It's All In The Context

Greetings Oh Rambling Masses,

Funny how words change, depending on their context. Take the following examples:

Camel Toe

Fly's Eyes

Beckham Schmeckham

Greets to you, oh Rambling Masses,

One particular piece of behavioural oddness that strikes me at the moment is the Rambling Masses' and the Rambling Media's obsession with all things David Beckham. For God's sake - he's only a football player.

Everyone is going on about what an amazing guy he is, how giving he is, how kind he is, blah, blah, blah...

Did I miss something? Why are we all queueing up to kiss his ring? Let's just put it into perspective - he gets paid hundreds of millions of dollars to play games in front of a crowd. He's the one that should be abasing himself in front of us and thanking us all for paying him more than anyone on this planet is worth.

This Cult of Personality thing is really an incredible bore. Get over it. When he finds the cure for cancer, then come and talk to me.

Democrazy In Australia II - AWA-nce Australia Fair

Hello Rambling Masses,

Thank you tfk for your comment that you left regarding my last post (Democrazy In Australia). It raises a few interesting points about AWAs which I wasn't going to get into, but you have inspired me to tackle them. Your comment was:

Economics 101

No IR system will prevent a serious international downturn. You can have an IR system that is flexible enough to moderate wage rises - or even allow for wage cuts - or an inflexible one in which you lose your job entirely.

Firstly, I don't recall mentioning anywhere in my blog post anything at all about an IR system being able to prevent a serious international downturn. The two don't even have a causal relationship, so it is impossible, much in the same way that a Federal Government can't dictate interest rate policy to the RBA...

I agree with you that there were inherent inflexibilities in the pre-AWA IR system. For a start, Unfair Dismissal laws could be a great burden to business. It was next to impossible to fire someone for genuine reasons, and this led to much trouble. Larger companies were often forced to hide their inept/lazy/unproductive/dishonest/militant employees in a "safe" role somewhere out of the way so they couldn't continue to cause problems. Smaller companies were simply in huge trouble, because they had nowhere to hide said employees, and often couldn't afford to put on more staff.

Further to this, the Collective Bargaining structure of the unions quite often meant that there would be wages blowouts as sectors followed each other - "oh the so-and-so workers got a 7% pay rise - we want that too". Some unions were waaaay too powerful - I lost count of the number of times that the docks were used to hold Australia to ransom as the unions continued to reach their hands way too far into the owners' pockets. Many industries were losing their competitive advantage as a result of impractical, self-serving and irresponsible union thuggery and bloody-mindedness.

In my humble opinion, everything in life should be about balance. This holds true also for Industrial Relations in this country. There have been times when the unions have held way too much power, and there have been times when the owners of capital have held way too much power. It is my considered opinion that AWAs are the thin end of the wedge that will drive the Australian workforce into a new age of slavery.

In the industry I work in (Electrical Engineering), like in most professional sectors, there is no union representation. I have never belonged to a union, and most probably never will. From my first day out of university, my pay and conditions have always been individually negotiated between myself and my employer, so I guess you could say that I have always been on AWAs, even a decade and a half before they existed as a structured IR system.

In the early years of your employment life, this usually means you get taken advantage of because you don't have a clear understanding of your worth, have imperfect communication skills, and/or lack the confidence to engage in dialogue with your employer. This is a major problem with AWAs and individual bargaining.

It is an even greater problem for those people who will never have the skills required to engage their employers and negotiate pay and conditions for themselves. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these people are either working in low skilled industries or industries where they have very little bargaining power for one reason or another. This small bargaining power also manifests itself in so-called "popular" industries, where the supply of workers far outstrips the demand. As a result, the divide between the haves and the have-nots will manifest itself in ever greater imbalances within the employment landscape.

As the broader economic environment plays out the standard business cycle oscillations, along with non-cyclical factors such as the anticipated dampening of demand from India and China, the continued weakness of the American dollar, and the much-anticipated though oft unspoken point of Peak Oil world oil production, there will be greater and greater pressure placed on corporations (especially those who are responsible to shareholders to continue to deliver profit above all other considerations).

Now, I've been searching for a long while, and I've yet to find a publicly listed corporation that actually gives a wet slap about its employees, about its customers, or about inconvenient things such as a social conscience or the environmental impact of unsustainable and polluting practices, unless it has a nett positive effect on the bottom line profit figures. So, with greater economic strain, the companies will go on a huge raping, murdering and pillaging spree across the Australian employment landscape, and AWAs will provide them with the almost limitless power to do as they please.

Government won't intervene, because they want big business to continue to provide all of those good things to society that they've been delivering for decades - mass produced cars, cheap TVs, and all the panoply of sparkly glittering things that keep the electorate docile enough to keep chasing the carrot on the stick instead of asking the important and difficult questions of their leaders that need to be asked.

Unions, once too powerful for their own good but now just a shadow of their former glory, will have no legislatively protected or endorsed power whatsoever, and so, with a whimper, the Australian labour force will bite down on the wooden coathanger and take it like a man...

Corporations and other capitalist entities have had well in advance of 50 years to develop a social conscience, to develop a responsible and accountable approach towards their impact on society and the environment, and they've most certainly not succeeded unless they've been dragged kicking and screaming through the courts and forced to do it. To assume that they will "do the right thing" by the Australian workers, when the temptation and opportunity are there to screw them in favour of greater profit margins, is very much a naive skip down the yellow brick road.

So, tfk, I am sorry, but I cannot agree with you that AWAs provide greater flexibility than the old IR system, despite the fact that this is the oft-touted argument for AWAs. It has little to do with flexibility, and a lot more to do with destruction of the balance between worker and capital owner, greatly in favour of the capital owner. I am sure that a struggling father of 3 kids, forced to give up his penalty rates, forced to work longer hours to make up for the lower wages, hardly seeing the kids grow up, missing all of those precious moments that are the icing on life's cake, putting almost unbearable strain on the family relationships, would love to talk to you about flexibility. Sure, more flexibility for the employer, no flexibility for the worker.

In this current unprecedented economic boom, with unemployment at near-record lows, the average worker who feels unduly pressured by the bite of AWAs into their pay and conditions has the "flexibility" to find another job. When the economic purse strings are tightened during tougher times, this door too will be closed, and the worker will be left with little or no recourse.

By no means am I advocating a return to the days of high-power unions running roughshod over business, ultimately harming the workers that they are supposed to be representing, and holding Australian businesses and consumers to ransom in the process. My fear is that this may happen if Labor wins the election without having to rely on at least a couple of sane voices in the Senate keeping them in check.

What I will say is that AWAs strip away any possible safety net that the average Australian worker has, leaving them open to a return to the Industrial Revolution days of sweat shops, terrible working conditions, lousy pay, and a subjugated underclass. Which, I guess, is exactly what the Beige Howards of this world would love, since big business would continue to piss in their pockets for handing it all to them on a silver platter.

Democrazy In Australia

Hello Rambling Masses,

Here I sit, blogging away on the eve of the federal election in Australia. I think firstly that there is no possible way that I am ever going to vote for Beige Howard, the Liberal Party, or the steaming turd that is their policies of inaction, floating on top of the sewerage pit that is modern Australian politics.

Prior to the election campaign that has done so much to prove that the modern developed world has no depth or direction whatsoever, I thought that I might vote Labor. However, 4-odd weeks of campaigning has proved to me beyond a doubt that the Media Whore and the Labor party that he leads has very little to offer by way of actual policy or direction for this once-great country of ours.

It amazes me somewhat that I am actually going to vote Green. I used to think that The Greens were a bunch of reactionary extremists with no real view on anything beyond the environment. In fact, a rather funny quote used to spring to mind - "I used to think that The Greens were a watermelon - green on the outside, and red on the inside, but I now know that they are an avocado - hard green on the outside, soft green on the inside, with a brown nut in the middle". However, largely through the leadership of Senator Bob Brown, I have changed my mind about The Greens.

For a start, they are pretty well the only party that has ignored spin in favour of substance, and has stuck their neck out and made some actual policy statements on the issues that really matter - the environment, Kyoto, concrete emission targets, opposition to the Gunns pulp mill in Tassie, and other green policy domains. However, where they've really stood out is in their mature policy approach to all matters that affect Australians in this day and age. They have a genuine plan for pulling Australian troops out of an American colonial war that we should never have entered. They have a preference towards spending on services and infrastructure, instead of giving away $34 billion worth of tax cuts (which will go to the banks when interest rates go up and up and up).

If we don't remove the AWA's from the employment landscape, then we will all pay for it dearly. Things might be running along tickety-boo at the moment, but as soon as China and India falter economically (which surely they will in the next 5 years or so, without a doubt), and as soon as this grossly over-inflated resource boom chokes and dies, then we will be left with the mighty corporations who have the power to shaft you, me, and everyone else when they start to feel the pinch. "Fair Go" Ombudsman my arse. We will all be well and truly screwed. Still, if the majority of Australians actually vote for that Liberal asshole, we will have deserved the reaping of the harvest we have sown...

My only hope is that Labor wins the election, for they are the lesser of two evils in the current political environment, and The Greens have the balance of power in the Senate.

Beige Howard has gone into the prior two elections with the grand sweeping statements that his government is responsible for the economic strength of Australia. I can't believe how stupid the electorate has been to believe him. A deranged baboon could have run the country and achieved as much. In a time when the world economy is doing so well, and when the international resources boom is driving ridiculous amounts of demand, there is no way that Australia could have been grossly economically mismanaged, and still not come out smelling like the proverbial rose. To take the credit for this, and to win the last election on a promise to keep interest rates low, is the ultimate in political spin. The constant emphasis on the economy above any other policy is one of the most shortsighted and arrogant political initiatives of any age, and it gets my blood boiling. We are standing upon the threshold of a pivotal moment in human history, when the very survival of the human race and thousands of species that we co-exist with are threatened, and all this anachronistic shithead can think about is the economy and how wonderful it is that we are all buying plasma screens and new cars...

