For almost a decade now, we have had governance unbefitting the times. When a government has governed without due regard to what is best for the nation and its people, there is only one course of action. Change it, and when you do, you change society.
The peoples of all the nations of the world increasingly seem to be having less to say about their destiny.
Extreme totalitarian right-wing governments worldwide have held sway over people and their democracies for far too long and at a time when what is needed most is a caring application of governance for the collective, not just for those at the top.
Despite the news served up to us by a media intent on backing a conservative point of view, the fact is that this country faces enormous problems. Not insurmountable but serious nonetheless. Well, severe enough to suggest that this would be a good election to lose.
But of course, one’s desire to win must include an acceptance that you take the good with the bad. And in Labor’s case, it must take on some unprecedented demands on government.
I cannot remember a time when the demands on government have been so abundant. You can only get so many slices from a cake; however, it is time to change when some portions far outweigh others and favour the rich and privileged.
Corporate tax evasion, large subsidies to fossil fuel companies, and an array of privileges for the rich take an enormous slice of the pie. Only a Labor government can make the necessary changes. Over the past decade, the Coalition became so trapped in the longevity of sameness that they couldn’t see other ways of doing things. Of course, climate change is the most outstanding example of how an inability to adapt to change can be an unmitigated disaster.
Everyone knows the authentic challenges facing us, but negativity didn’t build the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Snowy Mountain Scheme, or other Australian achievements.
What is needed is a leader with a passion for change. And might I add, with a government ready to back him up with explained policies.
Of course, the most significant change required is how we think.
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We dislike and resist change in the foolish assumption that we can make permanent that which makes us feel secure. Yet change is, in fact, part of the very fabric of our existence.
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Good government is about making and implementing decisions that serve the common good. That gives security to the people it governs. It follows the rule of law and is truthful about its intentions.
I contend that Labor is the only party that can bring about the social change necessary to restore and carry our democracy into a bountiful future both economically and socially.
The balance of this piece is derived from an article I wrote in 2020 about “social engineering”. You will note that I will now use the term “social change” instead of “social engineering.” Other parts I have changed to bring it into the times. It is essential, though, concerning this election.
Labor must find a means of making its citizens participatory in the function of government.
It should be inclusive, equitable and supportive of the people’s right to know. By equity, I mean the people have a right to a fair reward for the fruits of their labour.
And above all, it should be answerable to the people.
What is Social Change?
Social Change is a means by which you bring your ideas and principles relative to your party’s philosophy both up to date and in service of the common good.
Sometimes, however, it is politically expedient to forgo your beliefs when specific policies become entrenched in the country’s way of life. NDIS and national health are but two that are against conservative ideology but are firmly entrenched in our society.
It is when a political party seeks to use selective deceptive, manipulative and insidious psychological techniques to implement change in the attitudes of the masses that it is wrong.
Suppose you look at our society when Tony Abbott came to power and compare it with today. In that case, you could not deny that it is less accessible, FOIs are more difficult to procure, press freedoms have declined, we are more open to corruption, and government intervention in our daily lives has increased.
Older folk are treated abysmally, as are women generally. The treatment of asylum seekers and our indigenous folk have gotten worse.
Our economic attitude toward the wealthy, be they corporate or individual, has resulted in the rich getting increased handouts and subsidies.
Critics labelled Abbott’s social changes planted in the 2014 budget as the most draconian ever. Cuts to services such as welfare, education and health copped most of the budget pain.
It also slashed billions in funding from international aid, health and education. Alongside cuts to family benefits, all were designed to change the societal structures of how we live.
My problem with the Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison governments is that they all embarked on a program ideologically targeted at changing the way we think, and for all the wrong reasons.
Think climate change, for instance, and the worldwide pandemic at its conclusion (if ever) will bring about the need for social and economic change. Demands for wage rises for first responders will be central to these changes. We have yet to hear about this in both parties’ campaigns so far.
Conservatives will seek to create crises even when none exists to counter these changes.
The Chinese will be at fault for everything. Even our sports results will be said to be rigged by them.
Create an illusion of disaster, and people will believe that perception is, in fact, reality. (Covid-19 and climate change aside, of course.)
Appeal to the base instincts of ordinary people and the racists.
A have/have not form of serfdom runs through the Morrison government’s work.
The disparagement of science (Covid-19 excepted) has been peculiar to the three governments.
In communications, we have a concerted attempt to eliminate the reasoned voice of opposing views. The dual attack on the ABC by the Murdoch empire and the government attempts to stifle debate.
When a government condemns a perceived bias of one outlet without acknowledging the prejudice of another, it is practising social engineering. Not social change.
Lying, of course, is the social engineers’ most effective tool. Throughout his career, Tony Abbott used it most effectively.
Malcolm Turnbull was hypocritical on climate change, and Morrison has taken lying to another level.
Another tool of social engineering is secrecy, and the conservative governments have displayed a propensity for it. It’s called “lying by omission.”
We also see social engineering in communication policy. The best NBN is now effectively only for those who can afford it. They have become information-rich, and those who cannot have become information poor.
All of these things contribute to how we think, act and feel. By manipulating society into thinking that the entire realm and ownership of knowledge is found in one ideology, one individual or cohort of individuals is a form of social change.
By influencing society into believing that if the rich become more prosperous, their lot will advance at the same rate, conservatives see their social engineering as a success.
As I said initially, all forms of government, corporations, institutions, religious groups, and even the advertising industry practice social engineering. Still, when you use social change to better society, the result is different.
Conservatives seek power through social engineering, whilst those on the left use social change for a better society.
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My thought for the day
A commitment to social justice demands the transformation of social structures and our hearts and minds.
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