In today's Sydney Morning Hearald is an article about a very sick young man mistreated by Centrelink in Western Australia.
"Centrelink has admitted it badly handled the case of a 16-year-old boy with leukaemia who was refused a disability support pension following "an unfortunate breakdown in communications"."

The point is that the Coalition Government which has provided the climate for bureaucrats to make mean decisions. Another case of administrative thuggery perpetrated by the Howard Government's mean attitude towards citizens.

I wonder why all the normal people who get mistreated by Centerlink don't get publicity.
It seems you have to be very sick.

When the person is sick the media concentrates on the sick person instead of the very sick Centerlink system. If all the normal people who got mistreated got publicity then the very sick people would not be mistreated would they?

The media is very sick as well.

• Alchemist ..."Sensible people are aware that nothing can-be-done until the (jellyback-spiteful-pollies run) ruling-junta of lib/lab is destroyed and a (grassroots) system comes along that listens to the people and not (elders-of-zion) vested interests"... Precisely why we need-to-examine conscientious citizen's commonsense logic! Which dictates on your local Electorate Office to enact a vital umbilical-cord-interface between the electorate and periodically chosen MP, who must adhere to the Representative Democracy notion. Where just as vital on MP was to serve the people, and not merely the executive rulers of the day. While applying vested-democracy-aim in-relation to the real-economy-generation, just-law-n-order maintenance within the social responsibility to the informed community. Solidly set on the equal-citizen's-rights to the principle-essentials such-as: Subsistence, Health, Housing, Education and Employment opportunities (onset with the crucial remedy versus stonewalling by the mainstream media).

Thus inevitably your local Electorate Office to form communication exchange bureau for active citizens participation within the unhindered need-of-contribution via local parliamentarian's domain, towards the people's-common-good. With an-ultimate goal on mind for-a-direct, participatory-democracy by people and for the people. Onset to embody our collective responsibility, to eradicate the parasites, who over the years painstakingly feathered Jew cuckoo-nests within the ivory towers. Subject to elders-of-zion preselection process via invisible hand-picked treacherous leeches and their filthiest derivatives rest. Conditioned to serve evil-echelon-masters, while forging this marvellous nation (if-not-for archaic vast-wastage-industries) into oblivion.

One may be excused for having dejected perception at-times of being just an-alien-visitor here from some-distant-planet. Thus having to-face a user-pay consequences. Which must-be contemptible for the conscientious citizens within a country where ensuing generations of youngsters grow and proceed into the adulthood without having a single elevated role-model. Someone to look-up-to (as our maverick Mark Latham), towards the impending achievements to-come. Yet when vagabonds wouldn't care, many forsaken, disenfranchised citizens still got-to-face the utmost uncertain future to-come. While being blacklisted on unemployable's heap all along, they take a stance to survive and proceed with life in the Ghetto Australis, within so paradoxically awesome land of plenty, we call it home.

As to the diminished democracy exposé, please proceed to ... http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=4625#47660

Alchemist, I get the picture all too clearly.

I keep looking for ways to discount it, but everything leads back to the grave scenario that you outline.

So is the crux of the issue to reform our governance?

If we had true participatory democracy, would it actually mean that sustainability would become our platform, or would the same old short-term thinking still prevail? You say that it wouldn’t make much difference. Do the people need a strong government that is on the right track and that is independent of participation by the constituency, including independence from big business?

I can’t see a clear way forward.

Maybe the crux of the issue is to just realise that it’s too late…. and to start planning on the personal level as to how to get through the inevitable crash, that will descend in a very short number of years from now.

Leo Braun wrote;

“Alchemist, Your clear-vision-perception, complemented with-the-innate capacity to-be frank while also having the guts to-stand-up for the disenfranchised citizenry and speak-out far beyond the silver-tongued panacea excuses -- has been highly commendable!

Yes indeed.

But by crikey it’s about as depressing as it can get.

Ludwig, to get any result other than what we have, the system must change. When you consider how entrenched they've become and what's required to get change, it's not looking good. As federal politicians have just given themselves more money to mail out propaganda to constituents, giving them up to $400000 in mailing allowance for elections. Any independent trying to get elected other than from the lib/lab junta, would need to be a millionaire, then we have the same problem.

The alternatives, revolution or social collapse. The god factions believe it's the time when their saviour returns and they take control, but history will repeat, as before our societies will disappear rapidly, taking the zealots with it. The destruction caused in the name of economic growth and globalisation, has passed the point of sustainability and in rapid decline.

Latest predictions regarding global warming, states sea rises of 7 metres within 10 years and 70 metres within 30 (hard to believe). It's to hard to predict how this will pan out, or what the outcome will be. I expect we'll see the elite brought to task, another history repeat. Nothing but lies comes for the mouths of those in power, I listened to Peter Garret's press club address and he's now a useless wimp, spewing out the Junta's party line.

Like a pot on a stove, more's added until it boils over creating a big mess. We've put so many problems in the to hard pot, it's about to boil over. Water, fuel, energy, infrastructure, climate, environment, health, debt, governance, services, lose of freedoms, you name it and its all in the too hard basket. The next couple of years will be interesting indeed and yes it does appear the wisest thing's to personally prepare for the eventualities. To be honest only fools will do nothing, but continue to rebuke reality until rolls over them. I agree its depressing, I just try to look beyond it, to see what may be possible afterwards. That alone gives me confidence.

huwaaaah, its all tooo hard.

My head hurts just tryin to think about it!

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