My concern is that when the mining companies dig 1.6km below the deserts of Australia, they will find Beige Howard's head, buried deep in the sand. They won't be able to export him as a resource, because the rest of the world already has their quota of narrow-minded ineffectual leaders who choose inaction instead of genuine policy at a time when the world needs leadership and a departure from capitalist vested interests.

My other concern is that a proctologist will find Beige Howard's head buried deep inside his own anus, the irony of discovering a modern-day ouroboros won't be appreciated, and the joys of the infinite stupidity of man will be overlooked.

If Beige Howard wins this election, I will have lost all faith in the political system and in the intelligence of the average Australian voter.

I hear that New Zealand is a nice place to live...

Cloeseup Of The New Warne-Muralidaran Trophy

Hello Rambling Masses,

Australia just won the Warne-Muralidaran Trophy, by beating Sri Lanka. Here's a closeup of the trophy...

Of Road Signs And Refugees

Hello Rambling Masses,

Kevin Andrews was having a bit of a doodle on how best to get his message across to Australians. He thought that perhaps road signs would be a good way to go...

Harken Unto This, Americans All

Greetings and Salutations, oh Rambling Masses,

I came across this rather interesting poem by Francis Brett Young. Despite totally ignoring the existence of native Amerinds, not mentioning slavery, being environmentally irresponsible, and being a bit heavy on the old religious dogma, it does shine a light onto the true path that America should be treading. However, I also realise that this poem has a strong tinge of irony considering the way that America has behaved over the past century or so...

What are you carrying Pilgrims, Pilgrims?
What did you carry beyond the sea?
..... We carried the Book, we carried the Sword,
..... A steadfast heart in the fear of the Lord,
..... And a living faith in His plighted word
..... That all men should be free.

What were your memories, Pilgrims, Pilgrims?
What of the dreams you bore away?
..... We carried the songs our fathers sung
..... By the hearths of home when they were young,
..... And the comely words of the mother-tongue
..... In which they learnt to pray.

What did you find there, Pilgrims, Pilgrims?
What did you find beyond the waves?
..... A stubborn land and a barren shore,
..... Hunger and want and sickness sore:
..... All these we found and gladly bore
..... Rather than be slaves.

How did you fare there, Pilgrims, Pilgrims?
..... What did you build in that stubborn land?
..... We felled the forest and tilled the sod
..... Of a continent no man had trod
..... And we established there, in the Grace of God,
..... The rights whereby we stand.

What are you bringing us, Pilgrims, Pilgrims?
Bringing us back in this bitter day?
..... The selfsame things we carried away:
..... The Book, the Sword,
..... The fear of the Lord,
..... And the boons our fathers dearly bought:
..... Freedom of Worship, Speech and Thought,
..... Freedom from Want, Freedom from Fear,
..... The liberties we hold most dear,
..... And who shall say us Nay?

More On The Environment

Greetings Oh Rambling Masses,

It gets my blood boiling every time that I hear Beige Howard's stock standard answer about any policy that will address the sorry state of the environment - "I will not do anything that harms the economy or risks jobs".

This is such an inane response. Now I know that Beige Howard is not a stupid man, but he is sure acting like one. At a time when renewable energy research and manufacturing companies are leaving our fair shores to go to countries where the political will for green solutions is strong (such as Germany), we should be embracing the alternative energy sector with open arms, not pushing them away with tired political platitudes.

It's very simple, really. If the federal government of Australia invested serious money into renewable energy, a whole new industry would blossom, leading to significant business involvement, tens of thousands of jobs, and a chance for Australia to reclaim the technical edge that they used to have over many countries in the world, back when the concept of the "knowledge nation" was more than just a glib bit of political spin.

The logging and coal industries are very powerful in Australia, hence the political foot-dragging over environmental issues. Heaven forbid that the nuclear industry gets a toehold as well.

Instead of the comparatively tiny amounts of money being bandied about in this election for the environment, we should put the $34 billion tax cuts on hold and invest the lot in building up a whole new industry. Heck, the loggers and coal miners can be reskilled, giving Australia a real and positive future in what will become one of the most important world industries in the years to come.

Burying our heads in the sand as so many of our politicians are doing is not an option. Even just looking at it from an economic point of view (as all the pollies seem to do these days, instead of looking at the human face of policies) now is the time to make the investment, and reap the rewards not just in 10 or 20 years, but for all of our future generations.

Solar, wind, geothermal, tidal - these are just a few of the energy sources that should be developed further. As a nation, Australians pride themselves on being innovative. Let's put this talent to good use in solving a world problem that affects all of us.

Politicians of Australia, it is time to stand up and make some real policy decisions, instead of the negative smear campaigning and irresponsible money-throwing that has turned this election into a joke. I, for one, am not laughing...

Life In The Wild

Greets to you Oh Rambling Masses,

Time for some happy thoughts. Enough doom and gloom for now...

I thought I would turn my hand to crafting a bit of a description of the particular slice of paradise in which we live. Berowra, for those who don't know, is at the extreme northern outskirts of Sydney, Australia. As such, it is in a very bushy area - a far cry from the concrete jungle of the city.

We are blessed with all manner of wildlife in a setting that suggests it is eminently possible for mankind to live side by side in peaceful coexistence with nature. We are not apart from nature, but a part of nature, and that is something that we should never forget. At various times, we have directly seen or seen evidence of the following of God's fine creatures:

• A Wallaby - I've seen him scurrying off into the bush adjoining our property on 3 separate occasions. He comes over in our backyard and sleeps amongst the bromeliads sometimes.
• A number of Possums. We often hear them rehearsing for the marsupial tour of Riverdance on our roof. As a result of the heavy possum presence, I am currently engaged in one of those man-projects that one starts and eventually (one day) finishes - building an enclosure around our vegie garden so we can actually get some tomatoes this year, unlike last year. When our apples go off, we feed either the possums or the rainbow lorikeets, whoever gets to them first... Here are a couple of shots of our possum (Basil) in one of those classic Oooops moments, trying to get at some apple scraps...

• Water Skinks and Water Dragons. Our main water dragon (Speedy) can often be seen basking in the sun. Here are some choice snaps of Speedy, hamming it up for the camera...
  

• Diamond Pythons - we've had 3 different ones grace us with their presence at various times over the past 2 or so years. They are magnificent creatures - very shy and totally harmless. Hard to spot in this photo - just look for the green branch...
  

• Red-belly Black snake - just as shy, but not quite as harmless. We had one in our backyard for a couple of weeks. He even took one of our Koi Carp, the blighter.
• Goannas - we've had 3 or 4 different ones visit us for a while. At the moment, we've got a small one (about 90cm in length) who keeps trying to catch Speedy and make a meal of him, but thankfully he hasn't been quick enough or lucky enough yet... In the second photo, a goanna is eyeing off our carp, trying to decide whether he's hungry enough to go for a dip...
  

• Small brown frogs by our ponds - don't know what type they are, but summer evenings are filled with calls of "Bik. Bok. Bek." in a delightful chorus. We often have tadpoles in our top pond.
• Koi Carp - we have 4 of them in our lower pond, adding a splash of colour...

• Rainbow Lorikeets, Eastern Rosellas, Crimson Rosellas, King Parrots, Kookaburras, Wattlebirds, and of course the ever-present Sulfur-crested Cockatoos. We even had a Wattlebird nesting in a hanging pot by our front door, incubating two eggs. Getting home of an evening became quite the exercise in careful and quiet sneaking, as we opened the front door ever so slowly so as not to disturb the roosting mother. The two little ones have de-nested now, and one of them has definitely survived. Here are some pics of the natural order of things. It's amazing how much joy can be derived from watching nature at work.

An empty nest in the process of being built:

Trying the nest on for size:

Two little eggs:

The first shot of the little ones:

Just starting to open their eyes, and very hungry:

Starting to look more like real birds:

Mum, playing injured to try and distract me away from my photo session with the little ones:

Looking very alert. This shot was taken about an hour before they left the nest:

It's a big world on the first day out of the nest:

The Land Of Nod

Hi Ramblers,

One thing that I've noticed over the past 3 years or so of political interviews is this - quite often there is an anonymous nodder in the background, providing nods of approval at the appropriate moments during the spin that the politician is delivering, to act as a kind of subliminal approval prod, much in the same way that canned laughter is used to make you feel like laughing at stupid comedy like Australia's Funniest Home Video.

I wonder what the job description is for this very important role. It would run something like this, I would think:

• Must have a clearly defined neck that shows head nodding to good effect.
• Must have a fairly mediocre head, so that attention is not distracted from the politician you are nodding for.
• Must be slightly taller than the politician you are nodding for, so that the perspective is correct for the camera.
• Must be able to follow autocue prompts of [nod now] at the appropriate time.
• Must not overact, because too much nodding is just silly.
• Must not nod off during the interview.
• Must have head attached fairly solidly in case a significant quantity of nodding is required during a particularly nod-worthy interview.

I believe that both the Liberals and Labor have gym instructors and personal trainers specifically hired to maintain the nodders at their peak of fitness.

Murali

Hi Ramblers,

I don't care what you say - Muralidaran is a cheating chucker. But hang on a second there, Pete, I hear you say - he's gone through video analysis to see if his bent elbow straightens during his bowling action. Yeah sure, but you look at the difference between when he's got the motion analysis dots on and when he's bowling in a game.

