I write because l cannot remain silent
I awoke this morning with my mind in turmoil, foraging through “what ifs.” What if the Morrison Government was re-elected? What if they got an outright majority? The same leader with the same imbecilic ministers with cart blanche to do as they liked. What would be the consequences?
“It’s not possible,” I whispered to myself. But it speaks the voice of reason. They could be. We could easily see more cock ups like Robo Debt and Sports Rorts. They would claim a wide-ranging mandate that would see Morrison emboldened to marry politics and religion. And forget about doing anything about climate change, a National ICAC, an Indigenous voice or even a republic.
The decline in parliamentary standards of secrecy and transparency would further decline, and imagine Barnaby Joyce with the freedom to indulge himself.
The Government would give more incentives for mining coal than looking after the aged. No improvement has been made in Conservative governance for a decade. What makes you think they will improve sufficiently in another term?
They have been a decaying Government with a lousy leader for three terms. Would giving them another one see any less corruption – no, less harassment of women or any improvement in inequality or equality of opportunity?
The sheer bastardy of neoconservative thinking where a drip-down effect from the rich looks after the poor l find both shameful and revolting economics.
This is why I write about politics and social justice. You see, a lady on Facebook gave me a hiding last week for not ever giving some praise to the Government. I had to admit it was true. It was indeed something l needed to reflect on.
‘Reflection’ is a marvellous word. It means to contemplate, look back on or give serious consideration to what life throws at us, good and bad. The purpose of a diary is to record the events of the time and the emotions and circumstances surrounding said events.
Well, after four minutes on the egg timer, I had my answer. From where does my political philosophy stem? Well, l like to think that l was born with it, but that wouldn’t be true. The truth is that an ongoing observation of inequality over many years reassures me of what shaped it? Of course, it is much more complicated than that, but that will suffice for this piece.
As far as the lady who gave me a hard time goes, well, the reason that I provide no praise for the Coalition is simple. Regretfully, they are by far the worst bunch of men and women ever to govern our country. I hope that explains it.
Therefore, at 81-years-old my motivation is to see my country rid itself of by far the worst Government in my lifetime. To again become the true democracy it once was.
Am l being true to it? Sometimes in the daily grind of it all, one can easily miss the point, the why of what l do.
When confronted with the abuse the feral nutters dish out, why do l persist? Is it all worthwhile? Other writers at The AIMN, I feel sure, would attest to the time it takes to pull an article together.
Even when you want to throw mud because you are so offended by their persistent lies, it’s good to pause now and then and question one’s motives. Many questions arise for the author. Am I being objective or just biased? Is what I have written accurate and fair?
I started writing for The AIMN in November 2013 and have enjoyed some success by my standards. I don’t profess any ownership of excellent knowledge or self-righteousness. I am certainly of the left but believe that in a democracy, we should never be foolish enough to assume our opponents should never win.
I battle on, sometimes under trying circumstances, with words that are central to my life experience. I believe that the left of politics is concerned with people who cannot help themselves, whereas the right is more concerned with those who can.
But central to the purpose of my lingering observation is also to think about those who take the time, or to put it another way-make us worthy of the time they devote to reading whatever it is our minds dictate to our keyboards.
Of course, my indebtedness is extended to The AIMN’s editorial team, which devote their time to seeing that my words are in keeping with its standards.
Some years ago, a homeless man in Sydney messaged me to remind me of how important it was for me to also post my work in text form on Facebook because it’s the only way he could get it on his phone, so much he looked forward to it.
Another lady wrote about how much she enjoyed my writing. When she explained why I was filled with an immense feeling of satisfaction, the reason for what I do became clear to me.
I continue in clear conscience that I am on the right side of history. I write because l cannot remain silent.
My previous diary post: The Government is falling apart… let’s hope the voters are paying attention.
My thought for the day
I don’t mind the criticism, but please don’t do it on an empty head.
PS: 8 Feb Question time… “The PM is a fraud,” interjected the Labor member. Withdraw, said the Speaker amid laughter. The PM makes a point that the Opposition is politicising the Pandemic. Well, l never.
