The politics of envy has no place in Australian society
INCENTIVE is the stimulation, motive or reason to do something. It manifests itself in many ways and over many things be it sport, a new home, car, financial security or simply creating a better life for us and ours.
I have always believed in and been proud to live in the ‘lucky country’, Australia. As one of the many who were not born here, having emigrated with my parents in 1950, I have lived my life in an environment where incentive was encouraged. It took great men and women fighting for the rights of convicts transported here to establish and entrench the incentive that has taken our great nation forward.
Today I am left wondering how we have allowed this to come under threat, how the conversation has changed from a celebration of success to envy and vilification. My generation worked hard for what it has. I know I have and still do. We have contributed to our society in so many ways, building our cities, economy and infrastructure and maintaining our way of life while supporting those less fortunate.
I grew up in an era where socialism, the basis of communism presented the greatest threat to personal freedom, incentive and our way of life. The demolition of the Berlin Wall heralded the collapse of this threat, but it seems it was only a remission. We have become complacent in our guard against the destructive nature of far-left politics.
The same doctrine that saw the rise of despots under the failed socialist system has raised its ugly head here and under the guise of a fair go we are all swept up in it. A fair go has come to mean entirely something else.
During my life a fair go meant the right to follow your dreams, the opportunity to get ahead, make your own decisions and grasp opportunity when it came along. It also meant you could enjoy the fruits of your labours because you worked for and earned them. These were real incentives.
Class politics or the politics of envy have no place in our Australian society. If we allow it, we are forever changed becoming the serfs of our political masters while our politicians should be the servants of the people they represent. They swear as much in their oath of office, but do they comply?
Most of us would agree that we who work hard for our money know and appreciate how best to spend it. Then why would we agree to vote for higher taxes under Labor so their government can spend and redistribute it as it pleases, and can we trust them? From my perspective that’s no incentive to vote for them at all. BOB JANSSEN, GOLD COAST