Given our seemingly ever spiralling discontent/disregard for laws and that every house is progressively turning into an insular fortress rather than part of the community.
Houses are becoming bigger ( I was raised in an 11 square home to day the average is 20+) crammed with stuff.
Blocks are becoming smaller partly because the house size is more important than backyard.
We now demand the public purse to compensate for our selfishness with more parks and facilities etc. Yet we whinge about our rates.

They appear to becoming less safe "Brisbane's recent bikeway rapists" and the spate of rapes in the past in Melb parks.

Activities are more internal than external i.e. sedentary electronic rather than active external. (backyard cricket). Space for children to play whereby we can control access.

Consequently we have become more insular/isolated (many don’t know their neighbours). This has lead to a reduction of community and community responsibility.

THE CONUNDRUM

If you see someone breaking the law do you report them as a matter of public responsibility ? Does it depend on:
• Who they are?
• If it directly affect you?
• How seriously you view the breach?
Or “do you mind your own business?”
Comment.

Geez, Examinator,

I think that this is rather a complex question.

First, I think we need to examine ourselves honestly and see whether we actually feel that we have moral responsibilities?

From comments made here over time it appears that many of us do not. We humans are very good at self-deception and run the danger, if we are not careful, of confusing moral responsibility with priggishness, superiority or smugness.

I think that I personally, feel a moral responsibility towards my students and children whose sense of morality is still being formed.

However, the morality of adults, strangers, I consider to have been shaped and formed by forces I cannot know and have had no part in; therefore take no responsibility for.

I do, however, feel a strong sense of responsibility to all who share the world with me. While it appears that this feeling is considered limp-wristed and is continualy mocked, it forms part of my deeply-held beliefs and is the basis of my spiritual life.

Therefore, for me personally, each act would definitely stand alone and be reacted to according to the circumstances.

I think I prefer to try to deter or diffuse a situation whenever feasible: thinking in terms of Crime/Punishment is not my first reaction.

But, like any code of being, this is not a stark black or white issue either for me or for most people, I suspect.

I agree with the proposition that we are leading more introverted and sedentary lives today. When I was a kid in the 70s we did all the outdoorsy things like running around playing army and cricket every summer, riding our bikes etc. But that petered out as friends got older, drifted apart and did different things and found new friends that were more like them.

So, after a while, people tend to aggregate in like-minded groups and consequently mind their own business. The idea of a homogeneous community, if it ever really existed, suffers.

When it comes to reporting crime, it probably depends on where you live. The rule of thumb seems to be to only do so if someone hurts or threatens your interests. Otherwise ignore it as you don't know whose nose you might put out of joint and what retribution they might be after.

That, of course, is not particularly community-minded, but often how it is

A few interesting issues here, house size should be a thread on its own.
Mine is too big, yet it was relocated from Sydney and refurbished, built first around 1970.
I bought it because it was like new after that rebuild 5 bed rooms 2 bath rooms 4 others.
Still small compared to many Mac Mansions being built now.
Is size having an affect on how we are?
Other way around , we build our caves to keep us isolated.
My family always used my home as a refuge I provided for them.
Too big but not the reason I am what I am.
People once knew every one in a street.
Locked away from the world works while the one you love shares your life but fails in time.
I think many, not a majority but a lot do get involved in others problems.
Those who do not want to get involved would be the first to expect help, its human nature sadly.

spiralling discontent/disregard for laws.
Could it be put in another way perhaps?
discontent/disregard for spiralling laws.
Considering in the 21st century there are more rights and more laws to defend rights than in the time kids were told "get outside and play" is long gone. We're more aware of falling under a sets of laws that are moral and not in themselves, criminal.
I tried to help a stabbing victim, who died waiting for an ambulance. I ended up sitting in a court room, which was not a pleasant eperience. The person who died was a stranger and changed my way of thinking of ever helping anyone again. I still think I would though in same circumstance.

Seems to me that you're bringing up quite a number of issues there.

In relation to reporting crimes: for me, it does indeed depend on the severity. From my view, there are three different crimes I could witness.

1) Those I disapprove of, but don't consider serious enough to go to the trouble of reporting.

For example, littering. What good would it do at the end of the day? I might seriously dislike those people who carelessly litter, but I'm hardly going to run to the nearest police officer.

2) Laws I simply don't respect.

Note here, that seeing as I'm a citizen of Australia, I feel I'm bound to follow its laws. That being said, sometimes there are laws which I fervently disagree with - for example, the internet censorship restrictions that are in the works. I'd have no qualms about downloading softward to bypass such efforts at censorship, even if there wasn't any restricted material I want to see. I disapprove on principle. So of course, I wouldn't report others doing it.

3) Serious laws.

These I'd report. Instantly. I see a robbery taking place, or someone being mugged or attacked, or something of a serious nature, I'd hit the phones straight away.

In relation to the issues of polarisation:

Yes, I agree it's a problem.
I detest the increasing trend toward 'gated' communities. Something about them really bothers me, it seems like people retreating into castle-like societies.
When you give your imagination a little leeway, it's not hard to imagine an atomised society where the rich have retreated completely into such enclaves.

I also agree about the social habits reducing. I've spent a fair amount of time in Chinese cities, and seen that the culture has more social aspects to them. Many city squares will play free movies at night where crowds congregate, some people dance (it's a more coordinated line-dancing style of dance) and young children can run about freely.
I can't help but feel if such things happened in Australia, it would only be a matter of time before some drunk yahoos crashed the event.