Government Hypocrites

Fred Hollows once said "Every eye is an eye".  It's the same for life. Every life is a life.

It's why I find the Australian government very hypocritical at the moment. 

Respect where respect is due, I give kudos to the way that Prime Minister Abbott and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop are stepping up and handling the Malaysian Airlines 17 and Russian Rebels issue. They called on the Rebels to release the bodies back "Operation Bring them Home".  After 4 days, the Rebels are handing them over to where the plane originated in The Netherlands.

However, it is absolutely hypocritical when the government of Australia under "Operation Sovereign Borders", are essentially holding 157 refugees hostage and imprisoned on a shonky boat out at sea.  They've been there 3 weeks.

What Jackie Saw

A picture paints a thousand words, in this case, a series of photos.  It's been plastered all over our media this week.  The moments leading up to and immediately after President John F. Kennedy was shot. For many people this moment and this footage will be etched into our memory.
 

However, what sticks with me isn't necessarily picked up by the camera.  It is the sheer terror of what Jackie would have seen and gone through in the immediate seconds after her husband was shot.  You wouldn't  wish that on anyone.  From what we know of the extent of his injuries, there really would be no hope that he would have survived something like that and I guess at that time, so would have she.

One minute he is sitting there waving to passers-by, the next minute, he's keeled over, blood everywhere and a good chunk of his head is gone.  The car is still moving, there is no one immediately there to help. At the same time, it dawns on you that your own survival is at stake, so you try to escape over the back of the car.

The sheer terror of going through something like that.  To see body parts of a loved one that should be well hidden.  The conundrum of fight or flight.  Adrenaline kicking in with shock and wanting to know what has just happened?

It's a lovely day, of course a drive in a convertible is a good idea. You're with your husband, the American people are out to see their President.  Who would have thought what happened, happened.



Picture from: 
http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/zapruder-jfk-assassination-631.jpg

Where the Loyalty Lies

With the re-appointment of Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister, I slept well for the first time in 3 years and 3 days.  There is now a new hope for the Australian Labor Party (ALP) to climb back up the polls and possibly win the next election. (after ex-Prime Minister Julia Gillard stepped down and retires after losing yesterday's leadership ballot).

Now we all know the environment in parliament is quite different to the environment of our workplaces.  However, one thing that both parliament and our workplaces have in common is navigating that fine line of loyalty.  Our loyalty to the party, organisation or employer and loyalty to the leader, CEO or our manager.

Political loyalty over the last 24 hours has been raised many times (even more over the last 3 years!) and it was clear that some politicians really struggled with their decision on who should be leader of the ALP, thus becoming Prime Minister.

By nature of who we are and the psychology under which we operate, we humans are social and loyal creatures. We thrive in an environment surrounded by other like minded people. We all want to belong to something and by belonging to something, we want to pledge an allegiance and our loyalty to that person or group.  In the workplace, we ideally work for an organisation who mirrors our values, surrounded by similar thinking people, channeling the same values, vision and being a team player.

What the ALP party members faced yesterday was a tug-of-war in the loyalty games.  Either loyalty to the incumbent PM (their manager) or loyalty to the ALP (organisation, employer).
It was a choice of either; a) Stick with Julia Gillard, the present PM, someone who is good with her team but has alienated the public and may greatly lose seats in the election.  Or b) Vote for Kevin Rudd, ex PM who was disposed of 3 years ago, someone who may not be the best with their team but will have a greater chance to win around the public and not lose so many seats or even possibly win the election. Ultimately, it was also a choice in age old, 'flight or fight' - fight for a chance for the ALP and their own seat's survival or flight, flee reality and continue pledging loyalty to the then PM, Julia Gillard.

In today's ever changing workplaces, our loyalties are constantly being tested. Redundancies, downsizing, mergers and takeovers, no one is really secure where they are and in some professional environments and circumstances, the only person you can really count on is yourself.  There have been many times when I have demonstrated loyalty to the organisation and or to my managers. Many times, my loyalty did not really count for anything.  Regardless of my attitude, regardless of my hard working nature.  Unfortunately, it seems to me these days that loyalty counts when money and business doesn't, or at least when budgets are not that tight and jobs are not in jeopardy.

So what did we learn today?
We all want to be loyal, we all want to be part of something bigger and want to be surrounded by like minded people. However, when the times are tough and people are scared, we retreat and question what we need in the search for self-preservation.  In tough situations, we too would question our loyalty.  We also need to remember that where you place your loyalty can determine your own success or failure. It's no wonder that loyalty is not lauded as it once used to be.



