do you ever notice that when ozzies talk about politics, they never inject a 'how we can fix it' in the discussion?

that's because they can't fix it. ozzies have no power over politics, that's the private preserve of politicians, who are the inheritors of aristocrats, who were the inheritors of norman warlords, who establihed parliament. never any democracy involved. no 'citizen initiative' here, nor can be, for there are no citizens here.

the depressing truth is, almost all the political discussion in oz is mere gossip, engaged in not to form citizen action through referenda, but to advance academic careers, or simply to release a sense of rage at watching the pollie guild driving the nation into ecological disaster, economic ruin, or <fill-in>.

it is mere gossip because ozzies are not citizens, they are 'subjects', people to whom and on whom, things are done by the ruling caste.

it is most depressing because when this is pointed out, they accept it, shrug their shoulders and change the subject. no need for soldiers, no need for cells and chains, when the chains of submission are part of the national character, the inheritance of a thousand years of forelock tugging.

so next time you read an article in the journal, watch for the phrase 'the government must'. it is so typical of oz pundits and would-be wise counselors from academia: the government must do it, if 'it' is to be done, for no one else can do anything. but the government only 'must' do one thing, and that is stay in power. they don't have to do anything else for they are the masters, not the servants.

the writer uses 'must' to pass a responsibility for action to his master. he should say, "please, master", but pretends to be instructing rather than pleading to disguise impotence. and of course, often the writer is well aware of the situation, and his instructions to government are mere academic display, not meant to lift the nation so much as lift his career.

It does my head in how no one ACTUALLY gets angry.

You're 100% right.

The French government introduce an act SIMILAR to 'Work Choices' just for the pre-20's(?) about the same time 'Work Choices' here. There were riots in Paris. What happened here?. A vote. A coupla years later.

As for the fuel rort. It's obvious it's happening, and STILL nothing.

Unbelievable. New Zealand is no different. I'm convinced it's something in the water.

Gee, I can't believe my eyes reading your comments Demos.
Finally, for the first time in decades someone else realises what's really going on. I almost gave up that there could still be a flicker at the end of the tunnel.
How can we make common sense contagious again, get the lawyers out of politics & focus on training rather than education. No, I don't imply no education. I am implying that education merely brainwashes the masses, training builds communities.

The media is just as complacent.

I've seen TV interviews where some politician is being interviewed and the interviewer is more interested in the politician's 'fluffy-bunny' family life than any people-unfriendly policies that their party has inflicted on us.

The biggest joke was when Rudd and that fat clown Hockey had humourous little exchanges on morning-brain-dead TV when they were supposedly from opposing parties.

I'm not biased to any one party, I hate all politicians.

I agree Demos. We are all guilty to some extent of this sort of apathy in the face of not knowing what else we can do to increase public participation in decision making.

Even our own electoral system is not truly democratic when a party can receive the most votes but still lose the election because of the way they are distributed.

Part of the problem is access to politicians to be able to lobby for change.

I don't know what the answer is. The Rudd government is making some noises to make government more transparent and open and this will be a good thing if it comes off, but as far as democracy goes only a large lobby group of citizens united in a common cause will grab the attention of those in the top caste or in the media.

People are too busy paying off their huge mortgages and other debts to spend much time on politics and thus the apathy continues.

As a child of the 60s and the 70s I do miss the passion of that time and observing the will of the people as they took to the streets on many an occasion to protest against Vietnam, the Franklin, nuclear testing etal.

With all this whining about 'earthly' solutions.. or the lack thereof ...

maybe it's time to considere the heavenly version :)

"If any man is in Christ he is a new creation, the old has passed away, and the new has come."

Now we all know that no 'system' will solve our problems.. but then.. many of our 'problems' are manufactured in our own mind... because of our earthly perspective.

I guess when all you have is 'this life' and take the attitude of some that there is nothing after it.. then it stands to reason that anything getting in the way of total selfish satisfaction is an annoyance and is stealing from your limited time.

Just imagine.. a day when you have to just 'wait' for some other person or company or government official to sort something out...
that's a DAY from your life you will NEVER get back..and could have been used for some leasure or profit activity....

The Christian view is "I have learned to be content in all circumstances"...but of course, if you can improve things a bit..why not, no drama.

The MEdia...is not 'complacent'...it is COMPLICIT.