I'll tell you why I haven't blogged in a while.

Really, I have wanted to but haven't had the strength to structure the thoughts... about what the recent Australian election shows us... I think it shows us more than many would like to admit. I've harped on about this many times, but I think it's important... heck, it's what I based any kind of patriotism in the past on. This whole idea of "mateship". I sit here staring at the screen in between sentences not sure whether to cross that line... but my patriotism is over. I think there's something inherently fucked up once you bullshit your way in justifying a patriotism that has no foundation. (No, not talking taking a gun and shooting a person cos he's stepped on your land). These "Australians" who claim to be patriots and yet do not hold any moral grounding in it are liars to themselves and everyone else. Patriotism divides peoples. That's what I've been thinking. It almost always burns into ones head the notion that they are above and better than others. I'm talking about the patriotism I've defined above. How can any Australian claim to love "what it is to be Australian" without practicing the principles of this "mateship". Mateship is caring for everyone, not only those men and women of our country.

This brings me to the election and the decision to have more of the same for the next three to four years. Some may say a vote for the Coalition in this country means no more than "low interest rates". I disagree. I have friends and family who have voted that way only for the pure fact of our strong economy. A recent letter to a daily paper here had a guy saying "I don't want to live in an economy, I want to live in a society". Couldn't agree more. Of course this fluffy stuff about great economic management is misleading. It assumes that any great economic management by the Howard Government is the result of controlled domestic economic policy. Australia is tied to the world economy and is not insulated... in this system we are open to fluctuations and downturns (onces that we will experience int he coming year or two). Barely a week after the election was decided, we saw headlines in all the major newspapers about an expected economic downturn. Even Peter Costello admitted we will see some slower times. "Low interest rates".... remember that when you see them rise. So what's next election's reason for another term for the Coalition?

I would be lying if I didn't admit I was downright shattered after that election result. All the filthy fucking ways of the Howard Government were given the thumbs up... whatever the reasoning some may comfort themselves with doesn't cover the fact that our collective vote has given them justification to continue with their merry bullshit. I don't even have to list them all here... the lies and irresponsibility of Howard and his cronies (I highlight the Alexander Downer Robot and the Peter Costello Jackass) in sending our troops to a war nowhere within reach of our land is obvious now. But hey, we must accept political lies, they are part of the job! Even if 10,000+ people have been killed as a result of our Government's support... even if we did shaft the international body that is meant to work with the help of all nations... even if we do gently lay down our mateship doll to rest for the foreseeable future.

You will notice that is one big issue that should fucking disgust us. It's only one. A big one. We could continue to talk about the children overboard issue, asylum seekers, indigenous issues, the environment and pillaging any hope for East Timor to resurrect their country's future with their own oil wealth. Of course you will be branded as being caught in the past, these are only hippie issues etc etc. Well, if you do want to live in a society and you do want a decent future for any children you may conceive in the future (to a loving mother or illegitimate floozy), then these are issues that dig right to the heart of Australia... and to mateship. If we continue on this same path, our status as caring folk and kind people will only be a distant memory. This doesn't just affect those of us lucky enough to travel the world and meet people, it affects people right back home that are struggling for a living. If we continue to piss off those sane people as well as the crazy fucks that just need a shred of a reason to bomb us, then we have only ourselves to blame... because we let our government, in our name, bomb a country on the other side of the planet. That is one very big fucken justification for angry youth all over the world to want to vent their frustration on a large brown land that allowed its government to help bomb families thousands of miles away. It's irresponsible to sit there spouting off that "they are crazy fundamentalist psychos and we should stand up to them" since we are the ones who damn well created them. Not only is it irresponsible because we should correct and desist our own negative ways first BEFORE pointing the finger, it is also pure fact that eventually this divisive patriotic shit could cause your own loved ones to suffer. There's no time machine to turn back the clock. Take a good hard look at where this country is heading and stop it.

I truly hope this possible majority in the Senate for the Coalition doesn't continue to sell this country's soul away (no, not Telstra). The billions of dollars spent on such a thing as this "war" in Iraq could be better spent solving our own problems here in this country... And... the billions of weapons dollars spent by countries who consider themselves policemen of the world, could be diverted to solve the famine and poverty in third world countries... the logical outcome of this would be a pleasant outpouring of peace and gratefulness. You kill two birds with one stone.

There have been nice thoughts beyond the thoughts poured forth in this post. So this week I will insert some nice photos from Daylesford for you all to enjoy. Also keep an eye out on a special new chillout MP3 track.

Eon Automatic are playing an acoustic gig next week so keep that in mind... it will be a Thursday night of tunes.

In the meantime, take care & peace to ya all :)
Danko.





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