Another definition of Karma?
As a child, I remember reading of highwaymen – Dick Turpin, with his horse Black Beth, who was notorious for his antics on Hounslow Heath, near where I grew up.
Then there was Robin Hood, who robbed the rich to give to the poor.
“Stand and deliver! Your money or your life!”
And now we have the dilemma created by COVID-19 – do we save lives or the economy?
Those who do not want for anything which money can buy, are the most eager to protect their wealth, and the institutions which have helped to create it, and if lives are lost in the process – well – we are over-populated, in the estimation of many!
The wealthy (interpret this as – those who are extremely comfortably endowed with worldly goods) tend to be jealous of their status, unwilling to lose it, and ready to brand the poor as being lazy and incapable of managing their lives.
The Indue Card policy bears witness to this attitude, as does the general law and order cause.
I accept that this is a sweeping generalisation and we do have genuine philanthropists, but the balance is basically towards inflicting a punishment which does not necessarily fit the crime.
If children grow up to be rebellious, lawless and perform criminal acts because they have not been properly cared for, guided and protected as small children, then they must be punished and dealt with in ways which guaranteed they continue in a life of crime.
Is that really the right approach?
It seems to be far too hard for the law-and-order brigade to realise, that early intervention, support for parents and young children, and mentoring, together with proper health support and guidance through a mother’s pregnancy, could have a real impact on the problem.
I often wonder how many of the Indigenous youngsters who get on the wrong side of the law in the NT have been affected by FASD – Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Disease – through the mother’s over-dependence on alcohol during pregnancy?
Almost any parent of teenage children will tell you that, at times, they are at their wit’s end as to what to do with their rebellious kids. But that rebellion is a normal part of asserting independence, after years of absorbing the lessons their parents have been trying to instil.
It may take time, but sooner or later those parents are usually heaping praise on those children’s achievements!
None of us ever has adequate access to a “How to be a parent” course, and we depend on our own parents for clues as to how to go about the job. If our own parenting has been erratic, or worse, we are not going to do as good a job with our children – and there is nothing wrong with being offered help.
All children are individuals, and what works for one does not necessarily work for another – and that is without taking into account those who are afflicted with physical and mental health issues, or are just plain ‘different’.
And, as an aside – sexual abuse is not exclusive to institutions. More rape and abuse occurs in the family circle than is committed by outsiders. And whoever the perpetrator, the damage done, is enormous.
With government, it is a similar story. Ideology is not necessarily enough, because policies are not developed in a vacuum – they have to be appropriate to the circumstances.
Horses for courses.
And never has this been more evident than now, when we are faced with a global pandemic, at a point in our history when greed for the illusory benefits of constant growth has left us facing the existential crisis represented by Climate Change.
In one fell swoop and with limited warning, we are facing a world which demands attention to an extent we can barely grasp.
‘Normal’ no longer exists, and arriving at a ‘new normal’ will be much more difficult for those chained to beliefs and ideologies than it will be for those adjusted to change as a permanent feature of life, and willing to think progressively.
Our present government is showing signs that it is incapable of acting as required in by current circumstances.
We have really lost touch with what is needed to be a true democracy.
We have a Constitution which is not fit for purpose, government thinking requires us to ‘snap back’ – which, in the circumstances is impossible – and everyone is too timid to stand up, en masse, and tell those in charge that we need a massive change in approach and they need to hand over the reins to experts, more able and willing to ensure that we concentrate on saving lives, not fortunes!
It is a sad irony that, in recent years, there has been growing concern that we have an imbalance in the population and may end up with too few younger people in employment to support those on the Age Pension.
Now we face a world with too few jobs, because so many businesses have been forced to close, by policies (rightly) designed to save lives, no certainty of an effective vaccine, but a reducing population of elderly people as they succumb to COVID-19!
Ironic indeed!
PLEASE, MR MORRISON.
YOU HAVE SPENT YOUR WORKING CAREER TRYING TO MANIPULATE SITUATIONS TO ENSURE YOUR RISE TO POWER.
BUT YOU ARE INCAPABLE OF EITHER DEALING WITH BOTH OF THE CURRENT CRISES OR TO RECOGNISE THAT THAT IS THE CASE.
YOUR CHOSEN ADVISORS IN THE COVID-19 COMMISSION ARE GEARED TO SAVING THE ECONOMY AND WE NEED TO SAVE A NATION!
PLEASE RESIGN ASAP!
I end as always – this is my 2020 New Year Resolution:
“I will do everything in my power to enable Australia to be restored to responsible government.”
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