Your choice

David Leigh

FROM time immemorial, politics has followed the same theme. One word has dominated all issues and has been the fulcrum for change, or retention of the status quo. That word ‘economy’ has been the drive train, connecting the engine of democracy with the wheels of commerce. It is as though the dollar reigns supreme over life itself, over the very survival of the species. It has even been said, money is the key to survival and without it man would perish.

Nuevo quantum advances in relevance, however, have caused the true thinkers, to look back, rather than forward. This is by no means a retrograde step, but rather an assessment of what was best, prior to modern civilisation and what, if anything, can be gleaned from much simpler times. The reasons are quite clear, climate change and its impending dagger, dangling menacingly above, has caused even the most stalwart of sceptics to at least consider and acknowledge a need for action.

The key to success and sustainability lies in that word ‘economy’ and one has to look at its origins, rather than today’s misuse, to see the problem. From the Greek word ‘oikonomikos’ which originates further from ‘oikonomia’ meaning careful management of available resources, the word economy is to be frugal and protect one’s livelihood. It can be compared to the squirrel burying its nuts; possibly not the best of metaphors as this is exactly what caused the problem in the first place, excessive breeding.

In Tasmania, like many other places, we have squandered our resources for the modern use of the word and are continuing to do so. In a land where soil and weather conditions combine to allow the production of quality food, in vast quantities, we are wasting that combination to produce paper. In my experience of the culinary world, I have to admit to never seeing, nor trying a recipe using this ingredient.

We appear to be working against nature in the same way as those farmers who put their cattle and sheep into labour during the frosty winter months, in order to meet an overseas market demand. There is a natural order in life, something our forefathers understood and we have chosen to ignore.

Another word springs to mind ‘ecology’, which comes from a similar origin ‘oikos’ meaning house. It is rather strange that a word meaning organisms, their relationship to each other and their natural surroundings should come from ‘home’.

How does all this fit in with our political situation? Glad you asked. Politics or governance is the engine that drives economy in both meanings of the word. It is also the machinery to control our ecology and as such keep our ‘house’ in order. The way we harmonise with each other and our environment is crucial to the survival of the species. A government, which dwells solely on business, chasing the mighty dollar, is only looking at a small part of the economy. A government that deals with ecology is a body, which deals with the whole economy.

Weather-house politics has dominated our society since the start of industrialisation. Whether it is Labour/Tory, Democrat/Republican or our own Labour/Liberal system, we take the safe option every time. With two doctrines worshiping monetary value and forsaking all else, the choice is not too dissimilar. After all, one can only be 50% wrong and either way, the economy rules, so survival is inevitable, right?

So, looking back, in order to look forward; voting for a government based on traditional values, now that is scary. No mention of workplace reforms, interest rates, GST, no discussion on the minimum wage, just keeping our forests intact, growing hemp for fibre, fuel and food, making sure all Tasmanians have access to clean drinking water (remember that stuff), traditional work skills, such as carpentry, using trees for a more sustainable purpose. Farming for food to feed a nation and not for export, Australia for Australians.

The dagger, mentioned earlier, is still hanging there and with a huge part of the Earth’s land mass about to become waterlogged, there will be a new type of war raged on our sovereignty, a land rush for land’s sake. Not, as before, for gold, one of the most useless materials ever discovered and used originally as the basis for our economy. Land will be the new currency and what it produces, food and clean water, will be the things bartered in the new economy.

A governing body, which embraces these true values, may take us out of our comfort zone at election time. It would certainly put us at odds with the old guard of large corporations and the ruling classes, both of which have a similar objective, but when one thinks deeply about it, the choice is not so difficult, carbon credits, allowing some to pollute, while others have to pay the price, or the economy of ecology? Your choice.