Two things upset me this week.
One was the sad fact that a Donald Trump supporter thought it was okay to hang two black dummies from a tree in his front yard. The second was the announcement from our government to not allow visas to Australia to those seeking asylum but are currently trapped in off-shore detention, and have been putting up with abuse and torment for many years. Immoral laws are currently in place to stop media from visiting these prison camps, and others who have worked there also face imprisonment if they speak out.
The UN has damned these centres while our politicians speak out against the criticism. As you can see, our current prime minister and our immigration minister have no problem facing the public, proudly displaying egg on their faces. Once upon a time Australia fought wars with countries that had these ideologies.
History repeating.
It’s fair to say that many of us who have lived a fair number of decades, remember when the horrors of fascism and the Second World War were part of our education, and our popular culture. With these reminders, we practised the concept of the ‘fair go’, showing respect and compassion to those less fortunate.
But when governments work on establishing a divided society, they know they have a better chance at re-election.
A report this week said that three in four new jobs require a degree or professional experience, yet apparently, student loans are harder to come by. Private schools keep getting government funds while public schools tighten their belts. And more people are in part time work now, while they pay out for enormous mortgages and rents in our major cities.
Unions have lost much of their power, so making sure you receive your rights in the workplace is much harder. There’s a good chance you’re underpaid and working hours that you actually won’t be paid for.
Other issues like Marriage Equality, becoming a republic and our substandard National Broadband Network were the points we actually wanted debate on during this year’s surprise election. They were avoided while useless poly-speak and meaningless slogans took their place.
And while these politicians cripple a society…
…they expect political welfare when they retire. Yet they’re not closing the loopholes that hide the profits of big business, while giving further tax cuts to those who don’t need it. The question has to be asked, whose going to fund their retirement? If nobody’s working, and those who are are barely surviving, where’s their magic money tree?
As voting is mandatory in this country, we should also decide which ministers will get their pension once they’re out of office. If they don’t deliver, they don’t get rewarded. After all, it’s our continued access to wealth that will decide if it’s at all possible. If they cripple us, they die with us.
The system is broken.
It used to work, but while some continue to vote in those that fear-monger, they stay blind to their diminished rights. British historian, Arnold Joseph Toynbee once said that ‘civilisations die from suicide, not by murder’. They lose their moral fibre and the cultural elite turns parasitic.*
As our immigration minister espouses a new fascism, you have to ask yourself, how much further do you want to travel down this path?
* Quote taken from the article ‘Civilisations Die by Suicide, Not by Murder’ by Christopher Quigley – http://www.financialsense.com/contributors/christopher-quigley/civilizations-die-by-suicide-not-by-murder
kevin klehr - author 