12-28-2012, 09:35 AM
I was recently reading a debate about Government policies and their implementation here in Australia. Just how much of a "nanny" or socialist state do we have - well we recently have had "crack-downs" on a most serious offence, where offenders have been fined $150 per offence - for either not walking across a road in the CBD according to the traffic lights, or did not cross the road at the traffic lights.
Now whilst this might seem innocuous, lets have a look at the logic at play here. The Government thinks that it can legislate your safety and enforce it through penalties (ever seen a Government program that actually rewards you?) by telling you to cross the road at traffic lights. Will this guarantee your safety - absolutely not. Can you walk across the road as soon as the lights show a walk signal and the Government will guarantee your safety, no, people can run red lights - traffic queues across the intersection (but these people do not get booked - only pedestrians), etc. How can a Government sitting in an office, make a better or more informed decision on whether or not it is safe to cross a road at a given moment in time than you can as a responsible adult.
We have people over here who are drunk and enter the surf who then claim compensation from the Government - because it did not prevent them from entering the water - even thought Surf Lifesavers do not have the power to stop you entering the wate r- only Police can arrest someone. Same for people who claim compensation from Pub's for selling them too much alcohol and then they do stupid things - it is the Pub's fault - not the person being stupid.
As a society - we need to stop our Government's from trying to tell us what to do and people actually believing that it is the role of the Government to make everything alright for them - they need to get off their own arses and make it right. The role of the Government should be to interfere as little in it's citizen's lives as possible.
My father-in law has a 2,400m^2 property that has a two bedroom house on it - but is not connected to sewerage - it has a septic system and leach drains on the property. He wants to build a "Granny Flat" out the back to live in, while his sister and husband live in the main house. The Health Department here in Western Australia have a rule that says that the maximum size of such a dwelling can be no more than 65m^2. What this has to do with the septic system capacity is beyond me. Even the local council says that the ruling is stupid. You can put 14 people in the main house and nobody would care - but build a single bathroom "Granny Flat" and it has to be tiny - due to it not being hooked up to sewerage. You cannot even seek an exemption or variation - how stupid is this.
We are becoming like Lemmings that follow popular opinion or legislation over the cliff. We have lost the ability to rationally question authority. This is what the Government wants - don't think, we will look after you, you need us, if you don't do what we want, we will punish you.
If you were walking down the street and someone came the other way and took 50% of what you had in your wallet - would you be thankful that they left you some money? This is what the Government does to us every day, and we accept it. THey waste our money without any accountability, cannot balance the books or live within their needs - but if it was us, we would go to jail and be declared bankrupt, but Governments can just keep running up debt (and hope someone in the future will fix it - as it is all too hard now).
If society does not wake up - we will have socialism by democracy. The Australian government already openly talks about it's policy of "Tax and Transfer" in terms of created wealth. While this does bring some social benefits in terms of social equity and a reduction in crime (something the USA does not have to the same extent - hence some of the social problems), it does create an ever increasing Taxation burden.
1% of Australians pay 30% of income tax. The top 5% pay something like 65% of income tax and about half of all eligible taxpayers are actually pay nothing or get a hand-out under our system. Where is the incentive to work. The most popular catch phrase in Australia currently is Tax the Rich - they can afford it. Look at France where they have brought in a top tax rate of something like 75% of what you earn.
Sorry to harp on, but the population needs to wake up and start to see just how screwed over we are getting. At least in America, the population can demand a new election if enough people demand it - we cannot here in Australia.
How about we work towards getting Governments that actually represent the "People" not the Intellectual Elites or Fanatical Special Interest groups.
Now whilst this might seem innocuous, lets have a look at the logic at play here. The Government thinks that it can legislate your safety and enforce it through penalties (ever seen a Government program that actually rewards you?) by telling you to cross the road at traffic lights. Will this guarantee your safety - absolutely not. Can you walk across the road as soon as the lights show a walk signal and the Government will guarantee your safety, no, people can run red lights - traffic queues across the intersection (but these people do not get booked - only pedestrians), etc. How can a Government sitting in an office, make a better or more informed decision on whether or not it is safe to cross a road at a given moment in time than you can as a responsible adult.
We have people over here who are drunk and enter the surf who then claim compensation from the Government - because it did not prevent them from entering the water - even thought Surf Lifesavers do not have the power to stop you entering the wate r- only Police can arrest someone. Same for people who claim compensation from Pub's for selling them too much alcohol and then they do stupid things - it is the Pub's fault - not the person being stupid.
As a society - we need to stop our Government's from trying to tell us what to do and people actually believing that it is the role of the Government to make everything alright for them - they need to get off their own arses and make it right. The role of the Government should be to interfere as little in it's citizen's lives as possible.
My father-in law has a 2,400m^2 property that has a two bedroom house on it - but is not connected to sewerage - it has a septic system and leach drains on the property. He wants to build a "Granny Flat" out the back to live in, while his sister and husband live in the main house. The Health Department here in Western Australia have a rule that says that the maximum size of such a dwelling can be no more than 65m^2. What this has to do with the septic system capacity is beyond me. Even the local council says that the ruling is stupid. You can put 14 people in the main house and nobody would care - but build a single bathroom "Granny Flat" and it has to be tiny - due to it not being hooked up to sewerage. You cannot even seek an exemption or variation - how stupid is this.
We are becoming like Lemmings that follow popular opinion or legislation over the cliff. We have lost the ability to rationally question authority. This is what the Government wants - don't think, we will look after you, you need us, if you don't do what we want, we will punish you.
If you were walking down the street and someone came the other way and took 50% of what you had in your wallet - would you be thankful that they left you some money? This is what the Government does to us every day, and we accept it. THey waste our money without any accountability, cannot balance the books or live within their needs - but if it was us, we would go to jail and be declared bankrupt, but Governments can just keep running up debt (and hope someone in the future will fix it - as it is all too hard now).
If society does not wake up - we will have socialism by democracy. The Australian government already openly talks about it's policy of "Tax and Transfer" in terms of created wealth. While this does bring some social benefits in terms of social equity and a reduction in crime (something the USA does not have to the same extent - hence some of the social problems), it does create an ever increasing Taxation burden.
1% of Australians pay 30% of income tax. The top 5% pay something like 65% of income tax and about half of all eligible taxpayers are actually pay nothing or get a hand-out under our system. Where is the incentive to work. The most popular catch phrase in Australia currently is Tax the Rich - they can afford it. Look at France where they have brought in a top tax rate of something like 75% of what you earn.
Sorry to harp on, but the population needs to wake up and start to see just how screwed over we are getting. At least in America, the population can demand a new election if enough people demand it - we cannot here in Australia.
How about we work towards getting Governments that actually represent the "People" not the Intellectual Elites or Fanatical Special Interest groups.
