The common good, often espoused by revolutionary leaders and dictators, by politicians with an ulterior motives and by commercial entities looking for a profit – is often a facade of what is actually good for the common people.
As the law of economics dictates – everything have a supply and demand factor – where production, consumption, savings and investments coincides to make the world goes round. And that the imbalance of any of those pillars are subjected to failure and pain.
While it is not to say that the pursuit of the common good is to be rejected, by the exclamation of the pursuit of one is definitely one that is to be suspicious of.
Throughout history people had been misled by leaders of poor judgement, to pursuit projects and vision “for the common good”, that had not only been disastrous for the people, and expensive in lives and resources. While, many good had been produce as a result of those sacrifices: the building of the Great Wall, the defeat of Nazism during WW2, the ambiguous strategic results from USA’s involvement in the Vietnam War – these are however not necessarily a “common good”.
The “good” had not been “equal” or “just”.
The Great Wall had protected millions over the centuries for Chinese empires, but how many people are died building it? War against Nazi Germany came at an unavoidable enormous price tag for the Allied forces, especially Russia, but what came out of it? Countless deaths and shattered lives, and the rise of Soviet Union as a superpower, where millions lived in poverty and dictatorship. Vietnam War had halt the spread of Communism throughout Asia, but the effect of the war is still being suffered by the Vietnamese today.
Are those Common Good?
Common Good is a nice concept, nice vision and nice philosophy – but as mentioned in the 2nd paragraph about the economics of the common good – in fact, a concept of the Ying and the Yang – where you cannot take something without something else is lost.
Sharing your “extra earnings” with the less well off, sounds like a good thing to do – sounds like you are doing a common good – but why it never worked? Communism and Socialism should have been a hit, if the common good is really good – but it never was as pretty in real life as in text.
Newsweek columnist Robert J. Samuelson once wrote: “We face a choice between a society where people accept modest sacrifices for a common good or a more contentious society where group selfishly protect their own benefits.”
But this is in fact a misleading premise and set the society up for failure. He presupposed that the only way to the common good is through sacrifice and giving up of one’s benefit. But is that true? This is not true. Many good in the world had been created even when the prime motivation was selfish. In fact, selfish actions by corporations and various politicians, had actually created more good than any “common good” initiative could have ever create.
To sacrifice for the common good – is already in fact “less good” for the person who is making the sacrifice. How can that be considered a common good?
So does the Common Good exist?
I would love to say yes, but the answer for me is a “No”. Common good is a philosophy, an ideology, a dream – that can never be fulfilled.
Is the Sun a common good, since it brings life and warmth to our world? But not necessarily when you watch your farmland turns to desert and the hurricanes that hits the coastal states in the USA due to the heating up of the Atlantic Ocean.
How about Oxygen? It have to be good right? But Oxygen also feeds the flames that engulfed the Californian state causing enormous loss of lives and property.
One persons love for another, could be the hatred by a third. The feeding of humans by industrial farming causes loss of habitat for wildlife. Protecting of endangered species, condemns them to the loss of freedom and death by solitude. Internet had brought unprecedented access to knowledge, but also incited the flames of violence causing deaths and harm to many.
And thus, I started the Common Bad.
It is not easy to identify what is “more good” (since common good doesnt exist), but I’m sure that its not difficult to identify what is commonly bad. I want to help bring light to social phenomena that one may not be aware of that is influencing them and their circle, in less than good ways. I would want to point out the hypocrisy that is running our world. I would want to bring attention to what we need to really put our thoughts to. And to finally provide a nice oasis to relax and chill from the crazy crazy world we call home to.
Welcome to the Common Bad. Where your paradigms and conventional wisdom goes to die.
