Category: communications

Climate Change Scares off the Autocrats

Born in 1950, I’ve seen how we have progressed from science, medically, industrially, socially, and seen how our standard of living progress at the speed of light.

I’ve been blessed having leaders the standard of Whitlam, Frazer, Killen, Daily, and many others not necessarily of my political beliefs but people with leadership qualities, so when I hear or read old men such as me run away from the hard questions the young or younger ask , then take up the autocratic pose when the hard truth are spoken it a attempt to bully, it goes against the standards we were taught in our youth. That’s what separates Australians from the rest,

So when I see the present so called political leaders refuse or run from answering questions on causes real life tragedies like the fires that are devastating our country, or other weather events totalling dodging the elephant (Climate) and highlighting on what they are doing for the “result”not the “cause” then and throw in a few biblical quotes for affect.

We’ve seen this strategy played out hundreds of times in America after a gun massacre and no one is allowed to question the cause at the time as they regard it disrespectful to the dead or injured and its duly forgotten till the next blood bath and the politicians cower down to the interest groups who give them their leather seats

Well this time it’s changed I reckon. The youth in this country will not be conned by the corrupt establishment any more, and nor will the media. Proactive instead of reactive action is the order not the request and if it’s too hard for those on office they will be removed as the ground rules have changed, and the more governments try to oppress or dismiss the bigger the push becomes.

Yes “the times they are a changing”as Dylan wrote and its the political parasites who have to move over and leave it to the real leaders who care about the people not conglomerates.

Our Nation Sinks as Struggle Street Grows.

Since my arrival in the Ipswich area I’ve never seen our society so poor. Maybe I move in different circles than some to notice this but reports I’m getting are more than disturbing.

Organisations like Rosies, Goodna Street Street Life and many others are at the coalface of our demise and seeing people pleading for work as in qt edition today is not now uncommon., as it’s not only the homeless in strife but we are witnessing people struggling to do what they see the right thing by their kids schooling in food barns. Turf wars have broken out with people doing roadside recyclable pick ups, and I’ll leave it to the police data to reveal how older aged people are now becoming easy targets for theft.

Ipswich is not alone with this issue, Toowoomba, Dalby and other smaller towns the problem cannot be hidden anymore, probably magnified by the drought, yet this Federal Government is in denial that real jobs are required and convinced that keeping the masses on part time or short term employment makes builds the economy and profits. This surplus ideology is failing as we speak, the nation is suffering as a result and it doesn’t care.or does not have the ability to turn a economy around. by the bottom up.

I am assure you until we address our struggle street in this town our retailers will struggle and so on up the chain and our history has proven that time and time again.

Is the Councillor Tier Really Needed?

Their are a number of factors I feel need to be made public as we head towards our new council elections.

To be blunt many ratepayers I have spoke to are a asking why we need to be paying for that level of government at all. Since the sackings the sun did come up and things around the place just seemed to carry on regardless and for those who have repeatedly bleared keep politics out of Council would agree no councillors no politics.

I’m sure our professional public servants have proven they are quite apt in doing their role under the Administrator and I’m sure service delivery is much easier without political or parochial interferences.

The cost factor too cannot be overlooked and do we get the bang for our ratepayers now we have now experienced both sides of the exercise? Those figures would be interesting as for decades councillors have sealed their success on how much ratepayers money the have extorted for their electorate and claimed it as if it was them who were giving the money, creating the them and us mentality.

The elections will proceed with the new ground rules I hope the people elected should perform accordingly with new safeguards of transparency across every division, but keep in mind we are not the only ratepayers who have been caught out by mismanagement. Other councillors in other councils charged so I am comforted that the CCC investigations are still ongoing across the board , but in my mind the jury is still out on the value of the added tier after experiencing Council by Administration Only.

Us Older Fossils need to Stand Aside on Climate.

I know it must be hard for the older generation to accept the youth of the world are demanding we do more in regard to their and their children’s existence on this planet.

How dare they go to demonstrations or be allowed to address United Nations events or even contemplate they have more knowledge about climate science than us keepers of all knowledge.!