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Return to home page1) Despite Scummo et al attempting to implement the ”1984” strategy, it is writers who prove the pen is mightier than the sword and ”evil prevails because good people do nothing”
A timely warning JL with ASIO claiming that the are PRC China attempts to fund LABOR candidates in the forth-coming feral elections? Now what party does Gladys Liu represent? The CCP??
No mention about American attempts to successfully and anonymously fund the Liarbral Party thanks to totally inadequate funding disclosure laws, but then they are our ”friends” because we then do not need any enemies.
2) ”[I]magine Barnaby Joyce with the freedom to indulge himself.”
The worrying thing is that he is currently doing exactly that!! The well documented Northern Inland Railway (NIR) financial disaster now blown out to about $14 BILLION for about 150 km of railway line laid down while ignoring the concerns of farmers having their broadacre paddocks sliced in two, goes conveniently past two Barnaby Joyce properties over CSG fields in the Pilliga Scrub Narrabri NSW.
Guess who is the Minister responsible for extending the NIR from Brisbane to the CSG export port of Gladstone?
Now who was the owner of Eastern Star Gas that held leases in the Pilliga Scrub, before it was sold to SANTOS? The one & only John Anderson, former ”leader” of the feral Nazional$ ….. and conveniently the Campaign Manager for Barnaby Joyce in 2019.
There is a bigger story here as Anderson is returning to politics as the Number 2 position on the Nazional$ Senate ticket ….. to insure the on-going unimpeded flow of taxpayer funding to a project that its own financial analysis expects will take at least 50 years to recover the initial taxpayer investment??
Never let it be said that when you vote for the Nazional$ Party you get policies to benefit the community.
Mr Lord,another worthy and concise dissection of the worst government, not just in your 81 years, but the worst ever,by a Barnaby mile.No one need apologise for telling the truth.Of course truth is to the Liar as kryptonite is to superman.Anyone who fails to see what this government really is,has been comatose for years.Keep up the fine work,plenty of us ‘mugs’ out here appreciate it.
I too wake up in cold sweats wondering what will happen if he is re-elected. My husband and I are considering where we could move. New Zealand?
I know people who think “Mr. Morrison is a nice man, he is just badly informed and people tell him what to say”. Give me strength.
Keep on writing JL, all of AIMN keeps me hoping we might just be able to persuade enough people to vote them out.
Between now and the election the National Security Committee will release weekly announcements on matters of national security risks which ‘Spudley’ Duttion will insinuate into the mainstream media to demonstrate what a danger Labor are to our national security. I say insinuate because there will be no evidence or detailed information on attempts by China and Russia to subvert our national election and otherwise hop into bed with Albo.
Already we have been told that China would prefer to see a Labor government in Australia and that was meant to harm Labor’s chances. Only trouble was most Australian electors agreed that after the constant back-stabbing and visceral hatred within the coalition towards each other and their leader perhaps the Chinese have got it right.
“Scoop” Markson cub-reporter at Newscorp has been delving into Albo’s past and so far we know – shock & horror – that at the Sydney Easter Show in 1969 where he was with his mum, aged six, he was seen with a red balloon. When asked why this was significant, Mr Dutton told reporters ” well, it’s obvious isn’t it ? ”
“Scoop” Markson has also discovered that in his twenties, before he had been elected to parliament Albanese had suggested that an ‘inheritance tax’ was probably an equitable basis of taxation. This at a time when most states already had an inheritance tax but following Joh Bjelke Petesen’s moves to attract retirees to Queensland by dropping the death tax, other states were forced to follow – clearly this makes him unsuitable for public office !
But wait, there’s more, “Scoop” Markson is ploughing through Albanese’s Grade Six homework and has found that he made an error in a long division sum, clearly making him totally unsuitable for the role of prime minister.
There’s more to come. It’s going to get dirty but we need to keep our sense of humour.
Nice giggle this morning, lord, With the bill gone the canberra green slogan: ‘labor, the party of ‘minor and technical amendments’ seems redundant? I well remember(and miss) your ‘week that was’ and your enormous effort of a daily post. However, with scummo playing the man trying to beat albo and trying resurrect pig-iron’s communism(you could tell us the coalition’s antics with china especially the free trade agreement) it is time for:
11th june 2013 “If we truly face the facts, we will admit that we are behind the eight ball and in danger of a thrashing. Tuff times demand tuff decisions and a bit of mongrel”
Come on albo listen to the younger lord and get some mongrel fight?
ps You could challenge the criticising woman to a contest that you give 3 examples of scummo’s 3 years and ask her to give 3 examples from her point of view.
