The world knows that my country is currently being devastated by severe fires, beyond what has been experienced before. Man-made climate change seems responsible – temperatures are getting hotter and hotter, much of the country has been in prolonged drought, so the bush is ready and waiting to burn at a single spark. Millions of hectares are lost, as well as millions of animals. People have died, or have been injured, or lost their homes. The smoke has drifted into areas that are not directly affected, and the poor air quality is causing illness and death, especially among the elderly and those with heart and lung issues.

I am lucky. Where I live has not been greatly impacted, yet. I am choked by multiple emotions right now – grief, fear, and anger. The loss is immense, and still ongoing. The recovery will take much effort. Some of the victims may never recover from the trauma. The loss to wildlife and our ecosystem is incalculable. Our government … well, what can I say? They talk a lot and do little.

Our country has been going downhill for years. Oh, there will be those who would howl me down. Lefty, greeny, bleeding heart, SJW (social justice warrior for any who don’t know.) Not to mention stupid, ignorant, sheep etc. If I want social justice is that a crime? If my heart bleeds for those less fortunate, is that a bad thing? And it doesn’t take a genius to understand the difference between right and wrong.

Maybe I have been naive, to think that I lived in a good place. Maybe this division and injustice has been around longer than I think. I don’t know. I only know that the inequality is getting wider. In this current crisis the government has only started to help after belatedly realising they might be losing votes. I cannot comprehend the mindset that would look at the devastation on the east coast last month, announce that it’s business as usual and then go on holiday to Hawaii. I simply don’t understand. We are now being told our country will join in with America’s latest war. Our country is still burning, which I would have thought was a priority, but the politicians don’t seem to think so.

The federal government of Australia remind me of a protection racket. You pay an awful lot to not be bothered, then they put the prices up and beat you up anyway. They seem to me to be increasingly irrelevant to this country. I question whether we need them at all. They cost an awful lot of money, but are they worth it? I don’t think so.

All we can do right now is pray for rain, and hope (in vain, probably) that those in charge may grow some compassion and start to look after the country.