As I have brought up in my last post, there are seven pillars for society. Every news story you hear (true or not) effects one or more of those pillars. When the influence of politics becomes corrupted or unbalanced that is when the pillars weaken.

Again, I am not here to tell you what is happening to them. You want to know, ask in the comments. The reality is that the political affiliation you hold may make you see the corruption or strengthening of the pillars whereas someone of the opposite affiliation may see something completely different. The fact is, we really will not know what the future holds. But, be aware, someone is right. If I believe that the pillars are weakening and you believe they are strengthening because you hold different political beliefs, one of us is right.

Also, issues that arise may effect multiple pillars, not just one. For example, the separation of church and state (one of the most misread quotes in history. It is not in the Constitution) effects multiple pillars.

So here we go.

Government

Government is also known as the Law. Government is commonly used because it creates the law. Our government is easy. According to the Constitution, states have precedence over federal law. The only time federal law overrides is in times of war and interstate disputes. Law should not be confused with morality. The law states what is acceptable for our society, not what is moral. The big questions when it comes to government is the amount of participation (or interference) the federal government should have over state rights? Also, who should create law or regulation (congress or bureaucratic agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency)? The Affordable Care Act and Common Core are typically seen as governmental issues.

Family

Family is defined as “a group consisting of parent(s) and children living together in a household” (Google dictionary). The family’s main purpose is to have children and raise them to be able to fit in to society. The family is also a moral compass. It is suppose to teach the children how, not only to live according to society’s rules, but also to learn right from wrong. Political issues effecting the family would be crime, abortion, drug abuse, child abuse and gay marriage.

Business

Business is also known as the economy. Economy is defined as “the production, distribution, or trade, and consumption of goods and services by different agents in a given geographical location” (Google dictionary). This determines how much money we earn and from where (work or social programs) and where our jobs come from (service or manufacturing). Issues regarding business include environmental protection and regulation, tax reform, welfare reform, trade deals, the decline of the middle class, unemployment, the Affordable Care Act and illegal immigration.

Media

Media has become far more complicated. It used to be where we got our news. In the old days, this came from television and radio news, newspapers and magazines. But now it comes from social media sites, cable news, main stream web sites and fringe websites. In the old days, news was neutral (this happen to who and when). Not so much anymore. News of both sides has become very partisan and is used to bring people to a particular political conclusion (MSNBC and Fox News are examples). The media effects all of the pillars depending on that source’s political agenda. I feel this is a scary pillar.

Education

Education is “the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university” (Google dictionary). When we send our kids to school, we expect our kids to learn the basics (at least I do) such as math, reading and science. But we also expect our children to develop their belief systems and. preferably, with their own thoughts through the process of reasoning. Education is also suppose to make our children productive members of society who also understand how to meld into society. Issues Common Core, Charter Schools, voucher programs, crime, drug use, race, poverty and partisan (union or tenured) teachers.

Religion

Karl Marx said of religion:

“Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people”

But, in society, it is the moral compass. Murder is wrong. Adultery is wrong. Children are the reason of marriage and they must be raised with the same belief system. Law is what is socially acceptable in society. Religion is what is morally acceptable to be a human being. Religion touches all the pillars. Issues involving religion include “separation of church and state,” abortion and gay marriage.

 Arts & Entertainment

Arts and entertainment is also known as the culture of the society. That includes art, literature, music, stage, movies and television shows. Though most stories you may hear do not involve the Arts and Entertainment pillar, this pillar has become very influential and there are not many actors that so not use their celebrity to express their opinions. With a lot of the population embracing Pop Culture (especially in the cities), this pillar has become very influential (and you really see that during the elections). This pillar can effect all of the other pillars through influence.

 When watching the news or thinking about the direction of our civilization, think about these pillars. News stories can can confusing and random and their effects may not be clear. That goes also for the true state of our society. With this model, one can actually see how and what part of society is effected  and reason can be used to come up with a conclusion.

Photos courtesy of:
thomasabeesh.com
heiwx.com
intrepidtravel.com
gettyimages.com
nationofchange.org
atheism.about.com
anayaodisha.com