The thoughts of a friend and the words of a writer suggest
more Australians should be aware that we live in the political slums of
mediocrity.
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| Anthony Giddens book, "The Politics of Climate Change". |
Shepparton’s Alan English just recently said, “The present
political noise over asylum people is a great distraction from (the) lack of
policy on essential services, not to mention climate change which is being put
in the too hard basket.”
Alan did not mention “the political slums of mediocrity” and nor
did Anthony Giddens in his book “The Politics of Climate Change”, but both were
suggesting we inhabit something of political shantytown in which the poverty of
considered thought is rife.
Alan, who is among those who gather Beneath the Wisteria each month
in Shepparton, is another concerned about the quality of discussion among our
politicians and often writes to our local representatives airing his disquiet.
The arrival of Alan’s note coincided with the reading
Giddens’ observations about the inadequacies of present day pugnacious politics
in addressing the most overwhelmingly difficult problem the world community has
ever faced – climate change.
Writing in his book, “The Politics of Climate Change”, the
British sociologist, who has been a prolific writer, said: “One should remember
that global warming is no ordinary risk. It is an awesome prospect to
acknowledge that, as collective humanity, we are on the verge of altering the
world’s climate, perhaps in a profound manner.”
Giddens argues that the complexity and implications of
climate change exceed anything we might consider normal and so any worthwhile
response supplants the usual political paradigm.
Any success we might have in countering the evolving
climatic changes that will bring an array of extreme weather events, hinges on
us stepping beyond our usual confrontational and point-scoring politics to
reach a concordant style through which humanity can muster its resources to
address a climate that is quickly slipping beyond that which is adequate for human
survival.
Giddens talks about the need for societal planning at a
state level, aware that such is an anathema to many, but feels a workable
solution depends upon us intellectually, emotionally and physically crossing
ideological boundaries.
“Responding to climate change will prompt and require
innovation in government itself and in the relation between the state, the
markets and civil society,” Giddens wrote.
He writes: ‘It is normal and acceptable for political
parties to claim that they, rather than their opponents, are the one to turn to
for firm action on global warming.
“Yet beyond a certain area, and beyond the rhetoric of
immediate party politics, there has to be agreement that the issue is so
important that the usual party conflicts are largely suspended or muted”.
Rather than thoughts and words we need innovative society-wide
alliances free of political pretence.
