Banjo,

Fair question. Easy answer - no one. Australia is rooted.

Why distrust knowledge?
david f,
no-one distrusts knowledge. people distrust & deservedly those educated people who haven't got the mentality to utilise the knowledge placed in front of them but which they failed to absorb.
There's a massive difference between being educated & having sense & it is mostly sense that these learned people lack. The evidence is all around us !
Hell, you can't get into Govt or senior bureaucrat decision making circles without a UNI Degree so, who is making those decisions that got our nations to the dire stage ?

Dear individual,

It sounds to me as though you distrust knowledge. There is a strain in society that distrusts the intellectual - those who contribute to the public debate with a background of knowledge. I don't think our nation is in dire straits. Under the present government we have a far better record of dealing with the pandemic than the US, Brazil or Sweden. As an old man my quality of life is quite good in Australia. It is good for many people. There are attempts to make things better for Aborigines or other groups who are disadvantaged in Australia. Banjo Paterson remarks that he hasn't been in contact with those who make the decisions in our society. As long as things are going well why would he need that contact?

From what I can see we are not in dire straits, our educated people in academia generally have good sense. There are things I would change in Australia. I would like to see the military called that rather than be labelled defense. I would like to see debate on the military budget, greater separation of religion and state and greater concern for the environment. However, as far as Australia being in dire straits that is utter rubbish, and those who have immigrated here or would like to be here know it is utter rubbish. Compared to most other nations we're doing great.

Why do you think we're in dire straits?

.

Dear Individual,

.

You wrote :

« Welcome to so-called democracy where a hand full of mostly academic-background "Experts" dictate to the majority with impunity ! »
.

You raise an interesting point there, Individual. The coronavirus pandemic has underlined the paradoxical relationship between so-called “experts” and politicians.

At the outbreak of the pandemic in France, the “experts” declared that masks were necessary for medical staff only and that the public didn’t need to wear them.

It was later revealed that the government had liquidated the national security stock of one billion masks and decided not to renew them for budgetary reasons. The “experts” had declared that there was no need for people to wear masks simply because there were no masks.

Another example that comes to mind is the contradictory discourses of President Trump and one of his principal scientific advisers, Dr Anthony Fauci. Another scientific adviser, Dr Deborah Birx, has been accused by the president of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, of politicising her discourse in collusion with Donald Trump.

Some experts lack the modesty to admit their ignorance and lack of experience in certain domains relative to their expertise. Some treat laypeople with disdain and only tell them what they think they need to know. Others simply play politics.

Some politicians, like Donald Trump, choose to ignore scientific evidence and pretend to know better than qualified professionals. Others choose to hide behind the considered opinion of so-called “experts” to avoid assuming responsibility for difficult or unpopular decisions.

But, can “experts”, as you say, “dictate to the majority” ?

Certainly, there are always a certain number of individuals who are easily influenced and ready to believe anything – but in a country of free speech like Australia where other voices, just as equally qualified, can also make themselves heard, they (the so-called “experts”) could only succeed in obtaining the adhesion of a majority of the population to their theses by putting forward irrefutable scientific arguments, the validity of which their pairs are obliged to acknowledge.

That is not dictation. It is scientific argument.

.

.

Dear runner,

.

You add :

« There is little doubt that most [politicians] don't hold to their principles if their power is threatened. Hiding behind the 'experts' is code for cowardice and appears to be the latest way to justify any action »
.

Professional politicians are a devious breed of individuals, runner, especially the elite politicians at the top – those who manage to scramble over their pairs and occupy the highest posts. They can be quite ruthless – veritable wolves in sheep's clothing.

None of that, of course, is visible to the naked (or should I say naïve) eye. They are charismatic individuals who inspire confidence and respect, sometimes even sympathy – men or women of (apparent) integrity and principle, (seemingly) capable of leading their nation with conviction, intelligence, and authority, with its best interests at heart.

In any event, electors’ choice usually boils down to one of (at most) two or three possible candidates with not much to go on to separate the wheat from the chaff – and no guarantee they’re not all chaff.

The political system is a terrible mincing machine.

.

Dear Foxy,

.

You indicate :

« I have met my local councillors. I have met several state premiers, past and present. I have met my federal Member of Parliament - and his opposition. I have met several other MPs from various parties »

Nobody can accuse you of not taking an active interest in politics, Foxy, that’s for sure. It’s quite remarkable and admirable.

You add :

« All in all, I have found that despite all the criticisms the men and women who work the machinery of our liberal democratic way of life are decent people who do reflect public opinion »

I’m sure you’re right. In their large majority, they are “decent people who do reflect public opinion”.

The problem is the system of so-called “representative democracy” as it is set-up, operated and controlled by the political parties and the oligarchs pulling the strings behind the scenes.

.

Anyone with any logic could have seen advantage of masks.

Relying on so-called expert opinion should never be an excuse for personal logical thinking.

Once the virus is in my community,I would never go anywhere without a mask. Just another important way to reduce risk.