"we have a massive amount of money wasted in and by government, we also have a social security net that rewards people staying home and does not place enough enthesis on actively seeking work,"
morning all,
personally, although waste is a problem -- it always is in any system -- the real problems lie not so much in waste but, in what the Government does NOT spend money on.
There is ample evidence from many well developed countries that governments who spend more on things that we spend very little or nothing on do far better than us.
As to "we also have a social security net that rewards people staying home and does not place enough enthesis on actively seeking work"
why can we not get it through our heads that if that is a problem - it's NOT a problem with the system at all -- it's a problem with our culture --- ie. with Aussies themselves.
Several nations have better social security than Aussies - but, have no such problem -
so, 'why?' would be a good question ---
the answer comes down to the people and culture -- not the system.
There needs (and, I cannot see it happening) to be some vastly different thinking by Australians as a society - ie. we need a cultural change.
We need to make it that people LOVE to work - not get out of bed in the mornings and groan at the whole idea of heading off to it. At the same time, it would be handy to define what we actually mean by 'work'.
We need to do things in life as individuals with some ideas in our head that we are making the place better for all of us --- not just 'I'm alright Jack' mentality.
Education is a very good example here --
Heading into a future which is basically all high technology --- there is a fairly simple question --- does a Nation need a well educated populace or not?
Answer is ---- of course --- indeed if you don't have an educated population now and in the future - then, you are dead in the water.
So -- lets cut to the chase --- Australia needs well educated people far more than any individual needs a good education --- it's in the interest of the survival of the entire Nation - whether you are an aged pensioner, a 1 year old kid or a couple of childbearing age --
but, - we think on an individual level -- we look at the costs of education -- as if it's a benefit only to the individual -
so, we charge fees for it --- and, high fees as well - so, that if a young person leaves University - then, they either come out with no bill - because they are very wealthy or their parents are - or, they come out with a large loan to pay back.
Where is the thinking there for the benefit of the Nation?
Simple -- it isn't there.
Yet, there is ample evidence in many well developed countries that free education is a lynch pin of the power of their economies.
So, why do we do these stupid things? - easy -- we buy votes. It's very easy to bash students and schooling. It's very easy to bash disability pensioners and aged --- so, to buy votes -- that's what we do.
We bought votes when we raised the baby bonus to high levels -- then, after years - we bashed young mothers for what we said was abuse of the system ---- that WE put in place (John Howard to be exact).
That's what we do in Australia -- we lurch from one popular or populist mad idea to another - to appease the swing voters or the rabid in society --- for ONE reason --- to buy their votes.
No thought is given to the nation as a nation of collectives - zip.
And, IMO -- it will finally kill us - it will leave us in the dust as the future powers away from us at such a rate that we will be unable to catch up. Things move too fast now to get behind at all.
