Living with the Past !

The zeal with which statues of General Robert E Lee are being removed from town squares in the American south seems to be an attempt to rewrite history.  The descendants of the slaves that worked the cotton plantations of that era claim that monuments to the Confederate states are offensive reminders of a war fought to keep them in servitude.

There seems to be an attitude to try and forget that the American civil war ever happened.  The war dead of the winning side are honoured while memorials to the southern soldiers who gave their lives are being put out of sight and their sacrifice disregarded.   General Lee was a hero to the people of the south and now he is being dishonoured.  His place in history belongs in the history books alongside General Ulysses Grant, his counterpoint from the north.

Perhaps the focal point of the American civil war is what happened thereafter.   The industrial north conquered the agrarian south, and yet a hundred years later those emancipated slaves were still denied the vote, segregated in their schools and not allowed to use white only wash rooms or eat alongside whites in restaurants.  That ushered in the " civil rights era " and a new civil war was fought on the streets, with billy clubs and vicious dogs doing battle to preserve segregation.

Strangely, all that was right after we celebrated the end of the second world war.  We imposed " unconditional; surrender " on Germany and Japan and both countries were " occupied ".   We wrote a new Japanese constitution in which future war was forbidden.  Japan openly honours its war dead and its main shrine is heavily criticised because some executed war criminals are interred there.

Germany suffered a division between the victorious west and the encroaching hordes of Communist Russia and the German people were aghast when the crimes of Hitler's Nazis were revealed.  This country has gone to great lengths to preserve the memorials to the Holocaust and safeguard its memory.  Both Germany and Japan are now robust trading nations long removed from the odium of the second world war.

What seems to be forgotten about the American civil war was that the contestants were American citizens on both sides, and when the war ended, the survivors were still American citizens. We may argue about the issues over which the war was fought, but what can not be contested is that both sides fought a noble battle for what they perceived to be the best interests of their American homeland.

There is something unreal in the names of citizens who founded some of America's great institutions being removed from buildings and vilified - because at some time in the distant past they owned slaves.  Some of the founding fathers owned slaves and that was as normal as punishing a servant with lashes for neglect of duty.   We can not apply the customs of the present to the past and extract  retribution for wrong doing.

The American civil war is best left as it was since the last shot was fired.  Each side fondly remembers its dead with reverence and today those battles are re-enacted and the tactics hotly discussed.   Those agitating for the removal of civil war memorabilia are doing their country a grave disservice !

The " Taiwan " Question !

A very long time ago the whole western military strategy was concentrated on stopping Communism advancing from both China and the Soviet Union and to this end America guaranteed Taiwan protection from a Chinese Communist invasion.  General Chiang Kia  Shek was the loser in a Chinese civil war and he retreated to the island of Formosa, which was renamed Taiwan.

Today Taiwan is a heavily armed fortress which is successfully trading with the rest of the world. Communism imploded in the Soviet Union and China has emerged as a capitalist economy trading under the iron fist of what can only be described as a Communist dictatorship.  To trade with China, the rest of the world needs to kow tow to the Chinese claim that Taiwan is simply a " renegade province ".   China claims that eventually it will reclaim this island, by force if necessary.

China has recently devoted a bigger share of its trading surplus to developing a blue water navy capable of matching American sea power and the two powder kegs where these forces may collide are the South China sea - and Taiwan.  China claims sovereignty by virtue of man made islands in the South China sea and this has been rejected by the International law of the sea.   Should China seek to  control ship movements through this international waterway a military confrontation would be inevitable.

Taiwan is an enigma that has been losing a diplomatic battle with its giant neighbour.  Other nations can have diplomatic relations with just one, and not both.   China has used this to force Taiwan from membership of world bodies and its democratic form of government is a constant irritation to China's Communist leadership.  China openly claims that should Taiwan declare independence it would immediately reclaim the island using military force.

Taiwan's president, Tsai Ing-wen heads a party with independence on its manifesto but which is not pressing that as an issue at present.  In the past, the United States has sailed aircraft carriers and other warships through the Taiwan strait between the island and the mainland as a show of force to back its guarantee of protection for Taiwan.   That was a credible deterrent when China  fielded a massive land army and had merely coastal sea power.  Today, that sea power balance is approaching - marginal.