I may be a rather mediocre cricketer, but it's my sport of choice, and as far as I am concerned, that bastard's arm straightens during his delivery.

And no, it's not just because his bodgy record of wickets taken is about to overtake Warnie's as the top wicket-taker in international cricket, either.

I hate cheaters. They shit me.

The Boogie Man's At Our Door

The Boogie Man's at our door,
Hear the God-almighty roar,
He goes bump in the night
And gives us a fright,
The Boogie Man's at our door.

Any demon will do,
It doesn't have to be true,
He once was red,
Now there's a towel on his head,
Any demon will do.

The political creed is the same,
We have to find someone to blame,
A frightened rabble is easily led,
The sacred cow is easily bled,
The political creed is the same.

It's all for the public good,
Cover our eyes with a hood,
Crank out a new scare campaign,
Then break out the champagne,
It's all for the public good.

Trample on justice and freedom,
Stoke the fires of the pogrom,
Silence all the dissenting voices
Offer us no clear choices,
Trample on justice and freedom.

Now it's time to reap what you've sown,
A bitter crop, meanly grown,
A society of fear and intolerance,
A people guided by ignorance,
Now it's time to reap what you've sown.

We are really much better than this,
Simply step back from the abyss,
See the truth contained in the lies,
Starve fear and it dies,
We are really much better than this.

The Conundrum Of The Australian Farmer

Hello Rambling Masses,

I am in a bit of a didactic solutions kind of mood today, so I thought that I would aim the flickering torchlight of my intellect and reason on a rather topical issue in contemporary Australia - what shall we do to save our poor farmers?

For those not in the know, our farmers are struggling more than they ever have in our 200-year-odd history of western civilisation. Drought conditions are continuing to turn pasture land and arable land into arid dust bowls, soil salinity is robbing the earth of its growing potential, and the national river network is desperately in need of water.

The federal government is doing what they can by providing some $3 billion worth of drought aid, but this is really only a short-term sticky plaster solution to what is quite likely going to be a problem that will remain with us in the long term, what with climate change and the growing scarcity of fresh water.

So, what do we do to save the farmers and, just as importantly, keep home-grown produce on our tables? It seems like it is an impossible problem. Many different solutions have been tendered, from the sublime to the ridiculous. On the ridiculous side of things, we have such ideas as piping fresh water from the north, over thousands of kilometers to the drier southern climes, or building more desalination plants. All poppycock, and not at all practical.

My solution to the problem is at once complex and oh so simple. It seems obvious to me that European farming practices, on which our farming is almost exclusively based, are no longer a viable method of using (and abusing) the land. I further postulate that the first thing we should do is to change our whole idea of how we farm.

First, the government should supply significant funding increases to bodies like the CSIRO, so that they can engage in research to determine native species of flora that can be cultivated to provide food for people and stock. Let's face it - every half-decent gardener with their little plot of suburban land knows these days that native plants are ideally suited to the climate we live in and with. There's a reason for this - the plants have had millions of years to evolve to suit their environment. Duh!

Here's another real brainwave - how about the CSIRO research actively engages the aboriginal communities to learn from a people that have been here for 40,000-odd years? Not only will we learn a huge amount about sustainable practices in Australia and which plants and animals could be viable food sources with the least possible impact and most suited to their local microcosms, but we would also be empowering those aborigines who want to make a go of it to take a place of pride and honour in our society as teachers and guides. Working together, we could prove that we really are the "knowledge nation", instead of throwing millennia of lore out the window.

It would not be an easy task. There would be much trial and error, but I am just about certain that viable alternatives can be found amongst the "bush tucker" style of plants and animals to feed this nation, save the farmers, and lift the majority of aborigines up to where they belong.

As consumers, we also need to be very open to new ideas. We must start to accept the new foods that we carry home in our shopping bags (canvas bags, of course...) and prepare lovingly in our kitchens.

A classic example is meat. Go to any supermarket, and you will be confronted with vast walls of chicken, lamb, beef and pork. If you're lucky, you might see two small trays of limp, tired kangaroo meat, costing about $8.5 million per gram. This is so very wrong. Roos are very drought tolerant, their breeding cycles are perfectly adjustable and in tune with their local environment, and as soon as you leave the cities, you really start to get an idea of how many of the buggers there are roaming around the place. If only we diverted some of the effort away from chicken, sheep, cattle and pig farming and into kangaroo farming, we would have a much more sustainable outlook for all farmers.

It's great that the government is helping the farmers out, but you have to realise at some point that a quick fix like that isn't going to come near to solving the long-term problems of inefficient and unsustainable farming practices. It's akin to spending tens of thousands of dollars fixing up a car's engine when the real problem lies in the fact that it has square wheels.

Until next time Ramblers, stay real.

Are We Really That Stupid?

Hello Rambling Masses,

Well, the real election campaign has started here in Australia, with a predictable economy-based grab for votes by the incumbent Prime Minister, Beige Howard. He and his Treasurer Peter Costfellow have promised tax cuts to all, costing the country some $34 billion over the next 3 years.

Are we really that stupid? Are we really going to buy into this shameless vote grab, choosing short term selfishness over a real progressive future plan for the country and our progeny? Beige certainly hopes so.

Let me just break it down into really simple terms for everyone - just a bit of elementary mathematics.

FACT 1: The average wage earner will be $30 a week better off after the 3-year tax reform currently on the table. That's $1560 per year.

FACT 2: In September 2007, the average mortgage nationally was $329,489, with the average New South Wales home loan at $382,790.

FACT 3: The inflationary pressure caused by a staged $34 billion injection into the economy will lead to a 0.25% interest rate hike at the very least, most probably a 0.5% interest rate hike.

FACT 4: Pursuant to Fact 3, the average home owner will be paying an extra $1380 per year on mortgage repayments.

FACT 5: The total effect of the tax cuts on our hip pockets is an average grand total of $180 per year.

Now, I ask you, do all of the dense bastards out there in Ramble land actually think that this is a sweet deal? I personally hope not.

Here's a staggeringly intelligent alternative that I've got. Take that $34 billion and use it to put a water tank in every single household in Australia. There are approximately 8.5 million households in Australia. With an average installation cost of $4000 per house, that comes to a grand total of about $33 billion. We can then save $4.5 billion per desalination plant that our stupid state governments are proposing as the solution to our water shortage problems.

There's even $1 billion left over to spend on the biggest mother of a party ever, to celebrate the first sensible political decision in the modern age...

What A Shock!

Hello Fellow Rambling Masses,

My God! What a shock! Beige Howard is going to fight the election on an economic front. What a surprise. I never expected him, the great money-over-all-else man, to forsake all rhyme, reason, environmental concerns, worker disregard, infrastructure indifference, etc., etc., just for a braindead grab at votes.

So, here we are, in an economic boom that has absolutely nothing to do with the governing party and their (lack of) policies, and they are once again touting and flogging that old, old dead warhorse of political spin "oh, we've done so well with the economy - how can you possibly trust the country with anyone else?" caper.

Let me tell you that a blind, toothless, rude spit-roaster with halitosis, a racking cough and a tendency to hit on your girlfriend at barbeques could have done just as good a job at running the Australian economy as the current 11-year old regime that likes to claim all the kudos for what is a worldwide economic phenomenon tangentially affecting Australia. Nice work, Beige. Well done. We couldn't possibly have done it without you.

Now, just a bit of advice for the 5-week election campaign that looms - don't get anywhere near a real policy. That's dangerous. Just stick to tax cuts and continuous re-runs of the "interest rates would be higher under labor" statements that won you the last election. It will all be okay. I am sure that the electorate is every bit as dense and dimwitted as last time...

AWAy Forward?

Greetings Rambling Masses,

I won't rabbit on too long about AWA (workplace agreements between employers and their employees which are replacing collective bargaining as the new standard for the establishment of employment conditions), but I feel that there is one very important thing that is NOT being said in the debate about them as we move towards a federal election.

Australia, along with many other parts of the world, is enjoying a time of almost unprecedented economic boom. Unemployment is very low, due in only a very small part to Beige Howard and his band of smarmy men. How can this government take the credit for something that is happening on a global scale, something that they have no control whatsoever over? Without the demand for resources from China, India and other developing super-powers, Australia would not be enjoying the current walk in the park.

When people debate the introduction of the AWAs, which gives a huge amount of power back to the employer, there are a few things that need to be considered. At the moment, economic times are great! The world is our oyster. The cases of mistreatment and exploitation of workers are not that great in number. There are a few cases where greed and the unhealthy capitalist urge to chase ever-greater profit margins have resulted in workers' rights being unacceptably trampled on, but on the whole, there has not been too much to report negatively about. Low skilled and low paid workers will continue to bear the brunt of the AWAs, since their bargaining power is next to nix.

Now, let's change the parameters slightly and see what is going to happen. It doesn't take a world-class fortune teller to look into the depths of the crystal ball to realise that when times start to get tough again (and this is indeed a certainty) then the pendulum will swing, and everyone will start to get raped and pillaged by the AWAs. The government's pretend safety net (the so-called "fair go" ombudsman) will be swamped with millions of cases of unfair dismissal, sub-standard conditions, stripping of holiday pay and penalty rates, unacceptable work hours, and pay rates that will dive like the stockmarket worms on a bad day.

Now, I agree that during the 70's and 80's, the unions had way too much power. We had a strike every second day, and there were rolling blackouts and lack of services aplenty when this happened. I personally don't ever want to go back to those days. However, I also don't want to go back to the days of legalised sweatshop conditions, child labour, unsafe work practices, and ridiculously long working hours. It was these things that led to the formation of unions in the first place, and it was these things that the unions battled against, fighting for worker rights. Okay, they then went on to become fat cats and part of the problem, but we must guard against swinging the pendulum too far the other way. Beige Howard has done just that.

