Love him or hate him, Mark Latham has moments of lucidity when he makes some excellent if somewhat confronting points. His column in @dailytelegraph today titled "Left holding the Bill: The Lucky Country is a fool’s paradise" is no exception.
For me these points should be front and centre in every political debate when talking about spending, debt and our future economic security. Trouble is most political parties are too intent on being re-elected and most commentators are left wing.
He talks about the inability or unwillingness to bite the bullet and start to fix (as oppose to band-aide or mask) the state of the economy. He mentions the addiction (my word) to increased spending on what he labels the Feelings And Behaviour of individuals.
Key points.
“Yes, our politicians are to blame but so, too, our public culture has become weak and self-indulgent.”
Harsh but absolutely correct. People know it but once you are addicted to anything it's hard to break the cycle.
“Every day, media commentators are inventing new crackpot spending ideas and welfare entitlements.”
I would add helped along by hand-wringing self-interest groups and promoted by social reformers.
“Too many voters have forgotten what it’s like to experience a recession and double-digit unemployment.”
That’s an excellent point. Let's face it in the last financial crisis Labor cleared out the cookie jar doling out cheques to all and sundry.
“They think we can continue to live beyond our means indefinitely.”
When you aren’t paying for it you feel no pain, simple as that. But the piper will come calling. If we don’t start facing reality it will be sooner rather than later. When he does, he will be playing a very bleak tune.
