“If you don’t have heart you don’t have nothing.”

It seems that in the blink of an eye, we have reached the end of another year! What turbulent times we are living in. In the midst of the threat of economic recession, the joy of a new President Elect in the USA and war in the middle east, Xmas has come and gone and the New Year is well and truly upon us.

This year has confirmed for me that it is indeed true that “if you don’t have heart you don’t have nothing”. As President, I would like to thank all the people and organizations who have supported, contributed and enabled Fagmedia to grow and develop throughout the year.

In particular, I would like to remember and give thanks for the life of Carlos Ochoa who passed away in 2008. I can say that Carlos was a man of integrity whose life was a blessing that brought great joy to the world. He was generous, kind, compassionate and demonstrated courage and great depth of character. Carlos was a truly gifted man who is deeply missed by all the many people who knew and loved him.

As an organization, Fagmedia has continued to be a strong independent media organization. We have chosen to support a number of "worthy causes", such as Getup.org and the Burnet Institute´s HIV Evaluation Programs, and have strived to build connections and assist in the development of community. We do not seek to impose a view, opinion or ideology upon anyone and we have continued to “break the rules” and talk about sex, politics and religion. In doing so we hope to educate, raise consciousness and ask important questions of and about the world we live in.

Obviously, Xmas is also political. It´s a time when the simple act of giving a gift can become fraught with dangerous undercurrents. It is important to remember that gifts are symbolic acts of love and it is sad when the process becomes a last minute act of obligation that undermines the seasonal values. ¿How can a present promote faith, hope and relationship when it is purchased as an act of consumerism with out love and thoughtful consideration for and of the giftee? Thankfully, there remain amongst us people, and you know who you are, who get excited and for whom Xmas presents are about love, both given and received.

The enduring legacy of modern Capitalism, and in particular the philosophies of individualism promoted by government’s of the right wing, is that it would appear that our societies are becoming more selfish. This is not just the egocentricity of the sex now generation but rather a more pervasive “I don’t (have to) care about you (IDHTCAY) that is becoming the new “normal”.

The I don’t care generation undertakes community service as a fee paying tax deduction. For example, it´s the I will do something for you only if there is something in it for me. No longer is it the thought that counts but rather the size or the total money spent (on the present) that is the measure of love and affection. Often times the IDHTCAY´s find themselves too busy to actually go out and buy a present themselves, however, many of these individuals are happy to reach for the unreciprocated gift of someone else´s love and affection.

It is also true that future archeologists, sifting through the ruins of our civilizations, will make judgments about the worth of our societies based not by how the rich are found but by how the poor fare or are situated. It has been said by many that in Australia, Howard´s Way led to the creation of a whole new generation of IDHTCAY´s. If this is Howard´s Way then how do we reverse the trend? Certainly Kevin 07, while being strong on rhetoric, is as demonstrated by the recent carbon reduction targets, unlikely to be our white knight in shining armour!!!