‘Christianity has no place in Alan Joyce’s corporate Groupthink’

“I have never entered into any controversy in defence of my philosophical opinions; I leave them to take their chance in the world. If they are right, truth and experience will support them; if wrong, they ought to be refuted and rejected. Disputes are apt to sour one’s temper and disturb one’s quiet.” Wise words from inventor, scientist, founding father and all round genius Benjamin Franklin, and words that bear repeating as months of acrimony and intolerance ended in the resounding victory for the same-sex marriage Yes campaign.

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Paradigm shift: Is Qantas boss Alan Joyce the king of Groupthink? Picture: Getty Images

Amidst the celebrations, Bernard “Smashed Avo” Salt seasoned proceedings with his cultural cringe theory for the Yes win, which he suggests is not so much due to our warm, progressive, inclusive hearts but rather because we are a colonial rump taking our cues from the leading points of the outside world. More like a corporate cringe, said Stephen C, whose sheer gimlet-eyed cynicism wins him comment of the week:

“What I see reflected all over the ‘progressive’ West is actually corporate values. Having worked in a corporate environment for many years my summary would be that Groupthink prevails, CEO rules, success depends on commitment to the corporation’s ‘values’. Alan Joyce is the paradigmatic proponent of the corporate worldview.

“Corporations are highly-structured, hierarchical social systems that do not tolerate diversity or dissent. Those who try to operate outside the box assigned to them in the structure are ostracised, and those who defy the prevailing view, or who fail to participate in the emotional drama of the day are treated punitively. People are respected according to their position in the ‘food chain’. The prevailing social climate is best described as a form of soap opera.

“Christianity is in effect forbidden in the corporate world. Not only is it not tolerated, it would be a form of career suicide to be openly Christian. There is no question Christianity will be persecuted throughout the West, because it is incompatible with corporate Groupthink. The West is rushing headlong into a totalitarian nightmare, because the corporate mentality rules all the power structures.”

Ray responded:

“@Stephen C: Having worked for a top 20 company in Australia your remarks are oh so true. It all came from the top, driven by the people who fostered the social issues driven by the CEO.”

Wild Colonial Boy: At home on the ‘Left Coast’ range.

Go west, young person, said Christine:

“If you want to understand how Australians are going to be thinking in the future just look up the editorial bias of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Netflix, WIRED and CNN.

“They are all ‘progressive’ and encapsulate a US West Coast tolerance love of diversity, sexual permissiveness but public prudishness, (you won’t see a female nipple but you will see lots of guns killing people), direct democracy (like Cali’ already has), the assumption that technology is always good, and that cool stuff will buy you happiness and save you from all bad things.

“Censorship is OK provided you are only censoring the ’phones and bigots and destroying someone’s career, reputation and family life for something alleged, but not in any way proved, is OK if the people making those allegations are from some kind of identified ‘minority’.

“It helps immensely if these same people are attractive, famous and prepared to publish pics of themselves looking gorgeous and pushing the boundaries of ‘allure’ in artistic ways. (Kim and Miley ... we are looking at you. Kevin: you’re banned!)

“Bernard I presume you have read Woodard’s Book on the 11 American Nations. What we think is what the ‘Left Coast’ thinks.”

Charles countered:

“I don’t think it is correct to say that our following in the wake of international trends indicates that we are a colonial people. When Australia was actually colonial, which is to say prior to Federation, we had much more robust attitudes. Colonial settlers have a frontier outlook, something that is so conspicuously lacking in St Kilda and Grayndler that they are bywords for political correctness.

“These places might well be outposts of Greenwich Village and the Bay Area in terms of social trends, and regrettably they are influential among the unthinking. But ‘colonial’ is something else again: guns and goldrushes rather than goat’s cheese and gay marriage.”

Inhale this: San Francisco gets ready to export another progressive trend.

Antipostmodern Stephen argued:

“Those wealthy inner city white leftists who push us around are the noisiest champions of multiculturalism and open borders. Third world and middle eastern people will always be staunchly socially conservative (eg religious) so inner city progressives are actually sowing the seeds of a return to more conservative values. In the other words the left’s irrationality and narcissism makes their influence ultimately self-limiting.”

Jeannette blamed a cup of Joe:

“My rural electorate voted 57pc (Yes) ... however even here we drink coffee. Is it possible that coffee poisoning is to blame for the result, softening our brains and making us sympathetic to gay people?”

Trouble brewing: Is coffee to blame for marriage equality? Picture: AAP.

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Caroline Overington suggested in the wake of the Yes win, it was time to thank Malcolm Turnbull and chalk one up in the win column for the PM too. Colin came to praise the PM and bury Bill:

“It took the Coalition to get the job done. To see Shorten attempting to associate himself with the Yes result was the worst example of hypocrisy and cynicism I’ve ever seen. Screaming Yes Yes Yes and his today tomorrow carry on was stomach turning.”

Love all: Illustration by Eric Lobbecke

Molly came to praise Tony and bury Mal:

“The people’s vote was Tony Abbott’s idea in the first place. Turnbull rubbished the idea until he stole his job.”

Joan bagged Bill, Mal and more:

“Labor did nothing for 6 years. Gillard was against SSM. Shorten and Wong were silent. Tony Abbott proposed a plebiscite. Turnbull was against him all the way. Turnbull and Shorten are reprehensible fakes and most of the voters know it.”

