The real generation gap in Australia
Matthew Lynn of The Daily Telegraph recently set out to investigate why the title of developing country no longer exists. The language of the left still claims that “vast parts of the world are impoverished by a greedy West, while the professional poverty industry insists that the world is becoming more and more unequal all the time.”
Well, guess what? They are wrong again. Who says so? The World Bank!
The World Bank has just decided to get rid of the term ‘developing countries’. Why? Due to these countries becoming so successful the World Bank has decided the term no longer has any real meaning. On the measures that actually count, such as infant mortality, life expectancy, educational standards, or public health, there isn’t much difference anymore between the developed and the developing world. Those differences that do remain are more likely to be within countries than between them.
The change has been achieved through free markets, competition, more open and more liberal trade. Capitalism has worked remarkably well for what used to be regarded as the Third World. It is about time that the Left and indeed a lot of mainstream opinion caught up to the way that the global economy has changed—instead of constantly ranting the rhetoric about how evil the West is.
Another analogy, closer to home
In similar fashion may I politely suggest a similar ‘role model reversal’ in Australia? Not many years ago we looked to the older generation as a role model to guide us into the future. However, try putting yourself in the position of our next generation, looking at recent headlines:
- WA business at war with Barnett
- Monetary policy ‘out of shots’ to boost economy
- More Australians are net beneficiaries of the tax and welfare systems
- Fleecing the young
- Perth internet speed in slow lane
- $80 billion super crunch as bureaucrats’ wage rises add to blowout
- Fremantle no longer wishes to celebrate our National Day (for fear of upsetting Aborigine activists)
- Questions remain over public’s massive monthly carpark bill at new Perth Children’s Hospital (State government forced to pay $500,000 every month for 300 car bays that contain no cars, because they assumed the hospital would be opened on time)
- Legal experts predict potential future Native Title claims could hit State coffers hard
- Bureaucrats eye $1m pay despite flat wage growth (Western Australia, over the past eight years, is managing with a public service salary bill that has risen by 63.3 per cent)
So, what conclusions would the next generation come to in evaluating our current crop of political leaders? I only hope that they have the patience to drill deep enough to identify and support those few and rare politicians who are courageous enough to display their own values and beliefs. The few who continue to fight against today’s corrosive political tidal waves. Hopefully, they will become ‘role models’ of a new generation of politicians.
Equally important, is that a new generation will emerge with the realization that to achieve their ambitions they will need to bypass the political quagmire and deal direct with people with whom they feel comfort and trust. From that generation will emerge new leaders and we will see the older generation being replaced to Australia’s benefit.