Image from: 
http://images.smh.com.au/2013/06/27/4524205/spruddspeaks27-20130627121936747447-620x349.jpg

Card Games

Someone call rummy!

Everyday we hear from the government, opposition, minority parties and the media that the "race card", "gender card" or the "tax card" are being played - I'm just waiting on someone to call full house.

Why can't issues be brought up? Why stay silent? Why is it that it is generally areas that we haven't got right that people accuse others of playing 'that card'?  "Discussing gender issues isn't playing the 'gender card', like how discussing tax isn't playing a 'tax card'. These are actual issues, bros." (J.Alice)

We currently have gender inequality, not just here but around the world. Pay disparity, access to education, reproductive rights.
We currently have a tax system that allows those super wealthy to squirrel away and hire accountants who know the loopholes. We haven't implemented all of Ken Henry's tax recommendations.
We currently have cultural and religious intolerance.  With our first Australians, our newest Australians and second and third generation Australians.  Injustice, intolerance and vilification.  All based on where we originated from, what we look like and insulting them by not really knowing them.

I want these cards played!  I don't want these issues trivialised with an eye roll. These are the issues affecting us daily. We will be a better country if we can discuss this in a mature way. 




References:

Tweet from: Jessica Alice, @jessica_alice on 11/06/2013

Image from: https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRyLtOWPOo3iuuGDmqifgg4KoumqKdZUsKfx1pQcaER9Dpk2y-x

Safety - The #1 Value for Organisations

It's becoming more and more evident the importance of organisations handling Workplace Health & Safety matters.

Workplace Health & Safety (WH&S), re-named from Occupational Health & Safety, is more than just picking up boxes with correct posture or wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). 

We all have a duty of care to each other.  WH&S is reporting spills and near misses, it is checking to see the 'slip' factor on the lobby floor when wet, it is knowing the signs of fatigue, it is letting employees know that bullying and harassment will not be tolerated.

SAFETY IS EVERYONES RESPONSIBILITY.

The recent Telstra/NBN roll out is just the latest in a long line of safety scares and concerns. Lend Lease at Barangaroo, the clothing factory collapse in Bangladesh, tornado chasers in Oklahoma (who died in pursuit of 'the big one'), the truck driver ploughing into a building early in the morning, etc, etc.

I've been very fortunate with my previous employers. They have all had safety as a priority.  It is reinforced and communicated all the time, it is included in their values, it is keeping WH&S top-of-mind when pursuing strategy or undergoing any changes.

Focus on safety should not just be reserved for your immediate environment, but throughout the whole supply chain. 

The prioritisation of safety is one of the values I look for in a new employer.  Do you? 

We all need to ensure that our employer places great value on safety.  If not, challenge them, start the ball rolling yourself or leave. 

Compromises in safety is not acceptable!



References;
Summary of our WH&S law from Australian Industry Group

Images from:
http://signforce.com.au/images/s725.jpg

Space Junk & Rubbish

With the development of new technologies our space exploration goes further and is more sophisticated. 60 years of space exploration and it's still exciting! We've been to the moon and we've (a space rover) made it to Mars!  

As humans we have occupied earth for quite a few hundreds of years now. As our technology progressed, we've polluted it, abused it, made resources scarce and eradicated a variety of species of animals and plant life.  Now the same is happening to the lower-orbit atmosphere encircling the earth.  Long after missions were complete, debris and redundant technology has been left behind.  Houston, we have a Space Junk problem!

Computer Generated Image of current, tracked space junk according to NASA

Old, decommissioned satellites still remain "out there".  Parts of rockets that needed to be discarded to propel them to get to the moon are still hanging around.  These materials are moving at fast speeds of  "several kilometres per second" that they are colliding with each other and breaking larger items into smaller pieces.

Apart from the clutter, we're now seeing a downside to all this space littering we around the world have been doing. (see list of agencies and countries involved with space exploration and launching) 


These fast moving pieces also now pose a threat to existing and new space launches and missions.  There is so much space junk out in the Earth's immediate space that NASA established an Orbital Debris Program Office.  Conferences and meetings have taken place to collaborate and work out ways to avoid the space rubbish when new rockets/satellites are launched but also to reduce the amount of rubbish generated and left behind.  It's quite sad that something most of us will never get to experience or see is already quite trashed and polluted.

