Tourist should look and not touch

BY DENNIS FITZGERALD

THE LATEST attempt to stop tourists from inappropriate behavior at a site is the intention to fence off the Trevi Fountain in Rome. This is to stop people from jumping in and dancing in the fountain. But why is it necessary?

Another tourist, apparently an influencer, was arrested for climbing a pyramid in Egypt. She seemed to think it was her “right”. But what about the right to protect sites that have stood for thousands of years?

In Australia the climb to the top of Uluru (Ayer’s Rock) has been discontinued for cultural reasons although again many people claimed it as their “right” to climb it. They had no regard for its spiritual and cultural significance to the local people.

There seems to be a drift from enjoyment to participation, from appreciation to possession and little regard for how others consider a site.

Let’s just sit back and enjoy the uninterrupted view.

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The horse has already bolted

The Chinese have always had a fascination with walls culminating in the “Great Wall of China” to keep the invaders out. They soon realized that walls don’t stop things coming in.

Now they have put up another set of walls around a number of cities, initially Wuhan, to stop the disease coronavirus escaping but again the walls failed.

Coronavirus has started to spread, and we see desperate attempts to stop its spread, but the emphasis must be on curing rather than just containing the problem. The modern world moves too fast for walls to work.

The real dilemma is to find a solution using the full range of scientific research including vaccinations, often under attack from the ignorant, and antibiotics which are starting to fail in many cases because of their overuse. There is a need for massive increases in funding for medical research.

Let’s hope there is a solution and that it is found soon.

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Swearing at the tennis

Yet another of those “Why?” stories from the Australian Open Tennis this year. The police are using multilingual, specifically Greek-speaking, police officers to monitor one group of fans. There is a concern that their chanting is political and may be offensive.

The days of sport being a contest between two teams or individuals in the best possible manner are long gone with the amount of money and sponsorship taking the fun out of it.

The other issues of drugs and cheating are still bubbling away in the background and will surely be back in the papers in time for the Olympics.

Let’s play sport for fun and accept wins and loses with humility and dignity.

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Come one, come all, sign up now and enroll for your university course

The new year brings many people to tertiary education ranging from certificates to doctorates but there is an even greater range of institutions.

In Australia there has been a drop in traditional university enrolment as a result of the free TAFE (Technical and Further Education) courses. The free courses are less difficult.

The traditional universities are welcoming their students although so are a few more unusual ones. This is not a matter of Theology degrees from small Pacific islands although there is of course the McDonald’s Hamburger University that has been around since 1961.

The latest that has appeared in Australia is the “University Campus of Football Business” which is in itself an odd title. Special interest studies like sport do attract many students but this one is very confusing.

It is time to reorganize and rationalize the number of tertiary institutions and go back to basics. Universities should be devoted to two major areas, serious research that will benefit everyone and teaching students material that will lead to useful employment opportunities.

Of course, I could be tempted by Harvard University’s course, “The Real Game of Thrones: From Modern Myths to Medieval Models” or “Philosophy and Star Trek” at Georgetown University in Washington DC.

Beam me to my lecture, Scotty!

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Beam him up Scotty, to anywhere else

The new US Space Force logo looks very futuristic, perhaps even from the 23rd Century where it will be used to design the Star Trek United Federation of Planets logo.

It seems a bit confusing that the future has become the present but that could be the way of a forward-thinking President. There are a few who wonder if he has a future and a number who are working, probably fruitlessly, to ensure he doesn’t have a future.

Star Trek, from the ‘60s where much of President Trump’s thinking is also from, did promise much for the future. There was a Black person in a position of power which did become a great reality with President Obama but that might be where it ends. There was an outsider, Spock, who wasn’t really accepted, a condition that still occurs.

The depicted technology of the future has either been shown to be impossible as with warp drives and human transporters or already exists with mobile phones and iPads so what is there left for us to invent – actually  many things hopefully.

The future then was mostly run by older, white males and there is little sign that will change soon especially in America where there is the unfortunate prospect of another four years of President Trump.

What we can gain from Star Trek, apart from the logos, is the sense of hope for a united people who want to do the best they can.

Let’s boldly go to a future that will be better for all. (dfitzger@melbpc.org.au)/PN