Here’s to Tried & Tested Ideas

I really liked the sentiment in Bernard Salt’s article in the Weekend Australian Magazine (Feb 10-11, 2018) on Page 34 where he makes the case that these days, there seem to be so many voices (and they tend to be loud and intrusive voices) advocating all sorts of left-field thinking or radical thinking that are meant to disrupt society, the workplace and the community generally.

Yes, I fully understand that there’s rapid change occurring on almost every sector led mainly by technological and scientific break-throughs that impact our way of being. I realise that our world is shrinking as the global economy takes over. I get that things are changing…and fast.

However, beyond all the calls for diversity, for flexibility, for individuality, for equality, there are some fundamental truths that never seem to be heralded. Some basic life principles that seem to get swamped by the fringe opinions that want to be heard and that demand to be heard. Some essential truths that never get discussed and certainly get pushed aside.

As Salt exemplifies, what about those basic notions such as, “Work hard, don’t do drugs, don’t smoke, build good relationships, learn skills, save for a deposit for a house, spend time with your kids, invest in your health.” How is it that we don’t have discussions about these matters? Is it somehow uncool?  Is it too simplistic?

He goes on to say that another “radical idea” that doesn’t get aired is that “Sometimes when raising a family it’s necessary to do a job that you don’t particularly like for months or maybe even years on end in order to provide for that family. This isn’t life being mean to you; sometimes you just gotta do it. Accept it and move on”.

Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves as a society or too clever — some things remain constants and need to be heralded.

UK Rocks, But For All the Wrong Reasons

Early August has seen unprecedented rioting in the UK, first in London and then spreading to other parts such as Birmingham and Manchester. But this was rioting and looting with a difference; a big difference. Yes, it might have been started by the police shooting of a drug dealer in Tottenham, but the rioters in other parts of England had no concern for that particular situation.

Now that the carnage and anarchy has subsided, the real questions are being asked. […]

The UK Rocks, but for all the wrong reasons

Early August has seen unprecedented rioting in the UK, first in London and then spreading to other parts such as Birmingham and Manchester. But this was rioting and looting with a difference; a big difference. Yes, it might have been started by the police shooting of a drug dealer in Tottenham, but the rioters in other parts of England had no concern for that particular situation.

Now that the carnage and anarchy has subsided, the real questions are being asked. […]

Get Serious; Early Intervention is the Key

I happened to fall across the documentary last night on ABC1 called “Drive” largely about our young men killing themselves on our roads. There were interviews with the parents (largely mothers), the ex-girlfriends or fiancés, the mates, friends and so on. There was a reciting of their history, their struggles at school, their development into teens, a snap-shot of family life (or lack of it) and the culture that they embraced with alcohol, thrill-seeking and such.

It seemed clear to me. If we are serious about our young people in this country, then we have to be serious about early intervention. No if’s, but’s.  Governments can talk all they like about about strategies or programs, but they are only band-aids or patch-ups. If they don’t get to the root cause of the problem, then they are simply hot air and vote catching.

There is no doubt that these young people would have been clearly identified in the early years of school (Reception, Year 1-4) as having problems, as experiencing learning difficulties, as being disruptive, as being hard to manage.

But what do governments do about this? Zip.  Nil.  Zero.  Nothing.

This you can therefore expect…that the problems with our youth will continue to spiral out of control…there will be many more deaths and carnage… that much is clear.  Very clear.

When are we going to get serious?  Really serious…