It’s interesting listening to the volley of pleas, complaints, and calls on any number of fronts by a ‘hard-done-by’ and fragile populous. I say ‘fragile’ because it appears we’re not well equipped to bear the burden of accepting any responsibility for many of the plights we proclaim are lessening our affluence and wellbeing.

Health, education – even the forebodings heralding the dire consequences awaiting us as a result of climate change. There’s one key party in it all, who appear utterly disinterested in contributing to resolving these challenges – society itself.

Sitting here on a Friday morning at 9am, listening to commentary on the radio about the new health expenditure reforms, and 15 minutes prior I had seen the queue at both McDonald’s and KFC at least five cars deep. At 9am on a weekday morning?

We’re awash with alcohol, and by all accounts half stoned or high much of the time, not to mention one third of us is obese by statistic – a significant proportion of that obesity is morbid too. Never before have we had such a proportion of society obese for life. They’ve never been fit, even at some point in their life. Yet they scream for an improved health system. Why? The most effective health system in the country is you. Oh yes, that’s right, ‘I’ve paid my taxes and it’s your job to fix my habitual, personal, self-abuse’.

Education – it’s really another of the nation’s hammers used to hit its own thumb, and we’re not only reaping the results of a flaky excuse for an education system, but responding using the guaranteed path to collective failure deployed in the health example above. Truancy at an all-time high in our schools appears to be our response. Ideal!

And of course, a world so worried about the environment – apparently – continues to fill the shopping malls seven days a week to snort on the instant gratification of material gain.

If we ate a little better, and did a little exercise, do you think we’d begin to see the impact on the health costs within a generation?

If we sent our kids to school each day and injected some routine and discipline into their lives, would our economy begin to see the benefits within a generation?

If we decided not to trudge off to the malls of the mindless each weekend, and instead went to the beach, or the bush, and did something that involved fresh air and movement, would we see a positive impact on many issue silos affecting families and society? Not to mention other fringe benefits like emissions?

But no, we won’t do any of that because eating shit, doing piss-all, amassing debt, and coveting tat ‘is my right!’

Yes, yes it is … it is indeed. But the truth is, no government can save a nation disinterested in saving itself.

All the best

Dave McCoid
Editorial Director