When did a company in a competitive capitalist environment ever introduce policies that safeguarded workers' rights without having pressure brought to bear on them? Very rarely. If we disempower the unions too much, we lose the balance that is crucial in all facets of society.

For it is all about balance. Don't give the unions too much power. Don't give the owners of capital too much power. Try to tread the middle path. This is why I think that AWAs are one of the most backward steps since feudal lords crunched their fine boots down on their vassals' necks.

A Message To Be Respected (And Listened To)

Greetings and Salutations, oh Rambling Masses,

Here I am on a Saturday morn, having just seen my wife off in her 5:30AM taxi to the airport. I am not tired, so I flick the teev on and see what it has to offer. After getting the latest blast of gangstas rapping about hos and bling on early morning Rage, and wondering why in Australia we have this fascination with all of this American crap, I decide to flick through the stations and see what else is on.

Being in Sydney, I get the local independent station TVS (station 31). We often tune in just for a laugh at the sometimes amateurish content, but every now and then there is a diamond in the rough.

Prem Rawat is just such a diamond. For those who don't know him from a bar of soap, let me tell you a bit about him. Also known as Maharaji, he is a 50 year old Indian man who tours around the world talking about peace, love and understanding. He is not associated with any religious movements, and in my humble opinion, his philosophies are indeed a thing of beauty that should be heard by more people.

When you mention philosophy, people usually think about the egghead "If a tree falls in the forest and there's no-one there to hear it, does it still make a sound" stuff. However, philosophy is all this and much more. Philosophy is about investigating and defining our place in the world, and about the path towards better understanding of ourselves, others, and the universe at large. Prem Rawat's philosophical discourses are approachable, palatable and practical, and for that I applaud him and have the utmost respect for him.

Also, when he talks, he sounds like The Late Show's parody of Desmond Tutu - "What we neeeeeeeeed..."

I would like to share with you the transcript from the show that I caught. It is all about peace and happiness - things that we should all be striving for with all of our energy. It is not pie-in-the-sky stuff, but real and practical words of wisdom. For those who would like to know more about Prem Rawat and his lectures, you can visit his website. Without further ado, here is one of his lecture transcripts.

The Fundamental Need - by Prem Rawat

We talk about peace, but do we ever stop and wonder, "Where did this idea of peace come from?" Why do human beings across the face of this earth even want peace?

If peace is a luxury, then you can say, "Well, it would be nice to have peace." But it’s an innate and fundamental desire, a need, a necessity that gets acknowledged in a human being. Something stirs from within and says, "Without peace, the whole equation is incomplete." Throughout the world’s civilizations, peace has always been something that has been acknowledged.

The importance I am giving peace is that it is just as important as being able to breathe, just as important as being able to see, just as important as being able to exist. Something within each human being stirs every single day and says, "Let me feel, let me experience the state in which I am not burdened with conflict. It is important for me to feel that simplicity in my life."

Whether we live in what we call a free society or in prison, we need to feel something. What is so fundamental to us is not the boundaries of countries or even our ideals, for in the midst of the ideals, we have forgotten the fundamental human thing.

In this existence, we forget what the primary purpose is. What is the most important thing to you as a human being? To welcome that and not find it mysterious because it isn’t mysterious, not to find it routine because it is not routine. To acknowledge that the life I have is an exquisite gift, and I need to make the most of it.

An empty pitcher, an empty well, cannot fill other vessels. A dry well? You can throw 10,000 buckets into it, and all that will come out is sand. And that’s if you’re lucky. For a lamp to light other lamps, that lamp has to be lit. For a candle to light other candles, that candle has to be lit. Peace is a noble objective; helping mankind is noble. But it has to begin with a lit lamp. First and foremost, peace has to be recognized in a person’s own self.

Everybody’s requirements are different when it comes to this world: somebody likes a blue car; somebody likes a green car; somebody likes a white car. I’m not passing judgment on that. That’s fine. But there is one need that is the same for all. The name for water is different in different languages, but water in itself is not different. Its ability to quench thirst is not different.

We are free to understand the gift that we have been given. That is a freedom no one can take away from us - not another government, not a terrorist. There is a peace that resides equally in the heart of every human being. It is not a peace that somebody hands us on a platter, because that peace can be taken away some day. This is a peace that no one can take away from us.

This is a peace that can be felt even in a battlefield - the innate peace, fundamental to everyone. The fundamentals of every human being: freedom, understanding, peace, joy, happiness.

Feel that peace in your life. Feel that joy in your life. Feel that understanding in your life. Come from that place, and there will be no end to how much you can be filled with beautiful understanding and gratitude. Make it real, make it practical. Make it the way it is supposed to be - every life, everywhere touched because a lit lamp came by and was able to light the unlit lamps. This is the possibility for all of us, but first we need to be lit.

Is it asking for a lot? Probably. Is it impossible? Absolutely not. It is very, very possible. It will take a lot of effort, but then effort is one thing we can make. And it is up to us.

Economics 101

Hello Rambling Masses,

Here's my rather simple take on the economy, be it a local, national or global one. Apart from the occasional injection of currency from various countries' mints, money is not created or destroyed. What makes a successful economy is merely the constant movement of money. A recession or depression is merely the stagnation of this natural movement of money.

Phew! What a mind-blow! Now that we've got that out of the way, I would like to apply this rather simple philosophy to the current problem of the environment. The Federal Government of Australia has continually postulated that the reason for its foot-dragging regarding the environment is purely economic - we don't want to do anything that risks jobs or puts us at a competitive disadvantage to the rest of the world.

Erm, yeah, okay. The absolutely revolutionary concept that I want to put forward is that if you show leadership and invest in an industry, then the money will follow. If the government had anything other than glass balls in their scrotum, they would invest some of that $20 billion they are sitting on, and push to become one of the world leaders in renewable energy research and development. The long-term gains would far outweigh the initial investment, and that's just looking at it from an economic point of view.

I have incredible respect for the amount of investment that Germany is engaging in, mostly in the solar and wind sectors of renewable energy research and implementation. Imagine that - Germany, which gets a tiny percentage of the amount of sunlight that Australia gets, investing hugely in solar technology. Now, that's balls for you.

What is our excuse? None that I can see. To borrow from a rather forgettable Hollywood movie - "If you build it, they will come". Instead of renewable energy companies shutting down their operations here in Australia and moving elsewhere (where the political will is stronger), they would flock to our shores and help to build a powerful industry that would provide jobs, business investment and a future for us all, instead of the fossil fuel graveyard that we are currently building for ourselves.

It takes only a cursory dip into my somewhat feeble intellect to come up with further suggestions for sustainable industries that could yield incredible profits, whilst still providing much smaller ecological footprints than current destructive practices. For example, non-THC hemp plantations (THC is the psychoactive constituent of hemp that gives the "high" when smoked or otherwise ingested, but non-THC varieties of hemp are available) could replace all wood-pulp industries currently in operation. The growth rate of hemp is such that it yields much greater fiber returns per square metre with much less irrigation requirements than any tree plantations in operation. The fiber can be used to make clothing, rope, paper, even particle board and other manufactured wood products. The cost involved in migrating current manufacturing and processing equipment to hemp fiber instead of wood is minimal when the big picture is considered, and timber industry workers could be reskilled with no loss of Beige Howard's precious jobs-figures that he likes to tout as one of his government's great achievements.

One of the big problems associated with solar and wind power technologies is that they cannot provide base load power - when the sun isn't shining and when the wind isn't blowing, there's no power, right? Well, all it takes is a little bit of innovative thinking, and that's something that Australians have always prided themselves on. Battery technology is not at the point where power can be usefully stored for later consumption. However, batteries are not the only method of energy storage. For example, pumps could be run off solar/wind power during the day, pumping water up to a reservoir at the top of a hill. The water could then be released during the evenings to run turbines, thereby generating power at night. This isn't rocket science, you know, just simple engineering and application of the conservation of energy principles.

Tidal power and geothermal power are other technologies that warrant much more research because of their great potential.

For God's sake, Australia, wake up and see the sun shine. Investment in sustainable industries now will not put us at a competitive disadvantage or risk job security. To think that is pure folly, unless you are a recalcitrant backward-thinking slug whose head is still stuck back in the 1950's somewhere. The challenges of the future await us, and they should be met with the ingenuity and hard work ethic that our forefathers used to get us all to where we are now. We have been slumbering lately, and it's time to realise that the fossil fuel honeymoon is over. It is only through environmentally sustainable practices and sound judgement that we will survive it with anywhere near our current levels of wealth and ease.

I have faith in the human race to overcome the obstacles that are looming. However, without political leaders who have the will, the guts and the determination to make the hard decisions, we will be lost. The world will slowly slip into ruin, as we listen to the latest Pop Idol tune on our iPods or watch the latest tax-payer funded advertising campaign on our plasma screens, telling us that the government is "really serious" about the environment.

Environmental Issues Closer To Home

Hi Ramblers,

And just in case you were wondering, because of my rather anti-Liberal government leanings of late, no - I am not a Labor man. This counts especially for you Dad, just in case you read it.

It's not like Labor has much of a track record. Let's face it - it's the Labor governments of WA, and now NSW, who have made the monumentally idiotic decision to build desalination plants as a supposed fix to our water shortages.

How the building of a $4.5 billion plant that will require almost the total output of a whole power station, and cause irreparable damage to the marine ecology in the area, is going to be in the best interests of the planet is something that I haven't quite figured out yet, but I am obviously a simpleton that doesn't have access to the incredible depths of scientific knowledge that our esteemed state leaders have.

