Politics What policies will actually fix Western Democracy

[A Cut Above]

I want to see infinitely harsher punishments for white collar crime, financial sector especially. If a crooked banker or financial advisor swindles $10m and destroys a dozen lives by doing so, instead of fining them a pittance forcing them to spend the rest of their lives behind bars will make some think twice.

As for the big 4 banks themselves, we all know the despicable power they wield over our political system. They should never have been allowed to grow so large in the first place, and should be forcibly broken up into smaller entities by the government. The same applies to other 'too big to fail' businesses like the supermarket duopoly who ruthlessly exploit their market clout. Some should also be nationalized to give the public a government-owned alternative, and privatization of all essential services including transport should be revoked as it has proven to be a disaster for taxpayers.

Obviously none of this will happen while the cancer of Neoliberalism still infects our society but its nice to dream.

 

[donkeypunchd]

The key problems are income inequality and rising irrationality.

Conspiracy theories about chemtrails, false birth certificates, anti vaccination & anti climate change activists (before we even mention the apostles of irrationality, the myriad of false religious sects vying for attention, power, and wealth who glory in the incitement of sect followers to fanaticism) rot the collective mind.

Education in history, particularly historicism, logic and science are vital to remedying the defects of irrationality. Income re-distribution from the likes of Gina Rinehart back to the state for investment in education and health services will assist in remedying both defects.

 

[JackOutback]

The key problems are income inequality and rising irrationality.

Conspiracy theories about chemtrails, false birth certificates, anti vaccination & anti climate change activists (before we even mention the apostles of irrationality, the myriad of false religious sects vying for attention, power, and wealth who glory in the incitement of sect followers to fanaticism) rot the collective mind.

Education in history, particularly historicism, logic and science are vital to remedying the defects of irrationality. Income re-distribution from the likes of Gina Rinehart back to the state for investment in education and health services will assist in remedying both defects.

We need a political leader with the intelligence and charisma to carry the people with them; however the political system doesn't favour those people. Obama seemed like someone who could educate and inspire, yet he got bogged down by the system as well. People like Tony Abbott and Donald Trump have created a toxic political environment that will be very difficult to undo.

 

[Number37]

We need a political leader with the intelligence and charisma to carry the people with them; however the political system doesn't favour those people. Obama seemed like someone who could educate and inspire, yet he got bogged down by the system as well. People like Tony Abbott and Donald Trump have created a toxic political environment that will be very difficult to undo.

To be fair to Abbott he didn't create the toxic environment, the slide began with Howard in '96.

 

[JackOutback]

To be fair to Abbott he didn't create the toxic environment, the slide began with Howard in '96.

I was referring to the toxicity of negativity, the partisan politics that says you oppose everything in Opposition and give no quarter, that you try to undo what the government did before you. Howard was a scumbag at times, but he still occasionally put forward ideas (such as the GST, like it or hate it). Abbott nailed that, didn't have a genuine policy of his own, just a rejection of everything Labor put forward. Once in government, his lack of ideas became obvious.

 

[Number37]

I was referring to the toxicity of negativity, the partisan politics that says you oppose everything in Opposition and give no quarter, that you try to undo what the government did before you. Howard was a scumbag at times, but he still occasionally put forward ideas (such as the GST, like it or hate it). Abbott nailed that, didn't have a genuine policy of his own, just a rejection of everything Labor put forward. Once in government, his lack of ideas became obvious.

Agree, to an extent. I do think that the negativity of Abbott is just another manifestation of the contempt for the public Howard engineered. I say engineered because at the same time as showing contempt for the public he also managed to get the public to vote for him, which also might explain why he lost his own seat at the 07 election.

 

[donkeypunchd]

We need a political leader with the intelligence and charisma to carry the people with them; however the political system doesn't favour those people. Obama seemed like someone who could educate and inspire, yet he got bogged down by the system as well. People like Tony Abbott and Donald Trump have created a toxic political environment that will be very difficult to undo.

In the present climate any charismatic leader would be unable to achieve much due to the level of polarisation. I don’t think there’s a quick fix but changing the education system so students learn how to think for themselves and parse sources of information to make informed choices. In some ways this should be as important as science and mathematics; sites like Infowars would not exist or have influence if more citizens were able to think critically (the exact same could be said of dubious Trotskyite organisations on the other end of the political spectrum).

