F - On a world stage, Australia becomes the bitch of either the US or the UK. More so, we are at the mercy of the US. It isn't about the ANZUS treaty, or our moral obligations.. it's what they have the ability to do to us if they stopped giving us healthy trade deals.
Unfortunately or not, we pretty much have to support the line the US adopts, even though 150 troops doesn't mean shit in the scheme of things, it's symbolic, and shows we are on the 'good' side. I think fence-sitting at a time when the US is fuckin pissed isn't in our best interets. That said, that affects our foreign relations.
Whoever is in office will have countries that are muslim, or anti-conflict or both. Indo is the 2nd largest muslim country in the world... and they are pissed. There affront to their religion is the same as the affront to our way of life. By deploying troops and supporting the US (IMHO the ony thing we
could do - there were other options, but this served Aust's self interests the best - not most humanitarian, but it'll keep us in better stead for the future) it may have made us the 'enemy' of muslim states.
Howard playing the battle in the media was fucking stupid - that i agree to, but i think a similar outcome would have occurred with a labor govt.
So, the problem now is - Indo is pissed, what to do? I would hope that Howard does attempt some reconcile from Megawati, although it will need to be more symbolic than a phone call and have true feeling. I'm of the opinion that yes, howard may have strained relations, but he has a better chance of fixing them (i mean 6yrs previous dealing with indo) than a new prime minister who hasn't dealt with indo trying to establish new relations.
Now the refugees - the fact is boats with a couple of hundred on them are arriving weekly from Indo.. if you aren't a muslim supporter in Indo, or perhaps don't agree with the vox pop, then you might be lookin to leave. By all means if things are hairy in indo leave. But i want a govt that will restrict the numbers that enter, that will have a policy that actually deters not convinces people from coming to aust without good refugee reasons, and one where i feel that they have been appropriately processed. Nauru isn't appropriate, and i hope that Howard has realised the pressure he is under to change from several quarters... but i prefer a conservative approach.
Munk - the quote is a good one, but here's the harsh reality of the world - what we have is built on the backs of others. Whether they be people in a worse economic situation than ourself in our country, or in abhorent conditions OS, that's how it works. I agree we don't have a right to 'lord it over' the rest of the world, or even those less fortunate in our own country.
It is genuinely fucked that the world works that way, but a lot of people, myself included, like the life they lead, and where it is headed, and in some ways value what they have over the world's problems. You could lie awake every night crying to sleep if you think about all the atrocities in the world, or you can get on live your life and give something back. As i'm a shit-poor student at the moment, my donations are small, but once i start full-time work, i intend to have a sponsor child/ren donate to local charities etc. Money speaks louder than objections in my book.
That's not how i think though - that by my position i should give nothing back, i'm a firm believer in donations, and work done for charity. I'm currently doing law, and when i finish i am considering donating my time to legal aid one day a week and doing pro bono work. This may not make me the richest man in the world, or solve the world's problems, but i believe it does a lot to help your local community, which i place over other communities.
As for solving 'global' problems, it's genuinely something that is out of our hands, at the election, i didn't see much well-thought out policy at all (from major 2 parties), and it makes me think that both sides of the spectrum need a kick up the ass. Being a politician though (apart from the super
) is a thankless job, and when it comes to local vs global problems - global doesn't vote you back it.
So in answer to the quote, i don't really know what to say - i agree with it, but i place local over global to a degree, and i think things in Aust need a major change-up (not necessarily in party leaderships or ideology, just in policy decisions).
Sunflower - i know the situations in a hospital, i work in one.. they are not good. The solution to the nursing problem tho, i really can't see. People don't want to become nurses because of the poor conditions and pay, and those that do get a lifetime of stress. To solve the crisis, some innovative thinking is needed, not necessarily money thrown at the hospitals, because in an industry like healthcare having too much money wouldn't benefit the nurses, the dickheads who run public hospitals would find some stupid way to pilfer it away.
Looking at better uni retention rates, offering a 1/4 - 1/2 HECS reduction after working 2 years full time as nurse, possibly giving a "nurse deduction" on income, etc i really don't know.