So, what is the political solution to our woes? Neither Liberal nor Labor have had much of a stab at anything dangerous like actual policies, preferring instead to stick with tried-and-tested spin, waffling and hyperbole. The Greens, as rather well described by someone whom I forget, used to be like a watermelon - green on the outside and red on the inside, but now they are more like an avocado - hard green on the outside, soft green on the inside, with a Brown nut in the middle.

I guess the only thing we can do is to try to communicate to the leading contenders in this upcoming election that we will no longer stand for delaying tactics, smokescreens and total disregard for the ramifications of our current destructive ways. Through organisations like GetUp!, we have a chance to be part of a groundswell of popular lobbying, so I would urge that you all get up from your comfortable seats and spend a few minutes of your valuable time in contemplation and investigation of how you can empower yourself to make a difference.

I personally have had an absolute gutfull of these self-serving muppets who try to tiptoe through their terms in office, avoiding policies, decisions and controversy, letting our country slowly gurgle down the drain. Enough is enough! I am doing my small bit, in the hope that a whole lotta small bits will add up to make a big enough bit to be noticed. If I stand by and do nothing, I am as bad as those ineffective assholes who should be running our country.

Harumph!

Tas-Mania & The Art Of Pretending To Be Environmentally Responsible

Greets Oh Rambling Masses,

Once again, the Federal Government of Australia has proved to be at least 100 years out of touch with the need to be environmentally sustainable and responsible in this modern age of mass consumption and destruction. I sometimes think that Beige Howard and his cronies are trying their darnedest to win the how-to-screw-the-planet-up-most award.

It's wonderful to see that the government will spend $23 million of our taxpayer dollars on an advertising blitz to show how in touch with environmental concerns they are, and then cave in to big business in one of the few unspoiled corners of the planet (Tasmania), agreeing to build a delightfully destructive pollution-machine in the shape of a pulp mill.

"Oh, but we have put safeguards in place, ensuring that it is world's best practice." Yeah, I guess that's right when you compare it to the strip-logging of Amazonian forests or the clubbing of seals, but in the broad scheme of things, it's about as anti-environmentally aware as you could possibly get. This government is one of the most out-of-touch, anachronistic dinosaurs that has ever had the incredible good fortune, due to voter ignorance and/or apathy, of leading a supposedly progressive nation in the modern age.

The decision by the environment minister Malcolm Turncoat to back the Gunns pulp mill in northern Tasmania is nothing short of environmental terrorism. I am sure that he will defend his decision by quoting "Australia's chief scientist" Dr. Jim Peacock, whose terms of reference were limited to a mere pinprick of ecological ramifications.

And to all of those proponents of the Timber Industry (Forest Rapers Inc) who claim that the pulp mill is an essential injection of jobs for hard-pressed timber workers, I have only one word for you - reskilling. Use your not-insubstantial lobbying power to suggest to the government that a modest investment in the renewable energy industry and reskilling of timber workers to be part of it will reap incredible rewards, as well as the respect of this and future generations.

Once again, thank you Beige Howard for shortsightedly considering business and the economy above everything else. In the dim, dark, smog-filled future, I must remember to track down your grandchildren and remind them that you were the asshole that fucked up our last great wilderness.


Until the next time that I breathe the acrid, pollution-filled smog that passes for air, I remain your ever-faithful ranter, oh Rambling Masses.

Don't forget to vote when the cowardly miscreant finally decides to pull an election date out of his Beige you-know-what.

Ani DiFranco - This Sums It Up Pretty Well

Hi Rambling Masses,

Ani DiFranco, an American independent singer/songwriter/guitarist, is an inspiration to many feminists. To me, however, she is an inspiration because of her views concerning artistic freedom. She has consistently refused to sign to a major label, instead building (with help from friends) a small indie label of her own.

She wrote the following open letter to Ms. Magazine (an American-based feminist magazine), pointing out that her success should not be viewed in purely financial terms, but rather in artistic terms. She says it very eloquently, and I have taken the liberty of reproducing her open letter without alteration below. It rings true to much that I believe about art, capitalism and integrity.

November 5, 1997

Marcia Ann Gillespie
Editor in Chief
Ms. Magazine
135 W. 50th Street
16th Floor
New York, NY 10020

    So I'm poring through the 25th anniversary issue of Ms. (on some
airplane going somewhere in the amorphous blur that amounts to my
life) and I'm finding it endlessly enlightening and stimulating as
always, when, whaddaya know, I come across a little picture of little
me. I was flattered to be included in that issue's "21 feminists for
the 21st century" thingybob. I think ya'll are runnin the most bold
and babe-olishious magazine around, after all.

    Problem is, I couldn't help but be a little weirded out by the
paragraph next to my head that summed up her me-ness and my
relationship to the feminist continuum. What got me was that it
largely detailed my financial successes and sales statistics. My
achievements were represented by the fact that I "make more money per
album sold than Hootie and the Blowfish," and that my catalogue sales
exceed 3/4 of a million. It was specified that I don't just have my
own record company but my own "profitable" record company.  Still, the
ironic conclusion of the aforementioned blurb is a quote from me
insisting "it's not about the money." Why then, I ask myself, must
"the money" be the focus of so much of the media that surrounds me?
Why can't I escape it, even in the hallowed pages of Ms.?

    Firstly, this "Hootie and the Blowfish" business was not my
doing. The LA Times financial section wrote an article about my record
label, Righteous Babe Records, in which they raved about the business
savvy of a singer (me) who thwarted the corporate overhead by choosing
to remain independent, thereby pocketing $4.25 per unit, as opposed to
the $1.25 made by Hootie or the $2.00 made by Michael Jackson. This
story was then picked up and reprinted by The New York Times, Forbes
magazine, the Financial News Network, and (lo and behold) Ms.

    So here I am, publicly morphing into some kinda Fortune
500-young-entrepreneur-from-hell, and all along I thought I was just a
folksinger !

    Ok, it's true. I do make a much larger profit (percentage-wise)
than the Hootster. What's even more astounding is that there are
thousands of musicians out there who make an even higher profit
percentage than me! How many local, musicians are there in your
community who play gigs in bars and coffee shops about town? I bet
lots of them have made cassettes or CDS which they'll happily sell to
you with a personal smile from the edge of the stage or back at the
bar after their set. Would you believe these shrewd, profit-minded
wheeler-dealers are pocketing a whopping _100%_ of the profits on the
sales of those puppies?! Wait till the Financial News Network gets a
whiff of _them_!

    I sell approximately 2.5% of the albums that a Joan Jewelanis
Morrisette sells and get about .05% of the airplay royalties, so
obviously if it all comes down to dollars and cents, I've led a wholly
unremarkable life. Yet I choose relative statistical mediocrity over
fame and fortune because I have a bigger purpose in mind. Imagine how
strange it must be for a girl who has spent 10 years fighting as hard
as she could against the lure of the corporate carrot and the almighty
forces of capital, only to be eventually recognized by the power
structure as a business pioneer.

    I have indeed sold enough records to open a small office on the
half-abandoned main street in the dilapidated urban center of my
hometown, Buffalo, N.Y. I am able to hire 15 or so folks to run and
constantly reinvent the place while I drive around and play music for
people. I am able to give stimulating business to local printers and
manufacturers and to employ the services of independent distributors,
promoters, booking agents and publicists. I was able to quit my day
job and devote myself to what I love.

    And yes, we are enjoying modest profits these days, affording us
the opportunity to reinvest in innumerable political and artistic
endeavors.  RBR is no Warner Bros. But it is a going concern, and for
me, it is a vehicle for redefining the relationship between art and
commerce in my own life.  It is a record company which is the product
not just of my own imagination, but that of my friend and manager Scot
Fisher and of all the people who work there.  People who incorporate
and coordinate politics, art and media every day into a
people-friendly, sub-corporate, woman-informed, queer-happy small
business that puts music before rock stardom and ideology before
profit.

    And me.  I'm just a folksinger, not an entrepreneur.  My hope is
that my music and poetry will be enjoyable and/or meaningful to
someone, somewhere, not that I maximize my profit margins.  It was 15
years and 11 albums getting to this place of notoriety and, if
anything, I think I was happier way back when.  Not that I regret any
of my decisions, mind you.  I'm glad I didn't sign on to the corporate
army.  I mourn the commodification and homogenization of music by the
music industry, and I fear the manufacture of consent by the
corporately-controlled media.  Last thing I want to do is feed the
machine.

    I was recently mortified while waiting in the dressing room
before one of my own shows. Some putz suddenly takes the stage to
announce me and exclaim excitedly that this was my "largest sold-out
crowd to date!"  "Oh, really?," I'm thinking to myself, "that's
interesting...too bad it's not the point."  All of my achievements are
artistic, as are all of my failures.

    That's just the way I see it.  Statistical plateau or no.  I'll
bust ass for 60 people, or 6,000, watch me.

    I have so much respect for Ms. magazine.  If I couldn't pick it
up at newsstands my brain probably would've atrophied by now on some
trans-Atlantic flight and I would be lying limp and twitchy in a bed
of constant travel, staring blankly into the abyss of the gossip
magazines.  Ms. is a structure of media wherein women are able to
define themselves, and articulate for themselves those definitions.
We wouldn't point to 21 of the feminists moving into the 21st century
and define them in terms of "Here's Becky Ballbuster from Iowa City,
she's got a great ass and a cute little button nose..."  No ma'am.
We've gone beyond the limited perceptions of sexism and so we should
move beyond the language and perspective of the corporate patriarchy.
The Financial News Network may be ultimately impressed with me now
that I've proven to them that there's a life beyond the auspices of
papa Sony, but do I really have to prove this to _you_?

