Peter, your article's very perceptive in its understanding. However it doesn't say anything we don't already know, nor gives viable alternatives. Our present system's dead, keeping any part of it will only drag the smell into anything new.

We need a new lateral system, one that's forced upon the elite by the people and circumstance, as seen in past history. Globalisation's failed as has economic growth and rationalism at any cost. Our present systems put all the power into elitist hands, destroyed our labour base, primary industry, small business and enslaved the populace.

The system we need to progress this country will give people a real say in the future, with those at the helm of society actually knowing about the portfolio they represent and fully accountable for their role and outcomes, with no political parties.

This will only come about by some form of revolution or collapse of the present system. Revolutions are normally bloody and never really assist all involved, its a collapse we need in this country. We don't want to go down the path of bloody revolution as we are seeing throughout the world.

We need a system free from the religious ideology currently controlling our parliamentary system by stealth. Other than that we need to find a way to make the transition painless, as well as remove the current useless overeducated idiots currently destroying everything they touch. We need an accountable bureaucracy, actually I doubt there'd be one head of department who is capable of doing the job their supposed to.

I believe it will be based on reason, environmental sustainable life style and sustainable non polluting technologies. Its either that or we end up in the stone age again, or with an unliveable planet.

Oh to be so lucky. I place my bet on the arrival of the catastrophes before the change. Did not see or hear, was not told, refusal to address the unpleasant preferring the escape offered by taboo labelling, like Terrorists. Human inability to see the future resulting in denial of change as Jared Diamond shows in Collapse, even resentment of change as many writers note, will ensure action taken too late. Religion will play its part in soothing or arming fighting hordes whose destruction of the environment can only speed catastrophe. Oil wasted in Israel/Lebanon! We in the rich world will have the voyeur satisfaction of observing this before our turn comes realisation being thwarted by the emotion of patriotic fervour and militarism as we compete for remaining resources. In the time available medals will be struck and handed out those that can will take as much as they can denying others. The media will be in profit. So roll on!

Alchemist,

I think you are one of the few posters on this forum that really can see the forest before the trees. (although I dont always go on along with your anti-religous rants, but they are great for a laugh). The current system is terminally ill, people don't see it yet because materially we are doing ok, but wait until the economy really goes belly up and then some major changes are bound to occur.

This article was ok but he probably dosn't go far enough. He is right about one thing, communication technology is THE vehicle for change. The MSM all over the world have completley let us down. They refuse to examine what happened on 911 even though millions online are realising that the official story has some major holes in it.

Alchemist you are right about revolutions, they are bloody and generally undesireable, but the system we have will not last, I just hope the transition dosn't result in WW111.

I'm not so sure the present system is dead - just in need of some emergency evolution.

Observing federal politics first:

On the one hand, we have the Coalition parties - the Liberals have become the most effective political party, while the Nationals have become utterly dependent upon them. The National Party either has to revert to the core values of the Country Party it was founded upon and accept it will only have a presence in rural Australia (and a limited one at that) or be entirely subsumed by the Liberals.

The crisis facing Labor is even worse - for too long they have been linked with unionism in Australia. Labor is trying to occupy a space that is dominated by a) the blue collar workers of unions and b) the predominant left wing party - indeed the only party that is even remotely connected with socialism.

As such, the Left in Australia have no real voice - the only option is labor, which is still effectively the unions. Should Labor lose the next federal election (and I'm almost certain they will) they will be faced with a total crisis - the realisation that the unions really aren't enough for them anymore - the only real choice is to become a truly progressive left party. Unfortunately, I suspect Australian politics aren't quite ready for that, as the countries in Europe that have genuine left governments have had decades of preparation.

On the State level, we have a situation where the state and federal governments are completely ideologically opposed - which results in the federal government undermining power from the states. This is not going to change anytime soon, in fact, the relevance of the states is certainly going to shrink, especially if Labor cannot undertake this dramatic shift in ideology.

In response to some of the comments that the author doesn't go far enough in his article I should add he has sent me another article to follow on from this one. It will be published in about a fortnight and I will make sure it is linked to this one.
Regards
Susan Prior
Editor

Peter,

I quite liked your article but agree that it doesn't seem to explore the fundamentals of the issue deeply enough. How is this exactly going to start and continue to work? - I am not criticising I am really interested to know more.

I find the idea of a 'quiet', relatively painless tech driven democratic revolution fantasic. What a brilliant idea! I would be the first to sign up to such a movement, but how will it work exactly? How is it going to evolve and ultimately supersede the existing power structure?