Bullshit bingo

My disdain with the corporate world was informed by personal experiences - I worked for international corporations and governments for a long time of my life. The amount of resources wasted in places like this seems quite unbelievable. It's OPM (other people's money), and therefore well suited to be generous with.

One corporate game is bullshit bingo - selling a project by using well sounding, but meaningless phrases. Public health is in a dire state in Australia, ambulances have to be paid for by the patient, indigenous Australians have a drastically shorter life expectation, some hospitals haven't been modernised for a half a century, foreign doctors are suspected as terrorists, or face leaving the country for having a handicapped child.

'Reform' is a favorite bullshit term for politicos, similar to 'reorganisation' in the corporate world. The normal function of the units 'reorganised' or 'reformed' gets disrupted, additional levels of management replace manpower for the core tasks of operation. I heard the myth that things operate more smoothly after a 'reform' or 'reorganisation', but I have yet to see this in real life.

The need for improvement of the health system is even perceived by the politicos, hence the 'health reform'. While my health related profession is still not paid for by medicare, not on the list of skilled jobs for immigration, mental and dental health patients mostly left on on their own devices, training for the health care sector still an elitist affair, the health reform bring the patients heaven to Australia. Or maybe I just got the bullshit bingo ad wrong.

FVO: Under the new health reform, the Australian Government is delivering the most significant improvement to our health system since the introduction of Medicare.
[We open on a blue line on a piece of paper. We see more lines, they take shape, illustrating a woman’s eye.]

If medicare was the first go at public health care, this simply means making the system finally work, after it stumbled along for decades. Most significant improvement sounds more impressive. A change in myki management could be advertised in similar terms: 'With the new management, myki will deliver the most significant improvement to our ticketing system since metcard.'

The first five words already alerted my bullshit detector, a 'new reform' set the starting tone to some newspeak muzak. A bunch of nice sounding promises, spiced up with meaningless and unquantifiable comparisons followed.

FVO: By providing more hospital beds…
[We see the illustration turn into a real photo of a woman in a hospital bed, nursing her newborn.]

FVO: …training more doctors and nurses...
[We see another line drawing of a group of young doctors. The illustration turns into a real photograph.]

FVO: …and expanding the number of GP services…
[We see another illustration, of a young boy being seen by GP. This also turns into a photo.]

FVO: …it will deliver better health and better hospitals.
[We see another illustration of a young (16-20) woman talking to her doctor. This too resolves through to a real photo.]

Besides the fact that I'd like to see how a reform delivers (I hope the reform has private health insurance for a safe delivery...) it just appeals to the favorite Australian 'betta' meme. As long as something is betta than the the neighbours, it doesn't matter how crappy, useless or outright stupid something is. The desalination plant is certainly betta than dehydration, it's just a solution ignoring alternative approaches which have been best practice in other parts of the world for decades.

More of the same, however, doesn't turn an inadequate system into a well working system. It's like improving the efficiency in using fossil fuels by driving more gas guzzling four-wheel drives... wait, that is the local attitude here. Cowshit is betta than dog shit, you can use cowshit as fuel, but hey, both are shit. Yeah, my shit is betta than yours! Wait, another quite typical attitude.

FVO: For the first time the Australian Government will take dominant funding responsibility for our health system.
[Our point of view moves out so that we see an aerial view, indicating the vast network across the country.]

FVO: The reform will cut inefficiencies by streamlining many systems into a unified network, with guaranteed funding…
[The lines link and join the whole network as one.]

[Super: Cut inefficiencies.]

FVO: …it’ll be run locally, giving local senior doctors and health experts a greater say.

[Then, different points on the map light up, one by one. ]

[Super: Greater local say.]

I'm sure the phrase 'Streamlining a system into a unified network' will appear on the many available bullshit generators on the web. With 'the dominant responsibility of the Australian government' a glimpse of truth shines through this propaganda piece, yet the supers hammer another lie home. How can the government's dominant responsibility bring 'greater local say'? And what's the role of 'health experts'? Isn't there a need for people practicing health care instead of more management following expert advice how to make more money?

FVO: …and by introducing new strong national standards, it will deliver a higher quality of care in the city and country.
[All of the points and the lines light up at exactly the same time.]

[Super: Strong national standards.]

FVO: Health Reform. For better healthcare and better hospitals.

[We pull out to reveal the illustration of the network spells the words ‘Health Reform’.]

[This resolves through to the logo and super.]

[Logo/Super: Health Reform. Better healthcare and better hospitals. Government Crest.
australia.gov.au/yourhealth]

FVO: For more information about the improvements, as they happen, go to australia.gov.au/yourhealth

[Cut to a black screen with white type.]

There are many examples for propaganda in history. When governments resort to propaganda, democracy ceases to exist. Valuable money is spend to create the illusion of improvement, yet real life experiences contradict the happy world created by our 'representatives'. New strong national standards, wow. More helps more, strong standards lift the quality. New national standards imply a new level of bureaucracy, and prevent the promised greater local say.

The memes used in this waste of taxpayers money reflect the myth that more centralism will bring more efficiency. The Soviet Union provides a great example for the flaws of this approach. The US survived until now as a nation rather because of its federalistic approach although this process is reverted at the moment. Loss of local sovereignty is a trademark of global corporatism. Limiting the level of power for local communities transforms citizens into property of the corporations the government owes to.

Going into the community, and broadening the vision about health and sanity might improve the health care in this country. Health is beyond the expertise of politicians. A shift in responsibility in the health care system is needed, though. The patients need empowerment, and need to be educated about their own responsibility for the state of health they are in. Healthy people don't generate revenue for the sickness industry, that sells drugs, technology and bad advice. Healthy people might be as well immune against propaganda. Go betta, Australia. Politicians are the worst free loaders society has ever seen, if we can afford to feed them with a golden spoon, there's definitely more than enough resources to build a free and just community.

australia australian betta better bullshit care doctors fvo government health illustration improvement life local national network real reform responsibility standards strong super system

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