New Years are sneaky little things: you just don’t see them coming.
I tend to think that the Aboriginal concept of “time” might be on the money. To them, time is circular and travels like a boomerang. “White man’s” concept of time – they say – is linear, in that it travels like a spear.
I reckon our First Australians got it right, because these New Year’s Days keep whizzing on past.
And here we are at another one.
If we reflect back on 2017 what do we see?
Above anything, we see a year where the disconnect between the political set and mainstream Australians grew larger by the day, and because of it so did inequality.
It is reflected in the growing number of homeless people, the gap between the rich and poor, countless Australians living below the poverty line, the rise of extremism in our country, our disregard of people in need, our ignorance to the suffering of the First Australians, turning our backs towards victims of domestic violence, tightening our borders to people desperate to seek a better life here, continued ignorance of the perils the planet faces, and on it goes.
It’s fair to say in that regards 2017 wasn’t much different to 2016. Slightly worse, sadly.
We cannot let 2018 be just another reflection of 2017. Or perhaps it would be more correct to say; we cannot let our leaders make 2018 just another reflection of 2017.
If we don’t get the opportunity to change our governments, we still have the opportunity to change our national psyche. Small steps, as they say.
We’d all like to take big steps, but we’ve seen how hard that is. Nonetheless, we will never stop trying. Not here at The AIMN. Not here with the tenacious, gutsy group of writers we have. Not here with the fabulous group of commenters and readers who demand less inequality.
At times it must feel that we’re losing the battle. But we’re not. We’re only just getting started!
To all those who have come with us this far – and who will march in solidarity with us again in 2018 – may you have a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year.
Michael and Carol.
