Policies, Epiphanies and Several More Predictions

Throughout 2012, there will be quite a few demonstrations against a varied assortment of perceived injustices.  Most of those demonstrations will not appear on any news service, except an enlightened one.  There will also be a remarkable number of...

...demonstrations of love, respect and honesty, many of which will also be ignored by the mainstream media.

Here is an example of a recent demonstration of respect.  Fortunately, at least one media service noted its significance.  The musicians in question decided to change their usual policy, as the example might suggest.  But how do you predict what a policy might be in the future, and whether a current policy should stay the same or change?

Here is another example of a demonstration.  It does not appear to have involved any policies at all, except for the desire to surprise the public, but does suggest it required a great deal of planning and practice prior to being performed.  Politicians and terrorists also have a tendency to surprise the public, though not usually in a loving, respectful and honest way.

Many of us like our daily experiences to be fairly predictable.  I, for example, have a meeting booked for 3 o'clock this afternoon with three gentlemen from Melbourne who plan to arrive here on camels.  I have heard that the gentlemen are very wise and exceedingly fond of epiphanies and afternoon teas.  Do you enjoy epiphanies and afternoon teas, dear reader?

I am sure that you enjoy good policies, even if you have a variety of other beliefs, especially about dromedaries.  How do you identify a good policy?  Should a good policy have predictable outcomes?  Should it be based on epiphanies of one sort or another, on enlightened analysis, or just on the accumulation of dry and meaningless research data?


Here are some delightful Australian sources of data and analysis:


The Conversation

Hawke Research Institute

Melbourne Institute


Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute

National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling


Australian Institute for Family Studies

Australian Bureau of Statistics


Well, I must go now.  I have been asked to investigate the whereabouts of some gentlemen who set off from Melbourne on camels quite some time ago.  Hopefully, the persons I expect for tea this afternoon have prepared better for their own unpredictable journey.