Janice Florence, July 2015

Depressingly, I wholeheartedly agree with Robert Manne’s assessment of the current mood of Australia (May) as complacent, selfish and comfortable. The seeming lack of concern about thousands of refugees from Burma drifting in the oceans to our north, and most likely to die in their thousands, is a further low ebb in our moral depravity and degradation. I doubt that anyone from both major parties will lift a finger to save them. They, especially the Coalition, have worked too hard to demonise refugees and to make them a convenient political distraction. We persecute and traumatise them, while we watch food shows on TV and distract ourselves with the latest gadget. Pity, we had such potential for good. The whole awful mess brings to mind WB Yeats’ words, “The best lack all conviction, while the worst / Are full of passionate intensity.”