev. Pinkard preached last weekend, if we admitted to the "deadness" in us and all around us, we might actually be able to bury it.
Sorry, that was all over the place...but your posting referenced a lot of institutional stuff. So my response went in and through those halls, faces, documents, etc.
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