Navel gazing, over analysis, brought about by boredom.

However, if we must contemplate, there is one thing very obvious about 21st. Century Australia, and that is the loss of freedom inflicted on us by politicians' mishandling of the WuFlu. The debacle has put paid to all the myths about Australians being independent, self-reliant anti-authoritarians. These days, we could easily be subjects of Xi Jinping. We accept rule by unelected public servants without so much as a squeak.

Democracy has had the Richard in Australia, and it's our own fault.

I read the article and could identify with a great
deal that the author wrote. Homelessness and poverty
is becoming a problem in this country and the sooner
we tackle it the better. Communities seem to exist
more in regional areas where people still know and
support each other. However for young people jobs are
a problem there - that's why the move to city areas,
friends, and apartments.

Families are so very important. They are the life blood
of this nation. Still as the author points out we are
lucky in so many ways in this country. Yes, we do have
our problems, but we are working on them.

cont'd ...

Perhaps a more diverse Parliament might also help in
bridging the gap in policy making and debate, and
especially action?

What sort of Australia do I want? Not one that compares apples with oranges and concludes that the privileged elite aren't doing too bad!
Not one that like Don just turns a blind eye to social inequities, homelessness, postcode poverty etc?

And concludes, in willfully blind conclusion, it ain't too bad when you compare us with the slums of Calcutta or the bloodsoaked streets of Myanmar or patently corrupt banana republics the world over?

That said, we could do so much better if w were governed by semi-intelligent leadership rather than dummy spitting juvenile delinquents who just never matured? Just look as if they were adults rather than demented fools with tin ears and focused on just occupying the treasury benches?

And spend as much of the taxpayers' dollars as they can get away with, to pork-barrel their way to that result? And refer to the population outside the halls of power as numbers? That can be sacrificed to satisfy the penny-wise bean counters.

Word limitations mean I shall need to continue in TBC commentary just to say half of what could be done to make Australia the fairest most egalitarian society anybody has ever seen and the envy of every other nation, where poverty and unmet need are just painful memories? And where there are no losers!
Alan B.

Dear Alan B,

Your posts make mine look (what's the word I'm looking
fpr - naive?). I'm not one of those "elites." My parents
worked hard for everything they were able to
achieve. And they passed those
values onto us. I'm still grateful that we could
achieve through hard work, honesty, and hopefully - merit.
I'm not saying that Australia is perfect - but having
lived and worked in the United States - I would not trade
this country for America.