Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Australia, we have three years to plan for a better outcome

I used to be passionate about politics.

When I was young there seemed to be a real line in the sand between left and right.

There was also the Australian Democrats, the Greens under Bob Brown and ALP leaders from Union rank and file. Outside of Australia we had the Berlin wall the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Bosnia, Rwanda, South Africa etc making us feel lucky to be where we were.



In the past 30 years the world was become smaller and its people and politics (at least in the West and westernised East) more homogenised.

Mass media has democratised information but the commercial reality is that people don't want serious debate rather they want drama spectacle and to be entertained. In this era of celebrity people pay more attention to how someone handles themselves on TV and Twitter and not on real issues.

A political leader with charisma but no substance can prevail over a boring but truly good political representative. Obviously this is pure theory, as I haven't seen a truly good politician in a long time. Nick Xenophon is as good as we have these days, but a single independent can't do much.

What ever happened to the Australian Democrats and keeping the bastards honest? Like the major parties they reacted against, they fell into the same trap of factionalism and infighting until they lost what little they had.

The recent Australian Federal election has put a fire in my belly as the old people say. Tony Abbott wasn't the popularly elected leader. He is the other guy. The old one wasn't seen to be working out so the only alternative got the gig.

And just to prove that people felt confused and that they had no choice, consider that we now have a senator representing Motoring Enthusiasts but none representing human rights. Family First and Clive Palmer even fared better than the Democrats and the last alternative to two party politics: the Greens.

It all seems a little pointless but I haven't given up. My son is nearly two and we have another child on the way. I don't want the first leader of this country that either of them remember even dimly to be Tony Abbott.

So I'm looking for a party or case to campaign for. I'm passionate. I'm anti conservative, but not overly radical. I understand that compromise is how adults reach agreements.

I also studied media and journalism at university which probably means more in politics these days than studying politics or diplomacy.

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