Robert was all Wong:

“ ‘I feel desperately for Penny Wong. You can see how hard she’s worked behind the scenes to drag her party into the 21st century, but she owes Turnbull, too.’ Rubbish. She openly opposed SSM for years. She even got hate mail from the LGBTI community ... the tears were probably out of guilt.”

Holding back the tears: Penny Wong sings songs in the key of love.

Go carefully, said George:

“Mal don’t let that head of yours get too big. It was a good victory but ... meanwhile at the office and the most powerful government institution in the land we still have a major crisis to resolve ... We need to get on with an independent audit.”

John thanked Caroline:

“This is probably the first article I read in a long time that simply tells it like it is.”

Another John asked:

“What has been ‘won’ here that didn’t previously exist? Or will I have to wait for the rescinding of other rights (including religious freedom) to commence so as to get the bigger picture?”

Sillyfilly shot back:

“@John The end of unjust archaic religious discrimination against the gay community and full acknowledgment of their right to marry under secular law.”

Monarchist decreed:

“Caroline, I was prepared to put up with the paean to Jacqui Lambie the other day, but speaking as a (very, very) gay Australian I think that Malcolm Turnbull deserves a small percentage, only, of any credit due.

“The chance for us all to vote on this was proposed by Tony Abbott, and then others (Shorten, Wong, Hinch, Di Natale, you name it) tried to stop it. Turnbull admittedly stuck to the election policy and pushed it through — that’s where he deserves credit, no more.

“The so-called proponents put up a disgraceful wall of false arguments (spite, hate, vitriol, mass suicides) to prevent any vote, and what happened? Ordinary Australians voted in unprecedented numbers, without violence and politely, and they voted to include us in the mainstream. Those who voted no have been gracious in defeat.

“We Australians get the credit, not Malcolm. I am happy for my gay friends who want to get hitched, but I am braced for the radical elements who see this as another step in the march through the institutions.”

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Leonard Cohen sung about the “minor fall, the major lift” but major chords are dying as pop gets the minor blues. Benjamin had the blues too:

“As a composer, I write experimental sonatas ... I think I’ve written one sonata in a major key. My life is pretty gloomy, but what do you expect? Music is now pretty much worthless!

“If the writer of this article has lifted the information from the same article I read, there was another interesting tidbit, which was the 1-3-5 cadence that served music composers so well for almost 500 years is also in trouble. Apparently, almost all new ‘pop’ songs miss the 5th within the 1-3-5 cadence. It’s possible that this is why modern music always so flat and lifeless.

Songs in the key of glum: Leonard Cohen goes in search of a major lift. Picture: AFP

“This problem started with the historical avant-garde, and the sonic artists of the historical avant-garde. When Luigi Russolo (1914) proposed a new form of composition — noise music based on found sounds — it was revolutionary, and absolutely necessary. It’s possible that without The Art of Noises we could still be listening to classical music.

“There are many other factors to the current dirge in broader music and sonic art. Napster, streaming and iTunes, which Pete Townsend called a digital vampire, to name a few.

“Here is the rub though, we should be in a new mini-renaissance, because the music technology is so good now that with a little music literacy and some audio production literacy you can literally create a Sgt Pepper’s in your bedroom for under $5000. In 1970 when Hendrix built his custom studio Electric Lady, it cost $1 million.”

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Robert Gottliebsen fired up the grey power brigade when he suggested the over-65s were the only age group with money to spend yet ignored by marketers. John took on Gotti:

“This article grossly over-estimates the role of advertising in people’s choices. The real reason the over-65s are reluctant to spend is the mistaken belief that negative real interest rates will benefit the economy. Most superannuants believe that their wealth is under constant attack from politicians to buy the votes of the foolishly indebted.”

It’s just rude, said Rodney:

“It’s more than marketing. It’s also about customer focus in the stores. Older people are invisible to sales staff.”

Grey Power: Mad as hell and not going to take it any more.

Linda lamented:

“I am over 65 and I like to buy fashionable clothes, but I struggle to find outlets that cater for anyone over 30 who is not a size 12. My 20 year old granddaughter might like this stuff, but she can’t afford it, choosing instead to shop at op shops. I can afford it but it seems nobody wants my custom.

“I find David Jones and Myer the kinds of stores which should have what I want, but they are amongst the worst offenders.”

Right on, said Rebecca:

“This is so true and, to use the vernacular, gobsmackingly obvious, as it has been for some time. How could retailers not realise this? In particular, this ignorance applies to restaurants and other eating/drinking venues as well as shopping centres concerning ‘music’.

“While the over-65 group may have expendable income, shopping can often be a chore rather than a pleasant excursion. For so long I have wondered why Westfield and other shopping centres do not have one day a week, or even a month, when all the %#*&@!#&* music is modulated or changed completely.

“Why not have a shopping day once a month when good quality, calming classical music is played throughout the shopping centres and inside the outlets as well. They should create some atmosphere where people want to stop and look instead of rushing to get away from all the mulit-sensory overstimulation which only distracts.”

Change your tune: Westfield boss Frank Lowy. Picture: Hollie Adams

David drew a bead:

“It’s not only marketers/advertisers forgetting about the cashed-up oldies. Politicians have as well, at their own peril.”

Damien doubled down:

“Yep, time to put a wig on, with a man bun of course, wear tight pants, no socks, false dark beard, put the expensive sunnies on, say ‘like’ every second word — then like, wait to be served, like.”

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