Kindly Yours

In Australia, so far, I have never been told off to go back where I came from. When asked politely where I came from, I often say Epping NSW - and then I get a quiet shock that this cannot be, on the part of the questioner. There can be this unnerving but not intended to be rude perception that one cannot be from a place outside of stereotyped convention. While I was back packing through Vietnam, I was approached on several occasions by the locals if I was an overseas returned Vietnamese guy. When I replied that I was from Australia, they winced in half disbelief. In societies with populations of diverse backgrounds in the 21st century, it is important to recognise the separation between citizenship, residency, ethnicity and nationality - and celebrate the shared humanity in each of us, no matter where we were born. Malaysians have been told by their own fellow citizens in their own country to go back where they came from, so Trump's remark is not original - and ...

Who decides what product to pull off the shelf at our grocery stores? It can be disappointing to customers, but it looks like as big business grows even larger, there can be a disconnect between what makes a customer happy and the decisions made behind the scenes based on macro factors, artificial intelligent analysis and shareholder returns. The live local and slow food movement has supply decisions based on a lot of customer interaction, but what we see from huge and impers onal corporate decisions makes me frustrated at how difficult it is to still have access to products I love. The upside for me is spending less time and purchases at retail stores that are out of sync with what I like to buy. Even contacting directly with the makers of such products can be of no help, as some inform me that they only deal with wholesalers. The relentless push to drive big margins and ever higher returns can be devastating but that is how contemporary capitalism seems to thrive on. So...

Significant Addictions on the cusp of 2020 They used to be excessive consumption of grass, alcohol, gambling, sugar and porn. Many remain as issues for many individuals.  As we approach the third decade of the 21st century, what do you observe and acknowledge as serious manifestations of other significant addictions affecting perhaps yourself, family members, your community and society going forward? 1. Screen addiction. It used to be free with broadcast TV, but binge interaction with cyberspace delivered screens now has a monthly bill, perhaps costing more than getting clean water supply. The effectiveness of smart phone apps, including streaming to watch at any time, to keep anyone hunched over a device for many hours is not to be underestimated. 2. Preoccupation with and overuse of specific obsessions. The art of moderation is increasingly lost, whether with the use of opioids, dependency on manufactured and processed foods or foods that are high in fat but induce a...

What do you reckon are the key threats to Australian security as a nation? In the mist of walking through the hype of different agendas of different factions, let us examine some realities. 1. Why countries were invaded in history includes diversion away from the internal problems facing the leaders of invading armies. Will Australia play into the hands of such ploys? 2 Interference in the internal affairs of foreign nations. The penchant of western societies to criticise other countries for alleged and real breaches in human rights and democratic practices can trigger flashpoints in international relations. 3. Significant decreases in the technological, military and economic power of Australia. Unlike post World War 2, competition stakes have shot up. The largest buyers of arms in the world are all in Asia, a region which the largest island nation is located so close to. Australia is increasingly seen as a place to dig out unprocessed raw materials. It has not sufficie...

As the world hurls to 2020, what are the significant impact matters that can churn the economy, cause social grief and affect key things in our life that we may have taken for granted so far? History has always been an account of tensions and conflict between conservatives and progressives, between the haves and have nots and between those with superior technology and those without. Wars have been fought in the name of religion, control of financial interests, ideological beliefs and the alliance of manipulative politics. The greater movement of populations, the increased power of captured analytical information, more powerful military means and a shift in world power patterns have however changed the strategic game. Yet our world is still divided into nations, a system perhaps outdated by commercial expansion, technology dominance and heightened means of mobility. Cultural imperatives continue to complicate the progress of mankind to cooperate on a holistic platform instead of on t...

The grass has obviously dried up. Lamb prices have shot up, perhaps more than the costs of commercial child care, aged care and vet services.   Retail is not selling as much as before, the roads are more traffic congested and inflation as usual bites more in reality than as reported. Loading speeds for the internet are uncompetitive.  Near monopolies exist for key service providers on many fronts in Australia. Public infrastructure has to be renewed. So what is going right? 1. There are more choices in supermarket products and prices. 2. There is more activity after dark in city centres and specific suburbs across Australia. 3. The sky is still blue and the beaches clean all over this vast island nation. 4. The variety of cuisines available in a country of such diverse populations is so unmatched. 5. The wisdom of our town planners cannot be under appreciated when they ensured green space, outdoor venues and public transport for our communities. 6. Medicare has sustai...