Day to Day Politics: Bleary eyed affluenza and capitalist over-indulgence.
Thursday 15 December 2016
As the final days before Christmas meander their way through those monolithic tributes to capitalism, people’s only thoughts are of seasonal indebtedness for their happiness. As they descend into the Australian 30 day non-thinking hiatus that is our festive holiday season who will be interested in news?
When the carols sing of joy and peace to all men. When those among us lend their ears to the Christmas desires of their children. When play takes precedence over matters of state. While the 10 days remaining days bleed one into the other, filled with the stress of obligatory Chrissy madness, who is listening?
Who are listening to the stories told that define us as a nation? Are we taking in the story of the incarceration of Dylan Voller? His case worker testified that he was a normal lad until he was institutionalised and then the system broke him.
Are we observing the appalling treatment of those on Manus Island and Nauru as well? Or indeed as I write the horrors of man’s inhumanity to man in the Middle East.
Are we rejoicing at the success of the young Syrian refugee Saad Al-Kassab? Who when he arrived with his family in Australia he was offered a shovel to help with the gardening at Australia’s largest senior Catholic school – Catholic Regional College Sydenham. A scholarship followed and as a result of his determination this year with an ATAR of 96.65, he was dux of his school.
How many during this time of bleary eyed frivolity and capitalist over indulgence – of affluenza, give a thought to Trumpism and the consequences of his presidency?
“I am the way the truth and the life”.
With apologies to Jesus.
The MYEFO report will be released on Monday and the Prime Minister will give his Republican speech two days prior. All will be lost in the stress that is for most, a pleasant sort of drudgery.
It is true that tiredness begets us but vigilance is necessary. There is a lot going on. So I shall not be restful even when tired.
There is much happening that needs brooding words of protest. The keyboard is the only weapon at my disposal. Write I must. Protest knows not sleep. ‘Day to Day Politics’ will continue over the holiday period.
My thought for the day.
“Are you really doing what is important? What you believe in, or have you just adjusted to what you are doing?”
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Return to home pageBut they were economic migrants, just waiting for the rivers of gold, frankincense and myrrh to roll in
Love the picture and “Dont forget to hate refugees…” message. Thanks John Lord.
Grim times , eh?
Giving hospitality and assistance to the stranger was a basic moral behaviour in times past. Many old stories tell of the punishment of people who fail to welcome those in need or reward given to people who give all the aid they can. Jesus Christ was pretty strong on practical charity as well.
Mr. Lord, thoughtful piece. I don’t know why but my mind went back to the analogy of the cave in Plato’s Republic book 7.
Do we want truth or are we more comfortable with habit?
Do we want the light or are we more comfortable when we accept the shadows.
Have a productive festive season and stay safe.
Thoughtful piece John Lord and, although I enjoy your work and agree with your sentiments, I feel only frustration when you say “the keyboard is the only weapon at my disposal”. I have emailed politicians and marched in protests in the past but I now get the feeling that any form of protest, unless it is supported by millions of Australians, is doomed to fail. The LNP knows that the majority of people are being brainwashed by the corporate media and their lackeys who reiterate that all problems are Labor’s fault. Labor’s only answer is to either play it safe and not upset the wealthy or out-conservative the neo-cons. I despair sometimes!
James, my experience also…but we must not give up…..truth or the shadow?
It’s christmas so let us stick our heads into the concocted confectionery of joy, happiness, goodwill, presents, booze, etc. Please don’t make us raise our heads and make us look at the ugliness of the real world.
Re New Age Pensions Asset test :
Minister Alan Tudge has just stated on ABC RN that with the new asset testing : ‘90% of all pensioners will have their pensions increased or remain the same from 1 January 2017 ‘
Be interesting to get an idea from AIMN contributors who receive part or full pensions, if they have received a letter telling them whether their pension will go up or down.
My wife and I will see a reduction in our part-pension from 1 January.
From ancient times until about 100 years ago, being hospitable to strangers would often have been the difference of life and death for either party. Now with the world being overpopulated, strangers moving into the local territory are more often being viewed as a threat to survival. At this time, our immigration leaders are playing on this fear by inciting racism. It is abhorrent behavior from those making decisions on behalf of the nation. We need a long-term policy on population and environmental sustainability. And as demonstrated, we are not going to get it from the current crop of major party politicians.
Sad days John that we as a country could come to this. The financiers and corporations do not want a solution if it takes the slightest sharing of the benefits of profit too the masses of struggling citizens in fact they are more likely to opt for greater debt servitude not less. Capitalism thrives upon endless lies reinforced by a compliant media.
The more thoughtful amongst us have lived with this appalling inequality most of our lives as the goal posts are shifted left and right with basically the same nominal result. More inequality and more debt servitude while the least important debt (private savings) on the government balance sheet is blown out of all proportion. We are not in debt we are in austerity driven recession reinforced by both L-NP and Labor neoliberals.
This is not a society travelling towards a better horizon it is a mindless propaganda machine given tacit differentiation by one or another version of neoliberalism with the far right of the L-NP embracing neo-conservative Christian fundamentalist cruelty and brutality.
For years we have been drowning in “she’ll be right mate” as education and media are dumbed down to reinforce greed, avarice and vilification of the low income, welfare recipients, marginalised and poor. Across the board sycophantic gratuitous consumption, entrenched inequality and reduction in media diversity is eviscerating what was a nominal democracy turning it into a plutocracy and corptocracy. Neither right nor left have offered a rational way out of this cruel catch twenty two in which ordinary people are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Either way private debt and unconscionable inequality increases.
