Monday, 23 September 2019

Choices and Consequences

Greetings,

Another dichotomous relationship that people tend to focus on one side of the relationship and forget the other; I have previously discussed rights and responsibilities (https://historicalsocialpolitical.blogspot.com/2018/08/rights-and-responsibilities.html). It seems to be a modern trend that people want to focus on all of the things that they have the right to do but forget about the consequences of these actions. This, for me, is a real problem.

I can choose to eat junk food all of the time, but I must accept that if I do not exercise on a regular basis and possibly even more that I will put on weight. I can choose to sit around and do nothing with myself, and sit around and watch television, but I must accept that I will achieve nothing as a consequence of this choice. I can choose to not take the medications which I am on, but must accept that the consequence of this action is that my health is going to suffer as a result of this decision. I can choose to neglect my hygiene but the consequence is that my health will suffer and it is likely that people will not want to be around me particularly much.

In each one of these situations there is a choice and a consequence. In every situation where there is a choice to be made there is also a consequence which will result from that choice. The most interesting thing is that we make choices all of the time, and not making a choice also has consequences as well. The most important thing is that the consequences are something which cannot be avoided because they are inconvenient, or because they are something which we did not plan for, or because we do not like them. They do exist and this is the way it is.

A person may choose to wear a piece of clothing because they like the cut of it but it is outlandish and makes them stick out. The consequence of this is that people are going to look in their direction. A person may decide to speed in their motor vehicle. The consequences of this could be that they will be caught by the police, or that they may be involved in a collision. A person may choose to point out that there are certain things wrong with society. The consequence of this could be that people could decide to join them, or the people could think that they are a trouble-maker, or elements of the government may decide to take a closer look at them. Each one of the choices a person makes has consequences, some of them are not planned for.

What also needs to be known about consequences is that there are those consequences that we plan for and there are those which we do not plan for. The latter are those which are usually a result of a flow-on effect of choices made, or a result of linked elements which were not taken into account. In any case these consequences must also be accepted, even if they were not planned for. In any case the choices made have consequences and people need to accept this.

Cheers,

Henry.

Monday, 9 September 2019

On the Same Day...

Greetings,

I am writing this particular article because it is my way of airing my feelings about my current government and their attitudes toward the lower classes, nay the underclass which they have caused to be created as a result of filling the pockets of their fat cat friends. Here I will present two news articles which will present our Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison not in a particularly good light, as it will show the hypocrisy that the Australian public has had to endure under his leadership and indeed under the leadership of every Liberal Prime Minister to date.

The first article points toward his idea of rolling out deductions from welfare payments, forcibly taking rental payments and other payments from welfare recipients (https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/rent-to-be-automatically-taken-from-welfare-payments-in-shakeup/ar-AAH1T12?li=AAgfYrC ). This is not long after he was discussing a "cashless card" in which 80% of the recipient's payment was held that "cannot be used to withdraw cash, buy alcohol or gamble" (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-10/scott-morrison-defends-expansion-of-cashless-welfare-card/11493626). This card was is supposed to be rolled out and imposed on recipients of welfare payments, by the looks, regardless of whether they have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, or regardless of of whether they have a history of being homeless or defaulting on their rental payments. He is thus again placing all of those people who are on welfare payments in the same group.

The claim is because the states lose $30 million a year through unpaid rent for social housing. So there is some sort of financial reason for this then along with the "its better for the community" thing? Then he should really explain the tax-payer funded $250 million upgrade that he just got to his official plane (https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/inside-shark-one-scott-morrisons-new-dollar250million-plane-is-revealed-after-a-commercial-jetstar-airbus-a330-is-transformed-into-a-100-seater-tanker-for-the-prime-minister/ar-AAH1PYT?li=AAgfYrC). So, we all have to tighten our belts and watch what we spend but he is allowed to go and spend money which is not his on his comfort. Of course the claim will be that future Prime Ministers will benefit from this, but why was it needed? I am sure that $250 million would go a long way or at least some way to creating jobs for those people he so desperately wants to "have a go".

The arrogance of this individual and his government is insulting. They give donations and tax breaks to the corporations and "big money" and then complain that the most vulnerable of society are a drain on society. Even though if the tax breaks and perks were cut off the welfare system would easily be funded. They take money away from education and wonder why the country is not keeping up with other countries in the quest for technology and new ideas. They take away from health and complain that people are being a drain on the public health system and also allow private companies to hike up private insurance. Is it any wonder the nation is having troubles?

Write to the Prime Minister and your local Member of Parliament, I already have. Tell them that what you think they are doing is wrong and tell them the reasons why. Explain to them that they are hurting the nation that they are supposedly trying to help. Hopefully, eventually, they will listen to us and we won't have to wait until election time to get scared into voting for them again.

Cheers,

Henry.