3. Beyond State Containerism

The past president of the World Bank, Professor Joseph Stiglitz links wellbeing with economics in a recent address to the Australian Productivity Commission. He has published a book together with Professor Amartya Sen, entitled Mismeasuring Our Lives. Sen discusses the role of social inclusion in discussions on climate change and building capacity. They link quality of life, perceived wellbeing about what we value and our attitudes towards the environment and living in ways that develop and protect stocks for the future. They stress the need to transform our attitudes towards productivity and consumption. Tim Flannery, winner of the Australia Award for his thinking on climate change, has also stressed that we need to think about intergenerational wellbeing and what kind of future we wish to bequeath to our grandchildren. Emeritus Professor Alexander Christakis of Global Agoras, together with Flanagan, Bausch and his team have stressed the importance of democratic engagement to enhance an understanding of climate change. Recently, Professor Wilkinson, together with Pickett linked social inclusion in more equal societies with better quality of life in their book entitled The Spirit Level. Sen and Flannery stress that a better quality of life is linked with a demographic transition to smaller population growth rates. Furthermore, the current winner of the Sydney Peace Prize, Dr. Vandana Shiva, a physicist, links wellbeing with the protection of our food supplies; whilst Murray a senior academic physicist at the University of Sydney links the size of our carbon footprint with the wellbeing of our whole region. Olive Veverbrants, an Arrerrente Australian, stressed ‘the earth is our mother’ and we depend on it for our survival.

http://​www.​globalissues.​org/​article/​26/​poverty-facts-and-stats#fact2.

According to Held (2005, pp. 33–34):

We may lack the will but it cannot be said that we lack the means. A few telling examples make the point. The UN budget is $ 1.25 billion plus the necessary finance for peace keeping per annum. Against this, US citizens spend over $ 8 billion per annum on cosmetics, 27 billion per annum on confectionery, 70 billion per annum on alcohol and over 560 billion per annum on cars…. Or take the European Union: its citizens spend 11 billion per annum on ice cream 150 billion on cigarettes and alcohol; while the EU and the US together spend over 17 billion per annum on pet food…. What do we require to make a substantial difference to the basic wellbeing of the world’s poorest? Again the statistics are available. Required would be 6 billion per annum on basic education, 9 billion per annum for water and sanitation, 12 billion per annum for the reproductive health of women, 13 billion per annum for basic health nutrition…. These figures are substantial, but when judged against the major consumption expenditure in the US and EU they are not beyond our reach. Moreover if all the OECD agricultural subsidies were removed and spent on the world’s poorest peoples this would release some 300 billion per annum…. In addition a small shift between military and aid budgets—900 and 50 billion a year globally would make a marked difference to the human security agenda….

Drummond, M. 2012 ‘Technocrats face voter backlash’ Financial Review March 17–18, p. 54.

The long view on climate change, Editorial Comment, Sydney Morning Herald Friday 16th March p. 10.

It is possible for measures of average to disguise the fact that a high-income does not enable exhausted workers to enjoy the same kind of leisure that a lower-income family enjoys who has access to the safety net of capital, a home (rather than a mortgage) and the security that loss of income will not lead to a loss of their home or their social networks.

Conservative economists argue that consumption can be modified by those with an income to build-up wealth. The difference in this report is that consumption refers to stocks that are usually not included in economic measures. The most important point made is that by contributing to the public good, individual households could enhance their wellbeing. In Australia, households that were protected by levee banks weathered the recent floods in New South Wales. State governments that levy taxes to build resilient communities are providing for the common good. Reducing consumption in order to pay taxes to protect our homes and families makes sense as New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland continue to count the costs of flooding in Australia.

Pearson, C. 2012 Eco-zealots presume to endanger our economy: a declaration of war on coal disrespects 40,000 workers and their families.’ Weekend Australian March 11–12, 22.

Karvelas, ‘NT Indigenous topping the class’ and ‘Aboriginal boom a “reconnection”’. Weekend Australian p. 2 June 23–24: According to Karevelas 2012: ‘The greatest advance in education in the past 5 years has been among Aborigines in the Northern Territory, with a 69.4 % increase in the number of indigenous students completing year 12… [This improvement] is since 2006 in the NT- outstripping the national rise of 48 %- cannot solely be explained by the surge of people identifying as Aboriginal for the first time following Kevin Rudd’s 2008 apology.’ According to Karvellas 2012: ‘The number of Aborigines in the NT rose by 5.81 %, from 53,662 in 2006 to 56,779 last year. There has also been an increase in home ownership in NT.’

