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Saturday, 12 July 2008
Signs
There were two good articles in the “West Australian’ newspaper today by Paul Murray and Zoltan Kovacs. Discussing how we live in a nanny state and how paternalistic governments can be and so forth.
One comment made was “We’re largely over-governed because we want to be”. A most refreshing comment and one that I fully agree with. Why are we living in a nanny state? Because we want to be. Well I don’t, but most Australians do. So it is the electorate who is responsible for the nanny state not the government.
One always hears people banging on about how politicians lie to us and put spin on this and that. Most politicians are OK people who don’t want to lie, so why do they? Because they know that if they tell it as it is on certain topics then we, the electorate will rapidly ‘un-elect’ them. So it is us, the voters, who say to the politicians tell us the truth but if you do then we will kick you out of office. So it is the voters who are responsible for political spin on this and that. We elect people who we know are going to lie to us, so that is our responsibility. In the final analysis a politician is merely a reflection of the attitudes of the electorate.
And to the nanny state. I went to the beach the other day and as you walk to it from your car you are confronted with all these signs about shallow water here so don’t dive, rocks over there so be cautious, beware of rips, jellyfish and so forth. Fuck! I thought. All they need is one sign which says, “Remember to assess the environment for potential dangers” then the rest is up to me. I don’t need the government to do it for me!
Here is a picture of me when I was a long haired freaky person
With all those signs I was reminded of a great song that was around when I was a long haired freaky person. We used to love this song and sing it at parties when it was played. It is by Telsa and titled “Signs”
And the sign says "Long-haired freaky people need not apply"
So I put my hair up under my hat and I went in to ask him why
He said you look like a fine outstanding young man, I think you'll do
So I took off my hat, I said "Imagine that, huh, me working for you"
[Chorus:]
Signs, signs, everywhere there's signs
Fuckin' up the scenery, breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign
And the sign says "Anybody caught trespassing will be shot on sight"
So I jumped the fence and I yelled at the house
Hey! What gives you the right!
To put up a fence and keep me out, or to keep Mother Nature in
If God was here, he'd tell it to your face, man, you're some kind of sinner
[Chorus]
Oh, say now mister, can't you read
You got to have a shirt and tie to get a seat
You can't watch, no you can't eat, you ain't supposed to be here
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" - uh!
[Solo]
And the sign says "Everybody welcome, come in, kneel down and pray"
But then they passed around a plate at the end of it all
And I didn't have a penny to pay
So I got me a pen and a paper and I made up my own fuckin' sign
I said, "Thank you Lord for thinking 'bout me, I'm alive and doing fine", oh
[Chorus 2x]
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One thing that does concern me is how much the youth in particular just accept what the government tells them and it is like they want the government to tell them what to do. When I was young (I always promised never to say that) the government was the enemy. What they told you to do you didn’t do and you certainly didn’t ask them what to do!!
However there is one thing that the youth of today do do which shows they have spirit and gives assurance that they have a mind of their own - graffiti. The government constantly tells them not to do it and they keep doing it. They are making up their own signs!
Graffiti
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