Everyone has the odd “if only” thought from time to time. If only you had made a different career choice, if only you had not said the things you have said, or if only you had not done some of the things you have done. All those done and not done moments – those decisions and those things you did which, when you wake up at night, have you squirming with anguish and/or embarrassment.

It’s much the same for the recent history of the Australian nation — a litany of missed opportunities and stupid and short-sighted decisions — which should prompt us to think how our history would have unfolded if we and our governments had made different decisions.

Perhaps we need some J’accuse moments to polemically bring it all to our attention. But it’s doubtful if our supine mainstream media would publish anything like Emile Zola’s passionate denunciation. Instead, we get the relentless propaganda of the Murdoch media.

The biggest and most obvious is our failure to properly tax the huge revenues generated by our mining and resource booms. If only we had followed the Norwegian path and established a sovereign wealth fund which would provide future generations with new levels of security.

If only if we had not made housing policy dependent on tax rorts like negative gearing and capital gains tax relief and reduced housing price........

© Pearls and Irritations