Foxy,
So you don't believe in "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your Country".

Indy,

I've always liked that quote (among many others)
from the American President John F. Kennedy.

And it is exactly the point that I was trying to
make. Our politicians should be concerned about
what THEY can do for our country. After all they
are OUR representatives. And they should DO more
than just rhetoric. They need to have actions
backed by good policies - not just slogans backed
by nothing more than words.

Bazz,

Both Parties need to come up with good policies
in order to get the voters on side. Voters are
no longer satisfied with just empty words.
Interesting times ahead.

Foxy how true, America has fallen a long way recently and some doubt exists they will get back on track trust youth trust the mid terms

Foxy,
Politician deserve flak because most of them have not got the mentality for what it means to care for others & work in with people who do care but are shackled by policies.
Voters too are only out for themselves many even worse than the pollies.
The average voter expects far too much & when they don't get their grubby little hands on what they expect then they turn against the politicians for not delivering.
Ask the average voter what they think about a National service for 18-21 year olds ? I bet even here on OLO most would be against it. Why ? Because they'd have to do something for their own future but they expect others to provide.
How about asking able-bodied refugees to help their country to get back on its feet with help from the host countries ? Do you really think even just one hand would be raised in favour of it ?
No ! Why not ? Because going back would mean giving up on their real agenda.

Indy,

I shall repeat what I've posted previously so many
times on this forum. It's taken from Peter Costello's
Memoirs:

"...politics for all its rough edges , is a civilised
and civilising calling. Despite all the obloquy shovelled
on the head of politicians , they are men and women who
work the machinery of liberal democratic way of life. They
reflect public opinion - and at their best lead public opinion
and transmute it into laws that shape our society and our
country... we do have unresolved problems that we need to fix.
I have no doubt that we will find solutions that suit us -...
provided that we do not succumb to the siren calls of
demagogues,charlatans, and ideologues."

Foxy,
that's all very nice, what did he have to say about the orchestrated refugee situation ?