Do You Feel Unhappy But Don’t Know Why?

It’s not hard to find stories of people feeling unhappy, and not knowing why.
We live in a “first world” society, with generally adequate health care, housing, education, water and a stable food supply. Yet, there is no apparent reason for the reported growing epidemic of depression.  Homelessness is real, but not of sufficient levels to be the trigger for community wide unhappiness.

So what’s the problem?

It’s a sense of helplessness that is the cause. Helplessness which invokes an indefinable sense of being unhappy.

We need far more open and transparent Government and access to the commercial entities who exert so much power and influence over us.

When you are dealing with Govt offices and big companies, most use 13xxxx, 1300 or 1800 numbers for you to call them. They reply with blocked numbers, and while you are unhappy with that, you have no choice but to accept the call. Centrelink only calls from a blocked number as does Telstra. You must answer, or you risk not getting the answers you need.

Invisible, impenetrable walls 

Forcing us to only use technology to “access” them builds an invisible but virtually impenetrable wall.

For example, it took  ten years for MLC to settle a claim for an overcharge, of which they advised me. Like other big corporations, they use 13xxxx and a call centre, or a call centre email address. It’s draining: emotionally, and physically, and we cannot sustain the battle every time, so we lose.

Their skilful use of technology beats us down, and denies us that most human of experiences: looking them in the eye and respectfully seeking a solution, an answer, a resolution.

It’s a conspiracy to create barriers between us and them, which are almost insurmountable.
The design of these “privacy rules” are not to protect us, but to deny us ease of access to natural justice.

Easy diversion of e-mail petitions into junk mail boxes means they can be ignored, even if they trigger an automated response.

Freedom of information requests are unreasonably denied, priced at outrageous levels, and answered with heavily redacted documents.

Politicians encourage the rage 

Our Parliamentary representatives appear with monotonous regularity at the end of their terms, seeking re-endorsement. Then they become elusively hidden behind a gatekeeper, once returned to their silver spoon existence of committees and dinners.

There should be no surprise at the rise in rage in the community.

• Road rage.
• Domestic violence.
• Cyber bullying.
• Railing against those who represent organised authority, even when they are there to help us, like police, paramedics, hospital staff.
• Graffiti
• Seemingly mindless violence against the property of others.
• Hate crimes

These are all the cries of a people alienated and dispossessed of their natural rights of redress. We have never been more downtrodden than we are now, in this supposed “free” country.

Cries for Justice, Equity, Equality and Respect are ignored.

Am I wrong? Are we being endlessly distracted by “bread and circuses” while our real cries for

• justice,
• equity,
• equality,
• respect for the environment in which we live and to which we are immutable bound,

are ignored, deflected or jeered? You tell me. I am just an old lady with a cat and a canary.