First off, I posted a reaction to Australia's neoliberal Prime Minister resorting to playing the race card at my political blog - see here. I'm more than disappointed: I'm appalled at such cheap politics from someone who has made noises about wanting an Australia that is better with regard to racism indulges in racism - and verges, in my opinion, so close to misleading that I've toyed with calling him Trump-bull.
It seems to me that the PM is pretty much at the beck and call of the right wing ultra-conservatives in his party.
Now, there is a valid need for conservatism - it aims to help people keep what is good, and thus avoid the errors of change for change's sake, and "throwing the baby out with the bathwater". But the conservatives in Australia's neoliberal party - and the ones formerly there - go beyond this, and actively promote hate, bigotry and fear.
The adoption by the thoroughly evil John Howard of the xenophobic refugee policies of a far right extremist party and his anti-LGBT stances are examples of conservatism charging into cowardly reactionary-ism. (He did a couple of good things, too, such as the ban on some guns and East Timor.)
In all of these cases, I have to wonder how these people wound up so fearful and hateful - which leads into consideration of nature vs. nurture, and discussions about the influence of parents, teachers and peers (I'll leave reincarnation issues aside for the moment). I consider it likely that peers have the greatest influence, but I also am of the view that there is a case, when a child grows up like the politicians I've mentioned above, or Tony Abbott, Eric Abetz, Cory Bernardi, or George Christensen, to challenge the parents and teachers as to whether or not they did a good job. If the parents have passed on such hate and fear, they are guilty of a spiritual failure - we don't just want to pass on a better world to our children, we should also want our children to be better people than we are.
(Incidentally, some people like Bob Katter are fairly clearly limited in their life experience - I consider them more stupid than malicious.)
So ... what do we do?
Well, I would suggest:
- continue trying to steer public debate towards better quality consideration of the issues;
- acknowledge that not all parents are good (apart from the issues of active abuse, some are overwhelmed by the struggle to survive), and thus start a debate over both making parents lives easier (which means higher wages and job security) and ways to help parents;
- acknowledge that teachers should also accept responsibility for the influence that they do have on the character of students.
(Incidentally, the spur to complete this article was partly an episode in the TV series "The West Wing", which I am re-watching, where a conservative character tries to claim parents best know what school text books are needed for kids: apart from that enabling the infection of children with their parents' hates and fears, with the rate of change of the world, there is absolutely no way known that a parent, who was educated possibly 20 or more years ago, could know what text books are best.)
On a few other matters:
- I enjoyed the film "The Post" - in particular, the development of the lead female character (I'll do a review in due course);
- I have downloaded the now declassified "Pentagon Papers", and am reading them (40 pages in, around 6,960 to go :) ) - it's quite an interesting read, particularly from an historical point of view (I'm also reading Australia's foreign policy white paper, and am less impressed);
- my interview series is underway, but will take a little longer than I planned (owing to life :) );
- I also have a few other posts underway, such as some thoughts triggered by re-reading Louis Fischer's biography of MK Gandhi (someone else who grew and evolved through life).
I apologise for publishing these posts
twice, but Blogger keeps changing my formatting. I can either publish it and
then correct it, or save and close the post and correct it when I reopen it,
but that leaves an extra copy in my "drafts" folder ...
Love, light, hugs and blessings
Gnwmythr
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")
Pagan Energy Worker, Wéofodthegn, Bellatrix Lux, Venatrix Maga, would-be Drýicgan.
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")
Pagan Energy Worker, Wéofodthegn, Bellatrix Lux, Venatrix Maga, would-be Drýicgan.
My "blogiography" (list of all posts and guide as to how to best use this
site) is here, and my glossary/index is here.
There is also a Yahoo group at https://au.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/gnwmythr-discussion/info.
There is also a Yahoo group at https://au.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/gnwmythr-discussion/info.
I started this blog to cover karmic regression-rescue
(see here and here), and it grew ... See here for my group mind project, here and here for my "Pagans for Peace" project (and join me
for a few minutes at some time between 8 and 11 PM on Sunday, wherever you are,
to meditate-clear for peace), and here
for my bindrune kit-bag. I also strongly recommend
learning how to flame, ground
and shield, do alternate
nostril breathing, work
with colour, and see also here and be
flexible.
May the best in me, my Higher Self,
and those of the Clear Light who assist me,
help me to keep myself grounded, centred and shielded,
to be Balanced and a Fulcrum of Balance,
a centre of Balanced Positivity and Spiritual Maturity,
with my aura continuously cleansed, cleared and closed,
repelling all negative or unwanted energies,
whilst allowing positive, balancing and healing energies in and through.
The ultimate weakness of violence is that
it is a descending spiral. Returning violence with violence only
multiplies violence, add deeper darkness to a night already devoid of
stars.
Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.
The real dividing line is not between
Christianity and Islam, Sunni and Shia, East and West. It is between people who
believe in coexistence, and those who don’t.
Tom Fletcher, Former UK
Ambassador to Lebanon