    We have the ability and the opportunity to recognize women not
just for the financial successes of their work but for the work
itself.  We have the facility to judge each other by entirely
different criteria than those is imposed upon us by the superstructure
of society.  We have a view which reaches beyond profit margins into
poetry, and a vocabulary to articulate the difference.

    Thanks for including me, Ms., really.  But just promise me one
thing; if I drop dead tomorrow, tell me my grave stone won't read:

         ani d.
         CEO.

Please let it read:

         songwriter
         musicmaker
         storyteller
         freak.


-Ani DiFranco

I doff my hat to you Ani. Thank you for your sanity in this world at-times-gone-mad.

APEC On The Cheek Part II

Greets, Ramblers,

Having said what I said about APEC and the value of its achievements, I must provide a postscript that does shine a positive light on the whole thing.

Paul, Laura, Mick, Stewie, Ceals and I headed up to the Hunter Valley winery region for a rather spiffy concert - Steely Dan were playing, supported by Gangajang and World Party. A magnificent time was had by all, with much consumption of cheese, olives and goon (in white, red and sparkling varieties). The music was awesome, the weather was kind, and the picnic blanket on the grassy fields of a winery was a perfect vantage point to enjoy all of our hedonistic pleasures.

Those of us into that sort of thing went for a few wine tastings both before and after the concert, and the general consensus amongst the wineries up there was that APEC provided a much-needed injection of money to the local economy, as Sydney-siders scrambled to escape the sound of police boots and temporary fencing. In fact, it just about managed to get the region back on track after the rather devastating floods of a short while back.

So, for that, if for nothing else, APEC is to be applauded.

'Till next time.

APEC On The Cheek

Hello Oh Rambling Masses,

Let me just say that I am overflowing with pride at the performance of our fine government during the APEC summit here in Sydney. What a magnificent effort. For just 300 million taxpayer dollars, the obtrusive lockdown of the CBD, significant discontent amongst the general populace, harm to the public relations standing of the police force and continued erosion of our liberties and rights, Beige Howard has been able to clinch quite a winner on the environment front.

He has been able to get the APEC-member governments to tentatively agree in principle to the initial postulation that a proposed notion of aspirational emission targets should perhaps be a possible consideration at some nebulous time in the future, just as long as it doesn't affect the continued (obscene) economic growth or prosperity of those self-same nations.

Well done, Johnny. Give yourself a big pat on the back. You've certainly far exceeded my expectations.

Welcome To The Child Killer

Hello Rambling Masses,

This is just a quick post to mark the arrival of that great American war criminal George Dubya to our fair shores. Welcome George, and I hope that you wear your bib, because Beige Howard will be salivating all over you during your stay. It might be a good idea to wear the ice hockey shin pads too, just in case little Johnnie gets a bit too keen with the old leg-bonk.

I would like to resurrect and paraphrase an old protest chant from the Vietnam war days, if I could. Back in those days they used to sing:

Hey, hey, LBJ,
How many kids did you kill today?

It seems to me that we have not learnt a hell of a lot in the 30- or 40-odd years since then, for now we can just as validly be chanting:

Hey, hey GWB,
How many kids in your killing spree?

Keep up the good work, George, and before you know it, fundamentalist Christians will be carving the biggest slice of pie and gorging themselves on the fat of the land.

Until next time, oh Rambling Masses...

Universal Values and the Continued Evolution of Society

Preface

Such a weighty title for this day's post. Perhaps a little pretentious, maybe somewhat overbearing, but I have a few concepts to present to you all that I certainly consider exciting (well, I am a creature of the mind, and intellectual constructs tend to excite me).

This essay came about as a result of the aforementioned conversation with Paul and Dave. The reason it has taken so long to write will become apparent as you, the long-suffering reader, notice the length of this essay. Bear with me, though. I am hopeful that the effort on both your part and mine will be worth it in the end.

The general aim of this essay is to break apart and study the basic structure of societies, with the particular aim of trying to define Universal Values that should be adhered to by all of humanity. I am expecting to fail in the aim of defining Universal Values, as it is a problem that has vexed the greatest thinkers of our world for millennia, but at least I hope to draw attention to the fact that said definition should be paramount in the continued evolution of society. I further postulate that continued evolution of human society can only come about through the establishment of a world society.

I would like to quote one of my favourite poets (myself) when I say that “I am an empty vessel, into which are poured my own thoughts and those of others, to ferment the broth of understanding”. As such, I would ask you as the reader of this blog to please, please, please leave your comments so that I can gain a better understanding of the universe and our place in it. Your thoughts are valued and valuable, irrespective of whether you agree with my thoughts or not.

Introduction

Humans build communities. That is a universal fact. We, like the bees and ants, are social creatures. We crave it and create it, and live in it every day.

Society is the underlying structure of these communities that we build. It is too large to be noticed most of the time. We don't think about it, absorbed in that miniscule part of society that is our lives (I have this image of Morpheus standing in front of me with those cool nose-glasses, holding a blue pill and a red pill out to me and saying “You cannot be told what Society is…”).

What we often fail to see is that our lives are shaped in a large part by the society in which we live. What we must never forget is that our society of and by itself is not perfect, in fact nowhere near it, and the reciprocal relationship is completed in that we have an obligation to effect changes in that society to help improve it for everyone.

Another important point to consider is that the world is still a much-splintered entity, and while some steps have been taken to unify disparate structures towards a greater whole, much work still needs to be done before a world society can be established. Important steps to this end in the modern age include the formation of the United Nations, the European Union, and the International War Crimes Tribunal at The Hague (though the legality and mandate of this is disputed).

As always seems to be the case, the movement towards a world society has met with much speedier progress in the fiscal arena than in the legislative, religious or ethical arenas. Globalisation has, as a result of abuses by greedy corporations, become a tainted and much maligned term. However, it should be noted that, in this humble blogsters opinion, true globalisation towards a world society (not just in the business sense) needs to take place for human beings to be able to continue their evolution, and for the betterment of the whole planet.

Society Values

Society values are a crucial part of the structure that binds us all. They define the principles by which we live. Why is it then that we do not have a clear idea of what these values are? Perhaps it is because we do not give them the attention that they deserve.

Society values are sometimes talked about (and should be talked about more). Every now and then, “Australian Values” comes up as a blip on the media radar, and politicians will be asked about them. They’ll dredge up a few tried and tested words like “Mateship”, pre-approved by their spin doctors and speech writers. They’ll visit Gallipoli or walk a few steps along the Kokoda trail, to prove that they embody these values, and then they’ll go back to what they were doing before, which is worrying about securing the next term in office. Well, there it is – it stands as a self-evident fact that we can’t rely on modern politicians to guide us on the path of defining society’s values and making sure we live by them.

So where do we turn to define the supposedly indefinable? Well, the answer to this is fairly simple in the first instance – we should turn to each other and discuss, for only then can we explore what is important to each of us and to others. Only then can we start to reclaim society in that quaint old fashion of “by the people for the people”.

Values are more than words on a page. They have to be lived and breathed each and every day of our existence, otherwise they stand for nothing. Token gestures will not do.

A (not-so)-Brief History Lesson About the Development of Society Values

The definition of societal structures and society values has made some major steps forward throughout history. Quite often, these are inextricably linked with the development of democracy, as this is the primary form of mass governance where the masses have some form of representation, and a forum for their voices to be heard. Some of these are covered below (with a nod to Wikipedia for some information).

• Many Sumerian city-states in Ancient Mesopotamia (Iraq) are believed to have started with a form of democracy, but elected dictators in times of war that later kept power to become permanent monarchies.


• One of the earliest instances of civilizations with democracy was found in ancient India, even during the times of the Rigveda, probably the earliest Indo-European literature and one of the most sacred books of the Hindus. The states mentioned are mostly monarchies, but with two democratic institutions called the Sabha and the Samiti. The Sabha (lit., Assembly in Sanskrit) is widely interpreted to be the assembly of the elect or the important chieftains of the tribe, while the Samiti seems to be the gathering of all the men of the tribe, convened only for very special occasions.


• Athens is among the first recorded and one of the most important Western democracies in ancient times; the word "democracy" (Greek for "rule by the people") was invented by Athenians in order to define their system of government, around 508 BC, after the proposals of Cleisthenes. In the next generation, Ephialtes of Athens had a law passed severely limiting the powers of the Council of the Areopagus, which deprived the Athenian nobility of their special powers. Athenian democracy was based on selection of officials by lot. The assembly of all male citizens in Athens voted on decisions directly. Elected officials did not determine decisions — giving decision-making power to elected officials was considered by the ancient Athenians to take away the power of the people, effectively making the state an oligarchy.


• The founding of the Roman Republic in 510 BC, though with a flawed constitution. After years of conflicts between the leading families and the plebeians, the plebs forced the senate to pass a written series of laws (the Twelve Tables) which recognized certain rights and gave the plebs their own representatives, the tribunes. By the 4th Century BC, the plebs were given the right to stand for consulship and other major offices of the state.


• The Magna Carta is an English charter issued in the year 1215. Magna Carta is arguably the most significant early influence on the extensive historical process that led to the rule of constitutional law today. Magna Carta influenced many common law and other documents, such as the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights, and is considered one of the most important legal documents in the history of democracy.


• Renaissance humanism was a cultural movement in Europe beginning in central Italy (particularly Florence) in the last decades of the 14th century. It revived and refined the study of language (first Latin, and then the Greek language by mid-century), science, philosophy, art and poetry of classical antiquity. The "revival" was based on interpretations of Roman and Greek texts. Their emphasis on art and the senses marked a great change from the medieval values of humility, introspection, and passivity.


• Many countries have a constitution, written by their “founding fathers”, to guide the societal structure.


