The Corner with Garry Chittick

A cynic I have often been labelled, but on searching my Google know it all. I have determined that a cynic I am not. I say that with the confidence that I know me better than those of you now seven that may judge me.

I am happy on reading the definition to label myself a pragmatist. To be pragmatic is to look at what’s ahead of you and believe there is a way. You could argue that horse breeders are more dreamers than pragmatists. That may be so, but the dreamers without the nous to have pragmatic solutions to the many challenges we are confronted with are seldom around for long.

Our leadership, the Government that is, is a shining example of the mixed view of their dreams and their pragmatic solutions. Look our tooth fairy is about to attend the APEC meeting in Thailand, APECs members aim is to: ‘Create greater prosperity in the region by promoting (wait for it) a balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative growth by accelerating regional economic integration.’ Now bless my sole, as a dreamer I am inspired, as a pragmatist I have difficulty accelerating growth whilst restricting all of the elements that growth depends on.

Whilst rubbing Covid noses with Biden, Xi, Albanese, she and the bar-coded Mahuta will offer pragmatic advice on: World food shortages (grown without fertiliser, check out Sri Lanka); how to resolve the likelihood of war over Taiwan, or we will intervene with our two 70-year-old Hercules; how to put Putin in his place, or we will refuse to supply our perishable butter. Whilst Albanese is in the clutches of Mahuta he may concede and agree to retain the Comancheros, realising a hug from them would be a better option.

In the meantime, we will send the intimidating Jamie Shaw to the tail end of the climate change meeting in Egypt. With 30,000 attendees, how many planes is that? To the recent meeting he made an impact on he took 14 sycophants with him, would they be dreamers or pragmatists? I’ll bet they are all going again, and I’ll put odds-on that we see the same result.

Well, we are going to have plenty of time to think about it. As a result of 350 road deaths, 450 less than years ago, our road speed limits are to drop to 80 kph. I know we don’t want any deaths. Of course, a pragmatic solution would be to return to horse and cart – definitely no deaths as a result of the motor vehicle. Not so simple. The dreamers would believe you just switch a horse on. There will of course be fatalities, what then?

Incidentally horses are considered carbon neutral, perhaps they are the future.

When you look at all the impediments this world of wokedom has placed in our road it is surprising more aren’t returning to God and the church. Praying seems our best chance. Personally, I found it difficult the twice I attended the Mabey Road Sunday School. Even then it was too intangible, my pragmatism must have kicked in at a young age but then I was surrounded by pragmatists whose only dream was to race a good horse.

I await with interest the direction our racing leadership will take us. Regretfully the past ten years have produced paralysis by analysis. How safe is that? Don’t have to expose your dreams. Certainly a pragmatic approach is difficult to sell, I know I tried it.

Cheers,

G