How could we possibly "abandon" political parties when we never supported them in the first place?

The author claims that "the major parties, left and right, have lost contact with, and commitment to, the needs and beliefs of ordinary citizens.", but that too is impossible because they never ever had contact with, or commitment to, the needs and beliefs of ordinary citizens!

Indeed we should never support the political parties, how less so the major two, but this for substantial philosophical reasoning rather than for the author's ad-hoc immediate motives.

What a quaint, sweet, but totally naive idea. Yes the parties are captive of various influences, but it is the only way a parliament can work, other than a one party state.

Can you imagine getting any decision, or getting anything done with 151 individuals all pushing their own ideas. You would very soon have groups of those with at least similar ideas forming, & ultimately forming, yes, parties, if perhaps in another name.

It is also essential for the majority to have any idea of the ideology they are voting for. I have enough trouble finding enough information about the 5 candidates for my local council election, to make an informed decision on the individuals.

You often hear people stating that they wouldn't have voted for their councilor, if they had known hoe he/she would vote on some bill. How much harder with national or state elections. It is at least easier to find a parties attitude to many things, even if you can't agree with their entire platform.

I'll stick to parties, & get active if I care enough about something. There are enough of them for any one really interested to elect those with ideas that suit them. The problem is most couldn't be bothered.

Bazz,

When I said 'money' I meant that independents cannot afford to fight elections against parties supported by Big Business and other selfish organisations.

Political parties came into being only around the end of the 18th. Century.

Personally, I have no loyalty to any party in Australia today. I would prefer to vote for an independent who didn't have to tow a party line. But that is pretty futile as a majority doesn't feel the same way. So, I have to cop what the majority of lazy voters and political ignoramuses do.

You might feel something similar.

Dear Hasbeen,

To summarise what you just wrote: "taking control over my life is just too difficult, it takes too much time, yawn why should I bother, I rather hand over the control over my life to others who are not as lazy as myself."

When will you wake up? When they legislate that you must kill and eat your mother whom they consider a witch? When they forcibly install computer-chips in your brain to make sure that you do such things whenever they order you?

Yuyutsu you are much more likely to get it wrong voting for an individual, whose real opinions will often be hidden, than a party who have to keep some faith with the public.

That is of course unless your name is Gillard.

The problem with politics is the rule by the “unelected”.

Take the “Gay Airline” for example. Also the less than subtle influences of FB, Amazon etc forcing their version of how life should be, mingled with crowd control tactics which force a particular line of thinking onto the voting community. Private enterprise Censorship.
Then, on top of all the obvious above, is the influences of property developers. A main driver of population control which is entirely in the hands of politicians, who in turn are in the pocket of developers.

Now you begin to see the abysmal and irrelevant position of the voter, and the minuscule level of importance the voter has apart from which party will take the rewards of power.

There is only one way available to overthrow an unpopular regime, and it’s not by voting.
History is very clear on political outcomes. It says, if your not prepared to die for your cause, then the cause prize will be handed to those that are: The amazing accomplishments of ISIS is a stark reminder.

Dan