Bonfire of the Vanities

With Jet fighters, retirement age and Medicare co-payments jumping from $6 to $15 overnight, the dismantling of the 18-month old Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission (ACNC) seems likely to slip under the ever increasingly inefficient media radar. This was originally lumped into the "red-tape bonfire" but was postponed thanks to some sanity remaining in the senate. Submissions to a Federal Senate Commission will be closed today. For more background see:  https://newmatilda.com//2014/04/29/independence-charities-under-threat

I had a go and this is my submission:

Submission to Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (Repeal) (No. 1) Bill 2014.

I strongly urge the Federal Government not to abolish the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.

·         This legislation, and Commission, have only been in existence for a very short time period and, therefore, it is totally unreasonable that the legislation should be ‘lumped in’ with outdated and irrelevant legislation in the so called “red tape bon fire”.

·         The reasons for the establishment of this Commission are sound and supported by the majority of registered charities and not for profit organisations.

·          I have worked in both paid and voluntary positions for not for profit organisations that have charity status and have first-hand experience of the invaluable work that they do. Much of this work has been handed over to the not for profit sector for various reasons, though usually economic, by the governments of the day. An independent regulator for this huge sector of Australian endeavour is vital for both the accountability and protection of this sector.

·         Not for profit organisations with charitable status deliver cost effective and essential services that are fundamentally within the charter of the government’s responsibility to both its citizens and our environment. Considering the current government’s obsession with the state of the economy, and considering the massive contribution and savings to the public purse, directly attributable to this sector, it would be absurd to proceed with any actions that could potentially damage it.

Sincerely,

Sean Crawley

Disappointment with "The Monthly" - Mag turns to Rag

Have you ever read the magazine "The Monthly"?  I have, I really like it and subscribed for six months. When the subscription ran out they sent me a complimentary copy in April. It was a nice gesture - sure they enclosed an insert to encourage me to "get reacquainted, resubscribe today and save 36%" - fair enough. I considered doing just that. However, when I opened the issue for a cursory perusal, I found on page 5 a full page add for the ANZ Bank and page 7 a full page add for Chevron (coal seam gas junkies). Frankly I was astounded and disappointed and left my credit card in its wallet.

I felt obliged to write to them:

24/04/2014

To whom it may concern

Recently you sent me a complimentary issue (April 2014) of The Monthly after my subscription had expired. As I do regard your publication as excellent in many regards I was thinking of renewing the subscription. However, after opening the magazine and finding full page advertisements for the ANZ Bank and for Chevron (Natural Gas) I immediately decided not to subscribe.

I am totally bemused by the fact that a publication that, refreshingly, offers, in quality of journalism and diversity of content, an alternative to mainstream publications that are largely constrained and biased by their reliance on large corporations, would accept advertising from such companies. To accept money from a major private bank, that profits immensely from both outrageous fees and the debt slavery imposed on most Australians to put a roof over their heads, is disappointing at the very least. To accept money from a multinational corporation that will basically steal our natural resources and, in the process destroy the planet's environment, is simply unbelievable for any ethical business.

Yours sincerely

Sean Crawley.

I have not received a response, but yesterday did receive, the May issue of the magazine - again complimentary. A quick scan through the magazine revealed that on pages 5 and 7 the full page ads are this month for the Sydney Film festival and an SBS DVD release. This was quite encouraging and maybe I had actually struck a chord and influenced their choice of advertisers. My delusions of self importance were revealed to be just that. As I flicked through.  I found on page 31, a full page advertisement taken out by Lockheed Martin. The ad is shamelessly promoting their F-35 fighter Jet - "FOR SECURITY. FOR JOBS. FOR AUSTRALIA". 

Not sure if I will write to the subscription department again, but am certain the debit card is staying in the wallet regardless. 

Mal Brough's unbelievable position on how our coal exports are saving the environment

Dear Sean, Thank you for your comments. In answer to your questions: 1. No. On the contrary, not mining and exporting this coal will ensure lower grade more damaging coal will be burnt in the power stations of the world. 2. I am not going to stop this mining I support it. Whilst I respect your right to your views I do not agree with them. Mal.

March 25th, 9:30pm

Thank you for the prompt response. In regards to the first question I asked if you accepted that coal mining, exportation and burning was harmful to the environment and not if it was less harmful than some other alternative. The concept of doing less harm is relevant and in that context then there are numerous alternatives that are much less harmful than any grade of coal.

Sean

Letter to Mal Brough, my local federal representative.