China is flexing its muscles by holding live fire exercises in the Taiwan strait.  This is clearly a form of intimidation, possibly more intended to test American resolve than to seriously threaten the Taiwanese government.  Taiwan is heavily armed with American made defence equipment but would be unlikely to win a long term war with its giant neighbour.   In the event of conflict, American assistance would be pivotal.

Should conflict emerge between China and Taiwan it would clearly present America with a crucial decision and much would depend on how that conflict originated.  The world pays lip service to that " one China " claim and should Taiwan declare independence world opinion could support China. It would be a huge step to go to war over what many would see as an internal matter of political control within the Chinese federation.

The days when Communism was seen as seeking world domination are long gone.  Perhaps many past treaties have lost their relevance !

Rotten - to the Core !

When the average person walks out the door for the last time with a superannuation check in his or her pocket that magic world of retirement depends on being able to wisely make the money last until life's end.  Most people seek the advice of a retirement planner because we are led to believe that this is a magic world where skilled people have the knowledge to place our money to gain the greatest advantage.  We trust that they will act in our best interest.

We have long been aware that all is not well in this financial world.  We hear lurid stories of funds invested in shonky investment companies that promise amazing returns, only for the capital to vanish into offshore tax havens from which all traces simply vanish.  We are advised to choose our advisor carefully and to that end the big four banks and a number of former insurance companies advertise their expertise and proudly nominate the huge sums of money under their management.

 This Royal Commission into banking practice has shone the light onto lies and misconduct at the highest level.  The very people who promise integrity have been robbing us by charging fees for services that are not provided and in many cases placing our money where it delivers a high commission to the counsellor's company, at the expense of the contributors return.

There has been a vast change in retirement schemes in the past half century.  Retirement used to involve a monthly pension cheque from the employers pension fund closely related to the salary level attained at retirement.   Today an employer and the employee jointly contribute to a retirement " pot " that the employee needs to manage once he or she leaves the firm.   How long the money lasts depends entirely on how well it is invested.

We have just been made aware that the AMP has also been involved in serious corporate dishonesty. The AMP used to be one of this countries foremost insurance companies and this Royal Commission has disclosed conduct similar to that of the banks.  The overwhelming impression gained is that size and advertised integrity of firms offering retirement investment advice bears no relation to the sagacity and honesty of the services they provide.

It is becoming evident that the various government supervisory boards put in place to supervise the banks and general investment industry have failed to detect and control corporate misfeasance that extends to the highest level.   There is an obvious need for heads to roll - in both the bodies that have been breaking laws and in the supervisors that have let this happen.   It should have been apparent at all levels that the billions the banks were reaping year after year was a certain indication that usurious practices were taking place somewhere in the system.

Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that what is needed will emerge from this banking fiasco.  The new regime that will supervise how the money market deals with investments will need to be crafted by the parliament and it is more likely that this will be beset by parliamentary infighting and political positioning than dealing with the needs of the general public.

There is a real danger that if the supervision becomes draconian, planners will be so adverse to risk that even adequate investment returns will become impossible.  Putting together investment practice and the supervisory level to keep it honest needs the cooperation of all sides of the parliamentary aisle.  The only way that will happen is if the general public apply enough pressure to bend the politicians to their will.

Having enough retirement money to live on is a matter of survival !

That " Legal Cannabis " Issue !

For the first time a political party that has members seated in the Australian Federal parliament is advocating a law change to make Marijuana legal for personal use here.  The Greens have only a tiny toe hold in our legislative process and legalising Cannabis is stridently opposed by both the main political parties, but it seems that world events are moving in that direction.

Several American states have opposed the laws of their Federal government and legislated to allow the sale of Cannabis for personal use.  It delivers a euphoria similar to alcohol and research claims that it is no more addictive than this other legal product.  For decades it has been the most widely traded illicit drug in Australia and there can be few young people who have not at one time or another tried smoking a " joint " !

It is now decriminalized in Uruguay, Canada and Spain where it delivers tax at the similar rate to tobacco.  It was perfectly legal in Australia about seventy years ago, but when heroin use attracted headlines a drug panic saw it legally withdrawn from the hippie movement which was growing and smoking it.   The lure of any " forbidden " product made it a natural target for supply by the crime fraternity.

Police efforts to control marijuana have been a failure. Despite regular busts it is freely available in most city suburbs from dealers who are not hard to find.  About 75,000 Australians are arrested each year for Cannabis offences and now those caught with a small quantity are simply released with a caution.   Many people consider than Cannabis should be treated separately to " hard " drugs, which include opiates, heroin, cocaine and LSD.

