Where are the Christian politicians who care for humanity rather than their own personal ambitions and pension?

The state’s involvement in economics, our system of interventionism, breed further and further control over individual lives, liberty and freedom. It matters to me as I’m a producer constantly paying higher and higher taxes, and losing more and more of my freedoms. It should matter to anyone who values freedom and liberty.

Perhaps like Impressionism before it, political correctness will be a useful, neutral shorthand for a way of seeing the world. Until then, it’s a insult thrown across Xmas dinner tables and in the opinion pages of The Australian. ‘You’re just being politically correct’ pointedly suggests that a view is being parroted, that is it not honestly held. Why are attempts, no doubt in my case faltering and inexpertly argued, assumed to be disingenuous? What does this do except reinforce an underlying idea that bigotry, or the ugly aspects of the Id, are not only raw but somehow better for being honest?

Questions drive inquiry, which is the way to critically engage with contested ideas.

We often have a choice between doing what we know is right, and doing what will gratify or benefit ourselves (even at the expense of others). So, why be good?

One of the most infamous examples was the Lindy Chamberlain case and I noticed other such cases also. I wonder how many lives have been ruined because public opinion, along with the media are happy to make ill-informed judgements.

This question is important because it reflects on the debates, thoughts and conversations that occur across Australian society, which influences public opinion and government policy. It is particularly important when we consider ideas about social progress and human advancement.

Well… Douglas Adams cared.

Inspired by Rebecca Solnit’s The Mother of All Questions in Harper’s, and my own wondering if ‘happiness’ is really the best word to describe what we all are/should be looking for.

I think laughter make unbearable subjects more bearable and encourages discussion. I think we are too politically correct and our social interaction is the poorer for it.

What we should be doing for our future is important.

Behind every story in the media that makes me want to cry I can trace the instigating issue to greed and lust for power/control by entities (corps and gov) and individuals who seem classically sociopathic. The way we have decided to perceive success seems to lead inevitably to the ones most lacking in morals, ethics or care for others to be hailed as leaders. I am tired of the cruelty. I would like to see what we could achieve if kindness and social wellbeing were the goal instead of greed.

Our society professes to be concerned about animal welfare but sanctions very different treatment of animals according to their perceived utility and the vested interests that benefit from their use. The law as it stands reflects this contradiction. As a result millions of animals suffer routinely, whether it be for live export, domestic agricultural use, feral animal control, research or entertainment purposes. Not even companion animals are immune from suffering; treated as disposable property and with little or no restriction on their breeding and sale, hundreds of thousands are euthanased every year in Australia. All of this is both inhumane and dishonest. Either we believe in the humane treatment of animals or we don’t. If the latter, let’s be honest about it; if the former, we need significant legal change. A good start would be the creation of independent statutory bodies to administer and enforce animal welfare laws instead of the current primary industries departments with their conflicts of interest.