Malcolm Turnbull's appeal goes beyond politics

Malcolm Turnbull is of the wrong political stripe, but I would vote for him.

That, however, is unlikely for I live in Shepparton and he represents the central Sydney-based seat of Wentworth, and for now, as he has indicated his intent to retire.

Malcolm Turnbull

The 56-year-old former investment banker, and journalist, is a considered and articulate man who values reason more than emotion and has that mysterious panache that frequently attaches itself to leaders.
Turnbull became the leader of the national Liberal Party late in 2008 and just over a year later was defeated by Tony Abbott, who continues in that role – although unaware of the accompanying political intrigue, that change in Liberal leadership makes me wonder about what value the Liberals put on reason and intelligence?
A recent free public lecture given by Mr Turnbull at the University of Melbourne attracted about 250 people, many, no doubt, who would have been students of politics, social dynamics and, of course, those interested in the broader machinations of society.
The present Shadow Minister for Communications spoke for about 40 minutes and although the hour-long session was meant to end at 7:30pm, Mr Turnbull was still answering questions at nearly eight o’clock.
The recently retired head of the university’s Centre for Advanced Journalism, Michael Gwenda, closed the conversation and in thanking Mr Turnbull asked for a show of thanks, igniting applause louder than heard at most similar events.
It was Mr Turnbull’s belief in the seriousness of human induced climate change that led to the end of his Liberal Party leadership, despite the fact that many of fellow party members vouched their support.
Listening to Mr Turnbull speak affirmed, in reverse, the Socrates observation that "the unexamined life is not worth living" for he allows nothing by until he has considered and examined the detail.
Interestingly, I do not stand alone in my admiration of Mr Turnbull for beyond most of those who heard the recent lecture - “Politics, Journalism and the 24/7 News Cycle” – there was a visiting professor who had played a senior role in American public life and spoke a few weeks earlier said: “American politics needs someone like Malcolm Turnbull”.
Australians have had their chance to luxuriate in Mr Turnbull’s intelligence, but generally abused that opportunity and rather than have him lead the Liberal Party, and then, hopefully, the country, they have opted for a regression into what he calls “the game” of politics, rather than the examination of and substance of what it is that makes democracy work and the subsequent implications of benefits for all.
Democracy demands many things, among them good journalism, but beyond that it also critically needs thoughtful and visionary fellows such as Malcolm Turnbull.

"Thud" in my driveway; a thud that echoes around the world

A heavy monthly thud in my driveway is a reminder of the continuing dilemma of consumerism.

Thud! - "the (melbourne)
 magazine" is in my driveway.

The heavy thud alerts me that the Melbourne Age has arrived complete with its wonderful, but strangely contradictory, publication, “the (melbourne) magazine”.
The full colour, glossy magazine of nearly 100 pages obviously targets a market that is beyond my budget and although I thoroughly enjoy The Age, it unsettles me that my subscription to the paper allows the inclusion of a product clearly directed at the “big end of town”.
Confusingly, I really like the magazine in probably what is a reflection of an inability to truly understand, and personally deal with the differences between “want” and “need” – a dilemma that is ingrained and considered generally, an impasse that has seen world’s nations scurry to South Africa’s Durban for 12 days of climate talks.
I’m unaware of the magazine’s profitability, or otherwise, but its advertising content of frequent full-page or double-page spreads, suggest that those with something to sell see it as a worthwhile vehicle to promote their goods.

Fairfax chief executive
 and managing director,
 Greg Hywood.

The magazine features some worthwhile journalistic stories and alerts readers of many fascinating events happening in and around Victoria’s capital, but in an era in which blatant consumerism is directly linked to climate change, those one hundred or so glossy pages are inherently offensive.
Therein lies the quandary as while the magazine itself is wonderful, the products marketed within it appear wonderful and its intent appears, in a modern historical sense, without question, but it endorses and encourages a way of life our world can no longer support.
Publishers of the magazine, Fairfax Media Publications is, according to its chief executive and managing director, Greg Hywood, investing heavily in digital publication so in time the rather heavy consumptive material costs of the magazine may vanish.
However, what will not by implication go away will be society’s demand for goods that are poorly positioned to help us find out way to a society in which we live in a “five-minute world”; that meaning that most of our daily needs, from work to shopping and leisure and from various services to schooling are all within a five minute five minute bike ride or walk.
Public transport is integral to the five-minute world, but the idea of train, buses and trams seems somewhat remote from the idea behind the magazine, except for their novelty value.
The reality that is climate change floats in like a feather, with the changes to the ambience of our world being almost imperceptible, but if we live with the enthusiasm encouraged by “the (melbourne) magazine” the certain changes will arrive with a thud, a thud that will echo around the world.

The contradictions and clashes between beliefs and reality

Beliefs and reality are often estranged.
Most believe the world is a violent place, and of course they are correct, but if considered historically, they are simply perpetuating a myth.

Dr Rodney Tolley

Traders invariably believe that customers need parking close to their stores as the resultant success of their businesses is linked, inextricably to the convenience of arrival by car.
That is quite wrong as surveys throughout the world, including some by traders themselves, have illustrated that customers seek a host of things, among them safety and the ability to easily access the store on foot, but have parking near the bottom of their hierarchy of needs.
Those two matters, it should be noted, are just two of many discrepancies between beliefs and reality.
Steven Pinker explored the changing realities about violence in his latest book, “The Better Angels of Our Nature: The Decline of Violence in History and Its Causes”.
Pinker acknowledged that our world is a violent place with our sensitivities sharpened by the 24-hour news service that presently encircles the globe alerting us to every violent act, no matter how small, big or obscure.


Steven Pinker

However, comparatively few people today have to live looking behind, Pinker pointed out, in the fear that they will be murdered, assaulted, tortured, raped or abducted.
The belief is that people face all those dilemmas, but the reality is that we are in the midst of a peaceful epoch and violence in its absolute sense is something of a rarity.
Car parking is another troublesome myth, different obviously, but equally ill-founded.
Speaking recently in Melbourne the chair of the global movement, Walk 21, Dr Rodney Tolley, said traders unquestionable believed car parking was what had the biggest influence on their businesses, when quite clearly it was other things, among them their easy accessibility by pedestrians.
Dr Tolley was talking to a relatively benign audience of mostly planners and those interested in urban design and argued that most business owners didn’t truly understand what it was that customers really wanted.
He said that the walkability of towns and cities, and within that easy access to shops, was now “core business” and needed to be treated seriously by all in the community.
Dr Tolley was not simple theorizing as he was able to produce hard numbers illustrating how businesses had sharply improved once pedestrian access to them and the walkability of the general area had been enhanced.
Life, it seems, is not exactly what we believe; we live in haze of myths, of ill-informed fantasies and are surrounded by judgements that are demonstrably inaccurate and yet in the name of emotional comfort, arrogance, ignorance and pride we to persevere with beliefs that have humanity teetering on the edge of the chasm.