Bob Hawke used to speak of enlightened self-interest. More recently he used the phrase ‘intelligent self-interest’. Which seems to me to be a markdown in the marketplace of ideas, yet it is still a worthy star to steer by.
Intelligent self-interest is currently focusing world attention on Ebola, as much for its ability to disrupt world economics, in a very short time, as its potential for coming to our homes.
Way down the line appears to be empathy with poor black people in Africa.
The tardiness with which our own government (and many others) approached this ‘clear and present danger’ does not bode well for our ability to deal with the other, less immediately pressing problems that threaten our very existence. We are far from enlightened self-interest.
I’m with Matt Hartley. We need direct democracy, but by an interested and informed polity rather than a compulsory vote of the uninformed and uninterested who are given the mushroom treatment.
Jim Nutter, Main Arm
Given the mushroom treatment and then vote with unintelligent ignorant self interest