We will try to do our autocratic best to keep them in their little boxes and do exactly as they are told or we will cane them and keep them detained in their school rooms.

Like most of us older folk we see going backwards is the best way forward and that is a fallacy we ourselves crushed in the 60’s through to the 80’s where we took on the establishment and set up the wealth we “Silent Australians” have accumulated not even thinking that the planet was telling us it was in strife, and now when we are held to account we try and play the School Principal card over and over again.

Unlike the 60-80 years where we fought for workers conditions like wages, safety,leave leadings, and the 38-40 hour week, we/I was on the streets then only to see those conditions get traded off for what is called productivity gains and we are reaping those benefits industrial deaths, burnout, and mental health issues all related to the the magic dollar we are now geared to worship.

These kids are changing that ideology and us fossils can’t cope. They are smarter and more aware than we ever were at that age. They see their future not in a individual monetary sense but in a global vision we never imagined, and our only response is to refer to our god the magic dollar, aptly demonstrated by our governments obsession of a surplus over the needs of its own people’s welfare and wellbeing, so it’s not surprising that the old technologies resonate with that demographic as they try to stay relevant in a ever changing world gearing itself for the fight of its life.

That Rat is Smelling Stronger for the LNP.

Another media scramble, more accusations on political donations, and all we can hear is the sound of cash registers of the legal profession as loud as the F16 over West Ippy.

Like it or not the CCC in Queensland are doing a job of public transparency and shaking the trees of our elected or public appointees if they smell a rat, and rightly so, therefore I am completely astounded why this Federal Government is so dead against a Federal ICAC while the rest of Parliament see it as common sense..

Not often do you witness a political party under scrutiny itself call for greater powers to weed out corruption, fraud, or other offences at the highest level which begs the question of why this Federal Government wants to block it.

It fought doggedly against the Bank Enquiry, the investigation into Child Abuse in the Churches and other monumental cases all of which proved wrongdoing at the highest level and still would have been thriving if let be.

Yes that rat is smelling more and more the longer this government tries to delay its being and like all the other instances the chook will come home to roost.

Would Female Leaders make the World Safer?

Hang on world I want to get off. Thats what many may be thinking looking at the way the leaders of the most influential countries are performing in their roles as leaders.

Trump thinks America is just a economy forgetting it’s also has people and social structure, Britain has moved to close debate on a exit it’s not sure what are the real ramifications. Hong Kong is fighting for its right to just be itself as you were, while Israel and Iran are goading each other seeing who can gain the power in the sand pit. China and Korea have plans that do not align with the rest of the world based on self interest and in every case the leaders are male.

If history is not to be repeated and world conflict can be avoided we have to look at who are the best political negotiators are women in the majority of cases And will always reach compromise sooner with better or amiable outcomes.

Politics aside Britain’s T. May was ejected for not achieving a outcome she herself did not vote for but her effort goes unchallenged while Hong Kong’s lady is driving a agenda not of her making both outstanding performers driving a agenda not of their own beliefs. That’s politics in its rawest form unfortunately but I believe if we had more women as world leaders the debates on the major points of contention would not escalate any where near quick. and our world would be safer, but unfortunately males at the highest level are of aggressive culture and seem comfortable in intimidating rather than intellectual behaviour which brings into question are they right fit for the job of leaders for today’s world ?

.

Keeping Council Under Watch

First rule of the change process is to inform the people involved what is the new direction intended and listen to the usually negative arguments as they usually highlight underlying often personal reasons of why change cannot be achieved. The council debate has achieved in that trumps.

For too long ipswich has been culturally divided by areas and demographics and it’s time we matured into a city of one direction where transparency of the our ratepayers rates distribution should be seen as fair and calculated.

The days of “look at me what I have done in my patch” mentality was highlighted when none of the old councillors allegedly knew what was going on across the entire council and run to their bunkers when the hammer fell. That’s pathetic corporate governance, and undeniable.

