I don’t normally like to air my political views on this blog, unless politics have changed in a way that now recognises Neighbours, drinking games and dinosaurs as points of conjecture. I’ve just been informed that this isn't the case, which is a pity. I would totally vote for a stegosaurus for PM.
This week, actress Cate Blanchett has chucked her two cents into a scheme in which the Aussie Government proposes to charge dinkie di Aussie battlers a few bucks to offset some kind of carbon emissions. I’ll be honest, I probably do exceed my emissions quota following my Thursday burrito ritual, but I usually contain my “carbon” within my doona that night, so I reckon I am fairly neutral in that regard.
Cate reckons we should just pay up and shut the fuck up about it. This is quite easy for Ms Blanchett to say and do, seeing as she’s massively rich. If I earned $30 million from appearing in movies so underground that they never get released, I’d be feeling quite generous myself and would probably feel ok about telling other people to shell out some more taxes. She has defended her position by pointing out the solar panels on the roof of her mansion and declaring that carbon emissions are close to her heart and she’d do anything to get the word out there. By the way, Cate Blanchett and her rich thespian family live in a mansion that they bought for $10.2 million.
Three years later, they renovated it.
If I bought a house for $10 mill, it’d want to be the most fucking perfect house I’d ever seen, with a bat-pole connecting the lounge room to the kitchen and a room dedicated to practicing handstands. Here’s an idea, Blanchey – you pay for everyone else’s shit and carry on being a great actor. Your work in Lord of the Rings was brilliant – you shared the screen with Hollywood legends like the kid from The Goonies, the bloke from Lost and Steve Tyler’s daughter.
I am not a rich man – hell, I’m barely even a man (but I’m going into surgery again next week, so that should be rectified pronto), but I am also not living below the poverty line; I can still keep myself fed with Corn Flake sandwiches and jars of pickles. I wear cardigans that I didn’t rack from someone’s clothesline (I fucking love cardigans) and don’t have to whore myself out to pay the rent (I do it for the love of it). If I choose to spend my whole salary on beef jerky (and don't think I haven't thought about it), then that's up to me. I don’t particularly enjoy copping instructions from a motherfucking actor about paying a tax for something I'm not entirely sure I contribute a whole lot to. The Chinese produce about 22% of the world's carbon emissions (compared to Australia's 1.3%) - put your super-stardom to work in China if you're that passionate. I'm sure they care as much about your solar panels as I do.
Fuck off Cate, before I tax the shit spelling of your name. It’s hurting my spell-check.
4 comments:
BOOOOOO!!!!!!!
Thank you for your comment. It was insightful and interesting.
I think you've missed the point. Whether it's you or Cate or anyone else, throw in the compensation you get and you won't be affected financially at all, indeed change a few simple things at home and you'll save a few bucks.
The only entities affected financially are the big polluters, and even they'll be able to manage and even profit by changing their systems, operations and processes (which is what this is all about).
And if you still have a problem with this (whether you're a climate change believer or sceptic), remember that if we don't do anything the rest of the world will leave us behind because they're all moving (albeit very slowly) to carbon trading systems.
Get on the bandwagon or get off your high horse.
Miss the point? Me? I can't believe anyone would ever say that. I am deeply offended and will cry into my carbon-fuelled pillow tonight.
Not really. I just don't like Cate Blanchett.
Also, how the HELL did you know what my horse looks like? Stop stalking me (and my horse).
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