Aikman, A., and Salusinsky, I. 2012. Aborigines lash out at advice to grow veggies, The Weekend Australian, pp. 1–2. The publication of this quote is in line with a newspaper that is pro the market and anti-green voters, when the interests of the coal and uranium lobby are threatened.

Lloyd, G. 2012. Beijing lashes Canberra as carbon talks stall. The Weekend Australian. May 26–27, 5.

Currently, only Europe has developed a post-national regional approach which is at risk of disintegrating.

‘In France the shootings in Toulouse were caused in part by the fact that in France residents of the ghettoes fringing Paris and other cities are indicative of an underclass who is alienated by their lack of representation. The violence of the crimes in Toulouse were said to be in response to the violence against children elsewhere who are victims of the war on the identity of Islamic followers. Violence ratchets up violence. The violence of capital backed by the law and the military can be matched with violent anarchy against the system or instead another option could be followed. Aarhus (Denmark) has become a site for right wing groups to organize in the wake of the Toulouse shootings by Mohamed Merah (ABC news 1 April, 7 pm news on TV) in France. It illustrates the point that social justice needs to be made by Held that social movements from below are not always good. More or less at the same time a Brazilian was taysored in Australia which resulted in his death and a young black man was shot in America by a white neighourhood watch patroller. Zimmerman was white, the boy was black. Obama spoke out about this saying his own child would look like this child. Republicans say this is not the point.’ Malley, N. 2012 ‘One fatal shot echoes across a divided US’ The Saturday Age March 31.

‘In the realm of totalitarian kitsch, all answers are given in advance and preclude any questions. It follows, then, that the true opponent of totalitarian kitsch is the person who asks questions. A question is like a knife that slices through the stage backdrop and gives us a look at what lies hidden behind it….’ (Kundera 1984, p. 254). In a post-consumerist world, wealth needs to be re-evaluated, because, to draw on, adapt and apply Einstein’s well-known aphorism: We cannot solve the economic and environmental problems of today with the same ideas of property and consumption that created the problem of an unsustainable way of life. But to enable freedom of thought science and democratic testing out ideas requires a democratic state—but the problem is that the nation state has not acted in the interests of freedom and democracy as John Keane points out. Emotions run high as resources run out.

‘As a new politics emerges around issues of movement and mobilities, many people seek to break from the orthodoxies of the present and consider new mobile paths of living.’ Elliot and Urry stress that their book ‘has been a contribution to further opening up the politics and practices of people’s lives and their intermittent and deeply problematic mobilities’ (Elliot and Urry 2010, p. 159).

Keynote public lecture as precursor to the workshop entitled: ‘The paradox of melancholia: paralysis and melancholia: a workshop organised by Professor Anthony Elliot, Professor Brian Castro and Associate Professor Jennifer Rutherford. 21–23 June 2012, Adelaide, South Australia’.

http://​www.​abc.​net.​au/​news/​2012-06-16/​aung-san-suu-kyi-receives-her-nobel-peace-prize/​4074992.

This research emphasizes the creation of multiple paths to form webs to wellbeing through critical, systemic engagement to ensure that local people get to know about local resources (that are listed in directories created by both service users and providers) and that their identity is protected. They are able to see the typical scenarios of what people have, need, are prepared to add or discard from their lives and what they think are turning points for the better and worse.

The carbon tax passed by the Julia Gillard government led to the so-called fear and loathing debate—between those who support the tax, for idealistic reasons (save the planet) or pragmatic reasons (the opportunity costs of doing something sooner, rather than later) and those who deny that human beings can do anything to make a difference to climate change. The only hope is for human beings to be both more creative and more caring about future generations and that democracy will not be destroyed. The right to speak out is vital for science, democracy and ethics, but the right to use the resources greedily and without thought of others in this generation or the next is problematic. Is democracy the right way to manage resources beyond the nation state? Perhaps it is fair to say that within limits set post-national federations, nation states should have a say. But that the Tuvalu test should be taken by all national governments to ensure that they do not use more resources that it is their right to use. The market and the state will need to play a role—but under the auspices of law. Also see O’Neill, 2011. ‘Climate skeptics called every name in the book’. Weekend Australian, 3–4, p. 14. The tone of the criticism of those who suggested the carbon tax, has increased (see the article by Tom Switzercarbo http://​www.​smh.​com.​au/​comment/​game-finally-up-for-carboncrats-20140113-30qqo.​html. Accessed 20 Jan2014).

Judiciary hits back at PM’s ‘unfair’ criticism. Weekend Australian, 3–4, 5.

‘The details of these early demokratiai, as contemporaries called them’ provide a cautionary tale of ‘painful detail of the destruction of democratic institutions, either by military conquest, or by conspiracies of the rich, or by single minded tyrants, or by all the5ree, in some combination or sequence. Each case provides yet another reminder of the utter contingency of democracy—of the ease with which it can be blown away….’ (Keane 2009, p. 91).

