Janet CollinsThe times they are a changing
January 18th 2009 10:53
Times are well and truly changing. This week will see the new US President signed in as President - a black President that seemed impossibile only two years ago. President-elect Obama will be taking on some insurmountable problems and there’s no doubt that America will now be looking more inwardly.
The other day I heard Julia Gillard, our Deputy Prime Minister, air grave concerns over the massive predicted job losses, saying how difficult it must be for anyone to lose their job.
Even in the business sector, we are hearing stories of some organisations that have bandied together and elected to cut their days and share the burden rather than force someone onto the job queue.
Are Australians becoming compassionate again? Are we starting to look out for our mates like we used to?
In the decades of Australia’s so called “prosperity” we became a ruthless nation. The job losses in these decades were immense. Many a job was shipped overseas. Of course, many were the result of the advances in technology that provided employers a way of shipping jobs to where they were cheaper, such as India.
In these years we all heard company executives boast about reductions in staff that enabled them to meet the bottom line. Sometimes, it was thousands at a time. None of our politicians or business leaders seemed concerned at the time about the plight of those who had lost a career or a full time job. A few years ago, I commented to a friend on how awful a comment was that was made by the (at the time) new head of Channel 9. His words were something along the lines that he could axe 85 jobs without shedding a single show.
There are other issues that reflected our indifference to those who hit hard times. The homelessness issue has raised its ugly head for more than a decade as the rent crises and many who had been put out of work found it increasingly difficult to find accommodation.
Charities that were “at the coalface” so to speak on this issue often tried to air their concerns about the continual pressure on their services for assistance with housing, electricity and other bills but were silenced in some way. After all, we were prosperous.
The homelessness issue has lately attracted a lot more attention. Many Australians would believe that a homeless person is a gambler, a drug addict, an alcoholic or just a plain hobo. More or less, we are all given an impression that a homeless person has put themselves in that position.
Recent attention on the homeless has been generated by the figures of those who have been relegated to the job queue. Many of these only months ago were living ordinary lives with reasonably paid work.
A short while back, I saw an item on the news about Sydney’s Lord Mayor, Clover Moore instructing the Council’s street workers to count the people who were sleeping in the street in the central business district area. So convinced was Ms Moore that the homeless figures were wrong and understated, that she actually wanted to investigate the issue herself.
Since then, the homelessness issue is now becoming an important one. Many who had good jobs and a good living are now finding themselves on the street and finally our politicians and leaders are beginning to concern themselves with the problem.
I was not alone when I thought Australia had become a rather brutal and harsh place in the decades when we adopted a philosophy of winners versus losers. We all know the prosperity was not enjoyed by everyone even though the news items often portrayed us as all being millionaires.
If we take these issues out of the whole scenario, we only have to look to our popular television where being respectful or compassionate to our fellow human being was almost portrayed as being downright old fashioned.
Just a quick look at the competitive shows that have dancers or singers competing against one another only to suffer the humiliation of the judges who delight in pulling them all to shreds goes way against the philosophy of “having a go”.
It is right that Julia Gillard feels compassionate about those who are and will be unfortunate enough to lose their livelihood. It is also right that the media give a little more attention to those who find themselves homeless. It is also time for the government to do something about these issues.
We all hear of times in the Second World War and the Depression where people bandied together and helped one another. Why is it then in good times we are incapable of doing the same?
For too long, the media have been so obsessed with shares and the money market. Some of that money could have been much better invested locally rather than pushing the problems under the carpet.
Now they are stuck with the problems, their ability to address them will be a measure of how effective they really are.
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Comment by Chris Champion
LettersToNorm
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Expansive, thoughtful writing Janet.
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
So true. I think it's easier for people to blame the person rather than actually think about what they might be going through with some compassion.
I also have been disheartened at people's callousness towards immigrants and refugees around the peak of John Howard's reign.
I'm would be glad to see a change and less blaming.
Comment by Janet Collins
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The Social Critic
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Thank you Chris. The shift in attitude is both remarkable and refreshing. We can only hope that everyone will catch on.
Comment by Janet Collins
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Janet Collins Blog
Yes, throughout John Howard's long term Australia became a hard, hard place. I noticed this beginning to change in the lead up to our 2007 election. During interviews with people on the street, concerns were constantly aired about 1. our government leaving David Hicks to rot in Guantanamo Bay and 2. Workchoices where many thought the government had gone way too far.
Sometimes things just have to go too far to find their way back again. Same with the homeless because as more and more people lose their jobs, more and more are going to be left homeless.
Thanks a lot for the comment.