Perhaps, finally, we have hit the point in Australia where the attitudes of our past are seen to be the undeniable scourers of our future.
We have a moribund political class. A grouping of people who came in too late with too little. We have a tranche of people who are well paid to lead our nation, yet, when the embers fly, and the lives are lost, and the homes explode, and the people, the very people, grasp for breath, the putative leaders of this nation feed us political ideology and butt-saving efforts to protect their own tenure in the soft seats of our political institutions in Canberra.
We, as a people, deserve better than this.
No longer is it ok to excuse the inaction on climate change from a Prime Minister who is held to ransom by the proud deniers within his own party of mindless and dangerous conservatism, by the small minds who are so disconnected from science, from truth, and from global agreeance on the peril that this planet faces. The fires that are currently scouring us need to change this nation.
Here we are, as a people, in a period where the shit really hits the fan, faced with the fact that you, as volunteers, are truly the only ones who can be relied upon. You were the deliverers of hay, and food, and water. Our politicians were well informed prior to this fire season, they were told about what was likely to come, yet they sat on their comfortable arses and played ideological games.
I will never forget the vision of a young Australian woman who had been through so much and who simply hoped that the leader of this nation would ask her – ‘how are you?’ – yet all the man could do was force her into an unwelcome handshake and then turn his back on her. It was the most appalling example of what is wrong with the leadership of this nation.
The fires have scoured us. That is undeniable. All of us have felt it. Our front-line people on the hoses are incredible human beings. Our State leaders, our local government leaders, our emergency personnel, are all incredible people.
Our federal leaders came late to the situation, while our country burnt they thought that holidays in Hawaii and Bali were more important to them than the welfare of us, the people. Appalling!
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All of the PM’s Australia has had in my lifetime came , more or less, to ignominious ends when their failings caught up with them and overshadowed their achievements. Whether voters were prepared to ignore their failings while they felt the incumbent was doing a reasonable job I am not sure. Thankfully, Morrison’s plethora of failings have become brutally evident early in his term. Whether voters will remember the puerile, hollow, stiff, arrogant and insensitive behaviours of a person who is totally incapable of leadership in 2 years time is another matter. But what we have seen of late is the real Morrison. A person driven by his neurotic needs and his “marketing schtick” approach to everything he does and one unable to put them to one side even when he is trying to fake empathy. His utterly obscene ad was the act of a child whose feelings were hurt and his attempts to now white-ant Berejiklian and Andrews are the mark of one who is so obsessed with his personal brand that he will stoop as low as he has to to deflect blame. All the while, he is utterly tone-deaf to the absurdity of his actions and comments and the irritation, if not downright disgust Australians feel for a person who should never have been PM. His supporters will, no doubt continue to stand behind him, but that is comparable to the “king’s new clothes” – they will fail or refuse to see what is obvious to others.
Why is it that the Australian people, both here and overseas, have proved to be so much better than the Australian Government? After all, it was those same wonderful Australian people that elected this bunch of self important mediocrities and have continued to do so for the past six years. I am an elderly person who was more than prepared to sacrifice my franking credits and much more in return for half way decent government with an eye to the future instead of these extravagantly paid numpties. But it was not to be. George Orwell got us right in Animal Farm with the character of Horse, brave, hard working and totally unable to see through the scheming mendacity of the ruling Pigs!
Brilliantly said, Keith.
Given our structural arrangements we get to vote for our representative (perhaps) once every three years. Our representative (depending on political affiliation) may, or may not, get to vote on who will be the effective dictator for the next few years.
That’s how a so-called democracy works here in Australia (and elsewhere). Talk about a ‘clever country’ – but only in an ironic sense.
There are times, MN, when three years is long enough. Too damn long, actually.
MT, re: “three years is long enough”. That’s the point. It’s far, far too long. In these days of ever accelerating change, accompanied by faster and faster technologies, it’s just laughable that we have to wait a metaphorical eternity to both effect and affect (operationalise if you like) the democratic will.
Yet NO political party is contemplating such a move.
And yes I know the punters are not to be trusted – while the ‘elites’ are?
Smoko’s Canberra bubble did not stop the smoke falling on the capital . You need more than a metaphorical barrier to combat climate change .
Beautifull expressed Keith but haven’t we suspected this for some time? Even The Greens seem woeful.
We can’t wait until the next election. We will have to cobble something together in a hurry. Lots of meetings
are planned. I personally have a soft spot for the French yellow jackets but in our case traffic orange and hope,
that we could become a bit more proactive than the french mob.
we are far go people who have no idea of politics we have elected 3 learners and given them a ;fair go’ one election each. Scummo has god and he will win like little johnny no thinking needed just more of the same
who won gov a whitlam, a hawke, a birthday cake a caravan not a beazley or a shorten. Even if albo gets active they will probably give scummo another go.
