The essential weakness of the Neoliberal philosophy is funding government.
At the same time as both majors insist that the gov. should not sully it's hands with profit making enterprise, neither party can hope to get elected on the threat of higher taxes.
After they've sold off all the assets and privatised everything and offered tax cuts in order to get elected, where's the money going to come from?
It seems the only viable alternative our unimaginative politicians can conceive is to promise lower taxes in order to get elected, then break the promises.

hi/peter..you described\the problem/but~im\more interested in solutions

hence/your last words

<<>If we can't make such changes\to the formal-system itself, perhaps we could establish\a parallel\Process of discussion/o pressure politicians/to think more creatively.>

thats/really\..the problem..[focus groups/think-tanks..NGO.S]
thing/is if its all//neo-iberal\soialised/bail-outs/for marxist-comunist mercantilism/.by the\inbred/ruling class..controling the 25 multinational firms..

running the globe/govt/commercE/institutionalized consumer-exploitation/by obsolescence~by/design[see/light-bulb/conspiricy/[THINK@-toner/catrages].

<</annual..'people's-congress'>.NO!

like/the first-peopleLOL.[ie/all../R\..coco-nuts]

<<>summit/of experts..>[read/lobbiest-stakholders?]..

<<>.and\activists>>

watch the g/20..the plan is..we activists\go 24-7
[we entertain/as-we\explain]

<<.,where\the big-issues>>
SHOULD BE FIXED/IN STONE
[not:two party\agree/what defines\victory]

issues/<<.alternative\policies/put forward\>
more/of the same?

[WE ONLY\GET SNEAKIER/more/immoral-MOLAL~TAXES/
\SNEAKIER PROMISES]

WE NEED..A REAL CHANGE/ruled/FOR/NOT\over
by/TRAINED/compitant-experts.[acting like\gods/*in their field
the winner proposes/the opposition opposes/.they formulate the polict for the next deselection/or re-election[from/trainED-THESUS*CARREER SPECIALISTS*/picked from/the nominees

minsters-dept\by/dept
we elect\each head/ministar\plus-each opposition
the ones\with the most heads/picks pm/picks speaker

and\to further affect/we divide-govt/governing\into mens[womens business/BYagreement b.SEPPERATION/OF-POWERS/Betwen the womans/mens circles/BUSINESS/THAT-ony~become law for:the public service\to serve us by/govt/to\seve.only~the living*

<<>Websites\could maintain\the discussion>>and permissions/autority;to act.

i feel~put it all*on-line/openly/CLEARLY RESPONSABLY/BY topic
[so we dont\even~need~know/who;is our treauror/ag/minister-ETC

his job is\just to reply/all questions.we;put into -the teasurors web blog/his powers come via his blog*enough supporters[real 'persons'/only].YA/GET/a budget.[AND/BECOME;OPEN/TO CHALLANGE;anytime*

<<..so that the summits/[and web-logs\..work towards a consensus.instantly/online..24-7..here is;the blog/post your request here/its aproval will e held here/if its not here we arnt that into your idea/but the REQUEST\REMAINS/AND CAN BE VOTED OR VETOED/ON

the biggest folowings/get their..own bdget ansd minestry/they need account for/and the opposition audits.to find fault/faults found/means number 2 gets the number 1\job/and we vote;for the new number 2

<<>There is increasingly effective\software/for this sort of thing.>>

TO TALK/YOU NEED VALIDATE/YOUR A LIVING BEING
voice-print/aces/or eye sign/or via=sual[its not that hard/we recompense/or\your REQUEST BE TANSPHERED TO/the id \relitive/2~dePT
SEE CATCH/22 THREAd
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=6293&page=1
<<.....The production/of a\final~policy document>>

becomes.;.its own thread*

<<.would provide\some discipline,
and hopefully/elicit.a meaningful response/from~WITH government>>.

<<>we need to renovate it to deal with the big problems facing us now.It is no longer a matter of a few percentage points here or there,but getting the fundamentals right in an increasingly threatening global context.>>

SOME GREAT/STUFF DELETED.

Hi Peter; glad you're still doing some very pertinent commentary.
You've hit on some real issues, most important of which is, I think the the corrupted role of mainstream media in politics - magnates such as Murdoch and Rhinehart buying their influence and for that matter Palmer buying his by his letterboxing of his CD's.

RE neoliberalism and globlisation, I deplore many aspects of both but was there any other way given the whole world is involved?

