Try To Be A Good Person

I tried to be a good person, I really did. But, the world is too awful a place. There are too many horrible people in charge. There are too many terrible people making decisions. 

What’s good for society? What is good for them? Right and left hand up and down? Up and down? 

"I might just go with what is good for me? You know, this once?"

This once of one hundred times? Easily justified, in the selfish mind.

It is hard, you know, when you see the Prime Minister of this country spew lies every time he opens his mouth and makes an utterance. He has made it okay to lie. He has shown us that you can base your entire career on a pack of lies.

"I don't need to tell the truth, when the guy with the top job doesn't"

Australia is now such a cruel and hard hearted nation. "Tow the boats back, tow that wretched scum back to the hell they deserve." We're alright Jack, we live in privilege and we intend for it to stay that way. Build a wall? Get bigger boats to drive them away?

Don't you dare come and crap on our good fortune.

Who do you think you are?

We don't care about you, Jack. We're okay.

That is what we are saying to the rest of the world.

“That is how the rest of the world sees us.”

“The rest of the world?"

“Yes.”

“I don’t think poor countries see us that way.”

“Oh, come on.”

“I think poor countries would be looking elsewhere to flee to…”

“Are you saying you agree with ‘fortress Australia’?

“No, I am just saying that people in need who are looking for a better life, would be looking at somewhere that is easier to get into....”

“That sounds like agreement.”

“I’m not talking about the moral stand, I am talking about simple facts. People will attempt to flee to countries where there is a chance of them succeeding.”

“You understand it is a political tool?”

“What?”

"Conservative politician’s use, what is essentially racism, to win votes.”

“A deliberate strategy?”

“Yes.”

“To win votes?”

“Yes. Use the weakest and the powerless to look tough and protective and the punters vote for you.”

“You don’t think it has anything to do with a country’s right to choose who and when people come to that country.”

“No, not at all. It is about winning votes.”

“There is no ideological basis for the policy.”

“There is, win votes by any means you can.”

“So, you are saying the conservative side of government stands for nothing?”

“Other than wining votes and gaining power, yes, it stands for nothing.”

“It’s not about serving the people of this country.”

“No, it’s about gaining power at all costs and then servicing it’s political donors who will in turn make them part off the rich and powerful elite.”

“That seems pretty shallow.”

“What can I say?”

“Well, I don’t think you can say conservative politicians stand for nothing.”

“No, you are right,” I say. “I can’t say they stand for nothing, because they stand for less than nothing…”

“Oh, come on? I’m not a conservative voter, but…”

“They are all about cutting regulations for their powerful mates. They set out to destroy the unions and collective bargaining to suppress wages for the workers. They froze universal healthcare rebates to doctors. They cut taxes ostensibly for the rich which ties into their bigger plan of no longer being able to fund services for the poor.”

“Seriously.”

“IPA (conservative free-market think tank) wish list.”

“I see.”

“They are dismantling the progressive tax system with their next round of tax cuts. They are suppressing the dole and refusing to lift welfare recipients out of poverty. All policies designed to pander to the rich and disadvantage the poor, bringing about greater inequality the likes of which we have never seen before, in this country.”

“So, they are the big boogey man, you say?”

“They are worse than that, they are denying climate change, pushing fossil fuel. The Prime Minster is suggesting using the clean energy fund to explore new gas options. They are pushing nuclear power generation simply as a point of difference to denigrate renewables. They are proposing that solar and wind turbines production is bad or the environment.”

“The science isn’t…”

“When 98% of the scientists in the world agree, the science is set.”

“People would disagree.”

“And to my wider point, how can you expect the population to be good citizens when you have conservative politicians being duplicitous with what they are doing, only pushing the agenda of the very few. Tell me that?”

“If they don’t like it, they can exercise their right and vote the conservative party out of govt at the next election.”

“How does Joe Average be a good person when so many of his role models treat the weak and the vulnerable as not worth their time?”

“The weak and the vulnerable don’t build a strong economy.”

“Surely, the government’s only real job is to make society more equal for all of its citizens?”