The Mundine Factor & Victimhood

Anthony Mundine is inviting people to protest at the grand finals to be held this weekend. Encouraging people to turn their backs or kneeing during the playing of our national anthem. Firstly, any footballer who does should be condemned. Sport is sport and it should not be used in a cynical political protest.

I wonder what the response would if 'we' suggested people turn their backs during the welcome to country? A ritual that I personally have a major issue with. This is my country. I was born here. I do not need to be welcomed to my own home. But, we pay due respect to that ritual. Even people like me who disapprove of it. The operative word is RESPECT. Scant little we receive from people like Anthony Mundine. 

In voicing my displeasure on social media, I did solicit the wrath of an indigenous activist. One I might add who is either new to Twitter or not very popular given the number of her followers. Anyway, this activist proceeded with the now common 'white supremacist' slurs. The, “II am fighting white colonialism" mantra. I'm fed up with that BS. Which is racist in the purest form. 

What people like Mundine and my activist don't realise is, they are driving deeper and deeper wedges. They say they want reconciliation. No, they don't. They want to go back 200-years. They want to blame others for their own failings. 

No one is born a victim. Some become victims reasonably late in life. These are professional victims. They see mileage in it. But really, it has nothing to do with their culture. Sure, if they are born into a victim social structure, that's the path many will travel. They are conditioned to do that. In those circumstances we have to break the cycle. This is where people like Mundine do a disservice to his own people. He encourages them to follow him down the path of racism and division, the victim path.  Victims, will always be victims unless they themselves choose to change. I know that sounds harsh, but truth often is. 

Self imposed victims, hold themselves back. They blame everyone else for their own failures. They blame the current generations for what happened 200 years ago. That is frankly absurd. 

Those who will get on and make something of their lives, are those with the will to rise above and take control of themselves and their life. They don't go around blaming society. Or, playing the race card. Society as a whole will go out of their way to help people like this. As they should. But I for one, am not going to go out of my way to help ungrateful people who seek to divide the country. People who insult and slur me. 

Until these self-imposed victims accept responsibility for themselves and stop blaming others, they will always stay victims. As I said to my activist. She can either live in the past or get on and make the best life she can now. It's her choice. I think, that would really be honouring her ancestors, 

I was really pleased to see PM Turnbull speak out against Anthony Mundine. It needed to be said. 

What Happen To The Fair Australia?

The headline that grabbed me today was this one from the Australian written by Adam Creighton and Sid Maher. “ONE IN TWO VOTERS IS FULLY RELIANT ON PUBLIC WELFARE.” 

I posted the story on  social media and I received a number responses. The one that really struck a cord with me, came from Nellie. Nellie is one of the more responsible political posters on Twitter and she made a simple statement. So unfair. 

If you are one of the thousands of Aussies who believe in a fair go, you would be hard pressed to disagree with Nellie. It is unfair that 50% of Australians are carrying the other 50% or paying the other 50%. We are frequently reminded our population is ageing.  Whilst pushing the pension entitlement age up will have some impact it’s reasonable to assume that at some point the 50% who are carrying the load becomes 45% then 40% down, down, down. Where does it end?

“Analysis by The Weekend Australian has revealed that more than 44 per cent of voters, almost 6.4 million people, are ­either public sector employees (1.89 million) or wholly dependent on federal government pensions, allowances and parenting payments (4.48 million). The figure grows further when private sector workers who receive more in welfare than they pay in tax are added.”

1.89 million public servants equals 7.9% of the entire population. Sure some are essential services rightly so, but a huge percentage aren’t. 

Scott Morrison has been sending very strong signals that expenditure has to be controlled. Rating agencies have been sending the same signals. We better start listening the old “she’ll be right mate and I’m OK mate” isn’t cutting the mustard. 

There were a lot of comments to the Australian article, some more worthy than others. This one is worth sharing. I hope Richard doesn’t mind me using it. 

“What are you all doing this weekend?

Personally, the wife and I are doing our BAS so the GST can be paid on time for our small business.Then payroll reconciliations so the PAYG withholding taxes can be paid on time.Then PAYG installments so the company tax can be paid on time.Then reconciling superannuation so the 

superannuation can be paid on time.

There are no public servants on hand to answer queries on difficult issues from complex legislation, so we will battle through the weekend on our own.

To all those who enjoy living off welfare handouts .... please enjoy our weekend for us. We are too busy supporting you and battling the red tape to enjoy it for ourselves.”

Hard to argue with that. 

When I’ve raised these points in the past I’ve received the “I paid my taxes I’m entitled” rebuttal. Well, no you aren’t. Your taxes aren’t your savings fund. You pay taxes for services you receive through out your whole life. It's not a fund where you pay and receive services and then you line up to withdraw what you paid for services you received and will continue to receive until you drop dead!! Whew that was long. Seriously, we need a change of attitude if we are to prosper in the future and not end up like Greece. 

