I have recently neglected to write any kind of diary writing or any kind of writing for that matter. What kept me occupied was scanning through quite a few blogs by bloggers I subscribe too. Some of the blogs stirred something in me that I felt I very much liked to reblog. I think sometimes I commented a bit when I reblogged something. All the reblogs I found very much worth noticing in one way or another.
Some of the said reblogs had to do with the Ukrainian crisis. Everything that goes on in connection with this crisis alarms me. Nobody seems to be on top of the crisis. How easily a situation like this can lead to war. This frightens me, it frightens me very much!
Then there are the frightening changes our government here in Australia plans for us. Peter is the secretary of our body cooperative. He just received a notice from the office that our funds are not sufficient for all the necessary repairs that are outstanding right now. All the owners of the units in our complex always want to keep the fees as low as possible. They want to keep as much money as possible for their own personal use. It is the same with taxation overall. Nobody wants to pay a lot of taxes, but expects government to look after services and infrastructure and maintenance of everything. The changes our government plans, are definitely affecting low income earners much more than well off people!
Yes, we went to Sydney yesterday. I’ll write about it in my next post.
AuntyUta 
It is easy for people to lose sight of the “big” picture. They are mostly concerned with their “own little” world. Perhaps it is human nature and we need leaders who can explain it all to us. But the leaders are not always “fair dinkum” as we say here in Australia. They have their own agenda and it takes a while before we noticed we have been had.
I think, Berlioz, that elected leaders, once they are in government, do not go very much by what the people want, who elected them. They can always lead the majority of voters astray, again and again.
Today at the parliamentary question time, I heard the PM saying Labor was stopping the City Link tunnel project in Melbourne. It was outrageously misleading if not even a lie. Because this particular project was rejected by the people of Victoria at the recent state election.
In that case the people won. The project was stopped because the people did not like it. Naturally, the PM would not have liked it, that Labor promised the people to stop the project. It got them elected at Victorians State elections, and they kept their promise. For sure, the PM hates it even more, that Labor stuck to their promise!
You are very wise, Aunty Uta. Having been in Germany during World War II, you should be advising leaders in how to avoid war or any strife. I feel a blog post coming for you…can’t wait to read it.
What you say about Australians wanting to keep taxes low but expecting government to cover infrastructure, etc, is true in America as well. Also true about it impacting low income households the most. Here in America the top 1% income bracket runs the government because they need to be wealthy to afford to run campaigns. We elect them, but their fear related platforms make voters lose their heads temporarily under the delusion that if they don’t get their vote their rights will be infringed on. Of course this is my opinion.
Thank you for this thoughtful post, and the lovely pic.
Love,
E
Dear E, what you say about voters’ sentiments sounds absolutely right to me. Berlioz says that it is easy for people to lose sight of the “big” picture. They are mostly concerned with their “own little” world.
Advising leaders? For that, leaders have to be open to advice. Chancellor Merkel for instance says in the Ukraine Crisis a military solution is not possible. It remains to be seen whether what she says is going to be taken seriously.
There are well known academics in US who have done research on the East European situation. They can explain to you why it is not wise to confront Russia. The Ukraine can never defeat Russia. It is not possible, unless you have World War Three! Russia needs Ukraine or at lest part of it, as a buffer zone. The West should not prop up a corrupt Ukrainian government. It is not to the benefit of the common people no matter how much they long to belong to the West. Let them have normal trade relations with the West. That should really be sufficient. They do not need to belong to NATO. This only confronts the Russians. Why are Western leaders so determined to confront Russia? Why are they not willing to listen to the experts?
Dear cardamone5, Aunty Uta’s wisdom seems to be backed up by a study of the University of Central Oklahoma which shows that introducing new and more weapons will only prolong and worsen the conflict.
http://www.dw.de/study-suggests-arming-ukraine-would-prolong-conflict/a-18249802
The OCSE seems to come to the same conclusion and gave that advice to the recent Munich Security Conference.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/08/arming-ukraine-army-escalate-conflict-ocse
Thank you very much, dear Berlioz, for these very important links! Much appreciated. Thank you.
My mother lives in a strata complex of nine units. She has been treasurer of her body corporate in a voluntary capacity for many years. With her health issues, she is no longer able to do it and there is no-one else who will take it over. My brother suggested to the other owners they contribute just a little more each moth and pay for a body corporate manager. Well that did not go too well with them at all! You are correct that people do not want to pay just that little bit extra for shared expenses. They feel they are being robbed and cannot see it as improving their own quality of life.
Our complex has ten units, Elizabeth, and Peter has been taking on this honorary job right from the start when the units had just been built. That was twenty years ago! We are in a similar kind of situation. Nobody wants to relieve Peter of the job, and nobody wants to pay extra fees for employing someone. Peter is really getting on in age. I don’t know for how much longer he can do it. All the body corporate business is handled by an office in Wollongong who are very good in handling all our requests which Peter has to relate to them.
Thank you very much for your comment, Elizabeth. 🙂
Good to read your comments on such diverse subjects Uta. Nobody really wants to take chances with their money anymore, much like in the bigger picture where various governments control taxpayers money and do not spend it on what the people expect, they tend to spend it on infrastructures that appeal to their electorates, hence ensuring their political aspirations.
I have never seen Australia go through a worse government phase as we have seen, and seeing still, in over a decade or more now.
Regards to you both, hot tomorrow, 43 here.
Reblogged this on AuntyUta.