Care for the needy. Protect the environment. Defend the country but don't let the military-industrial complex run it. Engage with other nations in a system of international law. Have a good public school system promoting critical thinking in the sciences, literature politics and belief. Have separation of religion and state. Treat citizens equally before the law regardless of race, religious belief or non-belief, ethnicity, sex and sexual orientation. promote freedom of expression by getting rid of such impediments to it such as defamation laws and media monolpolies. Provide for adequate fire protection, police protection and public health. Have freedom of speech and expression. Have representatives answer to their constituents, their conscience and the good of Australia and the world rather than bow to the dictates of the party room.

Don't worry about left or right but support and be active in the political entity that comes closest to the above. Maintain a good level of skepticism.

Hi Poirot,

I guess so. But if we wish to hurl quotes at each other, try this, from one of my heroes, Kenan Malik, in Murdoch's rag today:

"Freedom of speech for everyone but bigots is no freedom of speech at all."

No, we don't have to like that, but don't forget, to some other people, we, you and I, may come across as bigots. And if you and I have the right to express ourselves, so should they, whoever they may be. We don't have to listen, we don't have to take any notice, and certainly we don't have to be persuaded - those are OUR rights.

Just don't think of 'other people' as some sort of puppets, inferior people, people who need to be guided. And if they can't be 'guided' ......

That way lies fascism, Poirot :)

Cheers,

Joe

Joe,

"Just don't think of 'other people' as some sort of puppets, inferior people, people who need to be guided...."

Patronising much!

Voltaire had it right both times..."but I'll defend your right..." Yet - I'll also be "aware" that you are a bigot and that you employ prejudice for reason.

It's when the prejudice becomes the reason that we're in trouble.

"That way" lies fascism (Joe).

Gawd....

Just reread and should have put all of Voltaire's rhetorical ideas in quotation marks. The second part " that you are a bigot and that you employ prejudice for reason" wasn't directed personally, Joe (I presume you realised that but thought I'd post this anyway.)

Lexi,

Your comparison of New Matilda with Bolt's column is fair. Both are well thought out and use the facts to promote their argument, and both are extreme. Which is precisely why I never quote either of them. If you think you are centrist, why then is the mainstream media a dessert? If you always do you research before posting, why then do you almost exclusively post from the New Matilda? (which I consider with Bolt as Dross)

As far as epithets I use such as Juliar and Comrade Conroy, I notice that such epithets are used freely against Abbott, Pyne, etc by the left, and I don't hear a squeak in protest from you.

Press freedom is one of the key cornerstones of democracy, the moment there is a government appointed body that can punish people for expressing themselves that is state censorship.

I ask you how you would feel if some time in the future a very conservative government re stacked this board with those such as Alan Jones and Bolt?

Dear Joe (Loudmouth),

I think Poirot has said things much better than I did.
And her Voltaire quote is quite apt. It's all a question of
judgement and perception. And as we all know people tend
to see things from a viewpoint of subjectivity. However,
it's for that reason that reading as much as possible from
a wide variety of diverse sources helps us to get to the
bigger picture of any issue - this self-conscious effort
encourages objectivity and minimises distortions caused by
personal bias. The pursuit of objectivity does not
necessarily mean that we should not express personal opinions
or value judgements. It means that these judgements
should be clearly labeled as such and should not intrude into
the actual process of our research and interpretation of issues.
You can only form a broader picture if you do look at things
from various sides - not only the same narrow, blinkered
point of view that agrees with one's own values.
For example, it would be perfectly legitimate for a
sociologist to give as objective an account as possible
of a social problem, and then to add a subjective judgement
provided that the judgement was presented as a matter of
personal opinion.