Dear Mr Brough

I am writing to you, my local representative in the federal government, as the issues I raise are of national import.

The current government appears to be totally supportive of the push to mine and export massive amounts of coal from the Galilee Basin in Queensland. The usual justifications for this activity are economic growth and jobs. The evidence is overwhelming that climate change is the most serious threat to the health of all life on Earth, and that coal mining operations, the exporting of this resource and the burning of this coal directly contributes to the problem. With that knowledge I cannot sit by and do nothing to try and stop this destructive activity from proceeding. I want to have some answer for my grandchildren when they ask me what I did to stop the destruction of the atmosphere and the oceans when we knew full well that continued coal exploitation would only make things worse. Here in Queensland it will be even more uncomfortable when we have to explain to our descendants about what happened to the Great Barrier Reef and describe what a beautiful wonder it once was. In addition, how can we justify to any rational person that a natural resource buried under the ground for millions of years became the property of private individuals, such as Gina Rhinehardt and Clive Palmer, to exploit and sell to the detriment of both the environment and the common people?

Mr Brough, I have looked at your websites and in the media to find what your stance is on the environment, and specifically the exploitation of coal in the Galilee Basin, and have not been able to satisfy my curiosity. Could you please answer the following questions:

1. 1.       Do you accept that the mining, exportation and burning of the expected 300 Mt of coal per annum from the Galillee Basin will harm the local and global environment?
2. 2.       What are you doing to stop the coal mining in this part of the world?

Australia is by many measures the wealthiest nation in the world today. To wantonly plunder the coal in the Galilee Basin for the sake of economic growth will be judged as an act of greed and insanity. With the knowledge that we have, and that we teach in our schools, about the importance of caring for the environment and each other, it is unfathomable that we would allow the mining and export of such a dirty energy source. At the same time to allow a very small number of people to become obscenely wealthy, as a result of this activity, is a hypocritical insult to any claims that we are an egalitarian country.

Reducing our energy needs and developing cleaner energy technology is doable, particularly in a nation such as Australia. Similarly, stabilising the economy, so that unlimited private wealth accumulation and growing debt do not lead to an economic and social crisis, is possible. What is required is strong leadership and true democratic representation by our elected officials in government. The role of the government is not to facilitate the destruction of the environment or to hand power over to wealthy individuals or corporations. Mindless toiling to the mantra of economic growth and job creation is the problem and not the solution.

I am calling on you as my representative to seriously consider and address the two questions I have proposed.

Your sincerely,

Sean Crawley

Montville, Queensland.

Driving Ms Crazy

The world leaders are on the steering wheel. The big money is on the accelerator. The wannabes are hanging onto the gear shift to keep it firmly rooted in D for drive. The experts and the intellectuals are a confusing and unintelligible array of warning lights on the dashboard. The only control stick left is the brake and the only ones that can exert enough pressure to stop this latest model of human ingenuity hurtling off that ever closer cliff is us, the you and me us, and not that mega/supersized nation that stole the letters “us” and capitalised them for everyone.

The problem is most of us are firmly strapped into the back seat. We’re complaining that the air conditioning is broken, we’re arguing what’s the best radio station to listen to and we’re chanting “are we there yet?” We’re too scared to look out the window because when we do catch a glimpse of what’s really going on out there, and to avoid getting car sick, we give up and hope in vain that the people on the steering wheel and the accelerator know what they are doing and are telling us the truth. But the state of anxiety and depression that we find ourselves in betrays even the very cleverest lies we tell ourselves.

All the doors and windows in the vehicle are locked. As much as you might like to think that you are free to get off at any time or place you like you are wrong. We are all on this journey together. In the past you may have been able to abandon ship and sail away to fortuitously crash into another chunk of land ripe for exploitation. But those days are long gone. Us humans are now everywhere and the fate of the planet is the fate of every seven billion plus of us on this crazy ride.

The safety belts that by law strap us firmly and blindly to the seats of oblivion cannot possibly make sense - even to the dimmest witted of us. We know we’re speeding to the edge and we know that Nature will not spare our folly simply because we wear safety gear. We also know that the biggest lie of them all is that everything is basically fine. Our only option is to stop the car before Mother Nature, or worse than that, the very worst of human nature, does. So unbelt that harness and make your way over to the brake pedal. There are quite a lot of us there now putting on what little pressure we can muster. But it’s going to require a hell of lot more of us to bring this filthy chunk of fossil fuelled madness to a halt. Don’t worry about the leaders on the steering wheel, they only know how to turn left or right and mostly only by imperceptible degrees. The maniacs on the accelerator are also a waste of time. They’re so high on the fumes of their own pathological excrement that they’ll kill you in an instant. You can waste a lot of time analysing the red lining needles, the flashing lights and incessant bells and whistles coming from the dashboard of information only to find out what you already know. The brake, yes the brake, fully and promptly applied is the only viable option.

