Do you want to know what is wrong with journalists in this day and age? It used to be a respectable profession. It was about exposing truth and keeping governments in check. But I recall I conversation I had with Camden (at least I think it was him, I don't know who else it could have been) where he said that he didn't like our journalism school because it was turning us into a bunch of tabloid writers, and I have to say that in hindsight I agree. Everything was about dumbing the message down, making it more palatable to the public. There were moments of brilliance in terms of investigative journalism, but we had to cut our prose and how we communicated in order to do well in the subject. That's the thing, journalists these days aren't expected to be good journalists, they are meant to be social animals, making contacts and asking people inane questions. That's apparently what sells. You can't just be a good print journalist, you need to have a social media profile with an active following and so on, and I think that's a bit stupid. There's no skills involved, they want you to talk to celebrities on the red carpet and distract people from real problems that are occurring in their world. No wonder nobody likes journalists. The sad fact is that while papers rely on ad revenue, concentrated ownership means that they will go for the shocking and terrible stories up front. The system has failed.
There's an issue at the moment where parts of the Racial Discrimination Act in Australia will be repealed. To quicken my exposition here - some famous right wing lunatic (Mr Andrew Bolt) made remarks about Indigenous people that could easily be construed as racist. In fact, in his columns, website and on tv he espouses a number of incredibly horrible views about decent, well-ordered society. He appears to be a man who craves division. He claimed that there was a limit to his free speech, and cried foul. So his political chums have now gotten into power (the conservative government), and the attorney general has even stated "everyone has the right to be a bigot". That's the sort of thinking which is holding us back, because it relates to populist, fear-mongering and ignorance inducing politics. And you know what? It works. If it keeps governments in power, then why the hell not? People are stupid. Now a lot of people are arguing that this government is supporting free speech as a result. I don't agree, free speech is not free if it is hate filled filth. We need to re-examine what free speech is in relation to hate. Just like a bunch of old white guys deciding about how to legislate for women's reproductive rights, you can't have them legislating for discrimination when they have never been discriminated against in their entire lives. They belong to the chief group that does the discriminating!
I dislike the hypocrisy of the Australian way of life, because they pass it off as welcoming, but it's not. It's a really insular nation that is situated in Asia, but likes to pretend that it's European. The basis of all western civilisations is white guys getting on a boat, taking over a land and calling it their own. To best fit in with the Australian way of life, I don't think refugees should seek asylum here. They should just come and take it by force. That's the Australian way. They should create jobs and a cultural system that makes no sense to the current way of 'Australian life' and disenfranchise and discriminate against us. That's the Australian way. They will do it better than we do. Then we become the minority, and then one day we will be gone, and we will deserve it. That's the Australian way.
I'm feeling every bit my age today, in fact I feel even older. I'm very sore, and that there's like a weight in the middle of my chest that's just pulling me down. It's slowing my movements and I'm aware of it every second. This is ageing. This is dying. But I am recovering. What was before life shall remain after death.
What do you do with these half baked yet still awesome ideas? They will get you the answers you need. But not soon enough. But there is something workable.
The subconscious mind is a weird and wonderful thing. Dreams just take over you and they tell you weird things. Am I wrong? Am I insanely wrong? Am I so wide of the mark that it can't be be accounted for? There's only one way to find out.
Why would you say these things to me? Time is meaningless. I know what I feel. I won't let you forget.
Sheesh, still got 3 hours to go until I'm out of here. Better get busy with some work.
I think I'm very close to paying off my university loans. That's a huge achievement, and I look forward to getting more money from my salary. Not bad for a guy who paid it all off himself. Everyone else I knew was working earlier and could pay it off faster when interest rates were low, or they had parents or grandparents who paid their entire debt off for them. That's insane. There's no responsibility, and it's like an almost less insidious version of inherited wealth - a concept I absolutely abhor. So a generation who got free education and low cost housing reaps all the rewards, and stiffs the next generation. Well done. We need to strike back and avoid the mistakes of the past.
In my lifetime, the cost of petrol has essentially tripled. In fact, it's happened well within the past 20 years. Is that reasonable? I thought prices were stable, but there's so many elements that we're missing from the equation. Regardless, there's a lot of people (or companies) out there who are making a lot of money. I recall my parents telling me that earlier they paid $10 to completely fill up a trolley. Now even $100 wouldn't get you anywhere close to doing that. What's going on? The cost of living has absolutely skyrocketed, but salaries for your honest usual working people haven't kept up in line. And it's not right, because things such as interest rates and what not are tied into massive amounts of money that are controlled by so very few, ditto for the property market. Something really sinister is going on.
Ahh wow, this is a really good post if I do say so myself. I'm getting back into the swing of things! Just you wait! You'll see!!
I've been getting through things, slowly. But still have an hour and a half until I can get out of here. But let's call this one done.
Joaquin out.
