In the recent Australian elections, a party traditionally aligned with the Left has regained the helm after decades of catastrophic Right wing libertarian rule. Like many of our current Left-focussed leaders, the early promise has been tarnished by centrism. Small promised adjustments to shrinking-in-real-terms welfare payments have been wound back as “too risky”.
Yet woe betide the most informed commentator who points their finger at the shortfall. They are bound to be flamed with what are locally-termed “rusted ons” … old-school bumper-sticker supporters who fear any critique will throw our nation back under the leadership of the Conservatives, all the while denying that our so-called Workers party have made very little difference to the misery of our most vulnerable.
If it would make a genuine difference, I would happily pitch that big tent in my front yard and welcome contributions from anyone with a view to equity.
Thank you very much for this honest article. In a time when extremes of opinion (on one side of an issue or another) are very much incentivized, it takes courage to be measured and pragmatic. At a time when it is palatable (and profitable) to traffic in a very narrow, single lane of thought leadership (5 steps to X, the one key aspect to Y), it is admirable to argue for nuance, depth. I appreciate these arguments in part because they are so rarely made. I hope the book does well.
In the recent Australian elections, a party traditionally aligned with the Left has regained the helm after decades of catastrophic Right wing libertarian rule. Like many of our current Left-focussed leaders, the early promise has been tarnished by centrism. Small promised adjustments to shrinking-in-real-terms welfare payments have been wound back as “too risky”.
Yet woe betide the most informed commentator who points their finger at the shortfall. They are bound to be flamed with what are locally-termed “rusted ons” … old-school bumper-sticker supporters who fear any critique will throw our nation back under the leadership of the Conservatives, all the while denying that our so-called Workers party have made very little difference to the misery of our most vulnerable.
If it would make a genuine difference, I would happily pitch that big tent in my front yard and welcome contributions from anyone with a view to equity.
Thank you very much for this honest article. In a time when extremes of opinion (on one side of an issue or another) are very much incentivized, it takes courage to be measured and pragmatic. At a time when it is palatable (and profitable) to traffic in a very narrow, single lane of thought leadership (5 steps to X, the one key aspect to Y), it is admirable to argue for nuance, depth. I appreciate these arguments in part because they are so rarely made. I hope the book does well.