You don't deserve democracyOne of the pitfalls of blogging (apart from the immense amount of time that constantly writing and trying not to suck takes up) is that eventually you will write about something that later in life you wish that you could take back. I'm sure one day I'll write a glowing post on someone who turns out to be the next Hitler, or maybe even Tinfoil Hat Man could turn out to be the man who cures cancer and I will look like a right dill for mocking him. This is likely to be one of those posts. I've saved it up for April Fools Day so that if I do regret writing this, I can blame it on a merry prank.
Every three years we do the same dance. We turn up to a polling booth, by law, and make a decision between liberals (small L) and conservatives. Later that night Ray Martin tells us who has won, and that is that.
But that is not that. For the next three years, those people who backed the loser hate the smug ones who backed the winner. Everything that goes bad gets blamed by the losers on the foolish, selfish or ignorant choice of the winners. What's more, the winning party is hardly ever elected by the majority of the people. The Australian people are nearly always governed by a party that most people did not vote for. Elections can turn neighbours into enemies, family dinners into arguments and journalists into rabid toddlers. We have our priorities around the wrong way. It's time to rebuild Australia, Australia.
I see an Australia with no elections. That's right, none. This Australia has two states, one for the conservatives and the other for the liberals. If the residents of either don't like the direction of their (permanently installed) government, then they can migrate freely to the other state. The two states are autonomous in all but name. Federal government is neutered, it exists for overseeing the military and diplomatic relations only. This lets people vote with their feet any day of the year. It also puts a whole new spin on a market-driven government.
The new Australian states will be determined by halving the most livable land. Draw a line from Port Augusta to Brisbane, or maybe a little higher, and then divide the south-east corner evenly in two. The rest of Australia is inhospitable desert, governing it is an unnecessary burden. On second thought, there is a lot of resource rich land out there. We'll make it a territory or something.
Oh silpheed, you're crazy, no-one is going to agree to that. I'm so disgusted that I am immediately going to uninstall my internet! You'll think differently when you're stuck with a government that you despise for three more years.
I should be Prime Minister.
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I think the result of this years election is pretty much a conclusion. Which is a shame. I think high school captain races have more good debates than this federal erection. It has become a popularity contest bewteen a bushy browed little man, and a yuppy-spectacled unashamed media slut. Don't mind we have record low employment with rising real-wages, still low interest rates with inflation under control. "The PM said the N word, I don't want a reactor near my house." "We were wrong to go into Iraq, lets leave now it's in civil war" I could just about start my own blog on these topics, but I digress.
My point is I swear at least 40% of the electorate have NFI about politics or governance yet they still vote. My proposal is there should be a pop quiz you have to pass before you can vote. "If your two biggest allys (the ones who you rely on for the defence of your nation) are going into to a war do you...? a) Denounce the war. b) Send all of your available troops in support c) Send a small contigent of highly trained troops to participate in support missions in order to show support yet minimize the risk of casualties" You get my drift.
If you thing it was wrong to go into Iraq, I wouldn't argue with you. If you think it is right to leave Iraq in their most desperate hour (after destroying the country's government 'wrongfully'), your logic is pretty twisted. Do you think once western forces leave, the insurgents will go home, become part of society and the factions in Iraq will comprimise and work things out for the good of their nation? Do you think Iran and Syria will support Iraq to help it establish an independant representational government? Or do you just not care what happens to the 'towel-heads', better 1000 of them to die than any Australian. I guarantee you, if we leave before a stable government and an independant army and police has taken hold, we'll be back there in 10-20 years to fight someone much worse than Saddam. That remark I won't blame on April Fool's.
I love it! Except how can you leave out Queensland?
If there's still going to be a federal government, then maybe you should turn it into some sort of Las Vegas with all the casinos and brothels nationalized?? Gotta get revenue somehow...
silp - i lol'd at indefensible wasteland
napkin, i really don't think iraq or the NUCLEAR THREAT~! are giving rudd his massive slutty lead in the polls. it's hip-pocket, backyard things like WorkChoices, the infrastructure shortages, housing affordability and the 7 or so interest rate rises since they were to be kept at 'record lows'.
the majority of australians were opposed to the iraq war in 2004, and howard smashed latham that year. it's an issue that just re-inforces the electorate's negative perception of howard, not one that swing votes.
That's the first serious thing I've ever seen you write, Tommy. I hope you're not losing your touch.
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