We fund missions to the International Space Centre, to the Moon, to Mars and other planets, but is there enough funding (or the technology) to bring launchers, rockets and rovers back to earth?  I wonder where the parachute used to land the Curiosity Rover on Mars has gone?  What will happen to the Curiosity Rover when its mission has been completed?

Planning for "active debris removal" is happening. Space and satellite agencies are now developing technologies for space garbo's* such as; robotic hooks, harpoons and clamps, in the hope to capture and/or return this junk back into the earths atmosphere (where some of it will burn up). 

Let's hope we can get some good ideas happening and tidy things up. Any volunteers for Clean up Atmosphere Day?



* - To be used colloquially. I don't mean any harm or to detract from what needs to happen.

Image from: 
http://resources3.news.com.au/images/2013/04/18/1226623/359743-130418-space-junk.jpg

References from:
http://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/index.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22253966
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/space-junk-harpoon-for-final-frontier/story-fnb64oi6-1226623370720

Zero Dark Two - Years

Australian & other coalition troops are still in Afghanistan.  We're there help create stability in the country, empower people to take democratic control of the country.  Our troops are there to ensure that the Taliban are not in control & to prevent them from resurging. 

It's been just short of 2 years since Osama Bin Laden was killed.  Since his death, 566 soldiers were killed in 2011 and last year, 405 soldiers were killed in Afghanistan, 44 of them were Australian.  As Australians, we knew& heard about every time when one was killed, it happened too often.

The movie "Zero Dark Thirty" was recently released in the US, with Australia's premier to follow soon.

My understanding of the movie & what the previews tell me is that this movie is about the lead up to & the 'capture' of Osama Bin Laden.

The 405 deaths last year tell me that something is still happening in Afghanistan. Sure, the Taliban leader, Osama Bin Laden is dead, however his followers or people who agreed with his views are still around.  Still around & causing harm to our troops. Our troops who are still there, present in Afghanistan.

To release a 'Hollywood' movie, to celebrate the capture & killing of a leader who still has clout in Afghanistan & some other Middle-Eastern countries makes me think that our troops could possibly be in more danger. It's a bit like rubbing it in their faces in it.  We also saw what happened last year when an Anti-Muslim You Tube clip was released.

I think its too soon to have a movie based on or about the whole thing. 
Our troops are still present in Afghanistan.
At present, I'm boycotting.



Acknowledgements:
Soldier deaths taken from: http://icasualties.org/OEF/ByYear.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_Dark_Thirty
 

 

US Presidential Beers 'n' Bears

You can tell it's election time when the candidates try to relate to the common voter.

At present, there is a clear leader in this respect.  Enter US President Barack Obama.  Unlike his opposition where word has it that Mitt Romney doesn't even pay taxes on his millions.

A couple of things have caught my eye recently about Obama.

1.  Obama is not afraid of moving forward with his agenda, despite strong opposition. His Medicare plan is in and he wants all Americans to have access to basic health care.

"...The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life; the sick, the needy and the handicapped. "  Ironically, this was said by an American, Hubert H. Humphrey in 1977.

2.  The Bear Hug.  Everyone one to be embraced like that. It's even better when you're caught on camera & seriously look like your enjoying it.  It's a pure bliss photo. No issue or judgement by the fact of who it is, Where he comes from &/or his gender.  I love it ... makes Obama feel like one of us.

3.  Obama not only brews his own White House beer, he's comparing notes & sharing his recipe with everyone. Now everyone has access to White House standard Beer.

Pour me a glass & put it on ice ... I'ma coming!


References:
http://askville.amazon.com/measure-civilization-treats-weakest-members-accurate-quote/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=4718239
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1ijPmtTHo8
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/image/wh_beer_recipe_honey_ale_0.jpg

Rape & Society

No one asks to be raped, assault, or harassed or even robbed. 

Feminists & others say that regardless of what we wear or what we do, no one should be raped or assaulted. Agreed. This is obvious.  However, what we fail to recognise is the fact that there are people out there who will rape & harass, assault & steal, despite education & knowing right-from-wrong.

Education to change views & society wide interventions may eradicate some but not all instances.  I agree, that more education & awareness campaigns needs to occur, especially in the realm of date rape & understanding what exactly consent entails.  However, until these measures start gaining results or at least have a wider awareness through our society, it is naive to think that this will not happen.

