a fairly long preamble, apologies in advance
For many of us talking about politics is taboo, talking about business is boring. We are still in our hearts the social creatures that crave validation from our peers. This politeness has left us vulnerable to the commercial media and independent bloggers who have interests that are at times contrary to yours. In the case of mainstream sources, they almost always come with an urban-centric slant because that’s where most voters live. The independent sources lack the many advantages of editorial filtering and fact checking.
I have decided to cover both political and business matters because I understand the importance of providing a wider view than what is being provided elsewhere. I also appreciate the grey area between business and politics.
Back in the old days people used to go to the pub, people used to talk about their problems openly and honestly without fear of offence, we pushed our boundaries further out until we found common ground. This is about the level of what i wish to achieve with this blog.
Culture wars and city centrism
Farmers in Australia are particularly vulnerable to the whims of politicians who trivialise their plights. All Australian Prime Ministers in living memory have had the audacity to dress up like farmers for press conferences to feign compassion. Its deeply offensive.
So why do farmers need defending? For one, maintaining locally produced food adds robustness to our supply chain and helps control prices in the supermarket. During Covid you’ll remember some items became very difficult to obtain. As we become more reliant on imported food the risk increases. Corporations such as Woolworths and Coles want higher profits like all businesses do. They would prefer to have warehouses full of long shelf-life food that they can obtain from many and cheaper sources. The supply chain for locally produced fresh food is expensive and complex. We have higher standards for food production and some countries value that more than we do. If you want to eat cheap imported food while we export the good stuff this is not the blog for you.
Climate alarmism and denial
History could teach us a great deal about our ourselves if we let it, history helps us to recognise patterns as they appear in our lives.
I once lived in the city and held great passion for the environment. I was dismayed at stories of farmers land clearing and spraying glyphosate everywhere. Now after 20 years of living on a farm, and far more intimately alongside nature, I have come to understand humankind is merely an element of nature, not as some people believe, its masters. There’s a real arrogance in that ideal that grate on my nerves.
The climate apocalypse narrative has convinced many urban dwellers that farmers are the antagonist refusing to adopt modern practices. Science is of critical importance to modern human life, however equally important is understanding who is providing the science. Whom can call themselves a scientist today and what is considered research has changed dramatically over the last decade. What was considered ‘studies’ is now a scientific fact. Peer reviews can be conducted by like minded cohorts. I have my facts, you have yours.
Nature is often unjust to human eyes, yet we are born from it, and it nurtures us. Please do not confuse caretaking with ownership. Caring for an animal, plant, or a garden, is mostly beneficial to us personally. The sheer scale of the earth and its weather systems are well beyond our control and apparently conception. Please be aware of anyone suggesting they understand the weather.
Can we all just take a little bit of time to study nature, study our own history, see the progress that humanity has made, observe and respect nature for its incredible power and resilience. Stop relegating it to some pathetic victim under mankind’s thumb.
If there’s one thing Nature could teach you; it’s complex systems change gradually.
Threats to rules based democracies.
Over the past decade it appears more of us have started feeling that life just isn't fair. Perhaps you feel the system is geared against you, perhaps you believe it’s time to tear it all down. In all western democracies there exists legal systems that (by the most part) treat people fairly. Please don’t blame the machine.
The problems that we are facing today reside in the ignorance and behaviour of only a very small minority. Not all these people are powerful, not all of them are easily identified by particular labels. These individuals profit from the planned destruction with new products and services. Don’t underestimate greed and what lies people are prepared to tell to become rich.
It’s hard for many of us in the west to admit how important our political system is. Many of us feel disconnected from democracy, unrepresented by it. How can the drop comprehend the ocean?
Can we agree the extreme poles of conservative and socialist politics are seemingly further apart than ever? The mechanisms of social media have given them loudhailers and captive audiences. It’s well known how difficult it is to change one’s mind, to change one’s belief structure. Besides it can be embarrassing.
Could I suggest we take a moment to appreciate what has gone right, take a moment to respect those who came before us. Remember there was a time when we respected wisdom, had the respect to view historical achievement in the context of the time.
it’s an imperfect world, the meritocracy is imperfect. But it’s not so broken we should entertain throwing it away completely. History is full of examples of what happens when a system of governance is removed entirely or radically changed. Complex things don’t cope with radical change.
A way forward?
More varied open public discourse with professional and fair arbitration could be a good start. The anonymity afforded by most social media channels has allowed trolls (Bots and otherwise) to proliferate the same tired and often extreme ideals. This is exacerbated by the shortening attention spans of users and viewers.
As early as 1953 Ray Bradbury wrote a dystopian novel about censorship. Fahrenheit 451 depicts an America where books have been outlawed and special squads burn any that are found. Not too different in the outcome from cancel culture operating online. Given that’s where we now get our news, books, documentaries from we should be pushing against it.
The DEI conundrum
The other topic I wanted to graze is the ever-lowering standard of academic and political leadership. To placate the unhappy masses leaders have wheeled out the fallacy of the even playing field. When I was doing my Masters more than one professor announced that ‘talent was a fallacy’, and that ‘anybody could achieve greatness if they were only given the opportunity’.
For any of us who have been in open competition, or have had any sort of career, you would know this is total bullshit.
Educational institutions today are run as businesses, like our current crop of shape shifting politicians they pander to the current social sentiments. The idea of diversity equality and inclusion is a nice story. It’s notable that it has never existed in nature.
There is an elegance in the idea of humans being nothing more than an element in nature. Part of the neverending cycle of life, the fight for resources.