• The Geneva Conventions were set up to define standards for international law relating to humanitarian concerns. These four treaties primarily cover the treatment of non-combatants and prisoners of war. The adoption of the First Convention followed the foundation of the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1863. In the modern age, 194 countries have ratified the Geneva Convention, which requires all signatory states to enact sufficient national laws to make grave violations of the Conventions a punishable criminal offence. Unfortunately, recent actions by the United States in particular has brought into the spotlight the difference between living the law and merely paying lip service to it.


• Interpol is the International Criminal Police Organization. It was established in 1923 to facilitate international police co-operation. 186 countries are members of Interpol. In order to maintain as politically neutral a role as possible, Interpol's constitution forbids its involvement in crimes that do not overlap several member countries, or in any political, military, religious, or racial crimes. Its work focuses primarily on public safety, terrorism, organised crime, war crimes, illicit drug production, drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, trafficking in human beings, money laundering, child pornography, white-collar crime, computer crime, Intellectual Property crime and corruption. Whilst not having any direct responsibility for the definition of society values, it is an important step towards a world society police force, and provides a model for the crucial requirement of law enforcement on a global scale.

Guiding Forces Within Society

There are certain guiding forces within our society that stop it from splintering into anarchy and chaos. Not all of these forces are positive. As far as I have been able to determine, these forces fall into the following categories:

• The rule of law
• The Constitution (for those countries lucky enough to have one)
• Civic responsibility
• Religion
• An often undefined and unspoken set of values
• Science
• Empathy and altruism
• The natural human urge to form communities
• Common goals
• Freedom/Opportunity
• Racial dynamism
• Social dynamism
• Apathy
• Ignorance
• Fear
• Greed

Positive Guiding Forces

The rule of law

The rule of law is the principle that governmental authority is legitimately exercised only in accordance with written, publicly disclosed laws adopted and enforced in accordance with established procedure. The principle is intended to be a safeguard against arbitrary governance.

The contrast between the rule of men and the rule of law is first found in Plato's Statesman and Laws and Aristotle's Politics, where the rule of law implies both obedience to positive law and formal checks and balances on rulers and magistrates. As defined by Plato, the rule of law is grounded in divine reason and so inherent in the natural order. It continues to be important as a normative ideal, even as legal scholars struggle to define it. Thomas Aquinas (an Italian Roman Catholic priest in the 1200s) defined a valid law as being one that:

• Is in keeping with Reason
• Was established by a proper authority
• Is for the purpose of achieving good
• Was properly communicated to all.

In my opinion, the rule of law should exist to enforce a well-defined value set, and to protect the members of society from anti-social and illegal activities. One of the most important parts of the rule of law is that there should be provision for constant vigilance, self-checks and the ability to reform laws by society members in order to ensure that legislative acts do not transform into prejudicial or authoritarian tools. As such, the rule of law should be adhered to, but constantly questioned to ensure its validity.

The Constitution

A Constitution defines the fundamental political principles, and establishes the structure, procedures, powers and duties of a government. Most national Constitutions also guarantee certain rights to the people.

As with the rule of law, Constitutions should be adhered to, but constantly questioned to ensure their validity.

Civic responsibility

The concept of civic responsibility at times borders on some of the socio-political ideals of communism and socialism. As a member of a civil society, it is the responsibility of those members to ensure that their actions or inactions do not run counter to the continued well-being of the society at large.

There are essentially two models for civic responsibilities – voluntary and forced. Depending on the nature of the responsibility, the importance to and impact on societal structures, and the willingness of suitable numbers within the community to take up the responsibility, either one or the other model should be applied.

For example, it is my opinion that if you are able to work, you should do so. I consider this to be a civic responsibility. Either through the direct fruits of your labours or through the taxation of income derived from those labours, you help to support the society that supports you and people who are unable to work.

If you are unable to work, then provision should be made through welfare structures to support you until such a time (if ever) as you are able to contribute in a meaningful way to society. It is my opinion that a vast majority of people who claim to be unable to contribute are incorrect in this assumption, and are doing so only because of laziness or some other personal defect. If you are able to work and choose not to do so, that is okay, just don’t expect the public purse to pick up the tab. In this instance, I see no problem with a forced civic responsibility model being applied, as shown in the “Work for the Dole” scheme currently in place in Australia.

Volunteerism is also a major part of civic responsibility, for there are many services and structures in society that rely on donations of time, money and labour from people “out of the goodness of their hearts”. The nature of the voluntary work can be as diverse as forming or joining a community group to bring arts and craft to the masses, becoming a volunteer fire fighter, or helping out in a soup kitchen for the homeless.

Major motivations for volunteerism include the following:

• To help others in the community
• To do something worthwhile
• Personal satisfaction from doing something good
• A way to be active
• To learn new skills
• To gain work experience
• To use existing skills or experience.

Religion

Religion is a very complex guiding force in society. To a great many people, it provides a fundamental (and for a few, a fundamentalist) view on moral issues of right and wrong, rights and responsibilities.

Some of the most important guiding principles of morality can be found in the holy books of the religions of the world. As such, they are an essential part of the societal structure that holds us together, despite the friction between the major monotheistic religions that constantly seems to see us teetering on the edge of oblivion and fracture.

Problems can also often arise in the interpretation of the written word, no matter how well intended the original principles were. For example, the conflict between Sharia law practised by Muslims in non-Muslim countries has led to much trouble and misunderstanding. A full discussion of the issues related to the interplay of religious and societal forces is outside the scope of this essay, so I will refrain from delving too deeply into this. Frankly, it would double the size of this already long essay, and I am scared to dig too deeply into something that I personally do not ascribe to, being an agnostic individual who believes that to question is much more important than to blindly accept the status quo on faith alone.

To be harshly analytical, I believe that religion is often more about mass population control and power than it is about the guiding light of virtue illuminating our path through life. Radicalisation and fundamentalism in the three major monotheistic religions of the world seem to be on the rise, adversely affecting the stability of societies everywhere.

An often undefined and unspoken set of values

As alluded to in the section on society values above, there seem to be an often undefined and unspoken set of values that guides out societies. These have been evolving for as long as the first two people decided to stick together in the mists of antiquity. They continue to evolve, and what one generation sees as the right and proper values to live their lives by is not necessarily that which other generations see (or even recognise).

One of the biggest gripes I have about the Political Correctness movement of the past 20 years or so is their blind assumption that the past should be sanitised and history rewritten to fit the current age. Well, I say that this is one of the greatest evils in society, since we can never measure where we are or map out where we wish to be if we do not acknowledge or have knowledge of where we came from.

By recognising the skeletons in our closet, we move that one step closer to ensuring that we do not endlessly repeat the mistakes of the past. Another way to ensure continued evolution of societal structures is to engage in open discussion and investigation of these often undefined and unspoken value sets.

Science

The Scientific Method, which underpins all of science, is a body of techniques for investigating phenomena and acquiring new knowledge, as well as for correcting and integrating previous knowledge. It is based on gathering observable, empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of reasoning, the collection of data through observation and experimentation, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses.

Although procedures vary from one field of inquiry to another, identifiable features distinguish scientific inquiry from other methodologies of knowledge. Scientific researchers propose hypotheses as explanations of phenomena, and design experimental studies that test these hypotheses for accuracy. These steps must be repeatable in order to predict dependably any future results. Theories that encompass wider domains of inquiry may bind many hypotheses together in a coherent structure. This in turn may assist in the formation of new hypotheses, as well as in placing groups of hypotheses into a broader context of understanding.

Among other facets shared by the various fields of inquiry is the conviction that the process must be objective to reduce a biased interpretation of the results. Another basic expectation is to document, archive and share all data and methodology so it is available for careful scrutiny by other scientists, thereby allowing other researchers the opportunity to verify results by attempting to reproduce them. This practice, called "full disclosure", also allows statistical measures of the reliability of these data to be established.

A true scientist is every bit as happy regardless of whether a properly conducted experiment disproves his life’s work or proves it. The search for more accurate hypotheses and theories, for more complete knowledge, is the paramount goal.

Now, I am a man of science. There is no denying that. I wholeheartedly embrace the basic defining principles of the scientific method, which value the constant quest for greater understanding. Through questioning everything around us, rather than making blind assumptions, we slowly and painfully improve our body of knowledge. This is the greatest differentiator that I see between religion and science.

There is some pressure in modern society because of a gradual move away from religion by many societal members. One criticism of science is that it has bred a godless horde of people who have nothing left to believe in. This is a short-sighted and incorrect view in my opinion.

I am however enough of a sceptic and realist to acknowledge that science does not hold all of the answers. A world without magic and mysticism is indeed a cold one, and as with everything in life, it is all about balance.

Empathy and altruism

The dictionary says it best – empathy is the ability to enter fully, through imagination, into another’s feelings or motives, into the meaning of a work of art, etc. Altruism is the unselfish devotion to the interests and welfare of others, especially as a principle of action.

Through empathy and altruism, we are able to transcend the borders of our selves and identify with other people. They act as a foil to the inherent selfishness that exists within us all. As such, this is one of the most fundamental driving forces of society. Without empathy and altruism, a collective of high-mental-function creatures would be impossible

The natural human urge to form communities

As alluded to in the introductory section above, humans have a natural urge to form communities. Whatever the psychological or biological drivers behind it, this is an irrefutable fact. “No man is an island” describes it well.

An important part of forming communities is to come to some agreement about the societal rules and structures that must inevitably exist to ensure continued togetherness.

Common goals

Even vastly disparate peoples can come together and form a societal structure if they have common goals that require the combination of people, knowledge, resources or other elements to achieve them. This can be particularly important in the early stages of society formation, but should not be discounted in any established societal or sub-societal structures.