Those who are or potentially are guilty of these crimes should know 100% what they are doing is wrong

Fact is, to a certain degree, we do need to dress a certain way to avoid leering & sexually based comments.  I feel that if you show tonnes of cleavage & wear tiny skirts, you are (to a certain extent) warranting attention of the sexual kind.  It is definitely not a signal to the world that you want to be raped or you're "up for it" however it is naive to think this will portray an asexual image of you & you will not be at least leered at.  

I like to go out, I like to explore new places, even going out at night.  However, it is naive to think that I will be safe walking through places like Hyde Park or a street in Redfern alone at night.  There are countries that it is unsafe to go to due to domestic conflict, it is naive to think that you can hold your own & walk down a street in Syria or Afghanistan without the potential of being harmed.

It's not an excuse, these issues should not be issues for us & should not be happening in our society, however this is idealist & naive.


Referenced from:
http://www.dailylife.com.au/news-and-views/dl-opinion/women-deserve-to-be-raped-20120917-260yt.html
http://www.madisonmag.com.au/assets/images/articles/blog/sexual-harassment_1.jpg
http://www.madisonmag.com.au/blogs/sexual-harassment-is-everyones-problem.htm

09/10/2012

P.S.

Its scary knowing that a few days after I wrote this that a Melbourne woman was raped & murdered on her way home from a night out.  Again, I'm not blaming the victim, I do this myself, however, it is naive to think that these things will never happen. Precautions should be taken & when travelling at night, alone as a woman.

Governments Operating like Business

In short, no they shouldn't. However ... there are principles they need to follow in order to make good policies and decisions.

With the collapse of the Australian Governments Malaysia solution, there are a few things I thought would be no brainers and things that ANY professional organisation should have followed.

1. Check that you are not breaking any laws, contracts or obligations.
I know ... a bit of a Captain Obvious, but how can you spend millions of dollars, do deals with other countries and not check if you are in breach of the constitution, legislation or any human rights agreements you have signed?

2. Have an exit clause.
Ok, I am still happy that we are receiving more refugees, however, now that the deal is down the gurgler, we still have to take all 4000 refugees from Malaysia. There was nothing in the contract to say, if things go pear shape, we won't be out of pocket. Companies would never sign a contract when there is no way out and there is a possibility they may be out of pocket.

3. STOP WASTING MONEY!
Work out you're ROI (Return on Investment). Is the deal worth it? Will we be better off after the deal? How much do we have to spend before we see a benefit? Is there a benefit? If the deal doesn't return on average a positive outcome, don't do it.


Photo taken from:
http://www.ralphrobertsrentals.com/images/clipart-man-reading-a-contract-with-magnifying-glass.gif

GFC: Take 2?

Its been about 2 years since the GFC started.

We've been quite lucky in Australia to have missed the brunt of it. Our employment took a small dip, consumer spending dipped (still is down), our savings have increased & our stock exchange took a few batterings thus lowering our super funds.

We tried to recover, stimulus packages were put together, interest rates were dropped & families started eating more at home.

It's been 2 years and we think it's all in the past ... but is it?

America is still having issues and worse than them is Greece.  Their economic woes continue,  jobs being cut, wages being lowered and now there is strong speculation that they will default on their loan.

With the prospect of the loan defaulting, it's going to greatly impact upon the markets within the EU.  Stocks and markets will be volatile and thus repercussions will be felt everywhere, including Australia. We are not immune, it is not over. 

My take on things?

The leadership under Papendreou is strong, however, it's not enough.  More needs to be done to get people working and producing cash flow within society. With interest rates already near 0%, the incentive you give to taxpayers is more stimulus payments in conjunction with investment in staples such as infrastructure & education. Tourism is where things could get interesting, so the Greek government should think of incentives to let the foreigners flood in.

From our side of things, I think the RBA have been very cautious (rightly so) while we sit and wait and see what is happening in the rest of the world. If they increased interest rates prematurely, we could have had some unnecessary early bumps.  Our stock market will continue to suffer while other regions are suffering and our currency against others will also faulter.

The whole world is still in such a precarious place right now, added to the GFC woes are environmental issues that have affected Japan, New Zealand and ourselves. The impact on these countries affects the world, especially compounding its affect on us.

There's still some way to go before we're out of the woods.

