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The Forum > Article Comments > With our own 'counterfeit' democracy how can we possibly export it? > Comments

With our own 'counterfeit' democracy how can we possibly export it? : Comments

By Tim Anderson, published 14/2/2005

Tim Anderson argues that Australia is not a democracy.

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Ever get the feeling there is sometimes just too much democracy?
Posted by Seeker, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 10:05:13 PM
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Seeker,

>>>>>Ever get the feeling there is sometimes just too much democracy?

Insightful question.

Reading these comments reminds me of an observation made many years ago by a psychologist: "The best form of government is a benevolent dictatorship". Which of course Singapore proves all too well.

If ever there was clear indication of the idiocy of mindless mob rule---aka democracy---then the seemingly endless litany of pseudo-intellectual politicobabble on this page provides it. The outcome---zero, zilch, nada, nothing---of all the energy invested into these comments proves the reality.

We'd all be far better off investing energy in developing---with certain safeguards---a social system that is akin to a ship's crew having just one captain. One of the jobs of an intelligent captain is to tell a crewmember when to shut up. One of the responsibilities of the crew member is to shut up when told to do so.

It's been long proven that's the best way to keep the ship off the rocks.

Instead, like a mob of sheep, we foolishly fiddle around in bleating circles while the Rome of our society burns.

Anyone who prefers to stop talking and actually do something constructive might want to go to http://www.decency.org.au
Posted by ozaware, Thursday, 17 February 2005 8:29:11 AM
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And you would be the cabin boy Ozaware eh.
Posted by Kenny, Thursday, 17 February 2005 10:27:01 AM
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Ozaware

"We'd all be far better off investing energy in developing---with certain safeguards---a social system that is akin to a ship's crew having just one captain. One of the jobs of an intelligent captain is to tell a crewmember when to shut up. One of the responsibilities of the crew member is to shut up when told to do so."

What happens if the captain is the wrong guy for the job as in Robert Mugabe/Zimbabwe or Saddam Hussein/Iraq

Furthermore tell us:

1 Who will select the captain?
2 Who will prescribe the safeguards you refer to?
3 Who will decide if the captain is doing well or should be replaced?
Posted by Sandgroper, Friday, 18 February 2005 12:52:25 AM
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Kenny, well, actually.....I am a 'cabin boy'.

That is I see myself as a mere messenger..

Graham and Sandgroper:

My response is longer than (I think) would be appropriate for here. So I will post it at http://ww.oz-aware.com/oloreply.htm Please feel free to read or copy it to this forum if you want---or I'll do that if you authorise me to.
Posted by ozaware, Friday, 18 February 2005 12:49:15 PM
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In this article the author states “Only in some Australian parliaments (mostly the less powerful upper houses) is there a little wider representation, and these few struggle to find a voice through the same strangled corporate media, and the stupefying consensus.”

I would fully agree with that, but how easy is it to vote for the upper house? At the ABC site the “Poll Vault”, Mat Liddy gives some suggestions on how to vote below the line for the senate at…http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2004/weblog/200410/s1214736.htm

“For voters planning to vote below the line in the Senate on Saturday, Antony Green has discussed how "you can usually order the top 10 or 15 candidates you want to vote for with ease, and probably the dozen or so you want to put at the bottom of your list". He suggested a couple of ways of randomly numbering the rest of the parties. But now Jeremy from Nosemugger has emailed The Poll Vault to share his online tool designed to help voters decide how to number those parties they mightn't know too much about.”

So all someone has to do when voting, is to take their laptop along with them, connect to the internet and use an online tool. This might help them work out where their preferences are actually going, and who they are actually voting for. It all seems very straightforward, particularly for the house that is supposed to be the most representative of the people.

Phillip Adams gives some musing about our democracy in an article titled “Political realities of the one-party state” at http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,12177494%255E12272,00.html

“While the situation is wildly applauded by Howard's followers (among whom must be numbered a clear majority of my fellow pundits, the US administration and the big end of town) there are a few recalcitrants, some odd ingrates, who think one-party politics is inherently unhealthy. So what is to be done?

Phillip Adams seems to think that the press has to try harder.

“Arthur Miller defined a good newspaper as "a nation talking to itself". Given that Howard is now as firmly in control as Berlusconi, Putin, Bush or Blair, we'll have to talk quite loudly. And hope that the public is listening.”

Yeah, sure Phillip. All the public has to do is keep buying his newspaper and keep reading his column, and all will be well. Like the press has been really, really helpful in answering the many questions still remaining concerning 9/11, or the WMD, or the last US election, or why Osama Bin Laden is still in hiding, and hasn’t been found because he is in hiding.

Time for big re-thinks about our political systems, and how to make the country into an actual democracy, and not just a pseudo democracy at best. There appears to be another six years to do this at least.
Posted by Timkins, Sunday, 20 February 2005 5:56:34 PM
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