Media – Part 2

Our role

In our first part to this series, we looked at the media and asked whether the approach it uses is ethical and serving a greater or public true purpose.

People are smart – we know what is going on. So what is our reading on how the media is performing overall, and what tactics we know it uses to get a story. Does it focus on the truth and truly informing us as consumers, or does it focus on selling a story? Is there bias and a pre-formed agenda, or is there routinely what we would call a genuine and true enquiry, taking all into account?

Another interesting question to ask is, are what we hold out as the higher echelon media outlets any different, or are they more sophisticated versions of the same thing? Once again, we don’t offer an answer to those questions – as that is for each of us to discern for ourselves.

However, what we can use this to draw attention to, is the part we all playas consumers in taking up what the media offers. This, is the purpose of this article.

Stepping out in front of the crowd – Part 4 – The bigger picture

In this series, we have looked at the harm that is caused to all of us by our unspoken agreement or contract that says we will not expose each other (outside certain things we have decided are no-go zones, such as murder and the like) and will just keep quiet and allow a lot to slip under the carpet. We have also looked at the fact that this contract, where we all agree to be less than true, and less than what we all actually could be, keeps us all down.

And why do we put up with it? The answer is because it actually suits us – because we know that if we bring the truth, it can cause disruption and it can mean that others target us, and we do not like this. So for the sake of our own comfort, we say a big No to truth (sorry Truth, not this time), and a big Yes to our own self-comfort and maintaining the status quo. The true result is that we all live in a society that operates at a mundane, function-only level, which strips out the true joy, vitality and beauty we could have and share if we all decided to bring our all.

Stepping out of the crowd – Part 3 – Right v Truth

In Part 1 of this series, we looked at the unspoken contracts or agreements we have with each other in society that say that we will not ruffle feathers and will allow what we know is not truth, and allow things that harm, because we have all agreed to operate as less. What is the pay off? The pay-off is that we ourselves don’t get exposed either. As long as our conduct is not outside what we have set down as the law, we are fine for it to continue.

As shown in Part 2 of this series, we actually have a trade off that we implement here – we decide that our own comfort, our desire to not be targeted if people do not like what we say etc etc, comes before our desire to uphold the truth. In other words, we know the truth, but we decide to put our own self-needs ahead of it.

That continues until such time as we decide it doesn’t actually work – it doesn’t work for us, or for those close to us, or for the entire society which we share. 

Stepping out in front of the crowd – Part 2

In Part 1 of this series, we looked at the unspoken agreement or contract we have with each other in society to stay silent and not bring our all. We have agreed, without actually outwardly admitting it, that we will not shine too much, we will not say things that will expose others, and we will play our part to keep the status quo going, just the way it is. The pay-off is that we get our comfort within the status quo. The great loss is that we all miss out on the far grander and greater whole we could experience and share if we busted out of the limits the contracts impose, and decide to bring our all.

Stepping out in front of the crowd – Part 1

Is it possible that we all have an unspoken agreement with each other to keep us at a certain level?

How often do you feel you cannot move out ahead of the crowd because it will cause too much disruption and reaction from those around you? This is possibly far more common than we realise.

Health-care: The importance of choice – Part 10 – Health-care practitioners

What Does All This Mean For Health-Care Practitioners?

This series has explored the importance of choice in health-care, what options are available to the public in terms of health-care they can access, and restrictions, possible or threatened, on that choice.

This week, in our final part of this series, we look at practitioners of health-care therapies and what all of this means for them and the services they offer.

Health-care: The importance of choice – Part 9 – Effect on conventional medicine

What Is The Possible Effect On Conventional Medicine?

Any changes to the health-care system in Australia should bear in mind the bigger picture. These comments may or may not apply internationally as well (which is for readers to discern).

If Complementary Medicine or Complementary to Medicine therapies are restricted, then what effect would or could this have on the Conventional Medicine system?

Health-care: The importance of choice – Part 8 – We urge caution

This is a continuation of our important series on health-care – and your choice.

In Evolve College’s view, the fundamental point in all of this is that consumers (the general public) have a choice as to the health-care they adopt. This is a basic right of each and every person.

Certain measures, such as withdrawal of certain rights or privileges associated with use of Complementary Medicine therapies, may be part of an overall trend or move to funnel health-care services towards Conventional Medicine (putting pressure on that system – as discussed below and in the next article in this series) and away from the use of Complementary Medicine or Complementary to Medicine therapies.

We urge caution here, for two reasons:

Health-care: The importance of choice – Part 7 – Risks to health-care

Risks to Health Care

In this article, we continue our series on health-care and the choice available to the public.

In Part 5, we looked at the government announcement to remove the private health insurance rebate from certain complementary (or natural) therapies. In Part 6, we looked at The Labor Party’s announcement that it would remove the GST exemption on those same therapies if it wins office at the next election.

This week, we look at the wider picture that could potentially impact on the use of complementary health-care.

Over time, there have been moves or possible moves afoot to reduce or possibly control various aspects of health-care. Some of the voices in that regard have been very vocal, … but are those moves or opinions in the true public interest? In the parts of this series to come, we explore that question – and leave it to you as the reader to discern.

Health-care: The importance of choice – Part 6 – GST

Government Changes Affecting Complementary Therapies – GST Exemption

This week, we continue our series on health-care and the choice available to the public.

In this series, we have looked at Conventional Medicine, Complementary Medicine and Complementary to Medicine as well as the importance of people’s choice.

We have also looked at the Government announcement to remove certain natural therapies from the private health insurance rebate list, which is scheduled to be effective from 1 April 2019. See Part 5 of our series for further information.

This week, we continue to look at potential changes in the area of health-care therapies, this time focusing on a possible change to Goods and Services Tax (GST) exemption for certain complementary therapies.

Are health-care services exempt from GST?