Antifa is made up of fascist thugs, runner. They are the real McCoy: genuine fascists because they attempt to stop other people from speaking using violence – the epitome of fascism. They are masked, as you say, because they are cowards. If people want to go along to hear a speaker, these thugs are there to scare them off, or physically prevent the from entering a venue.

This thread is utterly ridiculous, as is the letter that inspired it!

High energy costs can certainly be a problem, but they're not a major factor in the viability of most industries, and certainly not a threat to democracy.
Our company taxes are low by historical standards. And of all the ways of increasing investment, low taxes are one of the most expensive. Either way, it's not a threat to democracy.

I could go on, but it might be better to look at what actually threatens democracy: the breakdown of the rule of law. There are many countries where the law of the land is being disregarded in favour of the will of authoritarian leaders. This makes it easy for those in power to stay in power - either by fooling the people, cheating in elections, or indefinitely postponing the elections.

O Sung Wu said- "With a new LNP Leader (Mr DUTTON or ors.) maybe we'll have a fighting chance."

Answer- I still think we need a majority anti-immigration in the senates both Fed and States (where they have an upper house).

But yes there have been approapriate things coming from Dutton recently. The fact that these things have been allowed to get out possibly means Turnbull has been involved. Whether Dutton would continue to do these things if he became the leader is uncertain but at least he is taking the risk of saying the "approapriate rather than the convenient" things. I haven't been following the players closely enough for perspicacity- however I agree that "Dutton is the best choice"- though I'd need to know his position on five top variables- Immigration, Global Businesses in Australia, Identity Politics, Socialism, Political Correctness, possibly others.

If only we could find a benevolent dictator.

Sometime I'll spend some time thinking on an issue before I respond, and I've got plenty to say on this topic.
- and a few things to say about what others think as well...

But firstly, all I want to do is remind everyone what I said here about leftist causes and victimhood.
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=19889&page=0#351774

You might've all thought I was being a little cryptic and nutty, but I want to give an example of why I said it.

http://smh.com.au/politics/federal/afraid-to-use-medicare-citizenship-queue-blows-out-300-per-cent-20180815-p4zxl0.html

Tell me did that article not sell me a story that people who aren't even Aussies yet are victims of this nations policies?

Selling Victimhood?
Am I right or am I wrong?

Now if you believe your a victim, your going to be justified into thinking it's ok to do all sorts of crap.

And in this environment we live in today your encouraged to start crap and do something about it because victimhood pays dividends.

I could ask you all to seriously think about what kind of society you want, but the real truth I believe is that none of us actually have that choice.
It really is a delusion.

Do you know why democracy is the perfect tool to destroy us?

Because we will accept what we did not ask for, thinking somehow we did.

Democracy doesn't ever really get any of us what we want, rather than it teaches all of us to always accept it and be subservient to the system when we never get what we want.

Pro's and Con's people.

Lets look at what are the key values of democracy:

1) The need for free and fair elections.
2) Freedom of speech.
3) Equality before the law.
4) Active citizen participation.
5) Protection of minority rights.

Also we need to be reminded as we contemplate the health of
our democracies that the evolution of modern representative
democracies was accompanied by a "powerful distrust of the
people," of the poor, the poorly educated and women, who
were initially excluded and had to fight to gain suffrage.

Democracy has generally functioned reasonably well when
assessed against competing forms of government and methods
for organising society.

Democracy has characteristically produced societies that
have been relatively "humane, flexible, productive, and
vigorous." However, democracy is also characterised by
"unsightly and factionalised squabbling by self-interested,
short-sighted people and groups."

Furthermore, the policy outcomes often result from
"special pleading" from those best placed to "adroitly pressure
and manipulate the system."

Yes, some citizens have grown more distant from political
parties, more critical of political elites and political
institutions and less positive towards government.

Of great concern for the future health of our democracy is
that these feelings of mistrust will have broadened to
include the political regime and our political institutions.
We need to be very careful in what we wish for - and what we
do. Listening to the siren calls of charlatans, demagogues,
and ideologues will destroy our country.