Around here the mood has not yet reached the point where everyday people are taking to the streets because they have had enough or because the shit really has hit the fan. When it gets to that point, and don’t say it will never happen, be prepared to be sprayed with gas and targeted with bullets. Because when the brakes are not put on until the very last minute, that is the best you can expect. And the outcome if the car does manage to avoid plummeting into the abyss will be a vacuum ripe to be filled, not by you and me, but rather by another mob just as bad or even worse than the current drivers, emerging in the dust and stench of burning rubber left after “collapse” oe “revolution”. Apathy leads to nothing better than that.  We need to apply the brakes and stop the car but we need to do it sooner rather than later so that sanity, and a preservation of the best of human achievement,  can prevail.

So what can you and I do to get enough of us onto the brakes to stop this crazy ride. We can stop listening to, and believing, the pack of lies being shoved down our throats every day. Wake up and trust that feeling inside that things are not quite right. Even if our parents, teachers and celebrities, that are sprouting the lies are nice people, they have wrongly decided to accept the current bunch on the steering wheel and thus have succumbed to admit that they do not have the legs or the stomach to stop this madness. They must have also cheated on the drivers licence eye test, because they obviously cannot see the road ahead and therefore rely solely upon the map they were sold by the dudes down there on the accelerator. We also need to refrain in moments of weakness from looking at, or seeking temporary comfort, in that same map - sold to us by the full speed ahead crowd who are pushing pedal to the metal like there is no tomorrow. We must also muster up some courage to challenge the wannabes, up there holding the gear shift in drive, from singing the praises of that map. There will be wannabes in your family, at your workplace, and may even  be good friends, but take strength from the indisputability that we are in this car together.

This is my call, to myself and that mob of radicals that I know are out there – who are lamenting the totally upside down world in which we find ourselves dwelling – that we can and ought to put the brakes on now and put ‘em on hard.

Conversation recently overheard at the Mapleton pub - one guys rant about how to save the world

"OK, So this is what I believe

1. Whatever way you look at it the world is getting fucked up real bad and the rich are getting richer in the process.
2. If we don't stop doing this shit nature's going to whip our arses big time.
3. The cause of this fuck up is that we all want to be millionaires and we don't stop to ask ourselves “hey is this actually possible?”
4. The “save the world” attempts over the last twenty years have been fucking useless because no one seems to understand that endless economic growth just don't make any sense and can't be part of the solution.
5. Until we all wake and it becomes totally cool to live without a whole lot of the crap that we got now and totally uncool to have more than anyone else we will continue to shit in our nest and on each other.

So me and me mates reckon that the top 100 brains in the world, the ones who know what's really going on and who have got a bit of street cred, need to get together real soon and, with the help of a stack of other famous dudes, get all those greenies and other assorted do gooders to put there own little issues on the backburner for a bit and focus on the real reason that everything is fucked up. Then the rest us of dickheads who are sick of all the bullshit that gets thrown at us everyday will show up once a month to have a yarn about how we're gunna stop the rot and start doin' what really needs to happen and that's gotta start with getting some fair dinkum bastards, who can't be bought by the fat cats, into government and ready to do whatever needs to be done to get us back on track so that our kid's, kid's, kid's aren't gonna look back at us idiots and say “what the fuck were they thinkin?”"

March in March

The March in March will in some circles be described as a huge success given that thousands of people across the whole nation gathered to express no confidence in the Abbott Govt. Even if the mainstream media gives proportionate coverage to this unprecedented dissent, it is unlikely that the many millions who did not attend the rallies; or even know that they happened; or have any idea or opinion about what is actually going on this country, will take notice and wake up sufficiently to make an informed decision at the next federal election. The passion and unity of those in the know, about the neo conservative right wing attack on the public interests of this nation, is swamped by the massive inertia and apathy of those who are content with a life of modern gadgets, cooking and home renovation television and 24 hour sports coverage.

The embarrassing reality of the Australian general public’s level of engagement in politics is epitomised, and is a historical fact, that once the current government has copped sufficient criticism, generated by the media, the electorate mindlessly exercises their democratic freedom by voting in the opposition totally regardless of what ideologies or policies they propose.