Yes To What?

Have you seen the new ad on television asking you to say yes to the carbon tax? It’s interesting that at the time of its premiere there was not carbon tax policy in the public domain to say yes to.

It is a good ad as it sends a positive vibe. Political parties should perhaps take note.

The effects on the economy are predicted to be either fruitful or dire. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

Jobs will be created, but this gives no respite to those likely to lose their jobs if polluting industries are downsized.

There will be some form of compensation to ordinary Australians, but will it be enough once the costs of the carbon tax are passed on to consumers. Will it ever be enough for a public forever reliant on the government? Surely the necessity of compensation should make people feel that this is a bad policy.

Cate Blanchett has copped some criticism for appearing on the ad. For this I largely agree with Wayne Swan when he said, “I admire someone who stands up for something that they believe in”.

Her line in the ad is to say that saying yes to the carbon tax is saying yes to “doing something about climate change”. Surveys have been presented suggesting our desire for “action on climate change”. Even if you believe in human induced climate change surely this can’t be the first course of action. Surely there are many actions available that will act on the environment more effectively.

The vast majority of us would be in favour of good environmental policy. Unfortunately a lot of policies seem to miss the point of being good stewards of the environment. Instead the policy agenda gets hijacked by those preferring to instil a radical ideology. So polluters must pay, regardless of the direct costs to them, and the indirect costs to the ‘ordinary Australians’.

Needless to say it will be implemented, as Gillard is too proud to take it off the agenda. She’s fully committed now. Plus her mere existence relies on it going ahead. The Greens have her in their pocket.

If she hadn’t lied about it in the first place perhaps she would have more credibility. All this might not have happened. Although if she had told the truth she might not have become PM in the first place. An interesting thought.

Affluent But No Better Off

Affluenza
By Clive Hamilton and Richard Dennis

Affluenza is not a new concept, we just have a new word for it. The bible says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils” (1 Tim 6:10). Also, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity” (Ecc 5:10). It’s been happening forever. “Affluenza” puts multiple bits of research together in order to make the point that being affluent is not the answer to problems but the cause of other, sometimes bigger problems.

It’s about the difference between needs and wants. But these two areas have become very muddled in peoples heads. Needs are food, clothing and shelter. Wants are everything else superfluous to our basic needs. Anyone who did High School economics should know that. Unfortunately to an increasing number of Australians the basic need for food means top restaurants, clothing means overpriced brand labels and shelter means the big house with a pool in a fancy suburb.

What is sad is that we appear no happier despite being as affluent as we ever have been. Maybe that’s because the secret to happiness is being content with what we have and living within your means while making the most of it. Being content with what God has given us to use in our earthly life.

While Hamilton makes a lot of good points about the sickness of afflenza he does get political near the end. It left a sour taste in my mouth. It would depend on your political ideology.

The last chapter takes the good points and gives forth a left wing socialist solution. As in having government intervene in more facets of life. At the same time he gives a false view of what it means to be an economic liberalist. So be discerning and don’t take it as political gospel.

The author states that people are looking for meaning in life yet largely ignores Christianity’s (or any other religion for that matter) contribution to attaining meaning. He does mention Christianity briefly but soon after insulted religious notions as “outdated”.

Largely a good read but requires discernment on the finer political points.

Blank Cheque Theory

The idea from NSW Labor and the unions to claw your vote back to themselves was to claim that a vote for the Liberals was in essence giving them a “blank cheque” to do whatever they please. It was a last ditch effort in futility, yet it was a buzz phrase repeated by some in my presence at a recent social event.

What Labor is really saying is, “don’t give them a blank cheque, give it to us instead”. If anyone had a blank cheque is was NSW Labor and they did a great job of flushing it down the toilet.

In reality a vote for the Liberals in NSW wasn’t a vote for a blank cheque. Rather it was a vote for a mop and bucket in order to clean up the mess made by the previous administration. Now the NSW Premier has to go through projects and prioritise as he and his team sort out the ram shackled finances of this state. It will take much of the first term to achieve.

They can’t do whatever they want and they never could. Labor just wanted you to think that.

Thunderbolt Kid

Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
By Bill Bryson

There are not many authors whose books I purchase purely based on reputation. Bryson had me hooked with his travel memoirs called ‘Down Under’, obviously about Australia, and ‘A Walk In The Woods’ about a famous walking trail in north-eastern USA. Those were read prior to this blogging sensation. More recently I have read Bryson’s ‘Shakespeare’. He has written many other travel and historical books that I hope to read in good time.

‘Thunderbolt Kid’ is different because it is purely autobiographical. His primary topic is himself. His trademark wit is evident but I wouldn’t rate it as highly as his other books. The subject matter was still interesting as he describes the strange naivety of children in a rural midwestern town. It is such an eye opener to our way of living these days.

Although reading about his upbringing it does become obvious why he turned out to be a writer. Especially one with a unique sense of humour. He had journalist parents with interesting idiosyncracies, and a wickedly random imagination. The title of this book is evidence of that.

I still enjoyed reading it but it wont be one that I would read again. It won’t stop me buying and recommending Bill Bryson as a fantastic author.