When I get push back I’m reminded of a friend of mine who migrated here from Malaysia 7 years ago. He didn’t have much when he arrived with his wife and three children. He had a job. But it wasn’t the highest paying job in the world. Still isn’t for that matter. He works unbelievable hours at times. But the family scrimped and saved and after 2 years they had enough for a deposit on a modest house. It was cramped with five people; three growing teenagers. Last week he showed me the extension they have completed. He has a plan, and that is not to be a drain on the public purse of the country that has given him a new life. If he can do it why can't others? I think we know the answer to that. 

They say democracy exists up until the time voters discover they can vote themselves more and more generous gifts from the public treasury and that irresponsible governments keep appeasing them. Maybe I don’t know. But it sounds plausible. 

I wonder how different the system would be if receivers of welfare or employees of the tax payer didn’t have the right to vote. Only tax payers who don't take from the public purse and self-funded retirees could vote. If nothing else it would be interesting and I bet it would be fairer. I suspect if this was proposed regardless of how off the wall it is, it would receive support. 

So back to Nellies comment. No Nellie, it isn’t fair, and it isn’t sustainable. In so many ways it's unbelievable that parents and grand parents feeding from the public trough are happy to burden their children and grand children with such an unsustainable future for a bag of silver now. 

Sadly the "Fair Australia" has been replaced by the "Everyone For Themselves Australia."  I hope and pray we have a government with the guts to take this head on.  But I fear even if they do and they are reelected we'll end up with another unworkable senate. Unless of course we wise up and give the LNP the mandate and the senate to get stuff done. The alternative is Shorten and you can bet your life he'll be maxing out the credit card. We simply can't afford that and neither can the future generations who will carry the burden.

Identities and Culture : Creating a Better World

It's interesting to note how many people label themselves. They define themselves by their careers; I'm a teacher, I'm a Lawyer, I'm a nurse. They define themselves by their personal status; I'm a mother, I'm a father, I'm gay, I'm straight. But we aren't single entities. We are many things. Sons and daughters, sisters and brothers. Christians and Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus. Atheists and Jews. Liberals and conservatives. Socialists and greens. Some good, some bad. We wear many mantles.

So it isn't that hard to understand that this is an age where many fiercely label other people. I have written a number of times about why people do this. For many, they do this in order to attack and criticize. Some do it in order to understand others better on their own terms and within our own cultural boundaries. Sadly, in doing this people often don’t see the essence of a human being. The essence is that we all hold principles, and values and follow some kind of moral and ethical code. Those principles and values may differ from ours, but it doesn't mean they don't exist.

Two current examples spring to mind.

Some, based on their moral code vehemently oppose SSM others are supporters. Each judges on a different set of personal values or from a different academic standpoint.

Another example is a woman who chooses to dress modestly and wear a hijab. This is a very graphic symbol of who the person is but it only goes as far as their religion and their desire for modesty. Hence, many judge that person by their religion and label them as such. A suppressed Muslim controlled by men. They don't see beyond the 'cloak'.

I am proud to count among my friends a number of young women who wear hijab's. They are career women, some are wives and mothers. All are wonderful daughters and sisters and caring friends. I can assure you they certainly are dominated by men. They live as we say 'good lives'. They make a positive contribution to society. They are gentle, caring, beautiful people.

I am a conservative but I have friends who are subscribers to liberal politics and even green politics. They also are wonderful people. Therefore is saddens me to observe the divide that appears to be growing wider in some parts of our society. That even extends to some turning on as they say "their own kind." A number of my Twitter friends (and myself also) have recently been blocked by others for having the temerity to hold an opposing view from the hardliners within our own Liberal Party followers groups. The usual barrage of insults hurled our way. I'm proud to say none of us who were flicked retaliated.

It is such a shame we can not see this inside of each other, far beyond the cultural, religious, political and personal 'garments' and 'mantles' that we adorn ourselves with, and to understand the complete entity. If we could then hopefully we could move closer toward creating a culture of acceptance of others. And most importantly acceptance of ourselves in having the courage to stand up and say "this is who I am and I'm proud of it."

It behoves all of us to move beyond the mantle that others adorn themselves with and to also be honest about who and what we are. It is essential, if we are going to build a better world than the one we are creating now.

This quote sums it up beautifully.

"Sometimes that mantle is hard to adjust to wearing but we are at a stage that we are comfortable with it and we recognize how we are perceived and how the real core individual that each one of us has apart from the facade that the public believes that we are." ~ James Young