Sources:
http://ceoworld.biz/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/George-A-Papandreou.jpg
http://www.smh.com.au/business/sneeze-in-europe-can-give-a-a-cold-20110620-1gbuo.html

Duty of Care - Female Reporters

Know what's so obvious with all the protests that are happening in Libya, Yemen, Syria, Egypt etc.?  The fact that most* rallys only have men & boys.

We are living in a world where women are not treated the same everywhere. There are differences here in Australia, there are larger differences in the Middle East where all these protests are happening.

Yes, women can do anything and should be given equal opporunities.  However, when it comes to sending female reporters and journalists into areas of political unrest (in countries where women are not shown the same respect), I think that there is a sense of duty of care their employers must take.

Lara Logan is an American reporter. She was in Egypt at the time of their protests, got caught up with all the activites in Tahrir Square and unfotunately was assaulted.  Merit wise, she may have been the best person to send to Egypt, however, with all countries not having the same amount of women's liberation, I feel that more care should have been taken with sending females or that females should not have been in a situation where there are hundreds of males.

There are rallys/protests with women involved, however, it seems that they are at different times/locations and never with the males.

Why aren't the female reporters at least talking to the females at these protests? Or at least having some air time on our tvs?





* I want to preface that I am saying most, as I am sure there are some women protesting with men. I'm not there amongst them all, I am basing my opinion based on what I see.


Pictures take from:
http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/110217-libya-protest2-hmed-6a.grid-8x2.jpg
http://hereandnow.wbur.org/files/2011/03/0310_libya-protest-500x333.jpg

Source/Info from:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41630159/ns/world_news-mideast/n_africa/

Freedom of Speech or Treason?

What is Freedom of Speech?
I define it as an individuals right to speak that is in line with their set of personal values. An individuals right to speak to defend their liberties and moral ideals.

What is Treason?
I define it as someone going against their country, going against what the country stands for (or at least what the government at the time stands for). Treason in it's most extreme sense, could also be seen as someone plotting the downfall of their country (or what the government at the time stands for).
Treason for me is really going against the sitting government because I don't think anyone would want to relinquish their national identity. E.G. German citizens plotting to assassinate Hitler, they're still Germans and want to be, they just didn't like what their government was doing.

So, what if there is some person who says something that is not in favour of their country? What if they have a view that is different to that of the sitting government? What if the government is trying to conceal something that affects it's citizens or is violating human rights? Is a whistle blower a traitor?

The line between freedom of speech and treason is very fine ... that's if we are talking about democracies (and even then there are exceptions).  What about those protesting for freedom in Libya? Military personnel who told the world about what happened in Abu Ghraib prison? Are they all regarded as expressing their right to speak? Or are they traitors? Hmmm .....

Where to Donate?

Just an observation ... 

We've had terrible floods in Queensland.
We gave and donated.
We've had terrible floods in New South Wales and Victoria. Bushfires were burning south of Perth.
We gave and donated ... and now also contribute to a flood levy.
Our neighbours in New Zealand have just had a very destructive earthquake.
We give and donate again.
But what of the other charities that depend on our continued donations?

Multicultural Australia - Failure, Success or Work in Progress?

An age old debate has resurfaced in the last couple of days, multiculturalism in Australia. It hasn't been too long since we have opened up the doors to immigrants and refugees (see my post on our Immigrant Population) and it seems that some people just don't get it. There is still so much growing we need to do.

However, what annoys me even more is seeing the leadership of some other countries.
What a defeatest attitude the leaders of Germany, France and Britain have taken.
Declaring that "Multiculturalism has failed" or even "utterly failed". Do we also think this is happening here?

I sincerely hope NOT!
There may be a few individuals and groups who perpetuate this idea of failing, however, they are in the minority.  I know so many families and people who actually go out, embrace and enjoy their life in Australia. They are proud of where they now live, they contribute well to our economy and are positive ambassadors when they venture overseas. There are some immigrants or first generation people who are even more patriotic and politically minded than so many Caucasians.

To take the attitude that Multiculturalism has failed is too negative and defeatest. It is a work in progress and cannot be viewed as either all or nothing. Our government and us in our communities have an obligation to ensure that our new Australians are well settled and that people on both sides are living together peacefully and happily.

 We want to ensure that people learn about other cultures, traditions and to see that they are not persecuted for practising their beliefs.
We want people with diverse experiences to help us grow our country.
We want to try their new foods and past-times.
We want to learn about the adversity people have overcome to settle here.  Australia's identity is continually evolving.
We cannot just close the book multiculturalism, it is a continual work in progress.