The Paradox of Our Age: 24 Years On....

I was reminded of this, this morning following an interesting but disturbing debate about drugs. In particular, the debate that is taking place about drug testing. Which is doing nothing but creating false hope that people who take drugs will be safe? They won’t be. The argument that young people will experiment anyway so let’s make it easier for them to pop illegal drugs is absurd. We do that because it’s easier than actually trying attempt to fix the problem. The debate reminded me of our declining standards and the impact that is having on people and our society in general.

It was therefore a timely reminder when The Paradox of Our Age that popped up in my Facebook memories today. Dr. Bob Moorehead wrote this piece, and included it in his Words Aptly Spoken, a1995 collection of prayers, homilies, and monologues used in his sermons and radio broadcasts. On reading it again it struck me that nothing of note has changed for the better in those 24 years. Many would claim with some justification it’s got worse. As a result, our stockroom that was becoming bare in 1995 is now empty. 

The Paradox of Our Age: 

We have taller buildings but shorter tempers; wider freeways but narrower viewpoints; we spend more but have less; we buy more but enjoy it less; we have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, yet less time; we have more degrees but less sense; more knowledge but less judgement; more experts, yet more problems; we have more gadgets but less satisfaction; more medicine, yet less wellness; we take more vitamins but see fewer results. We drink too much; smoke too much; spend too recklessly; laugh too little; drive too fast; get too angry quickly; stay up too late; get up too tired; read too seldom; watch TV too much and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values; we fly in faster planes to arrive there quicker, to do less and return sooner; we sign more contracts only to realize fewer profits; we talk too much; love too seldom and lie too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've added years to life, not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; we've done larger things, but not better things; we've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we've split the atom, but not our prejudice; we write more, but learn less; plan more, but accomplish less; we make faster planes, but longer lines; we learned to rush, but not to wait; we have more weapons, but less peace; higher incomes, but lower morals; more parties, but less fun; more food, but less appeasement; more acquaintances, but fewer friends; more effort, but less success. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication; drive smaller cars that have bigger problems; build larger factories that produce less. We've become long on quantity, but short on quality.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men, but short character; steep in profits, but shallow relationships. These are times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure and less fun; higher postage, but slower mail; more kinds of food, but less nutrition. These are days of two incomes, but more divorces; these are times of fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, cartridge living, thow-away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies and pills that do everything from cheer, to prevent, quiet or kill. It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stock room. Indeed, these are the times!

We Need To Pick Our Champions Wisely....

I will make one last comment about Fraser Anning. He stood with a neo-Nazi Blair Cottrell who has stated he controls women by using violence and terror. He is a man who believes Hitler is a hero and Hitler’s picture should be hung in all schools. This a man who says children should be issued with Mein Kampf. And he is a man who hates Jews. Cottrell is a convicted criminal with a string of race baiting charges as long as your arm. This is the man Fraser Anning stood with. 

Any politician who is a representative of this country who stands with people like that (regardless of the cause) deserves to be treated as the odious, moral vacuum he is. And I’m appalled and saddened by the number of people cheering on Anning and the likes of Cottrell. I would never have thought I would see the day when neo-Nazis were lauded as heroes in my country. 

I understand only too well the concern people have over the violence they see being carried out by a group of around 200 out of control Sudanese youths in Victoria. I share the concern over the lack of action by the police and the Victorian Government. I even have sympathy for those voicing their concern over immigration and what we are witnessing now. But we need to pick our champions with care and not sacrifice our moral compass in turning people like Anning and Cottrell into hero’s because they voice what many think. 

We become who we associate with; we think, talk and act like the people we surround ourselves with. Perhaps, that helps explain the ever increasing abuse we see on social media platforms. Should something that has such a profound effect on us be treated in such a cavalier manner? This is even more of an issue these days with social media where associating with the wrong people or saying the wrong thing can have dire consequences. Even kill careers and reputations.

I objected to an accusation made on Twitter yesterday that the Liberal Party was a party of neo-Nazi foot soldiers because Scott Morrison hadn’t come out and condemned what happened in St Kilda. That led to me being branded a neo-Nazi & a white supremacist. Despite the fact that I frequency criticise and condemn both Fraser Anning and Blair Cottrell. In Cottrell’s case I’ve been doing it for years.  I was branded a neo-Nazi because I defended the party I support. I think most people I associate with on social media know I’m neither of those things. But it sheeted home how easily our image and our reputation can be trashed. 

