‘Findings’ touted

Glenn Milne reports on “research findings” from a focus group convened on behalf of the Business Council of Australia. Milne says that the “ordinary Joes” who composed the focus group glowingly endorsed – at least, to the BCA’s and Milne’s satisfaction – the Howard Government’s market-based economic reforms.

... broadly, people believe it has delivered prosperity and again, broadly, voters are now comfortable with the idea of markets and what markets mean: constant change and adaptation.

Milne broadly notes some of the broad “responses elicited from ordinary Joes in the BCA's commissioned research.”

None of the answers was prompted. The headings give you a hint as to the political potency of the findings. Some samples: Take initiative ... Taking risks ... be innovative ... Keep the money cogs turning ... Forward thinking ... Being progressive ... Outward thinking ... to learn, adapt and do it well ... Try to achieve (not wait for handouts) ... Seeking opportunity to meet personal goals ...

I was in a pub yesterday, and the place was abuzz with “ordinary Joes” – and even a few “ordinary Josephines” – celebrating their propensities for self-reliance, taking initiatives and risks, being innovative, thinking forward, etc. However, my research failed to discern any particular wish for their Government to purposely make life harder and more risky for them.

Is that what Western civilisation is about now? The restitution of the law of the jungle? Only in a ‘nice’ intellectually formulated way?

(Hah! And Tim Blair reckons the Lancet’s findings are “goofy”.)