Phoenix was to Arizona what Perth is to Western Australia now. But, growth is killing WA too. The expansion of a workforce which is flown in and out of Perth up to the Pilbara is driving a housing boom which is never quite adequately supplied to keep home prices from blowing out into an ever expanding bubble. Pollution, crime and prison expansion are rising, along with traffic congestion. Fortunately, there is a public transit system, complete with an electric train network; but even this system is feeling the pressures of ever expanding growth-for-capitalism’s-sake.

IT’S ABOUT TIME

We came out of Africa
ages ago
We roamed o’er this planet
in various tribes
But
our numbers have grown
We’re hitting six billion
We don’t need any more
We need a rest
some disposable time
We’ve got enough families
and too many swine

We need a shrink
We’re working too long
driving for hours
with ring-toned
bright mobiles
stuck fast to our ears
jammed ‘twixt car bumpers
to-ing and fro-ing
producing more gadgets
than we’ll ever use

And what’s most of it for

To profit the powers
THE POWERS THAT BE
increasing their greed
immersing our planet
in fads become junk
twelve percent plastic
and toxic to boot

Yes
truth is still beauty
but look what WE’VE got
beauty’s become
a ware to be bought
a thing to be sold
In this day and age
cheapness’s the measure
of market-share gain
It’s just so much fools’ gold
What happened to leisure
Why so much pain
Come on fellow workers
Let’s turn the page

Our faire Sister is groaning
under this weight
We’ve created more wealth
than ever before
measured in money
and we’re still insecure
Output per worker
has shot through sky
do-dads are humming
boss profits are high
while needy go hungry
and poor children die
Yes
by thousands each day
because water is dirty
and boy is it scarce
The deserts are coming
the planet is warming
and pundits are talking

they’re talking ‘bout more

All for the bosses
More power for them
to grow their damn
business
and lest we forget
we’ll get more landlords
and rent hikes galore

Oh my god
can’t you see
by the dawn’s early light
Come on
all you workers
wage slavery’s a bore
It’s taking up your life
and taking up mine
Let’s make something real
something useful for us
for us and our planet
before we go bust
Let’s grow us some FREE-TIME
Give it a think
We’ve piled enough crap up
We need a shrink