Musings from an Idiot Savant

By Andrew Pollard

When did we become a nation of grifters? At what point did we collectively decide to be an anti-social society? An uncivilized civilisation? Because we are. And our present state of moral and fiscal bankruptcy should be all the evidence needed for this argument.

Our situation is absolutely overwhelming. Extremely anxiety-inducing. We all feel it. Don’t you? What on earth are we to do? The problems are too widespread and the resources, funds and will are diminishing by the day.

We have lost our way, and are losing our strength for the fight. The fight of our lives. That will seal our fates and that of the future generations for the next century or so. And who is the enemy? Where do we place our blame? On ourselves. Obviously.

We all contributed to this mess of a world. And have all been guilty of the grift. No exceptions. Fair go Australia? More like Lord of the Flies. This isn’t my Australia. This is a bad dream. A poor facsimile of our nation and its inherent potential. It’s a stacks-on dystopian nightmare, if I’m being honest.

In order to make any change, that is both genuine and lasting. One must begin with the Self. Where else? We must search our feelings and analyse our motives and intentions. And admit to our own unique personal failure.

How is it ok that there’s 10 men standing around a pothole with one shovel? How are you ok with that and feel your efforts are worth your pay grade? Yet you act like victims.

How is it ok that mechanics, builders, and the like, set their own questionable fees? Frequently taking advantage of the vulnerable and uninformed? Grifting Nana’s and single Mum’s? And you’re ok with that? You’re that sociopathic and dead inside?

How was it ok to scapegoat and sacrifice a single individual over the insulation scandal? What about the crews who did the jobs knowing it was unsafe, did you enjoy your little scam while it lasted? Did you make good, while the going was good and no-one was there to check your “work”? Cowards, the lot of you.

Ironically, all this chicanery ultimately amounts to a peculiar scenario where we are working against our own best interests. We are not being Selfish enough. Self-interest is an inverted concept and in much need of revision. And we need to see it in action. A conversation for another time.

Maybe that way we might start producing things of worth as a nation, things we actually need. Things of tangible value. As opposed to churning out generations of content creators, who lack the basic life skills required for true success on any level.

But such a future would not be their fault, it would be ours. The older generations. We did afterall, raise them. And hand-down our values and morals. We have failed to adequately prepare them for the future reality. For real existential life. Yet parents mistakenly project this blame back on to their children. What vile hypocrisy.

Because we were too afraid to face it ourselves. You know, the grown-ups. Fear is the common human experience now. Our new norm. Hope and morale is seriously waning now. We have inherited and shamefully passed on a bleak existence, utterly devoid of the crucial feeling of safety. There is a profound loss of trust in the system and most of us are so afraid to ask for help, expecting to not be heard or helped. That we simply don’t ask anymore. We choose to suffer instead.

We ask very little of our society now. Or ourselves and each other for that matter. This situation is perfectly understandable and is unfortunately, justly deserved. We brought it on ourselves. We truly did. By repeating the same behaviours and expecting different results. The very definition of insanity. That, and our unwillingness to be the change we wish to see in the world.

Why are we so afraid to try something different, maybe even radically different. Because what we’re doing, clearly isn’t working. We are decaying. Not growing. That ceased some time ago. We are not a very inventive or progressive nation. We do not honour true entrepreneurialship. We cut those tall poppies right down. Brilliance is not our strong suit. We seem to prefer mediocrity as our natural state of being. I mean, we vote for them each election. The average.

So, we elect leaders who behave accordingly. Personally, I can’t tell the difference between the three major parties in principle or deed. They are all reading from the same tawdry and disingenuous script.

Because they are all grifting from the get-go. By making sweeping electoral promises and financial pledges. That, is an impossibility when you’re broke. And unaware to what extent you are in arrears. So convoluted is their financial mismanagement and outright plundering. As such, no one has the right to make such claims. That is an act of pure deception.

The same people who are benefiting and profiteering from our present arrangement, are not going to change or fix it. Why would they? They’re grifters afterall.

And they’ve had a century to prove themselves. Is that not enough time to demonstrate either their merit, or their gross ineptitude? Have they not been given enough chances already to prove they have anything of worth to offer us? If they could of, they would of, but they don’t, so they can’t. And won’t.

Why are values and morals so low on our priority lists? Why is the only questions being asked of those who would run this election, “what are your policies and your preferences?” I do not come from the political world. And to me “preferences”, is code-speak. To be equated with shady backroom dealings. Not principled and competent leadership.

They say, “as goes the king, so goes the nation.” But that’s a weak victimhood mentality. The total outsourcing of personal responsibility. Of moral duty. “Don’t hate the player, hate the game”. What you’re telling me is, “if you can’t beat them, join them.” What utter nonsense. That results in complete Self-immolation. It should read (if you possess a modicum of Self), if you can’t join them, beat them.

It’s called having your own back. And that leads to self-respect and worth. Now isn’t that preferable to a society that resembles rats up a drain-pipe. In the ultimate race to the bottom?

The very first question we should be asking of those who put themselves forward is, who are you? What do you believe and value?

And who are we? We are unaffiliated. Which is why we’re often perceived as a threat. We don’t negotiate with looters. We don’t form committees with those who are incapable of true cooperation and self-ownership. With those who do not have the nation’s best interests at heart. With those who do not possess the necessary mind and emotional maturity. With the heartless and the cruel.

We will not deal with the career politician types, for they are on notice. Effective immediately. It’s time for the professional liars to be demoted to their true station in society. The place where you condemn the bottom-feeders. Because Judge Judy said “you don’t need a good memory if you tell the truth”. Which is precisely why they need cue-cards, and I do not.

Think about it. What kind of character is necessary in these tumultuous and dangerous times. Because we’d best get it right this time. Or face the necessary consequences of continuing to follow the twisted tunes of the pied-pipers of the major parties.

This country should be governed by a new breed of politician. Independent. Authentic. Accessible. And truly Australian. Because Nationalism needn’t be a dirty word. Because we should be immensely proud of our home. Not ashamed of it. Enough already, Australia. We’re better than this. Aren’t we? Time to make the choice. The right choice.

“Long Live The Empire”!

Andrew Pollard is an ideas generator. His wife Eve Fisher is an independent candidate for Western Victoria Region upper house in the November 2026 state election.

Read this story on Medium https://medium.com/@eve.h.fisher/the-great-grift-fc1410d696ae