Everald old mate, Democracy is actually on the ascendancy world wide, not the decline.
Read Pinker.

WTF has John Howard to do with it. John Howard was actually a prick with ears in my view.

So is Everald's solution finding politicians who are "good people" like Abraham Lincoln. Note that Lincoln was responsible for triggering America's most destructive war - the Civil War. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjM6zjwi4R0

Isn't politics about the distribution of limited resources where some miss out?

This reality defies any general feeling that politicians are "good people".

We do need a good clean out and a change of direction.none of which either of the major parties is up for. With stupidity and self-service reigning supreme at the moment and using divide and rule tactics to retain office.

When what we need is statesmen and others willing and able to rise above both party politics and personal considerations.

The coalition is damaged beyond repair and needs to divide along moderate liberal and right-wing lines to allow the voters to eliminate the deadwood and the humbug egocentric politics from the place.

If we had an irrevocable bill of rights, which included a citizens initiated referendum! we could use it to bring about some real if resisted to the last man, reform.

Menzies cried when Curtain died because the contest back then, was between ideas. Now, it's between ideologies and what they won't do!

Vision limited to opinion polls or the election cycle where the only goal is to win at all costs? And if the first casualties are the truth and personal integrity, so be it.

At one time it was all about the country and Australians, now about personal considerations and the party, with the poor beggar country, a dismal last.

By their fruits, ye shall know them!
Alan B.

Yes, one needs to clutch one's rose coloured glasses to desperately find the "good people" of the past.

Viewing the "good people" who are safely in the past, that is - so their human foibles (bad sides - like Curtin's alcoholism* ) are even more safely obscured and hopefully forgotten.

Alcoholism and it laying the groundwork for his heart disease that killed Curtin early.

* http://aso.gov.au/titles/documentaries/hellfire-jack-john-curtin/notes/

' The worst was Tony Abbott. Totally out of his depth, hugely vindictive and with a frightening brand of ancient religion. He plagues the Parliament and will continue to do so until he is thrown out. Most of the blame for the decadence of Parliament right now rests at his door, but his closed mind won't let him realise it.'

You show Everald that bigotry does not diminish with age. The only man with the backbone to stop the flood of illegals and get rid of the idiotic breathing tax and then to receive this vomit from you. I suggest your brand of demonising is far more toxic than Tony who has shown to be a very decent Aussie albeit with flaws.

The collection of people together into groups once were groups of people who worked together to achieve common goals.

The party indicated common goals, beliefs of people working together.

Over time attention has been a shift of attention away from those people with common interests towards concentration upon "the Party".

Whether "the Party" is communist, socialist, capitalist, Labor, Liberal, Country, National, Green, or any other label, they are now run by their own internal oligarchs who each run their "Party" machines to suit their own individual whims, not those of their members.

George Orwell had it right, that all animals are equal, only some are more equal than others.

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