Protecting what matters

Experience is a great teacher and wisdom from experience a great mentor. It’s why most cultures respect their elders. The ‘tribe’ survived because the leader had wisdom. Great religions the same. Of course being human has meant ‘leaders’ have used their position – for the good of their people or used the people for the good of themselves. This is still happening as the world transitions from tribal to religions, to political, to digital communication and control. Different countries are in different stages of development.

So What! Philosophy is a set or system of beliefs. Principles views and outlook. A foundation for how one might determine a decision making process. Without thought, reasoning and process one is usually subjected to the thoughts, reasoning and power of someone else. Hence, education/knowledge allows people and countries to develop. A lack of education and knowledge is a roadblock. We are seeing the greatest transition in the history of mankind as India and China develop an educated middle class.

In countries such as UK, USA, Australia and NZ (the West), we have seen the emergence of a capitalist economic system under a democratic political system. Capitalism being a system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit. The free market, minimal censorship, sexual and moral freedom, and the government’s role being minimalist. A democracy being a form of government in which people can vote for representatives to govern. Number one, for ‘protecting what matters’,  is having the ability to choose a system of government and a system of economics. Both are critically important to the development of people and country. Freedom of ownership, sexual and moral freedom, freedom of speech, individual rights. These are things worth retaining, and we must continue to debate the retention of these rights with those who would attempt to take them away. I fear that some of these ‘freedom’ and ‘personal responsibility’ issues are slowly being incorporated into a more social democracy. Greater government control. This would be a mistake in my opinion.

At the personal end with ‘protecting what matters’ I see a similar reliance on the social democracy of a larger central government growing regional government and fighting for dear life – an at threat local government.

US, Australia, NZ were greatly developed and enhanced by immigrants who escaped from the controlling influences of European 18^th and 19^th century dogma.

As individuals we should take more personal responsibility for our future. Relying on government health, government unemployment, government superannuation, government working income for families, government student loans, government education, government housing has an inevitability about it. Those at work must subsidise those not at work – young and old. Hence, we see a continued focus to immigration because without new young families (paying the tax) we would face the same austerity measures which have impacted many European countries. Socialism being the inevitable outcome. Freedom and socialism do not go hand in hand. With immigration however comes cultural and religious differences.

Protecting what matters is the freedom to own and the freedom to choose and the freedom to be productive – we must retain these inalienable rights at all costs. Fascism, communism, monarchies and dictatorships are tarred with the same brush – this is not the legacy I would like to leave my grandchildren.

Hopefully, the millennial generation can balance their sense of community with a sense of ‘protecting what matters’. I have faith in their ability to access information and their desire to learn. One hopes the teachers of wisdom are persuasive enough to promote the importance and responsibility of self. Without it, we develop a sense of ‘right’, and a collective right inevitably builds a group mantra. Lusting for the next promise from ‘Pork Barrel’ politicians.

Winston has won another political coup and I applaud his sense of timing and opportunism. It also highlights the dangers of by –elections for established governments. A wake up call from an electorate who don’t believe they are receiving an equal share of the fiscal spend. That’s the problem with largess – it becomes an expectation.