Social Commentary

A Reflective Approach

“The basic anxiety, the anxiety of a finite being about the threat of non-being, cannot be eliminated. It belongs to existence itself.”

Loss of the Dimension of Depth

In 1959 Harvard Professor of Philosophy and Theologian, Paul Tillich, published a paper, “The Lost Dimension in Religion”. Tillich observed that humankind, as a collective, had lost the capacity to ask the most fundamental questions of our existence, and to explore the meaning of the symbols contained in various belief systems.

“The decisive element in the predicament of Western man in our period is his loss of the dimension of depth. Of course, ‘dimension of depth’ is a metaphor. It is taken from the spatial realm and applied to man's spiritual life. What does it mean?

“It means that man has lost an answer to the question: What is the meaning of life? Where do we come from, where do we go to? What shall we do, what should we become in the short stretch between birth and death? Such questions are not answered or even asked if the "dimension of depth" is lost. And this is precisely what has happened to man in our period of history. He has lost the courage to ask such questions with an infinite seriousness as former generations did-and he has lost the courage to receive answers to these questions, wherever they may come from.”

Tillich P. The Lost Dimension in Religion in Adventures of the Mind. Ed. Mark Van Doren: Knopf. NY. 1959 P48.

On this page we’re going to look at a few of the social dilemmas confronting Australia and the world in this era of great uncertainty. We’ll probe a little and share some articles which sometimes reveal an uncomfortable truth. Now is not the time for inertia. It’s not business as usual.

The Environmental Dilemma

Our environment is a top priority. In Australia we are uniquely blessed with a diversity of flora and fauna, clean air, a pristine landscape and an amazing coastline. The climate science and our expert authorities tells us various parts of the country are under existential threat. Floods and bushfires are a frequent occurrence. The Great Barrier Reef is being killed by rising water temperatures, invasive species and land based run-off. Sustainable practices need to guide all of our activities.

According to the Federal Agency: Climate Change in Australia: “In Australia in recent decades, anomalously warm months have occurred more often than anomalously cold months. Many heat-related records were broken in the summer of 2012-13 and in the year of 2013, including Australia’s hottest day, week, month and year averaged across Australia. Extreme summer temperatures during 2012- 13 were unlikely to have been caused by natural variability alone, and such temperatures are now five times more likely due to the enhanced greenhouse effect.” See: https://www.climatechangeinaustralia.gov.au/en/overview/

We need all corporations, governments, communities and individuals to step up and take action within there sphere of influence. There is a lot going on already. We need to ensure that no political party endeavours to wind-back initiatives that are underway. These initiatives need to go further. We have just 5 years to reach our COP 28 target of 43% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (compared to a baseline of 2005 levels) by 2030 and 25 years to reach Net Zero.

Core Social Issues:

e61-UNSW Five Economic Themes

On 13 March 2025 e61-UNSW collaboration released a report on the five economic themes which will dominate the next Australian Parliament. They are:
1. Negotiating the Global Order. The breakdown of the rules based order that has guided international trade and relations since the second world war has broken down.
2. Re-examining the High Population Growth Model. The Australian population has grown by 35% over the past 20 years. This is a contributing factor to some of the challenges we now face.
3. Boosting Productivity Growth. Australia’s productivity growth has been flat for the last 15 years. This needs to be a central focus for governments.
4. Restoring Fiscal Sustainability. This involves some tough decisions to ensure long term sustainability and viability.
5. Achieving a Sustainable Intergenerational Bargain. Standard of living, housing affordability and job insecurity issues means younger Australians may be worse off than their parents generation.
To view the report go to: https://e61.in/the-rising-isolation-of-the-island-nation-five-economic-themes-that-will-dominate-the-next-parliament/
The Rise of Narcissism, Cartoon: Leunig 2016

Like all social trends it’s difficult to pinpoint when the shift toward narcissism emerged in the collective psyche. Somewhere around 1970 a change began to take place, and our focus started to move from the group to the individual. And by 1980 this had change consolidated. In their bestselling book, “The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement” Jean Twenge and Keith Campbell assert that:
“The cultural focus on self-admiration began with the shift toward focusing on the individual in the 1970s documented in Tom Wolfe’s article of ‘The Me Decade’ in 1976 and Lasch’s ‘The Culture of Narcissism’ (1979). In the three decades since, narcissism has grown in ways those authors never could have imagined. The flight from the greater good of the 1960s became looking out for number one by the 1980s. Parenting became more indulgent, celebrity worship grew, and reality TV became a showcase for narcissistic people. The Internet brought useful technology but also the possibility of instant fame and a ‘Look at me’ mentality.”
Twenge J.M and Campbell W.K. The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement. Atira NY 2013.
The individual cannot experience the dimension of depth when the primary focus is on affirmation of the self from external sources.
Indigenous Health: An Intractable Problem

A colleague and I recently had the opportunity to work with a new organisation dedicated to lifting health outcomes for indigenous communities. Two professors of medicine and a general practitioner have developed a model for diagnostics mostly based around ultrasound and other technologies. This was being piloted in remote communities via local medical and allied health professionals. The aim being to enable early detection of a range of conditions through the use of advance medical technology and to improve community health. A federally funded pilot is underway.
Whilst the issue of indigenous health has proved the most intractable for all governments there is a sense that some real progress is finally being made. But there is still a long way to go. Services remain fragmented and funding can vary depending on political priorities.
Support for education in all its forms for First Nations people is essential. We need more indigenous professionals working with communities, particularly in medicine, social work, engineering, environmental science and business generally.
For more information on Indigenous health see: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/indigenous-health-and-wellbeing
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG): Making it Real

It goes without saying that we need our corporations, governments, community organisations and the general public to be aware of the need for sustainability in all of our practices. The governance standards to which we need to hold our leaders accountable are under threat like never before.
“The backlash against ESG—the use of environmental, social & governance factors in business and investing—is real and likely to increase. As ESG has recently become a political flashpoint, understanding its impact should be a priority for corporate leaders, because investors are likely to judge them by their responses. “
https://www.conference-board.org/publications/barrons-ESG-backlash-is-real-and-growing
We need to hold the line and not be seduced into complacency or expediency.
Tax Reform is a Priority

Australia has one of the most convoluted and complex tax systems in the world. Calls for reform date back to the Henry report of 2010 and beyond. The nature of the system with its heavy reliance on personal income tax has been linked to inter-generational in equity and places an undue burden on younger workers. Negative gearing has turned real estate into an investment vehicle and ever escalating house prices have locked a significant number of people out of the market.
Many of our leaders have significant property investment portfolios and have benefited from the ever rising property market.
It’s time for another full blown review of the tax system. And the Henry report is not a bad starting place. We can also look around the world and learn from the experience of other countries that do it better than we do.
For more commentary see: https://treasury.gov.au/review/the-australias-future-tax-system-review/final-report
Finding Community

I recently had the opportunity to join the board of a local community house in the town in which I now live, having let go our farm in Central Victoria. There are over 1000 such centres across Australia and they provide a range of services from education and training to food relief for those in need.
It’s been a real eye opener. The need within the community for support is nothing short of overwhelming. Far in excess of what can be delivered. The level of homelessness, poverty, hunger and unemployment is a challenge for governments of all persuasions.
In this time of disruption and threats to democracy we need more volunteers and those willing and able to work in the community. We need strong and resilient communities to chart the future and support those in need.
For more about the role of community and neighbourhood houses see: https://www.nhvic.org.au/