Monday, July 28, 2014

Monday Morning Forum – another whatever you like

My mind is still tied up in geography and especially that of Northern NSW. I am trying to clarify a particular conundrum connected with that area where the Hunter Valley, the North Coast, the Tablelands and Liverpool Plains meet. It’s the same area that I referred to in my last post (Sunday Essay – maps, myopia and the Aboriginal story).

All this means that I have absolutely no idea as to what topic to suggest for this Monday’s discussion. So what has attracted your attention during the week? What would you like to raise?

8 comments:

Evan said...

The disconnect between reality and politics.

Politics as management of perception. Must it come to an end? Or will we persevere with illusions? This latter seems to be the current option taken by the 2 major parties.

Jim Belshaw said...

I suspect that politics has always involved some management of perceptions. With so many channels now, the management of perceptions has become the politics.

Winton Bates said...

We are always dealing with perceptions. The issue is how to know when the perceptions are illusions.
For example, the perception that the ALP is a socialist party has probably been an illusion for the last 50 years.

Jim Belshaw said...

I am sure that you are right on the ALP, Winton! I agree that one issue is to know when perceptions are illusions. However, that's not the same as the politics of perceptions.

Anonymous said...

Evan mentioned the 'disconnect' between politics and reality. I think of this as a metaphor for my present frustration - garden hoses. Nylex, Pope, Neta, Gardena. Different colours, same deficiencies. Upstarts promising much, with snappy names; but incompatibilities.

They each come with a "lifetime guarentee"; yet they are made of plastic which kinks, or splits, from regular use, or pressure - things which one would expect they were designed to accommodate; their differences are measured in microns - invisible to the naked eye - yet quite evident if you ever attempt to join them; they work together, at best, leakingly; but they each proclaim superiority - against all practical evidence - in a skill which, when you get right down to it, is simply to move water from one spot to another, with minimal loss of product.

Their advertisers sometimes make outlandish claims: would you buy a garden hose marketed as the "Pope Jackaroo"? (I mean, wtf! - bbq/dinner conversation: "I always use a Pope Jackaroo" - spare me!)

Nylex, Pope, Neta, Gardena: Labor, Liberal, PUP, Greens.

shift-rplc.

kvd

Evan said...

Eloquent and accurate from kvd I think

Jim Belshaw said...

I agree with Evan. Nicely put, kvd.

Winton Bates said...

How could I also not agree?