Re Americanization I am staying in New York at the moment and there are encouraging articles in the NY Times, in particular one about a new Republican think tank trying to counter the Tea Party and reconnect with Middle America, putting forward new ideas to help the less well off instead of Wall St. So maybe the mad days here are coming to an end, although there are still plenty of ranting Tea Party shock jocks on commercial radio.

This gives me cause for optimism - that people are seeing how they've been duped by big corporations and are not going to stand for it any more. They see they were wrong going into Iraq; they see Obama Care is working and making health care affordable. The GOP knows this and knows they must come up with people friendly policies or they'll lose their power in Congress.

Carrying on from my previous post, Australia is not much different to the US; we now see we've been duped by Abbott and his big money faction, as the Americans see they were duped by Bush and are coming to see they are being duped by the Tea Party.

Even many right wing Australians didn't trust Abbott at the last election hence rise of Palmer. Many workers didn't trust Labor hence Green vote rising.

So I think our Political System IS working, generally and its bringing about the end of the 2 party politics in Australia; something I've been praying and working for many years. I think the only thing our system needs is a tweak to voting rules - allowing just 6 choices above the line to put an end to the ridiculous gaming that allows a candidate to get a senate seat with 0.02% of the vote...

The media situation is another matter but I'm an optimist. My preference would be strong media laws criminalizing lying by media but it seems politicians are too gutless to do that (perhaps a new 'truth in media' party is needed?).

But I think even without that, Murdoch papers will eventually destroy themselves with their propaganda and lies, as more people participate in 'News Blogs'. 'The Conversation', Business Spectator and Renew Economy are good examples and readership is rising. Even 'On Line Opinion is OK but some curbing of the regular trolls is needed.

These do some proper, true analysis. I think in the end truth will win out; a majority know truth from lies. And we also have new web papers that are not bankrolled by the big corporates - Guardian, News Daily and Saturday Paper. Perhaps the next step should be a print version of the best of the news blogs..... We've had a dark couple of dark decades but take heart, Peter, things are looking up

peter/a perfect xample

i jut submitted a post/it ws rejected
in being rejected/it disappears

now i know it wil disappears/so i posted a back-up post here
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=6293&page=17

off course it begins different
so here is the proposed post/cut out

<<>.im listening to a pod cast
http://whatreallyhappened.com/podcasts/hourtitle1.m3u

a caller has called in/and explained that these 3 dead israelies
died in an auto accident/planed at a crime scene

point being regardless of the story
is 3 dead kids enough to cause armogedon
is collective punishment[EVEN FOR A LIE].,,HOW IS IT NOT A WAR CRIME

PLEASE EXPLAIN/HOW IS THIS GENOXCIDE NOT A WAR GRIME?

THE ATTACK ON PALISTEN
has gone/LIVE
http://www.arabworld360.info/2014/07/gazaunderattack-open-thread.html#.U7yGgpSSzfI

http://whatreallyhappened.com/IMAGES/SMALL_nukechicago.jpg

http://www.intifada-palestine.com/2014/07/powerful-raw-video-shows-israeli-airstrikes-gaza/
Warning: The content of this video is graphic.

Video footage shows Palestinians running from black smoke as the Israeli army ramps up its offensive and launches airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. At least 40 Palestinians, including two children, have died.

HOW CAN WAR MAKE PEACE?
Posted by one under god, Thursday, 10 July 2014 11:34:34 AM>>

THE POINT BEING ITS A VALID TOPIC
BUT CANT BE ACCEPTED BECAUSE ITS WRITTEN BY AN ILLITEATE

i propose a ministry FOR LITERACY/THERE TO MAKE NONSENCE INTO BEUROCRACY SPEAK[i expect to attend 8 years training/to become the liteRACY CZAR[MEANWHILE WE NEED HELP*]

There are a number of organisations in Australia seeking more direct democracy.

This one seems very interesting, and has listed the advantages and disadvantages of a range of direct democracy systems.

http://www.newdemocracy.com.au/

An excellent and totally thought provoking presentation in that website.

Thinking about the issues, I am more than displeased with all the personality politics, backdoor deals, name-calling and shouting in parliament, politicians on all sides calling each other liars, lack of secret ballot, politicians voting along party lines like automatons, and the huge disconnect between professional politicians and the rest of us.

Direct democracy systems are well worth trialling and refining, (as the alternative is just more of the same).