Freedom/Opportunity

The principles of freedom and opportunity are important forces in any society. As a driver for change or revolution, there is nothing like the lack of either to wake the masses from their slumber and force change, hopefully for the better. Depending on the interplay of other forces within the society in question, the drive for change can come quite quickly or take generations to gather momentum.

As shall be outlined later in this essay, the right to freedom and opportunity is a core Universal Value that should be codified and defended at all costs.

Racial dynamism & Social dynamism

Racial dynamism and Social dynamism are important factors not to be discounted. Different racial and social groups have differing levels of what is referred to as either racial or social dynamism. Some groups have a natural tendency to laze about in the sunshine, whilst others have a natural tendency to strive for their goals. These important differences should never be ignored when considering the underlying structure of societies.

It should further be realised that knowledge of racial and social dynamism is stereotypical in nature, and should not be applied blindly without consideration of individual factors, nor should it be applied blindly without consideration of other societal forces.

Negative Guiding Forces

The negative forces that hold society together are every bit as powerful as the positive forces, and are often used by unscrupulous societal governmental structures to ensure compliance when values are being eroded. A fine case in point is the current campaign of fear mongering amongst the Coalition of the Killing, justifying erosion of our personal liberties by constantly reminding us that the terrorist wolves are at the door, baying for our blood.

Apathy

Apathy is the lack of interest or desire for activity. The general malaise of people when confronted by obstacles or societal problems (which may or may not be greater than themselves) is directly attributable to apathy. Too often as individuals, we become so entrenched in our ways of thinking and in our self-centredness, too indifferent to the state of affairs, that we neglect to care as much as we should about the big picture or those around us. “Ah well, there’s nothing I can do about it, so I may as well not bother” is one of the greatest injustices on the face of the planet, for we should all realise that, given just the slightest latitude of freedom, we are empowered to affect the world around us and effect change.

Ignorance

Ignorance or lack of education also holds sway as a guiding force for society. In an ideal world, a society would be peopled exclusively by members able to apply knowledge, reason and wisdom in the formation and application of the rules that govern it. In the real world, the complex decisions required to ensure the health and fairness of a society are too often governed by misinformed and self-seeking motives, to the detriment of all.

In both democratic and undemocratic societies, unimportant issues are often brought to the fore in order to mask the more difficult issues that governing bodies fear to tackle, and people are deliberately kept ignorant in order to retain the governing bodies’ unrivalled power.

Those in the know are all too aware that the last 3 or 4 elections in Australia have been fought on issues totally unimportant or beyond the realistic control of the political parties engaged in their usual triennial tussle for power. Whether or not John Howard will still remain as Prime Minister after the election, and whether or not Interest Rates would be higher under a liberal or labor government are absolutely trivial issues that act as a smokescreen when no real policies of note exist. Elections should be fought with clear policies that constructively address problems within society, not with hyperbole, invectives and trifling issues. The unfortunate truth is that ignorance allows governing bodies to get away with it.

Ignorance has a wider role to play as a guiding force for society than just during election times in democratic nations. An ignorant populace is not able to clearly identify and voice objections to unjust society structures, and so, as Shakespeare’s Iago says – “…will as tenderly be led by the nose as asses are.”

Fear

Fear is one of the primal driving forces within us all. People living in fear are easily subjugated by careful manipulation of the understanding and application of that fear. Authoritarian governments use fear directly as a bludgeon to keep people under control. Surely Hitler’s Nazi regime would not have continued to hold power for so long, were it not for the absolute power to spread fear that the SS and the Gestapo were able to wield on their own people and their enemies. Communist governments, as with all forms of authoritarianism, used fear in a similar fashion.

A more subtle use of fear as a driving force in society has reared its ugly head in modern times, though it has always been used in one form or another to keep the masses under control. During the Cold War, the democracies of the world touted Communists as the great boogieman, and were able to carry out misdeeds of epic proportions in order to “protect” us. When the Cold War ended, much thought was given to finding a new boogieman. With the events of 9-11, the new boogieman was served on a silver platter to the propaganda machines of the world – Terrorists.

As the “clear and present danger” of terrorist threats continues to loom like a dark cloud over our heads, our fear is fed by devious governments to justify the on-going erosion of our liberty and other society values. Keep them scared, and they will let you get away with such blights on society as the Patriot Act in the United States, or sedition and anti-terrorism laws here in Australia.

When (or if) the terrorist threat is ever neutralised, a new boogieman will be sought by the governments of the world, to justify their blatant shredding of society values.

Greed

Another of the driving forces within society is that of greed. It is responsible for a great conflict between the haves and have-nots throughout the world, both on an individual level and on a global level.

Gordon Gekko, in the 1980s film Wall Street, states the following:

"Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms, greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind."

Gordon Gekko is wrong – greed is not good. However, whether we like it or not, it seems likely that it will never be eradicated from our collective psyche. It is an oft-presented maxim that if you were to redistribute all of the wealth in the world equally, it wouldn’t take long before the same old inequalities re-established themselves, and this is perhaps not too far from the truth.

However, for as long as greed is such a powerful driving force in society, for as long as the developed countries of the world continue to live beyond their means, for as long as unsustainable practices are engaged to ensure obscene profits, no lasting peace can be achieved.

Individual Guiding Forces Within Society

There are also individual guiding forces that drive each and every one of us, usually in concordance with the societal forces, but sometimes in opposition to them. These guiding forces fall into the following categories:

• Personal philosophy/ethics and morality/life view
• Religious beliefs
• Values of right and wrong learned throughout an individual’s life
• Biological and psychological feedback from pleasure/pain circuitry
• Personality
• Mood
• Desires
• Empathy and altruism
• Personal drive (or dynamism)
• Quest for Wealth and Power

All of the individual guiding forces are shaped by a complex interplay of forces both internal and external to the individual.

I will not deal with the above individual guiding forces within society in a detailed manner, as they should be self-explanatory, and also in order to keep this essay short (yeah right!).

Countries of the World, Unite!

Let me first start with what my definition of a country is. A country is an artificial construct that hinders the continued evolution of the world community.

The natural evolution of communities starts with a small group of people, who then go on to form a village. This village grows to be a town, or even a city. Support structures develop to keep pace with the growth of the community. Eventually, a number of separate town communities will join to form a province. This evolution continues until the community has grown to be a country.

It is my considered opinion that the evolution of society should not stop there. The countries of the world should unite to form a world community, for we are all one people.

Flag-waving nationalism can be a force for great harm in the world, where the interests of one group are held to be more important than the interests of another. Too often, it is used as an excuse to wage war on others. The inertia of the status quo and the resistance to new ideas are holding us back. The rich and developed countries of the world continue to live beyond their means, cutting ever larger slices out of the pie.

This is a fundamental problem and stumbling block. The pie (or world, to really drive home this particular metaphor) is only so big. It cannot grow beyond certain physical limits. When some parts of the world community continue to glut themselves on pieces of pie too big for them, then the rest of the world community suffers. This inequality must be addressed in order to ensure the betterment of all.

The evolution of the world community does not mean that we must give up all that we are, nor does it mean that we must forget the path that has been followed through history to get us to where we are. We should be proud of our differences, enshrining them in our hearts, but these differences should never be seen as a justification for the repression of others.

The establishment of a Universal Value set is in my opinion the one and only thing that will safeguard the rights and responsibilities of individuals and composite communities in the slow and painful evolution of the world community.

One of the greatest challenges that lays ahead is not just in the definition of Universal Values, but in gaining worldwide acceptance of them. Without the power to enforce the Universal Values, they will not mean anything, and for this to happen, the plethora of independent societies within the world must give up their sovereign rights and accede to the greater power. This is a difficult undertaking, fraught with much danger and many obstacles, but one well worth the effort.

An Attempt to Define Some of the Universal Values

It is my belief that there exists a Universal Value set that can be applied to all humans, regardless of sex, race, creed, beliefs, orientation or circumstance. Certain Universal Values are beyond discrimination and preferential treatment. I further postulate that it is our obligation to try to explore and develop our conceptualisation of these Universal Values, and then to work towards having them enshrined in our societies.

Any attempt to define Universal Values must recognise that there are two sides to the coin – rights and responsibilities. Any societal structure worth its salt must have as its basis the provision of human rights to all human beings. For this structure to be stable, these rights must be paid for with responsibilities.

Unfortunately, the cynic within me looks at the list of Universal Values below and sees them as somewhat naïve and unrealistic. However, I would like to counter that by kicking the cynic in the balls and showing him that defining and living by our principles is all-important if we are to progress in our evolution as social creatures. It is not naïve to believe that we can become more than we currently are.

The world society should have, as a minimum, the following Universal Values:

• To engage all society members in the definition of Universal Values
• To clearly communicate the Universal Values to all
• To question continuously the validity, fairness and application of the Universal Values
• To uphold and protect the rights of all
• To ensure responsibilities are met in a fair and equitable manner
• To mediate in matters of conflict and effect a resolution
• To apply knowledge, wisdom and fairness in all its dealings
• To act as custodians and protectors of this planet and its diverse ecologies
• To manage the needs of society and weigh this against the costs
• To spread joy, happiness and fulfilment
• To set goals
• To lead by example

Every human being should have, as a minimum, the following rights and responsibilities:

• To claim their rights and pay for it with their responsibilities
• To live free and with opportunity
• To explore and develop their own consciousness
• To pursue their dreams
• To believe as their conscience requires in matters of faith
• To address wrongs within their own society without fear of retribution
• To question
• To voice objections
• To respect the rights of others to believe differently
• To take responsibility for their actions

I would appreciate comments from anyone and everyone who reads this essay, so that I may broaden my understanding of life. Thank you in advance for your consideration.