A character flaw we have is our desperate need to have someone worse off. This is being installed as a right by our americanisation.
thankfully my grandkids are emotionally strong
So I will become an alright jack and retire.
No fck it scummo you are not an australian. You and your god must go.
The corporatization of government has allowed profit motive to outweigh “the-good-of-the-people”.
Keith, we rage and complain here at AIMN and demonstrate that there is always a better way to do things than the Lazy Nasty People misgovernment Australian voters elected. We can see that our country is rapidly sliding into the worst third world export economy in the OECD encouraged by no policies for anything except feeding the egomania of corrupt democratically elected politicians. We demand change from our armchairs when we need to be out on the streets demonstrating our discontent, just like the Iranians and Iraqis resisting the occupation by the USA (United States of Apartheid).
It is considered impolite to discuss politics, but that only facilitates more the same, rather than change for the better. So, maintain the rage, keep identifying the self-serving policies and handouts to politicians by foreign owned multinational corporations to elected politicians at every opportunity. Educate when you communicate.
While the MSM see only “the King’s new clothes” perhaps our salvation shall come from the little girl Greta Thunberg who saw the true reality of the naked corporate profiteering causing environmental damage while Mother Nature lines up for future strike in retribution.
@MN: Hitler was a democratically elected politician in 1930s Germany who was made Chancellor by German Big Business to protect their assets from communism and social revolt. The move to Fuhrerstat was by decree after the Reichstag fire for which some evidence suggests was a deliberate arson by a foreign power.
We are dealing at the level of foreign owned multinational corporations with long experience in corrupting democracies with self-serving, short-sighted, even treasonous egomaniacs that they fund to get elected and expect repayment with government policies that reward their political donations.
Correcting this situation may now be too late, but it requires stable government and talented politicians dedicated to the common wealth of Australian voters rather than the profits of foreign shareholders living overseas. Reducing the term of Parliament would be counterproductive. Rather reforming electoral funding is required but this can only happen when a proper government is elected, and that requires money and dedication, or as stated above, some form of revolution.
New England Cocky … I quite agree about taking it to the streets … I’m oiling up the wheels on my zimmer frame as we speak!
You make good points about the power of the written word to either confront entrenched thought, or at times to educate, and many of the articles on AIM are widely shared and draw considered responses from many people, which is a good thing.
But ultimately, yes, the thoughts have to morph into action.
One thing that needs to change this year is parliamentary sitting days. The government needs to face the people and debate the issues. Last year was a disgrace and a deliberate assault on our democracy.
Always believed that Australian are or have become passive and preferring to follow higher authority whereby MPs are mere ciphers for Koch influenced think tanks, donors and NewsCorp whose ‘architecture’ ensures that enough voters remain ‘dull and ignorant’ (expression used to describe preferred voter by US radical right libertarians causing chaos in the UK and Australian politics).
Thank you all for all you have expressed! Full agreement! This PM I have said for some time fancies himself as Dictator with all rights to do as he wants which he has shown so many times with his off the cuff give always of millions leaving relative ministers dumbfounded! No discussions or OK’s he just does it on whim! Sitting days last year amounted to 10 weeks 4 day sittings over 12months? Parliament not working for over 3months or more several occasions this year even less 95 days only! After last day sitting house reps in Dec when all hell broke loose!utter disgrace! GOV. Tried barging through the house 2 bills without opposition sighting them? During uproar ALBO said “THIS IS A TOTALITARIAN GOVERNMENT”! Exactly what it is becoming! Few days later minister FINANCE “CORMAN stated media We don’t need a government”?read what you want from that? Personally that’s what the want what ALBO stated? TOTAL CONTROL! after last FRIDAY’s attempt at photo opp at that fire ravaged community and. After PM’s behaviour turned into fiasco for him?are people aware from reports the RIOT SQUAD were sent in? & again next day? After PM saying “he understood their anger? they have been through a lot! I don’t hold any grudges in those cases” what a bloody false man he is? SATURDAY morning he faces cameras in total reversal of views? Talking so fast like devil chasing him? But seeing photos etc on twitter appears he may have. got abusive with Premier (covering mouth appeared upset) Commissioner also PM LOOKING DIRECTLY AT THEM CLENCHED FISTS! He wants to be BOSS! Then SUNDAY TV SHOWS HIM FAMILY MOVING INTO LODGE CANBERRA! SHOCKED I WAS!! All this is because he is terrified losing his Job! Told the knives being sharpened! All these Remarkable about face efforts shows man in PANIC MODE?