The redevelopment of the park for a shopping mall is yet another example of capitalist development, but arguably not even neo-liberal in its approach, but water cannon and tear gas as opposed to bullets is possibly a step away from naked authoritarianism. The discussion by Habermas (2008) about the importance of public dialogue and a public space in some respects is at the heart of this protest. Taksim Square is a site for protest, a marker for change. This is threatened and the public is trying to take a stand against reassertions of authoritarianism. The scaling up of participation is the challenge. This is where the EU has fallen short.

The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America by George Packer—review A profile of ordinary lives provides a powerful portrait of the USA http://​www.​guardian.​co.​uk/​books/​2013/​jun/​21/​unwinding-history-america-packer-review.

AFP, 2011. IBM chips to mimic human brain Weekend Australian 20–21 August, “IBM says that it has developed prototypes of computer chips that mimic the way the human brain works. The experimental ‘cognitive computing chips’ could eventually lead to machines that ‘emulate the brain’s abilities for perception, action and cognition,’ the company said yesterday. ‘These chips are another significant step in the evolution of computers from calculators to learning systems, signaling the beginning of a new generation of computers….”

http://​chamber.​350.​org/​2011/​08/​u-s-chamber-asks-obama-to-delay-new-smog-standards.\ Accessed 22 Aug 2011. ‘The US Chamber does not speak for me: “Nearly 1000 small business owners this week from across the political spectrum have joined forces to denounce the US Chamber [of Commerce] for claiming smog regulations will crush small business….” The US Chamber claimed to represent small business last week when it pushed Obama to let smog pollution slide. Small business owners don’t like smog, our families don’t like breathing smog, and the climate can’t handle any more….’

See http://​www.​agl.​com.​au/​about/​EnergySources/​Pages/​energy-assets.​aspx. Accessed 15 Aug 2012.

http://​www.​wind-watch.​org/​news/​2011/​08/​09/​living-with-wind-farms/​.

According to the ABC on 2/08/2012, http://​www.​abc.​net.​au/​news/​2012-05-11/​council-conducts-own-wind-farm-noise-report/​4005440. Accessed 2 Aug 2012. ‘The Goyder council has requested an acoustics report into a proposed wind farm in the area, before its development assessment panel considers the company’s application. TRU energy wants to install 41 turbines at Stony Gap, about seven kilometres from its already operating wind farm at Waterloo, near Clare. Council CEO John Brak says it wanted an independent review of noise reports provided by TRUenergy.’ ‘The issue around noise with wind farms has been the main issue generally in the Goyder community and in the broader community about wind farms, so it’s the most topical issue and certainly the largest issue other than…environment and visual amenity and flicker and bird strike and things like that,’ he said. He says pending the report being received; a decision on the application is expected to be made by the panel next month. ‘To seek an independent peer review of the noise reports that were provided by the applicant…is part of the development assessment process, so that that peer review can inform our consultant planner on the report that she provides to the development assessment panel,’ he said. Panel to review wind farm extension bid, Posted July 13, 2011 14:27:19 ‘A plan to extend a wind farm development in South Australia’s mid-north will go before the assessment panel of the Regional Council of Goyder today. International Power wants to boost the number of turbines planned for Willogoleche Hill near Hallett from 26 to 37.A planning assessor for the council has recommended the development be approved, subject to a number of conditions. However, Yacka resident Dennis Dale says the region will soon be surrounded by turbines. ‘I’m just concerned that this [is] one of many wind farms in that area of Hallett, there are 800 turbines just planned, being built or operating already just in this area of the mid-north,’ she said. ‘I just think there’s too many of them.’ http://​www.​abc.​net.​au/​news/​2011-07-13/​panel-to-review-wind-farm-extension-bid/​2793478 Accessed 2 Aug2012.

http://​www.​wind-watch.​org/​news/​2011/​08/​19/​wind-farm-sickness-ballarat-doctor-calls-for-study/​Wind farm sickness: Ballarat doctor calls for studyCredit: BY BRENDAN GULLIFER, The Courier, www.​thecourier.​com.​au. Accessed 19 Aug 2011.

‘The details of these early demokratiai, as contemporaries called them’ provides a cautionary tale of ‘painful detail of the destruction of democratic institutions, either by military conquest, or by conspiracies of the rich, or by single minded tyrants, or by all three in some combination or sequence. Each case provides yet another reminder of the utter contingency of democracy—of the ease with which it can be blown away….’ (Keane 2009, p. 91).