There are many posts in this forum dealing with politicians, but not many that analyze the system that makes politicians the way they are. Consider it.

It's a system that forces us to vote whether we want to or not. Then, instead of allowing us to vote on matters that interest us, it gives us the choice only of voting for candidates about whom we know little, who offer to represent us but who, once elected, work for the party they are a member of rather than whatever electors might want.  Politicians work for their parties because they know that without party support they are unlikely to be elected.

So, politicians become "yes men", working for their parties. Lobbyists for all sorts of interests then only have to persuade party bosses to support them and they can indirectly govern the country to suit themselves, regardless of what citizens might write in forums like this, protest about, or visit politicians about. Anyone who has tried to bring about change through the usual systems will know what I mean.

Part of the system is the mass media, without which the system could scarcely work.  We need news and information upon which to base our decisions, but can only hope and trust that the media tells us the truth about all the things we need to know. Unfortunately, the mass media in Australia scarcely mentions many things that would improve our understanding of the world, whilst distracting us with things like sport and scandalous gossip. By selectively choosing who and what to report, the media ensures we citizens often end up badly misled.

All this might not be so bad if the world was not such a dangerous place. Apart from conflict between nations that we have become accustomed to, there are now other dangers:

Banksters are busy transferring the wealth of entire nations to themselves through the mechanism of debt which they manufacture themselves and issue to customers who ultimately will not be able to pay without enduring extreme hardship. Heard of Greece recently? Australia might not be far behind, our crazy government having borrowed for expensive projects that will end up as white elephants, such as the national broadband network... not to mention stimulating the economy to rescue our banks!


There are others (or are they the same ones?) busy provoking an endless string of wars, always an expensive business for those involved, and guaranteed to lead to lots more lovely borrowing. Australia's government is always up with the leaders in this matter, faithfully following the USA into one unnecessary war after another. Vietnam, Cambodia, Iraq, Afghanistan. And now they are demonizing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in preparation for embroiling us in another war with Iran, a country that is no enemy of Australia.

These matters are too serious to be left to a bunch of self seeking party hacks operating within a system that seems almost designed to bring out the worst in people. Any ideas how we might fix it?

fawkes wrote on Feb 22^nd, 2010 at 6:10pm:


Yeah, easy. Replace representative democracy with ... er... ummm... well, you tell us. In other words, take personal responsibility for the system you live in/with/under and act to improve it, change it, whatever it is you want. The sysetm is you.
No use saying 'it's them'. It's you.

Thanks soren, for a contribution I can disagree with 100%!  You can't be much of a thinker if you can't suggest any improvement to our system of representative democracy.

I deny absolutely that the system we are saddled with is me.  I didn't design it. Nobody ever asked me to approve it. The votes I cast under its elections have no effect whatsoever. Every suggestion I have ever heard of that could improve the system for we citizens has fallen on deaf ears. Without your invitation I have tried to change the system a bit, without success.  I'm now looking for fresh ideas, but you evidently don't have any.

fawkes wrote on Feb 23^rd, 2010 at 8:38am:

What a sad, defeatist wimp you are... And arrogant, to boot. If you can't change everything with one vote, you'd rather give up and try to change nothing.

How does it go... "courage to change the things I can, the serenity to accept the things I can't and the wisdom to know the difference".

Ignorance, anger and cowardice is not the stuff through which a healthy democracy develops.

fawkes wrote on Feb 22^nd, 2010 at 6:10pm:

Do you actually know any politicians or those who aspire to be politicians? Their job is 24/7. And while they're at it, they must maintain, as best they can, a pristine image. Get caught not wearing a seat belt and they're "lax on personal responsibilities for road safety". Get caught speeding and they're "inconsiderate of the public well being and therefore unfit for public office". Decline an invitation to speak at a charity event etc, for whatever reason and they may be labelled as an "uncaring bureaucrat"... And on and on it goes. It's a thankless job that can chew up nearly all one's life, often to the detriment of one's own family.

fawkes wrote on Feb 22^nd, 2010 at 6:10pm:

You're sadly mistaken if you think most politicians are not passionate about the causes they sacrifice their personal life to advance. And let me tell you, its not about the money, which is poor relative to what they could earn privately. Unlike you politicans and aspiring politicians actually get up of their arse to try and bring about positive change.

the answer to this is:
at the upcoming election, just don't vote.
pay the stupid fine.
this WILL send the correct mssg to the jerk that are controlling the ppl here.
btw, Rudd and the rest, incl. Abbot, etc, have NOTHING to do with running this this place.
jr.

fawkes wrote on Feb 23^rd, 2010 at 1:34pm:

You don't seem too well informed.

fawkes wrote on Feb 23^rd, 2010 at 1:34pm:

If you knew any politicians and the political process you'd know that interacting with one's electorate and being seem by your electors, the media and every idle observer demonstrates that you are worthy (or worthy enough) of trust. Hardly a waste of time in a democracy.

Hilarious that an extremely rich wunch of bankers is now the government's fault. A few short years ago any comment by a politician about banking practises would have had the hogs snorting about crypto-communist political interference.

Maybe the best in our society don't want the hogs sniffing through the detritus of their lives looking for sh!t to eat.

Face it, you're an aimless malcontent who, like every hog knows the answers but is unable to ask the right questions... or act on them. What are you doing to ameliorate our "disastrous system of government"?

fawkes wrote on Feb 23^rd, 2010 at 1:34pm:

Then stop your idle bitching and step up to the plate... Put yourself up as an independent.

fawkes wrote on Feb 23^rd, 2010 at 7:37pm:

On a malcontent's safari without leaving the armchair.

fawkes wrote on Feb 23^rd, 2010 at 7:37pm:

There ya go... get back into it. 

fawkes wrote on Feb 23^rd, 2010 at 7:37pm:

What would you suggest? a dictatorship? An oligarchy of magnates... An "eterarchy"?

fawkes wrote on Feb 23^rd, 2010 at 7:37pm:

So you are a defeatist then. QED.

People who are the true agents of positive change strive "without hope of success nor fear of failure".