Legalization is opposed by the medical profession but our medicos are well known for their conservatism.  It took ages for our feet dragging politicians to legalise medical cannabis, but still only a tiny proportion are writing scripts despite the proven benefits it delivers.  This same conservative profession is still writing scripts for opiates despite the destruction this highly addictive drug is causing.

The movement to legalize cannabis contends that it could deliver a huge tax benefit to a cash strapped state and it would break the nexus between hard drugs and what they see as a mild intoxicant that delivers no more harm than is legally available from alcohol.  Making it legal would also destroy the argument that marijuana is a link to the use of more serious drugs.  This contends that when police activity halt the cannabis flow users are tempted to use other, harder drugs pushed on them by the dealers.  As a legal product, marijuana would not encounter supply shortages.

It is hard to see any legal change gaining momentum in Canberra on an Australian wide basis unless a small state like Tasmania grasps the challenge as a way of enhancing their tourist trade.  Their pubs adopted ten pm closing decades before the eastern states, which persisted with the " six o'clock swill " and Tassie was the first to legalise a casino in Australia.   It also delivered off course betting long before the eastern states brought in the TAB.

What is unmistakably evident is that opposition to marijuana is fading on the world scene.  The only thing that can reliably be said  about cannabis legislation is " never say never "  !

Bushfire Threat !

This past weekend we had a serious bushfire in Sydney's south west that crossed Heathcote road and pushed into the Georges river national park, forcing homeowners from Menai to Alfords point to evacuate in the face of a storm of burning embers.  This was a major fire and it had the potential to sweep out of control and destroy whole suburbs.

Our fire fighting services deployed convoys of fire fighting vehicles and personnel were stretched to the limit to bring this fire under control and once again the turning point was often the efforts of massive aircraft bombing the fire front with tonnes of fire suppressant, together with helicopters delivering water where it was most needed.  Along with residents who remained to protect their properties, this fire saw the deployment of several thousand firefighters who risked their lives in this emergency situation.

The cost is yet to be estimated.  It was a mix of paid fire fighters and the heroic volunteer brigades who train and give their time for free and those massive aircraft cost thousands of dollars an hour to deploy, but the end result was no homes lost and no deaths.  It is sad to realise that the most probable cause of that fire was some idiot with a match who deliberately set it ablaze for their own personal satisfaction.

It is not unusual for some unfortunate people to lose their lives in bushfires in which case the firebug could be charged with homicide, but that rarely seems to happen.  At best the charge would be " manslaughter " because that death was not premeditated because the outcome of the fire would be unknown.

The chances of tracking down the culprit are constantly improving.  More homes have security cameras and more cars have dashcams which can reveal anybody suspiciously leaving the start of a fire scene, and fire investigators have the ability to accurately determine the starting point of fires. This is a crime that needs a definitive punishment as a deterrent.  Unfortunately, the fire starters are often children seeking excitement, or adults suffering from mental illnesses. It is a fact of life that sane people do not light bushfires.

Lightening strikes are the cause of some fires, but in many cases it is human carelessness.   A discarded cigarette butt or an unwisely placed camp fire, but the hot exhaust of a car pulled off the road into dry grass can start a blaze.   We urge caution, but we will never be free of summer wild fires and the damage they cause.

We should be thankful for the volunteers that respond to these emergencies, together with the support helpers who setup relief stations which supply sandwiches and cold drinks to sustain the firefighters,  In this latest fire the  Kirrawee veterinary hospital used social media to offer care for the pets of those forced to evacuate. They made their facilities free for forty-eight hours to relieve the strain of finding care for pets when an emergency evacuation was in place, and that must have been a great relief to many people.

Bushfires have always been part of the Australian summer scene.  What is heartening is the community response that comes together when danger threatens.

Are Prisons an Asset !

Plans have been announced to build a new prison on vacant land at Kembla Grange in the city of Wollongong.  The idea is having a mixed reception as nearby residents ponder whether it will increase or decrease land values and what sort of danger the concentration of convicted criminals housed in the community will deliver.

Prison is supposed to be a place of rehabilitation, where prisoners learn the error of their ways and earn privileges on the way to their release.  The newly convicted start their prison life in maximum security and are constantly moved to break dangerous relationships, but these conditions are slowly relaxed as their time of release nears.   Usually, they are allowed day release so prisoners are  accustomed to earning a living before the prison gates shut behind them and they re-enter the community on parole.