As stated by the administrator the new elected councillors will have to have broader skills and adaptability, and as a resident I too have to adjust. From a place where our one streetlight was a cause for a party to a place where our population is increasing that much the infrastructure cannot cope, the days of town and country reluctantly but factually are over. The city expansion and all its ugly traits are here and we not only need good councillors on the ground we need good competent administrators to provide ongoing advice and support across the entire spectrum of our local council areas.

Like it or not, local governments are not stand alone entities and are arms of state governments and when the dust has settled we will still need the oversight of statutory authorities like the CCC and the press freedom and vigilance to ensure we never revert to our previous state of disfunctuallity. .

My Neighbourhood Stands Together.

What a unique Street we live in.

On Girral, we had a very pleasant evening at the local celebrating a rather gratifying week and a bit preparing, erecting, judging, stewarding, exhibiting, and winning, then dismantling everything we constructed.

We, I say we all helped each other in exhibits such as school work, art, the inaugural honey exhibition, bonsais, horticulture, photography, and general supervision of all of the above.

Not bad for a dead end street and a bunch of possibly the most diverse people from diverse backgrounds one could imagine all coming together for a Rosewood Show commitment.

We all live on acreage, yet our commitment to each other and families quality of life goes without saying. Even those who don’t participate in everything still are not left out. We all communicate, we all care.

Unique no not really to me, as my upbringing was exactly this. Care about your neighbour, communicate and be understanding of diverse opinions, cultures, and habits. It does not come naturally and it has to be worked on but so does life.

I like to think we are similar to the Football Club I follow who has the motto Mia SAN Mia, which translates plural and singular “We Are Who We Are, and I Am Who I Am.”

No WIN for those in the Bush.

As I travelled around western Queensland in my former career it was vital for me and the locals to keep across area issues usually through WIN TV and ABC local news. Those services galvanise communities and are critical to the outlying properties so obviously that fact is ignored when the decision was taken to close WIN Tv in some rural and remote areas.

This decision has repercussions across the entire spectrum of the rural way of life where councils, essential services had a medium to directly contact its population in times of need.

Secondly it also provided employment and training for journalists, advertising and promotion for businesses, and more importantly a local platform for diverse news and opinions locally and nationally.

My fear is the major conglomerate news outlets will narrow the news feed focussing on major city issues that really the rural sector has no interest but get ratings on the coast.

When conglomerates gain control dollars for the shareholders is always the driver and service is secondary and we do not want monopoly’s controlling what you can or cannot hear or see.

From Baby Boomer to the Social Elite?

For us early risers it was a pleasure to get up every morning and turn on the radio and get the world news on our much loved ABC and discuss how lucky we were not to be where the nastiest things were happening in the world.

Today I’m more hesitant to even turn on the radio or tv as daily reports of crime, death by guns, knives, gangs, abductions, domestic violence and child abuse, racial hatred pouring out of the electronics, and we have to ask ourselves why or what have we let our society get to this state in Australia.

After the election I’m in the category of the self interested/ money hoarding baby boomer who only cares about me and my immediate family and the franking credits. Me not I assure you, but obviously many are and the reason we got to where we are is we were fortunate to have governments that saw things like superannuation, health care, 9 day fortnight’s, annual leave loading, employment, pension, and many other perks today we take for granted.

Our society was based on helping up those who were less fortunate, ie. returned war service personnel, TPI’s, widowed women and families all of us in the same boat struggling to get their families a feed let alone a house or property, that come later with the housing commission, another social incentive to get us established.

We were blessed wen we look back, no money but things were simple and we made sure our kids got it easier.

Today we have a greedy society all about “ME”. And we look down on people who’s demographic we were. They now born into poverty have a really tough time getting out and crime becomes a choice, never or rarely thought of back then but for some the only salvation to survive.

Increasing jails, fines are fruitless until we can get the social injustices addressed if not everyone will be living in gated communities scared to take your kids to the park or beach.

This idea of this government of giving only the ones who “have a go” help and thinking the ones on New Start or no start will look after themselves or die is actually playing out in our streets daily.

Looking back we got it pretty right in the early part then we forgot from where we come and must ask ourselves where we got it so wrong, and my answer is when greed outweighed our social responsibility.

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