Yes Andrew Smith, in our imaginations we are Wild Colonial Boys, but in reality we are Mild Colonial Boys. The French would have been out on the streets weeks ago.
Patagonian. Central Eastern Europe too where it can be more ruinous personally e.g. losing your job.
Australian youth, older or unionists hitting the streets are met with howls of outrage from media and society while a few years back the AFP black shirts warned people of a Melbourne CBD (profiled/if you looked foreign) sweep (decided unilaterally, Vic Police not informed) and to be prepared (with ID etc. even though we do not require ID), no one cares, even if they remember…..
One could smell Dutton (and Pezzullo) in the background on that one, nativist media content for at least targeting QLD audiences (e.g. perception no one speaks English in Melbourne, all brown people etc.), exerting authority and now potential leadership, prematurely after PM stumbles…..
41 years ago I arrived in Australia only to be told, by a rude, ignorant so called “dinky die” Australian man to piss off back to England, you POME bastard !
At the time I dismissed it as the ravings of a demented fool.
After 41 years I can assure you – there is an awfull lot of those fools here in Australia, I have been the object of your pathetic “terms of endearment” and I have had enough, basically it’s racism, pure and simple, you can dress it any way you like but in the end it’s about you seeing yourselves as better than anyone else, your misplaced sense of superiority, seemingly over every other nation in the world.
The last 24 years has proved to me without question – that there are an awfull lot of so called Australians who are Right wing authoritarians.
Sorry but after 200 year plus you are still looking for your identity, well, wake up fools, you are not smarter, fairer, more egalitarian, tougher, braver, anymore than anyone else. Most of you are loud, foul mouthed fat bully boys, lazy, whinging, self opnionated, cheats, liars and thieves, and for your information there are a lot of you who not very clean, who actually smell pretty ordinary.
If I could, I would leave this very boring almost featureless flat land of nothingness, but I can’t, my family are here and to do so would cause much pain. But I have to admit I regret leaving my homeland for this land of self interested bully boys.
Pathetic absolutely pathetic.
Re:
Yep! Spot on! But guess what, it’s not particular nor peculiar to Australians. Indeed it’s so common that sociologists, anthropologists (and others) have a name for it – a concept called ethnocentrism. Further – they have even defined it.
Hence the endorsement that you are on the money with your ‘finding’. It’s why so many ‘immigrants’ undergo ‘culture shock’. And it’s why so many Australians become (and seem like) racists etc. – because the ‘shock’ goes all ways.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnocentrism
Stephengb, perhaps you should ‘go back’? Return to the land of your youth. But if you did, you will probably find that the Land you left is now no longer the same. Cultures change. They ‘develop’. They ‘evolve’. So much so – ‘going back’ would bring on another bout of ‘culture’ shock. Certain bewilderment. Why even the common sense (shorthand for culture) would seem so very different.
Then again you could attempt to become culture free so that you could fit in anywhere. Or are you suggesting that’s the case? that’s (Good luck with that.)
I leave lived and worked in Singapore, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, UK, Indonesia, and now Australia,
In Australia I have lived nd worked in Brisbane, Melbourne, Darwin, Sydney and Perth.
I have worked alongside Australians, Scots, Welsh, Irish, Indonesians, Indians, Americans, Irish, Philippiano’s, Chinese, Vietnamese, Canadians, New Zealanders, South Africans (Black and White), Kenians and some whos natinality or origins I had no idea.
I never found any to have the knack of being so absolutely up themselves like some of the Aussies that I have had the misfortune to have to work with?
As a matter of interest I learnt more from the Chinese guys than any other nationality of workers.
I have returned to my homeland twice in the last 5 years (to see my sibblings and their family’s).
Yes it has changed, but not the people, not that there were not always some nasty people, but I can tell you even the nasties are not so far up themselves like your average so called ‘dinky die’
Of course I am not culture free, but niether do I have tickets on myself or even on my nationality!
Matter Not
Our “appalling leadership” and our current batch of governing parliamentarians are classic examples of the sort ofAussie I have experienced for 41 years.
Come on tell me that these arrogant, ignorant bullying self serving, bunch of arsholes that are our current government on display are unque, are not indicative of the 44% who see these arsholes as good aussies
?
Interesting response Stepheng at 12:17 am. Perhaps the next avenue for investigation might be the metaphorical mirror? Or is that not a possibility? And if not – then why not?