I started this in the years of my worst government ever, that of the lying rodent, selling gold, selling the airports and work choices not one of my critics took up the challenge.
Some anti-vaxxer on our Facebook page just questioned our independence.
I replied that no one owns us, pays us, we are not affiliated with any political party and we don’t tell our authors what to write about. That, to me, is being independent.
He continued, asking why a comment of his was deleted.
“Because we don’t support conspiracies,” came my response.
“If you’re independent you’d report on the 500,000 people in Canberra.” (It’s actually 10,000 people who are in Canberra protesting against vaccinations, according to a police report).
He couldn’t get it in his head that we’re not into conspiracies.
“They are exercising their rights,” he insisted.
If he supports people exercising their rights, I thought he’d appreciate my right to exercise mine: I blocked him.
JL
I have read at least 80% of AIMN articles. Not all because I have no interest in some subjects, but you can be assured thatvImdo appreciate the independence of these articles.
As for your cold sweat, yes it makes my blood run cold at the very thought of the LNP regaining power, and more so in the certainty that Dutton would roll snotty the minute they, did regain power,
Albo isn’t Sloppy but I doubt that the Labor party have the resources to counter the media campaigne that the Coalition is about to unleash on them. Even if elected with a majority we will get three years of blaming SloMo.
It will be good to pay old age care workers and nurses a decent wage and increase the Dole but history tells us that just puts up the cost of rented accommodation and a litre of milk.
A Federal ICAC with teeth wont fix it. Dramatic changes to tax laws will take all of three years to implement. Labor will get my preferential vote after it’s passed down through the minor parties and Independents. I was briefly a member of the party; I know what they are like.
Michael,
It sounds like your anti-vaxxer suffers from a very bad case of Trumpmathitis with added Inflatisfiguris. He badly needs to see an Arithmeticologist for a course of corrective numberology.
Me too. I’m very concerned and considering my options if they are returned to govt. But Robodebt, Indue, and Sports Rorts et al were not cock ups. They were deliberate. Robodebt for example, they knew was illegal from the start – they were told often enough, and we all knew it, well before the High Court ruled it illegal. It was blatant theft from the people. Indue is blatant theft from Australia’s wealth into the pockets of millionaires. Sports Rorts were blatant examples of corruption. I won’t say pork barreling because although these rorts may have been legal, they are immoral and undemocratic, and they know this, just as we know it. Shame on us as a stupid nation, if we vote for more of this. Perhaps worse than stupid, perhaps it shows that we, as a nation, are greedy also, uncaring about morality or ethics, and/or possibly just plain ignorant.
@Mi9chael Taylor: I always ask anti-vaxxers have they had their Salk vaccine against polio; a tetanus shot after outside cuts, influenza shots, 5-in-1 shots for their kids to prevent death by whooping couch, (nearly as painful as COVID). Then I ask them what are their medical qualifications, which causes chronic bluster and confusion.
Your question John about what has the LNP done that has been good is a question I have asked myself a number of times. About the only thing I can recall is when Howard took a strong stand against weapons.
Since Abbott was elected they have displayed a lack of negotiating skills, which is still the case in my view.
At the recent Press Conference Morrison tried to delivery a more considered view for the future. It was not accepted by the journalists and Morrison was questioned in a very forthright manner, it should have been the case ages ago.
In relation to climate change the LNP can be considered down right dangerous. The “policy” (garbage) they took to Glasgow was a farce, recognised by other nations.
Were the people of Australia aware of the earlier age activities of Scott Morrison, he would then be pursued, then charged and thrown into prison.
Scomo has a lurid history of being charged for serious offences, all that sort of activity will have been removed from public access.
As for this article by John Lord, he has every freedom to expand on his life experiences and the wisdom he has gained over the years.
Younger persons including females should avail themselves of the subject matters he brings to our attention.
It pleases me to read the truth rather than the shite found in Australia’s mainstream media.
Do please continue with your clear conscious article contributions. Thank you, John.