"Is that final-FINAL, Minister?" Bernard asks, testing the patience of his Minister who already insisted that "Indeed, that is final!"
This clever satire proves the existence of "prickly finality" - PF. Mostly exists in situations where things are PFU : pretty f....d up. It keeps everyone on their toes - as Sir Humphrey Appleby might smirk in the iconic British sitcom, Yes Minister. It even benefits some people to keep things just the way they are.
But is it just coincidence that We, Citizens of Australia, et al, elected to live through the Year of the Prickly Pear in 2011? It was rather tiresome, all that PF about the election result of 2010. So much social turmoil around the globe. So much unrest.
We got off lucky as compared to Britain where people turned to pillaging and rioting. And what about the "Arab Spring"?
What about the price of bananas and gridlock! Never mind the Euro debt or the "amnesty" in Syria.
Anyone for a Rage Jar? Those for...
The temperature's up and I'm not talking Global Warming in the ecological sense - it's societal, it's global and it's still manmade!
And I have the solution! Tax hot air. No not CO2. Rage! Behaviour management equals a new tax - doesn't it?
Instead of a swear jar, put a rage jar in every parliament, in every office, classroom, on all public transport, on iTunes ... Whoa! Bonanza!
Why not? It seems to me that half the hot air in the world is due to government regulation of some sort.
What if instead of rage jar we reviewed all government regulations and repeal a few socially repressive and antiquated laws which get our goat - anti-smoking, anti-littering, anti-pollution, anti-siphoning... they all offend someone!
Therefore, we are ALL offended - I think I've offended a lot of people here proving one thing: we all have a little thorn in our paw.
Why is it that we can't have an "honesty is best" policy and start trusting people to do the right thing - instead of making them miserable and forcing them to "do the right thing".
What if we had a little give and take going? Cause I have to say that I don't know that this current policy of "regulate and be damned" works - we ain't authoritarian, YET!
Sure we aren't exactly Tunisa, Egypt or Libya or, dare I say Syria - we don't need "amnesties" here, do we?
But this issue of "government regulation" versus promoting good behaviour and respect - like a "slip, slop, slap" campaign.
It is like comparing Chinese medicine's raison d'etre of preserving health, as opposed to Western medicine method of addressing the disease - or inducing hypochondria coupled to a Medi-scheme that doubles as a Medi-bank for GPs & allied health professionals.
All those "Grumpy Guide to..." programs that Britain made over the past few years just justified all the grumpi-bums. I like to spell grumpi-bums my way - so THERE! SUE ME!
Totally uncalled for it was. Those shows were more like a wildlife doco set in a den of lions all sitting their with prickles in their paws roaring their woes is me's... me this... me that!
Law of the Jungle versus A Regulated Lot
You know what growling and snarling leads to when the Law of the Jungle is in play, don't you?
Someone gets eaten! And it's never the glutton who gets eaten - usually...
Cranky cats have extended their habitat across the globe in a gridlock pattern on the highways, in Space Invaders formation on a footpaths and in angry mobs in the Middle East - they at least have a right to complain.
My theory is that too much regulation causes this behaviour - people are just plain fed up. That's why people loved John Howard - he knew they were fed up so he fed them more! More bonuses, more ... it starts with B......
I wonder what happened to the people who were fed up a decade ago? Popping pills?
"It is NOT a laughing matter!" - as Sir Humphrey Appleby so often reminds the Minister, when he is not amused.
It really is a case of "rage against the machine" - whether it's Europe, Syria or Australia. It's regulation that is the thorn.
Call it silly prattles rattling on their random rambles through my cranial closet. You might never dream of such things - I do.
Imagine driving off a cliff to float peacefully down and park quietly outside a building to take a stroll with a happy, baby elephant beside a lake. Dreamt it the other night.
Possible? Ah, if only we might find a park as easy. If only we might be as happy with our lot as that baby elephant!
Its lot is not regulated - I bet! Though I did see a WWF video online yesterday flying blindfolded black rhinos out to reserves while hanging upside down from helicopters - true! Sometimes love hurts.
Antiquarians prevail
Have we reached the point where it is necessary to do the equivalent of allowing Sunday trading?
My parents owned a petrol station in the 1970s. Back then it was illegal to sell - and BUY it therefore follows - petrol on Sundays. Imagine it!
So when some blighter begged my father to open the bowser guess what a Government inspector would do? Slap him with a fine that would amount to thousands of dollars today.
Can you imagine what would happen today if the government tried to shut down the bowsers on Sundays?
Regulations are put in place - so we think - to keep the peace. But what keeps the peace changes over time - don't it Gov?
How many other redundant ways does the government raise money? What if there was a review?
What if we started replacing antiquated regulations with regulations that will make the world a better place - like taxing hot air (CO2).
But rather than imposing CO2 emission taxes on top of existing regulations - why not do the right thing?
Less hot air - same amount of taxes. Hello?
Then we can all get back to minding our own business and be happy elephants.
I'd call that evolution.