 

[Procrastinator35]

In the present climate any charismatic leader would be unable to achieve much due to the level of polarisation. I don’t think there’s a quick fix but changing the education system so students learn how to think for themselves and parse sources of information to make informed choices. In some ways this should be as important as science and mathematics; sites like Infowars would not exist or have influence if more citizens were able to think critically (the exact same could be said of dubious Trotskyite organisations on the other end of the political spectrum).

You should probably at this point throw in the whole box & dice by including all MSM as well....Anyone with a functioning brain can see through the shite for what it is.

But your point is a valid one.....The destruction of the fourth-estate as an independent check on government corruption & tyranny, has been crucial to the degenearation of Western Democracy.

 

[JackOutback]

In the present climate any charismatic leader would be unable to achieve much due to the level of polarisation. I don’t think there’s a quick fix but changing the education system so students learn how to think for themselves and parse sources of information to make informed choices. In some ways this should be as important as science and mathematics; sites like Infowars would not exist or have influence if more citizens were able to think critically (the exact same could be said of dubious Trotskyite organisations on the other end of the political spectrum).

The internet has been a boon for society but at the same time, we haven't adapted to teach children how to filter the information (not surprising since we are all learning at the same time).

 

[M Malice]

It's too late the world is f...ed, George Carlin put it best IMO, just sit back and enjoy the freak show, life's a ride, sit back and enjoy it.

 

[Gethelred]

We need a political leader with the intelligence and charisma to carry the people with them; however the political system doesn't favour those people. Obama seemed like someone who could educate and inspire, yet he got bogged down by the system as well. People like Tony Abbott and Donald Trump have created a toxic political environment that will be very difficult to undo.

It's the price you pay for having the checks in place to avoid dictatorship, a deliberately inefficient system of government.

 

[Seeds]

It's the price you pay for having the checks in place to avoid dictatorship, a deliberately inefficient system of government.

No those checks help the people. The problem is outside money is needed to drive election campaigns which forces parties to serve the lobby groups and not the people. This can be very easily fixed by banning donations and having the tax payer fund election campaigns 100 percent.

 

[owen87]

No those checks help the people. The problem is outside money is needed to drive election campaigns which forces parties to serve the lobby groups and not the people. This can be very easily fixed by banning donations and having the tax payer fund election campaigns 100 percent.

What he means is that whilst Obama as an individual looked promising; the system stops any one individual from just doing whatever they like. This is good in terms of stopped dictatorships, bad when you end up with term after term of government achieving very little.

It's a combination of things; career politicians and a largely apathetic voter base doesn't help though.

 

[Gethelred]

No those checks help the people. The problem is outside money is needed to drive election campaigns which forces parties to serve the lobby groups and not the people. This can be very easily fixed by banning donations and having the tax payer fund election campaigns 100 percent.

... and those same checks which constitute an inefficient system - which I am in favor of - stop business interests from truly and completely getting their way, as while you can capture a party in a parliament, it's a very rare enterprise that can capture both houses of the Australian federation, let alone the state governments as well.

Checks and balances. They prevent good leadership and efficient government, but by the same token they protect against the worst excesses of either 'side' of politics. It's a system I favor, as something which possesses sufficient popular support will be changed - because of the representative nature of the beast - but by and large the government fight over deck chair issues, anything to wedge their opposition on. Over time - as we've seen the Libs do with Centrelink, Medicare - you can see a death by papercuts approach, but when/if Labor gets in they reverse the cuts wherever they can, and return things to the status quo.

You cannot argue that our current system is an efficient one, because it patently isn't. It is deliberately set up to avoid a call to our executive wing of government, only engaging with it when the bill is worked on and has been passed by both houses, ensuring that everyone who has been elected has had their say. Now, if you want to argue that this particular kind of inefficiency is good, amen brother, but if you're going to tell me that our system is not inefficient you are beyond wrong.

 

[Gethelred]

What he means is that whilst Obama as an individual looked promising; the system stops any one individual from just doing whatever they like. This is good in terms of stopped dictatorships, bad when you end up with term after term of government achieving very little.

It's a combination of things; career politicians and a largely apathetic voter base doesn't help though.