6.19.2008

the one about the common good


Concern for common good is an essential factor of progress…

One can measure the level to which, in daily life, the individual members of a society value the common good through a simple indicator: road traffic

When a large number of participants in road traffic are willing to give way because it makes sense for traffic flow overall, people uphold the common good versus individual advantages. The opposite is a me-first attitude, even at red lights.

Traffic chaos indicates little respect for the common good, as well as the helplessness of the authorities to execute rules of the common good against ako muna traffic participants. Either way, traffic chaos indicates a decreased likelihood for successful economic development, while countries in which road traffic discipline is observed will usually do much better.

Traffic discipline is superb in Northern Europe and North America, which goes hand in hand with countries in these locations being the richest in the world. Traffic discipline is better in Bangkok than here in Manila or Jakarta, which is in line with the development progress in the respective countries over the past decades. Traffic rules are largely ignored in much of sub-Saharan Africa, they’re a hot mess over there…

I do not mean that economic progress of countries depends on road traffic conditions….

I only say that road traffic conditions are an easily visible overall indicator for the likely economic growth path of a country in the coming years. In Third World countries, the degree of observance of traffic regulations corresponds fairly well to the economic development potential.

In general, you will find that the less the people of a country are willing to put the common good ahead of their own personal advantage, the less a country will develop economically.

Huwag pasaway…

8 comments:

  1. the picture's terrible. i can't imagine myself in there now. tsk. the filipino traffic. there's a saying, "if you can drive in the Phil, you can drive anywhere else." ;p

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  2. well road discipline has loooong died!!!

    sana ma-resurrect

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  3. this is a wonderfully written post and i agree about putting forth the common good.

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  4. thanks h18 (sounds from periodic table of element hehe)

    i still hope for the people of the philippines though

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  5. Hmmm... I was soooo looking forward to our December visit in the Phils and you reminded me of the Manila traffic jam ;)... Never mind, we'll be spending most of our holiday in my home province so I'm still excited about it! Thanks for sharing anyway :)

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  6. haha, traffic's still hellacious here in manila. but hey as the saying goes, there's no place like home ^^

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  7. It gets much worse and we haven't shown how the trains are during rush hour.

    But I love my Manila

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