Everyone has the odd ‘if only’ thought from time to time.

If only you had made a different career choice, if only you had not said the things you have said, or if only you had not done some of the things you have done. All those done and not done moments – those decisions and those things you did which, when you wake up at night, have you squirming with anguish and/or embarrassment.

It’s much the same for the recent history of the Australian nation – a litany of missed opportunities and stupid and short-sighted decisions – which should prompt us to think how our history would have unfolded if we and our governments had made different decisions.

Perhaps we need some J’accuse moments to polemically bring it all to our attention. But it’s doubtful if our supine mainstream media would publish anything like Emile Zola’s passionate denunciation. Instead, we get the relentless propaganda of the Murdoch media.

The biggest and most obvious is our failure to properly tax the huge revenues generated by our mining and resource booms. If only we had followed the Norwegian path and established a sovereign wealth fund which would provide future generations with new levels of security.

If only if we had not made housing policy dependent on tax rorts like negative gearing and capital gains tax relief and reduced housing price pressures while funding adequate social housing.

If only our government had not challenged car manufacturers to close down their plants. Thank you Joe Hockey.

If only we had not enthusiastically followed the US into Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan helping turn the Middle East into a violent basket case.

If only we had not, in rushing to war, incurred a $13 billion dollar cost for veteran care and the devastating impacts of PTSD and veteran suicides

If only we had not privatized, and then destroyed, our vocational training schools and programs when we have an acute shortage of skilled labour and well-paying rewarding jobs for young people.

If only we had not treated universities as corporations paying Vice Chancellors million dollar salaries while students are increasingly taught by casual staff.

If only Education Ministers had not decided to make political points by interfering in research grant decisions.

If only we had not poured billions into private schools so they could build swimming pools and luxurious facilities while government schools are neglected and their buildings can’t compare with private schools luxury.

If only we had introduced a carbon price way back when so we could have already made significant progress towards achieving realistic climate goals.

If only our Green party had focussed on achievable goals and not pursued a policy of always insisting on an imagined perfect rather than the realistic.

If only our major party politicians were not increasingly drawn from narrow groups of party apparatchiks and instead major parties encouraged people such as the Teals and independents now on the crossbenches. What would be the opportunities for a Tom Uren, Barry Jones, John Hewson and the many other mavericks and profound thinkers in Australian political parties today?

If only Andrew Leigh was given a major role in economic policy to ensure the Government had realistic and effective policies rather than shoddily prepared talking points.

If only we had profound debates about issues and challenges rather than superficial talking points.

If only we had not encouraged aged care services to be profit centres and defined residents as customers and, in some cases, exploited inmates.

If only we had prized the arts with the same passion we have for sport.

If only we had regulated betting and wagering advertising and forced the many companies to have realistic know your customer rules.

If only we had cracked down on the endemic rorts which are too common in professions, industries and other areas.

If only we could have a realistic debate and discussion on policy thought farts like Dutton’s nuclear policy.

If only we could believe – as Australians once did – that life would be better for future generations than it has been for the baby boomer generation. The father of a friend, a wise Hungarian who had experienced far more than anyone should have to experience, once said that the Australians born just after the war were the luckiest generation anywhere in the world at any time in history. Could we say the same for today’s young Australians?

If only we had embraced the Voice proposal as a transformational moment instead of seeing it as a divisive wedge to exploit for purely political purposes.

If only our Liberal and National Parties were not aiming to emulate Trumpist tactics in elections.

If only we had a viable independent media industry carefully scrutinizing governments and business rather than peddling propaganda or trivialities.

Australia was once an innovator in so many areas. Certainly, we were far from perfect – the great silence on our treatment of the original inhabitants of the country continues with the Australian War Memorial’s refusal, at the urging of some reactionary Council members, to commemorate the Australian Frontier Wars.

Rampant open racism such as riots against Chinese gold mine workers and contempt or suspicion of new migrants were once commonplace.

We have come far but, if only, we had not started to regress.