Desperation creates unhealthy ‘bed-fellows’. In the absence of credible people (of substance) speaking up and conveying people’s fears I can see why some side with lowlifes such as Cottrell, Erikson and Anning. But those people will not help drive the change. They will not get Government or other leaders to listen. They will simply generate more division, more anger, more hatred and fear and embolden more like them. 

A wise man once said if you would not  invite someone into your home then don’t invite them into your life. Don’t associate with them and don’t promote them least you be judged one of them. That’s wise advice and something I’ve tried to live by. 

We need credible champions who are worthy of our support. People who represent our values. People that will be listened to and who have influence to help generate firstly the discussion and secondly the change people seek. We need those champions if ever we are going to recreate the culture that the majority of people desperately desire. A culture built on shared values, and mutual respect, where people feel safe. 

We need to choose our champions wisely because those champions represent us. 

The New Year Will Change Our Nation:

Barnaby Joyce posted this on his Facebook page yesterday. It deserves to be read. Now, it’s fair to say Barnaby has his detractors; I’ve been one of them. But if you subscribe to Liberal and Nationals values and/or embrace conservative philosophies then you need to think about this before taking a chance and flirting with either Labor, micro parties or independents. There is only one way of guaranteeing we won’t go down the path of destruction and that’s giving Scott Morrison and the LNP a chance come the election. Whilst the LNP have their internal battles, which is frustrating, they are delivering positive results (not that anyone from the opposition side will acknowledge that fact). Let’s not forget that. 

This is what Barnaby wrote: 

The New Year is going to change our nation. This may be a trite, repetitious warning, but this time it is going to happen. We have ­arrived at the space where indoctrination has beaten logic.

We want an economy that has no baseload power but does have cheap power.

We export uranium but ­refuse to use it.

We make little to nothing, but close down export markets such as the live sheep trade.

We have a lower standard of education than Singapore but believe Asian markets will want the services of Sydney.

The Greens want to jail people who export thermal coal.

It won’t work, guys. You are going to get smashed.

Poll after poll predicts we will vote in a Greens-Labor-independent government that is promising payments from an economy they are closing down, so the only other place to get money for their promises is your savings. If you want their nirvana then find yourself an excellent accountant. You will need one.

If you believe Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are congested — well, suck it up, because more people from God knows what country are on their way. They will come because they want to and under the circumstances they choose.

Don’t dare say the words “son” or “daughter” — they are now to be neuter people.

The right of the objecting individual will reign supreme over the complacent, polite broader body.

The Greens-Labor-independent alliance has its philosophical totem which it enforces by guilt to place more caveats over your assets and more impositions over your income streams.

You have already fallen for it.

You stood by and let farmers be dispossessed of their vegetation rights because of global warming.

You must buy power only from the prescribed source because of global warming.

You will buy cars of their prescription because of global warming.

You will not eat meat because of global warming.

You fell for it, sucker! Just keep handing over your sovereignty.

I know, you don’t want to be involved, because it is kind of awkward and impolite. That is not a problem for the far Left, which is running to the election and not having to fire a shot before they take you to the new world of the Teachers Federation and the Construction Forestry Maritime Mining and Energy Union.

As noted in my book Weatherboard and Iron, this may be a bitter dirge but it is one that is going to be sung to you in six months.

The Labor Party will play the quiet game. It is too cunning to be led to a hostile battlefield when it can shoot us in a clear field from its own forest.

I live in a rented house but you don’t. No brother, you are going to pay because when they get their money out of your house by taking away your buyers because of the loss of negative gearing, it will be your problem and nobody else’s.

And remember, they don’t believe it is morally right that you have that wealth.

This election is not about Malcolm or Morrison or Mother Teresa leading the government.

It’s whether you will have a left-wing socialist government or a conservative government — a government which believes that if you work hard and earn money, it should be protected. Or a government that thinks your money should pay for its promises for its mates’ utopia.