Further – are you the one (and only) who is best placed to determine whether or not you have tickets on yourself? And if it’s ‘you’ – then what culture free methodology did you employ? A value free ‘common sense’?
(As a matter of interest – were you across the concept of ethnocriticism before it was mentioned here tonight? If ‘yes’ – did that awareness affect (or even effect) the judgements made?) Response is optional.
As for your next post. I’m appalled at the outcome of the last election. But have no definitive answer as to the ‘why’. At the moment I’m of the view it was an election lost rather than an election won.
Matters Not
Metaphorical Mirror ? – sorry lost on me, too ignorant.
Your right perhaps I should be up myself for saying that I am NOT up myself, too ignorant.
Ethnocriticism? NO, too ignorant.
Election lost or won – definately WON. Why? Because the LNP lied and lied and better lied, and all those extremely clever Aussies voted for them.
Ps
I just love the articles and comments on AIMN, most (probably 90%) are indicating a deep dissatisfaction with the way things are transpiring in Australia.
Most articles and comments (if not 90%) are actually telling me that the average Aussie has stuffed big time voting the LNP in power 17 of the last 24 years.
Many (if not lots) of the comments actually punctuate my thoughts over he last 20 years.
Incidently I am like 100% of us, ignorant about much, but there is NO shame in being ignorant only shame in thinking you are not ignorant about much.
Am I a critical thinker I hope so, I really try to be objective, to understand the implications of the word subjective.
Am I perfect (Of course I am) I am after all an Australian citizen now, the operation wasn’t ALL of my brain just the bit that made me ‘ever so ‘umble’.
Stephengb. I apologise unreservedly. I didn’t say you were ignorant and I certainly didn’t intend offense. If it’s any consolation I suspect that 99.9% of people (here, there and everywhere) have never even heard of the ethnocentrism concept and by asking you, I was in a sense just road-testing that belief. My error. My bad.
There are so many areas I have little or no knowledge of – but I don’t use the pejorative word ‘ignorance’ to describe that state. Perhaps you are far too hard on yourself? But that’s just an opinion.
Again, I apologise unreservedly.
Ethnocentrism; assumption of superiority and/or insular focus towards one’s own ethnicity to the exclusion of others.
An example would be the trope of ‘strayan mateship’, spruiked as though giving more than half a shit about the folks around you was a quality unique and exclusive to people inhabiting this country.
Anthropocentrism; assumption of superiority and/or insular focus towards humanity to the exclusion of other kinds
An example would be humans driving other species to extinction and disrupting the biospheric climate of our planet in order to fuel our own self-gratifications.
Ps, I was delighted to learn that space-scientists had gathered enough data to categorise the vast intergalactic supercluster of which our planet, sun, and milky way are a part, which they named Laniakea (Hawaiian for ‘immeasurable heaven’).
This enabled a much greater sense of wider locational identity, which immediately gave me a feeling of smug superiority over any of the contemptable beings that might happen to inhabit the neighbouring supercluster of Perseus Pisces.
@Stephengb: OK, for the record; in the Ten Pound Poms Scheme, the English had the highest return rate of all nationalities, about 25%. There were cases of Poms returning to England straight off the boat, and other refusing to leave the boat.
In 1973, my German block-layer returned home and stayed about six months before he could work and raise sufficient funds to bring his family back to Australia. Memory sometimes only sees the good times.
Your international experience is needed in Oz despite the inadequate politicians, but turning them out will require a concerted effort of the entire Australian population organised by a dedicated group of activists prepared to put in the necessary time and effort to cleanse Australian society.
Don’t get mad ….. you have the skills for a much more satisfying …get even.
Its time I think, for Labor and the Greens to forget their differences, bury their antagonism and be prepared make great and significant compromises to get rid of this destructive useless government which only serves the interests of Murdoch, the IPA and the rest of the self serving media, big business and the rich smug satisfied elite.
The conservatives have the advantage of controlling all the propaganda mechanisms and they utilize it ruthlessly and so far, very effectively. Murdoch shows no regrets at the way he destroys any one who opposes his point of view. Its time Labor and the Greens mobilized the immense broad community support they have and make a serious and concerted effort to rid us of these bastards. We have to save ourselves, our country our bush and all who dwell in it. We are more in number than them. Surely that is our big advantage.
Matters Not, yes accepted.
But trust me I am not offended, I meant it, the word ignorant or ignorance etc is not an insult.
However I apologise I threw it at you as a weapon. – Sorry!
New England Cocky
Yes I am mad, I am mad at my peers, they just took the lies, lies and more lies, at face value.
I am politically active on Facebook.