day seventy-eight - the crunch
Anger. It’s a valid emotion, and if it doesn’t result in violence or harm, I’ll take it over complacence any day, especially if it leads to positive action. And today I’m angry, frustrated, fed up and agitated (to be honest, in this context, I have been for a very, very long time, and the affect on my mental health hasn’t been good). Terrifyingly, it all feel like it’s coming to the crunch.
For many, complacence is easy. Ignorance is easy. Acceptance of a bad situation can be easy. But these are not easy times, and it is not the time for any of these things. Being blindsided and gaslighted about things that really matter is the order of the day, and many seems to eating their portion.
As we are in the grips of this current pandemic, we have the chance to contemplate what is happening around us; to weigh up the track record of our leaders, how well they have or haven’t followed the expert advice on other big issues, whether or not they have had our best interests at heart, or if the decisions have been serving those other than the general population.
All these past indiscretions, these past experiences really lead me to have little faith that best-practice is an option in their playbook. This broken trust is really hard to earn back. While I completely understand and concede that they are totally different issues, if the measures taken on climate change are anything to go by, then it’s not inconceivable that these current measures are erring on the side of too little, too late. Oh how I wish the evidence disagreed.
Now, almost more than ever, we need leadership. All these issues we face are compounding and, for the outcome to be as positive as possible, we needed to be in a situation where there has been good governance over a long period of time, and sadly, we just haven’t had that.
We’ve been blinded by a ‘She’ll be right attitude” for too long; admonishing protestors and people who were fighting for the greater good, descending into a culture where intelligence is trumped by ignorance, and gaslighted by our politicians and vast swathed of our media. Now, it seems that the ramifications of this are upon us.
Would now not be a good time to be in a position where our Australian government were global leaders and had the trust of the nation? Would now not be a good time to have huge government funds available to help Australians, employed and unemployed, small and large business owners rather than having delivered huge tax cuts to corporations and mining magnates, leaving the coffers wanting? Would it not be good to have a fully supported and funded CSIRO as our front-line scientific defence? Would now not be a good time to have fast, reliable fibre to the premises NBN so that working and studying from home was a viable option? Would now not be a good time for our politicians to have acted early on coronavirus, back when there was time, rather than being in the wake of the bushfire crisis and in the midst of the sports rorts affair? Would now not be a good time to have all these measures and so many more in place so we are best equipped to deal with the situation?
I apologise. This journal entry may seem devoid of hope. Depression can cloud ones mind, but sometimes, it can also cut through the hype, the spin, and deception, because we’re already not buying the floral, overtly positive placebos we are all fed.
Yes, It’s quite negative, and in so many ways, negativity is the last thing we need right now - but blind positivity isn’t needed either. I am trying to be as honest as I can in this journal. To not pull punches. I don’t want or need sugar coating. It is probably more political that a journal from a dull bloke wearing a kilt for a year should be, irrespective of it being bipartisan. But it is successive unethical, poor decisions and policies that have lead us here - not the pandemic, and it stands to be devastating to more than just mental health. If only we were in a better situation to deal with it now it’s here.
Stay safe. Be Kind. Wash Your Hands. Much Love.
Kilt of the day - Campbell of Argyle
Plaintive Soundtrack of the day - Let Down - Radiohead
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duBCwvC1kP4
Explicit Soundtrack of the day - Know Your Enemy - Rage Against the Machine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4smim2MNvF8
Brassier explicit Soundtrack of the Day - Know Your Enemy - cover by Brass Against
