Readers Reflect on the State of Australian Politics

[Smit]

I found this interesting. It seems there are quite a few similarities between our countries, but interesting differences too.

Readers Reflect on the State of Australian Politics

Some thoughts on a better politics — and some relief Australia isn't America.

The Australia Letter is a weekly newsletter from our Australia bureau.

In last week's Australia Letter, Besha Rodell wrote about her frustrations with the current state of Australia's politics. She invited readers to send in their own feelings on the matter. Here are some excerpts from the many responses we got:


How frequently have I lamented the lack of educated and experienced statesmen and stateswomen in this country with the knowledge, experience, and pragmatic sense of how to govern. I listen to and watch the U.S. news where elected officials get into policy, doctrine, matters of deep concern for the population, but there is none of that here in Oz. Where are the statespeople with law degrees? Where are the conversations on equality, racial justice, climate change and plans for the future. At the same time, Australians themselves, myself included, are so complacent, anyone putting his/her hat in the ring to govern can usually get elected since it means we are happy that we don't have to worry ourselves about any of it. Let someone else do it. She'll be right, no? — David Roche


I'm sure that if Australia were in such a mess as the U.S., politically and socially, the political debate here might be a bit more sober. Obviously, the conservatives here are happy enough with the status quo and certainly don't want serious debate about the major issues for which they either deny or have no answers. But yes, why aren't the opposition's and independents' views being hammered loudly, every day? Perhaps it has to do with the lack of extreme polarization in Australian society. Isn't much of the debate in the US just noise, sniping, propaganda and the echoes of inflated egos? So, let's have more serious debate about the important issues without all the extraneous song and dance of the American sideshows. — Barry Long


We do live in one of the best countries on the planet, mainly due to the resilience and efforts of its population. It is hindered by the existing government and can be even greater when they are assigned to the dustbin of history. We do need to act collectively; the responses to bush fires, floods, drought and pandemics has reinforced this. We need less partisan and more cooperative governments capable of progressive and decisive action. — Greg Clydesdale


Both major parties are paralyzed by the contradictions in their policies on resource extraction and trading, and climate change. As a result, they can't speak clearly about the major issue of our time, which turns everything else they say into shadow play. This state of affairs was brought about by the right-wing parties and their resource extraction friends killing off the hope of a sensible carbon pricing policy back in 2014. The Labor Party found itself sitting on a very sharp fence because of the resource extraction unions siding with their owners. Things just ain't been the same since, I'm afraid, and frankly, they're not going to improve in a hurry. — Tom Mangan


As an old Labor voter I have nowhere to go. Labor's traumatic loss at the last election seems to have given them a case of paralysis. Their problem then was Shorten, and their problem this time is Albo. But they just keep amortizing perfectly good policies and remaining in denial, thereby pursuing a course of policy stagnation and mistaken leadership choices. Both men are much-liked within the party but unsellable outside it. So Australia is a pariah overseas and an embarrassment at home. Lucky country no more. — Kate Maclaren


I too feel deep despair and sorrow for a so-called nation that has so many golden opportunities laid out before it. I am of a generation that benefited from the policies of post-World War II governments, educational scholarships and bursaries. Higher education was nearly free in my day, and well within the reach of the broader working population. My children have been burdened with having to pay for their higher education, a legacy of misguided meddling by the Labor Party in a confused search for fairer pathways to university. These policies were enthusiastically adopted by the Liberal Party, whose unquestioning belief in the free-market system to deliver a good life is, for me, unbelievable. Some of my children, now approaching middle age, will never own their own home; once this was a marker of the Australian success story. Reconciliation with the First Peoples and a unified civil society are a fantasy. My faith in authorities and the good sense of my peers has been replaced by a deep cynicism. — John Spain


I remember when we first migrated from California to Australia in the early 1990s. Australia was different then, and, of course, the news cycle wasn't shrill like it is now, and the country had problems, but was less tired of its politicians. Scott Morrison and his mob are an embarrassment to most Australians that I talk with, but who will replace them and be any better? What country has decent pollies these days? But at least we don't suffer the chaos of America, for which we are grateful. — Janet O'Toole


While I agree with much of your article, I am quite puzzled by statements like "Where is the opposition?" You get close to calling out the media, but I think underestimate the scale of the problem. A single family owns over half the newspapers, we have the highest media ownership concentration of any comparable country, and the ABC has had its budget cut by over $500 million since 2014 by the LNP. I think there are two reasons you don't see Labor, and the Greens, and independents — the media does the absolute minimum to cover them, and mostly just in order to generate outrage. Secondly, these parties know from experience, in particular the last election, that policies will be distorted beyond recognition, used against them, and this will be reported uncritically by a cowered media. — Richard

[Incogneeto]

And Yet.

You remain Steadfast.

[RobertELee]

It seems there are quite a few similarities between our countries

They have dumbass democrats too?

[Smit]

They have dumbass democrats too?

Well I was thinking dumbass Republicans or whatever it is they call their nutty conspiracy theory party in that country.

[Incogneeto]

Well I was thinking dumbass Republicans or whatever it is they call their nutty conspiracy theory party in that country.

Soooo You Have all the scientific data on covid in Australia??

I saw your Links.

Is that how you are making your decisions?

From those articles??

[Incogneeto]

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/koreatown-los-angeles/index.html

Besha Rodell.

[Incogneeto]

I found this interesting. It seems there are quite a few similarities between our countries, but interesting differences too.

http://www.davidroche.com/

Hardly an expert on covid.

[Incogneeto]

https://www.bing.com/search?q=barry+long&cvid=ed57e7f97d6649ffbbf3308cd9026a86&aqs=edge.0.0l9.5199j0j1&pglt=427&FORM=ANNTA1&PC=DCTS

Best you got??

[Incogneeto]

Pretty Much everyone in your articles are Just Blather mouthed dimwitted intellectuals.

With no standing.

I Have 6 Emc certificates to prove I have completed my courses.

I have more standing than anyone of the individuals you are Portraying.

C'mon Smit

[Incogneeto]

Annnnnd I suck at Emc.

[Incogneeto]

I will put it this way.

My Neighbor was afraid a person would break into his girlfriends apartment.

He was putting 9 screws into the frame of the screen on the window frame.

I asked him "why soo many screws when it's just a screen"??

He said "well they won't get the screen off"

My Point??

They would just walk through the screen. But the frame is secure. Duhh!!

[Smit]

What in the HELL are you going on about?!?! 

[neurosis]

I think that we've reached the cocktail portion of the evening.   

[beej]

Well I was thinking dumbass Republicans or whatever it is they call their nutty conspiracy theory party in that country.

I'm pretty sure the Durham news over the weekend shows, pretty well, that "conspiracy theory tendencies" favor no party.

While Australia and the US are different, the underlying cause to the problems of each nation and most other nations of the West Civilization are the same and it comes down to moral decadence. I see it in both parties, Left, middle, and right. I see it in churches, universities, media, business and government. Honestly, it's a struggle to keep it out of my own life. Hypocrisy runs rampent, forgiveness and grace are all but unheard of, and respect for people that disagree is a relic as rare as a steam engine.

these things don't need to be perfect to get the world and our individual countries back on track but there has to be improvement. The heyday of humanity might be behind us.

[Dan_AKA_ROY23]

^ :Coherent post alert: