Trumpled (Alternative Leading)

[DJC]

lods I don't want to diminish it at all.  That's not the point.  It was very different to live in that time and of course no one ever has it easy.  Struggles are always relative, but the struggles need to be relative.  These days the struggles seem to be less surmountable and im starting to hear people complain about the sort of thing that hits everyone but they're from the upper earning parts which is a worry.  They're not worried about the cost of technology, phones, streaming services.  They're cutting those. It's food, energy, housing, petrol, commuting, supermarket shopping, healthcare and in suburbs that are not affluent even though they earn well.  Very alarming signs for society.

I dont think people ever have it easy, but there was a roughly 50 year period where things were easier.  It ended about mid 2000's.

Having lived through that period Thry, I have to say that you haven’t got a clue.  It was struggle street for the vast majority.

I could show you my primary school photographs of skinny kids dressed in rags and who were subjected to vicious corporal punishment and worse. 

Australian governments were mired in depression era policies in the 1950s and tried to control all aspects of the economy through tariffs, subsidies, wage fixing, etc. This meant that we missed out on the post-war boom that increased production throughout most of the world.

The optimistic 1960s saw the emergence of prosperous, modern Australia but that was tempered by the stagflation of the 1970s and divisive issues like the Vietnam war, conscription, contraception, abortion, communism, apartheid, Franklin Dam, etc.  It’s no wonder that we were talking about revolution and public demonstrations and civil disobedience were at the highest levels ever experienced.

Regardless of what some members of particular generations may think, our economy, quality of life, wellbeing, etc may experience fluctuations but battlers still battle, the entitled are still entitled, the exploiters still exploit, the profiteers still profit, the bludgers still bludge and families still struggle to make ends meet. The high interest rates of the 1990s certainly made things difficult and it was the worst economic conditions I have experienced as an adult. Things are tough now but nothing like the 1990s.

I could list more Australian politicians who performed ably well after their 50s and who came from all walks of life.  The point is that age is largely irrelevant provided cognitive ability is not impaired.  Younger politicians are harder to find, 28 year old QLD premier Robert Herbert is an exception, but that’s due to lack of opportunity rather than lack of capacity.