New South Wales has been experimenting with what are called " Pop-up Prisons " and it is unclear if that is what is proposed for Kembla Grange.  In that concept each prison group lives in " pods " in which about twenty-five prisoners experience communal living.   There are no individual cells and prisoners are collectively housed together with individual living space which contains a bed, toilet, desk and audio screen.  There are no doors and prisoners are free to move about within such pods, but the arrangement is overseen by guards on a mezzanine floor which overlooks each pod.

In the distant past prisons usually used inmates for tasks such as stamping out car number plates or in some jurisdictions, working on chain gangs to create new roads.   Today, the emphasis is on education and improving the prisoners ability to earn a living.   Very few are serving a sentence which requires them to die in jail and so even the worst offenders will eventually serve in the general prison population.

Rehabilitation is enhanced if a strong bond exists with loved ones and the ability to receive visits is important.  Having a prison in a city with road and rail links to the rest of the state is far preferable than a remote country location where such visits are difficult.  Being transferred to a prison near family can be an important reward for continuing good behaviour.

Many communities regard a nearby prison as a desirable asset.   It is a good source of well paid jobs and usually prison officers reside locally.   The needs of such an institution provide a wealth of work and supply for the various industries of the region and so a prison presence is favoured locally.  If this new prison is rejected by Wollongong it will be eagerly sought by other municipalities.

The only thing surprising is that the prison location is on the Kembla Grange flood plain which is also attracting new housing.  If global warming results in rising sea levels this will be the first part of the Illawarra to face inundation.  It does beg the question as to whether state planning takes global warming dangers seriously.

Global Warming !

Donald Trump in America and Tony Abbott in Australia think global warming is " crap " !  A lot of other world leaders at least pay lip service to the coming danger but hesitate to put in place the legislation needed to turn back the tide.   The scientific community tell us we are fast approaching the " point of no return "   That rising sea levels are now inevitable !

If we haven't made up our mind on this matter we might do well to get a map of the world, put it on the wall, and sit back and give the matter some thought.   The first thing that becomes apparent is that water covers a vast area of the surface of planet earth and we humans live on just five basic great land masses protruding from that ocean.

They are north America and South America, Africa, Australia - and the biggest of them all is that great continent that encompasses Europe, Asia and the Middle east and has the biggest concentration of citizens.   To the far north and south we have the Arctic and AntArctic, which just happen to store our biggest supply of fresh drinking water.

Every one of those continents has at least one major river which name is familiar to us.  In North America it is the Mississippi.  In South America the Amazon. In Africa the Congo.  In Russia the Volga and in that great European/Asia land mass we have the Nile, The Yangtze, the Mekong, the Ganges,and the Brahmaputra.  In Australia we have the Murray.

The first of humankind settled beside those rivers and used the water to irrigate their crops.  Each river had is headwaters in a mountain range and flows to the sea.  The surrounding land is the bread basket of the world and sees the greatest concentration of the people of this earth.

It is now apparent that the ice of the Arctic and AntArctic are melting and the great ice sheets of Greenland will soon contribute to rising sea levels.  As the sea levels rise the flow of these great rivers will be reversed.  Salty seawater will intrude further inland and the agriculture the rivers sustained will be lost.  We face a coming world famine. The land inundation will see great masses of people forced to relocate to higher - less productive - ground.   It will create a new world refugee problem.

The other danger is that northern parts of Alaska, Canada and Russia never thaw.  The land maintains permafrost through each summer, but rising temperatures are reversing that trend.  If the soil thaws it will reveal dead animals and humans from the distant past and they may contain the bacteria of diseases that have fortunately died out on this planet.  We could see a repeat of the " Spanish flu " that swept the earth in the 1920's and killed millions.

It doesn't take the mind of Einstein to connect the dots.  Most of the worlds great rivers start their journey to the sea fed by melting glaciers and the melt of winter snow.  It is quite clear the glaciers are failing and each year winter brings less snow.  As the river flow diminishes, rising sea levels will reverse that flow inland with salty water, and that is inimical to agriculture.

Politicians are a self serving lot.   Many choose to disbelieve because the measures necessary to avoid catastrophe would be unpopular with the voters and they will have departed from office when it happens.  A little time studying that world map and giving it intelligent thought to what  inertia has in store for us would be helpful.