Progress

It's been quite some time since I posted on here, so a day sick at home is as good an opportunity as any to update the blog.
All the media lately about the Carbon Tax and various other issues here in Australia has really got me thinking. On the whole Australians love to whinge, but they aren't actually willing to DO anything about things that matter.
 We actually have a federal government which is willing to look at the long term picture and try to do something that might make the world a better place in quite a few years time, but they are being absolutely carved up about it. And the reason for this slaughter? Money. It's going to cost everyone a little bit more. So, when the sea levels rise and all those yuppies, aging yuppies and CUBS lose their seaside homes they are going to SCREAM about it, but they aren't willing to dip into their hip pocket now to try to stop this situation from happening. As for the argument that other countries aren't doing anything - well firstly, that's wrong because the EU have already taken some action (which is many countries) and why is it that Australia can't do anything unless other countries do something??? People want this country to be taken seriously, but they don't want Australia to be leaders on the world stage... that's a bit too scary!

Another topical issue that gets me riled up is that of Asylum seekers and refugees. SBS ran a fabulous program last week - 'Go Back to Where You Came From'.  It did cause a bit of a sensation. I do wonder though whether those people who really should've watched it actually bothered, or whether they settled down in front of some poor quality comedy or drama from the US and had a comfortable evening on the couch. Many people don't actually bother to face up to the difficult, uncomfortable situations when they have the chance to. Perhaps this threatens them too much. They'd much rather have ill-informed opinions that they'll hold very dear and make decisions based on those ideals.
Here in Australia we set a quota of less than 14 000 people to whom we will give refuge each year. These people have left everything they had - they've run away from truly terrible situations - to try to find a life. Not a better life, just a life. There is no "queue" for these people to stand in to be granted asylum somewhere - there are camps yes, but these camps are plagued with disease, violence and rape. I think many Australians can't be bothered finding out what conditions in refugee camps are actually like! Some people do stick it out in a camp until they are finally granted humanitarian visas. Others stick it out in the camps and never make it out. Others yet do everything they can to try to get to a country that might accept them - including paying people smugglers. Last year 6879 asylum seekers arrived in Australia by boat (http://www.rethinkrefugees.com.au/the-facts/fact-3/) which is the same as 6.8% of the seats in the MCG. This is NOT an invasion!!!! In fact, less than 2% of immigration to Australia is Asylum seekers who arrive by boat. If I were in the situation that the 'boat people' were in, I'd definitly consider the people smuggler option, rather than rotting in a refugee camp and losing hope.

I'd better not continue on any other issues - I've been on my soap box for a while now. These issues are certainly worth thinking and talking about, but let's do it with some kind of global, long term view rather than an insular, ill-informed and selfish way.