The Trumps, Clintons, Mays, Turnbulls, Abbotts, Joyces, Morrisons, Abets, Benardies, Murdochs, Albrechtsons and there ilk are an irrational and illogic pox upon this world destroying the biosphere and leaving a planet in wrack and ruin for our children. In the future these doyens of greed will be viewed for what they are basically irrational and insane. This is the truth. We have let insanity rule while reason and logic shrivel upon the deluded vine of madness.
People are not really that stupid they are, in fact, so totally mislead by politicians that all they can do is follow their familial and cultural prejudices rather than think because critical thinking is anathema to political conformity, endless irrationality, double speak, blatant demonstrable lies and media propaganda.
We are, so to speak, in deep shit.
Truth:
is there a difference between an asylum seeker and a refugee? Few, if any ‘hate; people full stop. Many are suspicious of well dressed and well fed men who leave women and children at home in a dangerous situation?
truth:
Case worker: voller normal lad ‘ In Alice Springs the primary schools struggled to handle him, he attended at least five different schools between the ages of six and nine.’
JOANNE VOLLER: When he was 11 yeah. That was the time that he broke my window and I was told if I reported him for breaking my window, he’d get the help that he needed.
KATE WILD: What sort of help do you think he needed?
JOANNE VOLLER: At the time he needed counselling to deal with his anger issues, but it is not what he received while he was in jail.
ANTOINETTE CARROLL: People were very confronted by him, it’s like this tiny little person that had this really strong language.
Normal lad is truth??
Thank you for your daily wise words, John Lord, much appreciated, love your thoughts for the day…
“Bloody Oz politicians, how dare they upset me when I’m getting ready for MY HAPPY Christmas, I’m ENTITLED to have one every year..?”
Then I watch the evening news and see the true human suffering in Syria, and feel just a little ashamed…
I think you should retire John or cut it back to once a week.You really would be more effective by walking down Swanston street Naked with a loud speaker.
Jerry, why don’t YOU do that yourself !
Jerry, you don’t speak for me. I enjoy John’s writing, as do many people here.
I don’t agree Jerry, if John was not effective you would not have bothered to react
Well the Left needs to get a sense urgency and militancy.As eloquent as John is no one is listening.The game in 2016 is a very different beast.And Oldfart you just sound like one of John’s mates.
wam, I saw an autistic boy of ten or so at the super market yesterday, he shouted loudly, he touched everything…We were all tense, the cashiers and the shoppers…Finally he came to his mum who stood behind me in the queue, and asked her: are your OK ? Then looked at me and said: why are you so upset…? An old man was called ‘grumpy’…
He showed concern for his mum.
He did not break anything, he did not hurt anyone; he was obviously getting good counselling; not Dylan Voller, he was brutalized in detention. Inhumane treatment…
A thoughtful, sad piece of writing John.
I wish you a good Christmas, happy and merry don’t seem appropriate words for the world we are living in.
Stephentardrew, well said.
The only consolation is that your list of evil, avarice motivated dregs (you forgot to include Gina Rinewitch) are in deep shit as well. Their money won’t mean much as the world becomes un-livable.
The site has had well over 3 million views so far this year.
Thanks John, I appreciate very much your thoughtful and thought provoking missives.
Yes John Lord . Thanks for your daily contributions and have a reflective relaxing Christmas New Year.
thanks helvityni,
I was a T stream teacher and met many wild kids.
I have a sadness that the system has left coping with these kids to luck of the teacher draw.
However I was continuing my little battle with the Lord’s use of truth in the words of carroll and ‘normal boy’.
The case worker, carroll use of normal about voller could not be true given that there are only about 5 schools in the alice and all passed him on before he was 9. At 11 he was violent at a blue light disco???? These are police initiatives dances attended by uniformed police. This was before he was incarcerated. The experience in don dale was not the positive action he obviously needed but the action should have been taken by the education department, through the case worker, 5 years earlier.
An old cynic, like me, would suggest the case worker was not diligent in voller’s case.
Amongst the gloom there is hope and cause for celebration. Aleppo is free again – secularism will return – and the Western backed terrorists have been defeated. .
Kaye, of those 3 million, 400,000 have read John’s posts.
Thanks Jerry for being so familiar with my writing.
Good post again John …When you are consumed by superstitious/religious beliefs, deny science and logic, like the LNP how can one be a rational human being?.
Baird wants sell some NSW Public Hospitals, mine included.
I’ll be joining a local demonstration, at the local pub, of course.
I’ll keep my clothes on, but I will shout my anger and frustration at the compassion-less couple, Baird and Turnbull…
I’ll make Johnny O’Keefe proud…
[quote]The LNP knows that the majority of people are being brainwashed by the corporate media and their lackeys who reiterate that all problems are Labor’s fault. Labor’s only answer is to either play it safe and not upset the wealthy or out-conservative the neo-cons. I despair sometimes![/quote]
In the same boat.
And don’t even start on those Climate Change denialist ninnies…….
Good Post john Lord, Wish you and yours, and all admin readers a Merry Christmas. David and Kathy Dowling.
Need we mention Peter Dutton’s latest idiocies?
The message of Xmas is always observed more in the breach than the intent.
Peter Dutton wants to see Christian values returned to Christmas celebrations : well, here’s a start why not release the refugees held illegally on Nauru and Manus, many facing their fourth Christmas in detention.
It may help Dutton to read the Universal Declaration on Human Rights to which we are a signatory, for instance :
Article 7.
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
Thankyou John : I value your insights, long may they continue. Have a meaningful Christmas as I will .