The spirit of our age is fear. Toss in intellectual laziness and you have the picture. Rather than guide us into the future our leaders are bent on making the same old mistakes, writes Shirley Stott Despoja.

The saddest thing about government in Australia is that it looks to the past instead of inventing the future.

This leaves enlightened people, our thinkers, inventors, artists, scientists and teachers stranded with their ideas unsupported, while the nation goes on making the same, or variations of the old, mistakes.

I fear it is a fatal weakness. It shows in all types of government. So-called leaders play on people's fears to ensure they are elected to do the same old same old.

Why is this the case? It is almost as though the nation we have long called "young" came to a screaming halt, despite years of peace and prosperity. It is fear, but why can't we look at our institutions and renew them? Why can't we say the word "change" without dread? Why can't we face challenges like climate change with courage and enthusiasm?

We are more likely to send troops to a war than adapt the constitution, or even simple things like the flag or the national song. Australia's leaders seem to think the old ways were best, so they will do very nicely for the future with a bit of tinkering. Not so. The world has changed radically. Change has overtaken us. Tinkering will not do.

The spirit of our age is fear. Toss in intellectual laziness and you have the picture. We have even gone back to ancestor worship - witness, Anzac Day - rather than find new ways of developing heroes, those who will challenge us, who will catch us up, and even overtake, countries with far fewer resources who are now ahead.

The arts barely rate a mention, though they have so often shown us the way forward. Money is cut from scientific institutions, despite our having a fine reputation in almost every branch of science.

We blame the old for living longer. Afraid of the success our medical research has brought us! But what is unforgiveable is that we tell our young people to lower their expectations. What a terrible thing to suggest to young people at the height of their energy and aspirations.

When did housing become unaffordable for people with jobs? Even if you accept that it could not be foreseen, then why did we so carelessly jettison the hopes of families for a house with a bit of grass for the kids to play on? Without a fight, we did. And just promoted "apartment living," and even acceptance of perpetual rental accommodation. We've told our young to lower their expectations. There is a glut of apartments now and thousands of disillusioned young people.

A paid-off house was always the best way for most people to provide for old age. It still is. Wasn't that something worth preserving, fighting for? Now we have more old people than ever before, decreasing home ownership, and no articulated way of providing housing for old people who can't afford to pay rent.

Leaders appear to have lost confidence in themselves to deal with the difficult things, but it's not hard to understand problems such as this.

We have the tools and the brains, but our leaders are afraid to use them and even actively discourage them. University fees. Say no more. The result is a disaffected populace that spends its energies abusing political figures on social media.

I once saw computers in a country library covered up with hand embroidered doilies. That seemed very Australian to me. The wider world embraces new technology to deal with changing times. Australia invents new technology, but when it comes time to fund it and install new ways of doing things, we become nervous. What will the polls say?

The NBN is a communications development with a doily over it. Australia is into it, but leaders want a safety blanket, or a doily, to make it acceptable to everyone, so no one can complain about waste, profligacy with tax dollars.

Leaders are afraid to be leaders. They can't explain. They either hide behind slogans or batter our ears with unbearably loud jargon (my head hurts, Scott!). They forget their ideals to make themselves acceptable to what they believe people want. They don't live like most people. They get it wrong. People hate them.

I am lucky to have young grandchildren while having memories dating back to WWII. I marvel at pre-teen kids who have such confidence in themselves, are unafraid to ask questions, have eager opinions and look forward to their future.

When I was their age, we were of not much account, even if we were loved. No one asked us anything much, and if we ventured an opinion we were sat upon. Yet my generation grew up to take the risks, to change so much. Women joined the wider world, physical punishment was abandoned, parents became more involved in their children's lives ... then suddenly, a palpable resistance to change, a disdain for political life, cynicism about everything.

Old people despised. Values cheapened, ugliness raised up, expectations lowered. I fear that my grandchildren and their friends will soon have their bright, shiny courage knocked out of them.

Leaders say it's the economy, stupid. But only stupid takes their word for it.

This article was first published on The Adelaide Review. Read the original.

Shirley Stott Despoja is a journalist and writes a monthly column, The Third Age, a column published in The Adelaide Review.