There are dangers in our affluence today that politicians may neglect more serious aspects of our security and prosperity. For example:
Should we do more to help our neighbour, East Timor, develop a democracy and prevent a Marxist minority from imposing a one-party state there – on our doorstep?
Is the much touted economic rationalism so good when three out of 10 men cannot find full-time work to pay off a house and care for a family?
No wonder there is increasing family breakdown, more lawlessness and a resulting drain on our welfare system to nearly 50 per cent of federal budget!
Is it so smart to let manufacturing and agriculture decline to where our foreign debt is a massive $530 billion and rising, with a heavy dependence on trade with a manipulating China – one of the worst abusers of human rights – and craving respectability?
Should we let the material success of the market economy dominate our lives like a new idol?
Surely people and social fabric are more important than the quest for the mighty “dollar” which is fast obliterating decent leisure and relationships. Many things in life are priceless – human life and its quality above all!
Should we tolerate the market-media pandering to fallen man’s weaknesses by incitements to the deadlies of envy, greed, lust, anger, pride and sloth?
Many seem to live today only for gambling, boozing, bonging and bonking – with maybe travel for the same, and footy and cars thrown in! See the results every day in our news.
We are breeding dumbed-down masses who can surf the new technologies for their own pleasures, but couldn’t care less about others or the higher things in life.
God help us all to control ourselves and our society or else!
Fr Bernard McGrath
Inglewood,Vic
