Bedlam

I got in trouble last night for being a little derisive about the trauma of living it ‘rough’ in Newtown. I used to do that as a student and loved it. Ah well, I had a couple of beers and it is what it is. My bads.

The thing about Australia is that most people believe that if you take away any one of the creature comforts that we have adopted over the last 130 years then life must be hell.

Think hot water, flushing toilets, LCD TV’s, motor cars, mobile phones, dishwashers, clothes washers, cleaners, a bedroom per person or two, anything electrical or electronic in fact, space and cleanliness. They are all designed to make our life easier (trully), even if it is environmentally unsustainable.

But then you have to subtract certain ’emotional’ freedoms – we have more ‘signs’ per square inch than anywhere on the planet. And more laws per head of population than any country in existence. All telling us what we can’t do – for our own good of course. Safe but constrained.

And then you also have to subtract the emotional strain associated with the weight of expectations. For example, our kiddies have to get great HSC marks, be all round great people (with a CV to match), work for the odd charity, get to uni and get a good job, travel, party, stay fit, be beautiful – all required just to fit in and not be a social outcast with depression and suicidal tendencies.

I suppose that, if you were so inclined, you would have to add back our political and social ‘freedoms’. That is, direct physical harm is rarely associated with your social or political views, at least compared to many other countries. The result? The most uncooked and uncared-for social and political views on the planet. I am not sure that this isn’t a negative after a certain point.

Life is very prescriptive and comes with massive expectations, but it is bloody safe from unexpected physical injury.

It sort of reminds me of the bantam chook my daughter has out in the backyard – the thing has been bred for it’s cuddliness and quietness – it has no real function other than as a real live fluffy toy and has absolutely no defenses against even the smallest of predators. In an apocalypse situation this thing and it’s brethren would be a good bet as the first animal to become extinct.

We Australians might be second against the wall.

In the meantime we will cuddle the hell out of bantam chooks and worry ourselves silly about the physical well-being of asylum seekers to our bedlam.