My prediction is that the world will stilt demonstrate the same attitudes and conflicts that are expressed on this Forum - after all we are humans.

It's not the views expressed that worry me.
We'll all continue to have a variety of
opinions. My hope however is that we'll
have the right Leadership and innovative
minds that will point us in the right
direction coupled with the right policies
and of course action.

We have Leaders and we have followers.
Let's just hope that we have enough
Leaders with the right attitudes.
Look at what happened in the US recently
with their National Health Scheme propsoal.
Corporations influenced that decision.
The people wanted one thing - Big Business
wanted something else. Big Business won!

cont'd ...

I've recently read an article in a magazine
entitled, "Counting the cost of Washington's
"brain dead" politics." Evan Bayh of the
Los Angeles Times tells us that America's
political cultured has rendered the
country ungovernable. I hope the same does
not happen in this country.

Republicans in particular in the US are
deliberately sabotaging effective government,
knowing voters will take out their anger on
the party in charge. Sound familiar?

To break this "vicious-circle politics"
Americans need the right leadership and
political candidates who can tap into
public disenchantment with the present system.

We have the same sort of problem in this country.
There's no doubt that obstruction of legislation
for party-political advantage has risen dramatically
in recent months. It would be great if the two
parties could come together to solve difficult
problems out of a sense of responsibility - but
I won't hold my breath.

Anyway, I would like to Thank everyone who contributed
to this thread.

And, I shall see you on my next one!

Cheers!

Foxy, at risk of interrupting your closing remarks there is an obvious explanation for the dilemma you pose in parting.
With increasing numbers of women in modern legislatures men have become emboldened to oppose with macho displays of willful obstruction. Men posture in the presence of women, the more so in the presence of firebrands such as Sarah Palin and Julie Bishop. The traditional male ability to resolve issues amongst men has vanished.
The men who established Australia's legislatures never intended they would be anything other than men's legislatures to which women are admitted under male supervision. Women would have to wait until they gained sufficient experience before they could have legislatures of their own. Sufficient is when legislatures grind to a halt through male posturing. Stonewalling would cease if women had their own legislatures. Leadership would be conducted by cabinets comprised of equal numbers of women and men who appoint a male and a female leader of their own.

Dear whistler,

You could be right. However, I believe
that our country's problems are not
problems of structure but of leadership.
Tony Abbott doesn't have it. And now on the
evidence so far, Kevin Rudd's reforms
might fail not because of some structural
breakdown, but because he failed to sell it
to the voters. Of course there is also
extreme partisanship. And as I stated
in my previous post there's no doubt
the obstruction of legislation for party
political advantage has risen dramatically
under Abbott. Perhaps the two parties can come
together to solve difficult problems out
of a sense of responsibility, they'll eventually
respond to something more visceral: fear.
(losing their seats -and/or the election).

Foxy, as can be increasingly relied upon,
has her own <<"brain dead">> view on reality:
<<Republicans in particular in the US are
deliberately sabotaging effective government,
knowing voters will take out their anger on
the party in charge.>>
This while the Democrats have majorities in both Congress and the Senate!
Centrist Democrats, insofar as they exist, are voting against their own party's bills because they know how unpopular they are with the people who will be voting them out of office in November.
But Foxy sees only minority Republicans "sabotaging effective government"!
Most Americans are belatedly smelling something fishy with Mr Hope and Change.
This is demonstrated by his approval index of -18.
Sorry, that was yesterday. Today it's -22.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll
Obama doesn't care because he and his clique of radicals see this as their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to irrevocably change the course of American history.
To change it from a free market country of freedom and opportunity
to yet another failed socialist state.
America-haters support him because he is one of them.
Global power-brokers and assorted sabre-rattlers such as Putin, Chavez, Ahmadinejad, et al. have smelt the impending death of America under Obama and are becoming increasingly bellicose.
The only good thing about Obama's election is the growing realisation by Americans that their hardwon freedom is tenuously held.
That it only takes an Obama to destroy that freedom.
Your above quote is one of the more absurd claims you've made Foxy,
and that's saying something.