Democracy and the future

This business of politics can get tawdry. Despite the concept of democracy and it's associated principles being the mainstay of our way of life, various parties continue to demean, deride and degrade the spirit of the idea. Far from being a one-eyed conservative, the method of deciding my political support stemmed from a really simple idea. Does it make sense? Could it work? On the whole, this leads my line of thinking to agreeing with the Federal coalition government, and away from socialism (ALP), one-issue politics (Greens), protest politics to remain of some influence (Democrats), rigid mindsets (One Nation/any religious party) and pretty much every other two bit crackpot with an opinion and a placard.

The smart people who should be running the country are running businesses, and keeping people in work. I often wonder if the drivel produced enmasse for media consumption by political PR flunkies on all sides is actually believed by the parties, or just done to sate the public. Are we heading down the path of a two-class system whereby ideas and policies becomes so obscure or disconnected with the general public that it has to be dumbed down to be understood?

If you can't clearly explain your welfare, defence, education, taxation, infrastructure and health policies in 30 seconds in plain English, then you are wasting your time with the public. People like to feel that they are standing for something. Now, it's so hard to garner exactly WHAT each party stands for, it's no wonder the future of the country is decided in the 4 weeks of electioneering, with a massive amount of undecided and swing voters.

Read the political party sites and media releases and watch introspective and regressive politics in action. Bob Carr proposes a discussion on nuclear power and is cast by all and sundry as crazy. Howard's government sets economic policy under it's right as the elected government and is pilloried. The Greens support a range of initiatives to preserve Australia's flora and fauna, and when they venture a policy on a subject where everyone else is allowed to have an opinion, they are continually denigrated. Regardless of how flawed the proposals may be considered, in a democracy, they all have a place. Informed, rational debate will eventually come to the most valid conclusion or proposition.

Do we really want our society so divided? Australia is becoming fractured, politically, culturally and ideologically. It's time we stood up as citizens and demanded our politico's at all levels start the art of compromise at a serious level, and stop point scoring to either gain or retain power. It cheapens and demeans the idea of Australia as the lucky country.

Cross posted at Bastards Inc.

No comments:

Post a Comment

All comments containing Chinese characters will not be published as I do not understand them